Shift Housing // Cremona // Italy // AquiliAlberg
These housings called ‘Shift’ by Milan architects AquiliAlberg is currently under construction in Cremona, Italy.
The front elevation of the building is characterized by a shift in the orientation of the two story; the ground floor is rotated four degrees anticlockwise, while the first floor is rotated four degrees clockwise.
From the architects:
‘With a play of perspectives, the concept challenges the constraints given by a very small and narrow site and by the local area regulation.
Playing with two opposite rotation of 4°, the two floors are shifted. Rotating the ground floor front facade – elevated from the ground 1.2m – anticlockwise and rotating the first floor front facade clockwise, the results are two volumes with an x direction visible on the front side. Created also for structural needs, the gap between the two volumes is a strong mark which emphasize the perspectives. The effect, with the open cantilivered loggias is a strong dialogue and a seductive exchange between full and emptyness, lightness and dynamism.
The view towards the natural park, a protected area, has determined the orientation of the building.’
For more pictures visit the architects’ website.
Zune and iPod: Most people compare the Zune to the Touch, but after seeing how slim and surprisingly small and light it is, I consider it to be a rather unique hybrid that combines qualities of both the Touch and the Nano. It’s very colorful and lovely OLED screen is slightly smaller than the touch screen, but the player itself feels quite a bit smaller and lighter. It weighs about 2/3 as much, and is noticeably smaller in width and height, while being just a hair thicker.