Grey brick chimneys contrast the interlocking white-rendered blocks of Hallen, a home in southern Sweden completed by local studio sa Hjort Architects.

Designed for the studio's founder, sa Hjort, the dwelling is located on the outskirts of Kivik, where it is surrounded by woodland and enjoys views out across the Baltic Sea.

The studio had originally intended to restore a 1920s home already on the site, but when this proved unsuitable it developed an entirely new design, which was required by planning to match the volume of the previous structure.

Hallen was conceived as a home that would embrace the surrounding landscape, playing with the contrast of light and dark in reference to its dual condition between dense woodland and the open coast to create a "tranquil" retreat.

After living many years in the original house, I had a clear idea of how I wanted the house to work and how we wanted our life to be there," Hjort told Dezeen.

"I wanted to create a tranquil atmosphere that made us slow down, as opposed to the fast-paced lifestyle we live day to day in a big city."

"The closeness to nature was very important and the minimal palette of materials allow the surrounding landscape to take a prominent role," she added.

The blocky form of Hallen steps down and opens up towards the coast, presenting a more enclosed facade to the nearby road and large windows towards the sea.

"Like the neighbouring houses, it was important that the house was visible from the road, however, I did not want it to look too oversized or dominant," explained Hjort.

"The five smaller volumes derived from breaking up one large volume to complementthe landscape and the gentle slope towards the ocean," she added.

Internally the home also reflects this idea, with bedrooms on the upper storey and tucked in between the more exposed living, dining and kitchen areas that occupy the ground floor.

Two glazed corners in the living and dining room allow the landscape to be a "constant presence", with framed views of the woodland provided by a narrow window in the kitchen and smaller openings in the bedrooms.

"The building slowly reveals itself as you enter the front door...the entrance is dark but offers views towards the ocean in one direction and the forest in another," Hjort said.

"As you walk around you enter the various volumes that are different in height, size and atmosphere. A constant presence is the surrounding landscape," she added.

Finishes were chosen to feel like a "warm, protective enclosure," with pale wooden carpentry and floors, white-painted walls and exposed brickwork around the fireplaces.

A large L-shaped terrace wraps the northern, sea-facing side of the home, creating a sheltered space onto which the living areas can spill out.

Other homes in Sweden recently featured on Dezeen include a red-painted home in Boden by Claessen Koivisto, and House Tjurpannan by HengessonGonzaga, a cabin clad in tar-coated timber to reference the nearby boathouses.

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

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sa Hjort Architects completes blocky home on Sweden's southern coast - Dezeen

Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings  Trend Hunter

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Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings - Trend Hunter

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In 2023 we presented just shy of 40 Buildings of the Week, featuring short Q&As with architects about recently completed buildings in the United States. It's your turn to help us crown a US Building of the Year by voting for your favorite. The winner will be announced at the end of January.

The 2023 iteration of the US Building of the Week began a year ago with the redevelopment of federal public housing in Boston, and it wrapped up last month with a commercial development in suburban Houston. In between were a few dozen buildings in a variety of typologies, the majority of them with cultural, educational, and institutional; residential (single- and multi-family), commercial, and mixed-use also appeared. The geographical reach was also diverse, with the buildings found in 20 states plus the District of Columbia. Not surprisingly, nearly half of the projects are located in two states: California and New York.

As in previous years, when taking into account other characteristics size of projects, new construction vs. adaptive reuse, urban vs. suburban vs. rural, ages of architects/firms, etc. the curated assemblage of buildings paints a portrait of American architecture in the third decade of the 21st century and captures some of the trends, architectural and otherwise, preoccupying architects in the United States.

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Vote for US Building of the Year 2023 - - World-Architects

Virginia-based integrated technology and operational support services provider Client Solution Architects has undergone an audit by an independent body, which verified its continuing compliance with three standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization.

CSA said Friday that it has received recertification for ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018, which covers IT service reliability and efficiency; ISO/IEC 27001:2013, which indicates compliance with information security management best practices; and ISO 9001:2015, which covers the maintenance of quality management systems.

CSA Chief Operating Officer Tim Spadafore expressed pride regarding his organizations achievement, saying, These certifications demonstrate our commitment to providing our clients with the highest quality enterprise IT, training and simulation and mission support services.

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Client Solution Architects Achieves ISO Recertification for IT, InfoSec, Quality Management Systems; Tim Spadafore ... - ExecutiveBiz

The Multiple Facets of the Architect: Exploring the Works of lvaro Siza Vieira

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When it comes to contemporary Portuguese architecture, the initial association often leans towards tradition. The historical significance of the program, the importance of typologies for the locals, and the construction methods all play a role. These associations are not unfounded, but they are not limiting either. In this context, Portugal boasts a prominent figure who exemplifies this balance: lvaro Siza Vieira.

Siza is the foremost representative of Portuguese architecture. There are many reasons for this distinction. It is not only because he was the first Portuguese architect to receive a Pritzker Prize in 1992 or for the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2012. It is not solely due to his extensive and prolific career. Above all, his unique and simultaneously universal approach to architecture sets him apart. His involvement on national and international fronts highlights a characteristic likely intrinsic to his nature: the ability to embody many facets within a singular entity, just like his compatriot Fernando Pessoa.

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While his architecture possesses a distinctive and highly individual language, Siza's projects showcase a range of repertoire, solutions, and formal experimentations proportional to the longevity of his career and the contemporaneity regarding current techniques and materials. These characteristics stem from the attitude he adopts towards the profession. Siza does not draw analogies; architecture is an autonomous discipline but by no means isolated. He understands the multidisciplinarity of the field and knows the extent of its reach but does not concede applications or transpositions of other disciplines, like 1960s linguistics or sociology. For him, architecture is realized in the appropriate constructive response to the given problem. It engages in a dialogue with these other fields but manifests itself tectonically through design, construction, and technique.

The emphasis on the latter point is a significant aspect of his work. The focus on construction methods is integral to what makes each project unique. In Portugal, reverence is shown through respect for tradition and culture. However, in other countries, the distinctive construction methods inform his projects, adapting to the context of everyone involved in the work. This approach provides diverse solutions to be assimilated and expanded in future projects. This architectural stance, balancing the precision of technique with the flexibility of formal and programmatic solutions, is a legacy that Siza Vieira has already passed on to some. The work of Carlos Castanheira follows the same principle.

Just as Siza "mentored" Castanheira, he also had his mentors. During his undergraduate studies in Porto, the architecture program underwent a curricular renewal led by Carlos Ramos. This allowed students access to foreign publications showcasing the works of an extensive list of prominent figures in modern architecture, a period coinciding with a totalitarian government in Portugal. Furthermore, Siza was Fernando Tvora's student, later becoming a collaborator and colleague. Following what seems like a tradition, Siza became a professor, repeating the cycle that shaped him. Between architectural theory and practice, his references to his predecessors and profound technical knowledge come together, constantly evolving and adapting in his ongoing production.

His international involvement was spurred by the economic context in Portugal, which "forced" him to build abroad. However, the foreign experiences brought new techniques and perspectives that undoubtedly influenced his approach to design. Much can be said about the placements, framings, and the variety of forms in his projects. Whether in Portugal or abroad, his architecture is remarkably in harmony with the context, always unmistakably reflecting the essence of Siza.

The architect was the subject of the documentary SIZA, directed by Augusto Custdio and available on the streaming platform Gallery. ArchDaily is a partner of Gallery for the premiere session of the documentary, which will take place in So Paulo at MASP on December 12, as well as for the global release on December 15, which can be watched live.

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The Multiple Facets of the Architect: Exploring the Works of lvaro Siza Vieira - ArchDaily

Chicago-based architect Kimberly Dowdell, who holds degrees from both Cornell and Harvard, currently serves as a principal at global design firm HOK. She also served as president of the National Association of Minority Architects from 2019 to 2020. (Credit: American Institute of Architects)

According to Kimberly Dowdell, there are so few Black women architects that most of them can tell you where they stand in the order of Black women who have received their licenses. She is number 295.

While its a small number, the Chicago-based architect recently added an even smaller one to her rsum number one. In December, the American Institute of Architects selected Dowdell, principal of global design firm HOK, as its president, making her the first Black woman to fill the role. Her appointment marks a huge stride for the organization, which was founded in 1857 and has historically consisted of mostly white men. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Dowdell spoke on what it means for her to be chosen for the position.

Particularly as a Black woman, because architecture has historically not had many people in leadership who are women or people of color, and certainly not women of color, I think it represents a new sense of hope for a more diverse future, she said.

Less than one percent of architects are Black women. Dowdell, who served as president of the National Organization of Minority Architects from 2019 to 2020, partially blames this on low entry-level salaries and a high cost of education for architects. She said people from under-resourced families are often steered towards higher-paying jobs in fields like medicine and law. One of her goals in her new post is to advocate for better pay for architects.

Part of the reason why I think focusing on the money piece is important is because it does actually have an impact on peoples decision-making to pursue architecture, she told the outlet.

For the AIA, a large part of Dowdells appeal is her dedication to diversity and inclusion. She has served on numerous equity committees, where she has helped firm leaders design initiatives to foster a sense of belonging among employees.

We have to show people whats possible, we have to enable them to have access to the profession through education and licensure support to pay their basic expenses, and then we have to make sure that they are in firm or workplace environments that can help them to flourish, she said.

At 40 years old, she is also the first millennial woman to serve as the AIAs president. With half of the organizations membership being over the age of 50, Dowdell has made it clear she intends to draw in some younger members. When she led the groups annual leadership summit earlier this year, she chose intergenerational workplace as a theme, and led cross-generational conversations about what the expectations are, particularly around return-to-office people wanting to work remotely.

During her campaign for president, Dowdells slogan was envision new possibilities. The slogan encapsulates her forward-thinking approach to not only the study of architecture, but the field of architecture. Having stepped into this position a week ago, I think it actually does help people to envision new possibilities, indeed, she said.

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Meet the American Institute of Architects' First Black Woman President - The Story Exchange

The "ruin-like" concrete frame of a former chemistry laboratory has been transformed into a series of workspaces for the University of Twente in Enschede, the Netherlands, in this project by Civic Architects and VDNDP.

Providing a new home for the International Institute for Geo-Information Sciences (ITC), the building was designed to be a "sustainable symbol" for the campus.

It repurposes an abandoned 1970s structure to house bright interiors organised around courtyard gardens.

Local studios Civic Architects and VDNDP sought to "embrace the imperfections" of the existing building, using its concrete frame to support a demountable steel structure and partition walls that could easily be reconfigured to suit future needs.

"The original building was designed for machinery and, due to its low ceilings and significant depth (40 metres), was very, very dark it proved difficult to repurpose," founding partner at Civic Architects Jan Lebbink told Dezeen.

"Our approach involved a shift in programming: rather than forcing the existing structure to conform, we tailored the building's organisation to suit it," he added.

Entry to the ITC is via a large hall envisioned as its "social heart", set back beyond a small garden and featuring a large tiered wooden staircase, providing space for staff and students to gather and leading up to the first-floor restaurant.

Inside, four atria planted with trees and plants provide fresh air and natural light throughout the building, each containing a metal spiral stair to allow them to act as social connectors between floors.

"During the competition, we uncovered that the original ground floor was merely concrete poured without a structural purpose," Lebbink told Dezeen.

"Seizing this opportunity, we designated the atriums as spaces reserved for nature, featuring trees planted directly in local soil, with people as guests rather than the other way around."

"Taking this concept one step further, each of the four atriums was crafted with its own unique natural character, incorporating wood, water, and stone generously," he continued.

The workspaces themselves are divided between a ground floor of smaller, more focused work rooms and an upper storey of higher "more dynamic" areas.

This division is also reflected externally, with wood-framed smaller windows on the ground floor and large areas of glazing on the upper storey sheltered by horizontal louvres.

The interior design, completed in collaboration with Studio Groen+Schild, prioritised bio-based and recycled materials, with oak frames and bamboo flooring.

"This principle extended to all our chosen products, each carefully selected for its sustainability and robust materiality that embraces imperfections," explained Lebbink.

"This, combined with the almost ruin-like quality of the existing structure, contributed to the warm and inviting atmosphere that users fondly describe as 'homey," he continued.

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, Civic Architects recently converted a heritage-listed 1930s brick town hall building in Waalwijk into a shoe museum. The studio has previously also created a public library inside a locomotive shed.

The photography is by Stijn Bollaert & Mike Bink.

Project credits:

Building physics: Arup Installation: Valstar Simonis, Croonwolter&dros Structural engineer: Schreuders bouwtechniek Landscape designers: DS Landschapsarchitecten, Flora Nova Lighting: Joost de Beij Contractor: Dura Vermeer Bouw Hengelo, Trebbe Sustainability advisor: Buro Loo

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Civic Architects and VDNDP "embrace imperfections" for university retrofit - Dezeen

Architect Coke Florance Remembered for Influencing Nation's Capital and Colleagues  CoStar Group

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Architect Coke Florance Remembered for Influencing Nation's Capital and Colleagues - CoStar Group

Five international work opportunities for architects and designers  MSN

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Five international work opportunities for architects and designers - MSN