Isabel Barros Architects - Blog

Isabel’s Picks for May 2012

barros — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:57:16 +0000

INSPIRED BY NATURE

From bees to trees.

1. TABLE

Manufacturer: Matemo

Product Name: OBI

Price Range: €169

Material: Powder coated steel.

Available to Ireland from: Fab

2. PANEL SYSTEM

Manufacturer: Tensoforma

Product Name:TEXO®

Price Range: n/a

Material: Presstressed textile panel with aluminium extruded profile frame and a silicon elastomer positioned between the aluminium extruded profile frame and a textile membrane. Micro-perforated textiles, nets and highly translucent solid fabrics are used.

Key Facts: TEXO® consists of a aluminium extrusion frame system, which can be clad with a huge variety of solid and mesh fabric types including PTFE Glass, Silicone Glass, ETFE Film, PVC Polyester etc. An elastomeric strip attached to the fabric performs like a spring and ensures the fabric is constantly held in pre-tension whatever the environment. This results in an extremely lightweight and versatile cladding system that’s a highly cost effective alternative to traditional forms of construction.

Applications: Cladding and façades, ETFE glazed roofs and walls, Refurbishment and overclad of existing elevations, Brise Soleil, Shade Systems, Sunscreens, and Heat Gain Control, Photovoltaic (TFPV) roof and wall panels, Large format signage and branding, Large format ceiling and acoustic panels, Internal partitioning and screening, Exhibition stands and screens.

Available to Ireland from: Aura/Texoclad

3. MODULAR WINE RACK

Trademark: WineHive

Designer: John Paulick

Price Range: from €39

Material: Recycled aluminum with high-end Satin Aluminum finish.

Key Features: Eco-friendly honeycomb wine rack, with infinite add-on capability.

Available to Ireland from: Tinylightbulbs

4. ECO TRANSLUCENT RESIN PANEL

Manufacturer: Sinktal

Trademark: Ecosense

Product Name: Delicate purple.

Price Range: n/a

Material: Eco-friendly fully recyclable resin with organic elements encapsulated.

Key Features: Hard coating that improves resistance to scratching and easy maintenance. Improved fire rating and higher impact strenght to perform under high-traffic applications.

Applications: Partition walls, doors, furniture, light elements, POS (displays, shelf partitions),shop fitting systems, signs, advertising and others.

Available to Ireland from: Sinktal

5. SOFA

Trademark: Ligne Roset

Designer: Pierre Paulin

Product Name: Pumpkin – Large Settee.

Price Range: €5,176

Material: Moulded polyurethane foam with removable fabric cover.

Key Features: Covers are fully removable, being zipped in place at the junction of seat and back, and velcroed to the thermoformed base.

Available from: Ligne Roset Shop

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Simons Says ‘Get Help From an Architect for €50’

barros — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:28:01 +0000

We are pleased to announce our participation once again in this year’s “Simon Open Door” initiative.

Anyone looking to build, renovate or extend their home or business may be interested in this initiative. Isabel Barros Architects will offer an hour long consultation in return for a donation of €50 to charity. All of the money raised goes towards the work of the Simon Communities of Ireland.

The Simon Communities of Ireland work with people who experience homelessness and housing exclusion in Ireland.

This is the eighth year that the Simon Communities of Ireland has partnered with the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. Over the course of this wonderful partnership almost €265,000 has been raised for the Simon Communities of Ireland.

This is an exciting opportunity that allows anyone to get advice from an Architect no matter the size of their project. Our previous participation were very rewarding and the projects could not be more varied. From new builds to small extensions or houses that are not functional, the Architect has the most appropriate training and experience to help you with your building project.

For us, Architects, Simon Open Door is an interesting challenge and people always get amazed about how much can be done in one hour. And if that wasn’t enough we are helping the homeless with the donations you give to the Simon Communities. Everybody wins!

You can sign up for an appointment with Isabel Barros Architects on either Saturday 12th May or Sunday 13th May directly here, or with other registered Architects at www.simonopendoor.ie.

Read Testimonials about the Simon Open Door. Join Simon Open Door page in Facebook.

Guided Factory Tour at Fronius in Austria

barros — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:17:37 +0000

Fronius creates new technologies and solutions for monitoring and controlling energy. They are technological leaders in the field of battery charging systems, welding technology and solar electronics.

This tour was part of the Renewable Energy Research Trip to Austria that took place in November 2011.

The factory is impressive but unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take photos inside. The 38,000 sq.m. building features an innovative energy concept with one of the largest photovoltaic systems in Austria (615 Kwp/3600 sq.m.), a biomass power station (1500kw) and a geothermal system for heating and cooling.

Fronius Factory - Roof with solar photovoltaics

Just the photovoltaic system on its own could cover the annual electricity consumption of 160 households.

View to the Fronius "Kinderland" creche

Added extras, such as the Fronius “Kinderland” creche and staff restaurant, cater for the wellbeing of employees.

I was also very impressed with their HyLOG project.

“HyLOG” stands for Hydrogen powered Logistic System. The ambitious goal of this project is the implementation of an emissions-free and more efficient in-house logistics system in a real industrial application environment – in this case, at the Fronius facility in Sattled, Austria.

Fronius HyLog Project

Instead of batteries, logistical vehicles at the Fronius Sattledt location are operated using environmentally-friendly hydrogen.

The hydrogen used for the HyLOG vehicle is produced by Fronius in-house via an electrolysis process powered by the 615 kW PV system on the roof of the building. The hydrogen is then stored and made available for refueling via an in-house filling station infrastructure. The fuel cell drive integrated into the vehicle is used to convert the hydrogen into energy to operate the vehicle.

1. PV modules. 2. Electrolyser. 3. Hydrogen reservoir. 4. Hydrogen tank. 5. Fuel cell (on-board). 6. Electronic drive unit (on-board). 7. Inverter. 8. Sattledt production facility. 9. HyLOG truck.

Here’s how it works: The PV modules (1) capture the sunlight and turn it into DC current. Power needed immediately at the Sattledt production facility (8) is made available by way of the electronic inverter module (7). The rest of the electric power is used by the electrolyser (2) to split water into its twin constituents, oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen is stored in a reservoir (3), and the oxygen is released into the atmosphere. The HyLOG vehicles are refuelled with this stored hydrogen at a filling station (4). Together, the fuel cell (5) and electronic drive unit (6) integrated in the HyLOG truck (9) turn the hydrogen into motive power. The main benefit of this zero-emission materials-handling solution is that refuelling with hydrogen only takes a few minutes, whereas conventional battery-powered warehouse trucks have to be recharged for 8 to 10 hours every time.

Isabel Barros

Isabel’s Picks for April 2012

barros — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:02:05 +0000

4 LITTLE BIRDS PITCH BY OUR DOORSTEP

It’s Spring, it’s Easter and we love it!

1. SOLAR/WIND POWERED PENDANT LAMP

Manufacturer: Ikea

Designer: David Wahl

Product Name: Solvinden

Price Range: €30.49

Key Features: No costs for electricity; the solar panel and the wind power generator convert sunlight and wind to energy. Easy to use; no cables or plugs are needed. Creates interesting light effects when it rotates in the wind. Built-in LED light source.

Available in Ireland from: Ikea

2. WALL DECAL

Product Name:Blossoming Almond Branch – Gift Birds

Price Range: €45

Material: High quality, self-adhesive and waterproof vinyl.

Key Facts: Easy to install and removable but may not be repositioned or reused once applied to your wall or surface.

Available to Ireland from: Etsy

3. PARTITION SYSTEM

Trademark: 3form

Designer: Bloomming

Product Name: Facet

Price Range: n/a

Material: Eco-resin 3D shapes, aluminium frame and stainless steel attachment elements.

Key Features: Completely modular system with endless possibilities. Easy to install with only 5 components. Light weight. Infinite and interactive. Sustainable. UV resistant and antistatic. Each Facet can be rotated 360 degrees individually or in sets to create different patterns and transparency. Innovative space dividing and window screen system with a unique sculptural design that allows you to play with interior space, shade and light with interactive elements.

Available to Ireland from: 3form

4. CHAIR

Trademark: Corque

Designer: Toni Grilo

Product Name: Vinco

Price Range: n/a

Material: Natural agglomerate cork, rubber cork and polished steel.

Key Features: “Vinco” chair offers a sophisticated feel with natural touch, providing a unique sensorial experience with cork. “Vinco” aesthetical beauty derives from the original shape created by a set of “creases” in a cork flat board. The creases in “Vinco” form a volumetric structure out of a flat one aiming economy production. Reinforcing this concept the board assembles the polished steel structure by fitting, without any glue or screws.

Available to Ireland from: Corque

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Visit to Power Tower Energy AG in Austria

barros — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:58:46 +0000

The Power Tower in Linz, Austria is the first office tower to attempt to meet the Passive House standards.

This visit was part of the Renewable Energy Research Trip to Austria that took place in November 2011.

The Power Tower was built to house the corporate headquarters of the Austrian utility company Energie AG. The new offices were built from 2006 to 2008 on the same location of Energy AG previous headquarters built in the 1930s. We were told that when they demolished the original building everything that was possible to reuse it was kept and used in the new building.

Energy Systems

The Power Tower is not dependent of fossil fuels. The energy is obtained through the soil and the ground water, and/or generated by the solar panels that are integrated into the façade.

Façade

Dieter Moor from Ertex Solar was our guide for this visit. He explained the façade was specifically developed for this project and 90% of the solar heat remains outside the building, therefore it was not necessary to install a conventional air-conditioning system. The building envelope was specially engineered to allow maximum day lighting while minimizing solar gain, which would normally be excessive and require a great deal of active cooling.

The façade system is made of enclosed panels (with no access), quadruple glazed, and the outside pane has two glass panels laminated together. A small device inside each module sucks the air and moisture. The U-Value is 0.5 W/m².

60% of the Power Tower façade is transparent, the remaining 40% have an opaque surface highly insulated.

The South façade has three vertical photovoltaic bands that cover approximately 650m² and generate about 42,000 kWh of electricity per year (10% of the building’s energy).

Heating and Cooling

A combined heat-pump plant provides 100% of the energy to the heating, cooling and ventilation systems of the high-rise office building.

Power Tower - Plant Room

The soil and the ground water are used as thermal sources. Depth probes and foundation piles extract the energy for heating and cooling from the ground.

Power Tower - Manifold for the 46 geothermal wells

Beneath the building, 46 geothermal wells, each 150 m deep were drilled prior to construction (this is nearly 7 km of boreholes!).

As a special feature the heat accumulated during cooling operations in the summer is pumped back into the soil and can be used for heating in the winter.

Ventilation

Heating and cooling panels with radiation effect are suspended from the ceiling. A controlled ventilation system supplies fresh air, as the windows of the building cannot be opened.

Lighting

A total of almost 700 LED lighting elements were installed, which create extraordinary light effects. This artistic light installation uses a maximum of 1.4 kW, which is less electricity than is consumed by a commercial vacuum cleaner.

Power Tower - Internal Courtyard

Fact sheet

Gross floor space: 32,872 m² (incl. underground garage)

Façade surface: 11,620 m² (of this photovoltaic surface 637 m²)

Height of tower: 73 m

Number of floors in tower: 19

Number of floors in underground garage: 2

Number of garage parking spaces: 246

Maximum heating output: 700 kW

Maximum cooling output: 800 kW

Construction costs: €42 million euro (excludes sustainable energy grants)

Isabel Barros

Isabel’s Picks for March 2012

barros — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:00:50 +0000

IT NATURALLY MAKES SENSE

A journey back to the roots

1. VACUUM GLAZING

Manufacturer: Pilkington

Product Name: Pilkington Spacia™

Price Range: n/a

Material: Two panes of glass where the air in between is extracted, creating a vacuum.

Key Features: It offers the thermal performance of conventional double glazing in the same thickness as single glass (6 mm). Heat flow through radiation is limited through one of the glass panes having a low-emissivity coating, similar to that used in modern conventional double glazing. Minimum disruption, can be retro-fitted into existing frames designed for single glazing. Significantly improved acoustic performance over single glazing.

Applications: Ideal for use in historic buildings, offering replacement windows more in keeping with the original design. It may even allow the use of the original frames if these are in a reasonable or repairable condition. Also suitable for other applications where the use of thinner, low-weight glazing is desirable, for example in sliding box sashes, secondary glazing, or as one pane of a triple glazed “super-window”.

Available in Ireland from: Wexford Viking Glass

2. CURVED TIMBER FLOORING

Product Name: Bolefloor

Price Range: from €105/m2

Material: Solid and engineered oak, ash, maple, cherry and walnut.

Key Facts: First industrial-scale hardwood flooring with naturally curved lengths that follow the tree’s natural growth. Each floorboard is as individual as the tree it came from. All Bolefloor products are ordinary tongue and groove (unless ordered otherwise), ready to install preferably by gluing down. A Bolefloor is as simple to install as a traditional floor.

Available in Ireland from: Elements of Wood

3. FLOWER VASE

Trademark: Black + Blum

Product Name: Flower Loop

Price Range: €30

Material: Chrome steel

Key Features: Removable water tube for easy refilling.

Available in Ireland from: Gorgeous Gifts and Interiors

4. WASHBASIN + WATERCLOSET

Manufacturer: Roca

Designer: Gabriele and Oscar Buratti

Product Name: W+W

Price Range: n/a

Key Features: Designed to maximise space and conserve water. Combines a bathroom sink with a toilet. Its refill system filters the sink’s water for reuse in the flush cistern. Incorporates Roca’s new ‘water-reuse’ technology, uses waste water from the basin to fill the WC cistern, thereby reducing water usage by up to 25% compared to a standard 6/3 litre dual-flush WC.

Available in Ireland from: Blu Bathrooms

5. INTERNAL INSULATION

Trademark: Calsitherm Climate Board

Price Range: n/a

Material: Made of calcium silicate, a micro porous mineral building material with good insulating properties: its high capillary action ensures humidity regulation and the nature of the material means that mould cannot form on its surface.

Key Features: Reduced heating costs. Increase in comfort and mould damage prevention. Allows to balance energy efficiency with breathability and damp protection whilst maintaining the characteristics of the building and preserving the facade.

Applications: Building restoration, historical monuments, public buildings (schools, churches, museums), new construction. Interior only.

Available in Ireland from: Ecological Building Systems

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And the Pritzker Prize 2012 Goes to…………Wang Shu

barros — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:39:05 +0000

Wang Shu of The People’s Republic of China is the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate.

Wang Shu, the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate

The international prize, which is awarded each year to a living architect for significant achievement, was established by the Pritzker family of Chicago through their Hyatt Foundation in 1979. Often referred to as “architecture’s Nobel” and “the profession’s highest honor,” it is granted annually.

Five Scattered Houses, Ningbo, China. Photo by Lang Shuilong.

Wang Shu has often explained in lectures and interviews that “to me architecture is spontaneous for the simple reason that architecture is a matter of everyday life. When I say that I build a ‘house’ instead of a ‘building’, I am thinking of something that is closer to life, everyday life. When I named my studio ‘Amateur Architecture’, it was to emphasize the spontaneous and experimental aspects of my work, as opposed to being ‘official and monumental’.”

Xiangshan Campus, China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China. Photo by Lv Hengzhong

As a child Wang Shu moved around a lot with his parents living in houses as small as 15 sq.m.

When living in Xi’an, 1,000km west of Beijing, his family didn’t have a television. They use to sat on one bed chatting in the evening, which gave him a happy and interesting experience, he says.

Ceramic House, 2003-2006, Jinhua, China. Photo by Lv Hengzhong

Wang Shu felt the Tangshan earthquake in Xi’an in 1976. His family had to move to a bamboo shed where hundreds of families lived together. Each family was given an area the size of a double bed and they lived there for three months until they built a house with only 15 sq metre and one room!

Ningbo History Museum, Ningbo, China. Photo by Lv Hengzhong

His philosophy of paying scrupulous attention to the environment suggests that buildings located between water and mountains should not be prominent.

Ningbo History Museum, Ningbo, China. Photo by Lv Hengzhong.

True to his methods of economy of materials, he salvaged over two million tiles from demolished traditional houses to cover the roofs of the campus buildings.

Vertical Courtyard Apartments, Hangzhou, China. Photo by Lu Wenyu.

Wang Shu is attracted by the variety of buildings just like the different lifestyles people have.He is certainly a gifted dreamer with an amazing life experience.

If you want to learn more about the Pritzker Architecture Prize check out the beautiful infographic created by Innovus. Click in the image below to see full infographic.

Infographic by @Innovusdecors