In this post you are going to see something that I like to call “Architecture in Motion”. Created by architect Giselbrecht + Partner ZT GmbH this amazing project is called “Dynamic Facade” better known as the Kiefer Technic Showroom in Bad Gleichenberg, Austria. In earlier times, facades were characterized by window arrangements and axes. They often featured surface relief with architectural elements from the relevant period or style. The structure of the facade also determined the ground plan; the greater the number of window axes in a room, the more important the function of the user. With the introduction of window strips, these hierarchies were abandoned. Today it is possible that the complete exterior facade is transparent, and this very transparency indicates a modern character. At the same time, individual requirements escalate and need to be reconciled with the desire for comfort.

For this reason the architects have been working for some time with dynamic facades that can be adapted individually to changing conditions and needs. Of course they can also be controlled by optimizing programs if users are not present in the rooms behind. Thus it is possible to realize these new transparent facades and yet still maintain a cosy atmosphere in the rooms. This facade changes continuously; each day, each hour shows a new “face” – the facade is turning into a dynamic sculpture.

Finally if these pictures got your attention then the video with this facade in action will blow your mind, just press play if you don’t believe me … is pretty amazing.

The pictures below represent the Elleray Preparatory School located in UK,  in the Lake District National Park, to be more specific. The fascinating thing about this design is its low negative effects on the environment due to a series of elements that make it a sustainable building. Made from materials that were recycled and equipped with solar panels, the Treehouse school has an impressive exterior design and the fact that it is suspended really caught our attention. Not only does this building a nice sight for soar eyes, but it is also a wonderful example of environmental behaviour to give to the future generations.  And because of its attractive shape, I’m sure kids from all over the UK are going to want to study here. Via – Inhabitat

I hope you are not afraid of heights, because there aren’t too many YouTube videos capable of inducing measurable feelings of vertigo while you watch comfortable at your desk, but this is one of them. In this video you can see the view from the highest man-made point on earth …Burj Dubai’s spire. The tower it’s more than half a mile tall and stands at 2,684ft (818m). It was started in 2004 and is expected to be complete by the very beginning of 2010. The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is a cool $4.1 Billion. Finally this is the quote that got my attention while I was watching this video : “The tower wobbles, dreadfully, so if my hand is shaking, it’s not just me.” Indeed.

This 1,520 s.f building called Private Library was designed by Andrew Berman Architect as a library and studio for a writer. We wrote about this project and published a few images in 2008 ( here ), but today I’ve found a short film about New York architect Andrew Berman’s dream project. Commissioned to design a writing studio in the woods in Long Island, he took the challenge and created a building which seems to float in a sea of foliage. The film, while informative conveys the tranquility of the building by simply inviting you to enter and experience the pace of the writer’s world inside. Enjoy ! – Directed & Produced by David Vegezzi