Tarabot: Weaving A Living Forum, inspired by an idea by architect Adib Dada of studioOtherDada in Beirut, is a sustainable pavilion inaugurated during COP28 at the Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai. Made with locally sourced materials such as clay, mycelium, date palm waste and upcycled fabric, the pavilion incarnates a circular, ecological ethic and promotes biodiversity.
Dutch architectural practice MVRDV has completed an important project transforming an old monument in the Albanian capital. A facility opened in 1988 as a museum about the dictator Enver Hoxha has now been given new life as a vibrant cultural centre and educational facility in the heart of Tirana, demonstrating the great potential of historic constructions in Brutalist style.
Located on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD or Central Business District, Fitzroy used to be a degraded suburb but has evolved into a trendy district first made popular by artists, combining history with urban chic. In this eclectic neighbourhood stands Helvetia, a Victorian terraced home renovated by Austin Maynard Architects. After being converted into a boarding-house with a fragmented layout, Helvetia has undergone a new metamorphosis incarnating the ideals of sustainability, practicality and beauty.
Being sustainable is also a prerogative for companies, so we dedicate this Best of Livegreenblog to the business world that has opted for environmentally friendly solutions in its architectural choices. We find projects involving the recovery and reuse of existing buildings, but also new constructions.
The Canadian firm L'Abri has built the Saltbox Passive House near Montreal. This family home has received LEED Platinum and PHIUS 2018+ certifications from the Passive House Institute US, becoming the third house in Quebec to obtain passive house certification.
We continue with the summer version of the best of Livegreenblog. At a time of relaxation like this, why not look at the architecture dedicated to schools and research institutes? In this case, we can range from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center by Neutelings Riiedijk Architects in Leiden to Karim Nader's renovated schools in Beirut, from the American excellence Kendeda Building to the two university institutes designed by Coldefy in France.
Throughout the year we have often talked about architecture for culture, from large museums to tiny art galleries, castles and cultural centres. The four projects we are presenting as the best of this first part of 2021 all have a common denominator: they are works created in the pre-existing environment.
“Il primo cerchio del paradiso”, or "The first circle of paradise”, is Norway’s contribution to the 2021 Architecture Exhibition in Venice, by Bjørnådal Arkitektstudio. The intrinsically sustainable installation is part of the "Time Space Existence” side event at Giardini Della Marinaressa, focusing on Norway’s cultural connections with Venice.
Japanese architect Yasuyuki Kitamura’s House in Minohshinmachi offers tangible proof that a house can be made beautiful and interesting even on a low budget, in a project that stands out for its formal beauty and ability to interact with its natural surroundings.
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