The world Islands. Dubai.

The World Islands, are a collection of man-made islands shaped into the continents of the world, located off the coast of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.


It will consist of 300 small private artificial islands divided into four categories - private homes, estate homes, dream resorts, and community islands.

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Plan Abu dhabi 2030.


The Government of Abu Dhabi has unveiled Plan Abu Dhabi 2030: Urban Structure Framework Plan, a comprehensive plan for the development of the city of Abu Dhabi that will guide planning decisions for the next quarter of a century.

The Government also announced the establishment of a new Urban Planning Council to oversee the implementation of the plan and the further development of urban planning policy.


Plan Abu Dhabi 2030: Urban Structure Framework Plan has been created to deliver upon the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, for the continued fulfillment of the grand design envisaged by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the ongoing evolution of Abu Dhabi as a global capital city.


Through ten individual policy statements, the plan specifies land uses, building heights and transportation plans for the entire metropolitan area of Abu Dhabi. Under the plan, the city is projected to grow to over three million people by 2030. As such, the plan provides for large new areas of Emirati housing, inspired by the traditional family structures of the local community, and a diverse mix of affordable housing options for all the citizens and residents of Abu Dhabi.

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Liberty Harbor. Brunswick.

Virtual tour of mixed use development in Brunswick, GA.

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Master Plan "MUNCH AREA", Oslo, Norway.

Data
Herreros Architects
Client: AS Eindom HAV.
Illustrations: Mir / HerrerosArquitectos
Engagement Date: 2009
End Date: 06/12/2010




Munch Areaes an urban project that occupies the peninsula flanked by the river Bjorvika Akerselva, one of the seven commons paving the Harbour Promenade ambitious program to open the Oslo fjord once released its coastal blockade which for centuries was the port and shipyards.


 
Munch Museum The future is the protagonist of the set but we should not forget that we are operating with a full piece of city, housing, offices, services, business and, above all, a remarkable amount of public space given to citizens.
 
We like to describe it as an intervention context uncompromisingly: oriented differently to the four cardinal points north to the city, the fjord south, east to the Ekeberg hill and Bispekaia neighborhood, and west to the Opera and historical center is described as a succession of places that offer different personalities, different programs, different trees, different environments, to which we have named intentionally: Library Square, bustling urban-Bispekaia Plaza-with-neighborhood market, Canal Walk, with its restaurants and riverside platforms, "Munch Plaza-anteroom of the hall, Museum Island, with its artistic intervention program," Beach Area "which continues the covers of opera in an artificial beach, and Leisure Island -for silence and contemplation.





This intentional and volume of the Museum and other buildings, this small district negotiates the different scales of important parts urban disconnected today, the river, the hill, the Bar Code of MVRDV project, opera Snohetta, the future library Daichman, new neighborhoods under construction, the fjord, etc .- permeability looking east-west and offers a diverse collection of hybrid types and programs that cover the entire spectrum of ages that focuses on a contemporary city, productive, living and visiting equal parts.


 
The urban program is distributed in blocks along the coast of hybrid program rising in height as they move away from her and slide over each other to seek the views and sun. Podiums are based on reproducing the original apple acquired at the level of the street a very urban setting in contrast to air permeability and character of the upper floors.


The Museum is located outside the area of ​​influence of opera and there choose a vertical format to complete by contrast, the silhouette of public space have become their covers establishing an open and visible to the geography of the city and its topographical events and to create unlandmark be alongside opera identifying the city in the future.
 
The vertical Munch is also the idea of ​​making the visit to the museum is both a dialogue with the city, a process of discovery, tuning and learning of history (past, present and future) from Oslo by dynamic exercise perception that is raising the horizon as you climb.


Memory research:


Develop a job as the Master Plan for Oslo Bjorvika in turn requires the conviction that any proposed architecture and urban design is in itself a research exercise. In fact, a significant part of our work was to make inroads into the world of applied knowledge and typological inventions to provide testable proposals not only from the point of view of architectural quality but also from the context variables objectively Nordic seen as a priority. This includes all standard quality of urban life, from sunlight to sustainability through accessibility to public transport and the equipment or the use of materials with recognizable virtues not to mention the claim of a diverse housing supply that affects housing but also the type of office and retail. All are elements of a conversation that develops multiple bands simultaneously with and in which the obligation to behave as an expert requires a studio responsible for each parameter.


Such a script can only be addressed from the design of protocols for design as an inherent part of the project. In our case, we have tried to enable a holistic view of the structural, urban facilities, environmental criteria and the actual construction of the development.



























The intention is that all chapters operate collaboratively to search for an event responsible and intentionally made progress on certain concerns such as simplicity, sustainability, recyclability and maintenance. The consequence of these works are diverse: for example we can speak of energy self-sufficiency this piece of city powered by geothermal energy from the fjord and the implementation for the entire building of urban supply of cold water in summer and warm in winter as TABS principles (Thermal Active Building System), or refer to the networks of pneumatic waste collection, research on the use of recycled materials in the urbanization of the area and so on.


Therefore, speak of research is invoked for this work containing "scientific" while "useful to others." And is that research does not limit its application enabled this project but may well involve other recyclable material and that not only relates to technical or typological but to own working methods and the establishment of testing protocols , interpretation, redescription and communication of ideas. It is in this area where we consider that our work in Oslo can be useful for the community of architects, scientists who seek similar paths in the international context.


 

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Redevelopment of the Penang Turf Club site in Batu Gantong. Asymptote Architecture.

PENANG: Equine Capital Bhd plans to rebuild the master of Penang Turf Club site in Batu Gantung took place in 2004 according to its group executive chairman Datuk Patrick Lim Soo Kit.


The contest was proposing a mixed development project comprising residential, commercial and public in the 256-acre Penang Turf Club site.



"Seven internationally renowned architects presented their proposals to develop the Penang Turf Club. These architects, who were invited from countries such as France, USA, Germany, Netherlands, and Japan."


Architects are Naserine Seraji (France), Hani Rashid, Michael Sorkin, and Thom Mayne (USA), Almut Ernst (Germany), Ole Scheeren (Netherlands), Riken Yamamoto, and Tetsuo Furuichi (Japan).


"They spent several months in Penang, the study of culture and local needs before writing his master plan. Designs were also associated with some local architects to ensure that their projects contienian elements of Malaysian culture and heritage" said Lim.


"The draft master plan contained the premise incorporate designs taking into account the need to preserve the environment, energy conservation, and the interaction between humans and space. In fact, the architects were invited for their work in Modern urban development in their respective countries. "


The aim was to Penang in the heart of a development project that iconic figure that solutions to the problems of the cities of tomorrow.




The projects contained designs of gardens and buildings of great expressiveness to attract people's attention.


"The interior and exterior of the buildings are designed, for example, to harness the forces of wind, light and rain water for cooling, thereby reducing energy use.


"Some of the projects master plan contain designs of low-rise buildings that maximize light penetration, reducing dependence on artificial lighting.


"The landscape is designed to be in harmony with the buildings, the environment and the local environment, ie, taking into account a good feng shui."


Professor Datuk Dr. Ken Yeang of Asia Design Forum, an internationally recognized architect, headed the panel of seven judges.


The other judges were internationally renowned architects and critics such as Professor Peter Cook, Bartlett School of Architecture and Archigram in Britain, Clifford Pearson, editor in chief of Architectural Record, a newspaper renowned architecture in the U.S. and Professor Leon van Schaik of RMIT in Melbourne, Australia.


"The jury will select the best master plan for the group of horses to take," said Lim.


Tim Christ, a senior architect of Morphosis, an architectural firm based in California, said the draft master plan to incorporate the latest designs of landscaping for the legacy and heritage of Penang Hill in the redevelopment project.


"Our plan is to develop more buildings in a smaller area, so there's no room for gardens and green areas. There will be a mixture of low rise buildings and high. The low-rise would be designed to ensure that there is a cross ventilation of view from the interior to allow better penetration of natural light, "he said.


"The high-rise buildings were designed to harness the forces of wind, rain water, and electricity for cooling. These designs are aimed at reducing energy use."


Michael Sorkin, director of Michael Sorkin Studio in New York, said his master plan project to create a self-sufficient community.


"We want to create a community where residents can play, work, and shop where they live. The project also allocated for a central loop of energy, distributed power to the community, a transport hub that will reduce congestion traffic within the community, and higher education and medical centers, "he said.


Ole Scheeren, a partner at the Metropolitan Architects in the Netherlands, said the draft master plan designs that limits buildings to specific areas.


"Our design is porous to contemporary culture and heritage can claim space and existence in the project," he said.

In this post we analyze the contribution of one of our favorite studies, the Asymptote.

Asymptote's design for the PGCC complex is centered on the idea of creating a powerful new image for the city of Penang and the new initative associated with the development of the Northern Corridor of Malaysia.

The design achieves its elegance and prestige through the simultaneous embrace of natural landscapes and contemporary urbanism. The PGCC will become a vital new precinct that complements and enhances the unique features that characterize Penang as a remarkable island metropolis.

The design of the iconic towers, in particular, is inspired not only the lushness and drama of the mountains and seascapes, but also rich and diverse cultural heritage that constitutes the nation of Malaysia and Penang in particular.

The shapes of the two towers consist of two horizontal and vertical elements: sculpted horizontal components move across the plinth, rise up and transform into articulated vertical structures. In contrast to the backdrop of the nature reserve of Penang Hill, the twisting, glass facades of the towers "perform" various effects on the surface reflective, refractive and distorting views of Penang, the landscape and seascape beyond. The broad base in cascade, which functions as a public plaza with multiple gathering spaces, are venues for the performing arts center, convention center and various facilities for residential, office and urban life.





 















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Urban plan proposal for Ansan city - south korea. Review Contest.

Today we review a proposed revision urban root of the current state of economic crisis a few years after surprise us by their approach and morphology.

 

Four architectural firms, BIG (Copenhagen), Inaba (Los Angeles), MAD (Beijing) and Mass Studies (Seoul)  proposed a development plan for Ansan, South Korea, to be displayed in the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art Ansan City begins on December 17, 2008.

 The joint project of the four companies versatile uses architectural forms that change in size and use. The directors of the four offices, Bjarke Ingels, Jeffrey Inaba, Ma Yansong, and Cho Minsuk reinterpret "economies of scale," the term to mean the value of a unique architectural form that operates on different scales. The works fit enough to make the same shape can be enlarged or reduced and still function as a building.

 Given today's economic situation, the architects propose an architecture that can be sized to accommodate changes in available funding. The forms have been developed so that if you reduce a capital investment project can be reduced, as an alternative, if more funding is available, the same way can be extended. These companies believe that architecture need not be habitable and in tune with human scale in one size, can be designed with greater utility in mind that the form can be enjoyed even when it reduces or increases by 40, 50 , or 60 percent.


INABA and MAD
Urban plan proposal for Ansan City

BIG and Mass Studies:Urban plan proposal .

INABA: Walk This Way.


MAD: Beautiful Minds.

BIG: Urban Porosity.


'walk this way' by INABA

'beautiful minds' by MAD

a cultural pyramid topped with inspiration pods suspended high above the city

'beautiful minds' by MAD

'urban porosity' by BIG

'urban porosity' by BIG

Mass Studies:
Mutated Slabs and Robotic Towers.  

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White Bay, Bussines and Comercial District in Alicante. Duran Blazquez Architects. Modena Architecture.

Modena Architecture is a Spanish firm led by  Duran Blazquez architects. This firm develops a cutting-edge design project in southern Spain.

Alicante is a city of Valencia (Spain), capital of the region of the lands of Alicante and of the eponymous province, situated on the Mediterranean coast, is the second largest city of Valencia in Spain and eleventh. Its population is 334,757 inhabitants (INE 2009) and forms a conurbation of 452,462 inhabitants in the neighboring towns of San Vicente del Raspeig, San Juan de Alicante, Muchamiel and Campello. Belongs to the metropolitan area of Alicante-Elche, with 757,443 inhabitants. It is a city to tourism and services.

This city due to their resort is an enclave of culture, vacation spot for citizens of other countries and especially for European citizens of Nordic countries, Russia, England and Germany.

Despite the crisis engulfing the country, are developing draft urban projects that still need several years of development due to administrative processes.

Elements of urban development:

The project develops part of a residential, business and shopping in the city of Alicante.
Although the percentage of per capita m2 of commercial areas in the city, as in other south of the peninsula is high, the developer committed to creating a shopping area with an avant-garde looking reference an international rather than local or regional.

The project works over the concept of urban development of middle income residential high-buildable blocks wide, linked to the development of a commercial area in the city reference.

The location of the sector in an area of urban expansion and commercial dynamism and tourism in the area are the keys to bet promoter.

The first floor will house shops and restaurants connected to an adjacent mall, the buildings near the main square is filled with apartments.

The program is a mix of boutique shops, Business Centers, cafes and homes.

The street and the park will be connected through a foreign city tour closely tied to sources and other recreational spaces, so that external routes themselves generate a meeting space in an area very close to the Mediterranean Sea.

Baja 4 plants are connected to a shopping mall. The buildings closest to the area reserved for apartments.

The square and the outdoor complex offers spectacular views of the old town and castle.

Outlying areas of this public space is shaped like outdoor cafe.

As fashionable as well as buildings change through the season: autumn winter appearance is due to the use of cooler colors. In the spring colors are modified in the facades and peripheral light through the exterior is green in some areas.

The urban development marks a beginning for future development of the city of Alicante in the coming years. Thus, the Central Business District is a model for the transformation process must take place in the cities of southern Spain and his race for a distinct identity in the changing economic climate. Like many other cities economically applicants in Spain, Alicante faces the challenge of establishing an urban identity that unites local traditions with the most innovative ideas for future business.

Alicante on the other hand has the Altet airport (also known as Alicante airport despite being located in the neighboring city of Elche), which is today the most profitable airport in Spain by the massive influx of tourists throughout the year .

Moreover, the seaport city, is a reference port of both goods and tourist traffic through the cruise ships.

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