AtThe Architects Newspaper, were plain addicted to Instagram. Sure, we love seeing Brutalist concrete through Inkwell or Ludwig filters, but theres also no better place to see where architects are getting their inspiration, how theyre documenting the built environment, andwhere theyve traveled of late.

Below, we bring you some of the best Instagrams of this past week! (Also, dont forget to check out our Instagram accounthere.)

OMAs European Instagram account teased its nearly-complete Lab City at the UniversitParis-Saclaysee their account for more pictures.

Were not sure if this is ArandaLaschs drone or not, but either way, the firm was there to capture this flying machine drift toward the sunset.

Its what it wanted.

A post shared by ArandaLasch, NYC & Tucson (@arandalasch) on Aug 23, 2017 at 4:49am PDT

We missed this last week, but T+E+A+M teased its project (#ghostbox?) for the upcoming Chicago Architecture Biennial.

3XN revealed this design for a childrens hospital that will feature both solar panels and vegetation on its roof, along with what appears to be some very colorful cladding.

Last but not least, Cooper Robertson gave The Architects Newspaper a nice shout-out for our coverage of their Las Vegas streetscape design (thank you!). Read how this project is part of the citys big gamble on sports, conventions, and leisure.

More:
Flying a drone at the Salk Institute and other updates from the architects of Instagram - The Architect's Newspaper

TNA the tokyo-based firm led by makoto takei and chie nabeshima is the latest architecture studio to reveal plans for a residence to be built in the spanish region of matarraa. following in the footsteps of office KGDVS, pezo von ellrichshausen, and johnston marklee, the scheme forms part of christian bourdais solo houses project and initiative that asks a new wave of architecture practices to populate the remote spanish landscape with small resort-style dwellings.

all images courtesy of makoto takei + chie nabeshima / TNA

makoto takei and chie nabeshimas design for solo houses appears as an upside down concrete pyramid that has been partially sunken into the rural terrain. large apertures provide the home with daylight and ventilation, while internal living spaces are organized around a series of mezzanines or platforms, set at different heights. as the property is embedded into the sloping topography, guests enter at the dwellings intermediate storey an elevated platform that overlooks the dining area below.

an elevated platform overlooks the dining area below

at this lower level, a large window overlooks the surrounding forest, while a passageway provides access to the adjacent kitchen and pantry. another staircases leads to a separate mezzanine, which hosts a living room that also overlooks the level below. three bedrooms are joined by a lounge at the larger uppermost storey, with all four rooms sharing a direct connection with a centrally positioned swimming pool. see other designs unveiled as part of the solo houses initiative here.

the design appears as an upside down concrete pyramid image sadao hotta

large windows would overlook the surrounding forest image sadao hotta

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philip stevens I designboom

aug 25, 2017

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makoto takei + chie nabeshima unveil an inverted pyramidal structure to be built in rural spain - Designboom

When Karen Clark ventures down to one of the three basements of the Logan Library, she always makes sure someone knows where she is. She fears falling down the old concrete stairs and waiting days for someone to find her.

Clark, the library director, heads below on a daily basis to check on the decades-old mechanical equipment that keeps the library running. If the green lights are flashing, thats a good sign.

You have to come down and make sure that everything is working, that youre getting heating and cooling, she said.

She makes sure no alarms are going off and crouches under air ducts to make sure there isnt flooding. On Thursday, a small pool of water had formed next to a sump pump. She said water had seeped in from the irrigation system.

I just have to watch; usually this water dries up, but it takes a while, Clark said.

The flooding hasnt been too bad since they installed the two sump pumps, but at its worst Clark, a 20-year Logan Library veteran, said the water has gone just above her ankles.

Youll notice that everything is up on pallets because the basement floods, Clark said. A lot.

The majority of this particular basement is filled with cardboard boxes containing the Everton Collection. According to a 2005 Herald Journal article, its one of the largest genealogical collections in the country, with 82,000 pieces from different states and foreign countries.

The two other basements are completely disconnected and accessible from opposite ends of the building. They are smaller, used for storage and rarely visited.

According to Logan Mayor Craig Petersen, the library is a conglomeration of six buildings dating back to the 1930s. One section was a dance hall, then Sears Roebuck bought the whole structure. Under the direction of Mayor Newell Daines in the 1980s, the building was converted into a combined city hall and library.

In 2009, the new city hall building was built, and the library took up the entire building.

The facility was never designed for Library use, Petersen wrote in an email. As a result, the space cant be efficiently used.

On the main floor, Clark points up to the ceiling panels where water stains are common. Most library goers probably miss the blue recycling bins that sit atop some of the bookshelves in the adult non-fiction sections, ready to catch drips of rainwater.

We dont even keep books up there because weve lost a lot of collection, she said.

Its worse during the winter, she said. Water freezes and clogs the drain and standing water seeps in through the ceiling.

Looking down, the childrens section has relatively new carpet, but Clark said the carpet in the adult wing is from 1986 and has never been replaced.

We cant even clean it because the cleaners worry about it disintegrating, she said.

A closer look at the flooring shows multiple materials and levels. Clark stepped on a creaking panel where her office used to be before city hall vacated the building in 2009.

Logan Municipal Councilman Tom Jensen, an architect by trade who has worked on libraries, said a number of studies have found that the windows, roof and mechanical system are failing, as well as problems with the flooring and the different foundations from several old structures.

The floor, sometimes youre walking on concrete, sometimes youre walking on plywood with carpet over, Jensen said. Its functionally obsolete, and the systems are seriously in need of replacing.

Another well-kept secret at the Logan Library is the completely unused second floor. Up the staircase the former offices of the mayor, finance department, city attorney and other staff sit vacant.

Now we have a whole upstairs we cant even use, she said.

There is no elevator going to the second floor, no access for people with disabilities and the floors arent heavy-duty enough to hold stacks of books. So it remains unused.

I could have (my office) up here, but then Id have to run down the stairs every time somebody asks me a question, Clark said.

Higher still, on the roof, the air conditioning fans broke last summer forcing the library to close for a week. Clark said the fans broke, and since the unit is so old, the parts arent made anymore so they had to be custom made.

Similarly, Clark said replacement parts for the freight elevator that connects the main basement to the main floor arent made anymore.

As Logan weighs the pros and cons of building a new 21st century library and community center or remodeling the current building, the choice is a no-brainer for Clark. When she hears people say the city doesn't need a new library, she said she feels sad and disappointed.

The new library is not going to be like this, she said. Its going to have so much more availability than what we can offer right now.

If the existing library was remodeled, Clark said she wonders what would happen during the construction process.

Would we have to close for two years? Clark said. Would the remodeling be so much that we had to shut down and not have the library and wait two years while it gets fixed?

In the process of considering the option of building a new library or remodeling the current building, Kent Craven, a registered architect with local firm Design West, wrote a memo detailing some observations about the existing building.

He concluded that the concrete post and beam structure in the main basement limits remodel goals. Mold seems to be present as well as the possibility of asbestos. The building needs new windows. Most of the mechanical systems would need to be replaced. The existing electrical and alarm system would require major replacement or an upgrade.

The memo states three factors that trigger a decision to take a serious look at an aging facility: health and safety deficiencies, outdated building systems and program changes.

All three factors are considered high for the existing library, Craven wrote.

The rule of thumb in the industry is if a remodel costs 65 percent of a new building, its not worth it. Craven calculated that a remodel could cost anywhere between 75 percent to 86 percent of a new building.

Even if it was remodeled, Craven wrote that the building would still be less environmentally efficient, less safe, less sustainable, less appealing, have a shorter life cycle and would be less responsive to the needs of a 21st century library.

You could spend $7 to $9 million dollars to patch up a building that would be functionally still obsolete, Councilman Jensen said. Or you could spend slightly more to have a building that was functional and new and would have much lower energy cost.

Its not just our library its everyones library, Clark said.

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Remodel the library? Experts say it's functionally obsolete - The Herald Journal

SEATTLE Jeff Pelletier approached the achy Queen Anne Craftsman like a skilled orthopedic surgeon, noting the age of the patient, assessing her weary bones and ultimately knocking her out and opening her up.

This was a major operation.

This is the first home for Kaitlyn and Jason Tamulonis, and its an old one, built in 1904. They loved its walkable neighborhood, its proximity to family and its charming aesthetic, but it had been limping along with painfully poor circulation since an unfortunate remodeling incident in the 1980s.

Assorted ailments included a sunken family-room addition that was like two separate homes next to each other; an enormous master bath with no shower; a massive master bedroom with no closets; and a series of really tiny, closed-off rooms, said architect Pelletier, of Board & Vellum.

A lot of older homes typically have large, open spaces; this was the most cramped house Ive ever worked on, he said. Early on, like a ball of string, we could slowly pull it all out and have it make sense. We tried to keep what we could, but the whole house was gutted.

And now its cured, thanks to the fusion of a strong, central spine: One single staircase.

The biggest problem was staircases everywhere: The front stair was like a dollhouse staircase, super-tiny; the one to the basement was like a ramp; and the addition had two staircases to the basement, Pelletier said. The staircase kind of designed the house. Solving the stair problem allowed everything else to happen.

Lots happened. By opening up the main floor, we created a grand space for entertaining, a quiet window seat off the entry and a generous mudroom at the back entrance, Pelletier said. The addition a few steps lower than the kitchen is now better integrated with the rest of the home. The house now has three full levels of living space, including a finished basement and second-floor master suite. Outside, theres a new front porch, an enlarged upper deck and a coordinating new two-car garage in back.

The result: Beautiful, updated balance that works for the way a young family lives (Jason and Kaitlyn have a baby daughter, Julia, and a fuzzy pup, Kascade).

When youre planning, you look at compromises, Pelletier says. How do you turn whats there into opportunity? What battles do you fight? The goal was to have it all make sense, on a budget.

Smaller things made a big difference, Jason said. The upstairs front bedroom was slightly massaged and enlarged just enough after an earlier staircase vacated, says Pelletier, creating breathing room for a cozy nook.

Downstairs, expanded window wells pour light into Jasons office; a guest bedroom; and a big, open play area, where once there were crowded bedrooms, a utility space and a bizarre little bathroom aka, not a space you wanted to hang out, Pelletier said.

Off the family room, a mysteriously sited tall shower made way for a lovely mudroom, with built-in cubbies stuffed with baby and dog gear. And the newly proportional master suite gained a lovely shower and closet space.

Aside from that one critical, fully exposed staircase, Kaitlyn said, We dont feel like we splurged a lot. We got everything done in one go, with everything baby-friendly.

Like any professional with a first do no harm outlook, Pelletier is thrilled to have had a go at rejuvenation in the first place.

As first-time homebuyers, instead of tearing it down and building a box, they kept the bones that were there, he said. I love to remodel older homes. So many are chopped off. Theyre not sustainable. I feel like this remodel lasts another 100 years. The bones of the home are right now.

2017 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC

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A Seattle Craftsman gets a major remodel - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)

The Collinsville Library has a new and improved look and updated features thanks to a major remodeling project that was carried out this month.

Branch Manager Rhonda Weldon said the upgrades came on the heels of the library celebrating the centennial of its opening as a Carnegie-grant institution in July.

The renovation, I think its an extension of our 100th anniversary celebration, she said. It was basically just time for a facelift we just needed a little sprucing up, really.

The scope of the project, which took place August 7-20, involved adding new technology, stripping and refinishing the floors, repainting all the walls, adding shelves and rearranging the layout to make more room for patrons.

Library staff also organized and expanded its media center and childrens book section, as well as created a new nook for kids to play and read together.

The library, were the hub of the community in many ways, Weldon said. The fact that were open again in time for school, thats really important.

One of the major changes carried out during the remodel was removing the main desk and replacing it with two digital self-check machines for customers to use for all library services.

The Collinsville branch is the first in the entire Tulsa City-County Library system to incorporate these high-tech devices, which offer a one-stop shop for patrons to check in and out, browse titles, pay fines, renew their account and more at their leisure.

Weldon said the reason for adopting the new technology was to continue to stay relevant in the digital age by embracing a customer-focused service model.

The customers who need to come in, pick up library materials, check out and go on with their day can do so without needing to wait on a library staff person to be available, she said.

Other structural renovations included replacing the deteriorating concrete steps at the north entry, excavating around the perimeter of the building to install new basement waterproofing and a French drain, and installing new high-efficiency air conditioners in the basement meeting room.

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Collinsville Library reopens after major remodel with improved look, updated features - Tulsa World

With the new school year well underway, the on-again, off-again saga of the mercury-tainted Pine Strawberry School gymnasium floor continues with few answers as to when the normally heavily-used facility will reopen to students and faculty.

At this time, it is difficult to anticipate a completion date for this project due to the many technical elements and requirements of the Arizona Schools Facility Board (ASFB), said former school principal-superintendent Linda ODell who continues to work for the district part-time, even though she officially retired in July.

Officials expected to complete the project by the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, but some teachers speculate it might not be done until well into the second semester

The removal of the old floor appeared complete in mid-summer, but installation of the new floor never began because, the mercury vapor levels exceeded the threshold established for installation of the new floor, said ODell.

Once the environmental testing company determines vapor levels are safe, installation of the new floor can begin. However, the company will not return to test for mercury until the opened gym space has been ventilated for at least two weeks.

The delivery of the floor materials and actual installation could take up to eight weeks.

In the meantime, the district sealed off the cafeteria, which is adjacent to the gym.

As for physical education classes, adjustments have been made to daily schedules to ensure students have the opportunity to participate in PE, said ODell.

Currently, PE teacher Dean Pederson holds classes outdoors. Once winter weather arrives, he will modify his curriculum for limited indoor space.

The ASFB is overseeing the grant-funded project, which includes excavation and replacing the original floor. In October 2015, officials determined the floor was emitting potentially harmful levels of mercury vapor, which can harm the nervous, digestive and immune systems.

In June, a crew from Sagebrush Restoration in Phoenix removed the original floor and began a diamond grinding process to remove mercury-tainted adhesive from the joints, ODell said.

Once finished with that task, project managers will await an OK from the ASFB so the Phoenix-based firm Sun Country Floors can install new flooring.

The new Elastiplus floor will not contain any mercury-based products.

The manufacturer, Conner Sports, advertises the floor as a seamless, poured-in-place polyurethane surface that exhibits excellent shock absorbent qualities.

The University of Idaho recently installed an Elastiplus floor in its student recreation center.

Campus Recreation Associate Director Gordon Gresch said it has exceeded all expectations.

The district will also install new bleachers.

Common problem

Pine Strawberry School is only one of many districts around the state with rubberized gym floors emitting mercury vapors.

In the past three years, ASFB has found 73 floors of concern in schools, hospitals and other institutions.

The St. David Unified School District first discovered the problem with the rubberized gym floors.

At Pine Strawberry School, officials discovered the mercury emissions when trying to repair cracks in the cement floor below the Tartan rubberized surface installed in 1988.

The district on Jan. 11, 2016 shut down the gym for about four months. The school board voted to reopen the facility after officials said tests showed mercury had not exceeded safe levels.

Students used the gym until May 22, 2017, when the current remediation project began. Originally, the district wanted only to repair the cracks in the floor. However, the ASFB board approved replacing it, including the concrete subfloor.

That decision led to the rediscovery of unsafe levels of mercury vapor, leading to the still open-ended remediation

Link:
Mercury-tainted gym floor saga continues - Payson Roundup

Builder Magazine

Today's Popular Flooring Trends: Vinyl, Ceramic, and Hardwood, Oh My! Builder Magazine Suddenly there are so many options in this burgeoning category that consumers can't help but take notice. Embossed-in-register design capabilities, strong visuals, and waterproof features are winning over end-users. Improved and more flexible ... and more »

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Today's Popular Flooring Trends: Vinyl, Ceramic, and Hardwood, Oh My! - Builder Magazine

Defining The Time Machine The Museum of Alfa Romeo History just as a museum is simply reductive. The renovation and new exhibition installations by the Camerana&Partners studio transformed into a brand centre this historical museum in Varese dedicated to Alfa Romeo, opened in 1976 and designed by brothers Vito and Gustavo Latis.This is an outstanding case history forIris Ceramica Group, presented during theMipim of Cannesin March 2017 with an exclusively developed product,Alfa Romeo Black by Fiandre. These are slabs with a size of 100x100 cm and a thickness of 6 mm faithfully reproducing the original flooring installed in the 1960s in the building in Arese. They have all the advantages of a high quality porcelain stoneware, and are made using the Maximum Fiandre Extralitetechnology, ensuring an unalterable state over time and high resistance to chemicals, abrasion etc.

The project by Camerana&Partners, preserved the layout of the building, but included new functions, symbols of the contemporary world. An example of this is the new construction erected in the original building, painted in newAlfa red, and clearly visible from the motorway. The colour, a symbol of the brand, stops being an urban landmark to become a welcoming sign, guiding people from the car park to the exhibition where it becomes, once again, the staircase building we can see from the motorway.Today, the historic museum is complete with a bookshop, a caf, a documentation centre, test roadways, areas for events and show-rooms. The exhibition installations by Camerana&Partners do not fail to highlight the identity of the brand, whose DNA is symbolically represented by a light installation: a helical element comprising lights, words and signs, inserted into an ideal transparent volume. The installation vertically crosses the entire building, and links the three museum floors, representing the brand principles: timeline, intended as industrial continuity; beauty merging style and design, and speed, as a synthesis of technology and lightness.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Renovation and new exhibition installations: Camerana&PartnersLocation: Arese (MI), ItalyImages courtesy of Museo Alfa Romeo

http://www.museoalfaromeo.comwww.irisceramicagroup.comwww.granitifiandre.it

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The Time Machine The Museum of Alfa Romeo History of Arese - Floornature.com

WEST CHESTER >> Pine Street Carpenters has grown through diversification in its nearly quarter-century in business.

The extent of that diversification became evident when the company recently announced it now has three websites to address each of its markets.

Weve always been full service remodelers handling design services, acting as a general contractor, said Mike Dolan, marketing manager at Pine Street. We work with corporate clients, business owners, landlords, real estate developers. We wanted to a create compelling online home for each of our audiences: homeowners looking for design and remodeling services; those looking for cabinetry solutions for their home or business; and business owners looking for commercial construction services..

Owner Brendan Dolan began the company in 1993 as a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania to help finance his way through graduate school. He was living on Pine Street in Philadelphia at the time, hence the name Pine Street Carpenters. The company eventually moved to the West Chester area where it has been currently based for about 13 years.

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We started out doing primarily residential work and it has grown over the years. Weve branched out to doing work for the commercial and corporate world, as well as institutional clients. In essence, weve outgrown our name Pine Street Carpenters, because we are more than just carpenters. Were a full service design and remodeling firm, so thats part of what we are trying to achieve with the launch of these new websites, to show the breadth of our services, Dolan remarked.

The family of new websites branches out into three areas to focus on the diverse core services the firm offers. They include one for Pine Street Carpenters (pinestreetcarpenters.com), The Kitchen Studio (the kitchenstudio.com) and Pine Street Construction (pinestreetinc.com).

The website for Pine Street Carpenters aims to serve residential remodeling services, which includes general contracting and design for kitchens, baths, historic renovations, whole house remodels, additions and more.

Dolan noted that The Kitchen Studio website highlights the companys kitchen and bath showroom in West Goshen. It features a line of cabinet makers and offers cabinetry solutions for all areas of the home and works with do-it-yourself homeowners, interior designers and other general contractors.

Seven years ago, we opened a kitchen showroom on our site so people can come in and look at kitchen and bath cabinetry. We wanted to provide services to folks that might not be looking for remodeling services. They might be doing a home project themselves. Or, its a general contractor or interior designer that doing a project for one of their clients that need cabinet solutions. The idea was to brand that a little differently so it is more retail oriented and not specific necessarily to our existing clients, Dolan said.

The third site is for the firms commercial brand, Pine Street Construction. Dolan said that website features the breadth of Pine Streets services to commercial and institutional clients. He noted a few of Pine Street Constructions clients include H&R Block, Edward Jones Investments, Weight Watchers and Americas Best Contacts & Eyeglasses.

Dolan noted the firm has always handled full service projects for commercial and residential customers.

We do a lot of commercial work, not just in this region but throughout the northeast ... So our commercial services are more than what our existing name implies. Weve always been full service remodelers handling design and remodeling services and acting as a general contractor.

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New websites highlight Pine Street's diversification - The Mercury

Dillard Kitchen &Bath will modify your bathroom for safety while creating a luxurious retreat you wont want to leave

Dillard Kitchen &Bath is the solution to updating your bathroom for beautiful results, while also implementing adaptive modifications for safety to keep you and your loved ones living at home for as long as possible. As the over-65 population continues to boom, with a large majority intending to continue living at home, remodeling bathrooms for safety is a necessity. Whether you are in that age group, making plans to continue living in your current home into older age, or just concerned caregivers for older loved ones, Dillard Kitchen and Bath is the answer to your bathroom remodeling and safety needs, with results you will love.

Not only will Dillard Kitchen and Bath transform your bath into a spa-like escape, your bathroom will be adapted for complete accessibility to keep you or your loved ones where you want to live for as long as possible, at home. Considering the astronomical costs of assisted living facilities, making modifications to your home is not only more cost-effective, it increases the resale value of your largest investment. And with Dillard Kitchen and Bath, you can rest easy knowing your agreed upon budget and timeframe will be honored. Dale Dillard, owner, has over four decades of experience in updating homes. Dale is also an expert on renovating your bathroom to add beauty and organize chaotic spaces while implementing designs to add adaptive safety aids. He says, My estimate is my contract. I do what I say Im going to do, and his customers couldnt agree more.

Craig and Ann Wallace recently completed a bathroom renovation with Dillard. Ann said it started by wanting an outdated, turquoise, spa bathtub replaced with a huge walk-in shower and the couple decided to go ahead and update the entire room. They were the best! Im telling you. The two workers were the most courteous people Ive ever been around. It wasnt stressful. It was great. If Dale saw a problem, he took care of it quickly. She added, Dale gave us wonderful ideas. The great thing is Dale shows you exactly what you are spending and went over it weekly with us. My husband Craig was totally happy too.

Dale understands updating for safety is just one of the reasons replacing tubs with walk-in showers is so popular. Removing whirlpool tubs which have accumulated dirt and stains around the jets is something home owners are requesting, regardless of safety issues. Without a tub, the extra space can be used to enlarge the shower area for a spa-like retreat or to include a wider door to accommodate walkers and/or wheelchairs. Also, barrier-free entries to a shower for a walk-in area removes the need to step over an obstacle that could lead to a fall. Installing safety bars is another popular safety design.

With Dillard Kitchen &Bath there is no need to forego beauty when updating for safety and efficiency. Dale will solve your remodeling needs for functionality, while updating your bath with the latest trends to create the ultimate home-spa retreat.

It looks great! Now we are in the middle of updating our kitchen with Dale, Ann said.

Whether it is the kitchen or the bathroom, Dale is an expert at one often overlooked arealighting design. Proper lighting not only creates a positive ambience, but because vision problems accompany aging, poor lighting is another very real safety issue.

Other modern bathroom updates to consider when contacting Dillard for a bathroom remodel include replacing outdated wall mirrors with framed vanity mirrors. If you have two sinks, creating separate areas by inserting a beautiful and functional medicine cabinet between the two sinks not only looks great, but adds the extra storage you crave. Another updated design tactic is using plaster on the walls for its durability and to add dimension to the space by creating another texture. Other trends include using man-made materials such as Caesarstone, updating cabinetry, and incorporating glass and deco tiles around shower and tub areas

In addition to planning for safety, a bathroom remodel by Dillard Kitchen &Bath will also solve the chaos of a disorganized space, so dont forget to ask about utilizing Dillards innovative methods to control clutter, such as concealed beauty tool drawers and cord-hideaways.

Call (806) 793-3457 to talk to the professionals at Dillard Kitchen &Bath and start your dream remodel today. The Dillard Kitchen &Bath Design Showroom is located at 1806 Raleigh Ave. Call to set up an appointment in the showroom or to schedule a consultation at your home. You can view remodels and more information online at http://www.dillardkitchenbath.com.

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Adaptive bathroom designs that are beautiful - LubbockOnline.com