Tag Archives: BIG

BIG & ICON teamed up to create this desert-inspired campground hotel in Texas

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Danish studio BIG and 3D-construction firm ICON collaborated to create a design campground and housing project called El Cosmico. The project was constructed for hotelier Liz Lambert in Marfa, Texas. The project will occupy almost 60 acres and will include not all the hotel, but some permanent housing as well. The structures will be heavily inspired by the desert landscape, and the work BIG did with NASA for moon-based structures.

Designer: BIG x ICON

“We’d spent some time doing research on what construction on Mars and the moon would look like and it was quite clear that additive manufacturing like 3D printing was probably the only viable option. We also already sort of created some visuals where you could see the tectonics of 3D printing combined, in the case of Mars, with the red tones of Martain regoliths, you ended up with something that felt like a kind of vernacular architecture. The cementitious material of 3D printing created this texture that reminded me of some of the handcrafted teeth details you find on traditional adobe houses,” said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels.

The El Cosmico will feature structures that mimic parabolic huts and will be 3D-printed using a concrete mix that matches the color of the desert. The structures will give a rather natural and smooth appearance to the entire project. “Because of 3D printing and robotic approaches to construction, these kinds of living architectures, organic forms, have a much more human aesthetic. So even though it’s made by a robot, it has a much more human aesthetic,” continued Ingels.

Besides the hotel accommodation, the property will also include a series of homes that are constructed using tube-like shapes grouped together to create clusters that will function as a series of rooms. This circular theme will also be executed at the pool, where a series of 3D-printed cabanas will be positioned. “We are a little bit at the dawn of 3D printing at the scale of buildings, there’s still a great opportunity to explore what architecture languages can sprout from this new possibility. I think that the whole family of structures that we’ve created for El Cosmico at Marfa is like a first exploration of that emerging vernacular,” Ingels concluded.

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BIG designs an energy efficient residential complex in Amsterdam shaped like the bow of a ship

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Bjarke Ingels Group and Barcode Architects collaborated to create ‘Sluishuis’ – an angular residential complex placed above the IJ Lake in Amsterdam. The structure’s sharp geometric ends meet in the air, water, and land, creating a mesmerizing structure that seems to be jutting into the sky while resembling the bow of a ship! It is constructed on an artificial island in the IJ Lake and forms a geometrically-intriguing gateway from the lake.

Designer: Bjarke Ingels Group x Barcode Architects

“Our Sluishuis is conceived as a city block of downtown Amsterdam floating in the IJ lake, complete with all aspects of city life. Towards the city, the building kneels down to invite visitors to climb its roof and enjoy the panoramic view of the new neighborhoods on the IJ,” said BIG founding partner Bjarke Ingels.

Sluishuis was built while paying respect to the naval history of the Netherlands, and the fact that water plays a major role in the city of Amsterdam. BIG wanted to celebrate this heritage, and Amsterdam’s relationship with water while constructing the structure. The residential complex consists of 442 apartments – both owner-occupied and rental. You get stunning views from every side and angle of the building. You can quite literally sip your morning tea while watching boats sail beneath you!  “We have tried to design a building with a surprisingly changing perspective and a unique contemporary character, which reflects the identity of the future residents and all users of Sluishuis,” said Dirk Peters, a founding partner at Barcode Architects.

Four large blocks make up the entire development. Two blocks are positioned on either side of the square. They are cantilevered to create a unique opening above the water. While the other two blocks form terraces with apartments opening out on top balconies. All four blocks are positioned around a courtyard, which leads to the water. A sailing school, a water sports center, and a restaurant with a terrace are placed on the ground floor. The blocks above the ground floor include apartments of different sizes – from studios to penthouses. The two floors on the top hold the duplex penthouses.

All the apartments have been equipped with triple-glazing, great insulation, and heat recovery from the showers and ventilation systems. In fact, the entire building is solar-powered! The energy is provided by 2200 square meters of solar panels. The energy-neutral structure has also been amped with plenty of green areas and a floating garden.

BIG’s Sluishuis is an excellent example of how large structures can be built without disrupting the environment and by paying respect to Mother Earth.

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BIG unveils a ’50 Queens’ installation which celebrates the female pioneers in Danish history

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Danish architecture studio BIG recently unveiled 50 pedestals without statues in Copenhagen, Denmark – a sculptural installation in honor of Queen Margrethe II’s 50th Jubilee. Named 50 Queens, the installation was designed by the youngest female partner at BIG, and is meant to draw attention to, and celebrate the “fearless women” of the country. The statues are laid out in an interesting gradient, with the tallest one at one end, and the shortest one at the other end.

Designer: Bjarke Ingels Group

“Our exhibition celebrates the untold stories of women who have made significant contributions to Danish history but haven’t yet been properly recognized,” said BIG partner Giulia Frittoli.”As more focus is brought to issues of social justice and equality, we are so proud and honored to contribute to the conversation and give a voice to those who haven’t been heard,” Frittoli continued.

Copenhagen currently has more statues of men, than women. There are 5 statues of women in proportion to almost 70 statues of men. Doesn’t sound too equal, does it? Frittoli thought the same, and hoped to balance out the situation with her installation which encircles an equestrian statue of Danish king Christian V within Copenhagen’s Kongens Nytorv. The installation consists of 49 white pedestals, with varying heights, each representing a woman who dominated and left her mark on Danish history.

A female-dominated jury comprising of a former politician, a visual artist, several history professors, and researchers, plus the director of the National Gallery of Denmark was assembled to select the 49 women. The 50th woman was not picked and has been left anonymous, to lead the public to pick and provide a name of their own, by scanning a QR code. Instead of wood, this pedestal is clad with mirrors, so “you can see yourself and you can see anyone”. All the pedestals hold a plaque with the name of the female pioneer, along with a QR code, allowing you to scan the code and read up more about the women, their lives, and their work.

“With 50 Queens, I hope we can raise awareness about the importance of gender equality and social diversity in our cities and public spaces to inform how we can improve our urban communities of today and plan for more equal cities of tomorrow,” added Frittoli.

Once the exhibition ends on 18th September, 10 pedestals will be moved to the Copenhagen Central Library or the Botanical Garden, while the others will be distributed in spots around the city, which are yet to be decided. BIG also teamed up with jewelry company Georg Jensen to create a necklace, that is meant to be a miniature version of the installation and gifted it to the queen.

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This sustainable floating education + innovation hub by BIG is an entire city in one building

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The Bjarke Ingels Group or popularly known as BIG recently unveiled its plans for the Masterplan Esbjerg Strand – a campus environment and innovation hub that attempts to bring a new and fresh approach to education. This astounding structure will be surrounded by water and located in Jutland, Denmark. It will be nestled in the seaside town of Esbjerg, and is BIG’s attempt to recreate an entire city in one building! Are you as awestruck as we are?!

Designer: Bjarke Ingels Group

The geometrically intriguing structure will be elevated on a platform, seven meters above sea level, and can be accessed only via bridges. It will occupy 13,700 square meters and feature a roofscape that zig-zags around, as well as a central park. This impressive park will be protected from wind and noise. It will function as an oasis, creating an intriguing contrast between the peaceful campus, and the busy industrial harbor. The perimeter wall is quite a fascinating one, featuring angular white walls, that are accentuated with massive windows to provide stunning views of the park and the sea. The walls will artfully adjust around the irregular shape of the building, folding effortlessly around the central park, and then changing in height to form the roofscape.

You might find the shape, size, and layout of the structure quite irregular and eccentric. But BIG chose such a design to protect the building from the natural restraints on the site – such as extreme climatic conditions, turbulent waters, or even floods. In fact, the base of the structure has been raised by seven meters to provide protection against floods!

“The new masterplan is informed by present environmental parameters at the site: noise from the harbor, dominant westerly winds, high tides and storm surges, and sunlight,” the studio said.

Sustainability is also an important factor being incorporated into the construction of the campus. The entire site will be powered by renewable energy, and it will achieve 11 out of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. A beautiful green roof will also be added at the top of the building – which will feature a 1000-meter-long pathway.

“Education, development, and new communities will create the frame for a life, where the island with all its functions and possibilities works as a sustainable, human-made ecosystem in the middle of a city,” said the studio. “The vision for the project Masterplan Esbjerg Strand is to form the framework for a city and campus environment that will rethink the approach to education,” they also added.

The Masterplan Esbjerg Strand is truly a groundbreaking architectural proposal in these modern times. It perfectly encapsulates a site that not only paves the path for the progression of education and innovation – but manages to do so in a sustainable and eco-friendly environment.

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The world’s first floating city designed by BIG & backed by UN can withstand Category 5 hurricans!

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OCEANIX, an ambitious floating architecture concept envisioned to be built off the South Korean coast by BIG – Bjarke Ingel‘s design group. It was first revealed in 2019 and now has received the green light from UN-Habitat and the Metropolitan City of Busan to begin construction. The futuristic sustainable city can also withstand category 5 hurricanes!

Given the rising sea levels, fast growing coastal cities have resorted to expanding into the ocean by creating new land using sand which causes harm to the existing marine ecosystem only to be partially submerged a few years later. BIG came up with a better solution with OCEANIX as it introduces a modular design system with net-zero energy that allows people to live sustainably and safely. The cities are made up of 2-hectare, 300-resident neighborhoods which then connect to form 1,650-person villages including systems like underwater farming and greenhouses to make it as self-sufficient as possible!

“Sustainable floating cities are a part of the arsenal of climate adaptation strategies available to us. Instead of fighting with water, let us learn to live in harmony with it. We look forward to developing climate adaptation and nature-based solutions through the floating city concept, and Busan is the ideal choice to deploy the prototype,” said Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN-Habitat Executive Director.

Inhabitants can easily walk around or take a boat to navigate between the floating communities which will include residences as well as a public square, art installations, marketplaces, sports clubs, schools, and more. It is also designed to be able to withstand natural disasters such as tsunamis and hurricanes. All structures will be under seven stories in height to create a low center of gravity, and platforms are built of locally sourced materials like fast-growing bamboo that has six times the tensile strength of steel, a negative carbon footprint, and can be grown in the neighborhoods themselves!

“9 out of 10 of the world’s largest cities will be exposed to rising seas by 2050. The sea is our fate – It may also be our future,” said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels who has time an again pushed the boundaries of architecture and design by bringing impossible concepts to life. OCEANIX is trailblazing a new industry with blue technologies that meet humanity’s shelter, energy, water and food needs without killing marine ecosystems. It is made to grow, adapt and tranform organically over time with humans and the climate while balancing the needs of both!

Designer: BIG

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This transforming robotic furniture descending from the ceiling to take your home from bedroom to living room!

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‘The Smile,’ a new apartment complex in East Harlem designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) features smart furniture systems comprised of stow-away storage units, bed frames, workspaces, and wardrobes that rise into and fall from the ceiling on command.

Technology is changing the way we live in cities. Electric scooters and bullet trains are replacing city buses, while public spaces are relying on AI and smart technology for contactless services. In New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood, a new apartment complex called, ‘The Smile’ from BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) integrates a smart, modular furniture system from Bumblebee Spaces into each apartment to take full advantage of each living unit’s full cubic space.

Built around a grid that’s mounted to each unit’s ceiling, the modular furniture systems are comprised of storage cabinets and bed frames that rise and descend according to the changing needs of each resident. When a component of the system isn’t in use, it rises and disappears into the ceiling to enlargen the unit’s available living space. Then, when one is needed, the furniture system recognizes voice commands, remote controls, and programmed settings to initiate a component’s descent from the ceiling to the unit’s floor.

For example, after waking up in the morning, residents can command the bed to merge with the ceiling to conceal it from view. Then, in the same way, residents can instruct for modules like customized workspaces and drawers to lower down from the ceiling for access during the day. Crafted from wood, the furniture system brings a touch of comfort to each unit, giving the apartment’s industrial backdrop some organic warmth. Like a robotic housekeeper, Bumblebee’s furniture system also remembers where residents left certain pieces of furniture or smaller belongings so looking for your keys won’t keep you from getting a move on.

BIG’s ‘The Smile,’ located in New York City’s East Harlem currently features 163 market-rate and 70 affordable apartments, the latter group reserved for mid and low-income residents. While the furniture system, designed by former Tesla and Apple engineers, is currently only available in five units, the future of smart living is surely on its way to every city.

Designer: Bumblebee Spaces x BIG

Each module can be outfitted for specific purposes, from workspaces to wardrobes. 

Integrated organizational systems make each module easy to navigate. 

Residents can control their smart furniture system from their smartphones.

This lillypad-inspired floating sustainable city was designed to support emission free transportation

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Bjarke Ingels has always pushed the boundaries and turned ambitious concepts into a reality. What I love about his work that he always incorporates sustainability into his architectural structures while moving ahead with the times – Ingels shows us time and again that the future is green. BiodiverCity is one of his most recent projects, it is a city of three islands connected by autonomous vehicles for land, water, and air to make this a transport emission-free habitat off the coast of Malaysia.

Three islands will be built in Penang and will serve as cultural, business, and residential hubs. The most striking thing about the development is that all the transportation on the 4,500 acres will consist of autonomous boats, vehicles, and air travel, making the islands car-free and pedestrian-friendly. Construction is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions, in fact, even more than the aviation industry. So to reduce the impact on the environment, most buildings will be prefabricated or 3D printed on-site and others will use a combination of bamboo, Malaysian timber, and “green concrete” which is made from recycled materials like aggregate.

The commercial build is still in progress, but will eventually consist of three islands — the Channels, Mangroves, and Laguna. These will include about 2.86 miles of beaches, 600 acres of parks, and 15.53 miles of waterfront. Previous land developments in Penang have disturbed the local habitats and coastal areas, so to make amends and solve this looming issue, BiodiverCity will be designed as connected “urban lilypads” and all islands will be able to harness resources locally. The Mangroves honor the wetlands (and of course, the mangroves) and will be made for business and events with a special space called Bamboo Beacon to host conferences or concerts. Lastly, the Laguna will be a cluster of eight small islands built around a marina and this is where people can live in houses that float, are stilted, or terraced. The three islands will be made up of different “districts” that will altogether house 15,000 to 16,000 people on 50 to 500 acres of land.

BiodiverCity will be planned to be a sustainable city where people and nature not only co-exist but thrive. There will be “buffers” between 50 to 100 meters that will surround each district in order to form a harmonious relationship between the people, the land, and the wildlife – think of these buffers as architectural glues for the new ecosystem. To keep native animals safe in spots that are being inhabited by humans, the builders will also include canopies, waterways, and boardwalks. In line with this strong green approach, there will also be green roofs and open spaces to create a symbiotic relationship between people and nature. “We are literally embarking on a journey to create more of Malaysia for future generations. We have decided to set the bar as high as humanly possible by imagining a new archipelago that aims to be both more culturally and biologically diverse than previous developments.” said firm founder Bjarke Ingels. The islands will be built in collaboration with other private companies like Hijjas, Knight Frank, and Ernst and Young.

Designer: Bjarke Ingels Group

BiodiverCity is a part of the Penang2030 initiative that focuses on sustainable living while improving the state’s quality of life, level of income, and participation from citizens.

The islands will be integrated with a SMART grid that provides residents with live data detailing waste and energy consumption – this will help the community to make informed sustainability-related decisions.

The Channels will have a 500-acre digital park for researchers, educators, families, and businesspeople with virtual reality and robotics that will be the new norm in future cities.

“Our masterplan proposal, BiodiverCity, supports the Penang2030 vision with a clear focus on livability, on stimulating a socially and economically inclusive development, and on environmental sustainability for future generations,” said BIG.

“If Penang is defined by its rich cultural diversity and its abundant biodiversity, we would like to envision the Penang South islands as an archipelago where the two can coexist in a human-made ecosystem, expanding and enhancing one another,” said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels.

NASA + BIG are working on a sustainable 3D printed moon habitat using moon dust to reduce waste!

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While Mars missions are getting all the media and sci-fi attention, a trusty celestial friend is making a comeback as an option for hosting human colonies outside Earth – it is our moon! Bjarke Ingle’s BIG and 3D-printed building company ICON are working on Project Olympus – a mission to develop robotic construction for the moon.

Bjarke Ingles is the Elon Musk of the architectural world, he loves to explore the impossible and has a penchant for designs that can help save mankind right from his environmentally friendly buildings to Project Olympus. Project Olympus is about finding a way to create a 3D-printed infrastructure for living on the moon using materials found on its surface. Why do we need a habitat on the moon? So that we can launch sustained lunar exploration missions where the astronauts will be able to stay comfortably and carry out their research for extended time periods. The project has also enlisted SEArch+ (Space Exploration Architecture) after it received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) government contract boosted with funding from NASA.

“With ICON we are pioneering new frontiers – both materially, technologically and environmentally. To explain the power of architecture, ‘formgiving’ is the Danish word for design, which literally means to give form to that which has not yet been given form. This becomes fundamentally clear when we venture beyond Earth and begin to imagine how we are going to build and live on entirely new worlds,” said Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG.

Making a habitat base on the moon is no ordinary construction project. There are many factors at play – it is an inhospitable environment with only a fifth of Earth’s gravity and none of its atmosphere, plus it will have to be created almost entirely from locally available materials i.e. moon dust which will be sustainable and reduce waste! Working with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the team will use a simulant of moon soil to experiment with 3D-printable construction.

“3D printing with indigenous materials is a sustainable and versatile solution to off-world construction that will prove to be vital to our future here on Earth and in Outer Space. The habitat will be designed with the inherent redundancy required for extraterrestrial buildings, while also using groundbreaking robotic construction that uses only in-site resources with zero-waste left behind,” SEArch+ added. A by-product of all the developmental research and experiments being conducted for Project Olympus is that it will also reveal new ways to build more sustainably on Earth while reducing the construction industry’s carbon footprint.

BIG is a perfect fit for this project as they have previously designed a simulation of Mars called Mars Science City in Dubai. ICON too was a finalist in NASA’s 3D printed habitat challenge with many innovative projects under its belt and SEArch+ is an architecture firm that has worked with NASA for a long time on human-centered designs for space exploration making this a complete dream team. *Plays Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon*

Designers: BIG, ICON, and SEArch+

Architecture legend, Bjarke Ingels, ‘pivots’ their couch towards the future of flexible living

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Bjarke Ingels is a movie star of the architecture world, but he is also an artist and a trailblazing source of inspiration that goes beyond the structures he builds. A decade ago he started spreading the word on his philosophy of sustainable hedonism which bridges the gap between environmentalism and luxury – they can coexist and Ingels showcases that in his work. What sets him apart is that everything he creates has drawn inspirations from ideas, things, art and even games that are totally unrelated to what he is building but still shines through subtly. The latest example to prove this point is the Voxel sofa for a Danish brand, Common Seating, which is a harmony of elements from Minecraft (which Ingels loves!), Q*bert video games as well as the work of Modernist architect Mies van der Rohe.

The Voxel sofa is, in the simplest words, made to adapt to the environment and the user’s needs. Bjarke Ingel’s firm, BIG, looked into how they design their architectural projects like their Lego House, 79 & Park apartment block and the 2016 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion when creating the modular sofa system. The team made a grid of pixel-like blocks to form the seats and called it Voxel. The name and aesthetic of the sofa come from the word’s actual meaning which is a graphic and interface design term for ‘3D pixel’. Voxel will look and mean something unique to every individual user and space.

Voxel can be moved, repaired, flipped, added on to or reduced with ease based on its surroundings. It represents the future of modern furniture – pieces designed to serve the user with multiple functionalities with a form that fits in every room. The sofa system is built with four major parts – armrests, backrests, seats, and legs, and all of these can be interchanged and assembled in multiple ways.  The pieces connect with simple metal cylinders that slide into holes and give it its modular essence. “The grid-like system creates a family of units that can be configured into multiple seating scenarios, from single-unit couch to large configurations,” says Jakob Lange, partner at BIG. With the rapid evolution of our culture and lifestyle, Voxel has the ability to mold itself organically to any ecosystem.

The sofa’s design reduces waste by encouraging owners to exchange or repair separate parts if needed, instead of throwing the entire piece out. Voxel is made on-demand and shipped directly from the workshop to ensure it only produces what is necessary and manages waste responsibly. Voxel promotes Bjarke Ingel’s idea of flexibility and sustainable living in its own didactic message of being able to modify and adapt to where we are in the moment with our core values intact. Lang goes on to say, “If it were a person, [it] would be able to move, flex and adapt to different configurations, making it agile in any environment – at home or at work – and responsive to any individual. The person can really grow and live with this sofa long-term.”

Ingels has always viewed architecture as the art and science of making things that fit the way we want to live our lives, it is a constant evolution of ideas. I’ll leave you with this thought inspired by Bjarke Ingels – sustainability is not a moral sacrifice but a design challenge and we have the tools to design ecosystems that optimize the flow of people, resources, economies even…so why not give back with the power to create?

Designer: BIG Group