Once in a while we come across a picture of an “eco-friendly” building that makes us stop and go “hmmm.”
What on earth were the architects thinking when they designed these exteriors?
1. The Oil Rig Eco Resort
The Morris design team proposed to turn one of the many oil rigs on the Gulf of Mexico into a self-sustaining eco-friendly resort hotel. The unique position in the middle of the ocean would make it a prime destination - you know - if it weren’t an oil rig.
The design was submitted as part of the John Hardy Group and Hospitality Design Magazine international design competition. The focus of the competition was on finding ways to innovate the hospitality industry. What an excellent way to turn some of 4,000 (yup, you read that right) oil rigs into autonomous luxury destinations. Because of the locations, each would have to create its own renewable energy source. We doubt we’ll see a structure like this any time soon, but we can dream.
2. Taiwan’s Green-Roofed Skyscrapers
NBBJ Architects, based out of Los Angeles, partnered with Fei & Cheng Associates to develop a series of three eco-friendly office towers to be constructed in Taiwan. Ground has already been broken and the three green buildings are expected to include incredible systems for heating, cooling, and efficient energy consumption.
NBBJ made sure that the location of the each tower would optimize its abilities to take advantage of natural daylight. Each building will also have a rooftop garden that will aid in interior insulation as well. The building is scheduled to open in 2012.
3. The Sliding House
An unassuming client contacted the Rijke Marsh Morgan design firm who then contracted with dRMM Architecture - he wanted a unique retirement home that resembled a country timber barn. What he got was a house made of glass with a wooden exterior that slides off and on.
Someone deserves a raise for designing this building. The cool thing is that the ability to cover and uncover the house will make it easier to both heat and cool throughout the year, resulting in stunning energy savings.
4. One Man’s Garbage is another Man’s Shelter
Max Wallack had an ingenious idea when it came to creating an entry for the PBS Design Squad Trash to Treasure competition. He took old plastic, packing peanuts, and wire and created a homeless shelter. It’s lightweight, can be easily assembled, and can keep the occupant insulated from the elements outside. Oh yea - and Max? He’s only 12 years old.
5. The Flying Hostel
Not sure where you’re going to stay on your next trip to Stockholm? Why not find your way to the 747-200 - a hostel which despite its appearance will never leave the ground.
This is the ultimate in recycling. Instead of turning this retired jumbo jet into a heap of rotting metal, it was salvaged and turned into a low-cost hostel. It remains in the Stockholm-Arlanda airport, is fully furnished, and is a great way to relax after a long trip. If you’re near the airport stop by to check it out - the airplane/hostel is open to visitors.
6. Bunny Lane
Designer Adam Kalkin designed this strange yet attractive home within a home, formally known as Bunny Lane. Located in New Jersey, the exterior of the building is a gigantic shed with roll-up doors and three stories of rooms that are kept to one end.
Inside the shed you’ll find a complete two-story home. Outside the home is a separate living room and if you roll up the shed doors you’ll enjoy sitting in a breezeway on what can only be described as a porch that looks like an overly furnished living room. The family living in the house can spend time in the interior house or in one of the nine rooms included as part of the shed itself.
7. StatoilHydro’s Eco Friendly Office
Over in Norway we’ll soon see an eco friendly office building for one of Norway’s largest oil companies - StatoilHydro. The design won first place in a competition and the building is scheduled for completion in 2012.
The new building will result in the merger of two distinct offices, creating not only an eco-friendly environment but eliminating waste associated with traveling between two offices, unnecessary courier services, and miscommunication. When viewed from above, the building is in the shape of a star, with five distinct wings lying over top of each other in a criss-crossed pattern.
This unique building will be equipped with a specialized heating and cooling system that significantly reduces the amount of power needed to energize such a large building.
8. The Shining Solar Skyscraper
In Shenzhen, the China Insurance Group ran a contest in which architects were asked to design a skyscraper for their new headquarters. The winning design came from Coop Himmelb(I)au, an Australian firm.
When completed, the tower will rise 49stories above the city’s skyline and include photovoltaic cells designed with a number of incredible features in mind. These cells will increase wind resistance, aid in naturally ventilating the building, provide shade from the sunlight, and contribute to the display of external banners.
When the building is finished it will have a section for business offices, a section for conferences and meetings, and a section for public businesses and events. The surrounding area will be complete with gardens and the entire site will be be equipped with solar and wind energy.
9. The Inflatable Diamond Grid Eco-Pavilion
Take, for example, the inflatable diamond grid eco-pavilion. This astounding creation was designed in response to a competition requesting an eco-friendly yet mobile space in which Yorkshire Forward could perform. The design was a collaboration of several talented architects.
Believe it or not, the entire stadium takes little more than an hour to inflate, will show no sign of wrinkling after transport, and can be modified depending on the size of the crowd that is anticipated. The building generates its own electricity and its self-sustaining design should make it opportune for even the most remote destinations.
So what do you think? Would you stay in any of these eco-friendly houses, hotels, or buildings? We can’t wait to see the end results, especially for the ones already under construction!
The Netherlands architecture design Menzis office building, designed by Branimir Medic & Pero Puljiz, de Architekten Cie, a distinctive landmark with its high, and angular structure, for the Menzis European health insurance company is situated on the edge of the Europa park urban expansion of the city of Groningen’s south-western periphery. At city scale level, the construction expresses its iconographic character toward the urban circular and the A7 motorway, the Europaweg. At ground floor level, the street alignment is determinate by the Europapark, where the building, as it rises, gradually leans over into the street space.
The 12-storey building is divided into three identical prismatic segments, rotated 90º in relation to each other. With dimensions of 43 x 43 m, the segment is characterized by functional yet aesthetic compactness. Each segment contains 4 storeys, intersected vertically by an atrium. As a consequence, a spiral of atria is generated, forming an internal response to the dynamic exterior.
The foot accommodates the public functions, which are orientated toward the atrium and include service desks, an insurance shop and a health care service center. A doctor’s room and several consulting rooms are situated in themore private area. A practical system of partitioning divides the third and fourth floors into meeting rooms, a library, training areas, an auditorium, and a restaurant. The restaurant area can also be deployed flexibly as extra meeting space if required. The spacious staircase, which allow easy public flow though the atrium to the restaurant and meeting centre above, offer an unimpeded view of both the inner area and the water of the Winschoterdiep (canal).
The middle and upper segments are generic. The specific presence of the atrium, which allows the incidence of daylight into the building, contrasts with the neutral character of each storey. The atrium divides each storey into a series of working areas with distinct qualities: peripheral or secluded, light or well-shaded, open or closed. The variation in spatial conditions enables the application of diverse office concepts, geared to the different work processes within Menzis, such as the call center, administrative functions, and stuff functions. The atrium stairs facilitate informal contact between the floors. In combination with the use of natural materials, the magnolia garden around the building with its diverse terraces, water features and illuminations, contributes to creating a pleasant and relaxed ambience.
Atlantis, the Palm is a resort on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Atlantis is the majestic focal point of Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island that has captured the world’s imagination with its magnificent scale and ingenuity. From the moment of arrival, you’re immersed in a dazzling world of imagination, pleasure and luxury.
The resort offers relaxation and thrills for couples and families alike, including a landmark hotel, unique marine habitats, an exhilarating water park, pristine white beaches, world-class cuisine, indulgent spa and cosmopolitan boutiques. To stay or visit is to live out your dreams amidst warm Arabian seas.
The world largest Barbie Flagship store and café built on the 35,000 square foot areas and most comprehensive collection of Barbie dolls and licensed Barbie products. The design concept of this store is how to make a figure where “Barbie is hero”; expression Barbie as a global lifestyle brand by building on the brand historical link to fashion.
All the exterior, interior, fixtures and furnishings are designed by Slade Architecture. It’s designed to create a sleek, fun, unapologetically feminine interpretation of Barbie: past, present, and future. The main color of this store interior and exterior is pink expressing Barbie’s cutting-edge fashion sense and history.
For the new facade, Slade Architecture combined references to product packaging, decorative arts, fashion and architectural iconography to create a modern identity for the store.
The facade is made of two layers: molded, translucent polycarbonate interior panels and flat exterior glass panels printed with a whimsical lattice frit pattern. Slade collaborated with designers at BIG, who created the final exterior frit graphics. The two layers reinforce each other visually and interact dynamically through reflection, shadow and distortion.
The Barbie Cafe, a beautiful restaurant and gelato bar on the top floor, offers guests the opportunity to take a break and enjoy both local comfort food and Barbie-inspired refreshments. Mattel and David Laris Concept planned both the Fashion Cafe and the Barbie Cafe. Both spaces were designed by Slade Architecture.
Historically, the daily life of the inhabitants of Al Ain, today the second largest city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, took place in the palm gardens of the oasis and the surrounding settlements and markets. To protect the oases, watchtowers and forts were erected. The Jahili Fort located in the modern-day centre of the city is the largest of Al Ain’s forts. Built in the 19th century by Sheikh Zayed the First, it can be seen from the Al Ain oasis to the west of the city. With its distinct three-tiered profile, the fort is now a national monument, pictured on the 50 Dirham note and often used as a logo or model for new architecture. The old fort was erected at the end of the 19th century.
The fort was recently restored by Roswag & Jankowski Architekten, Berlin.
The interior surfaces remain true to the historical appearance. The ceiling consists of palm rafters and palm leaves. A local clay plaster has been used for the interior wall surfaces. In the exhibition areas a grey coloured fine clay finishing plaster made by Claytec was used to create a neutral background for the exhibition spaces. The floors likewise follow historical precedence and are made of rammed earth stabilised with a wax to cope with greater wear and tear.
All new insertions such as doors and furniture, made of corian or wood composite, are coloured white differentiating them from the surrounding building. The external render of the existing walls was examined and repaired where necessary. Previous renovation works had employed a non-traditional plaster with added gypsum for the crenelations. This plaster is too rigid and already exhibited defects; it was replaced with a clay plaster. The building was then given an overall finishing coat of clay plaster. The earth plaster is maintained at regular intervals as is traditional with this historical material. When used as an external render, clay plaster should be regarded as a weathering surface that needs ongoing maintenance, typically every two years, sometimes after sustained periods of heavy rain. Sandstorms are also a cause of erosion.
Most of the spaces will house a permanent exhibition “Mubarak bin London: Wilfried Thesiger and the Freedom of the Desert” showing photographs taken in the 1940s by the researcher and explorer Wilfried Thesiger who in the 1940s crossed the deserts of the Arabian peninsula repeatedly travelling with Bedouins and documenting what he saw with a Leica camera.
The 90 cm thick external earth walls offer excellent thermal insulation. The additional insulation on the roof improves still further the indoor room temperature and together with the solar protection windows on the façade provide effective protection against the extreme heat outdoors. The building is kept at a constant 24°C using a water-based cooling system integrated into the plaster layer of the walls. This minimizes the need for additional air cooling so that only fresh air is required. The cool indoor temperature of the walls and the reduced need for cold air makes the indoor climate more comfortable and reduces the energy consumption. An actual room temperature of 24°C equates to a felt room temperature of 22°C.
The plant and technical installations for the entire fort are located below ground in the buffer zone.
The construction is made of traditionally available building materials including earth, palm products and to a lesser degree also timber. The quartered palm trunks can span a room of about 2.70 m and dictate the strongly partitioned structure of the historic buildings. The walls consist of air-dried earth blocks which can be built directly on the sandy ground without the need for foundations. A matting made of palm fronds covered with earth is laid on rafters made of split and quartered palm trunks arranged at an incline. The small amount of timber available was used for the door and window frames.
Historically, the daily life of the inhabitants of Al Ain, today the second largest city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, took place in the palm gardens of the oasis and the surrounding settlements and markets. To protect the oases, watchtowers and forts were erected. The Jahili Fort located in the modern-day centre of the city is the largest of Al Ain’s forts. Built in the 19th century by Sheikh Zayed the First, it can be seen from the Al Ain oasis to the west of the city. With its distinct three-tiered profile, the fort is now a national monument, pictured on the 50 Dirham note and often used as a logo or model for new architecture. The old fort was erected at the end of the 19th century.The fort was recently restored by Roswag & Jankowski Architekten, Berlin.
The interior surfaces remain true to the historical appearance. The ceiling consists of palm rafters and palm leaves. A local clay plaster has been used for the interior wall surfaces. In the exhibition areas a grey coloured fine clay finishing plaster made by Claytec was used to create a neutral background for the exhibition spaces. The floors likewise follow historical precedence and are made of rammed earth stabilised with a wax to cope with greater wear and tear. All new insertions such as doors and furniture, made of corian or wood composite, are coloured white differentiating them from the surrounding building. The external render of the existing walls was examined and repaired where necessary. Previous renovation works had employed a
non-traditional plaster with added gypsum for the crenelations. This plaster is too rigid and already exhibited defects; it was replaced with a clay plaster. The building was then given an overall finishing coat of clay plaster. The earth plaster is maintained at regular intervals as is traditional with this historical material. When used as an external render, clay plaster should be regarded as a weathering surface that needs ongoing maintenance, typically every two years, sometimes after sustained periods of heavy rain. Sandstorms are also a cause of erosion.
Most of the spaces will house a permanent exhibition “Mubarak bin London: Wilfried Thesiger and the Freedom of the Desert” showing photographs taken in the 1940s by the researcher and explorer Wilfried Thesiger who in the 1940s crossed the deserts of the Arabian peninsula repeatedly travelling with Bedouins and documenting what he saw with a Leica camera.
The 90 cm thick external earth walls offer excellent thermal insulation. The additional insulation on the roof improves still further the indoor room temperature and together with the solar protection windows on the façade provide effective protection against the extreme heat outdoors. The building is kept at a constant 24°C using a water-based cooling system integrated into the plaster layer of the walls. This minimizes the need for additional air cooling so that only fresh air is required. The cool indoor temperature of the walls and the reduced need for cold air makes the indoor climate more comfortable and reduces the energy consumption. An actual room temperature of 24°C equates to a felt room temperature of 22°C.
The plant and technical installations for the entire fort are located below ground in the buffer zone. The construction is made of traditionally available building materials including earth, palm products and to a lesser degree also timber. The quartered palm trunks can span a room of about 2.70 m and dictate the strongly partitioned structure of the historic buildings. The walls consist of air-dried earth blocks which can be built directly on the sandy ground without the need for foundations. A matting made of palm fronds covered with earth is laid on rafters made of split and quartered palm trunks arranged at an incline. The small amount of timber available was used for the door and window frames.
Pre-Engineered buildings are simple in definitions and concept, but extremely diversified in their uses and unique in each design. Each building is basically a system of components that are divided into Primary and Secondary framing, the cover and the accessories. Metal building components can be used in conjunction with other building materials in a building design that reflects the designer’s ideas, the end users needs and compliments the surroundings.
In short, Pre-Engineered Buildings are the buildings of today and future. They are quickly & progressively replacing the traditional method of construction with new ideas that are cost effective, energy efficient, environmentally responsible and aesthetically pleasing with facility of Future Expansion.
Pre-Engineered Buildings can be designed to customer’s needs. All buildings need to be designed and constructed in accordance with various standards to ensure safety, quality and aesthetics.
High Quality Welding Confirming to Latest Design Codes to be followed.
ADVANTAGES OF PRE-ENGINEERED BUILDING
Pre-engineered building system is un-matched in its speed and value. The buildings can be designed for Clear Spans up to 100 meters wide and have Heights above 30 meters. Other benefits include:
- Reduced Construction Time.
- Lower Cost.
- Flexibility of Expansion.
- Low Maintenance.
- Energy efficient roof and wall systems.
- Architectural Versatility.
- Environment Friendly
- Single Source Responsibility.
- Lighter weight as compared to conventional buildings.
- Seismic& Wind Pressure Resistant.
- No fire hazards.
- Weather Proof
APPLICATIONS OF PRE-ENGINEERED BUILDINGS
- Warehouses
- Cold Storages
- Factories
- Workshops
- Offices
- Oil/Gas Stations
- Parking Sheds
- Showrooms
- Aircraft hangars
- Ship Fabrication Sheds
- Auditoriums
- Stadiums
- Labour Camps
- Living Shelters
- Hospitals etc.
- Supermarkets
- Railway Stations
- Telecommunication Shelters
- Institutional Buildings.
RELATED Articles: Pre Engineered Building, Pre Fabricated Building Construction, Prefabricated Sandwiched Polyurethane Panels, Colour Coated Metal Roof Sheeting and Wall Cladding, Thermal Insulation, Acoustic Insulation, Water Proofing, False Ceiling, False Flooring, Electrical Heat Tracing, Build Safe, Technologically Advanced, Versatility in Design & Fabrication, Energy Efficient, Cost Effective Steel Building,
Living room - this is the room where you can spend a great deal of time working, relaxing, celebrating holidays. Therefore, in order of importance, we propose first to consider how to change the interior in the living room.
The most radical, but a suitable and efficient method - overdye wall in the living room. This is the most radical option, but good: a little try now to prepare walls for painting, since you can change colors as often as you wish. We recommend that you experiment a bit with the flowers: the central or most prominent wall pokraste in a certain color, while the other walls in other shades of the same color. You do not even know your living room: it was so pipe up in different colors. Can a wall plastered with paper, but other colors are painted in tones of wall-paper - will also look very attractive and unusual. The most creative nature can not dwell on the usual paint and done, for example, a quote from any work through the stencil and thin brushes.
When painting, do not rush to return all the furniture in the room, it is better to give yourself more space, it shows how life is unnecessary items in the room, which serve as ornaments, but this function perform poorly, and are not used frequently.
If you have a living room not only for leisure but for work, then invite you to isolate the two zones: the working and living. The border should not be insurmountable, it is usually enough visual effect: different shades of colors, textures carpet. You can make shelves for books or a mobile bulkhead. If the rail I do not want to or not possible, then you can just hide the computer and all equipment in the special secretaire, that he and the place is not occupied and does not disturb relax. For conductors, there are special boxes, which are up to 5 wires.
Old furniture, which you keep as a memory better than does this by removing and give it a new form through repainting or decoration. The practice shows that the old things still do not lose their attractiveness, and the functions performed well.
To refresh old sofa would suffice to purchase new blankets.
And if you have gathered to change the furniture in the room, while looking a furniture version of transformers on wheels.
To decorate the room accessories of different types and forms, take the basis of one tone, and then you no longer exist doubts whether they are suited to each other.
Okay fine mirrors in the room, which can visually expand the space of the living room and give her chic look.
