JDS takes part in the EcoDesign exhibition, part of the Habitare Fair in Helsinki, Finland.

The given task was to present a prototype, JDS took another step:

“When lighting needs to be sustainable, a common reaction is to think in terms of technology. Plenty of solutions are offered for light tracking, sensoring and sourcing. Second is to think in terms of economy. Which investment lends to a benefit that allows to add a higher sustainable value in products.

Thus, for ‘eco-lighting’, we looked into situations where constant lighting is offered, but not needed. We have decided to adress the overconsumption of light in public transport facilities, where a change in attitude is necessary.”

“What if a bus stop is basically not lit, only the infopanel and the sign glows? When a passenger approaches, the light in the shelter gradually turns itself on. The light is only used when really needed and it announces the presence of a passenger to the approaching bus/tram driver.”

Habitare is a well-known and popular event that shows what Finns can do and what suppliers offer Finns in the furniture and interior decoration field. Habitare presents collections, designers, concepts, young talents and new companies. Habitare filles all six halls at the Helsinki Fair Centre.

Opening: 1st of September 10h30
Duration: 1 – 5 September 2010

The Polish Pavilion at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice
People Meet In Architecture
Emergency Exit Agnieszka
Kurant and Aleksandra Wasilkowska
29 August – 21 November 2010

Pavilion Commissioner: Agnieszka Morawińska
Curator: Elias Redstone
Assistant Commissioner: Joanna Waśko
Organiser: Zachęta National Gallery of Art

JDS founder Julien De Smedt, partners Andrew Griffin and Barbara Wolff welcome new partner, Henning Stüben, as director of JDS Copenhagen.

Co-founder of KLAR, Henning Stüben, is now a partner and director of JDS Architects in Copenhagen. Building on the last 10 years of our firm’s explorations in architecture and urban design he will be responsible for overseeing interests within the Scandinavian and Northern European markets.

Henning is assistant Professor at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, Dept. for planning and architecture, exploring innovation in Urban Design. He studied in Aachen, Vienna and Berlin and graduated from the TU Berlin in 2002. Prior to founding KLAR in 2005, Henning worked for PLOT, Julien De Smedt’s previous company, in Copenhagen, OMA / Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam and NL Architects in Amsterdam. Henning is educated as a construction economist and is a member of the Danish Construction Economics Committee (MDB). Furthermore, Henning has experience with sustainable design and is qualified as a low-energy building consultant.

Julien De Smedt, founder of JDS, oversees all offices as creative director. Barbara Wolff is partner and director of JDS Brussels with a focus on the European market. Andrew Griffin, partner and director of International Business Development, concentrates on emerging markets.

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JDS together with ne arquitectura was recently commissioned to expand the Hotel Santa Teresa in Rio.

The hotel located on the Santa Teresa hill over viewing downtown Rio was voted earlier this year the best suite in the world by Wallpaper magazine. JDS/ne extension proposes to tie together the existing structure with a neighbouring building of a colonial facture. The connective element will be a bridge like structure that hovers above the patrimonial heritage, liberating it from a direct collision and therefore maintaining its historical entity. The position of the old and new elements amplifies their genuine attributes but their proximity resolves programmatic as well as logistic issues.

The project is due for completion at the end of 2011.

JDS Architects have been selected among four other architect offices to participate in a competition for the new art school and creative space in Nantes, France. The project takes part of the new masterplan of Ile de Nantes and is going to be a rehabilitation of Halles Alstom. This warehouse, a symbol of the industrial past of the city, is going to be transformed into an art school and augments the creative district, fostering an architecture school and a graphic design office.

Based on the success of the World Championship Stadium and Ski Jump for the Oslo 2011 games, we are preparing a team for the Olympics Games in Brazil in 2016. For further details or for participation please contact andrew@jdsa.eu

The Birkegade Penthouse Rooftop Apartments is currently being constructed in Copenhagen, and is scheduled for completion November, 2010. The 570 m2 rooftop consists of a raised grass covered hill, a lookout tower, an activity area covered with orange rubber flooring, a wood terrace with a barbecue area and an outdoor kitchen. The green rooftop is a first of its kind in inner Copenhagen and a model for the city on how to transform otherwise unused rooftop spaces into a living, sustainable solution for any building.

JDS Architects are participating in a competition for a 3300 square meter extension to the Kongsberg Mining Museum in Kongsberg, Norway. The town of Kongsberg, located 50 km from Oslo, is the historic center of silver mining in Norway. The existing mining museum needs an extension for its large collection of silver, coins and minerals, as well as a library, auditorium and education and research facilities.

The competition will be submitted 16th of September.

JDS Architects can be found at the “Mapping Contemporary Venice” event as part of the Detour project, now in Venice for the 12th International Architecture Exhibition.

The exhibition runs from August 26 to September 20, 2010, from 10 am to 5 pm at the Venice International University, Island of San Servolo, Venice.

Detour is a small piece of the Moleskine journey, where interlacing stories merge. Curated by Raffaella Guidobono, this travelling group show features notebook creations by internationally recognized artists, architects, film directors, graphic designers, illustrators, and writers. Some works contain extensive stories; others are turned into pieces of contemporary art and design.

More information can be found here.

The Two Seasons Hotel project in Stavanger, Norway is now complete and had a grand opening the 12th of August, 2010. The hotel run by Choice Hotels Scandinavia AS has been named Comfort Hotel Square and is located in Stavanger City at what has been classified as the most valuable site in Norway. The 6 floor hotel was built on top of a 5 floor existing parking garage giving an extra challenge to the structure. Here 194 hotel rooms float in a ribbon configuration around an inner courtyard. The hotel rooms have been lifted from the street to secure privacy and a quiet environment for the guests, and to activate the ground floor with a bar, lounge, restaurant and lobby. On top there is a green roof including a roof terrace with a beautiful view over Stavanger city and the harbour.