Both projects are high-end residential. Dune house, at the top, is for a family of five in Amagansett, NY. Downtown Loft is a high-end residential loft for a couple in NYC.
Dune House was developed to be built with state-of-the-artgreen technologies, to allow the house to be constructed within a fragile dune reserve area. The base of the house is an existing building, and all water use, electrical, and materials are state of the art green, to give the house a less than zero-carbon-footprint. The builder for the house has agreed to use best practices to protect all native species on the site. The Owners have also hired a Landscape Architect to remove all non-native invasive species, and replace them with native plant species.
Dune House is a courtyard design, with the house and out-building arranged around a new, free-form pool, with glass sides. It is possible to look into the pool from the East and South elevations.
Both projects feature extensive woodwork, including cabinetry inserts by hMa collaborator, Miya Shoji, located in NYC.
Victoria Meyers architect and her role at the Turkish Archiprix is featured in a new post, describing her visit to Ankara, Turkey, in December 2013.
During her visit to Ankara for the conference, Meyers also visited Hotel Argos, in Cappadocia.
Hotel Argos is in the center of the amazing landscape of Cappadocia, and is built into the natural cave forms in the area.
Meyers was hosted in Cappadocia by the Sevki Vanli Foundation, with hosts Lale Ozgenel, from the METU University in Ankara, and Asli Ozbay, who has worked on the amazing renovations at Argos. The spaces are incredibly beautiful, and the work is of the quality of any project by Peter Zumthor.
The experience was fantastic, and the architecture was amazing. A visit to Hotel Argos is highly recommended. Shown above: the garden walls that line the streets within the hotel compound, which is comprised of several former houses that are both constructed from local stone, and also carved, out of the naturally occurring caves in the landscape.
Above: with Asli Ozbay and Lale Ozgenel in the wine cellars below Hotel Argos, in the natural cut rock caves.
If you visit Hotel Argos, a visit will include a tour of the natural rock cut wine cellars.
Above: view through a skylight cut into the floor, showing an area below.
View from within the wine cellars, out to the public stair to the wine cellars. Argos has their own grapes, and makes their own wines.
The visit consisted of jurying the works of Turkish architecture students, as well as giving a public lecture: 'Hack-Make: Architecture at the Scale of the Hand' - presenting recent architectural works of hMa, and addressing the ideas in the work, including links between contemporary hMa works and biogenesis, biomimicry, energy and biogenesis, and sound.
Meyers also presented her new book during the visit, Shape of Sound, which is to be published May 1, 2014. Shape of Sound is currently available for purchase, on Amazon.com.
Shown above: the magazine cover, featuring the entry area, into hMa's Won Buddhist Retreat in Claverack, NY.
Victoria Meyers architect, of hanrahan Meyers architects, is featured in Konsept Projeler (translates to Concepts Projects), Turkey's premier design magazine, in their December issue. Meyers was in Turkey, as the International Juror for the 2013 Turkish Archiprix. After judging the Archiprix, Meyers gave a public lecture, describing her firm, hMa, and how she and her partner, Hanrahan, have developed new typologies, studying ideas for Hacker-Maker spaces. Meyers is currently studying Hacker Maker in her design studio at the University of Cincinnati's School of Architecture, where she is teaching a design studio, with the concept of a Hacker-Maker. Meyers is the David Niland Chair at the University of Cincinnati School of Architecture
Meyers also discussed her upcoming book, Shape of Sound, during her interview with Concepts interviewer, Baran Danis, and the effect that the study of sound as a formal issue, has also affected the development of hMa's designs.
The article is reproduced below. I hope they had nice things to say! They gave hMa a beautiful spread, including extensive views of Won Buddhist Retreat, Holley House, DWi-P, and Infinity Chapel. You can find out more about the magazine, here: www.konseptprojeler.com.
Shown above, hMa's DWi-P, a new public building by hMa, featuring a first, Digitally Interactive Facade. The building had a soft opening in November 2013. The building is planned to have a formal opening, in 2014, after the DWi-P App is published, and the facade comes 'online' as an interactive public space.
Above: More images of hMa's DWi-P (Digital Water i-Pavilion). During her talk at the conclusion of the Turkish Archiprix, Meyers discussed the work of hMa, and how the firm's investigations into contemporary space include Bio-Morphism, and self-replicating systems. DWi-P is a building that shows this research, as it is a self-replicating system, repeating details that hMa developed in earlier projects, mostly at Infinity Chapel.
Above: hMa's Infinity Chapel. Infinity Chapel investigates Sound, through the firm's concept of Snd.BX-2 sound boxes. Infinity Chapel includes five Snd.BX-2 sound boxes, which act as sound and light transmitters, connecting a lower level Sunday school to the upper level Chapel and Reading Room.
Above: hMa" Snd.Bx-2 Diagram, showing how sound and light form the sequence from MacDougal Street to a rear, outdoor Garden Chapel.
Another detail shot of the entry sequence into the meditation hall at Won Buddhist Retreat. Again, hMa applied ideas that the firm has developed around sound as a formal design element. The Meditation Hall is designed as a space of 'silence'. The Hall features state of the art sound dampening details. If the Buddhists close the doors to the hall, the main hall is completely sound isolated from the surroundings.
Above: hMa's Holley House. Holley House is two Pavilions that float in a landscape, separated by a walled structure. The walled structure acts as a primary support wall for both pavilions, but also creates a separate zone of entry to the two pavilions.
Holley House: two pavilions floated in a landscape; a Stone Wall (inspired by artist Andy Goldsworthy) creates a zone of Entry and Circulation between the two pavilions.
Above: more images of Won Buddhist Retreat. hMa won an AIA Honor Award for this project. The project included a 550-acre site, where hMa designed the Master Plan, as well as the design of five buildings. hMa designed the site (which was a Brownfield site), and the five new buildings, to have zero-carbon-footprint.
Above: Won Buddhist Retreat: All woods in the project are FSC woods. The image, directly above, shows the Buddhists in morning meditation practice, at sunrise.
The mirror analogy above, is from Meyers' lecture, discussing how hMa uses the concept of 'mirror' on hMa projects. By replicating details and ideas from earlier designs, hMa projects form an eco-system, based on principals similar to concepts of design in the work of Skylar Tibbits. hMa's work is a 'self-replicating system'.
Credit for much the contents of this lecture goes to the insightful writing of Martin E. Rosenberg - an Independent Scholar, living in Pittsburgh, Pa.. I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in the contents of this blog post, go to Martin E. Rosenberg's posting on Inflexions: www.inflexions.org/n4_rosenbergthml.html.
For session 5, we look at the works of Xenakis and Le Corbusier, and contemporary influences on their works. This would include the incredibly rapid changes that occurred both socially technologically, fueled by World Wars I and II.
The music of that time reflected many of these changes, especially Jazz, and the work of artists such as Thelonious Monk. Martin Rosenberg relates many of these changes not only to technologies of mass production demanded by the wars, but also to concepts of 'complexity and emergence' in physics and cognitive science.
Le Corbusier and his atelier, including the amazing Iannis Xenakis, could not help but be strongly influenced by these changes. This would include Le Corbusier's direct reference to factory produced cars such as the Citroen (Maison Citrohan).
The fascination with the machine is also reflected around the same time, in the sound works of Pierre Schaeffer, who invented the idea of 'Musique Concrete'.
In addition to changes in architectural design related to industrial practices, Le Corbusier and Xenakis spent a great deal of time trying to solve issues related to climate in their buildings. Thus Le Corbusier's fascination with the development of new ideas about windows and window design (the brise-soleil; the aerator; the vision area of the glass). This compares to today's practitioners who are focusing on the development of several new ways of conditioning space, with hvac technologies asserting strong influence on the language of architectural design.
Le Corbusier and Xenakis study the 'climatic grid', above, at the Villa Shodhan in India, above.
Rensellaer Polytechnic's CASE (Center for Architecture Science and Ecology, above.
Scientific advances, in turn, have affected sound, and composer's interpretations of sound and music. In 1967 composer Istvan Anhalt composed the 'Symphony of Modules'. In 2008, architect Steven Holl used Anhalt's base composition as the determining geometry for a new house in Seoul, South Korea.
Again, we return to the original piece that I referenced by Martin Rosenberg. Rosenberg also references the composer John Cage's decision to foreground the interdepences between music and noise in a careful considered deconstruction of the calculus of music notation in the 20th century.
These formal overlaps and references that connect music, architecture, and culture in the 1950's are the subject of lecture 5, for architect Victoria Meyers' seminar: Sound Urbanism/ Sound Ecology.
'Hack-Make' is the title of Meyers' latest lecture, presented in Ankara, Turkey. In December 2013, Meyers was the invited International Juror for the 2013 Turkish Archiprix. The judging took place on December 2 and 3rd. The prizes were awarded on December 6th, when Meyers also gave a public lecture, 'Hack-Make:Architecture at the Scale of the Hand'. The lecture includes ideas to support Hacker Maker spaces, and Hacker-Maker Faires.
‘Hack Make// Architecture at the Scale of the Hand’ Why the Hand?The Hand is that part of our body that makes things. The hand holds pencils, and, today, holds and orients the computer mouse.
There are studies that demonstrate that older people develop Alzheimers if they do not walk. Babies develop language skills by crawling. We, as humans, only understand how to design intelligently by using our body – especially our hands in the process of Thinking and Making.
I am going to focus this post around Architectural Biogenesis (meaning architecture that is self-replicating of itself, or of its embedded functions), Landscape and Urban Design,and the impact of :Robotics, Rapid Prototyping,and New Media. How do we use our hands when we think, and when we make things? Especially today, when we have a disembodied hand that swipes computer screens, and expects a Visceral response from that Swipe. The Hand Swipe is starting to move into all areas of popular culture. Thas an effect on Architecture -because architecture is not disembodied.It is Embodied, and it is heavy, and it weighs a lot.
Already, today, in 2013, we all take the ‘hand swipe’ for granted, as part of everyday reality.The hand swipe was only available as a tool for computerized interactions. These Forces have combined to have a big impact on how we design architecture.
Why is this happening?Globalization, Global Warming, Social networks, the Internet, Robotics, Biomorphism, and Google Earth.
Global Architecture at the Scale of the Hand. Hack-Make!
The theme of much of my work is 'mirrors'. hMa is an architectural practice that is, in its own way, biogenetic, and, in that sense, very circular. hMa is a practice that looks back on itself.
I have invited my students to 'Think Different'. I believe in Thinking Different - Thinking Different is what has always differentiated Americans from the rest of the world.
We don't necessarily have an established order in America. We develop ideas and businesses like Facebook, Google, and the Internet - that upset the order of the rest of the World.
I have reinterpreted my work through writings; through Art (see Victoria Meyers: Music Box); Music (see Victoria Meyers LightScore; DWi-P Score; Shape of Sound).
Myths relate to how we see ourselves in the world. Myths are interesting in that they demand that we suspend our beliefs in many things: the suspension of Gravity; the suspension of Reality.
Mirrors help us to make that leap of 'suspension'.
Removing us one step from the original thing - we make drawings and models - which are like 'Mirrors' of the buildings we want to design. Plans are like dense books - if you know how to read them.
I am not asking my students to disbelieve in Gravity. What I am asking is that they frame our everyday knowledge of forces - like Gravity - so that they understand them better - and that they present ideas about Gravity, and Light, and Sound - to the world in a way that gives these phenomena a more profound understanding. So people can see and understand and hear gravity, light, and sound - better. So they can understand their reality in a new way.
Victoria Meyers: Designing With Light
New York Architects Victoria Meyers and Thomas Hanrahan believe that architecture is an environment, 'pure space', manifested in nature. The principals of hanrahanMeyers architects (hMa) have established themselves as unique visionaries, incorporating light and sound into their arresting designs of pure forms. Founded in 1987, the firm specializes in residences, art centers, and community spaces. They design spaces from a vision that connects visitors with the natural world.
www.designingwithlight.us
Victoria Meyers: Shape of Sound Architect Victoria Meyers analyzes the shape of sound; architecture and sound; form; materiality; windows; the urban sound scape, its politics, aesthetics and social character; reflection; virtuality; sound art; and silence.
Shape of Sound on Amazon
Victoria Meyers: Shape of Sound Victoria Meyers architect (Los Angeles, Ca.), principal of hanrahan Meyers architects (hMa) explores sound as it effects architecture, urban spaces, and landscapes. Contributors include hanrahan Meyers architects (featured on the book cover), Stephen Vitiello, Michael J. Schumacher, David Mather, Neil Denari, Bruce Pearson, Howeler and Yoon architecture, and Joseph Ketner.
hMa : Green Initiatives / Sustainable Architecture
United Nations Environment Programme "Environmental Knowledge for Change" this site is an incredible resource on environmental and social issues around the world
Greenopia NY hMa is proud to be featured as a "Greenopia Distinguished Business"
41 Pounds A campaign to stop junk mail (named for the number of pounds of junk mail the average American adult recieves in 1 year!)
The Conservation Fund As part of our nature based vision for architecture, hMa gives a percentage of the firm’s annual revenues to nature initiatives. This year, hMa funded ‘Wildlife Corridors’, through the Conservation Fund. ‘Wildlife Corridors’ provide natural zones through cities and towns that link animals with adjacent nature preserves. This initiative is one of several cutting-edge planning initiatives that forward thinking architects will be adopting as we seek to harmonize human habitats with nature and create sustainable development.
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