arch daily

AIA

A team from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have created what they describe as 'transparent wood', a type of veneer in which a component of the cell walls is chemically stripped. The wood could be used for privacy windows, letting light in but maintaining a level of semi-transparency. But it may be most useful, as solar panels; according to a study detailing the research, which has been published in Biomacromolecules, the construction sector accounts for "around thirty to forty percent" of total energy consumption.

"It is therefore of great importance to reduce energy consumption in the building sector. Solar energy is attractive in this context since it is free, inexhaustible, and clean. Light-transmitting buildings can also contribute to reduced demand, since artificial light can be partially replaced by natural light."

WIRED

Japan Sports Council has revealed 2 design proposal for New National Stadium which will be finished by November 2019. JSC have not identified the firms name but they refers to the design as "A" and "B". Although the some media unofficially reports those designs are by Kengo Kuma, and Toyo Ito. Both projects costs around 153 billion yen (.26 billion)

Japan Sports Council

According to dezeen magazine, the Architects' Journal and the Architectural Review are set to end their print editions and will move to digital only in the next 18 months.

Weekly magazine the Architects' Journal and monthly publication the Architectural Review are among 17 magazines going out of print as part of a move that will see parent brand Emap scrapped by publisher Top Right.

Other publications that will move to a solely online format include Construction News, Drapers, Retail Week and New Civil Engineer.

dezeen magazine

According to The Huffington Post Japan, Zaha Hadid's office has gave a coment which hints that they are forced to give up on re-enter Japan's New National Stadium design competition, due to a closed rule given where the design team has to be teamed up with the very limited number of construction companies allowed to be the a of this project.

The Huffington Post Japan

The eight teams of architects who are competing for the New Camp Nou project are selected as follows:

- AECOM and B720 Architects
- ARUP SPORT and TALLER D’ARQUITECTURA RICARDO BOFILL
- BIG and IDOM and BAAS Architects
- GENSLER SPORT + OAB
- HKS + COX + Batlle i Roig Architects
- KSS and Mateo Arquitectura
- NIKKEN SEKKEI + Joan Pascual i Ramon Ausió Arquitectes
- POPULOUS + Mias Arquitectes + RCR Arquitectes

FC Barcelona

Japan Sports Council has published, on September 1st, a proposal for publicly open bidding information on New National Stadium in Tokyo. The construction completion will be at the end of April 2020, but they are aiming to complete the stadium by the end of January 2020. The total budget for the new plan is 155,000,000,000JPY (1,286,000,000 USD), which is much less than its estimated cost for the previous plan.

AGLOBE

Archaeologists from Harvard and Oxford have teamed up with UNESCO World Heritage and the epigraphical database project at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World to launch the Million Image Database Project. Spearheaded by Oxford's Institute for Digital Archaeology (IDA), the campaign plans to "flood" war-torn regions with thousands of 3D cameras so people can scan and (digitally) preserve their region's historical architecture and artifacts.

archdaily

Architects Journal has announced that planners have recommended approval for the first UK scheme by award-winning Japanese practice Maki and Associates for new Aga Khan Development Network's educational Space.

Architects Journal

ARCHITECT Magazine;

According to the firm’s statement, the reason cited for the increased costs is “a two-stage tender process,” where contractors were appointed to a project before submitting cost estimates on it. Throughout the approval process, the designs and subsequent budgets were accepted by the government and never gave instructions to adjust them. The firm says they were also proactive in preventing this, by previously submitting suggestions in how to lower costs and provided warnings that the prices would run over budget due to an immovable deadline and building costs increasing in Tokyo ever year.

ARCHITECT Magazine

Yamanashi Culture Hall, the building designed by Kenzo Tange, will be the first building, among so many designed by Tange, to have the up-to-date seismic isolatioin repair work.
This building was completed in 1966 with mainly reinforced concrete. Its dynamic exposed 16 columns and girders make this building one of the well known building of "Metabolism" time.

kenplatz

Japan's Prime minister Shinzo Abe has announced the design for New National Stadium, the venue for the Olympics game 2020 in Tokyo, will be reviewed and redesigned from scratch. By not using current design, it will be planed from scratch.

nikkei.com

July 14th, JR-East has announced they will finally begin the construction for new Shibuya station in September. Coordinating with the redevelopment projects surrounding the station, they have been doing small renovation here and there to prepare for the big construction since April 2014. the construction is focused on relocating the platforms of JR-Saikyo line and renovating JR-Yamanote line platforms. The JR-East's share of project cost is about 75 billion yen (607 million USD). Overall completion is assumed to be 2027 fiscal year, but the Saikyo line platform relocation is aimed to be completed by Spring of 2020.

kenplatz

Reportedly, the world's largest indoor vertical farm will broke ground on July 9 along 212 Rome Street in Newark, New Jersey. Earlier this year, leading vertical farm commercial grower AeroFarms, the property management firm RBH Group, and their affiliates jointly announced the conversion of a former steel factory into a spankin' new 69,000 square foot indoor vertical farm. The first phases of the project are scheduled to open later this year.

Archinect

The new National Stadium of Japan's total construction cost and revised plan was announced on June 29th by the minister of MEXT. The cost increased by 90 billion yen(over 700 million USD). The detail will be announced in National Stadium Future Vision Experts Meeting on July 7th.

kenplatz

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan announced they will be keeping the giant arched structured roof for the new National Stadium designed by British architect Zaha Hadid. As opposed to the idea they had earlier for not having the roof at all for the Olympics. This move will cost additional 90 billion JPY to the original budget of 162.5 billion JPY, after the review in May 2014. JSC and MEXT will start to place orders to the contractors in July. The construction will start in October of this year and expect to be completed by spring of 2019, before the Rugby World Cup in the fall that year. According to the source, they are now in final adjustment with 2 contractors with total budget around 250 billion yen.

The Asahi Shimbun Digital

Tokyo; Kurokawa CAD Center has received report from the Tokyo District Court that their bankrupcy proceeding process have started.

The company was established in 1986 and founded by late Kisho Kurokawa, an internationally renowned architect who received and won number of awards and medals.
The company actually shared the architectural and civil construction related work with Kisho Kurokawa Architecture and Urban Design Office.

Kisho Kurokawa Architecture and Urban design office filed for Civil Rehabilitation Law to the Tokyo District Court on December 15, 2014 (debt of about 1.2 billion yen). While company's rehabilitation proceedings are being processed, this measure was taken.

In addition, two relevant companies, Kisho Kurokawa International co., and Urban Research co. are also subject to bankruptcy proceedings decision the same day.

TEIKOKU DATABANK

Taiheiyo Cement Corporation, headquarters in Tokyo Japan, has announced they have successfully developed their own cement with world's highest compressive strength. Taiheiyo Cement has been aiming to develop cement material with compressive strength of 400 to 500N/mm2 since 2014. In the Reactive Powder Concrete technology, there has been report to reach 673N/mm2 in the past. But it is applying unique technology of the fine ceramics where concrete is hot pressed while it is in the mold. Which is not pragmatic for the real concrete making. This time, the new material Taiheiyo Cement has developed can be used in the conventional way of just pouring it in the mold, not sacrificing the inherent advantage of concrete making. They managed to achieve developing concrete with world strongest 464N/mm2.

Taiheiyo Cement Corp.

6sqft

Back in April, word broke that starchitect Bjarke Ingels was in talks to re-design 2 World Trade Center, as News Corp. and 21st Century Fox mulled over a downtown move. The New York Post's Steve Cuozzo reports that the rumors are rapidly closing in on reality as both media companies have signed a non-binding but detailed letter of intent with developer Larry Silverstein to anchor the new 80-plus-story tower that pins Ingels as the architect.

6sqft

Kajima Corporation, has taken a majority stake in mid-tier player Icon Co, adding balance sheet ballast to the local builder's appetite for a larger slice of the Australian market.

The major deal, due to be announced by the billion listed Kajima in its market on Thursday, gives the Japanese giant inside running on Australia's recovering property market, just as the country's biggest-ever housing boom takes off.

For Icon directors Nicholas Brown and Ashley Murdoch, who remain minority owners.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

This week, the International Olympic Committee unveiled the latest renderings for its new headquarters. Located in Lausanne, Switzerland, the complex’s design is from 3XN of Denmark, winner of the recent competition to consolidate the current IOC offices and nearly 600 employees who are scattered throughout the city.

Architizer

American Institute of Architects announced Moshe Safdie as the
2015 AIA Gold Medal recipient. Other big announcements the AIA made today include Ehrlich Architects from Los Angeles as the 2015 AIA Architecture Firm Award winner. Considered the AIA's highest honor to an architecture firm, the award recognizes a practice that has produced consistently distinguished architectural projects for a minimum of 10 years.
Peter Eisenman also won the 2015 AIA/ACSA (Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture) Topaz Medallion, which honors an individual for their significant involvement in architecture education for more than a decade as well as their widespread influential teaching to students...

bustler

Ateliers Jean Nouvel + PTW Architects' One Central Park in Sydney, Australia, won the CTBUH's Best Tall Building Worldwide 2014 Award. The Award Ceremony was held at ITT's Crown Hall designed by Mies van der Rohe in Chicago Nov. 6.

bustler

Take a peek at this perfect plethora of architectural models from throughout the last century to now. The collection illustrates the versatility of models as a medium to convey complex design ideas, as well as some beautifully succinct demonstrations of structural logic.

The Angry Architect

World Architecture Festival 2014 was held at Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore, on beginning of this month, attended by over 2000 people including architects, designers clients press etc.

Each awards were presented in its category, and this year's World Building of the Year was awarded to "The Chapel" by a21 Studio.

World Architecture Festival Singapore

Japan Association of Architectural Firm announces this year's award winners. The award given to the best work, the L.I.T. Minister Award, was given to Osaka Lumber Brokerage Hall by Takenaka Corporation. The building is a three story office building using fire resistant wood for its design and structure.

kenplatz

American technology firm Trimble bought Frank Gehry own IT company.

Trimble develops the popular 3D drawing software SketchUp and also specialises in on-site location and surveying technologies. It believes that forming a "strategic alliance" with Gehry and acquiring his software company will help connect the off-site design and on-site delivery processes through software and hardware.

dezeen

August 27th, Japan Sports Council have announced that they finally chose the demolition contractor for Japan's national stadium in Tokyo. The contractor won the bid with amount of 3.87 billion yen. The bidding amount actually lower than expected. Demolition will start in end of this September and will be finished in September 2015.

On July 30th, a new organization was fromed to share the information and technologies to protect the country from natural disasters. About 600 private companies, mainly construction related, joined this association to build a stronger Japan. They will focus on making new "evaluation system for existing building", "full-time monitoring system for infrastructure/building" and set up working group to develop new technologies and educate new people.

The Daily Engineering & Construction News

On July 30th, Shimizu Corporation(Shimizu) has announced that Shimizu and Maeda Corporation(Maeda)JV has received the order for Vietnam's very first subway, "Ho Chi Minh subway line #1," construction work. The order is from the Ho Chi Minh People's Committee of Urban Railway Management and the order amount was approximately .2 billion(232 million USD). The contract work period is for 54 months.

kenplatz

Toyo Construction Co. has received 2 large scale riverside renovation work orders from the government of Philipines through ODA (Official Development Assistance). The deal involves with the requirement of using Japanese technologies for the improvement work. This improvement work will restrain the Pasig-Marikina River flood which causes serious economical, social damage to the Manila city area.

The Kensetsutsushin Shimbun Corporation

On Wednesday, July 16, the names of the 5 new Praemium Imperiale Laureates were announced in Paris, Rome, Berlin, London, New York and Tokyo.
The artists are recognized and awarded for their achievements, for the impact they have had internationally on the arts, and for their role in enriching the global community. Each laureate receives an honorarium of 15 million yen, and a diploma and medal will be presented by honorary patron of the Japan Art Association Prince Hitachi in an awards ceremony held in Tokyo on October 15, 2014.

The 5 recipients are as follows:

Martial Raysse Painting
Giuseppe Penone Sculpture
Steven Holl Architecture
Arvo Pärt Music
Athol Fugard Theatre/Film

The Japan Art Association

Increase in the labor cost makes it harder for masterpiece architecture to survive through next generation. In Kagawa prefecture, a gymnasium designed by master architect, Kenzo Tange, will most likely be demolished because of the prefecture failed to get bidder for renovation project. they have opened the bid for 3 times yet no one could match the number.
The gymnasium is a 3 story reinforced concrete building built in 1964, total of 4700sqm. the most visible characteristic of this building is its s suspended curved ceiling and the dynamic ship like shape. It is one of Tange's earlier work. As building is becoming old and deteriorated, Kagawa prefecture decided it needed to have seismic reinforcement. had it redesign done by May 2013 through Tange's office. Unfortunately, there're no construction companies to match the cost.

We will be seeing this often from now on as all the famous architects work from 60's and 70's gets too told to have seismically reinforced...
(Aglobe, source:Nikkei Architecture)

Nikkei Architecture / Kenplatz

Whether or not Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Tower will be the world's tallest building upon completion, there's no doubt that the 3,280-feet (1,000 meters) tall structure will be a luxury experience. As it turns out, even the elevators will be VIP.
Not only will the elevators reach a record height of 2,165 feet (660 meters), but the elevators responsible for shuttling visitors directly to the tower's observation deck will be the world's fastest double-decker lifts -- traveling at speeds of 30 feet (10 meters) per second...

CNN

The world's first climate controlled city is set for construction in Dubai. Yes, it's Dubai again. This indoor city is a temperature controlled mega resort featuring a retractable glass roof and the world largest shopping center. This 450 hectare resort also include theater district modeled on London's West End and New York's Broadway, and the celebration section as Las Ramblas in Barcelona. It is expecting 180 million visitors each year and trying to become cultural, tourist and economic hub for the region.

dezeen magazine

When the American architect Louis Kahn collapsed from a heart attack in the toilets of New York‘s Penn Station in 1974, he left behind a lot of loose ends. There were three children, by three different women, who lived within a few miles of each other but would only meet after his death. There was his dwindling practice, which he left 0,000 in debt. And, tucked away in his sketchbooks, was a complete set of drawings for an unrealised project – one that would lie dormant in his archive for almost 40 years....

Architecture Lab

KOA (Kajima Overseas Asia) has announced they have won the bid for large scale new project of constructing the Law school building of Singapore Management University. The building will have 6 floors above ground and 2 underground floors. It is designed by MKPL Architects (Singapore). The construction will start this month and the order amount was approximately 118million USD.

The Daily Engineering & Construction News

The V&A Museum will collaborate with developer China Merchants Group on content for the Shekou Museum in Shenzhen designed by Tokyo architect Fumihiko Maki.

The Japanese architect, who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1993, unveiled models of the museum to coincide with the formal signing of an agreement between the V&A and the Chinese development company.

dezeen magazine

Well known egineering firm Arup has produced prototype 3D-printed steel construction joints that could be used to create more efficient structures.
Arup says it has produced a new design method for creating "critical structural steel elements" for tensile structures – a development it believes signals "a whole new direction for the use of additive manufacturing in the field of construction and engineering".

dezeen magazine

On May 12th a Japanese Pritzker Laureate Toyo Ito has announced a possible plan to have the national stadium renovated to fit 80,000 people from 54,000 people without demolishing it completely for the 2020 summer Olympics and Paraympics in Tokyo.

In his plan, demolishing just the main stands on the west side of the stadium and rebuild it with 2 or 3 stroy stands. Setting back the stand from the field to add one more lane on the track to make them international standard. The east side stand will be remained with some more seismic support and reuse the Olympic flame platform. With not much change in the size and design of the main stadium there are space for additional tracks on the south side of the stadium. The road that is going through the area will be partially made into underpass.

If the stadium is completely rebuilt, the expected cost be about 140billion JPY. If it is just simple renovation as Ito proposed, it will be about a half the amount, and all the parks and tree lined streets around the park which Tokyo people cherish will remain as it is.

Source: Kenplatz
http://goo.gl/YIrT5m

On April 25th, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has announced enactment of “Guidelines for safe evacuation of underground shopping mall (center).”

Encourage the measures that take into account for the damage estimation of Nankai Trough earthquake and Tokyo Metropolitan area earthquake to the management companies and owners.

Making plans to conduct inspections and implementation, and requesting the inspection at least once a year on non-structural member that have higher risk of falling off during the earthquake, especially the ceiling members. Requesting the implementation of evacuation drill, and studies of evacuation plans and simulations on various situations when emergency stairs is blocked by falling objects as well.

There are 78 underground shopping malls across the country and the most of them were built in 1960’s and70’s. The ones that are built over 30 years ago account for 80 percent, and it’s in need for the new safety measure.

The new underground shopping center disaster prevention promotion business was established in conjunction with the enactment of guidelines, and help out financing of drawing safety measure plan, reinforcement of ceilings, enhancing of emergency generator the underground mall management will be enforcing. National and local governments to bear by one third of the target project cost. 0 million (2.4billion yen in the project cost basis) was recorded in 2014 fiscal year budget as national expenditure.

Kenplatz

It's that time of the year, with honors and medals being doled out with what seems like daily regularity. Thankfully, the AIA's 2014 Housing Awards breaks up the march of zillion-dollar projects with something a little more real: Places where normal humans actually live.

The chosen houses are home to an incredible range of clients: fly-fishing enthusiasts, low-income seniors, skiers, autistic adults, and avid cyclists. Most of them are remarkably energy efficient, and a good number of them are built from the bones of older abandoned structures. They're all worth a look—if for no other reason than to remind us that architecture is for humans, as well as photographers.

GIZMODO

For the first time since it was completed in 1950, Frank Lloyd Wright’s SC Johnson Research Tower in Racine, Wisconsin, opens for tours next month. Visitors will see firsthand its functional shortcomings along with its spectacular innovations.

ARCHITECTURAL RECORD

The RAIC and architect Raymond Moriyama have launched a 0,000 award to rival the Pritzker and Stirling Prizes, which will be awarded every two years through an open competition. The prize amount is one of the biggest in the architecture.

dezeen magazine

esigner Arturo Vittori's stunning water towers stand nearly 30 feet tall and can collect over 25 gallons of potable water per day by harvesting atmospheric water vapor. Called WarkaWater towers, each pillar is comprised of two sections: a semi-rigid exoskeleton built by tying stalks of juncus or bamboo together and an internal plastic mesh, reminiscent of the bags oranges come in. The nylon and polypropylene fibers act as a scaffold for condensation, and as the droplets of dew form, they follow the mesh into a basin at the base of the structure...

WIRED

The Guggenheim and its Finnish partners are due to launch an international competition on 4 June to find an architect to design a Helsinki satellite, a spokeswoman for the New York foundation confirms.

The Art Newspaper

The 10th International Symposium on Architectural Interchanges in Asia (ISAIA), is now calling for abstracts and full papers.
The ISAIA is a biennial international symposium co-sponsored by the Architectural Society of China (ASC) together with the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) and the Architectural Institute of Korea (AIK).

Architectural Society of China