Category: Urban Planning / Museum
Type: Competition
Place: Palau, Sardinia (IT)
Date: Spring 2018
Design: Ralph Endemann
Visualisation: Martin Breitfellner | Ralph Endemann

The conseptual idea of the design is to connect the local neighbourhood and its residents to the historical important military fortress of Capo d’Orso in Palau through the creation of an urban area and the Militairy Museum in the centre section. By opening the fortress to the public and making it attractive for tourists and visitors it is essential to also generate a benefit for the local community , its trade with local foods and handcrafted products as well as for cultural initiatives.
The overall design is orientated along several axis that follow the orientation of the existing ruins and different visual connections given by the topology of the area. The existing ruins are implemented into the design as silent witnesses of the past, untouched in its walls but reactivated through a slightly protruding steal glass construction inside to preserve the archeological value and making it visible from all sides.

Category: Interior Design
Type: Prototype
Place: Oslo (NO)
Date: Spring 2017
Design: Ralph Endemann

The design of the wardROBE doors made of 19mm plywood panals bring a warm and pleasant-to-touch surface to the clients bedroom. The untreated birch coverlayers respond perfectly to the chosen color scheme of the bedroom and simple binder twine as handels strengthen the minimalistic approach of the design.

Category: Urban Planning
Type: Future Development Study
Place: Gothenburg (SE)
Date: Spring 2014
Design: Ralph Endemann

the metAMORPHosis of ringön
a gentle development towards the future...
Master Thesis by Ralph Endemann in Architecture and Urban Design
Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

Ringön is an industrial area close to the city centre of Gothenburg located on the northern riverbank of the Göta Älv on Hisingen. Most of the area is owned by the municipality and the vast majority of the lease hold contracts for the single properties will end by 2025. The main purpose of this thesis is to show possibilities for a gentle development and vitalisation as well as the opening of this industrial area for the public based on the synergy of four main aspects: inventory, preservation, development and supplement. The inventory (current state) consists of a building structure with exciting but fenced spaces in between, large and widely traversed halls and a functioning social network between building owners, entrepreneurs and employees. The strategy involves the preservation of certain parts like e.g. the original buildings of the 1950s but also businesses with customer traffic, development refers to changes of functions, spaces or structures of existing elements and supplement describes additionally required elements that the area is missing.The thesis finalises with the synergy of these aspects and a concrete design for a temporary art centre functioning as a catalyst for a future development. The design shows possibilities how different new spaces within, around and between the existing building structure can be created and connected by using basic architectural elements like selective, linear and planar elements in different constellations and configurations. Other e.g. flexible elements provide transformable space. The conclusion of this thesis is that Ringön offers a great variety of indoor and outdoor spaces which can easily be transformed into new functions other than for industrial use. Small impulse projects can be the impact for a further gentle development attracting other uses that establish further on.

DESIGN COMPONENTS
DESIGN ELEMENTS AND THEIR CORRELATIONS

GUIDING QUESTION
HOW CAN ARCHITECTURE CREATE NEW SPACES WITHIN THE EXISTING HALLS OF RINGÖN

BASIC ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
SELECTIVE | LINEAR | PLANAR

The idea for the project is to show how new spaces can be created within the existing buildings on a specific site by implementing basic architectural elements without changing the existing building structure. The design is easily feasible and could be realised straight away. The background of an art exhibition is taken as an occasion to show that architectural elements are not only constructing elements but correlating with each other and our perception.

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you are interested in reading the complete Master Thesis we provided a pdf-file.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK

Category: Public Building, school
Type: Competition
Place: Gothenburg (SE)
Date: Spring 2013
Design: Ralph Endemann

Leaning against the existing Chalmers architectural school - both literally and figuratively -, the building represents a continuation and extension of traditional architecture. Due to its use of elements from bridge construction, it also symbolizes the connection between creative architecture and engineering.
The tilted structure is a deviation from the traditional house form, thereby challenging conventional thinking for building design/style. Defying gravity, it calls attention to new views for building customs and has the potential of becoming an architectural landmark in itself. Its transparent façade is meant to stand for openness to new ideas and approaches, thus representing a gateway to Chalmers with its reputation for innovation.
The spacious glass façade acts as a link between the elevations of the valley in which the building rests, maintaining the line of sight. Oriented towards south, the façade is also optimally suited for mounting solar technology. Generous open spaces under the building leave room for various activities. The construction frame houses elements for maintenance such as water pipes and drains. Inside the building, the free floor plane allows for a flexible room arrangement and provides sustainable solutions for changing demands. Boxes slid into the construction frame offer more secluded spaces for meetings, offices, master students and lounges. The conspicuous ceiling height is meant to promote creative, free-form thoughts.
With these features, this architectural piece aims to exemplify the possibilities of contemporary architecture and building techniques, combining aesthetics with function and sustainable design.

Category: Interior Design
Type: Design Study
Place: Gothenburg (SE)
Date: Spring 2013
Design: Ralph Endemann

The starting point of the project is a massive wood wall panel. This is meant to be the RIND. The idea is to split the different layers of the panel and put a design for a certain purpose in between.
We discussed questions like inside-outside, what is in between, environment, urban context, social sustainability, social control, transformable space, structure-static-stability, material and combination, production systems and methods, tolerances, fire protection, rotting, ventilation,..., and so on.

The design of the MindSPHERE is based on the proportion of the human body in a sitting working position. These measurements have been examined and put into relation with the mindSPHERE.
The concept is to sit and work in an enclosed office space with possibilities to reach all working utilities without the need to stand up.
The sphere was deliberately set into a frame. One reason is to seperate it from the room as an autonomous object in the room. To enter it, you have to step out of the room into a different space. Another reason is to let the inner room flow out into the surrounding and strengthen the connection from inside to outside.
There are various possibilities to transform the sphere through openings.

Category: Urban Planning
Type: Future Development Study
Place: Gothenburg (SE)
Date: Autumn 2012
Design: Ralph Endemann | Joel Agumba | Keziah Ogada | Karianne Rydstom | Philip Hettinger

Komettorget ligger ca 8 km från Göteborgs centrum, omgiven av vacker natur. En av områdets största styrkor är dess rika utbud av olika kulturer och dess välkomnande invånare.
Vårt projekt handlar om hur man kan utveckla Komettorget tillsammans med dess invånare. Genom workshops och möten har vi träffat lokala experter, invånare, besökare, och tjänstemän från Göteborgs stad och haft många givande samtal. Vi tror att man genom att skapa fler och bättre mötesplatser vid Komettorget kan främja integrationen och bygga upp en positivare identitet för området.
Området vi har jobbat med ägs och förvaltas av fyra olika markägare: Fastighetskontoret, Park och Natur förvaltningen, Trafikkontoret och Västerstaden.Vi lyckades bjuda in representanter från både Fastighetskontoret och Park och Natur förvaltningen för att presentera de boende i områdets åsiker och önskemål, samt att diskutera Komettorgets utveckling.

Category: Interior Design
Type: Prototype
Place: Vienna (A)
Date: Autumn 2011
Design: Ralph Endemann | Fabian Lackinger

The ambition of the design was to create a portable and mobile seating furniture fulfilling the pretension of a clearly structured space-element. The easy minimalistic design reflects in one single element – the frame – repeating itself in construction and composition. Like a pixel of a picture illustrates the frame the central element of the object merging to a new whole through a logic and determined sequence. The contrary functions carrying-sitting as well as furniture-space object find its analogy in the duality of the chosen material wood as a natural grown matter and metal as a technical material.

Category: Shop Design
Type: Design Study
Place: Vienna (A)
Date: Autumn 2010
Design: Ralph Endemann

The basic concept for the design of this branch for the company SPAR is to question the usual shopping situation in a supermarket and to interpret it in a new and contemporary way. The product range in this branch is reduced to the home brand products extended through daytime changing “To Go”-products like beverages, salads, pastries, lunch dishes, etc.
Orders can conveniently and location independently be made through an internet based interface. The ordered products will be conditioned fully automated in the basement of the store and can be collected at a desired time at the counters which are integrated in the walls. Drop-in customers find terminals for ordering directly in the branch. The payment takes place through a cash-free electronic system.
The order interface is connected to a platform or network where customers can get all product information, recipes based on the products, or where customers can interact with each other.
Architecturally the branch will be designed as a “wooden box” integrating itself into the building as an independent element. The naturally grown building material wood is the main theme of the branch underlining the company’s relationship with nature and sustainability and giving a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere to the branch. The use of two kinds of wood, a brighter and a darker shade, aligns the space into depth optically widening the narrow space conditions. The furnishing is completely removable providing flexible use of the space for further events of the SPAR CLUB or any other.

Category: Public Building, Swimming Hall
Type: Design Study
Place: Vienna (A)
Date: Spring 2010
Design: Ralph Endemann | Alexander Authried

The analysis of the building structure of the Stadthallenbad (City Swimming Hall) by Roland Rainer in Vienna showed that the contrasting spatial qualities of the ground floor zone of the swimming hall are the main issues for the methodological approach for the redevelopment.
EINschnitt addresses the problematic of the internal development and orientation in the basement as well as the windowless areas in the first floor.
Next to the new entrance combined with a new waiting area follows a tunnel in the basement below the existing swimming pool guiding to the main adjoining areas of the Stadthallenbad. The changing rooms are reorganised, a new wellness area is created and a separate zone for the athletes training in the sports pool is added.
The open structure with alternating wall openings keeps the concrete structure as a main design component of the building visible but encloses the inserted new areas.
The new wellness section extends over three floors through galleries and ceiling openings creating a varying spatial structure. The different basins of the sauna area are centrally located so that the space appears more generous and the orientation is improved.
The new wellness concept involves different saunas and steam baths, warm water and cold water basins, a relax grotto, a massage area, recreational areas and an internal new catering area.

Category: Urban Planning
Type: Future Development Study
Place: Vienna (A)
Date: Autumn 2009
Design: Ralph Endemann | Michaela Delmarco | Mahnaz Gharezade

A new urban scenario for the old railway area had to be developed. Floridsdorf is one of the most populated districts in Vienna impressing with its connection to the city centre as well as its connection to the nearby recreation areas. The central position of the planning area offers many possibilities but has also many problems to solve, e.g. noise protection, infrastructure, density, or the connection to the surrounding. The goal is to develop an urban design with its objectives, flexibility for a long-term development, its atmospheric qualities and its economic and ecologic usability.
The leading thought of the urban design is to develop a residential district with participatory possibilities for the inhabitants being an active and self-determining part of the development of their surrounding. Therefore, private allotment gardens between the housing stocks for rental are created. Further more, small flexible spaces within the apartments are provided or can be hired as shops, studios or workshops outside the apartments.
To fulfil the demand of a child-friendly surrounding a kindergarten and numerous playgrounds are integrated in the area. A spa with possibilities for training and recreation is found as well in the area. The huge multifunctional hall in the centre can be used as market place as well as for different events.
Sustainability in the area is underlined through the restriction of cars. For the mobility of the inhabitants a car-sharing and bicycle station is provided next to the area.
A guiding idea for the areas' organisation are the veins of a leave.

Category: Housing
Type: Design Study
Place: Vienna (A)
Date: Spring 2009
Design: Ralph Endemann

The core of the design for a residential building conceived for musicians is that every flat has a 25-30 square metre light-flooded, two-storeyed room that is adapted to the needs of musicians and their daily play. The two-level design of the flats made it necessary to nest the flats into each other. All flats extend from front to back enabling cross ventilation and have a balcony. Furthermore, the guiding principles for barrier-free building are strictly fulfilled.
The building has a community room for small events like chamber concerts and can be used by the residents to play together or for musical education. A huge community roof-top terrace provides plenty possibilities of collaborative uses and to meet each other.
On the first floor, orientated towards the existing park, a small commercial café is located. Therefore, the currently quite unattractive park gets upgraded and activated.
In order to provide rooms with a double height ceiling, the flats are interlaced with one another. As a result of this, some flats are designed as maisonettes.

Category: Public Building, school+museum
Type: Design Study
Place: Vienna (A)
Date: Spring 2009
Design: Ralph Endemann

The design assimilates the park situation by integrating free accessible public space in form of a ramp leading through the building and being a part of it as well. In this way the park is extended by a vertical dimension.
The concept of the compatibility of an art museum with a music school has a clear outline of the functional areas that are oriented around a central air space and are related to one another. Cross connections merge the different functions into one whole.
The building can be consciously experienced by its ramp-like development in the museum section but also straightly through the vertical staircase in the musical school section. Generous open spaces and flexible rooms allow multiple and different uses.

Category: Interior Design
Type: Refurbishment
Place: Vienna (A)
Date: September 2009
Design: Ralph Endemann

As part of the renovation of the roof top apartment the unfavourable situation of the entrance and bathroom is to be improved.
The design provides a formally austere, inserted cube that contains the newly designed bathroom. Incident light flows through the translucent walls and lightens up the whole space. As a result the entire room visually expands. The cube is accessible through sliding doors from the entrance of the apartment as well as from the kitchen. A new vestibule separates the bathroom from the toilet in order to make them independently available.
The kitchen zone is re-organised and orientated to the courtyard in order to provide sufficient space for a dining area.
A glass wall from floor to ceiling between the entrance zone and the living room opens up the whole apartment and provides a cozy relationship between the rooms through that new visual axis.

Category: Art Project
Type: Sculpture
Place: Vienna (A)
Date: Autumn 2008
Design: Ralph Endemann

The starting point of the design for „Gestellte Bewegung“ („Frozen Movement“) is the movement of the right hand while head shaving.

First, this continuous movement was translated into a self-contained line model.
Second, a surface model was developed out of the line model in which the area is designed as a Möbius strip, containing only one surface representing the infinity of the movement.
Third, the volume model continues with this idea extended by a hole symbolising the space of perception.

The materiality of the sculpture „Shaved Shape“ strengthens the process of shaving by its polished surface. Redrawing the same basic space line throughout the whole elaboration of the sculpture is a reflection of the daily returning shaving process.

Published in: Technische Universität Wien | e264/2 Institut für Kunst und Gestaltung | Abteilung für Dreidimensionales Gestalten und Modellbau "gestellte bewegung", Projekt 020 | isbn 978-3-200-01557-9

Category: Housing, Extension
Type: Feasibility Study
Place: Remshalden (D)
Date: June 2006
Design: Ralph Endemann

Three ribbons of different materials lean against the existing house in a meandering pattern providing a conservatory, the staircase to the upper floor and a terrace above the garage. Through their course they form the top, side or bottom integrity of the room, allow generous light to penetrate into the interior of the house and still provide sufficient privacy and sun protection.

From Ground to Wall

Window Ribbon

From Ceiling to Floor

Combination

Category: Housing
Type: Design Study
Place: Hallstatt (A)
Date: Spring 2006
Design: Ralph Endemann

The design of this single family house is based on a simple cube of 4x4x4 meters and the division of its edges in 1,5m, 1,0 m and 1,5m wide sections. Several cubes are then intersected in these constant intervals in the horizontal and | or vertical direction to a complex spatial structure.

The design is inspired by the chemical structure of sodium chloride (NaCl) which was quarried in the region arround Hallstatt in Austria.

Category: Housing
Type: Design Study
Place: Vienna (A)
Date: Autumn 2005
Design: Ralph Endemann

In this design study the challange was to design the frontside with its corner situation for a row-house complex.