..... England ..... Meredith Bowles

Meredith Bowles, Cambridge, England : Glenn Murcutt Master Class 2003

[ private house : cambridgeshire : riba award ]

Black House, Cambridgeshire, England

The Black House sits overlooking the Fens in Cambridgeshire, with views to Ely Cathedral. The black corrugated cladding, ubiquitous in the area, refers to the working agricultural sheds and barns that dot the landscape. This is set against stained Danish softwood windows; external sunscreens above the large ground floor windows cut out overhead mid-afternoon sun in the summer. The plan is long and thin, with windows lining up at front and back to give rooms lit from both sides and a sense of the house being see-through. At the heart of the house on the ground floor is the kitchen/dining room; circulation on the ground floor takes place through this room. The building is a raised timber frame, held off the ground on brick stilts, keeping out water and aiding ventilation in the same way as the grain stores that provide the model.

The building was MOLE’s first realised building and was designed as a model for a low-energy house: embodying

a reduction in the use of fossil fuels, elimination of extensive use of high-energy production materials, an air to air heat pump heating system that offers an alternative to fossil fuel, high low-energy lighting percentage, recycled materials, locally or European sourced products.

Among several awards, the building was awarded the RIBA Manser Medal for Best House of the Year in the UK.

The Black House has been included in the new edition of Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England.

Meredith Bowles, Mole Architects -

http://www.molearchitects.co.uk

www.ozetecture.org

Lindsay Johnston6 June 2016

Juan Carlos Eugene Soler : Glenn Murcutt Master Class 2001

54th Central Glass International Design Competition, Tokyo, Japan

‘Architecture That Generates New Sakariba’ - 2019

The Japanese ‘Central Glass International Design Competitions’ have been run each year since 1966. The 2019 competition attracted 188 international entries. Seven were shortlisted and Eugene’s entry was placed second.

[ theoretical proposition, metaphor, solar energy, technology, sustainability, community ]

‘MOON LANDING’

It is in our deepest primal instinct as social beings that people gather in a communal place that gives us a sense of culture and belonging. We gather around the warmth and wonder of campfire under the stars and share memories and stories. Or by day, under the cool shade of a tree- a natural place to meet a lover or exchange knowledge. Such place that delivers these conditions perhaps is the genesis of ‘Sakariba’.

The proposal is a massive balloon structure that can create and harness energy from the Sun whilst defining space underneath its volume, where people of all ages can gather to meet, play or ‘hangout’. The ‘Moon Landing’ hopes to create a central place for gathering where business and commerce are encouraged and generate ‘Sakariba’.

On a hot summer or rainy day, people can gather under its shade. On a cloudy day, the balloon structure can rise above the clouds where it can efficiently harness energy from the Sun. At night, it becomes a light source and a signal to attract people and when it descends it creates a space where people can gather around its warm glow. The ‘Moon Landing’ has all these features at the same time providing sustainable energy to its local community.

This idea is not science fiction but actually a very feasible means of efficiently combining what is currently being developed in balloon technology, sustainability, science and art. What is new is the realignment of technology to create a more poetic and meaningful purpose to reinvigoration local culture, religion, myths and stories, which is appropriate when it needs to be integrated in local communities. Especially to the 25% of the world’s population which has no or lack access to electricity. Such space offers a wonderful chance for the community to be activated, bring people together and encourage businesses and various activities.

By combining a strong metaphor with technology and sustainability- the proposal hopes to address not only the community’s basic needs but also hopes to give a deep importance and meaning in local culture and tradition to bring people together and organically for business growth and generate a ‘New Sakariba’

Moreover, in a world where we have Internet connection but seem to be ‘disconnected’- the ‘Moon Landing’ can be a benefit to existing ‘Sakariba’ not only to reduce the abundant energy we are drowning in, but also to remind us to look up and realize our place in the Universe and encourage real connection with each other.

Architect : Eugene Soler

Awards : 54th Central Glass International Design Competition _ Second Place

Web site : http://www.ateliersoler.com

OZ.E.TECTURE

architects thinking locally acting globally

www.ozetecture.org