11 February 2019

Palazzos Centenary Square, the largest public square in the heart of Birmingham, currently lacks cohesion or a clear identity or atmosphere. Mecanoo's design transforms the square into one with three distinct realms: monumental, cultural and entertainment. These palazzos form an urban narrative of important periods in the history of the city; The Repertory Theatre (REP), a 1960s concrete building, the Library of Birmingham, designed in 2009 and Baskerville House, a listed sandstone building designed in 1936. The busiest pedestrian route in the city, what Mecanoo calls the red line, leads pedestrians into Centenary Square. The cantilever of the library is not only a large canopy that provides shelter at the common entrance of the Library of Birmingham and the REP, but additionally forms a grand city balcony with views of the events and happenings on the square. The Library of Birmingham is a transparent glass building. Its delicate filigree skin is inspired by the artisan tradition of this once industrial city. Elevators and escalators dynamically placed in the heart of the library forms connections between the eight circular spaces within the building. These rotundas play an important role not only in the routing through the library but also provide natural light and ventilation. The rooftop rotunda houses the Shakespeare Memorial Room, designed in 1882. This Victorian reading room is lined with wood from the first Birmingham Central Library. Its prominent position as a rooftop aerie makes this delicate room visible from the square. The REP with its unique and beautiful auditorium will be renovated. New workshops, staff accommodations and a shared theatre and foyer space will be created for both the REP and the library. Sustainability The Library of Birmingham is a BREEAM excellent rated building and incorporates grey water systems and ground source heat pumps. Although the Library is a transparent building, it maintains energy efficiency through the buffering capacity of the building mass and the atria. Sun shading and reflective materials within the facades block the harsh rays of the sun during the height of afternoon while allowing natural daylight into the interiors. The ground floor benefits from the mass of the soil which provides buffering and insulation. The circular patio cut out of the square creates a protected outdoor space and invites daylight deep into the building. The building will incorporate a mixed mode and natural ventilation strategy. The façade will respond to external conditions and openings will allow fresh air intake and outflow. The addition of soft landscaped roof spaces will further enhance the immediate surrounding conditions. (Fabiana Cambiaso, Università La Sapienza Roma) Credits: www.mecanoo.nl   Library of Birmingham -  Mecanoo Architects Site: 309 Broad Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK Completed: 2013 Materials: Glass, Metal Cladding Applications: Envelope, Photos: © Christian Richters.

Carlo Bardelli    

02 February 2019

Tvzeb is an experimental zero energy building brought to fruition by virtue of a cooperative endeavour between the traverso-vighy architecture studio and the University of Padua’s Department of Technical Physics.

The goal of the project was to develop a low-impact building that blended seamlessly into the surrounding natural setting and exemplified the visual, renewable energy and user well-being resources of its context both in form and function. The building structure was designed and manufactured in parts by a network of small industrial and craft companies, combining CNC machined and handcrafted components.

This reflects the project’s firm relationship to the concept of potential reversibility and respect for the land: the building can be disassembled at the end of its life cycle and its materials can be separated and recycled, restoring the site to the natural landscape. TVZEB reflects a strong relationship to sustainable practices and environmental awareness, concepts which are not limited to zero-energy measures: its location imposed a natural connection with the land through the use of materials that were produced by local craftsmen and industries, and through the selection of chromatic nuances and materials that would blend easily into the surrounding natural context. Natural light is integrated by an accurate and efficient indirect lighting system that involves a sequence of LED bars, developed by COEMAR, recessed into the floor. The light from this source is reflected off the internal walls fitted with aluminum panels. Each bar combines light from three different LED sources dynamically supplementing and emulating the natural light spectrum that penetrates the building envelope from outdoors.

16 “sunpower” photovoltaic panels are integrated in the building’s design. The 5.6 kWh produced by the system supplies the annual energy demand of all the building’s functions.

The metal cladding in cor-ten steel blends the building into the wooded surroundings. The metal roofing system was created by patient craftsmen, using the traditional crimping technique. The minor building block is clad with untreated larch boards. Larch is valued for its weather resistant qualities and is traditionally used as exterior cladding of Veneto rural and mountain buildings. The interior ambient lighting will change continuously both in quantity and color, as occurs in nature. The external walls and the building roof are insulated with a double layer of 90 mm polyester fiber wadding manufactured by ORV that derives from approximately 40,000 recycled plastic bottles. Besides providing excellent thermal and acoustic insulation, this material – unlike mineral wool – is produced with very low energy consumption.The quick assembly time was possible thanks to careful planning of all structural nodes. 55mm- thick larch planks cover the building structure’s roof and external wings. Xlam panels cover the longitudinal walls to provide bracing. It was assembled in 3 days with the aid of a crane truck. The precision joints between the timber and the metal plates were achieved by using self-centering lathed metal pins. The base plate rests suspended on the ground mimicking the deck of a ship. The floor is made using Hi-Bond corrugated sheets with a collaborating overlying concrete slab. The main structure of the building is made of laminated larch wood . The 450×200 mm. beams have been processed with a five-axis milling machine. The 15 mm. metal plates are laser cut and  pre-assembled on the timber structure. Tvzeb is suspended on the ground and connected to the foundation with just 18  steel spacers.

The metal base was manufactured in parts. Following pre-assembly carpentry, it was galvanized and installed onsite. This reflects the project’s firm relationship to the concept of potential reversibility and respect for the land: the building can be disassembled at the end of its life cycle and its materials can be separated and recycled, restoring the site to the natural landscape. (Fabiana Cambiaso, Università La Sapienza) Credits: www.tvzeb.org www.traverso-vighy.com TVZEB, an experimental project for sustainable architecture Prototype between University of Padua’s Department of Technical Physics - Traverso-Vighy Architecture Studio Completed: 2013 Site: Veneto Materials: Lamellar larch, Galvanized Steel; Cor-ten Steel, Larch boards, Xlam panels Applications: Structure, Cladding Figures: © Traverso Vighy.

Carlo Bardelli

20 January 2019

A perforated and folded steel sheet characterizes the new façade of the Edogawa Garage Club in Tokyo. The exterior is inspired by the movement of the waves, a second skin that iridescent wraps entirely the old building and makes it current. The new metal screen exterior is composed of a series of modular perforated metal plates that allow natural light to filter through the ventilation panels. Colour variations are marked by changes in brightness that produce an unexpected play of colours, gold and silver that enrich the versatile nature of the façade. No demolition of the old buildings, but a work of makeover that gets old and renews it. Designed by Japan Jun’ichi Ito Architect & Associates firm, this is an innovative and green project, because it does not generate waste due to decommissioning.   www.ito-jun.com

Edoardo Croci

Choosing concrete as material for a luxury residence. The young Mexican architect Abraham Cherem (Cherem Arquitectos) recently completed the project of a residence on the outskirts of Mexico City, built for a well-known local football player. The project is based on the study of the views of the house and the movement of the light on the inside. The architect has two overlapped blocks of concrete, creating a complex set of rectangles and curved walls. The goal is to minimize the outskirts views of the metropolis, by focusing our gaze on the large patio. The 44 cm thick walls alternate with smooth walls in corrugated surfaces. Inside, the walls are conceived as concrete curtains, regulating spaces and the entry of light at different times of day. Abraham CheremThe use of concrete is inspired by the work of Brazilian architects Lina Bo Bardi and Oscar Niemayer

The parquet decorates itself and it becomes furniture. The Xilo 1934, specialized (also) in the field of wood floors, presented at Cersaie 2015 a product of great interest: the design floor Kimano. We talk about a decorated parquet, expression of a unique style that combines the elegance of wood product to the aesthetics of a classic finish.

This made in Italy product also has advantages, including ease of maintenance, as well as being more resistant to scratches and, in case of damage, the surface can be repaired. In addition, it is natural: no formaldehyde or toxic emissions, but only water paint with a greater protective layer. Kimono, available in multiple formats, is indicated for installations on radians and cooled; it is perfect for glued installation and floating.

And above all it gives rise to new locations. The flooring is no longer just finishes for interiors and exteriors, but it becomes subject to personalize our rooms and create geometric patterns or shapes that change the appearance. Kimano was created by the artist from Palermo Fiorella Bonanno. Daughter of art, with a love for decorations from a young age, Bonanno is passionately dedicated to the study and reproduction of typical Sicilian décor wood, keeping alive the artistic traditions of his homeland.  

An excerpt of the final research course of nanotechnology and functional materials for design – Politecnico di Milano, by Sabina Veronica Fontanarosa, Silvia Maria Gauri, Elena Galvez, Anna De Mezzo Liquid wood is a biopolymer thermoplastic composite that is manufactured from substances derived from wood. A material that is still little known however as a valid substitute for thermoplastic polymers with high environmental impact. In our research we wanted to deepen knowledge about the liquid wood composition, classification, technical characteristics, physical and perceptual, investigating the various meanings of the name "liquid wood" and related materials. In a second part of the study we analyzed the current uses of this material, the products thus far and the companies that are experiencing, a key time to understand what is expected of this material and what will be its future.

The material Liquid wood is a bioplastic composite obtained from three natural ingredients: lignin, cellulose and flax, hemp or other plants, adding natural additives. This material was developed by the German company TECNARO, in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology. The trade name with which the material is produced by TECNARO is ARBOFORM or ARBOBLEND: itself suggests the nature (from Latin arbor, that means tree). Liquid wood is characterized by composition, color and smell similar to wood, and it has mechanical and physical properties which are situated, as values, among those of wood, traditional composites and polymers; finally, it can be processed as a thermoplastic polymer, feature from which the name "liquid" comes. The definition of this material combines the concepts of biopolymer, composite and natural materials engineered wood. As biopolymer, it takes part of the "biobased polymer", i.e. polymers based on renewable raw materials; in this case it is retrieved from natural material, and is 100% biodegradable. The classification as composite comes from coexistence in material of a continuous phase, composed of lignin and cellulose, and dispersed, or vegetable fibers. As far as concerns the substances from which the material comes, these are the same that make up wood: lignin and cellulose, with the addition of flax or hemp fibers and natural additives. In fact any type of wood consists of three natural polymeric substances: cellulose (about 45%) lignin (approximately 23%) and hemicelluloses (about 30%). Cellulose and hemicellulose are the fibers, whereas lignin is the inter-fiber that holds them together. Cellulose is one of the most important polysaccharides, lignin is a heavy and complex organic polymer consisting mainly of phenolic compounds. Except of polisacccaridi, lignin is the most abundant organic polymer in the plant world. As the name implies, this is the substance that makes woody plants and that has the function of keeping together the more or less branched chains of hemicellulose, helping the Organization into fibrils. In this way it gives firmness and resistance to the plant. Lignin is also known as material as the encrusting fibers. To extract the cellulose, lignin is therefore first attacked and dissolved to separate the olocellulosa, from where the cellulose and hemicellulose is extracted then. ARBOFORM inherits some characteristics from wood, i.e. property of thermal and electrical insulation, acoustic properties, and, depending on the composition, color and smell. As a mixture with "unsorted" fibers, liquid wood is an isotropic material, instead of the natural wood.

02 April 2019

Launched in 2004 by the Austrian company Rieder, fibreC (from the English "glassfiber" and "concrete") is a concrete reinforced with glassfiber applicable outdoors and indoors. The deprivation of the iron core inside of plates allows a very thin but highly durable production: sheets of 8-13 mm, very light but very strong.

Sandblasted or brushed surfaces are colored with the addition of iron oxide and natural additives: this provides varying surfaces for appearance and colors. FibreC is very durable, thin and pliable and it can therefore be used in flat slabs, and shaped in a particular way. Thanks to the unique feature of mouldability of these concrete and glassfiber panels and to the production system, this so thin material can find extraordinary possibilities of application. 

Messestand Gasser Swissbau '12 Basel, L3P ArchitektenRegensberg, Fertigstellung 2012[/caption] The architecture is the interplay of contrasting elements and the result of imaginative ideas that come from the continuous updating of materials, colors and texture of surfaces. The panels and the new elements in fibreC encourage the evolution of these ideas with innovative material suitable for all types of solutions. Similar to a skin of concrete, fibreC façade panels offer new solutions. 

Concrete skin coatings give the buildings a more modern aspect, both visually and in terms of innovation, as if they were covered by a second skin. FibreC is a material which allows a wide range of application and creating a wide variety of organic and creative shapes; it adapts to different forms and solutions, for example sliding constructions, curvatures, sloping walls and roofs.

The work shows all the expressive potential of this material that can be used as a second skin or tissue with spectacular effects on the façade of the building.   www.rieder.cc/it/it/home/ rieder.cc/blog/

Edoardo Croci