The June 7th and 8th weekend , 2008

Unknot Tower
Design Build Network
The new Unknot Tower (also known as the GHM Hotel and Condominium) is set to be the latest architectural breakthrough for Philadelphia. The tower has been designed by CREI (Creating Real Estate Innovations) in conjunction with the groundbreaking Dutch architect Winka Dubbeldam of Archi-Tectonics (Professor of Architecture at the Penn School of Design). "Joël Robuchon will be setting up a L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon five-star restaurant in Unknot Tower." The site for the tower will be at 1,122-1,128 Chestnut Street (site is at the corner of 12th and Chestnut, and Samson Street will be at the rear of the building) in the heart of the Philadelphia commercial district. The 27-storey 279ft tower, being developed by GHM Hotels, will be used as a 145-room boutique hotel although there will also be a number of apartments (with hotel service) and retail shops in the development including a L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon restaurant and a spa. The hotel, which will occupy most of the tower, is expected to be a Setai Hotel (sister hotel to the Setai Hotel in South Beach, Miami, the only other GHM Hotel in the US). The groundbreaking for the tower is due to take place in mid-2008 and the project is scheduled for completion in 2010.

HOM Draws a Crowd at Dwell on Design [LA]
Preston D K in Jetson Green
HOM Escape in Style made its debut at Dwell on Design this weekend and drew a considerable crowd.  Apartment Therapy said HOM was their favorite home on display, and Curbed liked its interior design.  Of the three models that HOM plans for production, the (smaller) 1000 sf design was exhibited throughout the weekend in LA.  HOM designs cost in the $200 psf range, which calculates to approximately $200,000 for a 1000 sf house. In addition to providing a series of manufactured housing options, HOM has a product line of furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories.  They're all made with natural, sustainable, non-toxic materials, such as FSC-certified woods, renewable cork flooring, and recycled leather.

Jane Jacobs Speaks
From the CBC Archives (video) of 1969Remembering Jane Jacobs. Interesting clip which reminds us that Jane Jacobs was as much or more about economics as about urban design.

House at Jardin del Sol / Corona y P. Amaral Arquitectos
Nico Saieh in Arch Daily
The basic idea of the project consists in the location of a monolithic concrete and glass volume over a timber platform located at the edge of a cliff in order to enjoy the amazing view of the 300m cliff, a 1000m long black sand beach, mount Teide and all the north coast of Tenerife island. Bedroom and service areas are located in a one storie rectangular volume which enters into a double high volume containing the living-room, studio and kitchen. Both volumes organize an L-shape around the black paddle located at the edge of the platform so water surface gets mixed with the one of the sea, so all the areas of the house enjoy the views underlined by wood and water. A gym is located in the basement with direct access from the terrace and views to the inside of the pound through a glass wall.

EURO 2008 - Swiss Container Plus.
Christoph in anArchitecture
No, it's not by MVRDV, the Swiss cross at the Swiss beach in Vienna, image by anarchitecture. The white cross in the center of a red square is definitely one of the most iconic national flag in design – and perfectly useful for buildings. Like the little container pavilion to promote the Swiss football team at the Swiss beach during the euro 2008 tournament in Vienna. Bad luck, the Swiss team has lost the opening game at the St Jacob's Park Stadium (designed by Herzog and de Meuron) in Basel 0:1.

Norman Foster, Reichstag and the Theatre of Democracy
admin in mirage.studio.7
The Reichstag building in Berlin was constructed to house the Reichstag, the first parliament of the German Empire, it dates from the 1890s and underwent a significant renovation under the lead of British architect Sir Norman Foster in year 1992. According to Wikipedia: During the reconstruction, the building was first almost completely gutted, taking out everything except the outer walls, including all changes made by Baumgarten in the 1960s. Although not undisputed for its lack of respect for the building’s original design and furniture, the reconstruction is widely regarded as a success. The Reichstag is one of the most visited attractions in Berlin, not least the building to function as a living museum of German history.

Avra Verde, Rick Joy architects
architect studio in architect studio
Seven Exclusive Desert Pavilions On Forty Acres, located At The Saguaro National Park West. This project is to promote an indoor-outdoor lifestyle merging sensory experience, artisanship, and environment sensibility; to create the most unique private residence enclave in the American Southwest. "... The simplest things can evoke the deepest feelings. The silence in great music is often more profound than sounds..." - Rick Joy