The Month in Review
In This Issue :
The
Commissioner’s Plan of 1811 established the grid as the principal
ordering mechanism for the speculative territory of Manhattan. The
regularity and homogeneity of its 2,028 proposed blocks functioned as a
limiting device that has largely prevented the imposition of larger
more dominant systems that would evade its constraints – ensuring an
ease of vehicular and pedestrian flow that aerates the dense porosity
of the city.
Since opening its doors in 2006, the Frederic C. Hamilton Building has become one of downtown Denver’s most recognizable landmarks, drawing thousands of visitors. The project, designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind and Davis Partnership, consists of a 146,000ft² addition to the existing Denver Art Museum, built originally in 1971, almost doubling its size.
The Government Canyon Visitor Center, An AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Project
in 2007, floats in a field of native grasses and restored oaks at the
mouth of the canyon, forming a gateway to the 8,600-acre Government
Canyon State Natural Area , located in Bexar County outside of San
Antonio, Texas.
The Utah Museum of Natural History, is an active research institution located at the University of Utah, that cares for over 1.5 million objects. It provides unique natural history experiences to Utah residents and tourists through traveling and permanent exhibits, special events and other programs.
The center, located in Trevisio, Italy, is designed by the talented
spanish architect who conceived the project as a square box made up of
nine squares. The square in the center emerges to take light from the
height of the vestibule. The classrooms are arranged in the
surrounding squares.
The 31-story is intended as a landmark building for the city of Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China. It serves as the headquarters for a regional power company the Fujian Provincial Electric and Power Company, and includes a 22-story high communications tower.
The sleek new Visitor Centre, designed by Architype, provides a unique experience and vastly improved facilities for all those visiting the magnificent landscape of Chiltern Hills at Dunstable Downs, north of London, England. The purpose designed Centre replaces an undistinguished kiosk snack bar with basic visitor facilities, which until now has serviced visitors.
Houses
The project demonstrates how architecture can delicately integrate in nature. Designed by Graça Correia and Roberto Ragazzi, it is located on a plot bordering the Cavado River in the Gerês region of Portugal. It elegantly composes with the natural surroundings, as its pure volumetric form with its concrete finish anchors itself on one side, and then protrudes in the air with an impressive cantilever that points toward the river.
Whitney Sander, principal architect of Sander Architects, has developed new concepts for the development of residential projects that are both ecological and economical. He labeled his concept the ‘Hybrid House’ since it would be partially prefabricated and then customized to suit the requirements of individual clients.
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