AKT II

The proposal "Uti vår hage" has been selected as the winner of the invited competition for Ulricehamn’s new cultural centre!    The new Kulturhus will be a vibrant space, home to a city library, theatre, art gallery, bistro, and a school – all designed to foster #creativity, #learning, and #community engagement. The concept seamlessly weaves together indoor and outdoor spaces, activating all surrounding streets and creating a cultural heart for the city.   From an engineering perspective, the structural design focuses on #functionality and #flexibility, ensuring the internal spaces can evolve with future needs. By optimising spans within a timber frame system, using ribbed timber cassette floor plates, we’ve significantly reduced material use compared to a typical solid CLT solution – delivering an efficient and sustainable approach.   It’s been an incredibly rewarding collaboration with Marge Arkitekter, TREDJE NATUR, and Tyréns AB.   We’re excited for the next steps and can’t wait to see this vision come to life! Marge Arkitekter | TREDJE NATUR | Tyréns AB | Edward Durie | Erik Hokby | Kayin Dawoodi | Tore Banke | Julia Östlund   #Architecture #Engineering #UrbanDesign #Sustainability #CulturalSpaces #WinningProposal #Ulricehamn #Collaboration

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming members of UCL’s Society of Engineering and Architectural Design (SEAD) into our offices. The students came to visit for an exclusive tour and insightful talk from Director Valentina Galmozzi and Associate Gianluca Mortarotti. It was fantastic to engage with such a #passionate group of students, eager to explore the intersection of #architecture and #engineering in practice. Valentina and Gianluca shared their experiences and perspectives on design innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the future of the built environment. Following the talk, the group enjoyed a light (and late!) lunch alongside a informal Q&A, where students had the opportunity to ask AKT II questions, exchange ideas, and gain deeper insights into our work and approach. A huge thank you to Society of Engineering and Architectural Design (SEAD) for visiting – we always value the opportunity to #connect with the next generation of designers and engineers. Looking forward to more #inspiring conversations like this in the future! #UCL #SEAD #Engineering #Architecture #DesignInnovation #FutureTalent

A small jewel among many at the #IslamicArtsBiennale, our Date Palm Frond structure has made its public debut! 90m3 of date palm frond that would have otherwise been burnt, has been made into a beautiful building. A pleasure to have been able to tell our journey to the many people who came to the pavilion during the opening days, as well as the finale panel discussion. The interest was overwhelming and I am grateful. AKT II EAST Architecture Studio Sweco Diriyah Biennale Foundation Hanif Kara OBE Nawaf Bin Ayyaf Nicolas Fayad Charles Kettaneh Rayyane Tabet David Watson Leonel Mimendi Riwa Karanouh #architecture #engineering #construction #sustainability #experimentalmaterial #climatechange #timber

Extraordinary conversations in an extraordinary setting. The final panel discussion of opening weekend of the Islamic Arts Biennale was resoundingly set inside the courtyard of AKT II's Musalla date palm structure, the winner of #2024 AlMusalla Architecture Prize. The conversation was led by Prince Nawaf Bin Ayyaf, and explored the design process that EAST Architecture Studio, AKT II, and Rayanne Tabet, followed to deliver the competition winning scheme and into final delivery of the structure.   AKT II’s, Christopher Blust elaborated on the origin of adopting palm as a structural material, which was born out of the regions local #historical craft of weaving palm fronds, as well as fitting in with the two #sustainability principles adopted for the project: build natural, and build local. The conversation evolved into the structural testing that was completed to understand #material, but also the sustainability aspects in avoiding the waste from being burnt or going to landfill. Thank you to all those who attended. Azra Aksamija | Farrokh Derakhshani | Lina Ghotmeh | Ali Malkawi | Rayanne Tabet | Nicolas Fayed | Hanif Kara OBE #IslamicArtsBiennale #AlMusalla #Jeddah #Sustainable #Engineering

Earlier this week, Holt Town Neighbourhood Development Framework (NDF) received #approval from the Manchester City Council Executive to move to the next stage of design. This landmark development will set a benchmark for inclusive, sustainable urban regeneration and serve as a catalyst for innovation, creativity, and connectivity in Manchester.   🏡 Key Highlights of Holt Town: • Creation of a low-carbon, climate-resilient neighbourhood, with 15 acres of green and public space. • Delivery of 4,500 new homes, with 20% affordable housing, ensuring #accessibility for a broad range of residents. • 15 acres of enhanced green areas and a low-carbon, climate-resilient neighbourhood. • A mixed-use community featuring 30,000 sqm of commercial space, generating approximately 1,500 jobs. • The city's only lido outdoor swimming pool! By blending its natural assets, #historical character, and #modern aspirations, Holt Town will embody a model for urban living in the 21st century.   This is just the beginning of an exciting journey, and we look forward to delivering a pioneering development that will contribute significantly to the city’s #economic, #social, and #environmental growth.   Studio Egret West | Deloitte | MVRDV NEXT | Turley | Hatch | Deetu | Hilson Moran #HoltTown #PlanningApproval #UrbanRegeneration #SustainableDevelopment #Manchester

The 2024 AlMusalla Architectural Prize is officially complete and building delivered.   Opening today as part of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation’s Islamic Arts Biennale in #Jeddah, the prize celebrates #innovation and #spirituality in architecture.   This year’s winning design, by EAST Architecture Studio, AKT II, and artist Rayyane Tabet, reimagines the Musalla as a modular pavilion crafted almost entirely from #sustainable date palm waste.   With its courtyard and prayer spaces symbolising unity and contemplation, the structure blends tradition with modernity. Its dismantlable design ensures a legacy far beyond the Biennale itself.   The AlMusalla Prize sets a benchmark for sustainable, culturally resonant architecture—congratulations to all involved in making this vision a reality. #Architecture #Sustainability #IslamicArtsBiennale #DiriyahBiennale #AlMusallaPrize #InnovativeDesign

NXQ Manchester gets the green light! Manchester City Council have just approved the planning application for the NXQ project in #Manchester’s Northern Quarter by Soller.  This is a radical commercial led scheme comprising an 18 storey tower that over its height incrementally steps out, which allows the upper floor plates to provide greater area whilst maintaining space at the lower levels to retain existing buildings on part of the sites frontage. In total 17,300m2 of space is generated. With Howells Architects, we derived a #geometry and #structural form that creates this expanding form very efficiently, by defining an inclined column geometry and maximum slab cantilever, which avoids any complexities or material hungry transfer systems.  The building aesthetic provides a nod to the nearby listed Art Deco Express building, requiring our #AKTIIEnvelopes team to develop a #façade strategy that works with this classic style and detailing whilst meeting all the stringent current design standards.  It’s exciting to see that this project is one step closer to being brought to life.  Stay tuned for updates! Soller | Howells | AshtonHale | Atelier Ten | AtkinsRéalis | Turner & Townsend | Turley | Project Four Safety Solutions Ltd. #Manchester #NorthernQuarter #Development #OfficeSpace #UrbanDevelopment #PlanningApproval

The AI Opportunities Action Plan - what does it mean for the construction industry? This week, the UK government unveiled its AI Opportunities Action Plan at UCL East, one of AKT II's flagship projects. The talk signified a bold step to position artificial intelligence as a driver of #societal and #economic transformation. For the #construction industry, this marks the beginning of a significant shift. AI Growth Zones, aimed at accelerating the development of data centres, promise to provide the computational infrastructure necessary for advanced tools such as generative design systems and real-time project monitoring. The establishment of a National Data Library will unlock critical public datasets, enabling #predictive models and #sustainable material optimisation to become integral parts of the design process. The plan addresses a 20-fold expansion of the UK’s compute capacity by 2030 which will empower the construction sector to adopt these technologies at scale. The plan also places a strong emphasis on #talent development, with a commitment to train tens of thousands of AI professionals by 2030. This initiative should places the construction sector at the forefront of this transformation, offering new pathways for innovation and growth. What do you think are the opportunities and challenges posed by this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #KeirStarmer #UCLEast #AIInnovation

Our Date Palm Frond timber structure rises!    With less than three weeks to go until the opening of the #Islamicartsbiennale, most of the frame is up, which will be followed by hanging of the the handwoven screens and casting of the mud floor.   This building hosts:   ✅ 90 m3 of date palm frond timber glulaminated into the sections needed ✅ 200 km of hand woven palm leaf rope coloured with natural dyes (which has reaffirmed to me that true craft does indeed still exist!) ✅ Stools, mats, and other furniture all made from palm fronds  ✅ 3 m3 of steel for shoes to connect to the foundation, reinforcing where services distribution is needed, and for element splicing to make it fully demountable (ensuring its life after the biennale and beyond!) ✅ A mud floor construction to complement the sustainability narrative.   We hope to show the world how a perceived waste product can be used to create a beautiful building, and how with a bit of unconventional construction we all can put a dent into the 2.7 million tons of date palm waste that is produced every year.   What other ‘waste’ materials can we put to good use?    AKT II EAST Architecture Studio Sweco Diriyah Biennale Foundation Hanif Kara OBE Nawaf Bin Ayyaf Nicolas Fayad Charles Kettaneh, Rayyane Tabet David Watson Jose Leonel Mimendi Cruz #architecture #engineering #construction #sustainability #experimentalmaterial #climatechange #timber

Planning submitted for Whitworth Street West, Manchester! A fantastic start to the year for our #Manchester Studio! Glenbrook’s proposals for a stunning new residential development at 2-4 Whitworth Street West have been submitted for planning. The Sheppard Robson designed scheme includes: - 364 apartments (1, 2 & 3 beds) - Vibrant public spaces enhancing connections and street activity - Extensive resident amenities, including commercial and leisure spaces Our #AKTIIEnvelopes team collaborated closely with the design team to design a high-performing façade, featuring terracotta cladding and triple-height arched colonnades inspired by Manchester’s rich industrial #heritage and railway arches beyond. ⬇️ For more info on the project, see the link in comments ⬇️ Glenbrook | Sheppard Robson | Futureserv Consulting Engineers | Hilson Moran | Quartz Project Services | Mainer Associates | LAYER | OFR Consultants | Project Four Safety Solutions Ltd. | Curtins #Residential #Manchester #Development #Engineering #Design