TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

H OW A R C H I T EC T S A R E
T R A N S I T I O N I N G B E T W E E N
P H Y S I C A L A N D D I G I TA L
T WO WO R L DS CO L L I D E
Today’s architects are embracing digital
technology more than ever before, as they
construct buildings that have an astonishing
impact on the physical landscape.
To do so requires a new skillset that
complements that of traditional designers.
Architects must now be able to successfully
transition between screen and site, paper and
pixels. Those wanting to make an emotional
impact in the real world need to have the
vision to make one in the virtual world too.
This report is a celebration of those
accomplishments. We’ve spoken to leading
architects around the globe about some
of their most celebrated work, delving into
the multi-discipline design secrets behind
these extraordinary creations.
From smaller projects to large-scale
structures, we look at how creative
architects are combining the physical with
the digital to design some of the world’s
most beautiful buildings.
page 2
CO N T E N T S

PROJECT:
PROJECT: PROJECT: PROJECT: PROJECT:
MINAMISANRIKU
CARBON AYLA GOLF ACADEMY CASA HOUSE ON
SUN SUN SHOPPING
HOUSE & CLUBHOUSE CHAMISERO FOUNTAIN STREET
VILLAGE

Company: Company: Company: Company: Company:

DDAANN Oppenheim Architecture GITC Arquitectura Sivak + Partners Kuma Kengo and Associates
(KKAA)
Location: Location: Aqaba, Jordan Location: Location:
Prague, Czech Republic North of Santiago, Chile Odessa, Ukraine Location: Minamisanriku,
Architect:
Architect: Miyagi, Japan
Chad Oppenheim, principal/ Architects: Architect:
Daniel Baudis, senior architect Architect:
lead designer Felipe Vera Buschmann, GITC Stefan Gurtovoi, lead architect
www.ddaann.cz partner; Rodrigo Belmar Toshiki Meijo, chief of design
www.oppenoffice.com www.sivak-partners.com
Expósito, GITC partner www.kkaa.co.jp
www.gitc.cl

page 3
 Project Location
Prague, Czech Republic

Project: Ayla Golf Academy & Clubhouse

Location: Aqaba, Jordan
Interviewee: Chad Oppenheim, principal/ lead designer
web: www.oppenoffice.com

Architects: DDAANN
Summary: 
The philosophy of Czech studio DDAANN is rooted in
cooperation, with a strong focus on the implementation of
both architecture and interior design.
Website: www.ddaann.cz W H AT M A D E T H I S
H O U S E S O S P E C I A L
WA S T H E D E C I S I O N
T O B E B R AV E
Carbon House
For a project to become truly great, it often relies on a
crucial element outside the control of the architect – the
courage of the client. Happily, Carbon House near Prague,
Czech Republic, had that in abundance.

The building is a regular family house, built as a home

for a family of four under local regulations and a limited
budget. But within these constraints, a fascinating structure
emerged. Daniel Baudis, senior architect at DDAANN,
said the client’s willingness to co-operate was key to the
eventual success.

“What made this house so special was the decision to be

brave,” he said.
V I E W P R O J E C T

CONTENTS 4
Carbon House, which was designed in collaboration with
Mjölk Architects, has a wooden frame system with an unusual
façade. Instead of the more common larch wood, it features
Q&A
Daniel Baudis,
senior architect
the ancient Japanese charred wood technique of shou sugi
ban. The result is a house with a striking appearance that
makes a strong statement on the surrounding landscape.

Yet despite its visual impact, Baudis says he is most proud of

the way the house – which is built on a small plot – fulfils its
primary purpose as a family home.
Project: Ayla Golf Academy & Clubhouse
Location: Aqaba, Jordan
Interviewee: Chad Oppenheim, principal/ lead designer
web: www.oppenoffice.com

V I E W P R O J E C T

CONTENTS 5
“There are lots of tricks with space, such as filling the gaps
under the stairs with a toilet, washing machine and grocery
room,” he said.

T H E R E A R E L O T S O F
Achieving these results began with a physical design process
that had the project’s restrictions embedded from the start. T R I C K S W I T H S PA C E
The ideas flowed from this basis and into digital forms but,
throughout the project, paper and pixels intertwined.

“We used a lot of hand drawings during the realization of the

project, and for co-operation on the building site,” said Baudis.
“We also print plans to scale, but they can be difficult for a
client to understand and a physical model made of paper is
best for their imagination.”

V I E W P R O J E C T

CONTENTS 6
 Project Location
Aqaba, Jordan

Architects: Oppenheim Architecture

Summary: 
Headquartered in Miami and having won over 45 AIA
Awards, Oppenheim Architecture crafts buildings with a
balance of beauty and function and has projects spanning
over 25 countries.
Website: www.oppenoffice.com

Ayla Golf Academy

& Clubhouse
What do you do when a client asks for an iconic building?

That was the challenge that was set for Chad Oppenheim,
principal architect at Oppenheim Architecture, when designing
the signature building for the Ayla Oasis in Jordan.
W E W E N T T O T H E S I T E A N D W E R E
“We went to the site and were fascinated by the surrounding
FA S C I N AT E D B Y T H E S U R R O U N D I N G
mountains and the way that the site was a series of dunes,”
he said, adding that he wanted to create something “silent, M O U N TA I N S A N D T H E WAY T H AT T H E
integrated into the landscape and that opens up to the
S I T E WA S A S E R I E S O F D U N E S
surrounding mountains”.

CONTENTS 7
 To do that, Oppenheim brought together the physical and
digital aspects in a process that allowed inspiration to flow.

Q&A “I was looking at the sand, sketching and drawing, getting

Chad Oppenheim,
principal/ lead designer
the groundwork to understand the project,” he said. “Very
quickly on the computer, we did 3D printed models and
refined the shape. We worked with engineers to design
the structure digitally, but that was the end of it. The rest
is handmade.”

W E W O R K E D W I T H
E N G I N E E R S T O D E S I G N
T H E S T R U C T U R E
D I G I TA L LY, B U T T H AT
WA S T H E E N D O F I T. T H E
R E S T I S H A N D M A D E

V I E W P R O J E C T

CONTENTS 8

T H E B I G G E S T
M I R A C L E I S H O W
T O D O S O M E T H I N G
T H I S S P E C TA C U L A R
T O A B U D G E T
The result is a building with a tactile quality that is designed to
show “the soul of the people”.
To help convey the message to the client as the building
progressed, printed 3D models were used to make it easy
to understand physically. Full-scale mockups were also
created in an iterative construction where the building
process was discovered on site.
“There is always a limit between dream and reality,” said
Oppenheim. “The biggest miracle is how to do something
this spectacular to a budget. Anyone can do an expensive
building. We were looking to accomplish more with less.
Everything you see is what you get. There is no hidden
structure – this is a pure expression of the emotion
emanating from the site. This isn’t a highly polished project –
we wanted soul and character.”
CONTENTS 9
 W E ’ R E M O S T
P R O U D O F H AV I N G
Project Location
Santiago, Chile M A N A G E D T O F U L F I L L
T H E C L I E N T ’ S
E X P E C TAT I O N S A N D
Architects: GITC Arquitectura M E E T T H E E X E C U T I O N
Summary: 
Chilean studio GITC takes projects from concept to
construction, creating buildings that respond to the demands D E A D L I N E S
of the environment and the needs of the customer.
Website: www.gitc.cl

Casa Chamisero
Casa Chamisero, situated north of Santiago in Chile, is a
compelling building. Defined by a piece of reinforced concrete,
it dominates the valley it is built into through an impressive
use of geometry that is both complex and efficient.

“With this project, we’re most proud of having managed

to fulfill the client’s expectations and meet the execution
deadlines,” said GITC Arquitectura Partners Felipe Vera
Buschmann and Rodrigo Belmar Expósito.

The 750m2 building serves as a family home, and features a

piano nobile that contains the main access, parking, common
areas, backyard and pool. There are also spaces for parties
and family gatherings. The bedrooms are on the second level,
while the basement contains a multi-use recreational area
that includes a movie theatre and aquariums.

CONTENTS 10
The design of the project benefitted from a successful
combination of physical and digital processes.

Initial sketches were made by hand, with 3D modelling

Q&A
software SketchUp then used to develop those designs Felipe Vera Buschmann, Rodrigo Belmar Expósito,
GITC partner GITC partner
through many different variations.

CONTENTS 11
Once the main proposals for the building were fully
defined, the modelling was done using building information
modelling (BIM) software.

But Buschmann and Expósito express a desire to make the

blend between physical and digital even more harmonious.

“It would be interesting to be able to integrate both, with

the understanding that currently they are separated by the
possibilities that each of them delivers,” they said.

“[For example] it would be interesting to be able to draw

in colors and have software that can then interpret the
sketches, for instance by differentiating colors with depths.
I T W O U L D B E I N T E R E S T I N G T O B E
A B L E T O D R AW I N C O L O R S A N D H AV E
S O F T WA R E T H AT C A N I N T E R P R E T T H E
S K E T C H E S

CONTENTS 12
 Project Location
Odessa, Ukraine

Architects: Sivak + Partners

Summary: 
This studio, based in Ukraine, works with both private and
corporate clients to create a wide range of buildings and
currently has projects being built in over 10 countries.
Website: www.sivak-partners.com

House on
Fountain Street
This private house in Odessa, Ukraine, is a mix of old
and new, of tradition and modernity. It’s a combination
that creates an impressive stylish structure that is rooted W E A R E P R O U D O F T H E FA C T T H AT
securely in time and place.
W E M A N A G E D T O U S E C O N S T R U C T I O N
“We are proud of the fact that we managed to use M AT E R I A L S T H AT A R E A U T H E N T I C F O R
construction materials that are authentic for Odessa in
O D E S S A I N M O D E R N F O R M S
modern forms,” said Stefan Gurtovoi, lead architect at Sivak
+ Partners. “Especially the yellow coquina, from which the
majority of historical buildings are built with.”

V I E W P R O J E C T

CONTENTS 13
And just like the blend of classic and contemporary in the final
construction, achieving the end result required the combined
efforts of paper practicalities and electronic efficiencies.
Stefan Gurtovoi,
Q&A
lead architect

CONTENTS 14
 D E S P I T E T H E FA C T T H AT D I G I TA L
T E C H N O L O G I E S H AV E G R E AT LY
C H A N G E D T H E P R O F E S S I O N O F

Communication with clients, including reviewing designs and T H E A R C H I T E C T, W E H AV E N O T

making required changes, is mainly done electronically, for
A B A N D O N E D T H E T R A D I T I O N A L
instance. Printed copies are essential as legal documents and
to provide clarity for builders. D E S I G N M E T H O D S

“Despite the fact that digital technologies have greatly

changed the profession of the architect, we have not
abandoned the traditional design methods” said Gurtovoi.

“We actively use sketching and form search in mock-ups.

The internet helps us to follow trends, to be inspired and to
discover new ways of solving old problems.”

CONTENTS 15
 Project Location
Minamisanriku, Miyagi, Japan

“ W E T H O U G H T A B O U T H O W

Architects: Kuma Kengo and Associates (KKAA) T H E C I T Y ’ S H I S T O R Y I S

Summary:  ased in Tokyo and Paris, Kengo Kuma and Associates is
B
known for its large-scale timber structures inspired by I N T E R T W I N E D W I T H T H E S E A
Japanese architecture, construction techniques and styles. A
Kengo Kuma building is humble, holistic and often informed A N D W E WA N T E D T O P U R S U E
by nature. While known for his work across Japan, Kuma
completed the V&A in Dundee, Scotland, in September 2018 A WAY T O I N C O R P O R AT E
and is also highly active in the French architecture scene.
Website: www.kkaa.co.jp I T S A F E LY ”

Minamisanriku Sun Sun

Shopping Village
The Sun Sun Shopping Village in Minamisanriku was a
project born out of catastrophe. Back in 2011 a tsunami
destroyed nearly 110,000 buildings and damaged twice that
number along the Pacific coast of Japan. The mammoth task
of replacing and redesigning these structures to restore
these shattered communities has utilized both the latest
digital technology and traditional Japanese craftmanship.

CONTENTS 16
“We wanted to pursue a way where we could incorporate the sea safely into our master plan.
So, we raised the ground and when it was stabilized embarked on the retail complex,” said
chief of design, Toshiko Meijo.

He explained how they drew inspiration from the town’s history of low-rise buildings, its
Q&A
Toshiki Meijo,
fishing industry and the way shop owners displayed goods at their entrances. The aim was to chief of design

keep it intimate – with the feeling of a private home – onto which tenants could imprint their
own identity.

CONTENTS 17
 “ T H E P L A N H A S B E E N A
S U C C E S S I N AT T R A C T I N G
T O U R I S T S A N D R E V I TA L I Z I N G
T H E C O M M U N I T Y… S P I R I T U A L LY
A N D E C O N O M I C A L LY ”
DECEMBER 2018, T W O W O R L D S C O L L I D E
4AA7-4368EEW December 2018
KKAA successfully created a contemporary structure, which
blends seamlessly into the historical and visual landscape
of the city, by combining new technologies with established
skills to improve workflows between the studio, contractors
and the client.
“In early meetings with clients, we worked out ideas and
simple designs using modeling on our computers. Clients
tell us the 3D renderings make it easy for them to follow and
visualize designs.”
He added: “We use digital technologies a lot. But that said,
when have meetings or are working on layouts we are doing a
lot of sketching and writing by hand.”
CONTENTS 18