Relation, An Installation by Makoto Tanijiri, at Beams B-Gallery, Tokyo

Makoto Tanijiri created an installation consisting of a model perspective of a Japanese city and drawings.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo ULGC

Called Relation, the installation explores the relation between buildings and people, building and building, nature and city, and so on. Beside the concept of relation, what is shown is an architecture without gravity.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

A floating architecture.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

I am particularly impressed with Tanijiri's installation. The Japanese city is made of isolated elements — small-scaled residences, medium-scaled appartments, high-rise buildings, narrow streets, roads, retails, commersidence, department stores, etc. The idea of scale is very characteristics in Japanese cities where the smaller alongside the higher, the bigger, where the bigger protects, a bit like an 'envelope', the smaller… while threatening its existence.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

Hence the paradox of Japanese cities. Hence, again, the lack of unity, the lack of arrangement. However, at first glance. In fact, one will see a hidden relation between these urban elements created by people. The way people occupy and use a space, a building creates a relation between each urban element, and cities and people. You need to live and observe deeply to understand how these elements are articulated, and you will detect this relation. It is hidden but it exists. There is a coexistence between these elements. Not that there is a pattern of unity but these isolated elements then implanted on ground create a relation with one another.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

A recent trend in Japanese city design seeks for reconstructing cities as place for residing, cities made of patterns of assembly, or, easier: cities that connect all these isolated layers so that a community will emerge. Doing this, Japanese cities will be more  livable, more confortable, more accessible, deeply linked with green areas, according to Japanese architects. This is how I understood Makoto Tanijiri's installation: a desire of rethinking deeply cities, of redesigning cities for their residents who live in.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

Another aspect is the impact of the 3.11 events on young architects. This seek for rethinking cities more adapted to their residents will not avoid the question of the place of risk in cities. Quality management will consequently play more and more an important role in city planning. It will be so if it is related to risks, if it uses risk as an instrument, as a problem-solving mechanism, as innovation. And this idea of floating city, or a city that does with risks will be possible with and only with a realistic city planning.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

Here are the challenges emerging from Makoto Tanijiri's installation that are posed to Japanese cities.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

This will lead to improve the relation between cities and risk, say: cities and natural disasters. Improving risk as an instrument of innovation will provide Japanese cities keys to resist much more risks.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

It seems after a long observation that Tanijiri's installation highlights this seek for a city much more resilient, much more confortable, livable: an habitat city that integrates risks as a catalyser for new ideas in city design.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

Yet, this supposes that Japanese cities are bound to be perpetually in search for problem-solving mechanisms and innovation for self-adapting to risks, including naturally other issues such as climate change, and of course self-repairing.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

The installation can be seen at Beams B-Gallery, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan until November 13.

Relation, an installation by Makoto Tanijiri. Photo © ULGC

In the podcast below, unfortunately available only in Japanese, I asked Makoto Tanijiri to explain in one word the main idea of his installation.



Credit: ULGC

Who's he?
Makoto Tanijiri is based in Hiroshima and in Tokyo. He founded Suppose Design Office in 2000. Makoto Tanijiri thinks that it is important to keep looking for something new as an architect. He defined his work as a chance to realize fresh ideas about buildings and relationships of all interactive elements. It is a pleasure for Makoto Tanijiri to detect new potential of architecture. The possibility could be recognized only in a situation facing to himself with mind of equivalency to all buildings in different scale and cost, such as a dog houses and skyscrapers.
The architect sometimes feels that society is dismissive of accepting modern ideas, and that is why, he wants to explore something new but also familiar to human life.
For example, people would appreciate an apple just falling off a tree more the one in pink or purple, which is never seen beore.
Tanijiri believes that he could find the answer in daily life with having fresh eyes judging from diffrent perspectives.
The architect never doubt that a reason people always want "new" is because they have a strong desire of making better environment without being satisfied the present condition.
With the aspiration to enhance the human environment, Makoto Tanijiri is contributing "new architectue" in seeking its answers to ordinary life.


All credits: images and podcasts © ULGC

Opinion: Ideas for recombining cities…? towards a more collaborative approach to re-engineer cities

Last week I tweeted and facebooked, not mentioned googled+, a series of texts and research by or on Rachel Armstrong. I therefore posted one or two videos of her conferences in order share Rachel Armstrong's research on which potential biology can bring to building materiality, literally. In few words: problem-addressing building materials that will help face these challenging issues and recombine urban and non-urban areas.

Carpal Skin © Neri Oxman. Photo: Mikey Siegel
> A prototype for a protective glove to protect against Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a medical condition in
which the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to numbness, muscle atrophy,
and weekness in the hand. Night-time wrist splinting is the recommended treatment for most patients before foing
into carpal tunnel release surgery. Carpal Skin is a provess by which to map the pain-profile of a particular patient
— its intensity and duration — and to distribute hard and soft materials to fit the patient's anatomical
and physiological requirements, limiting movement in a customized fashion.
The form-generation process is inspired by animal coating patterns in
the control of stiffness variation.

Rachel Armstrong calls for a cross-disciplinary, a dynamic collaboration between sciences and architecture/engineering/urban design to identify and building new materials that will help cities and countrysides over the next 50 years. Shifting into compact and polycentric cities is a good strategy but not the only sustainable form of development in the sense that making cities compact and polycentric will not be enough as combining urban environment and green areas this will not be enough. A long-term reflection is needed that will reconsider our way of rethinking and designing cities.
Needless to say contemporary materials and construction techniques are obsolete. Consequently, innovation and problem-addressing mechanisms are urgently needed. In this context, we must "outgrow architecture made of innert materials and (…) make architecture that grows itself." Namely we need to update building materials that will allow for self-repairing and sequestering carbon. But not only. Going beyond the simple idea of sequestering CO2 emission will provide key to self-repairing hazards and contamination in some areas. I will not enumerate these areas but you have famous examples in mind.
However this may be possible if and only if we associate all the task forces we have from architecture to biology. And as for all research, this has a cost, very high. This is why I agree with this: "real budgets are needed for open research and development" so that we will be able to implement measures and tactics to design evolvable cities. In few words, a more cross-disciplinary, collaborative approach of innovation coupled with real investment on research will open new doors to re-engineer cities. In this context, without a serious implication of manufactures that invest in time, forces and finance, recombining urban and non-urban areas will be impossible.

Fatemaps — Sculpture, 2006 © Neri Oxman. Museum of Science, Boston
> The physical features of natural tissues express the distribution and magnitude of the forces that
have brought them about. These forces embody the complex relations between physical matter in its given
environment and denote its multi-dimensional force field. The work explores the notion of material organization as it is informed by structural load and environmental conditions. Natural micro-structural 2-D tissues are visualized,
analyzed and reconstructed into 3-D macro-scale prototypes by computing hypothetical physical responses. An object-oriented finite element application is used to determine material behavior according to assigned properties and performance such as stress, strain, heat flow, stored energy and deformation due to
applied loads and temperature differences. The interaction between the directional morphology of the specimen and
the tensor direction produce physical effects that emphasize the tissues's spatial texture in different ways.
The resulting model is six dimensional and includes 2-D information (X, Y), out of plane deformation (Y),
elastic stress (S), strain (S) and temperature flux (T). The tissue is then reconstructed using a CNC mill nd metal/steel
wood composites. Anisotropic in nature, grain directionality and layering are informed by the analysis resulting in
laminated structural composites which respond to given ranges of energy and loading conditions.
Beyond promoting a new sensibility to material formation, tissue engineering in construction scales may facilitate
the emergence of a new materialism in architecture and design.

Technology "will […] transform our daily urban existence in a myriad number of small ways", as Philip Sheldrake, director of Intellect, which represents the UK technology industry. Yet limited to technology as the only instrument will not provide the best solutions, except if we want to live in "gadget" cities with all these technologies available to the luckiest among us. Hence, I cannot stop repeating, the importance of science over technology that may provide a better integration of technology in urban and non-urban areas, as Rahul Mehrotra said last year in a conference titled "Anticipate?" organised by GSD Harvard/Ecological Urbanism during the 2010 Venice Biennale. Technology is, as Rahul Mehrotra argued, an instrument within science to facilitate" the shift into ecologically-friendly cities. It is of course one among many instruments.
As known, science offers larger possibilities to architecture, engineering and urban design, as Hilary Sample showed in her essay titled BioMed City. Let me quote an example that offers a better understanding of the potential of this collaborative approach can bring: the idea of using science to create smart surfaces "that could perform a number of dual purposes such as trapping CO2, or act as an environmental warning indicator by changing colour if exposed to dangerous levels of toxins."Of course, once again Synthetic biology applications for the built environment is an example, among others. And we are in the beginning of a new era of research that will allow for a better adaptability to challenging issues.

This is why we should pose this crucial question, that I borrow to the same Mehrotra: how to organize sciences" "how to make sciences part of this discussion of sustainable cities" which, to a very large extent, will modify the borders of architecture, engineering and urban design.

Yet many of you will say — and I will agree — that success of collaboration of sciences and architecture/engineering/city design is unpredictable. This could even lead to a failure. Many scientists are sceptic to open scientific fields to other fields, to go to a collaborative approach of sciences. Whatever or not, using the only capacity of architecture/engineering/urban design will be rapidly limited and a cross-disciplinary approach, I repeat, is necessary if not urgent to overhaul obsolete materials and construction techniques, and in a larger scale, systems. Namely expanded architecture/engineering/urban design is no more adapted to re-engineer cities.

I like quoting Steven Johnson's Adjacent possible. What is it about?

The Adjacent possible is a kind of shadow future, hovering on the edges of the present state of things, a map of all the ways in which the present can reinvent itself.

Adjacent possible, as many specialists notice, is highly scalable and flexible, such as space. It is part of human progress. It allows failure; better: it uses failure as a catalyser. Adjacent possible is capable of adapting and responsive to constraints. In my view point we need to integrate this concept of Adjacent possible as tactical tool that will allow for a better adaptation, scalability of urban and non-urban space.

As can be seen, the path to a sustainable city is far to be tomorrow. We need to implement a serious strategy that will combine all the fields, all the disciplines to reconsider each part of the process: from design to building including reconsidering building materials and construction techniques.

Today's video: Low Carbon Europe

A project directed by AMO and WWF, titled Roadmap 2050 for the European Climate Foundation. It is not necessary to present the project since I have already mentioned it last year. But, a video helps to remind the guidelines of this project, as follows:

Today's video: Ecological Urbanism Anticipate? Part III

The Ecological Urbanism Anticipate? Part III gathers Peter Carl, Michael Sorkin and Stefano Boeri.


Credit: Ecological Urbanism

Today's video: Ecological Urbanism Anticipate? Part IV

I continue with Ecological Urbanism's conference at The 2010 Venice Biennale, with, this time, Anticipate? Part IV which gathers Olafur Eliasson, Mohsen Mostafavi, Michael Sorkin and Rem Koolhaas.


Credit: Ecological Urbanism

Xiamen Low-Carbon New-Town Development

A project I just found on Nikkei website, a newspaper on finance and economy, the Xiamen Low-Carbon New-Town Development. What is it about? Xiamen is located across the water facing Taiwan in China's Fujian Province.

The purpose of this project is to gear up in the city thanks to the strong resolve of the Chinese government, according to Nikkei newspaper.

Taiwan can be seen from Xiamen New-Town. Originally appeared on Nikkei

The center of the city estimates a population reaching 3.53 million. To respond to a population growth, the city needs resources including spaces. Hence an expansion from Xiamen Island to the mainland, called 'xincheng' (Chinese), or new-town that will be the engine of the "low-carbon city" project.

The project will consist of the reduction of the share of secondary industries in its economy which is estimated at 50%, and the increase of the share of tertiary industries such as finance, goods distribution, and leisure.  The city will also target bio-industries and LED industries.

Bus Rapid Transit system is already used and a monorail construction is scheduled. Another aspect of this project is the separation and collection of household waste and the promotion of recycling.

Model of the Xiamen Low-Carbon Project. Originally appeared on Nikkei

Some Japanese firms take part to the program such as Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) by sponsoring the Xiamen Low-Carbon City Consruction and Development Japan-Chinese Exchange in Xiamen in Mid-July.

More here (in Japanese)

Today's video: Ecological Urbanism Anticipate?

Ecological Urbanism just posted this video titled Anticipate? they recorded in 2010 in the framework of the Venice Biennale. This part gathers François Roche (R & Sie(n)), Farshid Moussavi and Olafur Eliasson.

Today's video: Saving Venice with Living Architecture. A conversation with Rachel Armstrong

An old video but with the recent Bangkok flooding event, it is interesting to hear architects sharing their vision on climate change. Here is once again Rachel Armstrong who was interviewed by Fora Tv: Forward Thinking. The title is Saving Venice with Living Architecture. This video was recorded in 2010.


Credit: Fora TV

Steven Holl Architects just started Campbell Sports Center Columbia University construction

Steven Holl Architects announced last week that the construction of Campbell Sports Center at Columbia University just started. This new 48,000-square-feet building, implanted on a sloping site on the corner of West 218th street and Broadway, is announced to be sustainable as well as an inventing new gateway to the Baker Athletics Complex, the primary athletics facility for the University's outdoor sports program.

Campbell Sports Center, Columbia University © Steven Holl Architects

This five-story center will host strength training spaces, offices, lounges, study rooms, and an auditorium.

Campbell Sports Center, Columbia University © Steven Holl Architects

Programs and site will play an important role in the building design and process. Not only the articulation of the levels but also the design concept will be based on, as Steven Holl says, "points on the ground, lines in space" such as field play diagrams used in football, soccer and baseball.

Sketch © Steven Holl Architects

Each floor will have one or several functions: hospitality suite, student - athlete meeting room, student - athlete lounge and study room, football and varsity suites - strength & conditioning.

Campbell Sports Center, Columbia University © Steven Holl Architects

Communication between floors will play a very important role. Two types of staircases will serve as connectors to link these programs: internal and external staircases. Based on field play diagrams used for football, soccer, baseball, internal staircases will give access to the levels.

Model © Steven Holl Architects

These levels can also be reached via external staircases branched on the surface of the external walls as the models show above and below.

Model © Steven Holl Architects

Rooftop will be accessible via these external staircases; terraces will offer users spectacular views of the surrounding: the Baker Athletics Complex and Manhattan with the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings.

Site © Steven Holl Architects

Based on the idea of push and pull in space, a part of the building will be on pilotis creating an external open space easily accessible, via terraced staircases, to facilitate circulation outside the building. If I refer to the model, this open space will act as a courtyard.
The building will be made up of exposed concrete, steel and marine aluminum. The choice for marine aluminum can be explained by its capacity of being low in maintenance yet high in strength. The building will be clad with rain screen to allow for a better control of interior spaces' temperature throughout all seasons. This will be possible by reducing moisture infiltration during the wetter seasons. Curtain walls will provide natural light, one of Steven Holl's specificity, within the building. This technique uses light and cheap materials, namely glass and steel. It is announced to be an innovative technique.

The building construction is scheduled to be completed in fall 2012.

Today's video: Rem Koolhaas's interview

An interview of Rem Koolhaas posted on October 19, 2011 that I would like to share: http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11954
By the way, I am working on an interview with Rachel Armstrong that would (one never knows) be posted soon. It would inaugurate a new series called 'What in Architecture', sort of series of interviews project on which I am working.

Today's project: Urbaneering Brooklyn 2110 — City of the Future by Terreform

Here is a project that some of you may know Urbaneering Brooklyn 2110 — City of the Future designed by Terreform1.

Urbaneering Brooklyn 2011 Web © Terreform1

Terreform1 explains this project as follows:
Our primary assertion for Brooklyn 2110 is that all necessities are provided inside its accessible physical borders.

Urbaneering Brooklyn 2011 Model © Terreform1

We have designed an intensified version of Brooklyn that supplies all vital needs for its population. In this city, food, water, air, energy, waste, mobility, and shelter are radically restructured to support life in every form.

Urbaneering Brooklyn Water Bridge © Terreform1

The strategy includes the replacement of dilapidated structures with vertical agriculture and housing merged with infrastructure. Former streets becomes snaking arteries of livable spaces embedded with: renewable energy sources, soft cusion based vehicles for mobility, and productive green rooms.

Urbaneering Brooklyn Water © Terreform1

The plan uses the former street grid as the foundation for new networks. By reengineering the obsolete streets, we can install radically robust and ecologically active pathways. These operations are not just about a comprehensive model of tomorrow's city, but an initial platform for discourse.

Urbaneering Brooklyn 2110 — Plan © Terreform1

We think the future will necessitate marvelous dwellings coupled with a massive cyclical resource net. The future will happen, how we get there is dependent upon our planned preparation and egalitarian feedback.

Brooklyn Navy Yards model © Terreform1

Project fact
Project: Urbaneering Brooklyn 2011 — City of the Future
Project teams: Mitchell Joachim, Maria Aiolova, Melanie Fessem, Dan O'Connor, Celina Yee, Alpna Gupta, Sishir Varghese, Aaron Lim, Greg Mulholland, Derek Ziemer, Thilani Rajarathna, John Nelson, Natalie DeLuca
Courtesy © Terreform1

Today's Infographics: Cities and Climate Change

Today's infographics: Cities and Climate Change?

To reduce carbon emissions cities need to take action across the many interthinking systems that make up a city, both the parts that can be the below the ground infrastructure. Here are just some of the initiative being taken by 40 of the wordl's megacities that make ip the C40 Cities Group: Collectively home to 29 million people, and responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

© Arup

The infographics is also available in high resolution in PDF format.

Today's video: Mohsen Mostafavi, Ecological Urbanism, and texts suggestions: Rachel Armstrong

A video that was added this July by The Harvard GSD on Mohsen Mostafavi, Ecological Urbanism at the 2010 Venice Biennale. While I am working on a project on Japanese cities, this video comes in the good moment. We need to re-think how we address the city, how we reconceptualize the city by associating city planning, architecture, and ecology. We need to reconsider various keys like ethics, aesthetics, sensibilities of the cities.

Credit: The Harvard GSD

However I would like to invite you to read some texts that Rachel Armstrong recently posted. I only include one or two. These texts are by her and on her. The first one is a Letter Rachel Armstrong sent to Arup, namely a response to 'Under Imagined Future of Transport' posted by Susan Claris. The one is an article on her research posted by George Webster, for CNN titled "'Living' buildings could inhale city carbon emissions", two among many others.
I warmly encourage you to read these texts to complete your interest, if not research, on the future of cities.

News: Federico Soriano Pelaez awarded third in The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition

We finished the announcement of the winners of The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition with Federico Soriano Pelaez, an architect from Spain. Unfortunately, we do not have any information on his design proposal. Consequently we will post some renderings.

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal
© Federico Soriano Pelaez

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal
© Federico Soriano Pelaez

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal
© Federico Soriano Pelaez

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal
© Federico Soriano Pelaez

News: Kengo Kuma awarded second in The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition

As previously announced, Peter Boronski and Jean-Loup Baldacci was just awarded the first place of The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition. Kengo Kuma awarded second for his design proposal titled Green Cell, a proposal that explores the concept of "in-between space":

This is a New Museum Tower with "Green Cell" as a symbol of Yingge and New Taipei City.

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal —
Green Cell © Kengo Kuma

The Conceptual design propsoes a new technology as double-layer mesh like "Cell".
It makes in-between space which can be used by structure and any strategies for green building.

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design Intrnational Competition Design Proposal —
Green Cell © Kengo Kuma

Green Cell makes amount of vertical green units, and can be used as LED screen, ETFE, natural ventilation for new generation of green buildings.

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal —
Green Cell © Kengo Kuma

It also provides a chance to re-generate Yingge as a self-healing organism with Green Cells.

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal —
Green Cell © Kengo Kuma

Peter Boronski and Jean-Loup Baldacci winners of The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition

New-Zealand-born Peter Boronski and France-born Jean-Loup Baldacci just won The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition.
Jury members were Norihiko Dan, Julien De Smedt, Peter Cook, Gene Kwang-Yu King, Sheng-yan Huang, Chung-Twn Kuo.

The New Tapei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition © Peter Boronski and
Jean-Loup Baldacci

Their proposal can be explained as follows:

This is a soft and porous construction that lies somewhere between building and museum spaces are positioned among each other. Ground and object are disassociated. This is a place to dream…

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal
© Peter Boronski and Jean-Loup Baldacci

It is completely accessible for people to walk and even ride bicycles all over. The public can easily 'take possession' of this building, even just to come and sit on the grass, enjoy the view and picnic on these huge pieces of 'ground' floating in the sky. But through various openings and glazed apertures the interiors beckon…

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal
© Peter Boronski and Jean-Loup Baldacci

This is not a museum as singular object but rather a a field of overlapping volumes, surfaces that form compressing and expanding interior and exterior spaces, a quasi-urban "field" to wander on. It is more a "stream" of consciousness to dive into than a building as signature object.
It sweeps up out of the ground in a dis-array of fluid elements, curving and crossing like the waters of the converging Yingge & Dahan rivers below.

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal
© Peter Boronski and Jean-Loup Baldacci

These elements are containers that struggle to contain, as they themselves slip, bulge and emerge.
Like the paths that roam over this building these elements lead away from the idea of 'object' and its correlative sanctifying, towards fields of multiple associations that are anticipative of the necessity of change. They lead to a pliable and porous organism that promotes multiple & alternative forms of thought.

The New Taipei City Museum of Arts Conceptual Design International Competition Design Proposal ©
Peter Boronski and Jean-Loup Baldacci

Together they form a place to nurture and experience the convergence and re-positioning of the endless stream of ideas and passion that is art.

Kengo Kuma is announced to be second and Frederico Soriano Pelaez third.

News: Farshid Moussavi Architecture to design Housing for Les Jardins de l'Arche, La Defense, Paris, France

Farshid Moussavi Architecture just announced to have won Housing for Les Jardins de l'Arche Competition.

Housing for Les Jardins de l'Arche, La Défense, France © Farshid Moussavi Architecture

The 11,430 square-meter building design explores various questions such as the articulation of programms — shops, residencial units and student accommodations—, site conditions, to quote but a few. The ground floor will host shops. The three first floors will be dedicated to student accommodations; and the residential units will occupy the other floors, that is: 7,500 square-meter of residential units, 2,930 square-meter of student accommodation and 1,000 square-meter of retail space.

Housing for Les Jardins de l'Arche © Farshid Moussavi Architecture

The building will be implanted in Les Jardins de l'Arche site, a site situated near La Defense in the East, les Groues and le Faubourg de l'Arche in the North, le Parc André Malraux in the South, les Terrasses that links the area to the Seine river in the West.

Les Jardins de L'Arche Site. Rendering originally appeared on La Defense Seine Arche.
The îlot 19 (or Block no 19) will be occupied by Farshid Moussavi Architecture's
Housing.

It is part of a large urban renewal project that include La Defense and Les Terrasses de Nanterre as well as the new Arena Stadium and a Hotel.

Housing for Les Jardins de l'Arche © Farshid Moussavi Architecture

Another aspect of this project is the building on its own, say, its design. Floors, all rectangular in form, will be each slightly rotated by two degrees from the one below.

Housing for Les Jardins de l'Arche © Farshid Moussavi Architecture

This strategy, indeed, will facilitate the integration of balconies so that residents will profit from the spectacular external views. The balconies aside, this strategy allows for natural light in some parts and shade in other parts.

Housing for Les Jardins de l'Arche © Farshid Moussavi Architecture

A question that poses this building design concerns the programmatic articulation that is treated vertically, such as layers.

Housing for Les Jardins de l'Arche © Farshid Moussavi Architecture

Conceived first for the residents, each program coexists easily with the other one. Hence the rotation of the floors?

Housing for Les Jardins de l'Arche © Farshid Moussavi Architecture

The construction is announced to be completed by 2014