Blue Sky Home

Blue Sky Homes, the green building company whose prototype property was featured in Dwell magazine earlier this year, is set to commence its next project in January, with others in various stages of development. In addition, noted architects such as Linda Taalman & Alan Kochthe couple behind the famed, off-the-grid itHousehave begun using Blue Sky Homes revolutionary Blue Sky Frame (patent pending) as the foundation for their own designs. Taalman-Koch have two current projects using the Blue Sky Frame: the Clearlake itHouse and the itHouse Cabin, both under construction in California. More images and description after the break.

Blue Sky frame The reason the Blue Sky Frame is so attractive to clients and architects alike is twofold: echofriendliness and speed of building. SPEED: The frame is made of cold-formed, light-gauge, galvanized steel (as opposed to the traditionally used wood and/or structural steel). Unlike most prefab homes, all the steel elements (which are manufactured with up to 70% recycled metal) are factory-fabricated and shipped flat to the construction site, whereerector-set-liketheyre rapidly bolted together without expensive sitewelding or waste. The entire frame goes up on Day One without a dumpster in sight! The house is weatherproof and ready for interior work by Day Five, and construction is complete within six to eight weeks.

Clearlake itHouse GREEN: Each house in the Blue Sky Homes online catalog also comes with a multitude of ultra-green options. (An added green/speed bonus is that the Blue Sky Home is especially adept in steep or rugged terrain, with the entire house being able to sit on just a few steel columns, avoiding expensive, destructive, and time-consuming earth workand making any floor plan possible since no interior walls are load-bearing.)

itHouse Cabin Simply put, nothing is built faster, stronger, greener, more flexible, or more durable than a Blue Sky Home.

Prototype property

Blue Sky frame

Clearlake itHouse

itHouse Cabin Cite: Furuto , Alison . "Blue Sky Homes / Taalman Koch" 21 Dec 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 19 Nov 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/97650>

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2012 AIA Housing Awards for Architecture

Le Coeur / StudioGreenBlue

Bijlmer Park Theater / Paul de Ruiter 29 May 2009 Cultural Selected Works Paul de Ruiter The Netherlands Share on email Architect: Paul de Ruiter Location: Anton de Komplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands Project Architect: Paul de Ruiter Project Team: Willem Jan Landman, Dieter Blok Client: City of Amsterdam, Stadsdeel Zuidoost Construction Advisor: Arup bv Installations Advisor: Halmos bv Acoustic Advisor: DHV-Dorsser Blesgraaf Theater Advisor: Theateradvies bv Urban Design: Rein Geurtsen & Partners bv bureau voor stadsontwerp / mecanoo architecten bv Constructed Area: 1,953 sqm Project Year: 2005-2007 Construction year: 2007-2009 Photographs: Pieter Kers In 2004, Paul de Ruiter was invited to compete in the selection of the architect who would design a cultural building in the southeast district of the city of Amsterdam. This cultural building was to be a multifunctional building for four users; a circus (Circus Elleboog), a theatre (Krater Theater), the Youth Theatre School and the Theatre Workplace, all professional organisations in the field of talent development, cultural education, production and programming. On the basis of a presentation of his vision, including his proposal to work with a dynamic programme of requirements, Paul de Ruiters architectural bureau was selected by the city of Amsterdam, southeast district, to design the cultural building. ground floor plan DYNAMIC PROGRAM OF REQUIREMENTS

How can you ensure that a design process proceeds efficiently, decisively and harmoniously when time is limited, but at the same time you must take into account the divergent requirements and interests of four different users? Paul de Ruiter developed a dynamic programme of requirements a flexible design process with a plan that was not already drawn up in detail. To identify the specific wishes of all the users and integrate them into the design and to give the users a good idea of the architectural possibilities, several workshops were held during the design stage. During these workshops, plans were made with the users and the customer, and these were later reviewed at regular intervals. This finally yielded a design that satisfied the requirements of all the parties involved. WORKSHOPS The design process started with a study of the programme for the cultural building. Paul de Ruiters architectural bureau built various scale models that gave an indication of the different options for form and layout. With these models on the table, it was possible to hold brainstorming sessions during the workshops on what the building should look like and what functions it needed to fulfill. In view of the location of the cultural building in a park, a recognizable, pavilion-like building was chosen with a layout that could be adapted to the various requirements of the users. situation plan MEETING PLACE The site of the cultural building is specified in the urban development plan. The building is located in the heart of the Bijlmer neighbourhood at the edge of the Bijlmer park, beside the lake. It is public and accessible, and its position beside the water gives extra dynamism to this image due to the reflections in the water. To make it possible for performances to be held on the water as well, for example on large floating platforms, steps that can be used for seating have been placed at the waters edge. When no performances are scheduled, the steps function as a meeting place, where cultures, generations and artistic disciplines meet each other. DYNAMICS The cultural building consists of an ellipse shape, with the upper two floors slightly displaced in relation to the ground floor. This provides a covered entrance area located in a logical position in the urban development plans routing. The elliptical shape of the building did mean that it was necessary to search for a financially viable way of reproducing this rounded shape in the partially glass faade. The solution was found in a combination of wooden slats and vertical aluminum strips placed against the steel and glass sections of the facade. This means that the intersection points of the segmented faade are not visible and

the building has a rounded, dynamic and somewhat abstract appearance that changes continually as you walk around it. RECOGNIZABLE DESIGN During the day, the striking shape of the cultural building makes it clearly recognizable, while it is conspicuous in the evening because of its color, which can be altered to fit the occasion. This is made possible by the use of LED lighting. A line of light is fitted behind the steal faade in the faade, shining downwards. Because this light shines against the steel faade and the wooden slats, the building acquires an appearance of transparency, as if the light is coming from inside the building. The illumination of the building increases the level of safety and makes the cultural building clearly visible from the urban surroundings. DAYLIGHT One requirement that was specifically identified during the workshops was the need for daylight in the main auditorium. Lessons and rehearsals would take place here during the day, and a good level of daylight access is very important for the atmosphere and sense of orientation. In the theaters that were visited for the workshops, the users often commented on the lack of daylight, which although understandably kept out deliberately for performances, is still very desirable during the day. For this reason, a glass surround was created on the first floor all around the main auditorium. This solution not only allows a maximum capture of light, it also makes it possible for parents and others who may be interested to watch lessons and rehearsals unobtrusively. These windows can be darkened to keep out the light when performances are held. first floor plan section 04 FLEXIBILITY During the workshops, the most time, relatively speaking, was spent on identifying the users wishes in relation to the main auditorium. Circus Elleboog, for example, needed a space with a clear height of 7 meters for acrobatic, trapeze and juggling acts, while the preference of the other partners was for a theaterstyle auditorium. A solution was found by designing a rectangular auditorium with two ear-shaped appendages beside the performing area a circus/theater auditorium with between 162 and 277 seats. These two rounded areas on the long sides of the main auditorium make it possible to use this in a range of circus configurations and theater configurations, by making use of versatile wings and movable seating areas. MULTIFUNCTIONAL

In addition to the main auditorium, the cultural building has a spacious foyer, rehearsal rooms, three studios, storage rooms, dressing rooms, a sewing room, meeting facilities and offices. The building accommodates the four user groups in the dance class of the Amsterdam School of Arts. For all these users the three storeys are arranged. The main auditorium extends to the height of all three storeys and one of the studios is two storeys high. On the top storey, the bridges for the operation of lighting and set management are integrated into the concrete floor. This is a practical and inexpensive solution that makes the bridges safe and easily accessible. INSPIRATION The design process for the cultural building was full of creativity. This was not just due to the unusual approach, but was also and primarily a result of the way the workshops were organized. Each workshop was held in a different, unconventional theater, selected each time by one of the users. During a guided tour preceding the workshop, the architect, users and customers were able to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of that particular theater, and inspiration was gathered for the brainstorming session. This then took place on stage, and on more than one occasion, a performance was given to test the size, functionality and acoustics of the space. There was no question of meeting agendas and minutes; the idea was to give creativity free rein. At most, a list of points was put together at the end of the workshop to act as a basis for the following session. This was an extremely flexible, practically-oriented approach, which resulted in an attractive and multifunctional design. INTERACTION As a result of the ample admission of light and the flexible layout, the cultural building offers maximum scope for freedom and creativity. It radiates openness. The building therefore plays an important role in facilitating the development of talent, particularly in children and young people. The regular tenants (Circus Elleboog, the Youth theatre school, the theatre workplace and Krater Theatre) will work together in this building, creating an enormous level of synergy, a melting pot of cultures. A place for debates inspired by the diversity of the southeast district of the city of Amsterdam. To stimulate this interaction even further, the outer wall of the auditorium, most of which runs through the foyer, will be painted with blackboard paint, and chalks will be available everywhere. Visitors, particularly children, will then be free to leave their message, comment or greeting on the wall. The black outer wall of the auditorium also makes the layout of the theatre clear and facilitates the feeling of orientation. It is obvious that this is the dynamic heart of the cultural building. The Bijlmer Parktheatre is made possible with help from the EU. 1075011892_pieter-kers-bijlmer-park-theatre-11 1075011892_pieter-kersbijlmer-park-theatre-11 690827806_

Architects: SAKO Architects Location: Beijing, China Project Team: Keiichiro SAKO, Yoko FUJII, Hiroaki SAWAMURA, Jiye ZHANG Lighting Design: Masahide Kakudate Lighting Architect & Associates Site area: 17,949 sqm Building area: 103,218 sqm Project Year: 2006-2008 Photographs: Misae Hiromatsu

BUMPS in Beijing is an integrated project with four residences as well as a commercial building. The traditional residence buildings in China are oriented south and north. With the increase in the density of the buildings, the traditional method causes buildings too close to each other and the rooms facing to the north can hardly get sunshine.

situation plan

 Misae Hiromatsu BUMPS in Beijing is rotated by 45 degrees from the north-south axis. This design can provide optimum sunshine for each building and also can short cut the way to the central business areas from different directions.

 Misae Hiromatsu

Misae Hiromatsu

The residence buildings are 80 meters height. Every two floors are set as a unit. Every unit is staggered by 2 meters horizontally. Whole 80ms building is repetitions of these units. The setback areas are used for terraces. Interlaced black and white units highlight the concave-convex faade and show a clear lineament of the building. All the windows are 1 meter square. Randomly placed windows weaken the existence of all pillars and beams. Therefore, the appearance of the buildings look like stacked by lots of small black and white boxes together

Architects: KHR arkitekter AS Location: Jyllinge, Denmark Project year: 2001-2008 Client: Jyllinge Minighedsrd Constructed Area: 800 sqm

The church of the holy cross was conceived as part of the landscape around Jyllinge. With its glass faade facing the fjord and a fishing net dividing the space of the church, the design clearly takes the history of the place seriously.

A good place to build a church

The place has an emotional power with its spatial topography that seems to make time stand still and let thoughts follow the horizon of the landscape as the link between the earthly horizontal level and the boundless sky that encloses it all. This is a place with many layers far beyond what is physically present. A good place to build a church.

The body of the church was conceived as part of the landscape. From the outside, the volume of the building is experienced as two solid stones that form a composition with ecclesiastical overtones. A composition in which the emphasis is on the nave of the church with the choir in dialogue with the old church to the southeast.

Connecting with the fjord

With its dominating view of the exterior, the interior shape of the church is experienced as an extension of the landscape divided in two summing up the earthly and the heavenly. The body of the church can be further divided along the line light falls into the interior, using a transparent textile woven with a net structure. This helps when the nave of the church is extended in a northwesterly direction to end in the scenic amphitheatre structure that provides seating for outdoor events. The central aisle through the church extends out into the intimate scenic space formed naturally between church interior and the amphitheatre structure. This means the churchs ceremonial events can be extended out into the landscape in contact with the fjord and the sky above a range of elements that combine to create a clear identity for the church in this special place.