All posts by Giulio

KEARNS MANCINI ARCHITECTS – Putman Family YWCA Passive House

The Award-Winning Putnam Family YWCA Hamilton is the new benchmark in a fully sustainable building.

 

Its Passive House design attains the three pillars of sustainability – environmental, economic, and social – all in one beautiful Crown Point neighbourhood landmark.

“Passive house is the best solution,” said Medora Uppal, Director of Operations at the Hamilton YWCA, “Jonathan Kearns, the lead architect, made it so simple. There is no complicated advanced technology as in a net-zero house. There is no expensive documentation as in a LEED-designated building. Both of which are very expensive to build. It is simply a high-quality building that is meant to last.”

 

Its Passive House design attains the three pillars of sustainability – environmental, economic, and social – all in one beautiful Crown Point neighbourhood landmark.

“Passive house is the best solution,” said Medora Uppal, Director of Operations at the Hamilton YWCA, “Jonathan Kearns, the lead architect, made it so simple. There is no complicated advanced technology as in a net-zero house. There is no expensive documentation as in a LEED-designated building. Both of which are very expensive to build. It is simply a high-quality building that is meant to last.”

“We wanted to reimagine the site for women and women-led families,” said Christopherson, “But it had to be a beautiful building where people were proud to live. We wanted it to be more than housing, so we consulted widely. And we wanted people to feel welcome. We wanted survivors of family violence to feel secure when they walked in the doors. Now, for the first time, we have an environment built exclusively for women and gender diverse families.”

“Passive House design offers social sustainability,” said Deborah Byrne, COO of KMAI and Director of Passive House Design, “Proper housing removes the stigma, health issues and other poverty related issues associated with poor housing and allows the occupants to focus on more positive matters in their lives.”

“Pride and dignity,” said Christopherson, “Kearns Mancini really understood how important the built environment is to people’s well-being.  They listened. That’s what we liked about them. They listened.”

For the YWCA Hamilton, KMAI’s Passive House expertise was crucial.

“Sustainability was the clincher,” said Uppal, “When Jonathan spoke about the Passive House design and thinking ahead, the upfront costs seemed more manageable and ongoing costs were feasible.”

Economic sustainability is fundamental for a non-profit like the Y, which must pay its own operating costs. The Kearns Mancini Passive House design meets these criteria with flying colours. The Putnam Family Y cost only 2% more to build, compared to code construction, and it saves up to 90% in ongoing energy costs. With this formula, the slight additional capital costs will be paid back in two years. This is truly ‘affordable’ housing.

“There’s clearly an environmental benefit,” Medora Uppal, “but it also makes good business sense. It is the least expensive sustainable solution. When it comes to Green Energy solutions, Passive House in the only way to go.”

“To meet the International Passive House Standard, the walls and roofs were R37.5 effective and R49 effective respectively and are thermal bridge free.” said Byrne, “By comparison, code buildings have significantly lower R values and permit some thermal bridging. Thermal bridging is the reason we have cold spots, condensation and/or mould in buildings. Passive House insulations are approx. 50% better than conventional.”

The result? The space heating demand is equivalent to heating your home with the light of one candle.This is also healthy housing; the building provides constant fresh air. It is comfortable housing with wellness built in; there is little or no active heating or cooling. With constant low-flow ventilation and with constant air and surface temperature, there are no drafts or cold spots.

The massiveness of the walls (and no leakage) attenuates sounds – making the building very quiet and providing a calm feeling throughout.

“You feel it immediately when you walk into the Putnam Y,” said Uppal, “The air. It feels clean and refreshing. And it is silent, so quiet even on busy Ottawa Street.” The Putnam Y is an oasis of calm that’s well suited to help heal those who seek refuge there.

It is also disease-resilient housing. The airtight envelope controls the air coming in and out of the building, all of it. The ventilation systems are equipped with hospital grade filters which remove 99% of known pathogens and toxins. Passive House optimises the relative humidity in the building as it offers optimal conditions for the human body to fight off any potential airborne disease.As Deborah Byrne said, “The Putnam Family YWCA opens the door to super-efficient, resilient, future-proofed buildings, making Passive House accessible for everyone.”

It is a superb capital investment strategy. Kearns Mancini believes that the Putnam Family Y will still be outperforming conventional buildings in 40 years’ time, based on the experience of the past 30 years of the Passive House Standard.

“In most buildings, you design the shell, then you add the machinery. In Passive House, the building is the machine. It’s a puzzle, like using Lego to make a Rubik’s cube,” said Byrne.

 

“When we’ve had women tour the building,’ said Christopherson, “it is an overwhelming experience seeing precarious women feeling so amazed at the prospect that this would be their home. The freedom, comfort and sense of belonging.” That’s sustainability in its fullest sense.

Kearns Mancini is committed to sustaining people on this planet, doing more with less and using Passive House to accomplish that.

www.kmai.com

 

3 Euro Windows deliver highest quality products that exceed all expectations

 

When Alex Budure is asked what separates 3 Euro Windows from the competition, his response is instantaneous – quality, quality, quality.

One of two managers with the Waterloo-based windows and doors company, Budure confidently offers assurance that all their German-engineered products are in a class by themselves.
“A high-quality window should last at least two decades, but it seems that the average homeowners today replace their windows every seven or eight years,” says Budure, partnered with Dr. Valeriu Cirpanu, the other 3 Euro Windows’ manager. “That’s not right, in our opinion. It’s unacceptable. We take a customer-focused approach and will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in window innovation.”

 

Because of his product’s superiority, Budure says his company is slowly but surely making a name for itself in both commercial and residential construction industries. Since founding the company in 2017, Budure set out to provide windows and doors at a level of quality not available elsewhere.

Part of that reality was due to the age-old, profit-based approach others were taking.

“There’s a North American habit of mass-producing building products such as windows, with quality suffering in the name of profits,” he says. “We provide a higher-quality, energy-efficient window that doesn’t break the bank.”

Budure’s aha moment came while he was working as a project coordinator for a residential property back in 2016. He was tasked with sourcing large, high-quality, energy-efficient windows that would fit the aesthetics of the modern build. But he quickly learned that it would be nearly impossible to do that in Canada without exceeding the client’s budget, or compromising on quality.

With that in mind, he opted to go to Europe with the intention of finding the perfect supplier that could meet the high requirements of the project. With some digging, he found exactly what he was looking for in Timisoara, Romania – a veteran window manufacturer (Lipoplast) that shared his values and had the advantage of an integrated production system, with lines for insulated glass, PVC and aluminum profiles. This allowed Budure to complete the project under budget, exceeding his customer’s expectations. It also shaped the idea of what 3 Euro Windows would become.

Budure’s aha moment came while he was working as a project coordinator for a residential property back in 2016. He was tasked with sourcing large, high-quality, energy-efficient windows that would fit the aesthetics of the modern build. But he quickly learned that it would be nearly impossible to do that in Canada without exceeding the client’s budget, or compromising on quality.

With that in mind, he opted to go to Europe with the intention of finding the perfect supplier that could meet the high requirements of the project. With some digging, he found exactly what he was looking for in Timisoara, Romania – a veteran window manufacturer (Lipoplast) that shared his values and had the advantage of an integrated production system, with lines for insulated glass, PVC and aluminum profiles. This allowed Budure to complete the project under budget, exceeding his customer’s expectations. It also shaped the idea of what 3 Euro Windows would become.

Today, their catalogue selection has expanded, but their goal remains the same – to deliver the highest quality of windows and doors, and continue to exceed every expectation.

3 Euro Windows’ products are uncompromisingly good, offering all the benefits of modern windows, from design to function, building physics and insulation values to environmental protection and value retention. They are also designed to satisfy future needs and requirements, particularly with a view towards creating more sustainable homes.

Theirs is a modern, best-in-breed window and door system. Highest quality, real heating cost savings, optimum noise protection, reliable intrusion protection and a wide range of options improve the quality of life.

There are many ways 3 Euro Windows’ products deliver added value, including:

  • More design / Slim profiles enlarge the transparent glass surface. They are also available in a comprehensive range of foil laminate colours, in wood finishes, in plain colours, and with aluminium facing shells for individual coating;
  • More heat insulation / The intelligent overall design considerably increases the thermal insulation;
  • More sound insulation / Combined with high quality functional glazing, the system provides optimum sound insulation up to 47 dB;
  • More intruder protection / The window profiles are designed for the use of special security fittings and additional anti-burglary measures;
  • More seal tightness / The innovative seal levels keep out drafts, dust and rain to create a pleasant living environment;
  • More ease of care / The high quality surfaces are extremely weather resistant and easy to clean;
  • More stability / Optimally dimensioned steel reinforcements deliver perfect window statics;
  • More convenience in use / All the latest fittings technology and all current opening concepts are possible for simplicity and convenience in use;
  • More ventilation / An optimized ventilation program ensures a pleasant climate in the living environment;
  • More value / High quality, premium and environmentally friendly PVC-Us that reflect the greenline principle ensure durability and enhance the value of any property;
  • 76 mm / The window profile’s low construction depth doesn‘t just enhance the appearance of a new building, it is also perfect for renovation projects with complex architectural and energy-related requirements.Sustainability is not something Budure takes lightly – not only in ecological terms, but also in terms of social and economic standards. 3 Euro Windows’ products are designed to protect the oceans and the environment, setting a benchmark for intelligent material cycles.“We pride ourselves on the quality of our products and refuse to settle for anything but the best,” he says. “Our primary goal is source products that you will love, at a fair and affordable price point.=“We’re deeply invested in people and technology in order to deliver a quality of windows and doors that will exceed expectations. Designed with longevity in mind, our windows will remain impenetrable to cold, noise, and humidity and will be as easy to maintain as the day they were purchased.”
  • www.3eurowindows.com

 

Dubai Expo 2020 – The Most Sustainable World Expo Ever

World Expos’ History

In 1849 Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, came up with the idea of inviting international exhibitors to participate in an exposition.

The first world Expo held in the iconic Crystal Palace celebrated the fruits of the industrial revolution in London in 1851. The pavilions were revolutionary iron and plate glass structures, showcasing technology from all over the world.

The inspiration of bringing a world of innovation to one place was highly successful. Over six million people visited the Expo, equivalent to 28% of the national population.

World Expos are hosted every five years in cities around the world. Past World Expos have seen innovations such as live television (1939 New York), the mobile phone (1970 Osaka), and the first humanoid robot (Nagoya 2005) revealed to the world for the first time.

This tradition has been ongoing for 170 years now. Dubai Expo picks up the baton of sustainability with the theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ in 2021.

General view of 2020 Plaza and Al Wasl during a test event, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Dany Eid/Expo 2020 Dubai)

Three Hubs Announce the Dubai Expo 2020 Mission

The theme of the Expo – ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ aims to cultivate new connections, collaborations and partnerships across sectors and geographies, with the event serving as a platform to inspire progressive change that will shape the future.

Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Suneesh Sudhakaran/Expo 2020 Dubai)

There are three Expo Districts suggesting how this can be achieved: Opportunity Pavilion (designed by AGi Architects), Mobility Pavilion (designed by Foster and Partners) and Sustainability Pavilion (designed by Grimshaw Architects).

.General view of Alif – The Mobility Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Suneesh Sudhakaran/Expo 2020 Dubai)

The master plan spreads out over 438 hectares (1,080 acres) of level ground. Visitors to Expo 2020 will have the world at their fingertips, with 192 countries taking part, and each pavilion telling a different story

A Night View of Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Suneesh Sudhakaran/Expo 2020 Dubai)

The Architecture Is a Challenge to Our Senses

Dubai Expo 2020 is vast by any exhibition standard. Everything is on a grand scale that dwarfs the visitor, yet there are a myriad spaces where they can shelter among trees, and recover their perspective. The local municipality spent over $US 6 million on 800,000 plants, plus vegetation. These transform Dubai Expo 2020 into a lush desert oasis.

Aerial night view of Al Wasl, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Dany Eid/Expo 2020 Dubai)

The Expo’s architectural marvels include the world’s largest 360-degree projection surface, at least 90 uniquely designed national pavilions, and 200,000 square meters of futuristic structures. These achievements rightly resulted in the project achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Exterior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Suneesh Sudhakaran/Expo 2020 Dubai)

Therefore we can expect to be somewhat daunted by vast structures and broad spaces. The expo has finally risen from the desert, even though COVID-19 delayed opening until October 2021. What more fitting way to view it than from a palm-like, garden in the sky, gliding 160 passengers up and down on magnetic propulsion.

Our Planet’s Future in Sustainability District

The astute visitor notices sustainability in action as they explore this District. They see advanced technology promoting the vision, as the nations of the world champion green technology. And they glimpse what it will be like living harmoniously with nature, as the tech vision they long for comes to fruition.

D. Energy Trees at Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Dany Eid/Expo 2020 Dubai)

A parabolic roof shelters visitors. Here they imagine what it could be like to be in balance with the world. The exhibition insists we can, and will coexist with nature in a high tech environment. Solar energy and water-condensing trees are on display, enlivening a stream flowing through traditional irrigation channels.

Interior of Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Dany Eid/Expo 2020 Dubai)

The giant pavilion appears to float on air. Yet it offers enlivening experiences from diving deep in the ocean, to exploring huge forest roots. Here is proof of the glory of nature that human technology can save when done smartly. But this is not something we can achieve nationally. Dubai Expo 2020 believes this will be a global effort.

Interior view of Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Dany Eid/Expo 2020 Dubai)

New Ways to Travel and Connect at Mobility District

Mobility is the key to our sustainable future. But here we are thinking more than just carbon-free transport. We are entering a traversal virtual world, where we travel, communicate and share in our imagination. This is a place to visualize limitless interconnection helping us understand each other better, and share.

Astronaut on display at Alif – The Mobility Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Suneesh Sudhakaran/Expo 2020 Dubai)

Mobility pavilion demolishes walls between physical and digital space. Instead, they operate on a continuum meeting sustainability’s demands. Enter the giant structure and you propel into a future where we build a glorious, harmonious global society together. Digital softens cultural differences. Hear from giants and reach for stars.

Interior view of Alif – The Mobility Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Suneesh Sudhakaran/Expo 2020 Dubai)

Unlock this Potential in Opportunity District

Dubai Expo 2020’s vision coalesces from dream to possibility in the giant halls of Opportunity district. Here we learn to open new doors to everyone in the world. The exhibits showcase how this is already happening. We are on the way to a better future. We can sustain it, now we know how.

The Opportunity District, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Suneesh Sudhakaran/Expo 2020 Dubai)
The Opportunity District, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Suneesh Sudhakaran/Expo 2020 Dubai)

The Dubai Expo 2020 will live on after the doors close, as the buildings repurpose to form 80% of a sustainable, human-centric city. Here, the people of the world will continue to come. Continue to come, meet and discuss how to take the bold ideas of the Expo forward. Keep hoping those doors never close, and that vision materializes soon.

www.expo2020dubai.com

 

Expo 2020 Dubai – The Singapore Pavilion is a sustainable and lush oasis in the desert

The Singapore Pavilion at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai is located in the Sustainability District and brings an oasis of lush trees, verdant shrubs and vibrant orchids to the desert. With its theme of ‘Nature, Nurture, Future’, it encapsulates Singapore’s story of overcoming its physical limitations as a small island city-state and adapting itself to become a liveable and biophilic city of the futur

The Singapore Pavilion welcomes visitors into a sustainable oasis in the desert that integrates nature, innovation and architecture and encapsulates Singapore’s vision of becoming a City in Nature.

The pavilion is a prototype that demonstrates how the built environment can co-exist with nature. It also mirrors Singapore’s story of thriving in a challenging environment, and, just like land-limited Singapore, the pavilion sits on one of the smallest plots of the Expo but makes an impactful statement despite its size.

The Singapore Pavilion houses over 170 varieties of plants, which will grow to be even more dense and lush over the Expo period. The Pavilion integrates abundant landscaping into its design, showing that the built environment can help to intensify nature in an urban setting. Buildings like this prototype can help to increase biodiversity by offering habitats for animals and play a pivotal part in combatting climate change by providing ecosystem services like solar heat reduction, CO2 and NOX sequestration, a reduction in other pollutants like PM10 particles, releasing oxygen and rainwater remediation.

The Singapore Pavilion is net-zero in its energy usage and produces its own electricity with its solar canopy that shelters the entire structure. It uses an efficient solar reverse-osmosis desalination system to meet its water needs. To reduce the usage of energy and other resources, passive strategies like natural cross-ventilation, sun-shading and planting were implemented to create comfortable climate for visitors to enjoy and plants to thrive in.

 

The ground level garden is a landscaped park, welcoming visitors from an arid and hard-edged environment into a biophilic, voluminous 3-dimensional green space that is flanked on both sides by forest trees and capped with a spectacular hanging garden comprising of an array of pots with a mixture of draping vines. The garden paths lead visitors across an undulating terrain with water streams, planted knolls and 9-metre-tall vertical thematic cones, emphasising the experience of a lush, tropical and refreshing Singapore.

To maximize the usable site area, the design takes a layered approach, stacking multiple levels and functions on top of each other. Visitors will go on an experiential journey by following the canopy walk that meanders through the pavilion’s multiple levels while being surrounded by verdant palms, trees, shrubs and vibrant orchids. The Hanging Garden as well as three thematic cones that are draped in vertical greenery add to this immersive, three-dimensional biophilic experience.

A meandering canopy walk brings the visitors around and through the three thematic cones at different levels. The first cone is an artistic multimedia experience of Singapore’s solutions to global issues. The second cone showcases Singapore’s multitude of orchid species in a vast spectrum of colours. The final cone is a sensory green space that spirals around fog, rainbows and a spinning dipterocarp sculpture. Walking through these cones, while supplemented with QR-linked information, the visitors quickly gain a good understanding of Singapore’s unique DNA.

The canopy walk opens up to a sky market, an open deck for a curated food menu, exhibition and programs, sheltered under the solar canopy made of 517 solar panels. The experience concludes at the ground galleria with a display of Singapore’s design stories and a shop. Despite the heat of the desert, the visitors’ journey through the Singapore pavilion is comfortable and enjoyable due to shading, the evapo-transpiration cooling of the surrounding vegetation and the strategic placement of fine mist fans that cool the air by about 5-10 degree Celsius.

The Pavilion not only demonstrates the seamless integration and co-existence of nature and buildings, it shows a captivating and forward-looking Singapore that is sociable, sustainable and liveable.

Our climate crisis shows us that the impact of human actions on the planet cannot be ignored, and that urgent action needs to be taken. This reinforces the aspirations of the SG Pavilion: to design a different future and to create a sustainable, resilient environment in which humans co-exist with nature.

ABOUT WOHA

WOHA was founded by Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell in 1994. The Singapore-based practice focuses on researching and innovating integrated architectural and urban solutions to tackle the problems of the 21st century, such as climate change, population growth and rapidly increasing urbanisation

Thought-provoking KANVA exhibit at Expo 2020 Dubai conveys a sense of urgency in tackling climate change

A poetic vision of an uncertain future and a reflection upon our present, the TRACES art installation situated on the Canada Pavilion site at Expo 2020 Dubai, challenges visitors and raises awareness about the growing threat to ecosystems caused by climate change.

KANVA, a Montreal-based firm renowned for meaningful projects extending beyond the boundaries of architectural shapes and forms, is proud to unveil TRACES, a multisensorial, thought-provoking exhibition on the grounds of the Canada Pavilion at World Expo 2020 Dubai. Commissioned by Global Affairs Canada and produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) to populate the Plaza grounds leading up to the pavilion Entry Hall, KANVA has taken a national, yet universal approach to designing a public installation that aligned with both Canada’s participation at the Expo and Expo 2020 Dubai’s themes of Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability.

Striking a chord

The project struck a chord with core values long embraced by KANVA, and the firm embarked on a mission to connect hearts, heads, and hands in pursuit of a brighter future that reinterprets relationships between inhabitants of the planet. In developing a concept that would be artistic and poetic, yet also touching and meaningful, they studied multiple aspects of global warming and habitat degradation before embracing a visual that captured the very essence of their message – a rising murmur of birds, swirling across the sky in a massive, collective movement.

In order to capture and convey a message of urgency surrounding the issue of rapid habitat decline, KANVA came up with the idea of fossilization of an inhabited landscape, where birds are suspended in motion in a fossilized form that preserves ‘TRACES’’ of their existence.

“Whether due to climate change, or oppressive human development, as landscapes fade away, so do the species that inhabit them” notes Bebawi. “They are simply erased from memory, and our collective amnesia allows us to persist in their destruction. TRACES reinterprets that cycle by fossilizing the species to ensure that it is not forgotten”, adds Olga Karpova, architect and senior project lead at KANVA.

Thinking inside of the box

KANVA’s expression unfolds in a series of eight boxes, spread across the plaza grounds of the Canada Pavilion in seemingly random fashion as a counter to the traditional linear grid of human development. Each museum box, measuring 8’ x 8’x 8’, contains a precious object that embodies the beauty of dynamic life in suspension, complemented by multimedia interactions developed with artist Étienne Paquette. As visitors weave their way towards the entry hall of the pavilion, they are invited to move through a variety of multisensorial experiences of discovery and self-appropriation.

The Jewel initiates the conversation by placing fossilized birds on a pedestal, with integrated lighting that presents them as beautiful, but troubled jewels.

The journey transitions to The Nearness, the most impressive in terms of scale, featuring a wall of extraordinarily filtered light highlighting the movement of birds within a vertical landscape.

The Memorial strikes a more emotional chord, symbolizing a horizontal tomb where visitors find themselves paying tribute to a fallen species. The rectangular base with integrated lighting showcases fossilized birds as they hover over a stunning landscape of wood strata.

The Forgotten symbolizes the careless discarding of objects we once cherished, with stacked cubes of illuminated prototypes that have been cast aside and underappreciated.

The Seat invokes a sense of individual responsibility, seating visitors alone at an old school desk. Upon opening the desk, waterscape sounds and a 3D printed bird is unveiled in a seascape of black ink, depicting the effects of ocean spills through the distressed gaze of a bird struggling mightily to survive.

The Gathering focuses on collective responsibility, embodying the process of problem solving around a dinner table, and inspired by a glowing cube of fossilized birds emerging from the center of the table. Unsettled sounds of distressed birds gradually evolve into soft and soothing harmonies that symbolize hope as visitors sit together at the table.

By contrast, The Sanctuary is an extraordinary enclosure devoid of human interference, with its white canvas animated by a flowing stream of birds immersed in a human-free world. KANVA’s eighth box delivers the starkest message of all.

The Awareness consists of four chairs, one in each corner of the box, with an empty bird cage, door open, suspended from the ceiling. Intensifying white noise indicates that something is wrong and, as visitors take a seat and face each other, the ambiance softens to a soothing garden serenade of singing birds. But the cage is empty, and the bird has left.

In addition to the eight artifact boxes, KANVA also designed a mural that stretches along a large, curved wall of the entry hall to the Canada Pavilion. The mural features a multiplicity of flocking birds, at different depths and distances, on a background that can be interpreted as sky, mountains, forests or water. While the mural is a fixed presentation for Expo 2020 Dubai, the eight cubes are destined to travel the world, where they will persevere as flocking ambassadors of hope.

A truly rewarding experience

Developing TRACES was an extremely rewarding experience for the socially and environmentally conscious firm. Beyond the disciplines of traditional architecture, the project immersed the firm in global issues of concern, as well as the deep study of bird species and their diverse movements and sounds. In creating their art, KANVA also indulged in processes such as scanning, hand sculptures and animating 3D prints of hundreds of different scales and movements, with each one enhancing their conviction along the way.

“We couldn’t be prouder of this work, which has the capacity to be light, beautiful, and entertaining, yet also serve as a conduit of education, consciousness, awareness, and urgency,” concludes Rami Bebawi. “Hyper development has left so much damage behind, and the time has passed for simple acknowledgement. Responsibility must now turn to action.”

Cagbalete Sand Clusters – Mauban, Philippines

Cagbalete Sand Clusters creates a new sustainable typology for eco-tourism, one that uplifts the local culture, which revolves around farming and fishery.

Desired to create a community-building and nurturing ecology for its surroundings, Cagbalete Sand Clusters is a dynamic space for both its inhabitants and visiting tourists. This intermingling is vital to the Filipinos as an archipelagic country of 7,641 islands, each with its own distinct cultural and natural identities.

The design explores the inherent values of locality and sense of place in this project, but through more ethical means of development. The project integrates the programmatic and cultural context of its locale into the architecture, which is essentially a unit system, pre-fabricated set of parts that can grow horizontally or vertically.

 

The client wanted to create farm lots in a 3.8-hectare property in Cagbalete Island, Quezon province. With a radial site development, a hyperbolic cluster unit system is created that was largely inspired by corals, given the location’s rich marine life and biodiversity.

The resulting structure is a mixed-use development: a private family home and a farm-to-table restaurant that focuses on the use of endemic plant species and seasonal mud crab farming. One of the considerations is that mud crab farming can help prevent soil erosion, and that the activity can also help protect the existing biodynamic mangroves in the area. The team also introduced local hapa nets into the design as a kind of membrane that gets mixed with local sand, soil, and mud, resulting in a new and localized patina, a biophilic membrane that creates an interesting footprint with the hyperbolic possibilities it offers. The hapa nets also function as a ‘veil’ over the structure, a translucent skin that masks sun and rain, but also serves as informal sleeping areas (mosquito beds) for afternoon siestas. They have elevated the humble hapa net into something beyond its utilitarian origins; it is now both part of the structure’s construction membrane, a tool for food production, and a web that facilitates the daily activities of the structure’s inhabitants, enmeshing time, culture, and space.

The project envisions a farm-leisure community that is self-sustaining, where electricity is produced from bespoke solar umbrella pods, and where the spaces largely utilize natural ventilation. It aims to blur the boundaries between what is natural and artificial in this structure, opening it to transformation throughout different seasons, rain or shine. A wellness grotto with salt water is also present, together with mud and dipping pools where a sensorial experience awaits its users. At night, the development shines and transforms into a glowing, plankton-like space with multi-level galleries, performance spaces, and lighthouse functionality.

Cagbalete Sand Clusters won the Food Category of the WAFX Awards this year, and the project  is also a finalist in the ‘Experimental’ category of the World Architecture Festival, to be held this December 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal.

3deluxe launches the first zero-emission super-yacht at the Monaco Yacht Show – as NFT!

Zero-Carbon Super-Yacht can be admired on SuperWorld in the port of Monaco

As one of the innovative highlights of the Monaco Yacht Show, design studio, 3deluxe, launched a zero-carbon super-yacht, which is available for purchase as an NFT (digitally encrypted token) on the SuperWorld auction platform.

To coincide with the Monaco Boat Show, the visionary yacht can be admired virtually against the backdrop of the Port of Monaco via the SuperWorld AR platform. Half of the funds raised from the sale will go towards the marine conservation organization, Sea Change Project, founded by the producers of the Oscar-winning film My Octopus Teacher.

Major Changes in Seafaring 

The challenges of climate change are forcing all industries to radically rethink the way they operate. In the technically ambitious world of yacht-building, there are some interesting developments that could pave the wave for achieving the goal of significant reduction in emissions from global seafaring

Some shipyards and technology companies have already made significant progress with the development of zero-carbon propulsion systems using fuel cells and are presenting the prospect of the first zero-carbon ships. Meanwhile, the architecture and design studio, 3deluxe, has many years of expertise in the design of expedition and cruise ships in various formats, and the studio is now presenting a design study for a zero-carbon super-yacht.

From Farm to Ocean: a Floating Garden of Eden

In addition to the technological innovations and the ambitious outer design, the interior of the yacht also sets new standards. The interior concept breaks with many conventions of yacht design to correspond with the visionary, nature-oriented philosophy of the project: A light-suffused, loft-like space forms a spacious room continuum consisting of a greenhouse, lounge living space, kitchen, bar, and vegetable garden. Luxury is rewritten entirely, with natural surroundings replacing acrylic glass and brass, and natural, healthy air replacing excessive air conditioning.

Healthy food cultivated on-board, fresh fish from the ocean, relaxation, workouts, online business meetings, celebrations with friends – all of this is possible within the inspiring ambiance of the paradisiacal biotope. The additional water needed for the plants is obtained through a seawater desalination system, which is powered by the zero-carbon solar panels on the roof and the exterior. Additionally, the master bedroom is an open-topped space within the greenhouse – with a view of the starry night sky. The open spatial concept corresponds to the modern living concepts of a new generation of yachts: open, unconventional, and close to nature.

Biophilic Super Yacht 

The simple, elegant exterior of the ship is characterized by a homogeneous, closed shape. Reduced and streamlined, the volume offers minimal resistance to wind and weather, and the hull merges seamlessly with the side façade right up to the highest point of the ship.

Sensor-controlled louvers are integrated into the raised side walls to regulate the amount of light reaching the upper decks, and they can be closed during fast sailing and adverse weather. The protected flat roof is glazed and lets daylight into the interior. Additionally, the side, sensor-controlled louvers also boast transparent photovoltaic cells, which provide power for air conditioning, lighting, and the desalination system.

The wheelhouse is unconventionally located at the bow, so the open sundeck behind it can extend seamlessly through into a generous, single-space interior concept. At the open stern, there is a saltwater pool and a small marina with direct access to the sea.

Private Yacht & Educative Vessel in One

Ideally, the ship’s future owners will make it available for educational and training purposes during lay-up periods.

The aim is to remove the elitist character of these kinds of private investments, and to use the project as a communicative platform for discussion of the complex challenges of our time – as a modern, innovative training ship for new and inspirational approaches for young people, students, and innovative start-ups, and as an unconventional venue for summits, conferences, and think tanks. Ideally, this would compensate somewhat for the consumption of resources involved in its construction.

Gentle Technologies for the Heavy Metal Sector

The most attractive and progressive key technology for zero-carbon propulsion of cruise ships and yachts is currently considered to be fuel cells driven by hydrogen. The hydrogen required for the fuel cells can either be refueled or produced locally using methanol from emissions-free production. Methanol is more readily available and less complex to handle than hydrogen and, with one full tank of bio-methanol, a fuel-cell yacht travelling at slow speed can still cover a distance of 1,000 nautical miles.

This technology currently remains expensive, but with the appropriate maturity and greater prospects for marketing, it will become increasingly affordable for commercial shipping. The silent electric engines, which can be distributed decentrally throughout the ship, also avoid any outward noise pollution, while the interior of the ship would likewise be unusually quiet and free of vibrations.

Yet it’s not only the operation, but also the construction of a yacht that needs to be as emission-free and as sparing in its use of resources as possible. There are already some innovative steel and aluminum producers in Norway and Germany who are driving down CO2 emissions considerably through the use of renewable energy, optimized manufacturing processes, and recycling. Similar optimization should apply to the entire manufacturing process of the yacht. After all, here too innovative yacht construction could be a driving force for an emissions-free future for the entire shipping industry.

About 3deluxe

3deluxe is a design studio based in Wiesbaden, which brings together approximately 40 creatives from the fields of architecture, interior design, and brand design. The multifaceted projects attract worldwide attention and include designs for expedition and cruise ships. The firm is currently working on projects in Germany, Lithuania, the USA, and Dubai.

Photos credit: 3deluxe

 

 

 

Future of Ontario Place to showcase new landmark entertainment and wellbeing destination, public beach, parkland, and cultural hub by Therme Group

Therme Group to create a year-round wellbeing destination – creating new opportunities for people to connect with Lake Ontario.  

Therme Group, a global wellbeing organization, is pleased to announce that it is working with the Government of Ontario and City of Toronto to contribute to the revitalization of Ontario Place. Therme Canada | Ontario Place will continue Ontario Place’s heritage revitalizing its original vision – celebrating the province and its culture and bringing a first-of-its-kind experience to Toronto’s waterfront.

Therme Canada | Ontario Place will be a family-friendly experience with stunning indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides and a wave pool, natural spaces to relax, sports performance and recovery services, and luscious botanical gardens. Programming will include fun and healthy activities for all ages, and affordable wellness therapies to meet all needs. Delicious, healthy, and sustainably produced food is a cornerstone of the Therme experience and, guests can enjoy family meals, dinner with friends, and spectacular date-night entertainment.

“Therme is a unique, all-season experience: It’s a natural urban oasis where people can have fun, relax and unwind from their busy lives – boosting their physical and mental health,” said Dr. Robert Hanea, CEO of Therme Group. “The future of Ontario Place will be defined by how successful it can be connecting people to the water. Through our technology and by engaging the community, Therme and our partners will add a new architectural landmark that will play a role in bringing more people back to the waterfront capturing the original spirit of Ontario Place from 50 years ago.”

“Ontario Place is an iconic and valuable location. Its redevelopment provides a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver something incredible for the people of Ontario,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “Therme Group’s advanced, accessible approach to holistic wellness is popular throughout Europe, and will be a welcome addition to Ontario Place – bringing a world-class, family-friendly wellness and cultural attraction to our province that creates unforgettable experiences for all visitors, while providing good jobs, and playing a key role in supporting Ontario’s social and economic recovery.”

Public Parks and Open Spaces 

Ontario Place has historically been a publicly accessible destination for recreation, entertainment, and leisure. Therme Canada | Ontario Place will carry on and improve traditions of public access to Ontario Place. Through the planned creation of over eight acres of public spaces, including a free-access public beach and enhanced pedestrian and cycling access, people will be able to better connect with the Lake.  Therme’s bridge to the West Island will support the extension and enhancement of the William G. Davis Trail across the entire site, including providing a new link to the mainland from the West Island, allowing people to enjoy more of Ontario Place outdoors year-round.  Therme also looks forward to continuing its engagement with people in Toronto to understand what other features or experiences it might be able to bring to this new public space on the waterfront.

Arts and Culture  

As part of its focus on holistic wellbeing, Therme Group supports arts and culture by working with local and internationally recognized artists and new emerging talents. It commissions and integrates art installations in each of its destinations, bringing immersive art to the public outside of the traditional spaces of museums and galleries.

Economic Benefits  

Every Therme Group project is designed to benefit the economy, society, and community it serves. Therme Canada will create over 2,200 construction jobs, 800 full time permanent positions, and can accommodate up to 3 million visitors to Ontario Place every year – supporting the city and province’s tourism sectors and post-pandemic recovery. Therme’s investment is currently estimated to be CAD $350 million.

About Therme Canada 

Therme Group is a global organization known for creating the world’s largest and most technologically advanced entertainment and wellbeing destinations. Every year it enables millions of people to have the opportunity for a healthy and sustainable vacation at home. Therme Group and its strategic partners operate four facilities in Europe and have more than 10 large-scale projects in the late stages of development worldwide. More information about Therme Canada can be found at thermecanada.com.