Architectural Tutorial: Battered Walls

No, this is not the look you get when you take out your frustrations on the walls of your home.  Battered is an architectural term for a wall with a receding slope from the ground upwards, narrowing at the top.  The same term can be used to describe chimneys and columns that have bases wider than the top.  This design term dates all the way back to ancient times, when battered walls were used to deter invaders from breaking down walls.  The receding slope added a level of stability against attacks of weapons like battering rams.  Today, they are used as interesting design elements that give the exterior a little pizzazz.  Plus, you get the added bonus of your home being able withstand battering rams - how cool is that!

 Railside remodel

 Reynard

 Andover

Cathead Bay

Sources:

http://www.angelfire.com/wy/svenskildbiter/madict.html/
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/batter

Olympic Size Architecture

The Olympic Games have been a catalyst for some of the most memorable stadium designs in history, full of innovation and visual interest, each one trying to top the last.  The London 2012 Olympic Games begin tomorrow and will kick off with opening ceremonies in the Olympic Stadium that the designers at Populous Architects hope will be a legacy.  Will it have the same impact as some of the other stadiums designed in the past?  Here is a look at some notable Olympic-size architecture of the Games...

London 2012
Planning for the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, London began over a decade ago and is meant to be the centerpiece of the city's third time hosting this event (1904, 1948 & 2012).  The stadium will be able to seat up to 80,000 people throughout the Games and has the revolutionary design to be able to convert to a 60,000 seat sporting arena once the Olympics are done.  The exterior is wrapped in colored canvas banners that create 300 entranceways into the stadium, with the colors acting as navigation tools in addition to contributing to the building's overall aesthetic. This stadium takes the cake for being one of the most expensive buildings in the world, with costs coming in at roughly $753 million.

Image Source: http://www.populouslondon2012.com/

Olympic Stadium | London 2012 from Populous on Vimeo.
Video showing the conceptual design of the stadium - pretty amazing!

Sources: 

http://www.designweek.co.uk/analysis/london-2012-design-icons-the-olympic-stadium/3034972.article

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1266085-olympic-opening-ceremony-2012-fast-facts-about-the-olympic-stadium/page/5

http://www.designweek.co.uk/news/london-2012-olympic-stadium-wrap-unveiled/3034943.article

Beijing 2008
Also known as the Bird's Nest, Beijing's National Stadium was the site of the 2008 summer Olympics.  The design, done by architects Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron led by chief architect Li Xinggang, was inspired by Chinese ceramics.  The nest effect was designed at first to hide steel supports for the retractable roof, which was later removed from the design.  The top is now covered by a semi-transparent air bubble film which is waterproof, but allows for sunshine to penetrate into the stadium.  It covers an area of 99 square miles and can accommodate up to 91,000 people (80,000 permanent and 11,000 temporary seats).

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22240293@N05/4062090839/, used under creative commons

Wayne in front of the "Bird's Nest" during his trip to China in 2008 to design Star Coast Villas
Sources: 
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/national-stadium.htm

Munich 1972
Designed by German architect Günther Behnisch and engineer Frei Otto, the Olympiastadion of Munich, Germany was considered to be revolutionary.  For the first time, canopies of acrylic glass connected by steel cables were used on a large scale, with the shapes meant to imitate the Alps and the transparency meant to represent the new democratic Germany.  The official motto became "The Happy Games."

Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Olympiastadion_Muenchen.jpg
Sources: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Stadium_(Munich)

Sydney 2000
Stadium Australia, also designed by Populous (London Stadium designers) was the site of the 2000 Summer Olympics and is the largest Olympic venue ever built, holding up to 110,000 spectators at the time of the Games, later reduced to 83,000.  The cost of this venue came in at $690 million.  The building itself was designed to reconfigure from an oval to a rectangular shape in 12 hours, making it the only stadium in the world that can host five professional sporting events - rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules, football and cricket.

Image Source: http://www.australiantraveller.com/experiences/091-relive-sydney-s-olympic-history
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadium_Australia
http://www.anzstadium.com.au/AboutUs/History.aspx 

Berlin 1936
The Olympiastadion in Berlin was built on the site where the Deutsches Stadion once stood, the venue intended to host the 1916 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War I.  In 1931, the Olympic Committee selected Berlin as the location for the 1936 Summer Games, but when the Nazi regime came to power in 1933, they decided to use the Olympic Games for propaganda.  Hitler ordered the construction of a new sports complex to host the events and titled the Olympiastadion complex Reichssportfeld.  It was designed by Werner March, son of the architect of the original Deutsches Stadion, with modifications made by Albert Speer, Hitler's head architect.  The lower half of the structure is buried 12 meters underground and had a capacity of nearly 110,000, including a special stand for Hitler and his associates.  It was one of the few buildings that survived World War II nearly untouched, only damaged by machine gun shots.

Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R82532,_Berlin,_Olympia-Stadion_(Luftaufnahme).jpg
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Stadium_(Berlin)

Blue Magazine: Travel & Adventure issue

Touring islands in the straights, fishing the flats, diving shipwrecks and our tropical lakestyle cottage, Silver Coast, make this Travel & Adventure issue of Michigan Blue Magazine an exciting must read for the summer.  Check it out!

Domenico

This stunning Infiniti Custom Homes residence, designed by Visbeen Architects, melds old and new with ease. Terra cotta rooftops and stone archways shade a spacious veranda, hinting at the flavors of Tuscany. This is no simple stone cottage, however. Extreme attention to detail has produced an old world design with state-of-the-art functionality.

The main floor of the home fans out from key gathering spaces – the living and dining rooms. The attached kitchen accommodates both chef and guests alike. Adjacent sitting areas are found both inside and on an outdoor covered patio.

The upper level features a master wing, complete with dual walk-in closets, master bath, and living space. There are three additional bedrooms on this floor. The lower level offers even more living space. Hearth and card table add character to the family room, along with a bar and kitchenette. A guest room and shared bath complete this family villa.

Built by Infiniti Custom Homes
Architecture & Interior Architecture by Visbeen Architects

Warren

If you missed touring this award-winning design in person during the Spring Parade of Homes, do not fret.  Your pictorial tour is here!

Building a new home in an old neighborhood can present many challenges for an architect.  The Warren's design is a beautiful example of an exterior which blends with the surrounding structures, while the floor plan takes advantage of the available space.

A traditional façade, combining brick, shakes and wood trim enables the design to fit well in any early 20th century borough.  Copper accents and antique-inspired lanterns solidify the home's vintage appeal.

Despite the exterior throwback, the interior of the home offers the latest in amenities and layout.  Spacious dining, kitchen and hearth areas open to a comfortable back patio on the main level, while the upstairs offers a luxurious master suite and three guest bedrooms.

For more photos of this design, please visit the gallery of our website - www.visbeen.biz > gallery > residential projects > american neighborhood > warren.

Builder: Insignia Homes
Architecture & Interior Architecture Design: Visbeen Architects
Interior Designer: Francesca Owings
Kitchen Design: Todd Wiley / TruKitchens
Landscaping: Rooks Landscaping

Visbeen and GMBae Join Forces

We are joining forces with GMB Architecture + Engineering Inc (GMBae)!  

GMBae is a full-service, architecture and engineering firm of more than 80 employees with offices in Holland and Grand Rapids, Michigan that specializes in facilities that serve higher education, health care, corporate/industrial and K-12 education sectors.  GMBae has a more than 40-year history of designing and engineering facilities and is among the top architecture and engineering firms in the Midwest.  And you know, we are a Grand Rapids-based boutique architecture firm specializing in full-service architectural and interior design services for the residential and retail markets.

GMBae and Visbeen Associates will maintain separate identities, with our firm now operating under the new name, Visbeen Architects.  The acquisition will allow both of our firms to enhance our presence in our respective markets by complementing the services we now provide to existing clients and enabling the combined entities to expand client base and address new markets.  Each firm will retain our current offices and staff and will continue to serve new and existing clients.  We will still be doing what we do best - designing award-winning residential and retail projects.  

"This is a major milestone in our growth strategy," said David Bolt, AIA, Vice President for GMBae.  "We have shared an excellent working relationship with Visbeen and have partnered with them on projects throughout the years.  Our firms have similar corporate cultures and share the same values.  It was a natural partnership and we're extremely please to have Visbeen Architects as part of our team.  At the same time, Wayne's firm is one of the best known in the nation in the residential sector; it's a great opportunity for us to capitalize on the brand he has created."

"By formalizing the relationship, we can draw on each other's expertise," added Wayne Visbeen.  "GMB is hungry to grow and has an incredible reputation for getting things done.  It's exciting to become a part of a growing and dynamic organization and to offer our clients access to a broader array of services.  We like the idea of becoming part of an established and commercially successful brand."

About GMB Architecture + Engineering, Inc.

Based in Holland, Mich., GMBae is a full-service design and engineering form serving the higher education, healthcare, corporate/industrial and K-12 education sectors.  GMBae employs more than 80 professionals and staff and ranks among the top architecture and engineering firms in the Midwest.  Celebrating its 44th year in business, GMBae prides itself on its creativity and service, helping each client improve and strengthen its business (or their businesses).  Every major discipline in the architecture and engineering fields is represented and thoroughly integrated among the GMBae project teams.  GMBae has been a sustainable design advocate for years.  LEED® accredited professionals are in all disciplines and positions of leadership throughout the firm.  The firm's resume of work includes projects such as the CityFlats Hotels in Holland and Grand Rapids, the Calvin College Covenant Fine Arts Center and the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex, Cornerstone University Baseball Stadium (a joint GMB/Visbeen Project, the VanAndel Soccer Stadium at Hope College, Gentex Corporation, Hudsonville Public Schools and Spectrum Health.

The media is already buzzing about this exciting new venture.....

MLive.com Article - After teaming up on project, Holland architectural firm extends 'natural partnership' by buying Grand Rapids company

Holland Sentinel article - GMB, Visbeen architecture firms join forces

Woodworking Network article - Architecture Firm GMB Acquires Visbeen

WHTC article - Holland's GMB Announces Merger with Grand Rapids Firm

A home for the golden years

Did you know that our firm does retirement facility design in addition to our other residential specialties?  Here is a great example of one of our retirement community designs for Allen Springs in Jenison, MI.  Our master planning for this development includes a large independent living center called the Lodge as well as detached condominium villas.  Here is a pictorial tour of this great place to spend the golden years, as well as a fly-through video tour of the interiors of two villas.

The Lodge

The Villas

Talland

Winchell