Architecture + Business + Software…
I’ve had Christmas in Budapest this year and have been adjusting to the short days that are in contrast to a New Zealand Christmas.
Today we went out to the Castle District and the fog came in while we were visiting an art exhibition.
The architecture around the Castle district is stunning at the best of times but took a very dramatic feel with the fog and lights.
A project combining contemporary digital fabrication techniques with traditional MÄori craft methods and design approaches has won James Durcan the 2015 Cadimage Group Student Design Awards.
It’s that time of year again where 12 architecture students from Auckland University, United and Victoria University get prepared and undertake their presentations for the Cadimage Group Student Design Awards .
As with previous years the level of design thinking and presentation levels increased.
This years winner James Duncan of Victoria Wellington had even created his own large format 3d printer that “combined contemporary digital fabrication techniques with traditional Maori craft methods and design approaches”
The project proposes both a building for a Maori community on the Poverty Bay coast and the off-grid technology that will enable its construction. The work is a most impressive fusion of contemporary digital fabrication and indigenous craft culture. It combines digital design, self-taught craft skills, material experimentation and inventive engineering, and was made possible by the author’s personal commitment and the support of the local Ngai Tamanuhuri iwi. The project is the product of huge engagement, and reveals a willingness, on all sides, to learn and collaborate to realise a meaningful outcome.
Judges citation
Tessa Ford of Auckland University and Unitec’s Hannah Broatch received Highly Commended Awards.
I continue to be immensely proud to support these awards – the effort put in by the students is immense – and the results are outstanding.
Admittedly I haven’t travelled to Christchurch too regularly following the devastating earthquakes a few years ago. However, today as part of a nation wide series of seminars we’re undertaking I was in Christchurch.
The location of our seminar was ideal for a quick look at the Cardboard Cathedral.
While the cathedral may have sparked a great deal of opinions I found the building exrtemely well thought out. Some very simple forms assembled with clean and crisp details create a building that allows the church to continue functioning while the main Christchurch Cathedral remains in limbo following significant earthquake damage.
New Plymouth didn’t turn the weather on for us but it was great to one of New Zealands latest architectural masterpieces.
The Len Lye Centre adjoins the existing Govett-Brewster Gallery and provides some great spaces to display more of Len’s kenetic sculptures and other works.
Designed by Pattterson Associates the building is a sculpture in and of itself, the exterior is absolutely stunning and the concrete interior provides a wonderful contrast.
The level of detailing is some of the best I have seen.
While New Plymouth isn’t on the ‘main road’ between Auckland and Wellington it now sports a piece of World Class Architecture (in amongst many other gems) and is well worth a visit – even in the rain!
I’m currently in Taipei for GRAPHISOFT’s APPC 2015.
When I first arrived I did what I enjoy doing in all new cities – I went for a walk to orientate myself and help with jet lag etc.
After only 5-10mins Taipei 101 came into view. Having held the record for the tallest building from 2004 – 2010 it is no wonder.
Having taken it in from the outside it was great to see on the conference agenda a tour of the building literally from bottom to top.
Once we got to the top – in double decker high speed elevators which took 37 seconds to reach the top – 1,010 metres per minute of 60.6kmh!
As with all tall buildings they are exposed to high winds and need to employ a dampening system to counter these winds and reduce excessive movement. And what a system:
This 660 tonne suspended steel ball mounted on hydraulic dampers is a tuned mass damper. This massive ball helps reduce the movement of the tower by over 40%. Skyscrapers really are incredible feats of engineering.
Considering Taipei 101 held the record for the tallest building, it comes as no surprise this the biggest TMD ever installed.
Yesterday the Cadimage Team visited the Gibbs Farm Sculpture Park. This is something I have wanted to do for a while, but it is only open once a month, you need to plan well ahead.
By signing up months in advance you need to take a risk with the weather and while we got pretty wet we have a great time walking around the park and staring in awe at the scale of many of the sculptures.
I especially liked Horizons by Neil Dawson and how he has used the open space to create an amazing optical illusion.
The shear size of Bernar Venet’s 88.5° ARC x 8 is something you have to close to truly experience.
While Dismemberment, Site 1 by Anish Kapoor needs you to step back to observe it’s scale – especially when trying to photograph it!
It might have been wet, but it was well worth the visit.
Heading to GRAPHISOFT Japan on the train on Monday I caught a glimpse of a garden in amongst the high rises. On further investigation later in the week it turned out to be Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden, a former imperial garden in Minato.
The garden was absolutely amazing and considering its high rise neighbours was a still and tranquil place.
This morning I had one last walk around Tokyo before heading out to the airport for my flight home and I came across the Tokyo International Forum. This building contains a 5,000 seat hall along with 7 other halls. The structure was quite stunning when viewed from both inside and out.
Below are a few more shots of the two places above along with some other architecture that caught my eye.
I am currently in Tokyo for the GRAPHISOFT Asia Pacific Key Client Conference (AP KCC) and have had a chance to see some of this enormous city.
My welcome was less than ideal with a sizable earthquake shortly after my arrival at the hotel but things have calmed down since.
The Yoyogi National Gymnasium built for the  Swimming and Diving events of the 1964 Olympics was a recommended place to visit and while it was on dusk and I couldn’t see inside, it was quite incredible with its suspension roof design. The Gymnasium is also going to hold the Handball competition for the 2020 Olympic Games.
The Tokyo Sky Tree, which opened more recently in 2012 was quite stunning to see but following my welcome I was a little less inclined to visit the Observation levels at close to 500m, so stuck to the free viewing on level 45 of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
It was great to see in such an enormous city large parks and greenery which helps gives the city a very welcoming feel.
On Monday night I attended a joint Deloitte Private / Callaghan Innovation presentation by Larry Keeley.
Larry was an excellent presenter with deep knowledge and a number interesting well researched examples.
The key message was:
Modern innovation is more about elegant integration than invention…
Larry suggested that most recent innovations are not new products per se, but more integrations of a number of existing products in new and innovative ways.
Larry has been researching Innovation with his team for a couple of decades and during this time they have developed the Ten Types of Innovation – the Discipline of Building Breakthroughs.
I first came across these Ten Types in the earlier Doblin Model of Innovation and while the principles remain the same the updated model is, in my opinion, far clearer and easier to use.
Most companies spend too much time in the middle (orange) cells focusing on the product, without spending time working on the other areas. A simple rule of thumb for the model above is to focus on five of the ten types, with at least one from each colour – refer to their website for a full run down on each section.
Larry illustrated which areas a number of both NZ and International companies are working on with what one can only describe as some disturbing results for some of NZ’s up and coming companies. That said, the model helps point out where these companies are lacking and is the perfect starting point to review and improve from.
Overall it was a most enjoyable presentation and I am sure Larry’s other New Zealand presentations have been equally well received.
Having last week visited Lisbon, this week I am in our UK Office in Bristol.
When I arrived people were working frantically outside the  at-Bristol Science Centre which is just across from my Hotel.
Later on I investigated and saw the installation was a Solar Tree, providing power for people to sit down and charge their cellphones.
It was interesting to see the project was also being under taken by people recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.
Last night when I got back to my hotel, they were hosting an opening event, hence why they had been working so late the night before.
Overall I thought this was a pretty cool idea!
