Complexity (the video)

Last month we featured our lecture about complexity and contemporary typologies in architecture and urbanism. This lecture is an approach to conceptualize the experience of working in Asia for the past ten years has been filmed by Archizoom in Lausanne.

The lecture was focussing on the aspect how to translate the idea of contemporary (commercial) typologies into a proactive architectural and theoretical discourse about urbanism and architecture itself, and how it can help to improve the city in terms of density, programming and space:

There are more interesting lectures from the EPFL, organized by Archizoom under the following link:

http://ditwww.epfl.ch/cgi-perl/EPFLTV/home.pl?page=video&lang=2&id=690

Team: Ulrich Kirchhoff

© 2009, ice - ideas for contemporary environments

Learning from Switzerland

We invited some close friends and collaborators on a Friday evening to discuss strategies on how to improve the construction industry in Asia through universal and integrated team structures. Our starting point of discussion was a case study presentation of swiss architecture (including the Rolex Learning Centre by SANAA and the Evolver by ALICE Studio). Other than most places in Asia, Switzerland practices integrated construction with a team structure, that integrates all disciplines under one contract (with mainly the architect, holding the lead contract). The advantages are obviously better quality control and more willingness to experiment with structures and materiality. To achieve similar results in an environment of disintegrated contracts, the higher quality relies on the effort and willingness of all consultants together. Our efforts go into creating a leaner and more flexible network, covering all stages from the very beginning to the very end of a project.

Team: Ulrich Kirchhoff, Louise Low, Tim Mao Yiqing

Guests: Virgil Bertrand (Photographer), Nicola Borg-Pisani (Architect), Julian Bott (Environmental Engineer), Roberto Davolio (Cladding Consultant), Fu Kwan (Facade Contractor), John Harkins (Engineer), Davina Lee (Curator), Abdul Yeung (Architect)

© 2010, ice - ideas for contemporary environments

Back to EPFL

After having taught a Masters Studio in Lausanne last Winter Term, I am very excited to go back to Switzerland in March. Giving two lectures about contemporary typologies in architecture, one at the ETH Zurich and the other one at the EPFL Lausanne, I am also looking forward to visiting the completed Rolex Learning Center by SANAA (and maybe I will be lucky to give the lecture there).

The subject of the Masters Studio was: Sustainability and Density - Contemporary Typologies in Architecture. The design project was putting emphasis on dealing with complexity: The project was a high density mixed use development in Hanoi. The complexity was not only related to the amount of program but also the climatic difference and the completely new social and cultural environment - a tough but fruitful journey for the students...

The research has been focussing on two main aspects: How density will affect typologies and their transformation in such a compact spatial scenario. And about low-tech spatial strategies for sustainability.

The purpose of this studio is to bring back a more expansive view of Architecture, to refocus energy into the larger context of living, especially in the understanding of how others live and use spaces. To simultaneously create and be created by the forces of the context, architecture is no longer an object, but also a subject in the larger scheme of things. We want to design buildings, that are not just form, but perform.

With the building boom particularily in the emerging markets, there has been a run for high density mixed-use developments. Unable to bridge the scalar gap to the existing context, we have seen a lot of brilliant solutions of self referential projects, but the overall built environment is increasingly mismanaged: Ignorant to the environment, program and climatic parameters, high density developments pose quite often severe challenges to the city, such as canyon and heat island effect, social segregation, and economic pressure. With such development pressure of iconic high density structures, architecture is produced as an object of desire, rather than a space to be inhabited and used.

Team: Ulrich Kirchhoff, Louise Low

Students: Gedeon Abebe, Esteban Becerril Pellon, Olivier Genetelli, Pablo Gironda, Riccardo Grattacaso, Marta Lopez de Aisain Gamazo, Romain Lorenceau, Marta Lozano, Mansour Noverraz, Adrien Renoult, Julie Riedo, Erika Tillberg, Toru Wada