#books #architecture | Architecture of Pica Ciamarra Associati : from urban fragments to ecological systems

Architecture of Pica Ciamarra Associati : from urban fragments to ecological systems / Antonietta Iolanda Lima.
Stuttgart [etc.] : Axel Menges, 2019.
354 p. : il.
ISBN 9783869050201
/ EN / Libros / Arquitectura – Siglo XX – Italia / Pica Ciamarra Associati
ehuBiblioteka BCG A-72PICA ARC
https://ehu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1107989225

[.en] This monograph is the result of an intensive period of work and consists of two interacting parts which reveal the origins and development of the architectural work of Pica Ciamarra Associati in different ways, underpinned by an approach that shows great awareness of environmental issues and problems. It contains an extensive general bibliography and a bibliography for the individual designs. The final part combines many different aspects as they evolved year after year: the development of the work of the studio -designs, architecture, participation in competitions, writings, publications- critical interest, awards, monographic exhibitions in Italy and abroad.

Since 1970, based in an isolated building situated on the peninsula of Posillipo, Pica Ciamarra Associati has acted as a laboratory of architectural and urban design which has gradually incorporated new members and new energies over the time: using a multidisciplinary approach, the roots of the architectural practice lie in the intensive theoretical and practical work begun in the early 1960s by Massimo Pica Ciamarra. Since then the practice has been marked by a continuous relationship with Le Carre Bleu Feuille internationale darchitecture and leading members of the cultural milieu of Team 10: this has led to constant attention to everything that lies beyond form, to the relation ship with contexts that also include non-spatial contexts, and to high levels of integration and dialectical discussion. According to Pica Ciamarra Associati, a design transcends the approaches of a single sector, providing simultaneous solutions to contradictory requirements, combining utopia and practicality. The poetics of the fragment: it mediates between architecture and the urban dimension; some designs also have the aim of becoming absorbed within a context as 'informed fragments'. This monograph is the result of an intensive period of work and consists of two interacting parts. It stems from research into the archive of the studio Pica Ciamarra and conversation with the members of the architectural practice. Organised diachronically, the book tells the long story, unfolding over a period of over fifty years of a team of Neapolitan architects and designers, who have maintained the lively spirit of the practice which is still geared towards the future. The textual and iconographic account tells a story and offers an interpretation that highlight the vibrant atmosphere of the studio, based on a consistency of thought and action, and fuelled by an interest in many different forms of knowledge. The contextualisation of the events related to the studio, as they unfolded over time, is wide-ranging, coherent and connotative. Antonietta Iolanda Lima, professor of history of architecture at the University of Palermo, has always tried, through theory, teaching and design, to disseminate the importance of history which can embracing innovation and tradition to an equal degree, forming a new architectural language. According to her view of architecture, history and design are closely connected, a 'single entity' as is reflected by her career. Since the 1980s, her academic work has gained increasing importance, a way of avoiding narrow sectoral approaches in the training of future architects, offering a holistic stance of the history of architecture and an architecture that contributes to shaping critical thought and a thriving cultural life.

#books #architecture | A home of one's own : émigré architects and their houses : 1920-1960

A home of one's own : Emigrierte Architekten und ihre Häuser = émigré architects and their houses : 1920-1960 / herausgegeben von = edited by Burcu Dogramaci, Andreas Schätzke.
Stuttgart [etc.] : Axel Menges, 2019.
Ed. bilingüe alemán – inglés.
ISBN 9783869050089
/ EN / DE / Libros / Arquitectos – Biografías / Arquitectura – Siglo XX /Arquitectura doméstica / Casas indiviuales
ehuBiblioteka BCG A-728.3 HOM
https://ehu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1101429656

[.en] When architects design a house for themselves, the often tense relationship between clients and builders is usually absent. That is why in many such buildings the architect-designer’s artistic stance and political position, preferences and antipathies, temperament and character are more pronounced than usual. Moreover the architectural theories, debates and trends of an epoch also leave their traces in them in a particular way. We encounter both attach- ment to tradition and commitment to the avant-garde, willingness to experiment and pragmatism, distinctive artistry and views shaped by the fact that a building is also a product of engineering. And last but not least, expressed in their houses are the personal life circumstances of the people concerned, or the messages the houses are meant to convey above and beyond their actual pur- pose: as a »manifesto«, as the »self-portrait« of the architect, but also as an advertising tool or as a sign of connection to specific milieus or positions. 

Building for oneself has a special connotation under the condi- tions of migration and exile. Among the most prominent examples are the private homes of Rudolph Schindler in West Hollywood (1921/1922), Richard Neutra in Los Angeles (1932), Walter Gropius in Lincoln, Massachusetts (1937/1938), Ernst May near Nairobi (1937/1938), Bruno Taut in Istanbul (1937/1938), Ernö Goldfinger in London (1937/1939), Marcel Breuer in New Canaan, Connecticut (1947/1948 and 1951), Josep Lluís Sert in Lattingtown, New York (1947/1950) and Max Cetto in Mexico City (1948/1949). 

What expression could voluntary migration or forced change of location find in these buildings? To what extent do the architects’ other buildings differ from such »homes of one’s own« in a foreign country, to use an expression borrowed and modified from Virginia Woolf? 

The book is a collection of contributions by internationally renowned authors and examines not only the buildings themselves but also other aspects of the topic that have hitherto received little attention.

Burcu Dogramaci teaches art history at the Ludwig-Maximilians- Universität of Munich. Her research focuses on exile and migration, and 20th-century and contemporary art and architecture. Architec- tural historian Andreas Schätzke teaches at the Hochschule Wismar. Among his key research areas are 20th-century architecture and urban development, and migration and cultural transfer in the field of architecture and the visual arts.

#books #architecture | The Weissenhofsiedlung : experimental housing built for the Deutscher Werkbund, Stuttgart, 1927

The Weissenhofsiedlung : experimental housing built for the Deutscher Werkbund, Stuttgart, 1927 / Karin Kirsch ; drawings from architects' final plans by Gerhard Kirsch.
Axel Menges, Stuttgart [etc.] : 2013.
223 p. : il. bl. y n.
ISBN 9783936681604
Arquitectura -- Siglo XX -- Alemania.
Arquitectura doméstica -- Alemania.
Stuttgart (Alemania)
Sbc Aprendizaje A-728.1 WEI
http://millennium.ehu.es/record=b1825958~S1*spi

The fundamental significance of the Weissenhofsiedlung in Stuttgart for the history of early modern architecture should not be underestimated. Almost all the influential architects of the 20th century built their proposed solutions in response to the theme "a home for modern city dwellers" on the beautifully located slope on the north side of Stuttgart. The choice of architects and the fact that a project of this type could be implemented at all so few years after World War I and the inflation, is one of the outstanding characteristics of this building exhibition". The German Werkbund is aware, and points out most emphatically that so important a task can only be successful and have a major impact if it is not only carried out in a technically flawless manner but also creates trend-setting architectonic solutions. The Werkbund therefore recommends to the city of Stuttgart that leading architects be commissioned with planning the exhibition and thus assuming a leading role in the construction of modern housing both in Germany and abroad. This memorandum, dated January 1926, concludes with the following appeal: It is now up to the municipal council whether this event, so crucial for the promotion of our housing, will be able to take place in Stuttgart in 1927. An interesting situation thus arose: members of the municipal council had to decide on the merits of this pioneering project. The majority voted for it. The result: 25 yes votes, 11 no votes and 6 abstentions. How did this project ever come to Stuttgart, anyway? What made it possible was a favourable constellation of both personnel and chronological circumstances. Gustaf Stotz must be regarded as the project's initiator. It was he who managed to fire up the enthusiasm of the leadership of the German Werkbund and of the city about the project. It is also thanks to him that Mies van der Rohe undertook to be its artistic director. Mies and many of the architects of the Weissenhofsiedlung were relatively young and not established. They had a fine reputation in avantgarde circles, but hardly outside them. Moreover, in the German Werkbund the entire project was regarded as not really important -- a sort of practice piece for a "world building exhibition" that would take place in Berlin in 1930.

#books #photography | Rheinbrücken = Rhine Bridges

Rheinbrücken = Rhine Bridges / Thomas Riehle ; mit einem Essay von = with an esay by Gottfried Knapp.
Axel Menges, Stuttgart [etc.] : 2015.
250 p. : principalmente il., fot.
Texto en alemán e inglés.
ISBN 9783936681741
Fotografía de arquitectura.
Puentes -- Diseño.
Rhin.
Sbc Aprendizaje A-(0.021)A RHE
http://millennium.ehu.es/record=b1825954~S1*spi

Manfred Sack, in an essay about bridges: The Latin word relegere means to connect. The assumption is that this is the basis of the word religion. The chief priest in Rome was the pontifex maximus, the highest builder of bridges between man and god, between this world and the other world. The Germanic tribes saw the bridge in the rainbow physically before them, it was their road of light to Valhalla. For those who are disheartened, drugs are the bridge of escape into other, very illusory, worlds of experience. Tradition builds bridges from yesterday to tomorrow. There are so many bridges: music, a letter, the sounds of a radio, phone conversations, light signals, Morse signals, calls. The building of bridges is thus not only a physical process, but a spiritual and emotional event, a longing felt by the soul. No wonder that those who design and calculate bridges, who build them and therefore take risks, at least subconsciously sense some of the extrasensory significance of their sensory activity. And this is all the more true when we are talking about the bridges across the Rhine, the most important European river, which is wreathed in myths and legends and has inspired poetry and music like no other. Until the 19th century it was crossed almost exclusively by means of ferries. With the onset of industrialisation, more and more goods had to be transported increasingly rapidly. Today, over 250 bridges cross the river. They too now shape the unsurpassed diversity of the Rhine landscape. Since 1987, Riehle has photographed some 150 Rhine bridges from the rivers headwaters in Switzerland to the Rhines delta in the Netherlands. The most interesting 100 bridges are published in this book.

#books #architecture | Healthy homes in tropical zones : improving rural housing in Asia and Africa

Healthy homes in tropical zones : improving rural housing in Asia and Africa / Jakob Knudsen, Lorenz von Seidlein ; with contributions by Bart Knols ... [et al.].
Axel Menges, Stuttgart [etc.] : 2014.
299 p. : il.
ISBN 9783936681819
Arquitectura popular -- África.
Arquitectura popular -- Asia.
Arquitectura y clima.
Casas rurales.
Sbc Aprendizaje A-728.6 HEA
http://millennium.ehu.es/record=b1825952~S1*spi

Early nomadic shelters, including caves, animal skin tents, and igloos, were used for protection against wind, rain, snow, sunlight, and other forces of nature. These basic homes also provided defence against predators and were used to store a few important possessions. They were temporary, and proximity to a water source was of prime importance. For hunters and gatherers, shelter was an important aspect of survival. Health and comfort were not yet under consideration. As civilisation evolved, housing became more permanent, with increasing attention to well-being. The housing and utilities available in rich countries are vastly different from those in poorer settings. Unlike in industrialised countries where piped-in water, indoor toilets, and sewage systems are the norm, in the developing world these facilities are often not available. Waterborne enteric diseases, preventable by the supply of safe water, hand washing, and appropriate sanitation, continue to be a major disease burden in poor countries. Vector-borne diseases that can be controlled by screening and other barrier methods also remain an important health problem. Safe, comfortable, and healthy homes are an essential requisite for healthy living around the world, irrespective of culture or socio-economic status. Throughout the tropics there is a huge diversity in house design and use of building supplies based on centuries of indigenous experience, customs, and availability of local resources for construction. These differences in building style and materials affect the indoor conditions and comfort of occupants, which in turn influence the occupants exposure to certain infectious diseases. In this book the authors describe the architectural designs and materials of rural houses in two countries in Asia (Thailand, Philippines) and two in Africa (The Gambia, Tanzania). They analyse the effect of design on the indoor climate and relate these factors to health, notably the risk of mosquito-borne infectious diseases such as malaria. Based on their findings and a detailed understanding of local building styles and preferences, they describe a series of house modifications that could enhance comfort whilst reducing health risks.

#books #architecture | Towards an ecology of tectonics : the need for rethinking construction in architecture

Towards an ecology of tectonics : the need for rethinking construction in architecture / editors, Anne Beim, Ulrik Stylsvig Madsen ; editorial board, Charlotte Bundgaard, Karl Christiansen, Thomas Bo Jensen ; authors, Claus Bech-Danielsen ... [et al.].
Axel Menges, Stuttgart [etc.] : 2014.
207 pages : il.
ISBN 9783936681864
Arquitectura -- Teoría.
Construcción.
Sbc Aprendizaje A-72.01 TOW
http://millennium.ehu.es/record=b1825955~S1*spi

The global resources situation and the climate crisis are amongst the biggest challenges faced by mankind today. In the years to come, these issues will no doubt have an influence on societal evolution, on urban and rural land development, and how we define our cultural identities. These and related issues will be reflected in the world of architecture. In recent years many countries with high energy consumption have made the energy-related requirements for buildings more stringent; the new rules apply to the resources used for construction as well as to those used in the operation of buildings. In the future, these new requirements will have a major impact on the design of buildings.

It will not be sufficient merely to increase the insulation thickness or to make the building envelope more airtight. Solutions of this type have an adverse impact on the architectural design, on the construction practices, on the indoor environment and on options for making buildings flexible so that they can be adapted for diverse uses over time. Equally important in terms of its impact on architectural quality is the challenge posed by the continuous growth of industrialisation.

The move from craft-based construction methods to computer-controlled production processes now used in industrialised manufacturing has resulted in strict standards, established at design level, being imposed on the process as it takes place on the building site, creating an "assembly architecture" that no longer depends on the locally available materials, on local cultural traditions or on the specific physical context. In this book, ideas, design principles and practices that relate to tectonics in architecture are explored, and a series of themes are discussed in relation to various concepts of ecology. Ecology is, in this case, defined in its widest sense, which includes the cycling of resources, systems of social organisation and the environmental context.

Tectonics a concept with a long tradition in architecture and architectural theory is comparable to ecology. It relates to the de-sign and assembly of structural elements, and implies a holistic approach to materials, to construction technology and to the design of structures. It is more than merely an instrumental strategy: it extends into the poetic, which elevates it to the status of a cultural practice. This book is part of a research project conducted by leading academics associated with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture, the Aarhus School of Architecture and the Danish Building Research Institute. With contributions from a wider network of academic experts and from practicing architects, it provides the first comprehensive representation of contemporary tectonic thought and practices in architecture.

#books #architecture | Konstantin Melnikov and his house

Konstantin Melnikov and his house / Fritz Barth.
Axel Menges, Stuttgart [etc.] : 2015.
63 p. : il.
ISBN 9783936681901
Casas individuales -- Rusia.
Melnikov, Konstantin, 1870-1974.
Moscú (Rusia)
Sbc Aprendizaje A-728.3 KON
http://millennium.ehu.es/record=b1824967~S1*spi

Konstantin Melnikov (1890–1974) is unquestionably one of the outstanding architects of the 20th century—in spite of the fact that he fell silent early, leaving behind only limited work that was insufficiently publicized, and restricted almost exclusively to Moscow, the city of his birth in which he spent nearly his entire life and which did not appreciate him. He was raised in humble circumstances, but enjoyed an excellent education. Beginning in the mid-1920s, after the turmoil that followed the war, revolution and civil war, his career soared at almost meteoric speed as he took the lead in the young Soviet architecture movement with completely autonomous, highly artistic buildings that were free from dogmatism of any kind. Even more rapid than his rise to fame was his downfall: Treated with general hostility, he was unable to defend himself against the accusation of formalism when Stalin put an end to architectural ventures and experiments around the mid-1930s. He was expelled from the architects' association and was banned from practicing as an architect for the remaining four decades of his life.

In the late 1920s, at the peak of his career, he had the opportunity to build a house for himself and his family in Moscow, in which he was then able to live until the end of his life. This house, a memorable symbiosis of almost peasantlike simplicity and extreme radicalness, is one of the most impressive, surprising and probably most enigmatic works produced by 20th-century architecture. Its simplicity is only outward; in reality this is a highly complex work which links together the elements of architecture explicitly and inextricably, which takes a clear and completely autonomous stand and which, in a way that little else has done, raises the question as to the nature of genuinely architectonic thinking. In essayistic form the book attempts to follow the paths laid out in the architect’s work from the perspective of an architect.