UNStudio: sustainable, human-centered design
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UNStudio: sustainable, human-centered design

“The Architects Series” documentary dedicated to the studio is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 19. It will be followed by a lecture by Ben van Berkel, founder and principal architect

UNStudio

UNStudio: sustainable, human-centered design
By Editorial Staff -
Iris Ceramica Group has participated in the project

In response to the most pressing challenges of today, including climate change and socioeconomic inequality, UNStudio’s mission is to design for lasting impact, improve quality of life, and minimize environmental harm. The next episode of “The Architects Series,” scheduled for 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 19, is dedicated to the studio.

Founded in 1988 by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, today UNStudio has offices in Amsterdam, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Dubai, and Melbourne, and over 300 employees from around the world. The studio’s management team includes the two founders as well as Gerard Loozekoot, Astrid Piber, and Hannes Pfau. Specializing in interior design, urban planning, product design, and infrastructure projects, UNStudio is an international network. Although active in the most diverse areas of architecture, it always follows the fundamental principle of environmental and social sustainability, putting humans at the center of the built environment.

This online event, organized by THE PLAN for Iris Ceramica Group, will include the screening of the documentary followed by a lecture by Ben van Berkel. Six of the studio’s projects will be discussed during the webinar. Also taking part in the event will be UNSx, the studio’s team dedicated to creating human- and environment-centric physical and digital experiences using innovative interdisciplinary methodologies.

>>> Register here for A Documentary on UNStudio – Lecture by Ben Van Berkel, the 23rd episode of “The Architects Series,” scheduled for 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 19.

Register Here

 

Infrastructure and mobility

Doha Metro Network Photos © Hufton+Crow, courtesy of UNStudio

Two infrastructure projects will be examined. The first is the Doha Metro Network, in Qatar, an ambitious and visionary project that sets out to revolutionize the city’s rail network and the routines of its residents through the construction of four new metro lines and stations. The second is the Hardt Hyperloop, in the Netherlands, a project that makes a vision of the station of the future a reality, revolutionizing public transport with an alternative to air travel that will take you from Amsterdam to Frankfurt in just 53 minutes.

 

Skyscrapers

STH BNK by Beulah Rendering © Norm Li, courtesy of UNStudio

UNStudio’s and Cox Architecture’s design of the STH BNK double tower in Melbourne for real estate operator Beulah centers on a system of vertical gardens, with terraces and balconies, which cover the full height of this multiuse complex. When completed, the two towers, which rise from a shared base, will house public spaces, businesses, hotels, residences, and more.

 

Culture

Mercedes-Benz Museum Photos © Eva Bloem, courtesy of UNStudio

The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart takes visitors on a journey through time, beginning early last century. There are two different routes, one focusing on the marque’s vehicle collection and the other on its history. The exhibition spaces, organized around a full-height, exposed concrete central atrium, are connected by spiraling, intersecting pathways.

 

Offices

Booking.com Headquarters Courtesy of UNStudio

The Booking.com headquarters in Amsterdam, currently under construction, is designed to be a vibrant place where people not only work, but also meet and play. The project, which has achieved BREEAM Excellent design certification, is based on the idea of creating a social hub for the people who use the public space and shops, the people who’ll live in the residential building, and for Booking.com’s young workforce.

 

Future

The Green Mile Rendering © Plomp, courtesy of UNStudio

The Green Mile is a project that will transform the Stadhouderskade, one of the most polluted and dangerous thoroughfares in Amsterdam, into a green, safe street designed for people, animals, and nature. The idea grew out of a group initiative involving UNStudio together with the local government, the Rijksmuseum, Heineken, De Nederlandsche Bank, and the Hoge School van Amsterdam.

 

>>> The documentary on UNStudio is the 23rd episode of “The Architects Series” You can view previous episodes here

Please refer to the individual images in the gallery to look through the photo credits

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