Fast Company just published an article on Mango Financial and the retail prototype we designed with them.

The Mango Store, which opened in Austin in April, reimagines the entire banking experience for this market. Rather than treat the unbanked as transient customers, Mango aims to forge transparent, long-term relationships. Clients pay a one-time $10 fee that lets them “cash” as many checks as they want by loading the money onto debit cards (backed by a local bank). More sophisticated services, such as international money transfers and bill payment, cost extra. Even so, Mango’s operating costs — and, by extension, its fees — are significantly lower than other alt-finance outlets because it uses its own technology (developed by Mpower) and offers a multitude of services (including Web and mobile-phone apps). “It’s a smart strategy,” says Jennifer Tescher, director of the Center for Financial Services Innovation. “If Mango helps its customers grow financially, it can stick with them as they climb the ladder.”

But first, it has to get them through the door. Tescher likens the store to “a cross between an Apple Store and a high-end yogurt shop,” which could confuse patrons. Yet once customers are inside, Sosa says, the warm, spacious interior is designed “to educate customers and encourage them to stay awhile.” Here’s a look at a few notable features.

The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum just announced their annual selection of ‘Europe’s emerging young architects and designers‘, and we are honored to have been selected as one of the highlighted firms. From the press release:

A total of 61 architects and industrial designers from architecture and industrial design and manufacturing firms across Europe were selected by a jury of architects that convened in Chicago June 2009.

An exhibition of work by the 2009 Laureates opens at Contemporary Space Athens (46-48 Megalou Vassiliou, Rouf-Athens, Greece) on Wednesday, September 16 and continues through November 1. A more formal exhibition and presentation takes place at the symposium, “The City and the World,” in Florence, Italy the second week of November 2009.

The “Europe 40 Under 40” program was initiated by The European Centre and The Chicago Athenaeum to spotlight and identify the next generation of European architects and design professionals who will impact future living and working environments, cities, and rural areas in Europe and around the world.

In 2008, hundreds of architecture and design submissions for 2009 were received by The European Centre from across Europe (both Members States of the European Community and Accession States). “The jury selection and process was extremely difficult,” states Ioannis Karalias, Museum Vice President, The Chicago Athenaeum. “The jury was presented with hundreds of excellent projects and designs from skyscrapers and large-scale urban planning projects to the highest quality industrial design for commercial and consumer use. It was difficult to narrow the number down to simply 40 design firms (60 designers and partners of design firms in total).”

Form Magazine just included Bercy Chen in their ‘5 to watch‘ issue.

We canvassed more than 100 architects and industry experts, asking them to nominate firms that embodied emerging talent.  After sifting through the candidates, we narrowed the list to five, examining their design philosophies and developing portfolios.  Keep an eye on their work; you’re bound to hear these names repeated over the next decade

Full article available here (PDF)

DFW Green Architecture just posted a great summary of the presentation Thomas Bercy recently gave in Dallas.

Thomas Bercy of Bercy Chen Studio traveled from Austin to share his firm’s sustainable design strategies with a few Dallasites. The presentation was broken into segments water efficiency, energy conservation, materials & resources, and density.

We’re flattered that Kanye West just posted about the Peninsula House on his blog, and we appreciate NASTYFRESHKING’s comment:

YO, YE, I’D PAY PER VIEW BARE KNUCKLE BRAWL UH IGNANT ASS PIT BULL BUTT NAKED FOR THE DEED TO THIS CRIB! SERIOUSLY DOPE.

We do our best…

World Architecture News just posted an editorial about the Beverly Skyline residence:

It’s not a shabby location, situated in lush hills overlooking a valley below, but the Beverly Skyline house in Texas has more to shout about than the view. This small private project has recently been awarded the Green Good Design Award for “The World’s Leading Sustainable Green Design” by The European Center for Architecture and The Chicago Athaneum, a prestigious international award indeed. But what can a luxury apartment in the hills have to offer in terms of sustainability?..

Lots, it would seem. The project is not a new build. In the spirit of the concept, an old 70s building is recycled along with new additions created from further recycled materials including glass bricks from an old hospital! The project began as a modest remodel, say the architects at Bercy Chen Studio, but turned into a full master-planning for the site.

With the previous building not fulfilling its full potential to take advantage of the spectacular views, the main aim was to reconnect the building with its surroundings and utilise the steep topography. A native garden and creek at the bottom of the property were to be integrated into the design. The glass bricks were used to create the front facade of the house and the originally monolithic nature of the house was further dematerialized through the use of slats installed as rain screens. Pools and reservoirs integrated into the design collect and store rain water and use it as a living water feature which acts to further connect the house with its surroundings and create a spiritual environment. Planting is predominantly native to the central Texas region limiting the necessity for watering.

Delivered within a modest budget, the house acts as an example of responsible redesign without the utilitarian aesthetics.

Thomas Bercy of Bercy Chen Studio will present SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES illustrated with work by BERCY CHEN STUDIO. Different aspects of sustainable buildings will be highlighted through built and un-built work of Bercy Chen Studio. The scarcity of resources and the population explosion has created huge pressure on the ecology of the planet. Architecture in the 21st century will have to confront these challenges by creating a new balance between buildings and nature. The presentation will focus on density and the suburban model, materials and recycling, systems and technology, and designing with nature.

Bercy Chen Studio recently competed in the RE:VISION Dallas design competition.

According to the competition brief, “Re:Vision Dallas is a chance to propel design beyond the typical, beyond the norm and to lay the foundation for a future of sustainable development we all hope is inevitable. It’s a chance to create a block that does no harm, to people or place. A chance to encourage and value relationships, while fostering respect for nature and our neighbors, privacy and resources, economy and consumption. It’s a chance to change how we live and connect, how we interact and collaborate—how we live in a space throughout our life and the life cycle of the space.”

The Re:vision Dallas competition requested a self-sustaining city block in a downtown without very many of the things that normally make city centers successful. Our proposal sought to establish an icon for this part of downtown both to draw people to the site but also to serve as an architectural proposition that accounts for the ambition of the competition brief.

The organizers’ request for a realistic proposal suggested a strategy of phasing out the work. Not only may phasing be necessary fiscally, it is a way for the project to evolve over time with respect to its urban viability. Change will bring with it all the complexity of reality, and a proposal which allows for evolution in response to external stimuli should end up being more robust and whole.

Our competition entry explored a range of housing types from single family to efficiency units. In a global perspective such housing typologies are not new. However, the idea of moving a suburban typology to downtown Dallas and arraying it alongside urban sleeping pods is a novel concept in Dallas, Texas.

Our proposal suggested the potential of collaborating with a social service organization. We utilized this component as a way to begin thinking about new modes of housing and shared space (the shared kitchen or assembly space for example). Additionally, such an organization’s focus on training and life skills was a perfect combination with the larger scale urban farming component of the proposal.

Our proposal sought to involve a high degree of systems integration which, when combined with the program requirement of zero wastewater runoff, suggested a development which not only harvested rainwater, but which utilized it as many ways as possible.

The East Village is nearing completion. Located in the Revitalization District of East 11th Street, this Vertical Mixed Use project will become a unique focal point in a quickly growing neighborhood. The project includes 11 retail stores and offices, 20 residential condominiums, and roof top decks accessible by all residents. The unique shade screen on the south and west facades is just one of the many aspects of the design that contributes to the 3-Star Green Building Rating.

The East 11th Street neighborhood in Austin has seen considerable change since 2001. Once a largely ignored portion of Austin, E. 11th Street is now home to many different retail shops, restaurants, offices, and cultural groups. Block 19 seeks to capture this diversity by developing a dynamic and creative environment for its residents, combining retail shops and small commercial offices with residential units on the upper floors. On the fourth floor are two planted-roofs, each with a wonderful view into downtown.

The project is sold out on all but one of our commercial units and most of the residential units are also sold – a sign that during tough times, the East Village is a one-of-a-kind value for small, independent businesses who desire to connect more sustainably with their communities.

Bercy Chen Studio and Avant Guardist Specialty Fabrication, in collaboration with Kirwin Horticultural, has completed installation of the planted-roof at the Peninsula House. In order to drive down cost and increase quality, Bercy Chen Studio has developed a proprietary planted-roof system. Whereas conventional greenroof manufacturers do not supply the water-barrier membrane, the most critical and costly component, the BCS system contains all components from water-barrier through protection and drainage layers to soil and vegetation. The system can accommodate a series of plant species, but is geared toward native flowers and grasses. The benefits of using native plant species include compatibility with native fauna as well as minimal watering requirements. The BCS planted-roof system is currently being installed at half the cost of other systems. Design and install of several systems is underway and completion is due later this year.