We have massive structures being built everyday, but very few of them have revolutionary social significance as the Pedestrian Bridge constructed by American architect Bernard Tschumi and French firm Hugh Dutton Associes. The bridge has opened in La Roche-sur-Yon in France, where it connects the old centre of Atlantic coast town with newer districts across the TGV railway tracks. The massive tubular lattice bridge is a collaboration between the fields of engineering and architecture, and expresses a dynamic vector in both its usage and urban perception. The Pedestrian bridge crosses above high-speed railway tracks, providing an important urban connection for the two. The dynamic characteristics of the complicated structure are expressed through finished materials and the bright-red orange color is chosen to emphasize the urban significance of the bridge as a pedestrian vector.

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With invention of many electronic gadgets, energy consumption has increased today than what was say 20 years back. Similarly carbon emissions or so-called greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere and help to warm it. These problems appear insurmountable in the near or even long-term future, unless proper understanding and correct implementation is undertaken on priority basis. Keeping this in mind Architect Enric Ruiz-Geli has designed an inflatable membrane façade from the Media- TIC building that will help it save energy and reduce carbon emissions. The building features four facades to provide different levels of insulation. Moreover the roof of the building will also feature photovoltaic panels or solar panels and a green cover. The green roof collects rainwater which is then directed to a tank and re-used for sanitation and landscaping.

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If reports are to be believed, Korea will house the world’s first Robot theme park. According to Korea Herald, the robot magic kingdom will be part of a giant residential and industrial complex called Robot Land in Incheon, one of South Korea's largest cities. The Korean government has just authorized Incheon to build the park, which will cost 784.5 billion won (about $687 million). The bidding process for this park lasted for several years with $596 million coming from private investors, about $46 million from the central government, and about $46 million from the local government. The Robot Land website says the theme park will feature various robot entertainment including exhibitions of robot characters from films and cartoons; reconstructions of robot-oriented movie sets like "Minority Report," "I,Robot," and "Matrix"; a robotic-arm ride; an aquarium where visitors can watch and manipulate robotic fish; rides; and even droid cashiers and performers.

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Just as fashion in terms of clothes and hairstyles goes through a revolutionary change every now and then, architectural structures and building patterns also transform in their styles. But one cannot do away with the old buildings, just because their styles are not in vogue anymore. The Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) has come up with a simple, cost-effective, easily constructed skin that promises to transform dated structures into sustainable and stunning buildings. The “Tower Skin” concept is a transparent cover composed of high-performance composite mesh textile that is wrapped around an existing structure to act as a “micro-climate”. It generates energy with photovoltaic cells, collects rainwater, improves day lighting and uses available convective energy to power the towers’ ventilation requirements. The skin not only uses the vented air from existing rooms to convert into energy, but also acts as an intelligent media surface that can be used for dynamic animation and communicating information such as performances and campus events in real time. Through the Tower Skin, the need for demolition and rebuilding is eliminated.

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‘Don’t throw stones at others if your own house is made of glass’ is now quite an old saying. But it literally applies here where the house is made of a glass wall. Alexander Frangoul from Germany has designed this unique home which consists of a 19 m long folding glass. And I still don’t know if it is anti-breakable or not!

[designspotter]

Telecom magnate Carlos Slim’s son-in-law, Fernando Romero is quite an architect we hear. He is a star in the Mexico’s architectural community and has won several praises in international design competitions. He is currently working on Mexico City’s Soumaya Museum which is funded by his father-in-law. The curvaceous edifice features very complex, undulating geometries which is made possible by CAD. Romero is working with engineering firm Ove Arup, who helped erect the Sydney Opera House as well as the Beijing Olympics’ Bird Nest and Water Cube Structures.

Check out his other enterprises after the jump.

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Kacey Wong from Hong Kong has created a tiny floating house called “Paddling Home” as part of the 2009 Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/ Architecture showing till 2/27/2010. It is a 4’x 4’x 4’ small house covered with pink tiling on the outside, protruded bay window and amenities such as such as air conditioning, stainless steel gate etc. It is fixed atop four barrels which float on water. Last week Wong launched the boat playing golf on the roof and also fishing on it. The boat house boasts of a 360 degree sea view. Though it is quite a small boat house but the ingenuity and enthusiasm portrayed by Wong is admirable.

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Zero Hose reminds me of the famous packers and movers in the town. Literally, you can actually pack up this entire house and move it around, wherever you’d next wish to live. It is a self-sustaining home that you can virtually take anywhere including in 10 feet of water and on hillsides with slopes up to 35 degrees, all due to its helical-anchor foundation that requires no excavation. With solar panels storing up energy in a battery, during the gloomy days, the whole house is automated and programmable to minimize electricity use. ZeroHouse will sell for approximately $350,000

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One of the few concepts to actual materialize is the MercuryHouseOne concept project. The concept lounge has now become a fully functional entertainment haven. The mobile pod shaped lounge features large acrylic windows for enhanced air and light circulation, and the exterior shell has been made from Carrara marble that is backlit at night to make special attention for various evening events. An energy efficient lounge, it is equipped with solar cells that are placed on the skylight to generate the required energy. Spacious, lightweight and extremely amazing, this mobile lounge is just awesome.

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Standing tall in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan is this unique single family home by Ryoko & Keisuke Masuda. Resembling a light house, this three storey building has been made using mainly wood and steel. The round interior of this spectacular house is sure to make quite a few people dizzy. For those looking for unique circular surfaces and interiors, this family home is perfect.

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There are several designers who are inspired by the insects and birds who are excellent architects, take for example the Beetle House posted recently. Designers Arhitektid Muru & Pere have got to be absolute nature lovers to have come up with the concept of Surupi House Extension and their grounds of inspiration is the bird nest. Their house is typically characterized by a box above the original unit “covered by criss-crossed sticks which resembles an angular bird’s nest, a ball of hay that is pressed together, a tangle of boards, all of which glows in the dark” Sounds interesting.

[MoCoLoCo]

We all need our space especially when it comes to work. Even folks working from home prefer to be isolated when they are working. But it is rarely possible to have zero distractions especially if you are working from home. Tate + Hindle have come up with the perfect solution to help you work without any distraction from home. Their creation, the OfficePOD provides you the required working environment. You can place this OfficePOD in your lawn or any outdoor place and work without any distractions. Offering a great comfortable working environment, you are sure to get ample work done in this outdoor home office.

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How difficult and complicated do you think converting an old barn into a residential place for a retired writer to enjoy his sunset years of life in? Well, designed by the Brooklyn studio Julian King Architect, this house is under construction in Tuscany, Italy. Inspired basically by the shape of the womb, this beautiful effort involves a series of complex architectural designs that are worth appreciating. Moving between the imagined and the real, the owner’s life story is re-told, ultimately returning to a womb shaped bathroom, where, submerged in water, a small oculus reveals itself at one end of the amorphous vaulted ceiling. The interior leads visitors on a spiraling route through the building, culminating in the bathroom. Completion of the project is expected in July 2010.

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Imagine you getting out of the local train and stepping on cool grassy meadows, and yes in the middle of a fully developed city. With all the natural landscapes giving way to the concrete ones in every part of the world, meadows, and oasis has only been a part of our hallucination. But Auckland New Zealand’s Britomart Station received a grassy green makeover that transformed 1,250 square meters of its cold hard concrete into a plush green field. In reality there was a motive behind this move.

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Arcologies were originally supposed to be hypothetical structures, but architect E. Kevin Schopfer has aspired to make it a real one soon enough. He has envisioned a floating city-within a city right in the centre of Boston Harbor. Named Boa, (abbreviation for Boston Arcology), this enormous structure could be a domicile to 15000 people. It’s a big civilization within, complete with hotels, offices, retail space, museums and even a City hall. This massive structure could take upto 10 years to built after the completion of which residents can walk on moving sidewalks, or take elevators or escalators to any desired location inside. Kudos to him for thinking so ‘big’

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