Let’s End The Day With City of God

Goodnight :*

Masdar Development | Foster & Partners

The city of Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates will soon get an astonishing add-on designed by Foster & Partners – an eco-town/district called Masdar. The Masdar Initiative is ”a global cooperative platform for open engagement in the search for solutions to some of mankind’s most pressing issues: energy security, climate change and truly sustainable human development.” The city itself will be formed inside of a 6x6km2 square-shaped floor plan and will provide homes for some 50.000 people. The city will be zero-waste, zero-carbon and car-free.

– cooling: concentrated solar power

– electricity: photovoltaic (solar) panels

– water: solar-powered desalination plant

Carabanchel Housing | Foreign Office Architects

This residential building in Madrid was finished in 2007. It was designed by Foreign Office whose aim was to give every apartment 2 different views: one to the East and the other to the West. What they did was, they connected both of the facades with apartments by making every unit narrow. Now all of the residential units are opened to two different gardens. The glass facade is surrounded by external corridors that are covered with a second facade – bamboo panels. Made out of bamboo it provides the inhabitants with enough shade and they are able to move the panels as they please.

/for more photos, plans, sections and details click here. (scroll down)

(via: TreeHugger & noticias arquitectura)

Good Quotes: Lao Tzu

”Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

Casa OS | FRPO

Casa OS was built in 2005 by FRPO on a stunning location near Santander in the village of Loredo. The owners carefully picked the village they wanted their house to stand in, and I have to say they have excellent taste. They came from the heart of the Iberic peninsula so their priority was finding a spot with a lot of sun, lots of waves and possibly surrounded by woods. Situated on a clifftop, the house is overlooking the Atlantic ocean from about 30m of height. The architects had to deal with a wind problem, which led them to the idea of implementing small atriums inbetween the rooms as well as digging out what is now a well protected backyard. What is more, the house blends well with the environment being as low as it is and having a green roof. The lucky family lives about 30min of walking to one of my favourite beaches, Playa de Langre. Somebody sneaked in my bedroom while I was asleep a couple of years ago, screwed the dream chip out of my head and gave it to a bunch of architects. True story.

/more photos, plans and details here. (scroll down)