Renovation

Built in the 1950s by Bernard Zehrfuss, Jean Prouvé & Edgar Pillet, Mame printing house is a symbol of the 20th century industrial architecture, hence listed as a French Historic Monument. With help from chief architect of French Historic Monuments Pierre-Antoine Gatier, work was focused on the bare minimum. After a careful analysis of the existing, the reconversion of the old building increased the value of its undeniable qualities –since the office has opted for a sober and moderate approach.

The site is located in a valley at the intersection of a number of small meandering streets. The area is characterized by terraced houses on the east side, on the south side it borders the alluvial plain of the Scheldt and to the west, one looks upwards on the vast old orchard. This farm, which is included in the architectural heritage inventory, remained within the same family for three generations before it became vacant. It consists of a cluster of three volumes (dwelling, stables and the bread house) with a central square overlooking the facades of the terraced houses.

Reima and Raili Pietilä won the design competition for the Finnish Embassy to be located in the diplomatic enclave in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi in 1963 with a beautiful and powerful competition entry called “Snow speaks on the mountains”. After a lengthy delay, the project was commissioned in 1980 and redesigned based on the original concept. The Embassy finally opened in 1986 with the large single expanse of the roof of the 1960’s design broken up into six separate lateral buildings around a central garden area. The sculptural roofs – the most significant architectural feature of the embassy compound – resemble the forms of the snowy Lake Kitkajärvi near Kuusamo, Northern Finland.

LTTD house is a renovation housing project in Tien Du, Bac Ninh. It covers an area of 10×20 (m) and the main facade faces south. It was built 15 years ago in a residential area nearby three industrial zones. The area is experiencing rapid industrialization and urbanization. There are several problems with the site such as noise and smoke from traffic and factories, as well as other negative effects from industrial zones. Another problem is that the house has been severely degraded after years so we need to figure out ways to ensure both its aesthetic and safety aspects.

Shaoxing Shangyu Longshan School, which was designed by Hangzhou Muliang Architectural Design Consulting Co., Ltd., It’s has been put into use in September this year. Longshan School was formerly a vocational secondary school built in the 1990s. In order to solve the problem of local children’s schooling, The Education Bureau decided to renovate the campus.

Nestled in the mountains of Moganshan, Cloud Hotel sits serenely in a bamboo forest in Deqing County, a popular retreat destination 200km away from Shanghai. The original building had three levels built along the mountain slope and carried features inspired by European castles. STUDIO8 was commissioned to renovate the architecture and interiors and redesign the visual identity.