15 Bizarre Buildings

Came across this website showing weird and wonderful buildings which make the viewer do a double-take, like this crooked house from Poland.

You might also like 17 strange and amazing buildings

Zaha Hadid Architects iphone App

Fresh off the press, Zaha Hadid Architects launch their free iphone and ipad App.

This App will allow you to browse through the practice’s current portfolio of design and architecture. You will also have exclusive access & insight into some of the award winning buildings in the form of interactive guides (coming soon) to be used when visiting the buildings.

Check out this free App from the iTune's store

MAKE Architects iphone App

The iphone/ipad app from Make Architects has arrived! It gives you access to their projects, as well as exciting features and interactive content that you won’t find anywhere else, offering a behind-the-scenes view of their schemes and the people who work on them.

Available for free from the Apple App store

A list of other architecture mobile phones apps is available from the Architecture Hub website

RIBA Stirling Prize 2011

The Building of the Year RIBA Stirling Prize is the most prestigious award for architecture in the UK. It is presented to the architect for the building that has been most significant for the evolution of architecture in the year.

 

Short listed buildings include Olympic Velodrome (see above), An Gaelaras, the Angel building, Evelyn Grace Academy, Museum Folkwang and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

The winner of the 16th Stirling Prize will be announced on 1 October at a ceremony in the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham. The BBC’s Culture Show will broadcast the event the following night.

QR Codes

A QR code (or quick response code) is a two dimensional bar code that can be read on devices such as mobile camera phones which, once accessed, will translate the data and display it electonically or in printed format. The user points the mobile phone towards the code and scans it. The software interprets the code and the phone will either display the text or ask for permission to launch a browser to display the specificed web page. As an illustration the QR code opposite will open the Architecture Hub web page http://architecturehub.ning.com/.

A useful way of thinking of QR codes is that they link the physical world with the electronic. Many smartphones have a built-in QR code reader others can download a free App. You can also generate QR Code for free using a number of websites such as Kaywa QR Code. The code pattern can be hidden or integrated into aesthetically attractice images in newspapers, magazines or clothing.

Digimap YouTube Channel

Digimap have launched a YouTube channel showing excellent short tutorial videos about various aspects of Digimap, including how to download OS MasterMap data for use in AutoCAD.

Digimap is a collection of services for viewing and downloading digital maps and map data for England, Wales and Scotland, some of which can be used to download map data for use in CAD and GIS software packages.

London 2012 Olympics

With tickets now on sale and only 470 days to go to the London 2012 Olympics, here is a quick review of some of the key stadiums.

Hopkins Architects Velodrome will host Track Cycling and Paralympic Track Cycling. This was the first London Olympic venue to be officially handed over to the Olympic Delivery Authority.

The 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium by Populous Architects became the latest venue to be completed last month. The stadium will host the Athletics and Paralympic Athletics events at the London 2012 Games, as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Zaha Hadid's Aquatics Centre will be the venue for Swimming, Paralympic Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming and the Aquatics discipline of the Modern Pentathlon. It features a spectacular wave-like roof that is 160m long and up to 80m wide, giving it a longer single span than Heathrow Terminal 5.

roadcyclinguk's timelapse video of the Velodrome Olympic track being built

Free Interactive Online Seminars

RIBA Online CPD (Continuing Professional Development) provide free interactive online seminars direct to your desktop. Topics include sustainable housing, structural glazing systems and underfloor heating. Through this exciting new development these seminars are available at a time and place that suits you!

Check out Nu-Heat's seminar on solar thermal and underfloor heating.

Domus Architecture Guide iphone Apps

The Domus Architecture Guides series takes you on a tour of the world's great cities seen through the eyes of the most authoritative international magazine of contemporary architecture, art and design

Guides available for Shanghai, Milan, New York, and Berlin from Apple's iTunes store

Tree Hotels: Sweden

Check out these great Tree Hotels in Harads, Sweden. Article in this month's Architecture Today magazine 

mLearning Resources

mLearning or mobile learning uses handheld devices such as iphones, android phones and tablet computers (including ipads) to engage and enhance the user's learning experience. Many applications associated with architecture and design are available to download for use on these devices.
Wallpaper and Abitare magazines have an app available to download for the iphone and ipad.

Product manufacturers and suppliers also have a range of applications to download normally at little or no cost. Bauder, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers for Green Roofs have their Technical Guide available to download and is optimised for use on the ipad and iphone. Many apps are also available to use as drawing aids including cadTouch R3 and Autodesk SketchBook Mobile

Sustainability Podcasts

Check out these great podcasts from the RIBA Sustainability Hub

Sustainability Hub Shorts: Noise control from RIBA on Vimeo.

Detailing Your Building

When detailing your building there is a wealth of information available to you. Detail
magazine is packed with detailed drawings of contemporary projects. Architects'
Working Details are available in 10 volumes and are a comprehensive collection of
details originating from the building studies section of Architects' Journal magazine.

Architecture in Detail by Graham Bizley features a collection of projects from Building
Design magazine. Don't forget manufacturer's brochures, many of which include CAD details. Pilkington glass for example produce details of their frameless Planar system in Pdf format and as CAD files.

Ecobuild 2011

Ecobuild is the world's biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment and the UK's largest construction event of any kind. Sustainability is to be the main focus of the upcoming Ecobuild 2011 event at London's ExCel venue 1- 3 March.

If you're not familiar with Ecobuild, play the video below to experience Ecobuild 2010

Local Studies Resources

Local Studies
When searching for background information
for your site in leicester, there are a quite a few useful resources available.

Historical Information:
For historical information on a site, the City Council produce Conservation Area Character Appraisal guides.
The Records Office at Wigston Magna has a wide range of resources which can be used to research the history and culture of Leicestershire.
We hold a small selection of historic maps and information here in the Architecture Hub, whilst the Kimberlin Library has a section of publications on historic Leicester at shelfmark 914.254

Other:
The City Council produce a Local Plan which is a document that sets out their plans for future development of land within the district.

Digimap: Converting Mastermaps into DWG/DXF for use in AutoCAD

What is Digimap?
Digimap is a collection of services for viewing and downloading digital maps and map data for England, Wales and Scotland, some of which can be used to download map data for use in CAD and GIS software packages. The process of downloading and converting files with Interpose map convertor for use in AutoCAD can be complex. Charlie Patterson (BA2) has produced this easy to follow guide:

1. From Edina Digimaps, using MasterMap Download feature, request required map.
2. Once received via email, download .zip file onto a usb. Unzip file and place contents in a folder called For Interpose.
3. Open Interpose Digimaps from Zenworks window (if not available, open through C:\Program Files\Dotted Eyes\interpose Digimap).
4. Interpose will ask for Contents order file (.txt). Browse to the folder containing contents of zip. file, and select the contents_order_XXXXXX file. Press Next.
5. Interpose will guide you through various options, such as what format to save the
output and where to save it. DWG/DXF is required for opening in AutoCAD.