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Brandism What exactly is Brandism? Brandism
is a trend, where architecture and
real estate are increasingly linked to
the creation of a distinct identity
that enhances the perceived value
of an urban district, a residential
development, or in some cases, an
entire city. This perception of
architecture as a commodity is
largely keyed to the realities of
global capitalism, where cities or
even nations are trying to position
themselves favorably in the
worldwide marketplace in order to
attract capital. Branding has been a
trend for decades, particularly in
the fashion industry, but also for
consumer goods in general. We
know that the influence of a brand
goes far beyond the actual
product: the brand becomes a
symbol for a particular lifestyle, an
attitude, and an
identity.
The brand is a symbol that
conveys an aura of meaning,
elevating the status of the
consumer as it is recognized by
others. In many ways, brands
signify perhaps most importantly, a
sense of belonging. Whereas the
idea of the machine permeated
cultural and commercial production
during the Industrial Age (often
referred to as the Machine Age)
and served as a metaphor for
efficiency and standardization, the
brand has become a symbol for
contemporary consumer values
associated with the Information
Age: customization, differentiation,
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In the twenty-first century, brand
values change ever more rapidly, as
we are experiencing a profound
transition from highly standardized
brands that conveyed the
egalitarian values of the baby
boomers to the mass-customized
brands of a more brand-educated
Generation X that embraces a more
cynical world view. And from Gen
X we progress to Gen Y, those who
grew up entirely brand savvy and
therefore embrace much subtler
local brands. To summarize the
effects of branding, brands no
longer focus on the product but on
the act of building associations with
particular lifestyles, contexts, and
consumers. Brands give products,
services, places, and events an
added symbolic value, which elevates
them above themselves and makes
them more than they are in a
material or functional sense. Brands
synthesize images, identities, and
lifestyles into coherent entities,
while simultaneously codifying
cultural values. Brands can act as
catalysts to raise the value and/or
status of a particular place, a
person, or an event.
The very same progression from
materiality to ephemerality —
from object to subject— can be
witnessed in architecture. Frank
Gehry‘s Guggenheim Museum in
Bilbao is no longer first and
foremost assessed by its primary
function (museum), no longer solely
by its capacity to act as a sign for
the city (Bilbao), but by its ability
to instigate change (economic
growth and urban renewal). The
building compounds use value, sign
exchange value, and
transformational value, converting
the building into a piece of brand
equity. Thus, whereas modern
architecture was evaluated by its
ability to increase production
efficiency and early postmodern
architecture by its potential to
convey symbolic value, current
architecture must be assessed by
its economic potential to raise the
perceived value of its beneficiary, be
it a single client, a corporation, or
a city.
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Put differently, architecture in an
experience economy has evolved
from an emphasis on ―what it has‖
(the object), and ―what it does‖
(function and program), to ―what
you feel‖ and to ―who you are‖
(experience and identity), which
means that the attention is
removed from the object and placed
on the object‘s effect on the
subject. As we have moved from a
one-size-fits-all economy to a
postfordist mass-customization
society, the attention of
architecture has shifted from a
paradigm characterized by the
relationship of form, function, and
program to a paradigm of
experience and identification
Brandscaping How architects market themselves Starchitects have long been the
coveted designers of big new
buildings—the Museum of Modern
Art extension, the new Salt Lake
City library, and the de Young
Museum in San Francisco—but in
recent months, the names of A-list
designers such as Richard Meier,
Robert A.M. Stern, and Charles
Gwathmey have figured prominently
in advertisements for high-end
residential properties. Daniel
Libeskind, Bernard Tschumi, Frank
Gehry, and Herzog & De Meuron,
who generally design cultural
monuments, are all building luxury
condominiums.
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Daniel Libeskind
Frederic C. Hamilton Building
Denver Art Museum
Denver, Colorado
Libeskind‘s design consists of geometric,
titanium-clad angles, which reflect the
nearby Rocky Mountain peaks and rock
crystals.
The expansion, the museum‘s first major
addition since the North Building was
completed 35 years ago, nearly doubles its
facilities.
From a developer's point of view,
employing a famous architect is not
only about adding design value, it's
also about adding name recognition.
In that sense, starchitects are
transforming themselves from
individual luminaries to companies
bent on extending brand recognition
throughout the world. The
question, of course, is how much
value a big-name architect actually
adds to a real-estate project, and
how architects became brands in
the first place.
What makes an architect into a
brand? Part of the recognition of a
brand depends on what people who
study such things call its
"personality." Foster & Partners,
whose Web site lists projects
ranging from a congress hall in
Kazakhstan to the Elephant House
of the Copenhagen Zoo, is an
international brand with a definite
personality: Technical Solutions to
Difficult Problems. Foster's chief
rival is the Renzo Piano Building
Workshop. The Piano brand, which
conveys a sense of bespoke elegance,
has been affixed to museums,
airports, and office towers. It's
more like Stylish Solutions to Any
Problem.
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Blue, a residential tower by
architect Bernard Tschumi, has opened on
New York‘s Lower East Side.Bernard
Tschumi Architects design buildings,
bridges, and plazas that blur the
boundaries between art, society, symbol,
and function. They are responsible for
some of the most staggeringly original and
unforgettable — and sometimes
controversial — edifices and public projects,
both built and imagined, in the modern
world.
Interestingly, neither Foster nor
Piano has a house style; their
designs vary considerably from
project to project. This goes against
the traditional notion that the
work of celebrated architects should
be individual and identifiable. But
style can be a trap, as Richard
Meier, with his persistent white
walls and expanses of glass, found
at the Getty Center, which seems
to me like too much of a good
thing. Michael Graves' Tuscan colors
and simplified Classical forms
likewise sometimes appear
constraining. When I mentioned to
a friend that Graves had recently
built a building in Philadelphia, she
said, "I didn't know that it was a
real Graves; I thought it was a
knockoff." Even Frank Gehry, who
has perhaps the strongest
architectural franchise in the world
today—and recently designed a line
of jewelry for Tiffany & Co.—
sometimes seems hemmed in by his
own success, as he builds yet
another whimsical tour de force.
The Tiffany necklace, by the way,
looks like a very long key chain.
There are other sorts of
architectural brands. Rem Koolhaas,
who seems to have a love-hate
relationship with his own celebrity,
has shrewdly managed his OMA
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(Office of Metropolitan
Architecture), turning it from a
one-man studio into a brand. He
has established a company ethos—
one cannot really call it a style—in
independent offices in Rotterdam,
New York, and Beijing that have
produced a variety of work, from a
big-box convention center in
Córdoba, Spain, to the crystalline
Seattle Public Library and a
dramatic nonskyscraper skyscraper in
Beijing. The OMA ethos has a lot
to do with cutting-edge problem-
solving, which is perhaps why luxury
condos are so far absent from the
firm's portfolio.
There is nothing wrong with
architects being given the
opportunity to branch out—the
great Vienna Secession architect
Josef Hoffmann created some very
beautiful jewelry—and greater public
awareness of design is a good thing,
but branding may turn out to have
adverse effects. Most architectural
careers are marked by a deliberate
evolution—a slow simmer rather
than a fast boil. The drive to
establish their own unique brands
pushes young architects to
distinguish themselves early—too
early.
Moreover, public recognition of an
architect's particular approach—
Meier's minimalism, Stern's
traditionalism, Santiago Calatrava's
bravura—can serve to stymie the
natural artistic evolution of a
designer's style. Give the public
what it likes and it simply wants
more of the same. Remember New
Coke? And that's not good for
architects who want to explore
rather than merely produce.
Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park
designed by Frank Gehry. Completed in
July 2004, the pavilion is an open stage
which seats upwards of 11,000 people in a
mixture of fixed seats and the lawn as
well as accomodate a full orcherstra on
stage.
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From Traditional Cultural Landscapes to “Label Regions” Sustainable regional development is
a long-term goal for Alpine
landscapes and habitats in
Switzerland. Areas of high ecological
quality and sufficient socio-cultural
potential, but insufficient economic
power, are looking for long-term
perspectives. The economic options
of structurally weak peripheral
regions could be improved
significantly through ―brandscaping,‖
ie a certification strategy for Label
Regions focusing on sustainability,
thereby ―producing‖ new types of
landscapes. An adequate
implementation strategy should be
based on a reliable indicator system,
which should finally lead to
certification procedures for regional
management. But the
implementation of Label Regions
(with certification) is only feasible
under an innovative development
scenario in which the socioeconomic
and political environment facilitates
such strategies. Labeling intends to
offer regional producers an
advantage in the nature-based
tourism market as well as for other
quality products and services, and
must be effectively promoted by
regional as well as sectoral policies,
thus shaping traditional landscapes
into ―brandscapes.‖
The city of Buchs, Switzerland, sees itself
as a competitive business location. It can
be characterized as an ―intensely used
urban type‖ of region
Parts of the Piemonte, Italy suffer from
ageing population, agricultural decline, etc.
These regions can be described as ―declining
types.‖
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a label for the state
and the market
Because the Label Region shows
self-commitment throughout the
certification process, it should
receive preferential access to
financial resources—within both
regional policy schemes and other
sectoral policies (such as
agriculture)—and to private flows
of money. This, then, is the
overarching goal of the strategy.
At the same time the label is also
intended to provide advantages in
the market. This can apply to
sustainable tourism, the marketing
of regional, organic food, and
specific local industries such as food
processing, solar technology, and
ecological construction or services in
the health and social sectors
(adolescents, wellness and
regeneration tourism for the
stressed generation, a rapidly
growing market serving elderly
people). The quality mark ‗Label
Region‘ may not always be market-
effective by itself, but may support
existing or newly created local
products. In this manner, the
product brands of single producers
will be combined with the generic
label, mutually reinforcing each
other.
In conclusion, we realize that the
perspectives of structurally weak
peripheral regions could be improved
by a certification strategy for Label
Regions with a broad, goal-oriented
and sustainable Swiss mountain area
policy, provided consistent
marketing of the label is achieved
and combined with successful
product brands.
Hasle in the Entlebuch UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve, Switzerland. The region gives
priority to conservation of natural and
cultural landscapes and stimulates the local
economy by involving the population.
(Photo courtesy of Entlebuch UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve)
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However, the certification of a
mountain area as a Label Region
will not automatically guarantee
thriving and sustainable
development. Regions will also
depend on potentials in human
resources, such as innovation and
entrepreneurship with strong
product brands. The same is true
for market success: Only if the
consumers of these products realize
the additional value of the new
label will they agree to pay an
adequate price. In this way, added
value can be created out
of valuation. For this reason, the
Alpine landscape will be re-
characterized, or even reinvented.
We call this process ―brandscaping,‖
referring to regional and landscape
development as a result of the
combined value of sustainability-
oriented transfer payments and
certified high-quality branded
products.
BRAND BUILDING
Quality
Quality is a vital ingredient of a
good brand. Remember the ―core
benefits‖ – the things consumers
expect. These must be delivered
well, consistently. The branded
washing machine that leaks, or the
training shoe that often falls apart
when wet will never develop brand
equity.
Research confirms that,
statistically, higher quality brands
achieve a higher market share and
higher profitability that their
inferior competitors.
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Positioning
Positioning is about the position a
brand occupies in a market in the
minds of consumers. Strong brands
have a clear, often unique position
in the target market.
Positioning can be achieved through
several means, including brand
name, image, service standards,
product guarantees, packaging and
the way in which it is delivered. In
fact, successful positioning usually
requires a combination of these
things.
Repositioning
Repositioning occurs when a brand
tries to change its market position
to reflect a change in consumer‘s
tastes. This is often required when
a brand has become tired, perhaps
because its original market has
matured or has gone into decline.
The repositioning of the Lucozade
brand from a sweet drink for
children to a leading sports drink is
one example. Another would be the
changing styles of entertainers with
above-average longevity such as
Kylie Minogue and Cliff Richard.
Communications
Communications also play a key role
in building a successful brand. We
suggested that brand positioning is
essentially about customer
perceptions – with the objective to
build a clearly defined position in
the minds of the target audience.
All elements of the promotional
mix need to be used to develop and
sustain customer perceptions.
Initially, the challenge is to build
awareness, then to develop the
brand personality and reinforce the
perception.
First-mover advantage
Business strategists often talk
about first-mover advantage. In
terms of brand development, by
―first-mover‖ they mean that it is
possible for the first successful
brand in a market to create a clear
positioning in the minds of target
customers before the competition
enters the market. There is plenty
of evidence to support this.
Think of some leading consumer
product brands like Gillette, Coca
Cola and Sellotape that, in many
ways, defined the markets they
operate in and continue to lead.
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However, being first into a market
does not necessarily guarantee long-
term success. Competitors – drawn
to the high growth and profit
potential demonstrated by the
―market-mover‖ – will enter the
market and copy the best elements
of the leader‘s brand (a good
example is the way that Body Shop
developed the ―ethical‖ personal
care market but were soon facing
stiff competition from the major
high street cosmetics retailers.
Long-term perspective
This leads onto another important
factor in brand-building: the need
to invest in the brand over the
long-term. Building customer
awareness, communicating the
brand‘s message and creating
customer loyalty takes time. This
means that management must
―invest‖ in a brand, perhaps at the
expense of short-term profitability.
Internal marketing
Finally, management should ensure
that the brand is marketed
―internally‖ as well as externally.
By this we mean that the whole
business should understand the
brand values and positioning. This is
particularly important in service
businesses where a critical part of
the brand value is the type and
quality of service that a customer
receives.
Think of the brands that you value
in the restaurant, hotel and retail
sectors. It is likely that your
favourite brands invest heavily in
staff training so that the face-to-
face contact that you have with
the brand helps secure your loyalty.
It is one of the biggest consumer
electronics and Software Company, best
known for products like Macintosh, iPod
and iphone. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak,
and Ronald Wayne had together setup
Apple in 1976, to sell their hand-built
computer Apple I. They had offered their
product to HP first but were declined by
them.
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Guerrilla Marketing
The concept of guerrilla
marketing was invented as an
unconventional system of promitions
that relies on time, energy and
imagination rather than a big
marketing budget.
Typically, guerrilla marketing
campaigns are unexpected and
unconventional, potentially
interactive, and consumers are
targeted in unexpected places. The
tactics often rely on methods that
are of poor taste or include
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littering/graffiti and businesses or
causes using guerrilla marketing
should consider whether or not this
is the way they want their cause
viewed.
Guerrilla marketing involves unusual
approaches such as intercept
encounters in public places, street
giveaways of products, PR stunts,
or any unconventional marketing
intended to get maximum results
from minimal resources. More
innovative approaches to Guerrilla
marketing now utilize cutting
edge mobile digital technologies to
engage the consumer and create a
memorable brand experience.
Guerrilla Marketing started out a
single volume and has since acted
biblically by being fruitful and
multiplying into a library of 35
books and counting, an Association,
a lush website, an abundance of
video and audio versions, an email
newsletter, a consulting
organization, an internationally-
syndicated column for newspapers,
magazines, and the Internet, and
presentations in enough countries
for us to consider forming our own
Guerrilla United Nations.
The need for guerrilla marketing can
be seen in the light of three facts:
1. Because of big business downsizing,
decentralization, relaxation of
government regulations, affordable
technology, and a revolution in
consciousness, people around the
world are gravitating to small
business in record numbers.
2. Small business failures are also
establishing record numbers and
one of the main reasons for the
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failures is a failure to understand
marketing.
3. Guerrilla marketing has been
proven in action to work for small
businesses around the world. It
works because it's simple to
understand, easy to implement
and outrageously inexpensive.
Guerrilla marketing is needed
because it gives small businesses a
delightfully unfair advantage:
certainty in an uncertain world,
economy in a high-priced world,
simplicity in a complicated world,
marketing awareness in a clueless
world.
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URBAN CENTER GENERAL CHARACTER The Urban Center Neighborhood
Context consists of multi-unit
residential and mixed-use
commercial strips and commercial
centers. Multi-unit buildings are
typically Rowhouse, Courtyard
Apartment and Apartment forms.
Commercial buildings are typically
Live-Work, Shopfront, and General
Commercial forms. Multi-unit
residential uses are primarily located
along residential collector, mixed-use
arterial, and local streets.
Commercial uses are primarily
located along main and mixed-use
arterial streets.
STREET, BLOCK AND ACCESS PATTERNS
The Urban Center Neighborhood
Context consists of a regular
pattern of block shapes surrounded
by an orthogonal street grid.
Orthogonal streets provide a regular
pattern of pedestrian and vehicular
connections through this context
and there is a consistent presence
of alleys. Block sizes and shapes are
consistent and include detached
sidewalks, tree lawns, street and
surface parking, and landscaping in
the front setback
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BUILDING PLACEMENT AND LOCATION
All building typically have consistent
orientation and shallow front
setbacks with parking at the rear
and/or side of the building.
BUILDING HEIGHT
The Urban Center Neighborhood
Context is characterized by
moderate to high building heights to
promote a
dense urban character. Lower scale
structures are typically found in
areas transitioning to a less dense
urban neighborhood.
MOBILITY
There are high levels of pedestrian
and bicycle use with the greatest
access to multi-modal transportation
system.
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DIGITAL WATER PAVILION EXPOAQUA ZARAGOZA 2008
The DWP project It has been designed and built for
the Expo Zaragoza 2008, which
features the theme of water.
During the Expo, it will contain a
tourist office and an information
point for the Digital Mile project.
If the Pavilion is not for living in,
it can certainly be considered a
machine. It contains over three
thousand digitally-operated solenoid
valves, twelve hydraulic pistons,
several dozen oil and water pumps,
a camera-operated control system,
a good deal of controlling software,
and many other components. The
Pavilion is down, in closed
operational mode. The roof is on
the ground, covered by a thin layer
of water. Only two volumes in
glass, containing the Digital Mile
info point and the tourist office,
project upwards. It is a new
medium, and a rather exceptional
one. It is made of thousands of
closely spaced solenoid valves put in
a row along a pipe suspended in the
air. The valves can be opened and
closed, at high frequency, via
computerized controls. This
produces a curtain of falling water
with gaps at specified points - a
pattern of pixels created from air
and water instead of illuminated
points on a screen.
The entire surface becomes a one-
bit-deep digital display continuously
scrolling downwards. Something like
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an inkjet printer on a huge scale.
So, how to make really fluid,
reconfigurable
architecture? Our building aims to
stand as a possible answer to that
endeavor. Fluid in the literal sense
of the word. But also fluid as a
reconfigurable, responsive building.
The difference between wall and
door can disappear. Facades can
become a continuous medium that
open and close interactively. The
water itself is dynamic: it can
display graphics, patterns and text.
But, most importantly, it can
almost become alive with patterns
that are generated in real time,
replicated from one point to
another and which respond to the
nearby environment. The presence
of people can be sensed by the
DWP and this plays an important
role in the dynamic process,
allowing waves and other distortions
to be generated.
Concept As a pedestrian approaches, for
example, a water wall might open
like the Red Sea for Moses, and
then close again after the
pedestrian has passed through. Or a
circular opening might drop down to
meet a ball thrown at the water
wall – allowing it to pass through
without getting wet. These sorts
of possibilities enable a profound
rethinking of our conceptions of
door openings and entries, and of
windows and fenestration patterns.
There are many other possibilities,
as well. As a pedestrian walks
alongside a water wall (or between
parallel water walls) a panel of
water might accompany her to
provide privacy and cooling. As
natural lighting conditions and views
change, water walls might adjust in
response. And, when the wind
blows too strongly for comfort, a
water wall might automatically shut
down.
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Many variants on patterns with
wallpaper symmetry can be
produced by scaling or otherwise
parametrically varying the repeating
figures at each iteration in the
vertical direction. This produces the
effect of a pattern continuously
changing as it scrolls down. Yet
another possibility is to use a
random number generator to select
the coordinates, scale coefficients,
and other parameter values for
instances of a motif. This produces
the effect of endless variation. It
can be extended by introducing, as
well, random selection from a
specified vocabulary of motifs –
much like random selection of
tracks on an iPod. Like a piece of
music being performed, a water wall
program unfolds over time. Through
repetition in the vertical dimension
it can have a rhythm – perhaps,
though not necessarily, laying down
a regular beat. There are both
diachronic and synchronic
relationships among graphic motifs –
just as there are such relationships
among musical figures.
Diachronic graphic structures,
analogous to those constructing
musical melody, result from shape
and spatial relationships among
graphic motifs that follow each
other in time. Synchronic
structures, analogous to those
creating musical harmony, result
from shape and spatial relationships
among motifs that are
simultaneously visible on the water
wall surface. Just as music may
have words, water wall programs
may incorporate text and figurative
imagery.The true task of water wall
programmers is to explore the
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possibilities of a genuinely new,
time-based, graphic and spatial
medium. Water walls are best
used at human scale, in locations
where they can engage and direct
pedestrian motion. They should
not be treated merely as
spectacle, but as largescale
interactive devices.
Moveable roof Moveable roof The steel roof is
elevated on a system of 12
hydraulic pistons. However, for
most criteria it can be designed as
a static structure.
The speed of
elevation is
small enough that inertial forces
could be neglected. However, some
additional stiffness requirements
had to be accounted for in order to
guarantee a uniform movement of
the pistons.Figure shows vertical
settlement estimated in the finite-
element model. Due to the added
stiffening of the walls primarily in
the longitudinal direction,
differential settlement was
significantly reduced. Overall, the
foundation behaves as a rigid
―matchbox‖ structure.Horizontal
displacement under wind loads. The
two boxes have to provide
sufficient strength and stiffness to
act as guides for the elevating roof
structure.
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The digital water cycle
The cycle of digital water is
composed of three steps:
1) delivering water to the nozzles,
2) displaying or releasing the drops
of water, and 3) draining, collecting
and recycling the water. Each step
of the cycle is highly specialized and
thus requires distinct and varied
technological solutions and
materials. Nevertheless, a guiding
tenet of the design process for the
DWP was to mask rather than
reveal such complexity. a) Delivering
water The water cycle begins in the
basement of the pavilion. Two
underground cisterns collect and
cleanse the water that flows down
continuously from the water walls.
Next, the water is pumped from
glazed box that moves up and down
in sync with the pavilion‘s roof.
The box contains eight pipes,
carefully placed so that they do
not interfere with the structural I
beams of the pavilion. The pipes
terminate at the edge of the roof,
where t hey meet the digitally-
controlled water nozzles. b)
Displaying water The nozzle is the
basic design unit in the second step
of the digital water cycle: display.
Each nozzle releases drops of water
by controlling the appropriate
timing and speed needed to produce
a particular graphic from the
aggregate of falling drops of water.
The number of nozzles per meter
determine the system‘s horizontal
resolution. The DWP features 25
nozzles per meter, totaling 2500
nozzles along its 100 m perimeter.
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The vertical resolution of the water
wall is determined by the number
of times the valve opens and closes
within a particular period of time.
If the valve opens and closes with
greater frequency, then the
graphics displayed by the water wall
will fall with a greater resolution.
It is much like an inkjet printer
that produces a print of higher
quality, or resolution, by printing a
greater number of dots per inch. c)
Draining, collecting and recycling
water When the drops of water
reach the ground, they must land
on a surface material that drains
down to the underground cisterns.
A lot of water has to be collected
very quickly and effortlessly. hence
the drainage system turns out to
be one of the most intrusive
systems in the pavilion: it shapes
the entirety of the ground floor,
has implications for part of the
basement, and greatly influences
the overall structure. Because every
surface of the DWP could be wet
at any given moment, slipperiness
was another concern. Many
different draining materials were
studied: electrowelded galvanized
steel mesh, composite honeycomb
mesh, draining amorphous sponges,
and allusion, an aluminum sponge-
like material with holes of different
sizes, among others. The
architectural effect is that of a
fractal texture that repeats at
different scales of filled and un-
filled tiles.
26
Nature Boardwalk, Education Pavilion and South Pond Transformation at Lincoln Park Zoo The project transforms a once-
polluted and neglected urban pond
into a native wildlife refuge,
boardwalk, and education pavilion.
Deepening the pond improves its
oxygen content and reduces urban
flooding by increasing its
stormwater storage capacity. The
pond's planted edge provides bio-
filtration of the site's stormwater
run-off. Visitors discover a series of
educational zones along a boardwalk
loop made from recycled plastic.
The improved habitat attracts
wildlife, allowing people to
experience animals in what is
essentially a zoo without cages.
The education pavilion is an outdoor
classroom and meeting place. Its
column-free shell structure is made
of bent wood elements and clad
with fiberglass "pods."
Integrated into the boardwalk
sequence, the pavilion is sited to
frame the pond and skyline beyond.
Double-curved, micro-laminated
beams reveal the wood's inherent
pliability and structural integrity.
Both prefabricated wood elements
and fiberglass pods are light enough
to be lifted by a single person,
reducing construction time and
cost. In addition to hosting
educational activities, the structure
creates engaging public space that
has been adopted for a variety of
community uses. Simultaneously
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urban and ecological, the project is
a model for future public spaces in
cities.
Nature Boardwalk and Education
Pavilion Architect: Studio Gang
Architects
South Pond Transformation Master
Plan Architect: Shaw Sustainable
Solutions of Illinois, LLC
Project Program Manager and
Project Coordinating Engineer: Shaw
Environmental & Infrastructure Inc.
Landscape Architect: WRD
Environmental
Beautiful Times Eureka Pavilion Mimics the Structure of a Leaf
The astonishing Times Eureka
Pavilion at the Chelsea Flower
Show takes us deep into the
structure of a leaf with
its biomimetic design. The newly
completed pavilion is set amidst a
bounty of flowing plants, and it
takes structural cues from the
intricate growing patterns of
leaves. Marcus Barnett Landscape
Architects created the ―veins‖ out
of sustainably harvested spruce and
inserted plastic ―cells‖ into the
pavilion to bring visitors into the
foliage to experience the textural
composition of plants. Read on for
a closer look at this stunning
project!
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Working in conjunction with NEX
Architecture, Barnett took a deeply
scientific approach to the project.
Using computer algorithms that
mimic the growth of plants, the
team came up with a structure
based on modular cells.
Like the old ride at
Disneyland Adventure Through Inner
Space where you shrunk in scale to
see the world of the very small the
Times Eureka Pavilion takes us deep
into the structure of a leaf.
Smaller wooded cells or cassettes
are inserted into the spaces,
mimicking the Epidermal
cellular structure of a leaf.
Plastic strips are coiled into round
forms, abstracting the internal
cells. The plastic elements diffuse
daylight as it enters the pavilion,
giving the interior space a sense of
intimacy.
The roof is covered in glass and
rainwater is channeled through the
pavilion's "veins" and diffused
directly into the ground. The
installation will be moved from its
temporary home to the Royal
Botani Gardens at Kew.
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The Ponte Vecchio - the only bridge left standing by the retreating German army as Florence is taken by the 8th Army in August 1944.
During World War II, the Ponte
Vecchio was not destroyed by
Germans during their retreat of
August 4, 1944, unlike all other
bridges in Florence. This was
allegedly because of an express
order by Hitler. Access to Ponte
Vecchio was, however, obstructed
by the destruction of the buildings
at both ends, which have since been
rebuilt using a combination of
original and modern design.
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Ponte Vecchio Symbol Of The
ART NATURE and PEACE
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Solar Peace
pavilion Far out! This giant solar peace
sign made of 80 metal oil barrels is
bringing eco art to a groovy new
level. Artist Fred George designed
the sculpture to "sound a global
alarm of our crisis of consumption"
and call attention to our need
for greener energy. In keeping with
that message, each barrel that
makes up the structure also has
a solar panel attached to it. If all
goes according to plan, the peace
sign will be constructed in Madison
Square Park in New York City, and
other similar artpieces will appear
in Shanghai, China and Saarbrücken,
Germany.
The peace sign stands 58 feet high
and isn't just a pretty face
It's actually a sustainable resource
that will be able to feed power
(collected from its 80 solar panels)
into the city's electrical grid.
According to the artist, the load-
bearing construction of the
sculpture consists of a circle made
of steel with one vertical middle
beam and two diagonals beams
running at approximately 45
degrees to the main diameter.At a
time when we have never been
more dependent on oil for our daily
transport, this donation
of energy delivers a message of
environmental responsibility and
social pride," Fred George explains.
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Primary
Sketches