Blue Designs - Architectural Designers

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https://www.bebee.com/bee/claire-cardwell

Call Claire + 27 11 025 4458 / +27 11 025 4458

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Email :  bluedesigns5@gmail.com


Selling or Buying a House? Make sure the Plans are up to date!

March 7, 2018


I often get asked whether you need a set of plans to sell your house  here in South Africa.  I also get called a lot to get illegal / 'as built' additions and buildings approved at Council.  Fortunately Johannesburg Council is a lot more relaxed than elsewhere in the world and usually will only order demolition if you have built over a servitude or the building/addition is unsafe or poorly built.

Increasingly banks and mortgage lenders are making it a requirement for a seller to have a complete set of up to date plans and often an Occupation Certificate before granting a loan to the buyer.   

It is a big risk to go ahead and build without planning permission, not only could this bite you when you want to sell your property, but your Buildings Insurance will only cover the part of your home/building that has Municipal Approval.   

Noncompliance also effects the banks that finance these buildings since this will severely impact on the income potential of the property, which is in most instances, the banks security. In the case of a Council taking action income can be lost and this situation can be even worse in case of fire or structural collapse.  It is understood that some banks are withholding final payment on new developments until the lender can present the bank with a valid occupation certificate.  To read more go to : -

https://www.bebee.com/producer/@claire-cardwell/selling-or-buying-a-house-make-sure-the-plans-are-up-to-date



 

World's Tallest Sandcastles

September 8, 2017

The Guinness World Record for the World's Tallest Sandcastle record has just been beaten.  The Sandcastle is in Duisburg, Germany and was commissioned by Schaunisland-Reisen a German Tour Company.  It is 16.58m (54.72ft) beating the previous record for a sandcastle in Odisha, India (which measured 14.84m (48.8ft tall).

 

Unlike one of  previous record holders - Ed Jarrett this project used Excavators and Cranes rather than hand packed sand.  The design features famous buildings around the wor...


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New Drone Footage Shows that BIG's LEGO House looks Like "A Real Lego Play".

September 8, 2017



Bjarke Ingels Group's new LEGO House is nearing completion at the centre of Billund, Denmark and the world-renowned toys manufacturing brand Lego has released a new drone footage video to experience every part of this stacked complex interactively, showing that how each colourful boxes are balanced and coming together cautously.  The Eagerly anticipated LEGO House will be officially opened on September 28 2017 - the playful looking complex will provide a unique place with a number of new LEGO...

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Eco-friendly 'plyscrapers' on the rise

August 24, 2017

Ever since the 10-story Home Insurance Building in Chicago was called the first "skyscraper" in 1885, architects have been striving to create ever-taller buildings. Ten stories quickly became 20, 20 became 50, and on and on. In 2009 the Burj Khalifa in Dubai became the world's tallest building, with its 154 floors towering above ground level.

So why is the mayor of Portland, Oregon, calling a modest 12-story tower set for completion there next year “a true technological and entrepreneurial a...


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Humans have killed nearly half the trees on earth so far.

April 13, 2017


This is the kind of news that makes us groan. A new study of arboreal density around the globe indicates humans are directly responsible for killing almost half the trees on the planet. This latest report confirms the devastation we already knew, but in a very real way, since this study is the first of its kind to be derived from actual data, giving us a more accurate picture of the Earth’s forests than ever before.
Like many scientific reports, there is good news and bad news in this one, w...

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MAD and Stefano Boeri propose crinkled towers and vertical forests for Milan's disused Railway Yards.

April 13, 2017

MAD, Stefano Boeri Architetti and Mecanoo are among five architecture studios to unveil proposals to completely transform unused railways across Milan, creating high-density housing and swaths of greenery.
The five proposals emerged from a workshop held in December 2016, which invited architects to reimagine the brownfield sites of Farini, Porta Genova, Porta Romana, Lambrate, Greco, Rogoredo and San Cristoforo as public parks, social housing and hubs for sustainable modes of transport.
The ide...

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Solar Powered Safari Lodge offers Sustainable Luxury in Botswana

April 9, 2017


If visiting the rich wildlife at the Okavango Delta is on your bucket list, consider a stay at Sandibe Okavango, a sustainable safari lodge in Botsgo simultaneously blends in with the landscape and stands out from lowana that boasts a light environmental footprint. Designed by Michaelis Boyd and Nick Plewman, the recently reopened Sandibe Okavancal architectural typology with its curvaceous timber-clad form. The striking and sculptural 24-bed lodge overlooks the banks of the Sandibe River, a ...

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Dropping Costs in Renewable Energy spurs rapid shift to Clean Energy

April 8, 2017

Welcome to the clean energy revolution – with or without Trump. A new report from the United Nations Environment Programme, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), and Frankfurt School – UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance reveals plunging costs in renewable technology have generated a whole new world of power. Unsubsidized renewables in more countries are now the cheapest new form of energy.
Renewable energy detractors love to claim it’s too expensive, but th...

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Inside Zaha Hadid Architects under construction One Thousand Museum in Miami

April 7, 2017


Inside Zaha Hadid Architects’ under-construction One Thousand Museum in Miami.

Located on the water’s edge and overlooking Herzog & de Meuron’s Pérez Art Museum, ZHA’s One Thousand Museum’s curvaceous exoskeleton makes a statement. In accordance with the vernacular of condominium buildings in the city, the structural framework is all white, but that’s where the building’s flirtation with Miami modernism ends.
While serving as a structural device and taking on the typical billowin...

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Hanging Spherical Lodge is a Treetop Retreat in Laos.

April 4, 2017


Spherical eco-lodges that hang from the trees could allow visitors to observe and immerse themselves in the flora and fauna of the Nam Et-Phou Louey Biodiversity Conservation Area in northern Laos. Coupled with new observation decks for observing the area’s endangered tiger population, the suspended sleeping pods give guests a protected and unique place to sleep. The project by Cole Company would be located near the village of Nam Poung, and it would create jobs for local villagers.
Inspired...

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OAS1S "treescrapers" are modern skyscrapers inspired by trees.

April 3, 2017

OAS1S has introduced a unique concept for the future of urban green living:  a 21st century home that merges architecture and nature into one. The OAS1S houses are inspired by trees that act as modern skyscrapers. These “treescrapers” consist of wood and leaves, collect sun and water, plus provide oxygen, shelter and food. The tall, slim and detached houses have average tree-like dimensions of 6 x 6 x 12 m, with spectacular vegetation facades. The basic architecture is shaped as a number ...

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Jared Kushner's 666 Tower by Zaha Hadid gets re-imagined as the Eye of Sauron

April 1, 2017


When the family of presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner and China’s Anbang Insurance Group announced plans to redevelop a Zaha Hadid-designed skyscraper at Manhattan’s 666 Fifth Avenue, just about everyone, from lawmakers to government ethicists, balked. Although the deal would have helped transform the Kushners’ struggling office-and-retail property into a 1,400-foot mixed-use tower with retail space, high-end condominiums, and an 11-story hotel, negotiations eventually buckled under ...

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Plans unveiled for Incredible Skyscraper that Hangs from an Asteroid

March 30, 2017

Just when you thought skyscrapers couldn’t get any taller, a clever group of architects have designed one that reaches space.
But the Analemma Tower isn’t grounded on terra firma, like other buildings.
New concept art for the futuristic structure courtesy of a New York design firm illustrates how the structure would be built on a asteroid that circles the globe from outer space.
The brainchild of Clouds Architecture Office, Analemma would be the tallest building ever created.
The asteroid fro...

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Daniel Libeskind unveils twisted, Tree-covered Skyscraper for Toulouse.

March 29, 2017

Studio Libeskind has been tapped to design Toulouse’s first skyscraper, the Occitanie Tower, a twisting modern building draped in vertical gardens. Created in collaboration with Paris-based landscape architect Nicolas Gilsoul, the 40-storey mixed-use skyscraper will serve as an economic catalyst for the French city’s central business district and comprise offices, a hotel, a restaurant, and residences. The tree-covered areas of the tower will give the building its iconic appearance and a ...

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Russian Ice Skating Rink doubles as a Solar Powered outdoor Cinema and Geothermal Spa

March 28, 2017

This solar-powered ice skating rink for a natural lake in the Kamchatka peninsula, Russia, is designed to double as an outdoor cinema and natural geothermal spa. Photovoltaic panels and geothermal turbines provide enough energy to keep the lake at frozen temperatures, power the cinema and LED lighting , and still pump excess energy back into the grid. Margot Krasojević Architects designed the project as a fully self-sufficient multi-use structure that reflects the fluid nature of its immedia...

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6 Ways to add Passive Solar Features to Your Home

March 23, 2017

6 ways to add passive solar features to your home.

Looking for a way to reduce that electric bill, lower your carbon footprint, and show off to your neighbors? The good news is that you don’t have to build a brand new home in order to reap the benefits of sustainable building techniques. Here are 6 ways to passively solarize your current home so you can slash electricity costs, cut emissions, and impress your friends with science.
Thermal Mass
Have you noticed that your pool tiles stay hot eve...

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Futuristic Dutch 50 out of this world Spherical Homes.

March 22, 2017


Although it might look like the set of a science fiction film, this neighborhood in the Netherlands was built by humans for humans. Dutch artist and sculptor Dries Kreijkamp designed this unusual apartment community, dubbed the Bolwoningen (“ball” or “bulb” homes). Built in 1984, the residential development is comprised of 50 of these futuristic spherical structures grouped together amid winding walkways and tall trees, alongside a scenic canal.
Kreijkamp initially designed the bulbo...


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Students use rice husks to build affordable homes in the Philippines.

March 20, 2017


Rice husks used to be considered a waste product good for nothing but fire or landfills, but now enterprising companies are beginning to realize their potential as a sustainable building material. A group of students from the Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering at University of California used waste rice husks to manufacture termite-resistant composite boards with help from a $75,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and build affordable housing in the Ph...


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Libeskind unveils Zero-Emissions University building designed in collaboration with Students

March 15, 2017

Libeskind unveils zero-emissions university building designed in collaboration with students.
A new building with exciting geometry and eco-friendly design is inspiring students at Leuphana University at Lüneburg, Germany. Architect Daniel Libeskind recently completed the New Central Building, a landmark university structure designed in collaboration with the students as part of the tradition at Leuphana University to involve students in campus changes. Topped with a green roof and powered by...

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5th Grader builds off-grid solar powered tiny house shelter for just $10.

March 9, 2017

One fifth grader took a school project to a whole new level with an entire renewably-powered mobile tiny home. Ten-year-old Callie Hilton designed Callie’s Coop, an off-grid shelter powered via a small solar panel that boasts its own rainwater capturing system and composting toilet. The whole thing is light enough that Callie can move it herself, and by using reclaimed materials, she kept the cost of the project to under $10.
Callie’s Coop is Callie’s fifth grade project; she and her cla...

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Kevin McCloud: Britain's best houses of 2015

March 8, 2017


What makes a house a home? Kevin McCloud discusses the 20 houses on the short list for RIBA's House of the Year 2015 as well as his own ideal property.
You might think, after 14 series, that Grand Desigs would be running out of projects to film; that the pool of families prepared to reveal the details of not just their bathroom grouting but their wallets and marital tensions would be running dry. 

But no. To kick off the latest Channel 4 series of the show – the 15th – the programme-makers ...


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The Hanoi Lotus Centre will bloom from the middle of a lake

March 7, 2017


The building will act as a symbol of growth and prosperity for the city of Hanoi.

The proposed Hanoi Lotus Centre doesn't just pay homage to the national flower of Vietnam in name only; Decibel Architecture has designed the building to physically resemble a series of young lotus blossoms.

The Centre will be positioned along one of the city’s main roads and, per the City of Hanoi’s request, will sit atop a lake that will act as part of the city’s stormwater control system. The building is ...


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Robots construct an art gallery in Shanghai from recycled bricks.

March 7, 2017

Archi-Union Architects have completed an unusual art exhibition space in Shanghai with the help of robots. Created for the Chi She artist group, the building in the city’s Xuhui district was built with recycled gray-green bricks salvaged from a former building. Designed with both traditional and contemporary elements, the Chi She exhibition space features an unusual protrusion made possible with advanced digital fabrication technology.
The 200-square-meter Chi She exhibition space was built ...

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Green Facades : Why are some architects scared?

March 6, 2017

Why are some architects scared to use vegetation at the heart of their façade design? Is it the loss of control implied by adding vegetation to the design? Is this due to a varying emphasis on greenery during architects’ training? Or just that it challenges the defined image of a building? Whatever the specific reasons, it’s still very rare to see vegetation placed at the centre of the design concept, as in the Bosco Verticale ('Vertical Forest') apartment buildings in Milan, Italy.

Why i...

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Parasitic wooden cubes slash Parisan building's energy consumption by 75%

March 5, 2017

Stéphane Malka has designed a clever way of optimizing the energy efficiency of older urban structures while working within the restrictions of Parisian building codes. Malka’s Plug-in City 75 design envisions attaching parasitic wooden cubes to the facade of a 1970s-era building, extending the living space and significantly reducing the building’s annual energy consumption by approximately 75 percent.
The innovative design is slated for a 1970s-era building in the French capital’s 16th...

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Architect turns old cement factory into incredible fairytale home.

March 5, 2017


When Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill stumbled upon an abandoned cement factory in 1973, he saw opportunity in the ruins. Bofill bought the early twentieth-century compound and, together with local Catalan craftsmen, transformed the sprawling structure of silos and compounds into an incredible fairytale home that blends surrealism, brutalism, and modernism. Located in Catalonia, Spain, the renovation is remarkable – not only for its stunning appearance, but also for the architect’s ongoin...

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Copycat Tower Bridge in China sparks controversy.

March 3, 2017


China is infamous for copying famous architecture from other countries; according to the New York Times the country boasts 10 White Houses, a couple of Great Sphinxes, four Arcs de Triomphe, and at minimum one Eiffel Tower. Now in the city of Suzhou, a Tower Bridge based on London’s iconic landmark is drawing attention, although the New York Times says it’s unclear why the bridge, which was completed in 2012, has suddenly been garnering international notice.

Images of Suzhou’s Tower Brid...

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Science meets Architecture in a robotically woven, solar active structure.

March 2, 2017
New York's MoMA PS1 will feature a shelter installation that uses robotically-knitted solar fabrics that absorb and release light. Winner of the art institution's Young Architects Program competition, the canopy from Jenny Sabin Studio is photo-luminescent by night and cooling by day, with a misting system that delivers a cooling spray when someone comes near.
The installation includes long fabric tubes that hang from the canopy stalactite style, and make up part of the site's multi-sensory e...

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A $10K Tiny House 3-d printed in 24 hours.

March 2, 2017

Building a house typically takes months, exacerbating the housing crisis so many people face worldwide. Apis Cor, a San Francisco-based company that specializes in 3D-printing, decided to tackle that crisis with a groundbreaking mobile 3D-printer that can print an entire 400-square-foot tiny home in just 24 hours. What’s more, doing so costs just over $10,000 – a steal compared to most modern homes.
On their website, Apis Cor says the construction industry may be sluggish now, but they wil...

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Duke University researchers use light to convert carbon dioxide into Fuel.

March 1, 2017

What if the carbon dioxide building up in our atmosphere could be put to good use as fuel? For years chemists have chased a catalyst that could aid the reaction converting carbon dioxide to methane, a building block for many fuels – and now Duke University scientists have found just such a catalyst in tiny rhodium nanoparticles..

Duke University researchers converted carbon dioxide into methane with the help of rhodium nanoparticles, which harness ultraviolet light’s energy to catalyze car...
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