Blue Crystal: A Sustainable Iceberg Lodge in Dubai?

   Temporary ice hotels materialize each winter in frigid northern towns from Russia to Canada. As temperatures rise in the spring the structures melt back into the earth. Now Dubai is poised to get its first year-round ice lodge, Blue Crystal. And considering the amount of energy needed to keep a man made iceberg under 32 degrees in scorching summers on the Persian Gulf, it’s almost amusing to hear Blue Crystal touted as sustainable. A growing trend in Dubai architecture seems to be the creation of not only the utmost in luxury, but of the impossible, improbable, and downright outrageous.

Aqaulis Pier – Andrew Bedov

 

        Situated along the Moskva River in Moscow, Andrew Bedov’s Aqaulis Pier creates a dynamic infrastructure hub that provides an alternative circulation route for the users. The pier is designed to replace the 15 moorings in the city by creating one central unit with an efficient water bus transportation system to help commuters cross the river. The smooth form creates a fluid continuity for both the exterior and interior spaces. Inside the structure, open spaces provide room to relax while resting upon countless sofas, dinning in a small café or reading in the library. On the exterior, a viewing platform extends allowing users to enjoy the natural beauty of the river.

Arquitectura X – Casa 3 in Quito, Ecuador

      The house is located on a valley to the east of Quito, within an area that enjoys a temperate climate all year round. It is quite a privileged setting due to the proximity of the local mountain ranges. Unfortunately, the surrounding built context consists mainly of colonial style houses with a total disregard for the local topography, landscape or climate. The site is relatively small, enclosed by three roads. Two primary decisions were made; to place the house on the highest fringe of the site next to the only neighbouring lot, and to consolidate and level the ground with retaining walls that act as a plinth, a typical architectural practice in Quito, which allows the site to be raised over the busiest roads and the immediate buildings.