Behnisch Architekten clads energy laboratory in translucent polycarbonate

Translucent polycarbonate panels encase the concrete and timber laboratory at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, by Behnisch Architekten.

Located on the northern campus of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the lab occupies a site formerly used for solar energy experiments.

Its corrugated plastic cladding and distinctive irregular roof echo the industrial buildings that surround it.

Behnisch Architekten divided the space into two, in order to combine an area for laboratory experiments with more conventional workspaces.

A large, double-height test hall accommodates two spaces – the Power-Hardware in the Loop (PHIL) and the Smart Energy System Control Laboratory (SESCL), as well as an assembly area.

Alongside the hall runs a thin strip of preparation and office spaces.

The distinct office and laboratory areas are separated by what the studio describes as a glass vestibule.

This entrance corridor runs alongside the offices and overlooks the test hall through a glass partition, allowing for views between the two.

A simple steel and wood staircase and an elevator lead up to the second storey of the office area.

The second storey overlooks the hall from above and opens up onto a thin bridge leading to a raised steel gallery opposite.

An exposed concrete frame allows the hall to be column-free, and a secondary, timber structure supports the roof and creates internal partitions.

Skylights punctuate the jagged roof.

The hall and its roof are lined with chipboard panels, providing a subtle contrast to the office areas which are finished in white-painted wood.

Externally, this divide in the spaces is visible through the polycarbonate cladding.

This outer layer is translucent for the hall spaces and lined internally with wood in the offices, creating an opaque, silvery exterior marked by small windows.

"The hall and the sawtooth roof are generously clad with polycarbonate plates, which allow a consistent amount of daylight to enter the entire test area," said the studio.

"Window openings set in specific places in the office facade enable a selective illumination of the interior spaces with their unobtrusive design."

At night, this cladding creates a lantern-like glow from the testing hall, enlivened by the shadows cast by the timber frame and the steel walkway.

Based in Stuttgart, Behnisch Architekten has previously completed several educational and university projects, including a renovation of the Portland State University School of Business and a timber-clad kindergarten in Heidelberg, Germany.

Photography is by David Matthiessen.

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Project credits:

Client: Facility Management, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Architect: Behnisch Architekten, Stuttgart

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SO-IL designs exhibition to showcase patchwork boro fabrics

New York architecture firm SO-IL has designed an exhibition to present a Japanese handicraft that uses remnants of hemp fabric.

SO-IL created the Boro Textiles: Sustainable Aesthetics exhibition for New York's Japan Society.

It showcases the boro textiles practice that originated in Japan in the 19th and 20th centuries when cold climate conditions made growing cotton difficult.

Boro has continued to today in the form of patchwork dresses, coats, blankets and shoes that have been repeatedly reworked over several generations, and make use of found materials and ad hoc methods.

Traditional Japanese kimonos, jackets and shirts hang from delicate frames that SO-IL designed to be reminiscent of the items being worn. The clothing are illuminated by lights inside the structures.

"We wanted to contrast the richness of the textures and memories of these boro pieces with lightness and reflection, to show the clothing on bodies," SO-IL co-founder Jing Liu told Dezeen.

"They were never inanimate objects to be adorned but everyday architecture that enabled life within."

Underneath are vitrine cases with reflective surfaces for flat laying accessories such as socks, shoes and gloves.

Projects displayed range from timeworn and contemporary pieces, with many of the objects from the collection at Tokyo's Amuse Museum. They include works by fashion designers Christina Kim and Susan Cianciolo.

Kim's Kaya, a rectangular mosquito net, is lit from within and provides a contemporary example of the centuries-old handicraft. Cianciolo has used the ad hoc method to create tapestries that feature a collage of fabrics and art materials.

Architect Liu, who founded SO-IL with Florian Idenburg, said boro textiles provide an important example of the resourceful and sustainable practices that have been forgotten over the last century.

"It's the resourcefulness we all inherently have inside of us," Liu said. "Because of this consumerism and overproduction we have been experiencing in the last century, we have forgotten that and became much more distant and disconnected."

Liu said that returning to this way of thinking is becoming more important amid the growing impact of climate change.

"Maybe with this kind of urgency of crisis, both political crisis and environmental crisis, there's enough pressure for enough people to feel like we don't have to do business as usual," Liu added.

"We have to change our mindset. I think the most important thing is not technology, it's just mindset."

Liu spoke to Dezeen at the opening of Boro Textiles: Sustainable Aesthetics earlier this month. The gallery has since closed temporarily as part of measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in the city.

The Chinese architect said at the event that the effects of coronavirus – which include cancelled events, school closures and disruption to workflows – could provide an opportunity to slow down society's consumption and production.

"It's not great that people can't go to work and all of that, but it does make you think why do we have to work so hard to produce so much and keep the shops open and then work so hard to buy them? What is it all for?" Liu asked.

She highlighted a potentially advantageous effect of coronavirus, which caused authorities to enforce quarantine on affected areas, as improved air quality. "The pollution has gone down significantly in China," she said.

Liu's remarks echo those of trend forecaster Li Edelkoort, who told Dezeen the virus offers "a blank page for a new beginning".

Edelkoort predicted that the outbreaks will lead to "quarantine of consumption", in which people will get used to living with fewer possessions and travelling less.

Photography is by Richard Goodbody.

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Black Trash Bags Take Control of Animal and Human Life in ‘Garb-age’ by Murmure

“Garbage whale” (2019), black stone and pencil on paper, 70 x 100 centimeters. All images © Murmure

French duo Paul Ressencourt and Simon Roche, or Murmure, highlight the nefarious nature of a commonplace object in their latest project that explores the human impact on the environment. The monochromatic pieces illustrate the ubiquity of the black trash bag as it composes a whale, masks the heads of an embracing couple, and floats in a large group through the air like a flock of birds. Each bag shines in the light, accentuating its plastic materiality.

Murmure told Juxtapoz that the black-and-white pieces are designed to be straightforward, a strategy that emphasizes the single red tie meant to signify a narrative thread. “The main idea was to play with the colors of a regular black garbage bag as much as possible. Not only for dramatic appeal, but also for the depth of shades and, somehow, the elegance of its texture and reaction to light. That’s why we use graphite pencil, to achieve this texture,” the pair said.

Ranging from drawings on paper to larger murals, the works are part of a broader project called Garb-age, a nod to the idea of a new era, that directly speaks to the growing climate crisis. The duo says the purpose is to show the power street art specifically has to impact the ways people think. “To us, Garb-age is a meaningful project that allows us to raise awareness of important environmental issues,” they said. Each piece is “a powerful image reflecting the choices everyone faces daily, between our knowledge of the issues at stake and what we can do about them but don’t. We would love it if visitors could pass this first impression and understand there’s hope behind every picture created.”

Murmure had an exhibition scheduled at Galerie LJ in Paris this month, although it has closed due to worries about the spread of coronavirus. However, the gallery has shot a virtual tour that’s available on Instagram, where you can also find more of the duo’s climate-aware pieces.

“The lovers” (2020), black stone on paper, 60 x 80 centimeters

“Garbage whale” (2019), Vladivostok

“Garbage tail” (2020), black stone and colored pencil, 210 x 135 centimeters

“Duffel Battle” (2020), Paris

“Garbage Ocean 03,” black stone and acrylic on paper, 60 x 80 centimeters

“Soaring”

 

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George Ruoy, Bianca Saunders and Obvious feature on this year’s Forbes’ 30 Under 30

The publisher hopes to provide a dose of optimism with this list celebrating 30 visionaries from the arts and creative industry.

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Olson Kundig designs Los Angeles house Collywood "to feel like an adventure"

Retractable walls and numerous terraces feature in this expansive California home designed by US architecture firm Olson Kundig.

Created for financier Kipp Nelson, Collywood residence is located on a promontory just above West Hollywood's Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.

The home's elevated perch provides extensive views that stretch from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

Capitalising on these vistas was a guiding factor for Seattle firm Olson Kundig, which sought to eliminate boundaries "between inside and outside as much as possible".

"Because the client comes from a background of outdoor adventures, he wanted the house to feel like an adventure to him and his many guests," the team said.

Encompassing 15,642 square feet (1,453 square metres), the three-storey dwelling consists of intersecting, rectilinear volumes.

Exterior walls are board-marked concrete with dark metal siding, while soffits are clad in honey-toned wood. A bright orange front door adds a dash of colour.

A portion of the upper level cantilevers over the rear yard, where the team placed several patios and an infinity-edge pool. In total, the home offers outdoor space totalling 6,958 square feet (646 square metres).

The residence was designed to provide a range of spaces, from cosy to expansive.

"This home navigates many different scales: the larger landscape scale of Los Angeles, the scale of entertainment and large group gatherings, and the intimate scale of spaces for daily living," said design principal Tom Kundig.

"I'm most excited about how the design intertwines these scales and allows the client to expand or contract the home depending on changing needs," Kundig added.

The ground floor encompasses a kitchen, dining area, living room and a guest suite. Finishes include wide-plank wooden flooring and black granite kitchen countertops.

The upper floor holds a master bedroom, den and high-tech gym, while the lower level encompasses an auto gallery, game room, media room and wine cellar – spaces that cater to the client's hobbies and interests. Two more bedrooms round out the property.

Linking the three levels is a staircase with wood-and-metal treads and a guardrail system with a vertical steel design.

In addition to custom furniture, the homes features pieces from high-end retailers such RH, Design Within Reach and Cassina.

A metal chandelier from Tom Kundig Collection is suspended over the dining table.

Throughout the home, ample glazing provides an intimate connection to the landscape. Retractable doors and shutters are mechanically controlled by simply pressing a button.

In the living room, the team incorporated sliding doors that allow the interior space to flow outdoors.

There also are pivoting glass walls in the living area and "guillotine" windows near the dining table, as Olson Kundig specialises is kinetic design details.

"Together, this substantial series of operable window walls merges indoor and outdoor spaces, extending the liveable space outside into the temperate Southern California climate," the studio said.

Outdoor areas were also incorporated into the home's upper and lower levels. The first floor has a series of roof decks, and a large terrace is on the bottom level.

Olson Kundig has completed numerous homes since it was established in 1967. Others include a Vermont cabin, a surfing retreat in Costa Rica and an Idaho residence with a glass wall that swings upward.

Photography is by Nic Lehoux.

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Project credits:

Team: Tom Kundig (design principal), Elizabeth Bianchi Conklin, (project manager), Patricia Flores, Cameron Shampine, Evan Harlan, (architectural staff), Debbie Kennedy (interior design), Amanda Chenoweth, Ana Brainard, and Crisanna Siegert (interior design staff), Jerry Garcia (art consultant)
General contractor: MG Partners
Owner's representative: Lee Gilman Builders
Civil engineer: T Engineering Group
Structural engineer: PCS Structural
Mechanical engineer: Prime Aire
Electrical engineer: Buratti & Associates
Landscape architect: Clark & White Landscape
Lighting design: Illum Lighting Design
Audio-visual consultant: Black's Electric
Gizmo design: KB Architectural Services with Phil Turner
Energy consultant: Newton Energy
Pool and hot tub design: Holden Water
Land use consultant: Crest Real Estate
Gizmo fabrication: Meta Design

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