April 7, 2011
The Windy City’s building history is closely tied to the American branch of modernism and the stateside evolution of the International style. Most architectural aficionados are familiar with the connection between IIT and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright’s various projects throughout the city. It is also common knowledge that Chicago was the original home of architectural behemoth Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.
Despite all the dead architect and corporate firm name-dropping, Chicago is also home to an undercurrent of small design firms invested in the local community. One of these such firms is Wheeler Kearns Architects, founded by two SOM Chicago alumni in 1990.
Last week we visited the WKA office and met the firm’s youngest principle, Jon Heinert. Here’s our chat about the evolution of the firm’s work:
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March 8, 2011
Last Friday we posted as our editor’s pick a unique four-unit kindergarten located in Oslo designed by local architecture firm RRA (Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter). The firm’s diverse portfolio — striking in its relatively brief 16 years — belies a clarity of vision and bold aesthetic. Taking a holistic approach, RRA also designs landscaping, interiors, and furniture for its projects.
Throughout all their design investigations, though, the architects admit that understanding the project’s context on a macro level is just as essential to every project.
Click through for an exclusive Q&A with RRA principal Kristin Stokke Ramstad on context-conscious designs, Oslo and RRA’s first solo exhibition.
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February 16, 2011
We first discovered all(zone) last week, when we profiled their Shophouse as an Editor’s Pick. They’re a great little office with projects going on all over the world right now, and an approach based on inclusivity and locality. We got pretty into their blog, and realized they’d be a great subject for our recurring Firm of the Week.
all(zone) is made up of four Thai-born designers with degrees ranging from a Ph.D from University of Tokyo to a Masters in Contemporary Living at NABA Milano. Though they’ve cast themselves far and wide across the globe in their work, all(zone) founds itself on locality. The members (Rachaporn Choochuey, Sorawit Klaimak, Tharit Tossanaitada, and Wittida Payomyong) say that they find their inspiration and conceptual source in the life of the city they live and work in: Bangkok.
We got in touch with the team this week to ask them a few questions about all(zone)’s name, future, and preferred work playlist.
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February 9, 2011
When Francine Houben, one of the three original founding partners of Dutch fixtures Mecanoo Architecten, published a definitive tome of the office’s projects back in 2001, the title – Composition, Contrast, Complexity –seemed so generic as to almost be an anti-title. Yet, as it turns out, Houben’s beige title was actually a pointed and deliberate way of setting up an argument between Mecanoo’s work and the work of their contemporaries.
Composition, contrast, and complexity are in direct opposition to words like static, abstract, and minimal. The title reflects a line of attack that Houben has made her stock and trade: warmth, intuition, and excess over the “scientist-architect” cliche of the early ’00s. Get to know Mecanoo in images, after the jump:
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January 25, 2011
This week we’re highlighting everyone’s favorite Dutch building scientists and supplying newcomers to the genre with a little introductory look at a few of their best projects.
UNStudio was founded 1988 by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, but came into its current incarnation when it was renamed UNStudio (United Net Studio) ten years later in 1998. Supposedly, the name is meant to draw attention to the anti-Master-Architect philosophy that the group sets forth.
Click through for some introductory projects, scaled from S to XL (uh, no OMA reference intended).
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