Fabulous folds

Alison Brooks Architects has extended a nineteenth century house in north London with two tapered volumes that project into the garden. The first volume wraps around the brick walls at the side and rear of the house to create a home office, while the second volume extends out at the back to increase the size of the first floor living room. The extensions are part of an overall transformation of a classic Victorian semi-detached villa for a client involved in photography and design. The extension was designed as a series of large apertures framed and connected by large trapezoidal planes. These openings capture light throughout the day, draw the garden into the house, and frame precise views of a spectacular walnut tree. Each plane of... More

The Saló Central area is located in the junction of two axis which have a significant importance in the city of Sant Boi de Llobregat: Santa Creu de Calafell road (C-245) and Josep Mariages avenue. These two axis have different characters. The C-245 road is one of the most important interurban roads in the region, having a very strong industrial character but at the same time experiencing very important transformations towards a more urban, green, residential and pedestrian character. On the other hand, Josep Mariages Avenue will soon become an important north-south pedestrian connection. In this framework, the proposal gives response to several constraints. The project collaborates in this transformation process of the C-245 road to a... More

LAVA created three distinctive geometric desk screens for Climate®, a new office furniture system produced by Schiavello in Australia. Drawing on the design and structures of trees, soap bubbles, coral reefs and spider webs they bring a quirky yet practical feature to the workplace. Inspired by the efficiency and beauty in nature’s geometries, LAVA created a playful sliding screen that allows the porosity or openness to be controlled, providing flexibility in creating workspaces. Developed using a digital workflow, the sliding animates the screens and allows them to create additional patterns, in line with the LAVA philosophy of creating more with less. The screens referenced previous LAVA architectural projects: 1. LAVA reef –... More

Students researched parametric modelling, digital fabrication and material-science and applied this knowledge to a space-filling installation for this master class. Using 3500 recycled and recyclable cardboard molecules in two different shapes, students explored the intelligence of natural and architectural systems through the smallest elements of design, reinterpreting the traditional concept of space. More

The ‘origami coral reef’ Christmas window used 1500 recycled and recyclable cardboard molecules. It played with space climbing walls and ceilings to create coral caves, animated with dynamic lighting and sound. LAVA created a window installation for the Italian department store la Rinascente for its Vetrine di Natale 2010 [Christmas Windows]. LAVA’s origami coral reef used 1500 recycled and recyclable cardboard molecules and explored the intelligence of natural and architectural systems. The sculpture played with space by climbing up walls and arching over to create coral caves. Based on the geometrical structures of sea foam and corals, the colourful reef came to life through dynamic lighting and sound. LAVA was one of seven designer... More

For three consecutive years, the company Comex Lafarge has entrusted us with designing their pavilion, Plaka Comex, for Expo CIHAC 2008, the most important construction fair in Mexico held in Mexico City. In order to demonstrate the qualities and benefits of its material (Plaka Comex ), the principal requirement of the client was to provide an architectural space with a high sense of plasticity. The whole pavilion was built in only seven days, with five hundred and fifty plaster boards and forty five workers. Time constituted a special challenge as well; there were only five weeks between the commission and the opening of the trade fair. In order to accomplish this objective the chosen design was based on origami: the Japanese art of... More

Crouching giant digital tigers head for Singapore Two giant digital tigers are in Singapore as part of the Smart Light Festival on 15 October until end November 2010. Earlier this year they ushered in the Chinese New Year at Customs House Sydney, created a roar at KL design week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May and launched the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) for their international Year of the Tiger campaign at Hauptbahnhof, Berlin’s central station. The giant digital origami tigers fuse ancient lantern making methods with cutting edge design and fabrication technology, bringing tradition and innovation, east and west together. The crouching tigers were designed by multinational architectural practice LAVA with Jennifer Kwok , C... More

It is difficult to identify one single and continuing exploratory theme in the work of Francesco Gatti. His aim is to experiment with heterogeneous solutions, each time meeting the challenge offered by his new creation’s specific conditions. From the ethereal virtual ceiling of the redevelopment project “In Factory” – his first Chinese work – to the curved forms of the Ze Bar, from the sculptural faceting of the Red Object to the spotted epidermis of his transgenic houses, the architect with Roman origins has never let himself be bound by a specific or recognisable aesthetic style. The same applies in the winning project for the new car museum at Nanchino where Gatti has envisaged an origami on urban scale. The visual design backs up... More