This week, we're sharing projects from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to Washington, D.C., and from Naweni, Fiji, to Amsterdam, with several stops in between. In addition to the projects that we give more detailed coverage, we like to highlight some of the work that architecture firms share with us every day through the Project Gallery—the user-generated portion of our site. So far, we have more than 15,000 projects, most of which were directly uploaded by firms to share with us and our readers.
In this weekly roundup, we showcase some of the coolest new projects to be added to the gallery—thanks to architects like you.
Jamaa Birth Village
Ferguson, Mo.
CannonDesign
"CannonDesign’s pro-bono arm, Open Hand Studio, teamed with Jamaa Birth Village to convert a donated building into its new Equal Access Midwifery Clinic, which opened on Juneteenth of this year. The completed renovation allows Jamaa, which means family in Swahili, to expand its services, including pre- and post-natal care, access to mental health services, a community garden, custom childbirth and nutrition classes, doula care, and more."
National Bonsai and Penjing Museum
Washington, D.C.
Reed Hilderbrand , Trahan Architects
"The design of the Bonsai and Penjing Museum establishes a pervasive grove of understory trees as the principal image and identity of the Museum. Mixed species surround and frame the various exhibitions and the central court. The architecture is restrained and practical, deferring to the power of the bonsai. Garden walls organize a meandering path through the display and make available multiple orientations for the bonsai—an elegant, neutral backdrop that allows generous air circulation to mitigate heat. Charred wood posts and trellises rise above the exhibitions to filter light and shape a sense of enclosure. Built of durable, simple materials, the pavilions read as a unified family of structures while framing subtle cultural differences of the bonsai and penjing within."
American University of Central Asia
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
HMA2 Architects
"The American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan reopened its doors in 2016 at a ground up new campus. The architectural design speaks to the region’s dramatic landscape and hospitality culture for an American style liberal arts college. Students entered the new welcoming quad and academic building like nomads with iPads, freely diving and settling into the many grand and intimate spaces."
LAN-4
Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
Oe Architect
"Design proposes an abstraction, which starts from the figure of the most used wine bottle, with a capacity of 750 ml. Its peculiar elongated figure with that elegant touch of glass, creates our concept, a form; which is a tribute to its quality and prestige. Four sides represent each of the stations, a vertical element that rises 7.50 m, an ephemeral landmark, stands out within the site, which bathes the Ebro river. Its outer faces are made up of a mirror-skin, a similarity to elegant glass and creates a reflection of your changing environment, throughout the year."
The Naweni Kindergarten
Naweni, Fiji
Caukin Studio
"The design consists of a series of portal timber frames that were prefabricated on the ground and then lifted into place by hand. Within the portal frames the space is split into the large classroom, the adjacent toilet and the entrance veranda. The repeated truss structure provides a distinct aesthetic with a spacious high ceiling. With the introduction of the coloured and patterned material between the portal frames, the space instantly felt like a child friendly space."
TDI Brooks International Headquarters
Welborn, Texas
The Arkitex Studio
"The lab facility, the office’s “sister” building, has similar architectural treatments. The interior is lab-specific, including workspaces, offices, and storage areas for secure chain-of-command sample storage. Internal transparency maximizes team interaction as well as offering clients a look into the labs without risking security or contamination of the controlled environments."
Next Generation Workplace
Amsterdam
Pickard Chilton
"The design for a 35,000m2 multi-tenant building on a prominent site in Amsterdam incorporates three volumes arranged in a triad and lifted off the ground to create an open, permeable, and inviting ground plane accessible to the public. A central atrium space within the building serves as a hospitality-oriented urban living room, encouraging longer stays and more opportunities for interaction between people."
Enklawa Polany
Kościelisko, Zakopane, Poland
Indo Architects
"Enklawa Polany project was created based on the principles of sustainable development and respect for the natural environment. Location near the Tatra National Park both in quite and cozy part of Kościelisko inspired architects to create real green place and giving a sense of security and closeness to nature."
Restore Oakland
Oakland, Calif.
Designing Justice + Designing Spaces
Nestled in Oakland, Calif.'s Fruitvale neighborhood, Restore Oakland is a new kind of community hub. The local architecture and real estate development nonprofit Designing Justice + Designing Spaces renovated a 1931 structure to house six nonprofits focused on community advocacy, empowerment, and restorative justice and economics. Owning the space was important for Restore Oakland: "Once they are able to become an anchor, it opens up opportunities to serve the community,” says architectural associate Shelley Davis Roberts of local architecture and real estate development nonprofit Designing Justice + Designing Spaces. “You’re not constantly worried about: ‘Is the rent going to go up,’ or ‘Can I renew for another two years?’" Read more about the project, featured in ARCHITECT's November/December 2020 issue, here.
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