Education Executive Agency & Tax Office by UNStudio

Education Executive Agency & Tax Office by UNStudio UNStudio/Ben van Berkel and consortium DUO² complete swirling commercial tower A new, 92 meter tall complex of soft, undulating curves marks the skyline of Groningen. This asymmetric, aerodynamic construction is set amidst small, ancient woodland, sheltering rare and protected species. The project includes the design, construction and financing of two public institutions; the national tax offices and the student loan administration. The commission from the RGD (National Buildings Service) includes, besides the architecture, the management and building maintenance and care of facilities and services for a period of 20 years. Accommodating 2,500 workstations, parking facilities for 1,500 bicycles and 675 cars in an underground garage, the building will be surrounded by a large public city garden with pond and a multifunctional pavilion with commercial functions.  The governmental office complex is built as part of a far-reaching form of public-private partnership (DBFMO) that is designed to effectuate on a more efficient use of public funds. The design, construction, financing, managing and maintenance of the building was hosted by one consortium consisting of Strukton, Ballast Nedam and John Laing. This consortium won the competition for the project on the basis of a combination of esthetic, technical and financial criteria. UNStudio, as the architect of the project, collaborated with Lodewijk Baljon for the landscape design, Arup for the engineering and Studio Linse as the interior advisor.  The design for the Education Executive Agency and Tax Office building, accommodating 2,500 employees, reflects and caters for the separate identities of both user groups, whilst simultaneously creating synergy by means of shared use of secondary spaces – among which underground parking facilities, public gardens, a central hall and a pavilion for commercial functions. The aerodynamic form of the building has been achieved as the result of extensive sun and wind studies. The terraces, rounded corners and façade design guarantee minimum disruption to the microclimate of the surrounding urban green space, known as the 'Sterrenbos', whilst integrating sun shading, wind regulation, daylight penetration and construction in one concept, with the result that both material and energy use are minimised. Sustainability Designed by UNStudio, the building is one of the most environmentally-friendly buildings in the Netherlands, particularly in the high-rise building category. It is economical with energy, economical in the use of water and the greatest possible use is made of environmentally-friendly materials. In order to keep energy consumption as low as possible, long-term energy storage is used. By means of long-term energy storage 'coldness' can be drawn directly from the ground and used for cooling. Heat also comes from the ground and can be used for heating after a limited and highly cost-effective addition of energy. This leaves the way open for an innovative ventilation concept based on overpressure. The result is a considerable saving in primary energy. Summary: Client of the consortium: Dutch Government Buildings Agency (RGD) Client UNStudio: Consortium DUO² (Strukton, Ballast Nedam, John Laing) Program: Office building (phase A); underground parking (phase B); public city garden, pavilion (phase C) Building surface: 48.040m² offices, 21.000m² parking, 1.500m² pavilion Building volume: 215.000m³ Building site: 31.134m² Status: Completed Credits: UNStudio: Ben van Berkel, Caroline Bos, Gerard Loozekoot with Jacques van Wijk, Frans van Vuure, Lars Nixdorff and Jesca de Vries, Ramon van der Heijden, Alicja Mielcarek, Eric den Eerzamen, Wendy van der Knijff, Machiel Wafelbakker, Timothy Mitanidis, Maud van Hees, Pablo Herrera Paskevicius, Martijn Prins, Natalie Balini, Peter Moerland, Arjan van der Bliek, Alexander Hugo, Gary Freedman, Jack Chen, Remco de Hoog, Willi van Mulken, Yuri Werner, Machteld Kors, Leon Bloemendaal, Erwin Horstmanshof. Consortium DUO2, Partners: Strukton Integrale Projecten BV, Ballast Nedam Concessies B.V, John Laing Infrastructure Limited

Twirl Posted: 21 Apr 2011 04:28 PM PDT Twirl by Zaha Hadid ARCHITECTS with LEA CERAMICHE lighting Artemide 11 April – 23 April Interni Mutant Architecture & Design Concept This project is a contemporary interpretation of the architecture of the 18thcentury courtyard of the State University of Milan, translated and transformed from rigid Cartesian geometries into the linear fluidity of dynamic space. Adapting to the natural contours of the courtyard and the forces that converge towards its center, the project emphasizes the slope of the arches, creating a powerful vortex of spatial distortion that favors dialogue with the surrounding colonnade. The development of the complex three-dimensional curved geometries of the installation, starting with the flat ceramic tiles, adds another level of complexity to the whole. Visitors are encouraged to explore the sculptural sensibility and formal dynamic of different elements in which the balanced relationship between solids and voids expresses the project solution. Each individual piece can be interpreted not only as a whole, but also as a captured fragment of a magnetic field. A certain margin of strangeness introduces a stimulus that has evolved between latent force and physical material. Project The project consists of laminated stoneware sheets (Slimtech by Lea Ceramiche), 1 meter wide, cut at various heights, up to 2 metres. The edges follow the elegant flow of the geometry that corresponds to an overall tiled surface of 800 m2. Each panel is composed of two overlapping layers of ultra-thin tiles of 3 mm. For the installation 7 different color codes have been used, creating shadings from white to black. Seen from the side, the various colors give rise to constant changes of appearance, taking advantage of the changes in the daylight and the nature of the curvature. The installation transforms the courtyard into a space that constantly alters its form and color, depending on multiple perspectives. The platform realigns the deformed grid of the colonnade to the pixelated floor tiles and underscores the shadow of the vertical tiles. Lea Ceramiche Excellence, innovation, enthusiasm, aesthetics, competency and reliability: these are the founding values of Lea Ceramiche, the Fiorano Modenese-based company which designs and produces floor and wall ceramics for all kinds of settings. The company's ability to innovate lies in its continuous experimentation, which leads to the development of cutting-edge production systems and technologies and allows Lea Ceramiche to supply its customers with a wide range of high quality products which lie at the top end of the market in terms of excellent technical performance and design qualities. Slimtech is one example of this: the revolutionary laminated stoneware, just 3 mm thick and extra-sized at 1 x 3 metres, suited for uses which until now have not been accessible to traditional ceramics and protagonist of the installation by Zaha Hadid for Interni Mutant Architecture & Design 2011. Lea Ceramiche is part of Panariagroup Industrie Ceramiche, a leading international ceramics group quoted in the Star segment of the Italian stock exchange, which also owns the brands Panaria, Cotto d'Este, Fiordo, Blustyle, Margres, Love Tiles and Florida Tile. Artemide A series of LED RGB lights (Algoritmo lamps specially produced by Artemide, designed by Carlotta De Bevilacqua) spread light from the center toward the edges of the site to the colonnade, lighting the existing architecture and forming a link between the rigid Cartesian setting and the linear fluidity of the installation. Cortile del 700 installation Twirl (30 x 30 x h 2 m) project by Zaha Hadid ARCHITECTS with LEA CERAMICHE – lighting ARTEMIDE

 

Dr. EMAD H. ISMAEEL

                  Dept. of Architecture E-mail:        emadhanee@yahoo.com

                  University of Mosul

                  Mosul - Iraq

                  emadhanee@gmail.com

Web Site:   http://sites.google.com/site/emadhanee/

                  http://emadhani.blogspot.com/

Tel :           +964 (0)770 164 93 74