‘Building Tomorrow’ presents the contemporary trends in building design and the global forces driving them forward, using Architizer’s annual A+Awards submissions as the benchmark. Download the full report for free at www.psfk.com/report/building-tomorrow.
In a cacophonous world where everything from advertising to architecture is competing for attention, many designers are now pushing back with understated getaways and buildings that gain their power by achieving harmony with their surroundings. New research undertaken by Architizer and PSFK — now available to download for free — has shown that clients are increasingly looking for buildings that minimize visual impact, and architects are responding with projects that cleverly integrate their structures with the natural context.
“Ultimately, truly timeless architecture is inseparable from place; its authenticity derives from its context, allowing it to remain relevant,” remarks Matt Anderson, Director of Communications at Olson Kundig Architects. Whether by taking design inspiration from their locale or carving key elements directly into the landscape, many contemporary projects reflect a growing desire for more subtle, harmonious interventions.
© Martin Schubert
© Jens Markus Lindhe
This trend is apparent in both public and private projects: in the former category, Henning Larsen Architects carved a cultural complex into the rolling hills of Denmark that is an exhibition in subtlety. The Moesgaard Museum covers some 172,225 square feet of exhibition space, but one hardly notices its presence beneath this expansive park.
The museum also possesses internal and external programs: “The green roof, bright courtyard, and underground terraces provide unique exhibition spaces for artists while creating recreational outdoor areas for barbecues, picnics, lectures, and traditional Midsummer’s Day bonfires for patrons.”
In the residential realm, Ken Architekten devised a similarly low-impact design for the Bruggerburg condominium of 16 apartments in Brugg, Switzerland. As the research outlines, the firm created a building that “clings to the contours of the existing terrain,” culminated in a stepped terrace that offers generous interiors and outlooks without dominating the skyline: “With its choice of materials, coloration, lack of detail, and large scale, the volume seems to be part of the Bruggerberg hill as opposed to its own independent structure.”
Finally, a single private dwelling by GLUCK+ appears as a seamless extension of the natural landscape in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. “House in the Mountains” is characterized by sloping, meadow-topped roofs that emerge from the ground to shelter a home bounded by walls of weathered steel and stone.
The concept of merging architecture with the surrounding context is not new, but these projects show just how adept young architects are becoming at blending modern design with timeless landscapes. As clients seek greater harmony between manmade structures and their natural surroundings, innovative designs are emerging that speak to this prevailing preference: blended landscapes are in, and architects are drawing closer to the earth than ever before.
