architecture without context
Contextualism in architecture refers to the visual relationship of a building about its surroundings. Architecture is the single unit interwoven into an urban fabric. Added collectively, these interconnected units engage a dialogue concerning the culture, time and history of a place. Contextualism creates an environment where memories of a place are collected together.
mock-ups
We employ mock-ups to assess, in real scale, the performance of specific architectural features and carry out design reviews.
handover and as-built documentation
The handover and as-built documentation include drawing up plans and documents reflecting the project’s construction status, which may be used for maintenance operations or as a reference point for further interventions.
the significant value of design in real estate
Good design might be treated as a qualitative aspect at first, but when incorporated into the real estate market, it opens a whole realm of possibilities in the quantitative aspects. Studies show that the integration of design in real estate development indeed reaps its rewards in the financial terms if appropriately used.
hors site #10
Hors Site is a magazine that brings together the world of manufacturing and building technology. The publication promotes a cultural and technical exchange to find sustainable and efficient construction methods.
the value of unconventional thought
The word innovation has been tossed around back and forth for decades, and the real essence of it has been muddled. Times change, and so do we. Survival is a basic human necessity. We need to adapt to survive. What works perfectly in the past may not work in the present, and even in the […]
AQSO launches urban research Hutopolis
“Hutopolis” is a research program that aims to investigate new boundaries for the urban development in China. The study intends to re-use and enhance the existing urban framework and networks as a key idea to generate a new evolution of the city. AQSO organises an exhibition curated by Giannantonio Bongiorno and Luis Aguirre, with the […]
learning from Dashilar
Organized by ‘Beijing Design Week’, Dashila(b) and Capital M, the event included speakers such Kenya Hara, designer from Nippon Design Center and director of design for MUJI, Fang Zhenning, curator of the Chinese pavilion of the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale, Liang Jingyu, architect from Approach Architecture, Giannantonio Bongiorno, curator of Hutopolis and Luis Aguirre from […]
unmade in China
While much attention – and some criticism – has been focused on major completed works in China, little is known of those projects that disappear, fizzle out, or sit abandoned.
Lisbon Architecture Triennale
Next October AQSO will participate at the third edition of the 2013 Lisbon Architecture Triennale presenting the documentary ‘3×3 projects in contexts’ at the ‘Expo 7×7 Iberian Architecture’.
wavescape
The old ambition of producing a really moving architecture succeeds when it responds to the site and brief requirements. The proposal for the thematic pavilion of the 2012 Yeosu international exhibition has a focus for the people to experience and understand this liquid element through the specific place in which it is located: the ocean.
communicating design with 3D prints
Architecture starts with an idea. It is the communication of a vision into a concrete form. Translating this concept into 2D visual presentations has always been the norm. With the advent of 3D printing, the interpretation of an idea into a tangible physical model is now garnering attention.
Iberian architecture in Beijing
AQSO participated at LAMIPA, an audiovisual exhibition about Spanish and Portuguese architecture which opening took place in Beijing on September 25.
arquia proxima 2012
Arquia/próxima is a cultural program sponsored by the Caja de Arquitectos foundation aiming to support Spanish Architects.
mark magazine
This Duch magazine about architecture features on the first pages of the October edition the ‘wavescape’ project, a proposal for the thematic pavilion of the Yeosu Expo in Korea.
why choosing colours is harder than it looks
Colours are all around us, and they have a powerful psychological effect on our emotions and behaviours. But what is colour, why do we see it the way we do and how colourful architecture can impact our actions and emotions?
technical reports
Technical reports are documents that describe the characteristics of the project from different approaches, complementing the information provided in the drawings with scientific data.
finishes specification
Finishes specification involves detailing a list of all the materials in the final parts of the project. The file contains commercial products available in the market following technical, functional, aesthetic, and economic criteria ‒ price and maintenance costs.
process
PROCESS strives to create a more valuable design methodology in the fields of architecture, interior, urban, landscape and installation.
the illusion of weightless architecture
High-tech advancements in structural engineering give birth to the reality of intricate architectural designs. Building typologies now exceed what was once compromised because of traditional methods. The advent of Information Age will continuously break ground for the optimisation of structural systems. As innovations surge, the potential for growth in the industry provides more opportunities.
value engineering
Value engineering is a process in which corrective measures are applied to reduce the project’s cost, conforming, though, as much as possible to the original requirements of function, quality and comfort.
3×3 projects in contexts
Last October AQSO presented the short documentary ‘3×3 projects in contexts’ at the Lisbon Architecture Triennial. The event was complemented with a lecture where the latest works done at the office were presented.
E9
This publication, edited by the European organisation of the contest, contains the 132 winners of the 9th Europan edition. The works are classified into four different groups: extensions in question, local mutations, opportunities for public space and networks on the move.
igloo #195
Igloo is a leading bimonthly Romanian magazine about architecture, urbanism, design and art.
from policies to design
Modern urbanism involves several disciplines beyond architecture and sociology. Often the rules guiding urban development are established taking into account economic and political factors. In a complex scenario where the future of urban areas is more difficult to predict, how policymakers can take into account public participation?
massing study
Massing study is a 3D modelling process through which we represent the site’s physical limits concerning regulations, and within those, we work on the formal definition of design.
conservation and urban diversity
Cityscapes are the result of the architectural and urbanistic developments of previous times. With their virtues and flaws, they’re a permanent part of each city’s history. Destruction and construction lead to an ever-existent urban diversity. And each time this fact has been ignored, the city and its inhabitants have suffered the consequences.
our analysis of the Chinese market for El País
El País correspondent in China has interviewed Luis Aguirre to learn more about the architecture market in China and the opportunities it offers to Spanish architects.
interdisciplinary is not multidisciplinary
We proactively seek solutions using an interdisciplinary approach because we believe architecture is not only about the design itself. It is the confluence of diverse fields together to create an optimisation of function, aesthetics and structural integrity. It is about delivering solutions that cater to different variables.
(un)made in China
The exhibition (un)made in China, organized by Cannon Design opened last Thursday at the ‘[email protected] gallery’ in Shanghai. The retrospective features a selection of twelve projects developed by international offices and aims to show not only the value of the architecture itself, moreover the process and the experience of these architects when facing the challenge […]
lecture at the Dashilan design hop
Giannantonio Bongiorno, curator of the exhibition ‘Next stop: Hutopolis‘, presented together with Luis Aguirre Manso the contents of the research that will start next fall about the Chinese urban conditions.
tierra de cultivo in Gorizia
The proposal for a strategic masterplan in Gorizia presented by AQSO and G. Damiani under the title ‘S.A.R.A, una tierra de cultivo’ will be exhibited along with the rest of participants of the international contest ‘spazio giovani alla frontiera’ (Youth Space at the border) in the event entitled ‘30×1, Trenta progetti per una mostra‘.
a map of hutopolis
A Map of Hutopolis contains the result of a research program about the urban development in China. The book envisions in a map solutions to the problems provoked by the radical development going on in the biggest country in Asia.
round table at 751
Cannon Design organized a roundtable at the 751 lecture hall coinciding with the exhibition ‘Unmade in China’ presented at the 2012 Beijing Design Week. The event featured projects developed by the architectural firms featured in the exhibition followed by a discussion about the particular characteristics of the design process in the Chinese market.
the process
Because of its humanistic and artistic character, there are no consistent procedures in Architecture. If we consider this art and science of designing a discipline for the modification of space we occupy, then the aims of Architecture are to bring together forms and uses that will be, like humans, unstable. We could say that everything […]
contract administration
In addition to the Faculty Management determined by the local regulations, project management coordinates the agents involved in the works not directly dependent from the main contractor.
a map of hutopolis
AQSO is pleased to announce the publication of the book ‘A Map of Hutopolis‘, a monograph comprising the projects developed during the Hutopolis research program and a series of articles written by researchers and professors on the topic of Chinese urbanisation.
special mention for atienza hall
AQSO has been awarded an honorable mention for the restoration of Santa Maria de Atienza in Huete, Spain. A simply folded steel piece covers the remains of the church and creates a space from which to contemplate the landscape.
(un)made in China exhibition in Shanghai
The Xubeihong foundation project proposed by AQSO has been selected for the exhibition ‘(un)made in China, architecture undone in the P.R.C’. The retrospective aims to celebrate the best missing Chinese projects from the last decade.
the people’s urbanism
Last Saturday 22th took place in Hong Kong the presentation and discussion entitled ‘The People´s Urbanism’, an event organized by AP+E about bottom up approaches part of the last edition of the Hong Kong/Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture (UABB).
transformations
Transformations, a dialogue about the evolving city is the title of a documentary recently presented by AQSO at the 2013 Beijing Design Week. The movie is conceived as the conclusive chapter of the Hutopolis reseach program launched in 2011 for studying the urban changes on Chinese cities.
the blink
A 1993 study by the American social psychologists Nalini Ambady and Robert Rosenthal considered in what way less information would affect the accuracy of predicting teacher evaluation by college students. The study shows that the information conveyed in a glimpse can be just as important as the information gathered over a much longer period. This […]
city visions
City Visions is an exhibition that collects one year of research, experiments and events organized in China and Europe by the Hutopolis research program. Soft and physical urban planning strategies, visions and ideas have been developed taking Beijing as a case study.
old is new at Today Art Museum
On the occasion of the the 70th Anniversary of John Lennon’s Birth, Beijing-based Today art museum organized last October 16th an outdoor event including multimedia video projections, poetry readings, music performances and discussions under the name “old is new“.
glass magazine #11
Glass magazine aims to bring integrity and guardianship to creative culture, by providing access to the genuinely inspiring adventures in fashion, art, music and design that allow us to further imagine and create.
lecture at the Global Pioneer design forum
AQSO was invited to participate at the Global Pioneer Design forum organised by the Galaxy arts centre and 5cats editors in Shenzhen, China, last May 26.
design workshop
Design workshops actively involve our clients in the creative process behind the design development. Accordingly, the workshop typically leads to a collective analysis and exploration of the design options developed by our team.
Harvest Home awarded by the IaaC
The self-sufficient house Harvest Home has been given an award in the ‘2nd Advanced Architecture Contest’, an international competition organized by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia.
singular concepts
Singular Concepts contains a collection of the most significant projects classified by typologies. The book focuses on the conceptual ideas of each proposal and the creative process behind the final result.
the power of a concept
Architecture can simply be defined as a form of an art. It requires the combination of both technical and aesthetic approaches. Property developers require the assistance of an architect, who can figure out the perfect balance in between these two factors. An architectural concept is an abstract or generative idea around which the project will […]
computer-generated imagery
Visuals are representations of design through images, animations or virtual reality systems. They are developed by 3D models, and they help understand the spatial qualities of the project in its context.
furniture and accessories
The specification of these off-the-shelf products includes a detailed description of the items required to integrate the design, identifying units, manufacturers, finishes, availability and lead times.
physical models
Physical models are copies to scale of structures or buildings ‒ with the aim to study design features, analyse a building or space within its context, and convey conceptual ideas.
hutopolis restrospective
Beijing Design Week is scheduled to be an annual event composed of several sections: a design forum, design exhibitions, workshops, a guest city program, design hops and an annual design award. ‘Next stop: Hutopolis’ is a retrospective on the urban condition of Beijing and specifically its Hutongs.
identities in comparison
What is the influence on urbanism when a planned economy shifts to a new model of development? How to promote an urban evolution based on soft elements? Can social interactions catalyse strategies of urban regeneration?