Via Inhabitat: Internationally acclaimed designer Michael Jantzen‘s newest brainchild, the Sun Rays Pavilion, consists of 12 massive columns that rise out of the earth like giant crystals reaching for the sun. Appropriate, because the acutely slanted building relies on the sun’s rays alone for power. Jantzen has many other designs for renewable energy pavilions, like his Wind Shaped Kinetic Pavilion or his Solar Wind Pavilion. This latest design is outfitted with photovoltaic film to generate electricity in order to power the pavilion and sell any excess to the grid.

At the top of the structure, the square ends of the pavilion are covered in photovoltaic film in order to generate electricity. The south facing roofs are angled in such a way to optimize energy generation for the site. Each glazed area is 20 by 26 feet and is also partially transparent, which allows light to filter down into the structure providing some daylight for the people inside. Any excess energy generated not needed by the pavilion will be sent to the grid. On the north side of the structure at the ground level, there are 5 large glass sections with doors that will ventilate the structure.

The pavilion will be approximately 150 feet tall, 250 feet long, and 130 feet wide and constructed from precast concrete rectangular columns. As with all Jantzen creations, symbolism and art play heavy roles in the design of structure and the columns are meant to represent the rays of the sun.

What are these crazy, beautiful images? They are none other than Magnus Larsson’s Dune Project, which is “Arenaceous Anti-Desertification Architecture.” Larsson proposes the creation of a 6,000km-long artificially solidified sandstone wall to line the Sahara Desert. The structure would provide refuge housing, as well as prevent desertification.

Larsson started with the work of the Soil Interactions Lab at UC Davis, which allowed Larsson to discover that he could push bacteria bacillus pasteurii through the sand. This bacterium then solidifies the sand into sandstone. Larsson proposed the creation of a 3D printer to push bacteria down into the sand and create the structure for this landscape. Then, all that needs to be done is to push out the loose sand to make the shelter – and hopefully, wind would blow out that sand naturally.

Via Otto: Employees of Facebook recently moved to a new headquarters designed by San Francisco firm Studio O+A, that facilitates interaction and connection, reflecting the company’s mission as a social networking website provider. Formerly a laboratory facility for high-tech manufacturer Agilent Technologies, the 150,000-square-foot structure at Palo Alto’s Stanford Research Park brings together more than 700 employees originally scattered throughout 10 locations in and around downtown Palo Alto.

The design of the space relied heavily on input from the users, a reflection of a democratic company culture and O+A designers interviewed employees about what they wanted from their new headquarters. Facebook was used to conduct company-wide polls about design decisions and keep everyone informed about the thought process behind the project. An advisory board of employees from every department collaborated with the design team on the design process, from space planning to finishes to final move coordination.

Because the new facility houses employees coming from various locations, the company wanted to maintain each division’s distinct identity. The design takes its inspiration from the patchwork nature of Facebook users and employees, bringing together seemingly disparate elements to form a cohesive pattern and using color and interior spacing to create neighborhoods within the open plan space. The company’s executives sit in central areas, accessible to all employees. Large lounges and open spaces provide venues for the community to come together. A kitchen and café continue Facebook’s tradition of providing gourmet meals to staff at all hours, while drinks and snacks are available at micro-kitchens throughout the headquarters.

Via Inhabitat, “Set against the rocky forms of the L’Ardévaz mountains, the Zufferey House both complements and contrasts its surroundings with a poised position that makes it appear like a rock teetering slightly off-balance or a box-y UFO about to take off. With a structural form that can certainly be considered an architectural novelty, the home — designed by Nunatak Sàrl Architectes — grabbed our attention when we noticed its incorporation of eco-friendly building techniques including a prefabricated wood frame and passive heating.”

“With a textured black exterior designed to resemble a stone, the interior proves to be cozy and contemporary. The home’s construction around a prefabricated wood frame is complemented with white walls and gray concrete flooring. The home’s concrete floor also provides heat for the home. The home also utilizes the principles of solar orientation as the home’s outdoor living spaces, including a terrace and garden are located on the east and south sides to shelter the residents from western winds and hot summer temperatures.”

New York architecture and design practice Axis Mundi have designed a conceptual alternative to French architect Jean Nouvel’s design for a 73-storey tower next to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Axis Mundi’s design is an attempt to rethink the New York skyscraper for the post-boom era, expressing the diversity of uses within instead of “one-note architecture that makes a singular visual image and little else.” The surface of the facade would be broken up by the varying depths of these residences, allowing for balconies and gardens. An arcade through the ground floor would connect West 53rd and West 54th Streets. New galleries for the MoMA would occupy three floors above this, with a three-storey volume above the galleries set aside for community activities.

The architectural diversity Beckmann envisions starts with a double-ring, multi-level floor-plan unit, anchored by two cores that run the full height of the building, containing elevators, stairs and other vertical services. The ring units called “SmartBlocks” make possible a wide variety of floor plans. Single-unit layouts can mix with duplex, or triplex layouts. The units can shift in and out, adding rich texture to the surface, creating vertical garden space, and linking the units in unique ways. The malleability of the ring units accommodates living and working, extended families, and new forms of tenancy and ownership. Any grouping of these could be purposed for a hotel. The building is enriched by the multiplicity of forms and textures people create within their vertical neighbourhoods.