What you’re looking at below are the Asemic Scapes, a beautiful and breathtaking concept for the Rehabilitation Centre Rainberg (a medical rehabilitation centre) in the Austrian Alps designed by architecture graduate Sarah Schneider.

Designed to accommodate 50 patients, it features balconies overlooking the mountains and raised walkways running through the surrounding forests.

Sarah explains that in general rehab centres, like their predecessors the sanatoriums of the 19th and 20th century, are based on a dualistic set of values: they embody the belief in the healing power of technology and the healing power of nature, which is why they are mostly situated in prestine landscapes.

Therefore her attempt was to develop a contemporary relationship to the landscape based on calligraphic ornamentation.

Calligraphy is adding an idea of creating variation through artistic expression to a technical matter of communication and is connected to ornamentation which generally uses natural motifs and often rules of natural growth.

The project develops an architecture that uses rules of natural growth and connects both growth and ornament, with a landscape environment, topologically and calligraphically.

Read more on Dezeen.com

Technorati Tags: architecture, Asemic Scapes, Sarah Schneider, Rehabilitation Centre Rainberg

I love conceptual design skills that can conceive great-looking architecture such as this ecocreation. Designed by by Vincent Callebaut, its the Lilypad – a concept for a completely self-sufficient floating city intended to provide shelter for future climate change refugees.

Waterlilic aesthetics aside, the Lilypad is intended to be a zero emission city that floats in the ocean – hence adapting to ocean swell caused by global warming.

Through a number of technologies (solar, wind, tidal, biomass), it is envisioned that this would not only produce it’s own energy, but also be able to process CO2 in the atmosphere and absorb it into its titanium dioxide skin.

Designed to hold around 50,000 people, the Lilypad has a mixed terrain man-made landscape, provided by an artificial lagoon and three ridges.

Even if this concept goes into development tomorrow, it sounds like it won’t be realised in our lifetimes. Shame, I’d love to see one in real-life, let alone live on one that travels around the world!

More images on Vincent Callebaut Architectures

Seen on Inhabitat

Technorati Tags: architecture, biomass, eco creation, floating city, Lilypad, solar, tidal, Vincent Callebaut, wind

A New York City architecture firm called Phu Hoang Office has proposed a way to turn The Dead Sea in the Middle East, into a thriving centre for tourism and eco-research.

The firm proposed the creation of artificial islands called No Man’s Land that would house hotels, create energy, and harvest clean water from the atmosphere.

Aside from the good eco-intentions of this design, I think it also looks the part, with a clean approach and a sprinkling of green.

According to the blog, Inhabitat:

Salinity gradient solar ponds, water purification tanks, and water filtering processes will all be integrated into the designated “water islands” of the chain. The other two island designs will be for tourists and solar energy production, providing self sufficient power as well as creating revenue.

The design was shortlisted for Architectural Association’s Environmental Tectonics 2007 competition because the design attempts to solve political and cultural issues using design techniques.

More on Inhabitat

Via IO9.com

Technorati Tags: Architectural Association, artificial islands, Environmental Tectonics, New York City, No Man’s Land, Phu Hoang Office, The Dead Sea

Another one from the Design Museum is an exhibition of the work of the architect Richard Rogers called “From The House To The City“.

If you like examining tiny and very high quality architectural replica’s of some well-known, and some unknown buildings, check out the exhibition! It runs until 25th August, 2008. Otherwise, check out my gallery of shots taken on a recent visit – link below.

From the Design Museum website:

Richard Rogers has had the most remarkable career in British architecture. Beginning with an extraordinary family house in Cornwall, then changing the shape of post-War architecture with the Pompidou Centre, he now heads up an international office that is busier than ever.

Recipient of the most prestigious distinction in international architecture, the 2007 Pritzker Prize, Richard Rogers is one of Britain’s most influential architects. Exceptional and high-profile projects include the headquarters for Lloyd’s of London, the Millennium Dome and the National Assembly for Wales. Rogers has established himself and his practice, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, at the very forefront of today’s architectural culture.

Photoset of the Richard Rogers + Architect – From The House To The City exhibition at the Design Museum

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Design Museum website

Technorati Tags: architecture, British architecture, Design Museum, From The House To The City, London, models, Richard Rogers, Rogers Stirk Harbour Partners, United Kingdom