House in Highgate Cemetery, London by Eldridge Smerin architects
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The new house designed by Eldridge Smerin architects replacing an existing house on the same site designed by well-known Architect John Winter in 1970s. 
Situated next to the Highgate Cemetery, London greatest Victorian cemetery, it offers great views over the cemetery, waterlow park and the city skyline beyond. The new house with large glazed openings allow maximum sunlights during winter months. 
"To the street a sheer façade of honed black granite, translucent glass and black steel panels set flush to one another echoes the massiveness of the cemetery wall. This gives the house an air of mystery and intrigue whilst also making reference to the monumental masonry of the cemetery." 
London Bridge 800 Ideas Competition by RIBA
"Organised on behalf of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects (WCCA), a Livery Company of the City of London, the competition marks the 800th anniversary of the opening of the first London Bridge in 1209AD.
The competition invited today's designers to imagine a new version of the inhabited bridge. The competition received an exceptional response with a total of 73 entries received from architects and students of architecture from all over the world.
Submissions came from the UK, Europe and as far afield as the USA, Argentina, China, Hong Kong and South Africa. The judging panel, which included Richard Saxon CBE, journalist Peter Murray, Colette O'Shea of Land Securities, and Ian Head, Master of the WCCA, described Laurie Chetwood's scheme as 'beautifully presented, wildly imaginative and a unanimous first choice'. "
London Bridge 800: Design an Inhabited Bridge Competition
First prize: Laurie Chetwood, Chetwoods, London
Second prize: Lawrence Friesen, GenGeo, Ilona Hay, London
Third prize: Ryszard Rychlicki, student, Poznan, PolandAll above text and images from: RIBA
TackleBox Newyork and their projects
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Speculations: Embed
This project study on a new relationship between tourists (foreigner) and the city (host). Hotel is always located on a specific location with all amenities included. The architect found that this type of hotel typology results a non-interaction between tourist and the city.
By using the idea of fragmentation, hotel is broken apart and all programs in a hotel are expanded into the whole city. Tourist become guest and city hosts the tourists.
Interesting fragmentation
Speculations: Tacklebox
Tacklebox is a project looking into 4 spatially constrained site with different chosen fly. Fly-tying is the process of producing an artificial fly to be used by anglers to catch fish via means of fly fishing. (wikipedia)
Installations: TimberA round hewn timber is suspended purely by mono-filament.
"Ghost Adventure " TV Show
Friday, August 21, 2009
"Are you ready for the lockdown? The "Ghost Adventures" crew -- Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin -- is back to investigate the scariest, most notorious, haunted places in the world.
The trio will interview eyewitnesses and historians at each location, arming themselves with the stories of the ghosts they will later provoke and confront during their dusk-to-dawn lockdowns. (Note: They don't always come out unscathed!) Then they'll review and analyze their findings with some the most respected experts and specialists in the paranormal field. " (from: travel channel)
The trio will interview eyewitnesses and historians at each location, arming themselves with the stories of the ghosts they will later provoke and confront during their dusk-to-dawn lockdowns. (Note: They don't always come out unscathed!) Then they'll review and analyze their findings with some the most respected experts and specialists in the paranormal field. " (from: travel channel)
I personally like this show not because I like ghost stories, but because this tv show brings the audience to different old buildings (of course, they are haunted) in the world, and before they get locked inside the building for the whole night, they will interview some historians and residents or people who get contact with the building. Directly, audience will understand the background of the building and initial tour was made by the crew around the building explaning different spaces usage and what happened during the past time.
This is the part which I liking a lot is that we will get exposed to buildings that might not be the world great architecture , but to buildings that actually means a lot to the local community life and history.
Below are some of the youtube video:
This is an interesting underground vault in Edinburgh. Enjoy....
Introduce METRE CUBIC DESIGN (M3D) in Malaysia
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Meter Cubic Design is a design company providing expertise services in graphic visualization including 2D and 3D graphic images, animations, rennovations design services, and design services for offices, residential and commercial spaces. People behind the scene: Alex Tan, Tim Sia, Wk Lim
"In Metre Cubic Design, we focus on giving quality design solutions in association with realistic graphic visualization which simulate the realization of the end product, bringing the gap closer between the concept and the finalization. We are keen in doing design and visualization works which show the sense of time with constant research and development on trends, stylish expressions, according to market direction"
Meter Cubic Design website
Meter Cubic Design blog
Waterstudio working on, at and in water
"Waterstudio.NL combines architecture, urbanism and innovation for building in, on and at the water: buildings, functions, living-spaces on rivers, canals, lakes or half at sea.
The firm tries to develop the existing water-architecture and building-methods further to a new level. Waterstudio is working on this development in several areas of expertise. In urbanism Waterstudio goes beyond the well-known pier with a boat; water in the neighbourhood is exceptionally attractive as a living-quality, but by not only utilizing open water, but also pursuing higher densities, Waterstudio designs neighbourhood that are very much similar to the exisiting ones; the only difference is that the foundations are different, to give water a place. In the architectural field Waterstudio tries to modernize the typology of the dwelling-ark; modern houses and villas in and around the water that rival their counterparts on land in space and experience. " (From: Waterstudio)
Floating Mosque, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
For the UAE , Waterstudio designed a floating Mosque. A modern and daring design for a traditional function. The interior is characterized by giant funnel-shaped transparant colums that do not only support the roof, but also allow filtered light to illuminate the inner space.
The Citadel
First project in the area of ‘The New Water’ is the Citadel, the first floating apartment complex. With the design of the Citadel the level of ambition is set high. The building will consist of 60 luxury apartments with enough parking spaces and large terraces. The fluent shaped design of the Citadel clearly shows the endless possibilities of building on water. 
First project in the area of ‘The New Water’ is the Citadel, the first floating apartment complex. With the design of the Citadel the level of ambition is set high. The building will consist of 60 luxury apartments with enough parking spaces and large terraces. The fluent shaped design of the Citadel clearly shows the endless possibilities of building on water. 
Future information will be published on the website: http://www.citadelhetnieuwewater.nl/
All above images and text from Waterstudio
2009 Prix Pictet Environmental Photography Shortlist
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Prix Pictet (for more info of individual artist) is a prestigious photography competition on a different sustainability theme each year. Using the power of Images to convey strong messages about protecting our environment before they are being destroyed.
This year the theme is Earth and the following photos are part of the shortlisted photographs:
Naoya Hatakeyama 
Naoya Hatakeyama 
Naoya Hatakeyama
Edward Burtynsky
Edward Burtynsky
Edward Burtynsky Sammy Baloji 
Sammy Baloji 
Christopher Anderson
Christopher Anderson Christopher Anderson
Christopher Anderson
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