Designing a city block

The issue of our thesis project was the redefinition of a common city block in the area of Gyzi, Athens through a proposal that acts in two levels: a) the integration of the internal non-built area of the block, the "akalyptos" and b) the restoration and reuse of three old buildings to meet the inhabitants' needs. Our main goal was that all of our interventions should be governed by the principles of a sustainable and green architecture.

http://www.greekarchitects.gr/en/projects2015/designing-a-city-block-id10865

„Global Heritage Stone Provinces“

Spanish geologists propose the quarries of Berroqueña Granite for the list of „Global Heritage Stone Provinces“

 http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/27/spanish-geologists-propose-the-quarries-of-berroquena-granite-for-the-list-of-global-heritage-stone-provinces/

Tables from Citco’s Zaha Hadid Collection

The Verona based stone company had donated three pieces from its 2013 cooperation with the recently deceased star architect
Three Mercuric Tables from Citco’s Zaha Hadid Collection were donated to an auction for the new building of the London Design Museum and raised over £1,160,000 together with other spectacular examples of contemporary design. „The Time for Design Auction“ was held as live sale on April 28, 2016 followed by an online auction continued until May 2.
 http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/25/tables-from-citcos-zaha-hadid-collection-auctioned-for-the-benefit-of-the-new-london-design-museum/

World’s Most Energy Efficient Museum is in Center of Medieval City

The integration of the Passive House certified museum Kunstmuseum Ravensburg into the fabric of a medieval city challenges the identity of architecture by bridging 500 years of vernacular with a single gesture. The museum maintains the German city’s fabric with a nod in materiality and form, but resolutely avoids mimicry or nostalgia. If you quickly walked passed it you may not even recognize it is of our era. The barrel vault roof relief and rich, historical brickwork allow the mass to slip into the old, dense neighborhood with only a whisper and wink of the contemporary on the outside.http://www.evolo.us/architecture/worlds-most-energy-efficient-museum-is-in-center-of-medieval-city/

Wall Tiles

Turkish-based Assos Marble showed out-of-the-ordinary design products at the Izmir Trade Fair
Fascinating wall tiles with 3-D effects were presented by Turkish-bases Assos Marble Company as a novelty at the Izmir Trade Fair (March 23rd to 26th 2016). The family enterprise whose members jointly created the new design product has been developing ideas for innovative design in natural stone since it was founded in 2004.
 http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/24/wall-tiles-with-3-d-effects-in-natural-stone/

European Design Awards 12 Mythic Marbles

http://www.dolphinsonline.gr/

Salone del Mobile

But the stone sector must present more new ideas to create attentiveness and to promote its material as modern

A total of 373,151 visitors were registered at this, the 55th Salone del Mobile, Milan (12th to 17th April 2016), of which 67% came from abroad. That was an increase of 4% compared to the previous year. Some 2407 exhibitors, 30% of them from foreign countries, were represented on a total surface of 270,000 m² spread over 20 halls.
 http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/20/salone-del-mobile-1-natural-stone-amply-represented-and-even-visible/

Brutal London

Following “Brutal London,” Zupagrafika has released another collection of illustrated paper cut-out models, “Paris Brut," which portrays the Brutalist architecture of Paris from the late-’50s through the 1970s. The set features buildings from the city’s arrondissements and banlieues, the latter of which became a central locality for Habitation à Loyer Modéré, a type of public-private, rent-controlled housing in France.
 http://www.archdaily.com/787783/zupagrafika-honors-brutalism-in-paris-with-paper-models

Cloud Craft: Rainmaking Skyscraper

Droughts are a recurring feature of California’s climate, and the current four-year period starting from the fall of 2011 has been the driest in history since recordkeeping began in 1895. California is in fact the world’s fifth-largest supplier of food and most of the farming depends on irrigation, which usually accounts for about 80% of the state’s human water use. In 2014 growers lost about 6.6 million acre-feet of surface water and 2.2 billion dollars because of the drought.
 http://www.evolo.us/competition/cloud-craft-rainmaking-skyscraper/

Natural Stone

Myth: Natural Stone Stains Easily
Staining is a big concern for many homeowners considering natural stone. A common misconception is that common products like red wine, cosmetics or coffee will stain natural stone countertops beyond repair. While staining can occur on any light colored material, including some lighter stones, Carl Vona Jr., president of Paramount Stone in Stamford, Connecticut, says that most stains are treatable.http://www.financialbuzz.com/dispelling-myths-about-natural-stone-445842

Vermion White marble from Greece: simply elegant...

Stone Group International (SGI) from Thessaloniki has integrated a new white marble into its portfolio of more than 250 natural stones
„Vermion White“ is one of the most elegant marbles and luxurious premium decorative materials for architectural building projects. Characteristics are the soft white stripes on a light grey background with uniform parallel veins and smooth waves.
 http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/13/vermion-white-marble-from-greece-simply-elegant/

Relief in Stone

Reliefs in natural stone give a building an unmistakable look and provide work for skilled craftsmen...

http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/13/reliefs-in-natural-stone-give-a-building-an-unmistakable-look-and-provide-work-for-skilled-craftsmen/

“THE HUG”

The project is a contemporary evolution of the classic courtyard tipology, unfolding the four sides of the courtyard along the axis of the main road,creating a central urban square facing south for both students and citizens.The four sides go up from east to west according to the heights of the surrounding buildings. It allows to keep the view of the main Alvar Aalto building and creating a main access.The former carriageable roads are processed in the main pedestrian and cycle paths, keeping the total permeability of the site in the main points of access.The creation of two different external levels that takes shape from theterrain, has enabled the customization of two different open spaces.
http://www.evolo.us/architecture/alvar-aalto-campus-otaniemi-finland/

Well, this is AIA

AIA Convention 2016 is the architecture and design event of the year! Join us in Philly May 19-21. Imagine what could happen.

https://convention.aia.org/

Arch Marathon

http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/07/latest-news-through-a-cooperation-with-archmarathon-marmomacc-wants-to-attract-more-architects-and-designers-as-visitors-2/

During the 2016 Verona Stone Fair will be started the qualification for Archmarathon’s new „Stone“ category
Marmomacc has launched a cooperation with Archmarathon to promote and valorize natural stone in architecture.

Italy’s natural stone exports 2015

The country could again increase its export- and value turn-over / Imports of raw blocks down with a rise in imports of slabs

In view of the difficult times, figures could hardly be better: Italy’s stone branch (excluding machinery and tools) took the magical 2 billion € hurdle for exports for the first time since introduction of the €. In numbers: 2.064 billion € were turned over, whereby the magical mark remains vanquished even if chips and powders are left out of the statistic.
 http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/06/italys-natural-stone-exports-2015-a-shining-performance-despite-difficult-times/

and Thassos, Paros and Pentelicon in Greece...

the results, which are published by the journal Applied Surface Science, demonstrate that these variables have made it possible to confirm that the marble analyzed came from different quarries: Carrara in Italy; Proconnesos, Docimium and Aphrodisias in Turkey; and Thassos, Paros and Pentelicon in Greece...

 http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/05/underwater-research-near-naples-the-marble-used-in-roman-villas-came-from-quarries-in-carrara-turkey-and-greece/

 

Latest news: Auction of stone sculpture in support of Save the Children’s Syria Aid programme

http://www.stone-ideas.com/2016/05/02/auction-of-stone-sculpture-in-support-of-save-the-childrens-syria-aid-programme-2/