Technology

 
the new weave bridge at the university of pennsylvania creates a pedestrian passage over the amtrak train tracks that currently separate the main campus from athletic fields along the schuylkill river.

Weave Bridge

Cecil Balmond and Arup’s Advanced Geometry Unit, London

Cecil Balmond and Arup's London-based Advanced Geometry Unit unveil a new pedestrian bridge in Philadelphia.

 
when collapsed, the 3,800-square-foot screen's 888 led panels form a near-continuous surface to show videos of the band.

Expanding Video Screen

An expanding video screen built for U2's world tour incorporates 500,000 LEDs.


Glass Link

James Vincent Czajka creates a 144-square-foot glass connector between two buildings at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New...


 

Detail

  • Made up of approximately 28,000 flat panels, the Burj Khalifa???s curtain wall varies little in appearance from bottom to top. At the uppermost levels, the unitized panels were made narrower and taller than on lower floors, easing the installation process. The skyscraper???s ???curved??? façade serves two design purposes, dispersing both the Dubai sunlight and the desert wind.

    Detail: Burj Khalifa Curtain Wall

    For SOM, designing the cladding for the record-setting Burj Khalifa required simplifying technology and pushing its limits.

     
  • The roof of the Richmond Oval is made up of large Douglas fir glulam arches, with ribbed panels made from recovered wood devastated by a pine beetle infestation in the interstitial spaces.

    Richmond Oval Roof Structure

    The Vancouver office of Cannon Design created a panelized ribbed wooden roof structure as the crowning glory to the Olympic speedskating venue.

     
  • The brightly glazed Youth Center and Sports Complex in Saint-Cloud, France, is constructed from an articulated ribbon of stuctural, load-bearing, prefabricated concrete panels. This allowed for quick construction and was an experiment for Paris-based KOZ Architects, which had not previously worked with the material.

    Youth Center and Sports Complex, Saint-Cloud, France

    A new recreation center by Paris-based KOZ Architects relies on a prefabricated concrete frame for its structure and façade strategy.

     
  • The construction of the 50-foot-long projecting roof on the new Perkins+Will–designed Public Safety Building in Lancaster, Texas, was not without its nail-biting moments. The entire steel assembly for the double cantilever was manufactured off-site and installed using supports. Once the welds were complete and the post-tension cables secured, the supports were removed and the cantilever was allowed to settle into place.

    Lancaster Public Safety Building

    An ambitious double-cantilevered roof is the focal point of Perkins+Will's design for a combined fire and police station outside Dallas.

     
  • The walkway connects the brick-colored, Mario Botta–designed museum building to the new sculpture garden atop the adjacent parking garage. Through the glass wall, one can see into the overlook, an extension of existing galleries that looks out on pieces installed in the garden’s open-air exhibition area.

    Sculpture Garden Bridge

    A pedestrian bridge leading to Jensen Architect's new sculpture garden at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art hangs in mid-air.

     
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Software & Hardware

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Building Materials

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Fabrication

  • Factory-Built Houses Poised, Again, for Growth Era

    Jan. 31--On Bent Street just off Highway 78 in San Marcos, shoppers can stock up on electronic goods at Best Buy or Fry's, pick up hardware at Lowes -- and tote away a whole house from another store.

     

  • Trumpf Campus Gatehouse

    Barkow Leibinger Architects use 2D and 3D cutting and casting technology to create a huge cantilevered roof for the Gatehouse building on Trumpf's campus.

     
  • 1. The custom counters were designed by Zago Architecture and fabricated locally. The laser-cut steel was powder-coated silver to give it a shine that reflects the surrounding colors, without resorting to a more expensive material that would have taken the project over budget. They also designed the butterfly display case on the back wall to ply the café’s wares.

    Zago Architecture's Mercury Coffee Bar

    Andrew Zago reclaims a piece of run-down Detroit to create a colorful, cartoonish coffee bar for the youth of the city.

     

  • Modular Angle Wall From DIRTT

    DIRTT’s modular Angle Wall marries interactive 3-D software and parametric engineering. Designers can manipulate one or many angles in any increment up to 15 degrees off perpendicular. Frames also can be designed off vertical to the same degree. Finish options include glass or veneer inserts and aluminum, powder-coated or veneer-wrapped frames and muntins.

     

  • Rapidly Deployable Inflatable Containers

    2009 P/A Award honorable mention: Rapidly Deployable Inflatable Containers, by Viraline.

     
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Engineering

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Green Technology

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Structure

  • The construction of the 50-foot-long projecting roof on the new Perkins+Will–designed Public Safety Building in Lancaster, Texas, was not without its nail-biting moments. The entire steel assembly for the double cantilever was manufactured off-site and installed using supports. Once the welds were complete and the post-tension cables secured, the supports were removed and the cantilever was allowed to settle into place.

    Lancaster Public Safety Building

    An ambitious double-cantilevered roof is the focal point of Perkins+Will's design for a combined fire and police station outside Dallas.

     
  • EarthWall is a combination of structural rammed earth and post-tensioning rods anchored to a concrete foot, which allows the wall to receive lateral weight as well as withstand wind and earthquakes. The earthen mixture, developed by architect Tom Ward, is made up of 10 percent on-site soil, 80 percent locally sourced gravel byproduct, and 10 percent cement. While the post-tensioning system is made of steel, EarthWall uses less of this material than traditional grid systems. The rods, retaining plates, and nuts can all be reused, leaving only the bond beam and footing as waste. wardblakearchitects.com

    EarthWall

    A combination of structural rammed earth and post-tensioned rods, EarthWall is strong, locally sourced, and recyclable.

     

  • Developer Plans to Create Regional Center for Sustainability in Tulsa

    Oct. 4--The first home of Temple Israel, Tulsa's oldest Jewish congregation, sits lifeless at 14th Street and Cheyenne Avenue.

     

  • Power Bar from Sioux Manufacturing Cco.

    Features dual fastening tabs to ensure secure installation, suitable for securing tub/shower valves, shower risers, tub drops, and any water supply stub out in new construction or remodels

     

  • Green T hardwood plywood from Timber Products Co.

    Most Green T panels carry Sustainable Forestry Initiative label

     
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