Excellent Use of Space and Natural Light : Modern Oriel Window

This modern oriel window is part of a renovation to a run-down derelict house in the London Borough of Hackney, and it was designed by Platform 5 Architects.

This idea is an excellent use of space and natural light, and I have to say that this place is just an awesome place to read a book, or just to relax.

The modern structural glass oriel window is lined with cherry wood and projects into the garden, juxtaposing with the Victorian bay window that projects into the street.

SEATTLE CENTRAL LIBRARY

The first official building to house Seattle's public library was built in 1891 on Pioneer Square, eventually moving to a block bounded by Fourth and Fifth Avenues and Madison and Spring Streets. In 1998, Seattle voters embraced a $196.4m makeover of the library, dubbed 'Libraries for All'.

The initiative includes plans to double the square footage in Seattle's 22 libraries, including the building of new branches – but the icing on the cake is the new $169.2m Central Library at 1,000 Fourth Avenue, designed by Rem Koolhaas' Netherlands-headquartered Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) in joint venture with local LMN Architects.

Partnering Koolhaas on the OMA team was another well-known name, Joshua Prince-Ramus, now of REX Architects in New York. 37 library staff groups and 11 public work groups were involved as well, according to a library statement.

SEATTLE CENTRAL LIBRARY FEATURES

OMA / LMN's creation opened in 2004 after 2.5 years of construction as an 11-floor, 412,000ft² library.

It includes such innovative features as a 'book spiral' on levels 6-9 that displays the entire non-fiction collection in a continuous run, and a 50ft-high living room alongside Fifth Avenue, all housed in a distinctive diamond-shaped glass and steel skin.

4,644t of conventional steel columns not only carry the weight of the building but support lateral loads such as wind and earthquake movement and the weight of the exterior building skin or curtain wall. The diamond-grid 'smart glass' was made by Okalux and custom-made by Germany's Seele.

Five platform areas allow form to follow function, each corresponding with different aspects of the million-book Central Library programme. The interior has been described as awash with natural light and space, inspiring users to read and borrow actual books in today's world of online texts and multimedia presentations.

The 'Mixing Chamber' on level 5 hosts a customer help centre, including 132 of the building's 400 public computers.

The 'Living Room' on level 3 features a teen centre, family fiction collection, shop, coffee bar, auditorium, the Library Equal Access Project and spaces to read or study. 'Living Room' flooring uses a recycled product called Worthwood made by Oregon Lumber.

A 'Seattle Room' on level 10 houses Seattle history and genealogical services. This level also houses the reading room, which has panoramic city views. Level 9 hosts a map room and writers' room. A children's centre on level 1 has special reading rooms.

A cross section of the new Central Library shows the 'mixing chamber'
customer help area and several purpose-built reading rooms.

HIGH-RISE MODIFICATION

"By modifying the superposition of floors in the typical American high-rise, a building emerges that is at the same time sensitive (the slopes will admit unusual quantities of daylight where desirable), contextual (each side can react differently to specific urban conditions) and iconic. Its angular facets form a plausible bracketing of Seattle's new modernity," OMA wrote.

Black wall tiles were made from a porous bead foam sound silencer called EPP-ARPRP sold by Acoustical Surfaces. Carpets were designed by Petra Blaise of Inside / Outside in Amsterdam, using Ege carpet of recyclable nylon or polyamid, from the UK. Level 10's 'pillow' ceiling is acoustic panels wrapped with ripstop nylon.

There are 731 seats at study tables without computers and 190 lounge seats, not counting seats for meeting rooms, out of a total $6.4m furniture budget. It includes a 275-seat auditorium and parking for 143 vehicles. The Central Library now sees two million physical patrons a year.

According to a statement from OMA, the library seems threatened, a fortification ready to be taken by potential enemies. "New libraries don't reinvent or even modernise the traditional institution; they merely package it in a new way," the architects wrote.

OMA's vision was to redefine the library as no longer exclusively dedicated to books but as more of an information store, where all media can be presented. "In an age where information can be accessed anywhere, it is the simultaneity of all media and the professionalism of their presentation and interaction that will make the library new," OMA wrote.

LIBRARY AWARDS

Seattle's new Central Library has won various awards, including the American Institute of Architects 2005 Honor Award, the American Council of Engineering Companies' 2005 Platinum Award for Innovation and Engineering and achieved a silver rating from the US Green Building Council.

Can Green buildings save India from going grey?

A layman is very likely to show little interest in a speech or a discussion on green buildings. But, when the same person learns that there are only eight years left for us to save Mother Earth from the throes of emissions induced destruction, sitting up and taking notice is the only way out.

• What is a green building and what are the key requisites for constructing a green building?
  

A green building is the one that makes the greatest possible use of natural light and air and least possible utilization of energy and water. It uses industrial byproducts, emphasizes on recycling of waste water, harvesting of rain water, least use of air-conditioning, less production of carbon dioxide and tries to safeguard the environment in every possible way. Making a building green begins at the planning stage. The aim has to be kept in mind throughout. Secondly, safety is paramount in case of a green building. If a labourer dies while the construction is on, the building is never given a green certification.

After the construction is over, it is not possible to make a building green. There are various requisites for planning and constructing a green building.

Firstly, identifying a site for the construction of the building is very crucial. Ideally the site should be located in a centralized place so that the inhabitants can use public transport and less or no fossil fuel run vehicles.

Energy utilization should be optimum in a green building. Care should be taken to reduce the load of air conditioning on the power system.

Water discharge should be zero in a green building. Good green architecture reduces wastage of water in a big way. A green building should ideally have all waste water biologically treated and recycled. Ample structural specifications are incorporated in green buildings for harvesting rainwater. Grey water (water left after washing utensils and clothes) can be used for gardening and flushing purposes.

Maximum effort should be made in use of recycled materials in the construction of the building. Effort should be made to use fly ash Ready Mixed Concrete (20% fly ash + 100% cement) in construction. Aerated concrete blocks can be used instead of bricks for better insulation and heat rejection. Roof insulation should be done with clay rather than chemicals. Maximum bamboo products should be used for flooring.

• What is THE primary consideration while making a green building?
  

Though the term ‘green building’ says that it is about taking care of the environment, the comfort and considerations of the occupant is paramount. There is a standard to determine how good the Indoor Air Quality is, Carbon Dioxide content inside the building should be 400ppm over the ambient CO2 level.

Green buildings have the option of fresh air on demand. Coupled with effective and efficient cooling mechanism, green buildings can let occupants have a wonderful experience.

White Interiors

In East Hampton, New York, architect and designer Russell Groves gave a modern beach house “a fresh outlook.” Groves designed the sofa, armchairs and the travertine-topped low table in the double-height living room, which he opened up with new fenestration and neutral hues.

Interior designer Jennifer Post maximized drama in a minimalist Tribeca penthouse by using strong contrasts, rich materials and abundant natural light. The family room—“the evening hub and entertainment area,” says Post—leads out to a walled private terrace. As with the other public rooms, comments the wife, “I was very adamant that we not have draperies because of the openness and the clean lines.”

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren and his wife, Ricky, bought a Jamaican villa on Round Hill, near Montego Bay, some 20 years ago. “It’s a place where you really love where you are,” he says. Marble floors were installed in the living room.



A Tribeca penthouse’s dramatic spaces and stylish, streamlined look evolved out of a couple’s collaboration with design firm Sills Huniford and architect Robert Kahn. Bead-board cabinetry adds “warmth and texture” to the kitchen, which is “clean and sleek,” observes James Huniford. The bleached table, originally a glossy black, was formerly the wife’s writing desk. “We reused beautiful or loved things the couple already owned.”



Light and elemental purity distinguish an apartment designed by architects Michael Gabellini and Kimberly Sheppard that virtually floats above the panoramic New York City skyline. The kitchen appliances and millwork contribute to the clarity and harmony of the apartment as a whole, in which light, form and material coexist within a minimal envelope,” says Gabellini.

Living Rooms

Interior designer Jennifer Post maximized drama in a minimalist Tribeca penthouse by using strong contrasts, rich materials and abundant natural light. The limestone fireplace and ebonized-white-oak cabinetry establish the palette that prevails in the living/dining room, as throughout.

Shelton, Mindel & Associates conceived and arranged a Manhattan loft for Claude Arpels. “The gestures of the design are in keeping with the original industrial vernacular of the building,” explains Lee F. Mindel. Near a Poul Kjaerholm armchair and sofa in the living room is a Charlotte Perriand wood bench. “Most of the furnishings we chose are by architects who understood the technology of their time. Their design philosophies are present in the furniture,” Peter L. Shelton says.