Another building that I find superbly fascinating is that of a proposed project in “tropical double skin” that Vo has suggested building in Ho Chi Minh City. In the name of environmental sustainability, Vo proposed the construction of a building that more or less resembled the tropical climate of Vietnam and in doing so, would act as a climate moderator and help to disrupt the noise from the streets of Ho chi Minh City. The facade of this building would  consist of specific units that were 400 cubic millimeters each and made up of six steel rings that would support plants and bamboo and act as a  break from the bustling, urban society meters away. I found this information of Archdaily. com.

Designed in 1961 by I.M. Pei as his first non-urban architectural project, the Mesa Laboratory is the primary laboratory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Located near the Flatirons hills on the Table Mesa, this complex features efforts of naturalistic integration while maintaining the modernist style for which Pei is well-acquainted.

The color and geometry used in these buildings are meant to complement those of the surrounding landscape. I.M. Pei took inspiration for the large, covered openings at the top of most of the towers in Mesa Laboratory from the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi people of Mesa Verde. Pei also attempted to increase interaction amongst scientists and researchers by intentionally creating a maze-like complex of buildings and corridors. Additional buildings, also designed by Pei, were later added to account for increased volume, such as the Fleischmann Building that is now used for administrative purposes.

My assigned architect for these last four blogs is  Vo Trong Nghia and In Vo Trong Nghia Architects. A little background information on Vo Trong Nghia is critical in understanding who he is and the culture he uses to embody his buildings. Vo was born in 1976 in a north central Vietnamese province called Quảng Bình. This young architect went to the Nagoya Institute of Technology and later the the University of Tokyo where he received his Masters in Architecture. In 2006, Vo then established Vo Trong Nghia Architects and in 2012, was awarded Vietnamese Architect of the Year by AUSHI. Vo is most known for his use of bamboo architecture and utilizing very inexpensive material to construct environmentally sustainable buildings. At first, I had trouble accessing his home website due to the fact that its based in Vietnam and their server isn’t exactly user friendly for US based internet. One of his works that initially caught my eye was that of the Vinata Bamboo pavilion. This structure uses a unique sort of approach in providing shade and comfort in a luxurious manner. Placed poolside and comprised entirely out of bamboo, this structure is low-cost, vogue, and the epitome of environmental sustainability. Its Support comes from the light, yet sturdy bamboo cross patterned arches and provides a reprive from the otherwise industrial skyscrapers seen in the distance. This Pavillion is one of a kind and is magnificent to say the least.

Designed by Pei Partnership Architects in association with I.M. Pei, this planetarium / museum’s construction was finished in 2009 and opened soon after. It is located along the coast of the Outer Harbor of the Zhujiang River Estuary in Se, Macau and is visible while ferrying between Hong Kong and Macau.

This building is probably one of the most aptly designed among the creations I will feature in these final posts. That is to say that the design of it so accentuates and articulates its purpose as a Science Center. With its tiered curvature and large walkway that resembles the boarding platform of a space shuttle, this building embraces those elements of futurism that are synonymous with the optimistic view of 1950’s American science fiction.

This is set to be built in the Swedish city of Linkoping. It plans to unite the building plan with the adjacent lakes through design and functionality. The design comes from waves in the ocean washing onto a shore. That’s where the ideas for the curves on the building came from, kinda like the idea of the ocean forming the building through its waves. The wavy windows will also provide a blurred boundary from the indoor pools and outdoor lakes. I think the idea for this is so cool. To think about the design is amazing and so creative.

The Pinecote Pavilion is loacted within the Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, Mississippi. The rather simple structure has been one of the most praised architectural works in the state of Mississippi. Jones emphasized the pavilion as a “gathering place” and as “a starting point for nature walks, for talks and discussions about important things in the environment and natural world.” Jones also goes into detail about how he wanted to keep it simple and have every element of the structure clearly visible to all that encounter the building. The woodwork resembles his Thorncrown Chapel in Arkansas; simple and sophisticated. The pavilion also is similar to the chapel in terms of how it blends into the natural environment.

This Hospital will be built with the purpose of making it “home-esque and informal atmosphere” because of when one member of a family is in a hospital everyone in the family is affected. So they are trying to make the whole process of being in the hospital as easy as possible. It has a playful design that is built from the idea of two hands reaching up towards the sky to the sunlight. I think the concept for this hospital is so cool and can not wait to see it in person.

The Sainsbury wing was developed by Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi for the museum of London to provide some view of postmodernism. It was first built after winning a competition and was recently awarded an AIA gold medal for its design. Complemented to feature a blend of modern and classic architectural designs.

“The Gateway” is a pair of skyscrapers just outside of the Central Business District of Singapore. Designed by I.M. Pei in the early 1980’s and completed by 1990, these buildings are nestled symmetrically on either side of a large roundabout drive that connects to Beach Road and are named for their locations cardinally: The Gateway East and The Gateway West.

Depending on the angle viewed from, these buildings are something of an optical illusion. Because of their trapezoidal nature, either building may appear to be nothing but a colossal wall of glass and, as such, some photos can be quite deceiving and, frankly, confusing at first glance. While I am uncertain whether this was the intention of Pei, it appears that the courtyard between the buildings was designed in such a way as to promote openness and invitation.