Tianjin Master Planning by Perkins & Will

Just found out Perkins and Will was doing Tianjin project too~!!
"Perkins+Will was initially retained to provide concept design services for a high-end residential condominium tower in the Heping neighborhood of Tianjin. The project consisted of one building as part of a ten building master plan development. The tower planning concept was for full floor or duplex units. Upon completion of this phase, Perkins+Will was further retained to design within the same development five additional condominium towers, a community building, central landscaped park, and underground parking. The project covers 1.2 million square feet."to find out more...

Project and Image from http://www.perkinswill.com/projects/project.aspx?id=118##

Singapore ArchiFest 2008 - Architour

"This year’s Architours 08, held in conjunction with Archifest 08, aims to once again make Singaporean Architecture easily accessible to the general public through guided tours held through 3 weekends of in the month of October. In keeping with the overall theme of Man + Environment, the tours will be split up into 4 distinctly themed routes, each dealing with a different aspect of Singaporean Architecture presented in a fun and engaging way." to find out more...
Passage & Image from http://www.sistic.com.sg/portal/dt?desktop.suid=uid=authlessanonymous_sistic,ou=People,o=portal,
dc=sistic,dc=com,dc=sg#seatAnchor

Free Architectural Courses

"If you have a computer or an iPod, you can go to college for free. Hundreds of colleges and universities around the world offer free downloads of popular courses and lectures in architecture, urban design, and engineering.

Yes, there are drawbacks. You can't chat with the professors or classmates. You can't earn credits or work toward a degree. But you'll get the same lecture notes and assignments as "live" students. In some cases, you can even download free audio files and videos." to find out more...

Passage from http://architecture.about.com/od/schools/tp/freecourses.htm

Sustainable design overview from Gerard Lee Architects

"So how does sustainable or "green" design apply to your home? What is "green" design? Just doing a simple search on the internet will result in hundreds of thousands of references. All similar to a certain extent and yet different. Reading through some of them will make you realise that when it comes to "green" design, many experts and or architects who specialize in sustainable design differ in what they call "green" design.
For some, it means using natural materials, or waste products, utilizing the natural resources for fuel, lighting, recycling water and avoiding certain materials like steel studs that use high embodied energy through it's production. For others, it means that metal studs are good because they are an easily recycled material. Some designers follow the path of LEED as a guideline for the "greening" of buildings. Others say it's skewed to accomodate certain building product manufacturers and loosely terms many materials as "green". Still others say any type of process that accomodates different forms of sustainable design or building practices are good for the environment and therefore, better than nothing. " to find out more...

Passage & Image from http://www.gleearchitects.com/sustainablefaq.htm

Singapore Management University

I visited SMU, a university that I passed by every morning to work. I love the design by Edward Cullinan Architects. to find out more...

3d trueSpace7 via Caligari Corporation

Take up 3d lessons for free through caligari Corporation with trueSpace7. Just watching the video will do~! to find out more...
Image from
http://www.caligari.com/products/trueSpace/ts75/Brochure/intro.asp?Cate=BIntro

AASHE

"AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, is a member organization of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable future. Our mission is to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education - from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach - through education, communication, research and professional development. We work in partnership with businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies that support our mission.
The AASHE Bulletin is a free weekly e-newsletter with campus sustainability news, events, and opportunities. " to find out more...
Passage from http://www.aashe.org/index.php

Design Method

"If you want information about using design, facts and figures about the UK design industry, or information on particular design disciplines or sectors, you can find it here.

Our world-class resource has in-depth information on design and business issues and opportunities, written by recognised experts, as well as information for students and educators." to find out more...

Passage from http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/en/About-Design/

Contemporary Architecture Practice

"Contemporary Architectural Practice was founded in 1999 and is located in SoHo, New York City, Contemporary Architecture Practice has established an award winning profile in futuristic work using cutting edge digital design and production techniques. Their work includes master plans, residential, commercials and product design projects. A book on Contemporary Architecture Practice titled Catalytic Formations was recently released.
Contemporary Architecture Practice has been published extensively in the press-most recently featured in the Harvard Design Magazine, A plus U, Domus and Der Spiegel. Past publications include Architectural Design London, Yale Constructs, Arkiteketen Denmark, Monitor Unlimited Moscow, Slate, Space China, Arhcitectura Milan and the New York Times to name a few. CAP were awarded the OutstANDING Award for FEIDAD 2007 and Architectural Record Product of the Month for their lighting fixture titled ‘Opale’ in 2007. They were also selected for Phaidon Press’s 10x10_2,2005 curates by “10 internationally prominent critics, architects and curators,’ and Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard 2004, as one of eleven architectural practices worldwide “building the future of architecture”. " to find out more...

Passage & Image from http://www.c-a-p.net/

ARCHIPRIX INTERNATIONAL

"Biennially Archiprix International presents the world's best graduation projects in the fields of architecture, urban design and landscape architecture. All university-level training colleges around the world are invited to take part by selecting and submitting their best graduation project. Archiprix International forms the largest presentation of graduation work and offers unrivalled insight into current trends in design education globally and architecture generally.

The initiative reflects rapid international developments in the design disciplines. Recent decades have seen an explosive growth in the scale of international contact, resulting in lively exchanges world-wide. Increasing numbers of designers work on commissions abroad, professional journals are published on an international scale, and training colleges are becoming more and more international in their orientation.

Archiprix International intends to become an international platform for training colleges and newly graduated, talented designers. It spotlights international trends in architecture, urban design and landscape architecture and brings designers together.

An independent jury rewards the very best submissions with the Hunter Douglas Awards. The aim of the awards is to stimulate the introduction of starting, talented designers into the world of professional practice." to find out more...
Passage & Image from http://www.archiprix.org/2009/

ArchDaily

The architectural blog sphere is getting better everyday. This is another worth looking architectural blog for your browsing pleasure, Archdaily. to find out more...
Image from http://www.archdaily.com/

Library Extension by King Roselli Architetti

"The library is arranged so that for every two floors of book stacks one sloping ramp, "U" shaped in plan, connects them. The book stacks are as low as possible to avoid the use of ladders to reach the highest shelves and, given the thin floor slab, are made look like a set of bookshelves themselves. They are connected vertically by a staircase set between the containing wall and an interior façade of bookshelves facing the reading ramps dedicated to publications, to form in effect a book tower. The slope of the ramps is determined by joining the regularly spaced floors of the book stacks to the irregular cuts in the façade which creates the reality (not simply the effect) of volumes floating in light.

These ramps are the reading rooms- they are levelled with mahogany platforms that accommodate the reading tables at the level changes. These are also made of mahogany block-wood and house the up-lights for ambient lighting." to find out more...

Passage & Image from http://www.kingroselli.com/projects/pul/pul-txt.html

Archinode

"A methodology new to buildings yet ancient to gardening is introduced in this design - pleaching. Pleaching is a method of weaving together tree branches to form living archways, lattices, or screens. The trunks of inosculate, or self-grafting, trees, such as Elm, Live Oak, and Dogwood, are the load-bearing structure, and the branches form a continuous lattice frame for the walls and roof. Weaved along the exterior is a dense protective layer of vines, interspersed with soil pockets and growing plants. Scaffolds, cut from 3D computer files control the plant growth in the early stages. On the interior, a clay and straw composite insulates and blocks moisture, and a final layer of smooth clay is applied like a plaster to dually provide comfort and aesthetics. Existing homes built with cob (a clay and straw composite) demonstrate the feasibility, longevity, and livability of the material as a construction material. In essence, the tree trunks of this design provide the structure for an extruded earth ecosystem, whose growth is embraced over time. Living examples of pleached structures include the Red Alder bench by Richard Reames and the ‘Sycamore Tower’ by Axel Erlandson." to find out more...
Passage & Image from http://www.archinode.com/Arch9fab.html

Green Valley

I bought a book of 3d modeling and rendering written by Wei Wei Hua during my trip to China, Tianjin 2 months ago. I Only manage got time to browse it last weekends. Some useful and powerful tips and techniques from him with the making of the Green Valley . There is an interview of him from 3dTotal Artist. to find out more...
Image from http://www.3dtotal.com/team/interviews/wei_wei_hua/wei_wei_hua_01.asp

Autodesk University

"Each year, more people than ever discover that an annual trip to the AU conference is a great way to keep their skills up to date, renew business contacts, and make new friends with like-minded professionals from around the world. Plan now to be part of this once-a-year opportunity at AU 2008 in Las Vegas." to find out more...
Passage & Image from http://au.autodesk.com/event/