© Joseph Grappin

In spring 2011, the shoe designer Karine Arabian reopened her signature boutique at 4, rue Papillon in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, unveiling a newly redesigned space in keeping with the brand’s new architectural identity, both the work of interior architect Joseph Grappin. Classically Parisian in style, the boutique now features a façade with lovingly restored mouldings and an authentic herringbone oak parquet floor. The redesigned space is home to an innovative display system for shoes and other leather goods, conceived in the form of modules that are then tailored to specific sections of the space.

Attracted by the technical qualities of sheet metal, inspired by the ways in which elegance first rhymed with functionality in the pioneering uses of this material by Pierre Chareau and Mathieu Mategot, Joseph Grappin has developed a unique structural principle embodied by vertical arching metallic uprights that unify the entire design. The linear and curvilinear aspects of these uprights serve to frame the space and draw customers to the areas of the boutique, reminiscent of garden pavilions or kiosks, dedicated to trying on Karine Arabian’s singular shoe creations. These metallic elements are fittingly complemented by the display shelves crafted in luxurious Brazilian rosewood and installed in a staggered fashion, the mirrors and the screens enhancing the intimacy of the customer’s shopping experience. Other essential accessories, celebrations of femininity emblematic of the mix of style and elegance that has always characterised the designer’s creations, are also displayed to their best advantage.
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© Cyrus Cornut

The idea of ​​the DomoLab emerged in 2007, following the first Batimat tradefair where eleven companies of the Saint-Gobain group were together on the same stand. It springs from a shared wish of the marketing and research department : to use the diversity of skills and the jobs complementarity in order to create a permanent dynamics of innovation for the Group’s strategy.

CONTEXT
Located on the Saint-Gobain Recherche site at Aubervilliers, Domolab is situated in the nineteenth span of the imposing building, restored in 1999 by architects Odile Decq and Benoit Cornette.
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Recognized as a leader in the tile industry and encouraged by the enthusiasm its Boutique Workspaces in Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa have generated, Ceragres widens its scope to now include the Toronto market. Exclusive tile products for both wall and floor applications, as well as stone countertops are now available in Toronto, to the general public and to the trade professionals specializing in Architectural and Interior Design.

With its unique Boutique Workspace concept, Ceragres innovates in the selection process of porcelains, stones, slate, quartz and mosaics. Designers and Architects are provided with an ‘’atelier’’ like workspace where collections from around the world are displayed on the wall very much like artwork in a gallery. This concept offers an easy and efficient way to appreciate the various shapes, sizes, colors and textures. Large counter surfaces are made available so that designers can work with their clients, layout and consult plans, work with full size samples, and explore all possible choices and combinations with the support of our qualified staff. [ Editor's note: If you need aluminum frames to present and protect your artworks, treasured collectable posters, photos, prints, paintings, documents, records and albums, you can get it from Poster Frames Depot ]
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© Thomas Jantscher

In the center of the village of Boudry, the project settles on a narrow plot, surrounded with collective housing, a church and an old mansion. In this motley context and its limited openings, the villa seeks to favor the inhabitants intimacy. Turning its back to the public space, it is widely opened on the park and benefits from the natural green environment. It stretches over three levels to be able to appreciate a few perspectives thanks to the height.
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The Waste Treatment Facility (CTRV, in Spanish) is located on a hillside overlooking the Coll Cardús massif in the municipality of Vacarisses, in the district of the Vallès Occidental. This site is currently taken up by a controlled waste landfill site nearing its capacity limit. This fact has caused its managing body to consider regulating the closure of the facility and to study possible future uses for the area. The choice of the location of the CTRV has also taken into account different criteria of logistical and economic suitability, as well as the minimization of the environmental impact resulting from the installation and operation of waste management-related activities.
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© Jacek Jarnuszkiewicz

The project that Jacek proposes responds, in a conceptual form, to EDC’s* mission. Designed to be integrated into the architectural context of 150 Slater in Ottawa, it is also related to his ARBORESCENT SCULPTURES, which build, in a formal and symbolic mode, on the notion of vital force embodied by plant growth and result in the representation of a fundamental archetype: the tree of life.
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The 3rd annual Building Envelopes Asia 2012 presents 30 global experts from all stakeholder groups – developers, architects, façade engineers and technology providers, discussing current trends in:

- The impact of regional regulations and rating standards on building envelopes
- Efficient envelopes as a tool of ensuring ROI for developers
- Combining aesthetics, function and form in complex façade geometries
- Best practices to improve stakeholder coordination
- Integrating renewable energy components into envelopes
- Green vertical claddings and roofing systems
- New materials – media facades and ambient-reactive glass facades
- Envelope engineering for very tall towers

Date: 25 – 26 April, 2012
Venue: Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956

Website: www.buildingenvelopesasia.com

A temporary construction that was intended to be immaterial, built with light, swift as the design and assembly. An ethereal ceiling (less enlightened than anticipated in the project) has helped to remake the human scale in the exhibition pavilion. A blue track became the continuous background in wall and floor, where three cylinders with expanded light rest, showcasing anchor home appliances and receiving visitors.

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