Architecture & Web Art

When the Jurmala City Council asked Substance to build a sports venue for the popular Latvian sea resort, the firm designed a structure that could be open all year long in any weather.  Inspired by the amber – crystallised resin of pine typically washed up on the Baltic coast, the venue’s form incorporates translucent polycarbonate cladding inside a structural framework to accentuate the building’s varying height.

Located opposite the Majori primary school, now an abandoned market place, the venue preserves the historical content on the marketplace by incorporating the existing shed into the new project.  The shed sits on one side of the building and serves as changing rooms for teams and coaches, sports inventory storage and rent, and public vestibule with administrator’s workplace.  The other side of the building opens toward the river.  A synthetic covering is laid on the floor during the warmer months that makes the space suitable for basketball, volleyball and handball.  In the colder months, the floor is converted to accommodate activities like hockey and ice-skating by adding an artificial layer of ice.

Architects: Gonzalez Goodale Architects
Project team: Armando L. Gonzalez, FAIA, Project Principal, David L. Goodale, AIA, Design Principal, John Ferguson, AIA, Project Manager, Gerda Buss, Interiors/FF&E
Mechanical / Plumbing: Khalifeh & Associates
Electrical: N.A. Cohen Group Inc.
Structural: Englekirk & Sabol
Food service: Ricca Newmark Design
Acoustical: McKay Conant Hoover
Landscape: EPT Design
Signage: Biesek Design
Area: 40,000 sqm
Construction: 2007-2009
Photography: Magnus Stark Photography

Program Context

It was determined in the early 2000’s that a new 40,000 square foot Campus Center would be built north of the existing gymnasium at the intersection of C and Second Streets near the center of the campus.

The Campus Center is viewed as instrumental in consolidating disparate student life activities across the campus, and equally key to increasing recruitment and retention of students and faculty on campus.

Project: Bundeena Housing Project
Architect: Tony Owen / NDM Architects
Tony Owen
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Photography: Tony Owen

This project for 15 Beachside houses on the former Uniting Church campsite at Bundeena in the Royal National Park. Each .designer house enjoys specatular ocean views in a bushland setting in the center of bundeena.

As seen on ArchTracker

he WISA Wooden Design Hotel by architect Pieta-Linda Auttila may be a temporary structure but it has left a lasting impression on those who study design and woodworking. Situated on the island in the harbor of Valkosaari in Helsinki, this sculptural wooden building was the winner of a competition organized by UPM, a leading Finnish forest products company. As they say all good things must come to an end, and the WISA Wooden Design Hotel will be dismantled at the end of September. Hopefully we will see more similar works by Pieta-Linda Auttila in the future on a larger and more permanent scale.

Home renovation is on the rise for obvious reasons; so many well made architecturally and geographically desirable homes are reaching the age of needing a serious face lift. Metropolitan Home recently featured the stunning mid-century (1960) Eichler House of Marika Sakellariou renovated by architects Lucian Rosciszewski and Marek Slosar who updated while respecting the roots of the homes interior and exterior. The mostly white interior and open floor plan is a breath of fresh air and compliments the natural landscape which is highly visible thanks to a transparent wall revealing the dining room, the kitchen, the living room and the master bedroom. Keep your eye on the well coordinated furniture and accessories that adorn this clean modern home renovation, especially the Aspen Sofa from Jean Marie Massaud from Cassina shown in all white. Here are some of the beautiful photographs by Shaun Sullivan featured in Met Home.