A former Czech distillery is transformed into a vibrant co-working space

Czech architecture practice KOGAA Studio has transformed a former distillery into the Social Reactor, a new co-working space in the heart of Brno, Czech Republic. The redesign preserves the 19th-century building’s post-industrial charms while inserting a bright and modern aesthetic. The formerly vacant building now serves as an active gathering space with the power to regenerate a post-industrial area.

Completed this year, the four-story property was originally part of a distillate factory founded by a Jewish family more than 200 years ago. The adaptive reuse project is accessed via an arched entryway that connects the street to a spacious outdoor entertaining space. This area, called The Yard, is complete with a pop-up bar integrated into a historic elevator — the cabin has been repurposed into a prep area, and the elevator shaft serves as the installation duct — and casual seating. The Yard also connects to a variety of indoor areas that include co-working spaces, offices, a dining area and a multipurpose events space. An upper floor houses a studio and workshop.

“One of the latest and most impactive structural interventions was carried out at the second and third level of the building, where the central beam system was removed to create a double height hall and two balconies facing the central space,” the architects explained in a project statement. “The former is meant for presentations, lectures and workshops, while the upper balconies are dedicated to designers’ ateliers and offices. The new program is distributed across all three levels of the building, and the multiple functions are spread out across different spaces, creating a dynamic and challenging working environment.”

Related: A former leather tannery is transformed into an apartment trio in Lisbon

One of the most recent additions is a two-story timber volume — built from recycled materials and clad in polycarbonate and corrugated plastic — that houses a shared meeting room, kitchenette, library and extra co-working spaces.

+ KOGAA Studio

Via ArchDaily

Images © BoysPlayNice

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/2LCOxqR
via Inhabitat

An urban farm and restaurant flourishes in Utrechts circular pavilion

A new restaurant celebrating sustainability has opened in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Designed by Dutch architecture firm cezeped, The Green House is a “circular” pavilion that houses a restaurant, urban farm and meeting center. Created as part of an initiative by Strukton Ballast Nedam and Albron, the experimental and temporary venue follows eco-friendly principles and features modular components so that it can be dismantled and moved to a new location in the future.

The Green House was born from a larger project that saw cepezed transform the former Knoopkazerne barracks on Croeselaan into a modern government office. Next to the office building was a vacant space that wouldn’t see development for the next 15 years; the developers asked the architects to create a temporary design that could reactivate that leftover lot. With the project’s relatively short lifespan in mind, the architects crafted a design based on the “principles of circularity” to ensure that the building could be rebuilt elsewhere in 15 years.

Related: Sustainable ‘circular economy’ principles inform Amsterdam’s flexible Circl pavilion

Modularity and reusability are at the heart of The Green House, a two-story pavilion with a removable steel frame. “The dimensions are derived from those of the smoke glass facade panels of the former Knoopkazerne; these have been re-used for the second skin and the greenhouse of the pavilion,” the architects explained. “The circularity of the building also lies in the choice of the right floor in the right place. Street clinkers from an old quay in Tiel replace the classic ground floor that has been poured. They are located on a compacted sand bed with underfloor heating.”

Related: Vertical Gardening 101

The first floor was constructed from prefabricated and recyclable timber elements, while the roof is sheathed in a lightweight and perforated steel sheet filled with insulation and topped with solar panels. The glass curtain wall lets in plenty of natural light so that artificial lighting is minimized. The restaurant occupies the ground floor, while the meeting rooms and the 80-square-meter vertical farming greenhouse are located upstairs. Restaurant patrons can see glimpses of the greenhouse from below and also enjoy views of an indoor green wall.

+ cezeped

Images by Lucas van der Wee/cepezed

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/2AftIwf
via Inhabitat

An old school bus is upcycled into an open-air theater in India

When Doaba Public School in Punjab, India decided to retire a 20-year-old school bus, it was reluctant to part ways with the vehicle. The bus had belonged to the school’s first fleet of school buses — now increased to a fleet of more than 50 vehicles — so, the administrators tapped Indian design practice Studio Ardete to reuse the decommissioned bus. The resulting design, called the Bavillion, is a geometric pavilion that’s integrated into the school and offers a play area, an open-air theater and a gallery space.

The 323-square-foot Bavillion serves the Doaba Public School located in the remote Punjabi village of Parowal. More than 2,500 students from over 100 villages travel — primarily on buses — to the school. Knowing how important buses are to the school, Studio Ardete was careful to keep the vehicle shape intact (including the steering wheel and driver’s seat) while gutting the interior to make way for a new gallery space lined with multi-faceted panels for texture. The pavilion structure was built on the outside of the bus as a “triangular prismatic volume,” and a deck was installed atop the roof of the bus.

The upcycled “Bus-Building” was also developed to teach the students and community about the circular economy and the benefits of recycling. The pavilion functions as a congregation space with bleacher seating for students and teachers, while the interior gallery offers insight and documentation on the school’s history over the past four decades.

Related: Old Greyhound bus converted into gorgeous tiny house on wheels

“The bond shared by the school bus and the school has thus found a new meaning,” Studio Ardete said in a project statement. “After serving more than 8,000 school trips and taking on the responsibility of a million student’s transfers, it finally rests as an integral part of the school. A play area, an open air theater, a gallery and above all a symbol that inculcates the importance of reuse and upcycling in the students so their vision for tomorrow can be driven toward a sustainable future.”

+ Studio Ardete

Images via Ar.Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/2NPznv3
via Inhabitat

Coca-Cola rewards recycling in the UK with half-priced theme park tickets

Many theme-park visitors in the U.S. are familiar with using bottles or cans of soda they’ve purchased to score a discounted entry to their favorite attractions. Now, the U.K. is joining in with “reverse vending machines” to reward visitors instantly for recycling. Merlin, owner and operator of several U.K. resort theme parks, has teamed up with Coca-Cola to boost recycling and combat litter pollution in the U.K.

As part of Coca-Cola’s rewards program, visitors may now deposit their finished 500 ml beverage containers into “reverse vending machines” and obtain 50 percent off vouchers in exchange for their environmental contribution.

“We want to reward people for doing the right thing by recycling their bottles and hope to encourage some people who wouldn’t otherwise have done so,” Jon Woods, general manager of Coca-Cola U.K. and Ireland, told The Guardian.

The machines are installed at four Merlin-operated attractions: Chessington World of Adventures, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and LEGOLAND. But those who are rewarded with discounts can use their prizes at any of the 30 attractions operated by Merlin in the country. The promotion is planned to continue until mid-October, when most of the parks will shut down for the winter season.

Related: This floating park in Rotterdam is made from recycled plastic waste

Of the 13 billion plastic bottles sold yearly in the U.K., only 7.5 billion are recycled, according to a report by the Guardian. This initiative is hoping to shift these statistics more favorably while also eliminating the 700,000 bottles that are littered daily. “All of our bottles can be recycled, and we want to get as many of them back as possible, so they can be turned into new bottles and not end up as litter,” Woods said. According to research by Coca-Cola, 64 percent of people in the U.K. would be more inclined to recycle more if they were instantly compensated for their actions.

The move to encourage recycling at theme-parks comes after Co-op, the first retailer in the U.K. to launch deposit return trials with the reverse vending machines, reported positive feedback from its partnership with popular summer music festivals. This recycling movement will help tackle the stresses government officials face in light of growing land and marine pollution.

+ Coca-Cola

Via The Guardian and BusinessGreen

Image via Shutterstock

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/2uUmN6x
via Inhabitat

University of Queensland wants to drop "bommies" on the Great Barrier Reef

Experts at the University of Queensland are experimenting with a new way of saving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – one of the most endangered natural environments on the planet – and their strategy might surprise you. Researchers in the university’s Civil Engineering and Biological Sciences department have been salvaging portions of dead coral and recycling them into new structures. They hope that the project will not only protect still-active parts of the reef, but restore it with new life as well.

University scientists are collaborating with engineering, science and technology consulting firm BMT to create netted structures that contain unstable rubble made up of dead coral, with the goal of transforming them into bombora. Bombora, or “bommies” as Australians have dubbed them, are large pillars of coral that serve as a habitat for myriad fish species and – when strategically positioned – may help repair the reef in a natural, non-invasive manner.

Related: Australia is investing over $377 million to save the Great Barrier Reef

The team has received funding from the Australian and Queensland governments that will allow it to commence pilot testing on the project. If the reef is not aided by external forces, it may not be able to survive the coral bleaching events of 2016 and 2017. While other projects have been suggested, including using giant fans in an attempt to cool down reef waters or developing films to shield the coral from increased sunlight exposure, the bommies would represent a more sustainable and natural endeavor.

Professor Tom Baldock, who is working on the project, explains, “on a healthy reef, the wave energy is reduced by the coral structure, enabling broken coral to naturally bind to form a stable layer, initially through the growth of crustose coralline algae, or CCA. CCA helps bind coral rubble together to create the framework for reefs and releases chemicals which attract free-swimming coral larvae.” The research team is working hard in their race against the clock to establish this organic foundation and protect one of the Earth’s most beautiful yet endangered habitats.

+University of Queensland

Via NewAtlas

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/2mLg7Du
via Inhabitat

This family tiny home is built from recycled materials and reclaimed wood

Tiny homes have been in the limelight for several years, but what makes Margo and Eric Puffenberger’s custom-built tiny house unique is the many recycled materials that were sourced from their family members. Throughout the Puffenberger tiny home, you’ll find wood from Margo’s grandparents and sister, shelves made from her great-great-grandmother’s buffet and windows and a door from her old, demolished elementary school.

Building the nearly 190-square-foot house was prompted by a casual car conversation. The 4- and 6-year-old kids, Avery and Bennett, loved the idea, and the rest is history. First, the couple bought a used 16-foot trailer with a 10,000-pound towing capacity. Margo sketched out the floor plans, and construction for the tiny home began. The couple chose cedar siding for the exterior based on its light-weight and low-maintenance qualities as well as how lovely it ages. A durable standing seam roof complements the cedar.

Plenty of windows provide natural ventilation and light — some windows were retrieved from the now-defunct elementary school. The bathroom door was also salvaged from the school and glides like a barn door. The couple designed screened window systems that hook open from the inside encourage air flow while discouraging bugs from coming into the home.

Related: A couple turns a Mercedes Sprinter into a solar-powered home on wheels

The tiny home’s walls are covered in white oak and beechwood salvaged from the grandparents’ corn crib. This wood was also used to build sleeping and storage lofts as well as kitchen counters, the shower basin cabinet, trim and half of the floors — the remainder is tongue-and-groove maple flooring salvaged from Margo’s sister’s old farmhouse. The kitchen cupboards are crafted from her great-great-grandmother’s buffet. Eric designed and built a couch with a fold-out bed and window seat that converts into a dining table.

The Puffenbergers hit their goal of completing the project in less than two years. Just this month, the family traveled from Ohio to Colorado with their home in tow, and it was a family adventure they’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Via Tiny House Talk

Images via Margo Puffenberger

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/2JTs3w9
via Inhabitat

Escape to paradise in this nature-inspired surf hotel in Costa Rica

A beloved surfer hangout has been transformed into the stunning Gilded Iguana Hotel, a breezy and contemporary getaway that, despite its updated amenities, still exudes its original laid-back atmosphere. Located in the Costa Rican beach town of Nosara, the existing hotel was expanded and redesigned under the direction of Studio Saxe, a San Jose-based architecture firm renowned for its beautiful boutique hotel designs. Together with the owners, the architects sensitively restored and revitalized the originally run-down wooden house while imbuing it with bioclimatic design principles as well as other energy-saving systems including a solar photovoltaic panels and water recycling.

Spanning an area of approximately 57,500 square feet, the Gilded Iguana Hotel includes a reception, spa, restaurant and bedroom suites all clustered around the communal pool located at the heart of the development. The renovated timber house is visually tied to the new structures through a shared natural materials palette that includes simple wood frames and balconies with hand-made palm thatch “palapas.” The nature-inspired palette continues indoors where sustainably sourced teak, palm thatch, jute fabric and concrete tiles are used alongside modern and locally crafted tropical furniture.

“The Gilded Iguana Hotel is designed as a harmonious ‘dialogue’ between the tropical identity of the past and a new toned-down, unpretentious and timeless tropical modernity that sits softly in the landscape and reflects the relaxed town atmosphere which most wish to preserve,” explained Benjamin Garcia Saxe, principal architect and founder of Studio Saxe.

Related: Scandinavian-inspired hotel emerges from the lush Costa Rican landscape

As with many of Studio Saxe’s projects, the Gilded Iguana Hotel was largely informed by passive solar principles to naturally achieve a comfortable climate year-round. Locally sourced materials and labor were used to help create jobs for the community and reduce the project’s environmental impact. Water is recycled through water treatment systems, and solar energy is harnessed through solar hot water collectors and photovoltaic panels.

+ Studio Saxe

Images by Andres Garcia Lachner

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/2LvvCxp
via Inhabitat

A 1950s house receives a bioclimatic renovation in Mexico

When Mexican architecture practice Hector Delmar Arquitectura was tapped to renovate a dark and dated 1950s house in the city of Naucalpan, it did more than just update the dwelling to modern standards. The architects dramatically opened the existing structure up to light and the outdoors, expanded the footprint to a site area of 8,288 square feet and applied bioclimatic and sustainable strategies such as radiant floors and solar photovoltaic panels. The breezy home — called the C260 House — erases boundaries between the light-filled interiors and the lushly-planted landscape.

Set on an old garden with large trees, the original 1950s flat-roofed house suffered from a lack of ventilation. In renovating the building, the architects began by tearing back layers of materials applied to the building after numerous alterations to reveal 21-centimeter-thick brick walls and concrete slabs that the architects retained as their starting point. The team also knocked down some walls to expose the home to cross breezes and installed thin protruding roofs to offer shelter from the elements and to give the residence an airy pavilion-like feel throughout.

The team also focused on using reclaimed and recycled materials in renovating the old home. “Carpentry and wooden features were reclaimed from demolition, also timber beams were reclaimed from a demolished restaurant nearby and used for shading the terrace and other additions,” the architects said.

Related: This sustainable bioclimatic home is made of volcanic ash and prickly pear fibers

The primary rooms of the home were moved to the new addition, while the old structure is now used for secondary functions including a gymnasium, three bathrooms, a dressing room, pool and service areas. Outdoor areas were carved from the garden to further emphasize the home’s connection with the landscape, and the concrete slab slopes were modified to capture storm water and to optimize thermal mass. The house is also equipped with solar hot water heaters, water pumps, radiant floors and a solar array.

+ Hector Delmar Arquitectura

Via ArchDaily

Images via Luis Gordoa

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/2LwtDbT
via Inhabitat