Starhill Gallery featuring an extraordinary array of luxury shops and fine dining restaurants. Spark’s design proposal dealt with the reinvention of the existing façade of Starhill Gallery facing Bukit Bintang. This reinvention of Starhill Gallery is designed by Stephen Pimbley, founding director of Spark and the architect behind Singapore’s hugely popular Clarke Quay. The designer said about this project:

“Unlike many street-facing malls in Kuala Lumpur, our new façade for Starhill Gallery is firmly engaged with the public realm and generates valuable visual connections along this section of Bukit Bintang via the heavy footfall. We have designed a beacon for Starhill Gallery that celebrates its relationship with the city.”
Stephen Pimbley

Spark’s design has opened up the façade which provides a lot of visual interest via a continuous shop front that wraps the existing building in a crystalline skin of glass and stone panels. The new façade resembles the “wet drapery” of the ancient statues of Greece and Rome, and the beautifully crafted gowns on sale inside Starhill Gallery. The fractured variation of solidity and transparency transforms the street façade of the existing building entirely, giving it a new contemporary classic identity that stands out amongst the quick-fix, ubiquitous shopping mall façades of many of Starhill Gallery’s neighbours.

via plusmood.com

Homes always reflect the personalities of their owners in some ways, but the K House in Melbourne, Australia goes further than most. The owners’ last name begins with a K, so the entire house was designed around that letter. The house itself, a vacation beach home, is shaped like a “K” that has been partially rotated in the middle. Ashton Raggatt McDougall Architects designed the house to let the residents enjoy premium ocean views.

Inside, a bright, glossy red dominates and brings a sense of drama to the streamlined, modern interior. One of the highlights is a huge floor-to-ceiling K-shaped bookcase housing the family’s collection of over 5000 books.

via dornob.com

Rossignol is a leader in the snow sports industry, so they wanted their new headquarters to reflect their technology and manufacturing as well as their commitment to the outdoors. Hérault Arnod Architectes takes direct inspiration from the surrounding landscape, topography, and materials. A giant roof, which envelopes the whole project, is organic in form with undulations, peaks, valleys and slopes. Inside, the facilities provide space for the production of equipment, service rooms, offices for management, marketing, travel services, administrative and sales offices, R & D, design, and a “mountain restaurant”, which is similar to lodges at ski resorts.

The headquarters were constructed with a steel frame and then clad in wood (natural larch) and glass. The steel skeleton allows for large, open interior spaces, and skylights in the roof project natural daylight into the rooms. Designed to minimize its impact on the environment, the building maximizes energy use with efficient systems. The building is well-insulated to minimize energy loss, and the large timber roof protects the interior from solar heat gain. Office spaces are optimized for natural ventilation, and automatic windows open when conditions are right. Waste heat from the workshop is recovered and re-injected into the heating network.

via inhabitat.com

Mario Nanni is a renowned draftsman of light. He works in his studios in London, Milan, Barcelona and Bologna. The interest and the curiosity for light and his relationship with architects and designers of international stature bring him to experimentation and design for more than 35 years, collecting every day new challenges. Nowadays, his principal activity regards his “Mario Nanni Progettista” Atelier, a workshop of ideas, of projects, a school of thought, a workshop between poetry and craft. During the interview, Nanni talks about his experiments and how his light installations transform the boundaries of architecture in projects such as Poesie di Luce or the LIV: variable image light bulb.

Nanni recalls that his work with light comes from a long time ago. When he was a child he used to create Christmas cribs and he was good at it. When he grew up, he started to work as an electrician and he understood what is the meaning of creating handmade objects that can last over the years. Thanks to this experience he become more and more interested in lighting and architecture and he figured out that architects needed someone who was able to solve their problems. In his opinion, to design means to work close to architects trying to help them and providing them with his experience both handmade and technological, in order to realize a paper manufacture rather than a more complicated light system tailored on the project.

Nanni explains that the idea of light poems is one that he has been carrying on for years considering what light is able to tell and the way he works with it. He was sure that artificial light could become a real poem like the natural one. He thinks that artificial light, like the natural one, has the possibility to tell the passing of time. For example, in the light work he made for the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, the time included the passing of the ship was used to build the dome. He admits that in his light poems he likes to tell stories.
 
He recalls that the idea of the variable image light bulb rose came in the late nineties, when he used old televisions like they were lamps. He has always said that television is to illuminate not to be watched so he decided to think over variable images. His firm carried out a dedicated software that make the light sources dialogue with images. The result is a unique light show, tailored on the specific project.

His another project called ‘manifesto’ represents the effort of creating a cultural movement that states that the designer should fallow some rules, like the capacity of listening, watching, himself to the test and going against the common way to do things. He thinks that it is necessary to create something different and new, to recuperate the passion in working. He explains that you have to choose the job you like without pressures. With the passion you apply at work you can reach the success or not but it is firstly a matter of ideas. There is a significant sentence that says: “many thinks that being a talented person is a real fortune but few know that to achieve fortune you have to be a talented person”.

Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects designed the Gallery House in San Francisco, California. This project proposes a new domestic typology: a ‘gallery house’. It combines a semi-public art gallery and a residence for two prominent collectors who have redefined what it means to live with and look after art. The clients, a virologist and a mathematician, exclusively collect work by female contemporary artists and feel compelled to share and promote their collection, not only with friends but also with the larger art world. They requested a home within which both their extensive collection and visitors could circulate from a semi-public gallery through to the domestic space, each zone offering a different environment for experiencing the work. The street-level gallery hosts exhibitions curated from their private collection as well as the collections of friends. A site for artist and curator talks, the gallery increases public engagement in the arts within the art world as well as at the scale of their own neighborhood. Extending and redefining the exhibition space as it continues up the stairs to the next two floors and the penthouse sculpture garden, the domestic zone includes even the most private spaces in the exhibition circuit by virtue of its open plan. Architects wrote also about this project:

Figural voids
The site is an infill lot bordering South Park, one of the few figural public spaces in San Francisco. This distinctive urban condition informed the search for an abstract architectural language that explores the interlocking clarity of figure-ground relationships and the liminality of their edge conditions. The design process began by seeing the base condition of the lot as solid poche, already full. The solid mass of the buildable envelope was then incised and subdivided into interlocking elements. The space of the lot was comprehensively partitioned and the interlocking figures identified as solid or void, and assigned various programs. In this manner, the original fullness of the space was articulated and accounted-for, resulting in a perceptible heaviness in the built project.

Soft edges
The solids and voids slide past each other, indifferent to the abstract 4 x 5 x 4 Cartesian framework that informs the structural system. Within the house, the matrix reinforces the divisions of space implicit in the allocation of solids and voids. But at the facade that meets South Park, the orthogonal framework dissolves and reassembles to emulate the organic morphology of the tree-filled park. The tessellations flex to create a volumetric inhabitable space for balconies on the upper two floors. This swollen threshold resulted from an exhaustive taxonomy of parametric interpretations of the Planning Code constraints for allowable projections that trigger the typical San Francisco bay window. The soft geometries of the facade screen reappear in the ‘mathematical-organic’ pavers and succulents at the rooftop sculpture garden.

Sustainability / daylighting
The envelope of the house responds to the temperate but varied climate and weather of San Francisco with a nuanced ability to shelter and protect from the cold fog, then open for full connection to sun and breeze. Radiant floors warm the interior while large operable walls connect the large rooms to the park and trees on the southeast and the city as view to the northwest. In contrast to the horizontal expansion offered by the operable walls on both residential floors front and back, a green roof with drought-resistant plants is pierced with skylights to bring surprising and intense daylight to the deeper interior rooms. Over the 55? high vertical space of the stairs, a sawtooth roof washes the space and art with even north light. In the gallery, the south storefront diffusing glass is coupled with a northern skylight over the back display wall, providing daylight for the art throughout the cycles of the day and the year. The house and gallery track the climatic and sky cycles, from east to west and blue sky to fog, locating the occupants in a building that engages in the city with little reliance on bought fuels and off-site energy.

via contemporist.com

Breakfast is often cited as the most important meal of the day – and for good reason. It’s a jump-starter that provides the fuel you need to make it through your busy morning until it’s time for lunch. If you’re like most, you have just enough time to grab a granola bar or other similar food-on-the-go before heading out the door. However, by creating a cozy breakfast nook in your home you may be more apt to sit and savor your chosen breakfast meal each and every morning. Here are some ideas to inspire the perfect breakfast nook.

1) A nook is a cozy space designed to provide an intimate meal space for just two or four people. Generally a breakfast nook is tucked away in the corner of a kitchen or within a bay window. If possible, start by adding a padded window seat. This provides you with a great opportunity to show some personality and add some color to your space with an interesting fabric pattern and a few charming pillows.

2) Next, choose a table. Remember, a breakfast nook is supposed to be small and quaint, so you won’t need a table rivaling the size of your dining room set-up. Generally a nook is not a place for entertaining guests, so a small café table should suffice. Arrange two or three small chairs around the table opposite the window set. If you do not have a window seat, you may choose to add more chairs. However, remember that a breakfast nook can also be one-sided.

3) Lastly, when decorating your breakfast nook, remember that it does not necessarily need to look like an extension of your existing kitchen décor. As long as it complements the rest of the space, it’s okay to add different colors, patterns and textures to give the space its own identity. In the end, your breakfast nook should be the perfect place to enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a good book.

via decoist.com

Pool terraces are one of the most spectacular ways to expand your home and give it that fresh, holiday feel. And since summer is just around the corner, what better way to welcome it, than preparing our crib for the great moments that come with the season. For today, we decided to dedicate a post to those of you thinking of building a poolside terrace, or remodeling your existing one. We put together a post with thirty photos, each of them displaying ideas that should get you inspired, whether you choose to go with an infinity pool design, or a small pool surrounded by vegetation and cozy chairs or canopy beds. You can opt for a themed terrace with wooden decks, or a minimalist one made of concrete- either way, pay attention to the smallest details and decorative elements, as they can make all the difference. Saving some outdoor space for a dining table is also something you should consider when making plans for a poolside terrace. Enjoy the photos, remember the details you like best and don’t forget to share your thoughts with us.

via freshome.com

It’s time to hit the books. To pull out a stiff wooden chair, sit at an equally stiff desk and crane your neck over several hours worth of study. The study room, a hybrid between Dad’s Office and Grandpa’s Library needs a little morale boost that will inspire great works. Change out the furniture to ergonomic and fun, splash the walls with subliminal education and straight A’s followed by valedictorian will be typed up on your college applications. These features will help encourage prepping for tests and completing assignments but not all these features will inspire the same way. You need to reacquaint yourself with your children to get in some hands on interaction. Ask your children what class or period of school they love most. And don’t let them get away with one-word answers. Probe deep into their minds to find what it is exactly that they charm them to push for full attendance. Reach past their tough or shy exteriors into their dreams for the future and hopes of today. Then apply those guidelines to the formation. A class that involves just sitting in your seat may appeal to your offspring who love to catch a nap but despite its clichéd overuse, learning can be fun.

Sitting, Standing, Stretching: Fill Your Floor Space with Relaxing Stations

Desks? Try a community table with surrounding comfy chairs in an array of colors, textures and sizes. While sitting up with alert attention helps some stay focused, stretching out on the floor with some easily accessible lap desks allow creative juices to flow. A large rug for pacing will help the thinker of the family. The one who can’t sit still? Allow them to fidget on a reinvented child’s play rug. While a train track rug kept the kids occupied for hours, a rug with subtle education woven in its pattern is a plus.

International Cuisine: Take a Bite of World Wide Wonders

Theme. Yes or no? As long as your theme is earth, than yes. And by earth I mean the world, and by the world I mean everything within. Don’t limit the potential for growth; allow them to experience as much of what life has to offer. From within their own study room walls they can experience various ethnicities, cultures, religions, arts and classics. While search engines and the web have enabled us to have endless information readily at our fingertips the tangible items of the world have indescribable value. Fill the room with artifacts, globes, reprints of art, and even some retro articles like a record player.

What Time is It? Sync up With Your Neighboring Countries

Clocks. Of every time zone…okay so twenty four tic toking machines may seem extravagant but several offering a widespread view of time and season from other countries subliminally teaches geography and concept of time. Spread across the top of your wall like a high operatives office in the FBI you can instill in your child that there is more to life than teenage drama. There is a world around us, some literally behind times, other ahead of times. Perhaps that is why New York follows the trends of Europe.

The Dewey Decimal System: Getting Your Kids Book Smart

Books are integral part of learning. They involve so many assets of what we are taught in school. Reading, writing, grammar, photography, illustration and even math when they are kept under the strict and manageable Dewey Decimal Classification. Bookshelves built in abstract designs filled with modern tales and classics available anytime all the time with no restrictions on due dates. And even though books are friends, owning your own library can help the study process by dog-earing, note jotting and highlighting key paragraphs, sentences or words in an effort to create your own spark notes.

Make it Likable: Recreate Corporate Office and Real-time Facebook Features

Facebook is a socially appealing advancement on the web that speaks to young, old and those in between. It’s an integral part of school ages students that somehow keeps them addicted and dedicated for hours on end, every day. From our phones, tablets, and computers, we have access to our friends and their shared information. So why not infuse the room with some of those features. Create a wall where you can physically post by writing what’s going on- like a live agenda. Tape some pictures, figure equations, whatever is on your mind, surrounding your child with what’s going on outside will instill some contentment. The other walls of this space should be bright, to keep them alert rather than lulled in a safe sense of security.

Food for Thought: A Starving Brain is a Sleepy Brain

A snack bar and mini fridge will keep everything local. When you’re growing, or exercising mental muscles the stomach acid react. So put a stop to kitchen break or McDonald excuses and stock up on some nutritious and delicious snacks. While Grandpa’s library had a brandy snifter on hand, some energy and carbonated drinks have just as much right in the study room.
Now that you have done your part and studied the tricks and tips for recreating a home study hall, you can have a good chat with your kids and figure out what your potential homework room needs to ensure a report card worth magnetizing on the refrigerator!

Check out more study room ideas …

via decoist.com

This video shows an interview with Architect Álvaro Leite Siza Vieira. He is the son of one of the best-known Portuguese architects, Álvaro Siza Vieira, winner of the 1992 Pritzker Prize and the 1988 Alvar Aalto Medal, among many other accolades. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in Escola do Porto. He is best known for his Casa Tolo in northern Portugal, a residence that cascades down a steep hill like a clunky staircase fit for a giant. During the interview, he presents his 650 square meter villa called Fez House and located in Porto, Portugal.

This house is a palace of concrete and granit with 650 square meter of living and working space. Crisp contours, geometrical forms, visual alignments – the entire design plays with symmetries. The private rooms facing the garden are opened and bright and right at the back is the bedroom. The working area faced the street but it is closed and windowless. 
 

The architect explains that the working area is a multi-purpose room, there is a possibility to arrange exhibitions, seminars and conferences there. It is a place for both visual art and architecture. He adds that the north way connects to the garden and offers more privacy and that is why this is a living area.    
 
The dining room is separated from the living area only by a partition consisting of library shelves. Family furniture are in connection with the rest of equipment which mostly was designed by architect. Everywhere he plays with various perspectives. The overhead lighting hangs low over the dining table like an installation. Their graceful paper constructions are also designed by Vieira. He explains that the room can be changed according to need. It can be turned into a huge dining room or you can take the table out and create a big library. Additionally, you can create there a spacious hall for parties or exhibitions.
 
A long hallway connects the three bedrooms on the upper floor. They are sparingly furnished with selected antiques. The bath is simple and modern, finished in limestone – one of three primary materials that architect used. Vieira explains that he used only three types of natural stone. Granite from the southern Portugal on the outside. For the space between inside and out he used marble from Greece. He admits that is wasn’t a cheap material but it is an elegant transition into the interior of the house. In the interior there is a limestone – a softer material that is good to storing up heat inside.

Vieira has his office on the ground floor of the south wing. His studio is located on the floor above. He paints and draws for himself as well and he held occasional exhibitions. The ceiling breaks up the rigorously geometric. Overall concept is a playful and dramatic plaster designed with indirect lighting in stark contrast to the otherwise straight contours. The architect explains that in his studio it is possible to see the fusion of a creative romantic freedom with a rigorous geometric order. 

Since the cold season is acting up, we thought we would find some decorating ideas that will keep you indoors, enjoying every minute. Bringing letters and words into your home is a great way to add freshness and creativity. This is why, for today, we gathered quite a few colorful and creative interiors, all of them featuring writing decorations. Whether you choose to integrate a single significant letter in your home, or go with a message or a phrase that takes up an entire wall of a room, the result will bring an original touch. Letters of any size and color make for great additions in the children’s room or in a living room with a playful style. Entire words (baby’s names or general adjective characterizing the space) can be placed anywhere in the house, for a cheerful effect. And last, messages. Feel free to write entire phrases on the walls- the wittier they are, the more they enrich the crib’s personality. If you can do this while maintaining an overall indoor visual harmony, then you are in for a cool home makeover.

via freshome.com

Saraiva + Associados designed the Sushicafé Avenida in Lisbon, Portugal. Architects wrote about this project: “Integrating a Premium concept, this new space conveys an innovative and attractive image evidenced by the games of light and different developed environments – Bar, Sushi Bar, Dining area and Japanese Zone. Although with distinct functions, they reinforce the creation of a strong and innovative space. With the intention of escaping from the traditional Japanese image, the restaurant transmits a modern and distinguishing concept, which was functionally conceived in order to provide different sensations and moments of leisure.”

via contemporist.com

As we are slowly approaching summer, we find these photos of White Pearl Chalet highly refreshing. Designed by Philippe Capezzone and located between the village of Val d’Isère and the Funival funicular in La Daille, in the French Alps, the rustic home we decided to feature in this post inspires peacefulness and relaxation. Once inside, a potential visitor is likely to be impressed by the elegant interior design blending rustic details with a high level of comfort. The open plan living and dining space sets the tone for a memorable experience. Exposed wooden beams, fluffy cushions, a stone fireplace and a dining table perfect for a group of friends is more than enough to make each stay here enjoyable. The villa boasts five en suite bedrooms, with great views of the French Alps, and can be booked all year round. How do you find its overall design?

via freshome.com

Looking for unconventional materials to build a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing home? Designed by studio James & Mau Arquitectura and built by Infiniski, the unusual looking Casa El Tiamblo was developed using four 40-feet shipping containers. But as you will certainly observe from the photos below, the residence has a highly intriguing appearance, ranking high in originality. The blue containers give the home a playful exterior and a dynamic one as well. The interiors are surprising to say the least. Subtle rustic decorative elements and wood accents are mixed with modern furniture units. The result?- an elegant home, filled with warmth and inspiring decors, one that does not betray the fact that it was constructed using shipping containers. You tell us if you find this approach bad or good; to us, it is simply crazy (in a good way!). [Photos by Pablo Sarabia]

via freshome.com

The construction industry is a big polluter. While there are rapidly developing trends in ‘green’ design and architecture, building materials and transportation still leave a huge carbon footprint. Worldwide, construction makes up about a third of CO2 emissions. Steel and cement production are the main offenders, with the iron and steel industry accounting for four per cent, cement for five per cent of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions. A group of forward-thinking architects at the Rotterdam-based company 2012architecten have come up with an alternative way of looking at construction. They create buildings and other structures made almost entirely from reclaimed and recycled materials. All their work is based on the idea that design should not follow a linear process, but is much rather part of a continuous cycle of creation and recreation, use and reuse. The focus is very much on local sourcing, to reduce the need for emissions-heavy transportation as much as possible. This innovative and eco-friendly concept, which underpins all their work, is called “superuse”, or “recyclicity”.

Russell Beard visits the architects at their Rotterdam headquarters to help them salvage building materials from a hospital, which will be used in a nearby arts centre. He also takes a tour of 2012architecten’s flagship project, Villa Welpeloo, a state-of-the-art house which makes use of waste materials ranging from old billboards to broken umbrellas. The steel structure was harvested from the disused machinery of a nearby textile mill, and the wooden cladding is made from 600 dismantled cable reels. Reused materials account for 60 per cent of the structure, and up to 90 per cent of the interior - hugely reducing the project’s carbon footprint. Russell meets the villa’s owners, who made a leap of faith by giving 2012architecten a free reign with the design, and are delighted with their unorthodox but undeniably stylish home.

Photo from disappearchitecture.blogspot.com

A group of forward-thinking architects at the Rotterdam-based company 2012architecten have come up with an alternative way of looking at construction. They create buildings and other structures made almost entirely from reclaimed and recycled materials. All their work is based on the idea that design should not follow a linear process, but is much rather part of a continuous cycle of creation and recreation, use and reuse. The focus is very much on local sourcing, to reduce the need for emissions-heavy transportation as much as possible. This innovative and eco-friendly concept, which underpins all their work, is called “superuse”, or “recyclicity”.

At the core of their planning, 2012architecten develop so-called “harvest maps” for each project, which they use to source possible potentially useful waste materials from old buildings and sites in the local area. This does not just help businesses deal with the problem of unwanted waste, but also significantly reduces transport and fuel costs.

There are no limits to the model. The architects have designed everything from single homes to offices, playgrounds and cafes. Waste materials have included parts from decommissioned aeroplanes, washing machines, tyres and billboards.

When it comes to interior design, many people celebrate color, focusing on their favorite two or three shades for any given room. But what about those who love every color of the rainbow? Do you have to limit your palette? The answer is “no!” Believe it or not, it is possible to bring a rainbow of options to your space. The key is making it stylish. How do you tastefully welcome a bevy of colors? Is it really doable? The most successful rainbow spaces limit clutter, reserve some areas of the room for neutral tones, and favor modern design over “cutesy” motifs. Rainbow rooms can quickly take a turn for the tacky. By making some elements of the space minimalist, the rainbow features stand out in a meaningful way, rather than overwhelming the room’s inhabitants. Here are some of our favorite rainbow designs.

Colorful Living Rooms

Colorful Kitchens

Colorful Bedrooms

Colorful Bathrooms

via decoist.com

Renowned architectural firm OMA have created a stage set for an ancient outdoor theatre in Sicily that dates back to the fifth century BC. A circular wooden platform provides the main stage, while the backdrop is a seven-metre-high tilted disc that can spin around or split down the middle. A ring of scaffolding completes the circle of the tiered amphitheatre to form an elevated walkway behing the stage. Here’s some more information from the architects:

OMA’s design for the stage set at the Greek Theatre in Syracuse, Sicily, was inaugurated with the performance of Aeschylus’s Prometheus Unbound (directed by Claudio Longhi). The scenography features three temporary architectural devices that reinterpret the spaces of the theatre, which dates from the 5th century BCE.

OMA’s interventions will be dramatically exploited and adapted at strategic moments within this summer’s cycle of plays staged by the Istituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico, which also includes Euripides’ Bacchae (dir. Antonio Calenda) and Aristophane’s The Birds (dir. Roberta Torre).

The first intervention, the Ring, is a suspended walkway that completes the semi-circle of the terraced seating, encompassing the stage and the backstage, and giving actors an alternative way of entering the scene.

The Machine is a fully adaptable backdrop for the plays: a sloping circular platform, seven metres high, mirroring the amphitheatre. The backdrop can rotate, symbolizing the passage of 13 centuries during Prometheus’s torture; split down the middle, it can also be opened, allowing the entrance of the actors, and symbolizing dramatic events like the Prometheus being swallowed in the bowels of the earth.

The Raft, a circular stage for the actors and dancers, reimagines the orchestra space as a modern thymele, the altar that in ancient times was dedicated to Dionysian rites.

The Greek Theatre scenography – executed by AMO, the unit within OMA dedicated to non-architectural and transient projects – is part of the office’s long history of designing innovative performance spaces, from the Netherlands Dance Theatre (1987) and the Wyly Theatre in Dallas (with Rex, 2009), to the Taipei Performing Arts Centre – three adaptable theatres plugged into a central cube, now under construction in Taiwan. AMO has also designed scenography for ephemeral events such as Prada catwalk shows and Francesco Vezzoli’s 24-Hour Museum in Paris earlier this year.

dezeen.com

This 19th Century Corner Building was restored by Graux & Baeyens architecten. The project called Project House GS, and it is located right on the beach and overlooking the port city of Ghent, Belgium. The architects restored the initial structure and also gave it a contemporary appearance. Developers said about this project: “the project started by stripping the dilapidated house of all excess. The essence was conserved by means of the façade, the stairwell and the roof truss, each of them serving as a rough coat to envelop the new spaces.The rooms and living spaces are conceived as a stack of volumes, a white sculpture inserted in the existing casing. Several strategically located cutouts offer a variety of well-defined views“. The interiors of the residence showcase a visually appealing contrast between old and new. The layout of the house is original as well: bedrooms are located on the ground floor and the living area on the first floor. The kitchen and dining room occupy the top level, which also shelters an adjacent enclosed patio.

via freshome.com

If you are looking for inspiration in garden designs, you have come to the right place. This post gathers quite a few landscaping ideas that can get you started in planning the garden you’ve always dreamed about. You will find a variety of garden styles in the photos below, all you have to do is pick your favorite and begin further research. The right garden accessories and plant species can set the tone for an incredible outdoor atmosphere, an invigorating place of retreat. You can embark on a memorable gardening adventure yourself, or you can hire a landscape architect to help with advice. Either way, designing your garden should be a fun, relaxing experience. Green labyrinths, cobblestone pathways, small ponds, water fountains, colorful flowers and small round trees flanking your way around the yard- these are all elements that can induce a wonderful state. After all, there is nothing like enjoying a fresh morning surrounded by your own green refuge, or taking some well deserved time off in the afternoon, after a long day’s work. Enjoy the photos below and tell us if you find these garden ideas helpful, by leaving a comment below. What sort of gardening tips would you like us to help with in the future ?

via freshome.com

This video shows an interview with architect David Chipperfield, the director of the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale. He has offices in London, Berlin and Milan, and a representative office in Shanghai. Uncompromisingly modernist in outlook, his practice is driven by a consistent philosophical approach, rather than a ‘house style’. Chipperfield studied Architecture at Kingston Polytechnic, graduating in 1976 along with the Architectural Association in London. He worked at the practices of Douglas Stephen, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster, and in 1984 established his own practice, David Chipperfield Architects. The architect got the recognition thanks to  the award-winning River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames designed from green oak cladding, concrete and glass. He has been awarded with many architectural awards including RIBA’s Royal Gold Medal and Stirling Prize, Andrea Palladio Prize and Tessenow Gold Medal. During the interview, Chipperfield speaks about Common Ground, his theme for the biennale, and gives his views on the contemporary architecture scene, comparing architects to “perfume brands at Duty Free, on a pedestal, singular and isolated”.

Chipperfield explains that the emphasis of the 2012 Biennale is on what we all have in common. Above all, the ambition of Common Ground is to reassert the existence of an architectural culture, made up not just of singular talents but a rich continuity of diverse ideas united in a common history, common ambitions, common predicaments and ideals. He explains that Common Ground in a context of architecture biennale clearly has a sort of double meaning. Firstly, it talks about intellectual common ground, about the ideas that we share about architecture, within and beyond our own professional boundaries. The title invites us to consider how these shared perceptions, concerns and expectations may be better directed. Secondly, Common Ground (as opposed to public space) infers a territory that is shared within a context of difference. The theme identifies the search for the shared within the apparently diverse, and helps us to imagine strategies to deal with our common predicament and our strangely persistent need to feel part of a world bigger than the one required for our individual comfort. In his opinion,n that is something which really needs to be back in the agenda.  
 

Photo from designmena.com

The architect convinces that within the context of the Architecture Biennale, ‘Common Ground’ evokes the image not only of shared space and shared ideas but of a rich ground of history, experience, image and language. He thinks that layers of explicit and subliminal material form our memories and shape of our judgements. While we struggle to orient ourselves in a continuously changing world, what we are familiar with is an inevitable part of our ability to understand our place. Chipperfield is convinced that it is critical that our expectations and our history don’t become a justification for sentimentality or resistance to progress. He encourages that we must therefore articulate better our evaluations and prejudices if we are not to regard what has come before as something to escape and if we are to give value to a cumulative and evolving architectural culture rather than a random flow of meaningless images and forms.

He adds that the theme of Common Ground allows us to engage with these themes, provoking us to think about the physical expression of our collective aspirations and ideas of society. It reminds us of our shared history and encourages us to think about the collaborative nature of architecture and the extraordinary potential of its collective process.

Wien-based practice Judith Benzer Architektur have completed the ‘Summer House in Southern Burgenland’, a retreat residence in the countryside of Oberbergen, Austria. Surfaced with untreated larch planks, the external faces of this dwelling may be closed during winter months becoming an unobtrusive silhouette in the landscape. Typical of the region, the volume’s exterior appearance is derived from the ‘Kellerstöckel’ or ‘Wine house’. The two-level structure with rooms for residential use are enclosed with a strictly wooden framework while the sub-grade cellar for wine production and storage is formed with ferroconcrete massive construction.

via designboom.com

Perched between natural vegetation overlooking the exquisite beaches of the Indian Ocean, the Banyan Tree Seychelles resort lays lush tropical mountain greenery at your feel just below the carefully designed villas. Located on the south-western coastline of Mahé Island, this collection of 60 beautifully welcoming Creole-style villas await guests with their elegant and bright interiors and swimming pools guarded by imposing palm trees. Two of the villas, the Intendance Pool Villa and Presidential Villa are uniquely remarkable. The first one has a spacious terrace, private jet pool and swimming pool and draws you with its embedded hill structure, in between imposing granite rocks. Inspired by charming local colonial architecture, the villa’s indoor sunken tub with deluxe shower will prove a paradise for those in love with water. The second villa’s striking tropical outdoor shower and private free-form infinity swimming pool across the granite boulders will leave you breathless, but slowly become part of your favorite places. A spa and botanical and spice garden guide your mind towards relaxation and beauty, trying to keep up with the offerings of surrounding nature.

via freshome.com

Architects Shaun Fernandes and Markus Nonn of Jump Studios collaborated on developing the interior design of Google Campus in London. The seven-story working and event space has a total area of 2,300 square meters and displays quite a few playful details, suited for an environment encouraging creativity: “Much of the architectural focus has been on opening up and connecting the ground and lower ground floors programmatically to play host to a series of socialized spaces, from reception and informal meeting areas to theatre, cafe and workshop spaces. Furthermore the overall look and feel of the building was designed to reflect the nature of the future occupants of the building: young start-ups who are just about to kick off their careers rather than well established corporate companies.” How would you comment on the design of the Google Campus in London? Do you believe it manages to add value to the brand image?

via freshome.com

M.C. Escher is one of most renowned artists for the visual and mental stimulation his renowned work evokes. His challenging pieces are sensational and cause a weird butterfly rupturing response in the pit of ones stomach as you try to figure out where his pieces are coming from and where they are going. Full of corners, edges and boxes he has made a name for him that for most of us is out of our budget but we can reinvent his work on our walls and make it pop in 3D by using box shelving.

Box shelving is affordable, easy and light to hang up, and can take that drab endless wall and give it dimension and refinement. These hardy pieces can be hung in interesting patterns that will draw the eye to an art completely in its own element.

via decoist.com

This seems a bit like stumbling and falling into the hole that led Alice to the Wonderland. And unlike the old classical version, this is more akin to the world as viewed in the Johnny Depp starrer but sans all the dark spookiness that came along. The Secret Garden designed by Zaha Hadid and Paola Navone is a beautiful setup that uses installations of woven hazelnut branches, glittering lights, bright structures along with elements of nature to create an interactive and alluring experience that seems to transcend you into a different world.

The most striking feature of the spectacle is the use of giant hanging light installations that seem to give the entire area a magical touch while the woven installations present a varied texture to the surroundings. The use of artificial lighting along with natural elements seems to create a visual experience that encourages those who step in to explore each area of the garden further with a hope that they will discover new treasures that are hidden within.

via decoist.com

The collapse of the Twin Towers served as a stark and stunning reminder to architects and engineers of the value of using a concrete to protect skyscrapers from the ravages of fire. Miles O’Brien reports on how the design of skyscrapers has changed since 9/11.

Currently skyscrapers are not being built like they used to be. And for some architects, the story of 90 West Street in Lower Manhattan is concrete proof that they should think about the return to the “old school” materials. After collapse of the Twin Towers this historical building was completely engulfed in flames. John Norman from New York Fire Department recalls that he and his team members thought that the building was too dangerous to approach. It turned out that the building had one steel beam that was affected by heat and this was not any important part of the structure of the building. As a proof he points out that the building is still in use. Norman explains that the building did not suffer damage because skyscrapers of that vintage were built like fortresses.

Photo from wikipedia.org

Of course skyscraper design and construction has evolved over the years. Newer glass skyscrapers are half as heavy per square foot as the old concrete fortresses. Norman explains that the glass towers are a problem because the glass skin is a weak point. Nevertheless, he convinces that it is possible to build buildings that are structurally stable and could stand the fire long enough to allow the fire department to suppress it.

And that is precisely what architects are trying to prove with the design and construction of the $3 billion One World Trade Center. David Child who is the main architect of this project explains that it is very important that they have chance to rebuild better. Childs and his team have aimed to strike a balance between economics, aesthetics, safety and security. They decided to create a building with a specific core. Childs explains that the outside of the core, the whole enter spine of the building is out of concrete. It is six feet thick and it is not just any concrete, but a new formulation that makes it much stronger. This special concrete can withstand loads of 14,000 feet per square inch.

The collapse of the Twin Towers served as a stark and stunning reminder to architects and engineers of the value of using a concrete to protect skyscrapers for the ravages of fire. Structural Engineer Charlie Thornton who is an expert in skyscrapers engineering helped to create the detailed engineering report of how and why the World Trade Center towers collapsed. The report determined the project of the One World Trade Center. Childs explains that because of the nature of the destruction that was there before, you do not want to give the impression that this is a place of refuge and of fear. The building needs to appear open.

Nevertheless, even with that strong reminder people do not want to build a fortress. They want something with light and glass and airy. Architecture professor Garth Rockcastle says there is no turning back to the pre-modern era, but he says One World Trade is really a concrete fortress in a glass clothing.

Malibu, California, is home to an interesting residential project – the PAS House/ Skateboard House. As you might guess from the name and photos, this unique space was designed to be both a modern home and a collection of skateboard-ready surfaces both indoor and outdoor. Built for Pierre Andre Senizergues (PAS), a former World champion, Pro Skater and owner of a well-known skateboard footwear and apparel company, the Skateboard House encompasses all the owner’s interests. Created by skateboarder and designer Gil Lebon Delapointe and Los Angeles-based architect Francois Perrin, this customized home will be placed at the top of the Malibu hills, so it’s a mixture of views over the Pacific and innovative interior design. Separated into three programs- one containing the living, dining and kitchen areas, another one sheltering the bedroom and bathroom and the third one dedicated entirely to skating, the house will feature skate-able areas throughout. Integrated in a curved wall, the kitchen on one side and the sitting area on the other shape a hybrid between living, working and having fun. This dynamic home complements the owner’s lifestyle in stead of changing it. How would your house look like depending on your hobbies?

via freshome.com

Surrounded by an 18 hectare property, the Storrs Road Residence in the small town of Peachester, Australia, displays a single story architectural body emerged from the original building mixed with modern design to shape the evolution story behind this now contemporary farmhouse. Rising from an orchard-defined surrounding, the residence “aims to reflect in miniature the site as a whole and its history.” The old existing dam – once the center of entertainment for kids – was integrated into the structure by connecting it to a pond in front of the house. Wrapping around a central courtyard, the living spaces were designed to be somehow part of the garden, creating a surprising connection with the help of modern technologies. This is how sustainability became part of the project, as Tim Stewart Architects describe it: “The home itself is far more environmentally conscious than its predecessor, with low energy lighting predominant, solar water heating, over 60 000 liters of water storage, and built with timber taken from the site and from fire breaks cut through the bushland. The timber was milled and finished on site and makes up all of the exposed timber as well as the flooring and much of the sub structure. The house is a reflection in miniature of the workings, life, and history of the farm and the family that continue to take enjoy its offerings.”

via freshome.com

This residence called Nomura 24 House, designed by Antonino Cardillo and displaying original architecture and design features. The project is located in Hyōgo, overlooking Ōsaka bay, Japan and is structured on two levels. Here is more from the press release: “Inside, on the first floor, a large polygonal living room with seven sides possesses the inexact quality of certain medieval Italian piazzas, on whose sides the openings – now windows, now doorways – describe multiple directions of aspect and travel. The irregularity of the geometry, therefore, crystallizes in the shape a willingness for dialog among the parts which make up the whole: kitchen, Japanese room and window over the bay, foreshortened to avoid direct exposure of the interior to the road.

Finally, at the rear, the narrow space created between the kitchen and the Japanese room picks out a small patio, whose windowed sides gather the afternoon diagonals of the sun on the tatami flooring of the Japanese room and reverberating blues inside the kitchen cavity. These two rooms give onto the living room through two low doorways cut into the white sketch of a high wall. Almost rationalized grottoes, these bedrooms made of independent light engage with the large polygonal room: dark and azure in the morning, light and warm in the afternoon”.

via freshome.com

This video shows an interview with renowned French architect Manuelle Gautrand. She is the principal architect and director of the agency MANUELLE GAUTRAND ARCHITECTURE. She mainly designs buildings in areas as diverse as cultural facilities (theaters, museums, and cultural centers), office buildings, housing, commercial and leisure facilities. Her C42 Citroën showroom on the Champs Élysées brought her international recognition. In 2008, she converted the Gaîté-Lyrique Theatre into a centre for modern music and digital arts and received a commission for the AVA Tower at La Défense. Internationally, she has designed a car showroom in Cairo and has recently taken part in the competition for the new Munch Museum in Oslo. In 2010, Gautrand became a chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur. In 2005, she was elected a member of the Academy of French Architecture. In 2002, she was awarded the Academy’s Silver Medal. In this video we can see Flores Zanchi interviewing Manuelle Gautrand in her Paris studio. During the interview, we can learn more about one of the most interesting architects of the French architectural scene.

The architect asked about the change in her approach towards architecture answers that the more she does in architecture, the more her vision on it has changed, because of the experiments she is making. This work is full of different parts of stories and each time a different kind of programs. She adds that she tries in every new project to find something different. She tries to do more ambitious things but availability of this possibility depends on the client. 

Photo from arnewde.com

Gautrand describes her recent project of AVA Tower – La Défense in Paris. She thinks that it is a dream for architect to do a tower and when she began the project she was very happy to have that opportunity. She explains that she is really excited about it mostly because of its interesting district, because it is full of modernity, completely in opposition to the centre of Paris which is like a museum. She thinks that this part of the city is a little bit disconnected from the rest of it. Some of the towers are quite old and not fully safe. She points out that designers of this district made some mistakes in terms of infrastructure, because there are a lot of problems connected to security. Fortunately, thanks to this project she had opportunity to modernize public spaces and the area around the tower. She thinks that it is very important to establish connections between the different levels, lobby, spaces inside the tower and public spaces around it. Her goal in this project was to to make a strong relation between the tower and the context around it.

Gautrand asked about the difficulties related to the work in construction as women answers the woman always needs to fight for her point of view and in terms of constructions it is really difficult to do this, because projects are very complexed.. Sometimes they require a lot of relationships between the constructor, the client, the architect, the engineer. She convinces that an architect is always in the middle of those relationships and they have to focus on their goal if they want to succeed. She thinks that if the architect wants to keep the strength and the pureness of the first sketches of the project he always has to be a warrior.

German practice 3deluxe has recently completed the ‘Kaffee Partner Headquarters’, a corporate complex for a coffee brewing machine company in osnabrück, germany. Stacked layers of ribbon cantilevers create an aesthetic centerpiece to a U-shaped building, doubling to define the main functional offices. The flowing contours derive from the brands values of vitality and lightness while the predominantly white color is accented with natural hues found in their product, coffee. Spanning 100 meters in length, the tripartite arrangement forms a 9,800 square meter structure. Strips within the facade branch from the focal element, connecting the adjacent wings with support services for customers and employees. The undulating profiles become a relief of linear strips which border copper-pigmented metallic window frames.

Project info:

Title of project: Kaffee Partner Headquarters
Discipline: Corporate architecture and design
Client: Ost Und Koch Immobilien Gmbh
Location: Kaffee-partner-allee 1, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany
Start of planning: July 2010
Construction period: November 2010 – February 2012
Completion: 02.03.2012
Plot area: 111,000 m2 (first stage of construction 30,000 m2)
Expanse: 11,874 m2 (of that 5000 m2 offices, 5000 m2 logistics and workshop)
Enclosed space: 6,262 m3
Costs: 11,200,000 EUR (1,003 EUR/m2 resp. 156 EUR/m3)

via designboom.com

Singapore and South East Asia is catching up pretty fast with eco-friendly construction methods. The buildings, the homes of the region are becoming more and more eco-conscious. Conjured up by Formwerkz Architects, the Maximum Green House is another wonderful example of that as it incorporates some distinctive design features along with a bit of green to offer a beautiful contemporary home with a twist.

via decoist.com

Integrated in the lush vegetation of the Thai island of Koh Samui, Villa Beige is located on an impressive natural 5,000 square-meter beach-front private lot, overlooking the coastline. According to the official description of the property, “Villa Beige has 4 double-bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a private marble pool, a modern entertainment living room, a private spa and steam sauna, gym, private beach facilities, a fully equipped office, Internet Wi-Fi in all buildings and resident staff including a professional chef and a security guard“. This retreat in Thailand is equipped for guests who enjoy luxury and don’t like to leave anything to chance. Mediterranean design defines the villa throughout. As for the furniture arrangements, some of the items are said to be designed by the owners, while other were imported from around the world, mainly from Italy and France. Have a look at the photos and tell us if they trigger and holiday-related sensations.

via freshome.com

The building housing a modern art gallery needs a cafeteria that really wows its visitors. It shapes up to ensure a similar look and feel to the art gallery, while offering those in the neighborhood a cool place to hang out, as well. That’s what Cafe Graffiti, located in Varna, Bulgaria, tries to achieve — a delicate balance; and at a first glance it seems that its designers, Studio Mode, have done a commendable job in ensuring that the experience will be indeed charming.

via decoist.com

This video shows an interview with Austrian architect Hermann Kaufman. He is renowned in Europe for his inspirational design of technically advanced low energy buildings, Hermann’s work meets Europe’s most stringent energy saving standard, Passivhaus. Kaufmann studied Architecture in Innsbruck and Vienna and in 1983 founded an office in Schwarzach together with Christian Lenz. He has taught in several universities and since 2002 has acted as Professor of Architecture in Munich Technical University. Hermann has won awards including the Global award for sustainable architecture in 2007, and the prestigious International Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award in 2010. During interview, Kaufman talks about the Bregenzerwald’s architectural and wooden culture.

Kaufman explains that Bregenzerwald is famous in and outside Austria for its high-quality wooden architecture. What makes it special is that their craftsmen have learned to view tradition pro-actively. Not looking back, but looking forward. He adds that they are very innovative craftsmen, with a strong ethos for their craft. Kaufman explains that for him as an architect, that is very important because he has to work closely with them. High-quality craftsmanship is what makes their buildings work. That is also why their buildings are usually very simple structures, with very clear lines, but with the fantastically beautiful, delicate and precise details that their craftsmen are able to produce. Architecture and construction are the source of 40% of the world’s total energy consumption. So architects have a responsibility to improve that in the future. 

Photo from bregenzerwald.com

Kaufman convinces that for him a building means continuously coming to terms with that which already exists. The old buildings of his region define the face of the region. So it is quite important to take on the buildings already there. That means to repair some of the sins of the past through renovation and reconstruction. Kaufman thinks that is a key concern for architects: looking for new answers while honoring the spirit of tradition. In Bregenzerwald, that means simple, clear, pragmatic, energy-efficient architecture, dominated by material wood. He explains that they try to transfer that pragmatism to the present day. Of course, the architecture has a different look. Naturally, it uses a modern-day language of forms, but the basic attitude remains unchanged. 

Kaufman describes that not all buildings in a resort region are tourism-related: there are commercial buildings as well. That architecture typically features large volumes, big frames. They must also be well integrated into the landscape. One important factor is the selection of material for such a building. For that, it is clear that you use wood in a region where wood is the traditional local material. Wood wearers naturally, it takes on a patina and by doing so, engage a beautiful dialogue with nature. Kaufman adds that architecture plays a key role in that area, because these structures are dominant buildings in a landscape, and when you do them badly, you destroy the area. So it is extremely important that these projects, the volumes that you are creating here, are also carried out with high architectural quality. 

Handel Architects have designed the “Dream Downtown Hotel” in New York City. Architects wrote about this project: “Dream Downtown Hotel is a 184,000 SF boutique hotel in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The 12-story building includes 316 guestrooms, two restaurants, rooftop and VIP lounges, outdoor pool and pool bar, a gym, event space, and ground floor retail. Dream sits on a though-block site, fronting both 16th and 17th Streets, and is adjacent to the Maritime Hotel, which sits adjacent to the west. In 1964, the National Maritime Union of America commissioned New Orleans-based architect Albert Ledner to design a new headquarters for the Union, on Seventh Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets. Two years later, he designed an annex for the headquarters on the site where Dream currently sits. A few years later, Mr. Ledner designed a flanking wing for the annex, which would eventually be converted to the Maritime Hotel. In the 1970s, the Union collapsed and the buildings were sold and used for various purposes in the years that followed. In 2006, Handel Architects was engaged to convert the main annex into the Dream Downtown Hotel.”

“The otherness of Ledner’s 1966 design for the National Maritime Annex was critical to preserve. Along the 17th Street exposure, the sloped façade was clad in stainless steel tiles, which were placed in a running bond pattern like the original mosaic tiles of Ledner’s Union building. New porthole windows were added, one of the same dimension as the original and one half the size, loosening the rigid grid of the previous design, while creating a new façade of controlled chaos and verve. The tiles reflect the sky, sun, and moon, and when the light hits the façade perfectly, the stainless steel disintegrates and the circular windows appear to float like bubbles. The orthogonal panels fold at the corners, continuing the slope and generating a contrasting effect to the window pattern of the north façade.

The 16th Street side of the building, previously a blank façade when the building served as an annex, was given new life. The skin is constructed of two perforated stainless steel layers, its top sheet of holes a replication of the 17th Street punched-window design and the inner sheet a regular perforation pattern. The outer rain screen is punctured with porthole-shaped Juliet balconies for the guestrooms and peels up at the ground level to form the hotel canopy and reveal the hotel entrance.

The original through block building offered limited possibilities for natural light. Four floors were removed from the center of the building, which created a new pool terrace and beach along with new windows and balconies for guestrooms. The glass bottom pool allows guests in the lobby glimpses through the water to the outside (and vice versa) connecting the spaces in an ethereal way. Light wells framed in teak between the lobby, pool and lower level levels allow the space to flow. Two hundred hand blown glass globes float through the lobby and congregate over The Marble Lane restaurant filling the space with a magical light cloud. Fixtures and furnishings were custom designed for the public spaces and guestrooms to complement the exterior design and to continue the limitless feeling of space throughout the guest experience.

Handel Architects served as both architect and interior designer for the project.”

via contemporist.com

Set in a serene environment on the shore of New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula, this modern hut is a small and simple holiday retreat. Easy to remove from this coastal erosion zone, the contemporary hut named Whangapoua was built on two thick wooden sleds that can be loaded on a barge and moved. Designed by Crosson Clarke Carnachan, which you might remember built the Rahimoana Villa, this 48,8 square meters holiday beach hut encompasses all the necessary amenities for a family of five. Entering through a double-height set of glass doors from the beach deck, the living/dining/kitchen zone continues in the back with a bathroom and a three tiered bunk kids room. Upstairs, a mezzanine bedroom for the parents opens towards enchanting stretches of water. Displaying a Monterey Cypress (Macrocarpa) cladded facade and sides, the hut’s rear was clad in a cheap, traditional building material called “flat sheet”, merging recognizable materials in a movable display of modern architecture.

via freshome.com

Architecture company Helhetshus developed an intriguing project entitled Arlevagen in Gothenburg, Sweden, consisting of eight similar houses. The landscape surrounding the buildings is defined by giant oak trees and the beautiful lake Sävelången, which partially determined the orientation of each dwelling: “By using the existing conditions of the site and placing the houses halfway over the edge of the hillside; each house got a nice view towards the lake and at the same time it created more space on the sunny side of the plot towards southwest. The boomerang-shaped building leaves an open space towards the street and a more secluded garden space south of the building witch is maximised by placing the buildings as far north as possible on each plot”. Half of each building’s weight is supported by pillars, leaving the ground beneath almost untouched. Green roofs ensure insulation, while adding a great aesthetic factor. [photography: Bert Leandersson]

via freshome.com

KLab Architecture have designed the Cocoon Suites, which are part of the Hotel Andronikos on Mykonos Island in Greece. Architects wrote about this project: “A modern interpretation of vernacular cycladic architecture was used into the redesigns of this hotel in Mykonos that was built in 1990. Through a total refurbishment that gradually will be developed, 13 rooms out of 57 have been redesigned by KLab architecture and refurbished following the principles of purity, simplicity, fluidity and surprise. The room, conceived as a modern Mykonian room, uses forms and the essence of Mykonos.”

The interior is a compact mass constructed of irregular unaligned walls, with a 3- dimensional feel to them as they are distorted built upwards and slanted inwards. The furniture is designed with the same idea where they seem to be attached to the walls themselves providing the user with the impression that the building is erupting from the island’s rocky land. Every element plays off one another. All the design was conceived as a low tech construction that the local builders using their so far knowledge would create something that would exceed their practice. Budget had to remain low but the feeling and the sense emerged from the room had to be the opposite. Our effort was to create a sexy but pure, a vibrant but calm, a modern but classic room that would compose all these juxtapositions and paradoxes offering to the user an overwhelming experience.

Plaster, bamboo canes, plasterboard, glass, pebbles, mirrors and cement based flooring were used in unconventional ways and combinations. Lighting the room was a game of light and shadow revealing the sculpting force of the space. Illumination is hidden most of the time and different lighting scenarios help to create depending the time the ambience the user like. Light creates a sense of serenity and intimacy coming through the bamboos, under the furniture, through the reflections of the polygonal mirror.

via contemporist.com

This video shows an interview with Kapil Gupta who is the principal of Serie Architects India and a director at the Urban Design Research Institute, Mumbai. He graduated with honours from J J College of Architecture, Mumbai and completed post-graduate studies at the Architectural Association, London. His works have been published extensively in design publications including A+U, Arch+, Architectural Design, Archiworld, Tatlin, Wallpaper, Art India, Indian Architect & Builder, A+D and Space Time & Architecture. During the interview, Gupta talks about his work and ideas about architecture in India.

Gupta thinks that typically when someone tries to make something Indian or Chinese unfortunately that person does one thing. He reduces the imagination to historical or traditional elements. He explains that for Indian people identity is not something that is fixed in the past but it is something that is evolving and always changing. For him to be local is to be able to understand the nuances of the times that we basically live in as well as our values. He explains that Italian is not necessary an esthetic idea. Being an Italian it about the passion in creating.

Photo from indiadesignforum.com

The architect asked about Italian design in India answers that there are many Italian designers. He thinks that Italian designers find a lot more acceptance within mass cultures. People increasingly recognize good quality and they want to pay for it. He thinks that things in India are changing. Firstly, because of the awareness of what good designs is. Secondly, because of awareness that good quality could be a good investment. 

Gupta asked about public architecture in India answers that there is very little amount of non private architecture. Nevertheless, public spaces are becoming more and more popular. He explains that the methodology of creating public spaces and public architecture is through the competition. The best ideas of people from around the world are collected together. Those ideas are displayed in the media and finally the best are being built. He thinks that this process is great because it also forces the society to reelect on its values and to see what is important for them as an Asian people. He adds that currently in India there is an explosion of the production of real estate and not necessary architecture. He sees a paradox when in a places like Bombay, if you look at the buildings that are coming up, compared to the kind of values that are associated with the real estate, it is crazy.

A space should always be designed and decorated according to its function. When you think about the function of a bathroom, it’s easy to see why tranquility and a spa-like atmosphere are the first concepts that come to mind. If nothing else, the bathrooms in your home should be comfortable and polished with surfaces that are both simple and easy to clean.

It’s no coincidence that most high end bathrooms are created using materials such as marble, granite and porcelain. In addition to gleaming with a glossy shine, these surfaces are extremely easy to clean. When it comes to a bathroom space, it is imperative that it is cleaned as often as possible. Cheaper surfaces such as carpeting and vinyl are slightly more difficult to clean and will not hold the same polished look. This is why luxury bathrooms generally boast glass shower doors rather than fabric curtains that can quickly mildew.

via decoist.com

The University of Architecture and Urbanism „Ion Mincu” of Bucharest celebrates this year its 120th anniversary in an ample event that is going to take place at Parliament Palace in Bucharest, on 16-18th May: Romanian Convention of Architecture and Design (ROCAD). ROCAD’s unique concept – a balanced mix of conferences and exhibitions – has created a stir among the architects and designers from Romania and thus over 1200 professionals at the May event are expected. ROCAD has begun to welcome its guests – 18 top international architects and designers among which Eduardo Souto de Moura (Pritzker Prize 2011), Gottfried Bohm (Pritzker Prize 1986), Mario Botta, Mies van der Rohe Prize – Esteve Bonell (1992), Peter Bohm, Antón García-Abril, Matias del Campo, Rene Davids, Sandra Manninger, Gaetano Pesce, Kostas Terzidis, Elia Zenghelis and Carlos Ott.

Over 7 representatives of the most prominent educational associations in Europe are expected to arrive in Bucharest to celebrate the 120th anniversary of “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism on May – European University Association (EUA), Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), International Union of Architects (IUA), European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE), The European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE).

The design exhibition gathers market leaders in 7 industries such as: furniture, lighting, outdoor design, kitchen and bathroom, textiles, ecodesign, retail. ROCAD searches for the latest trends and products on the market, the most fashionable and the most exquisite. On the other hand Romanian architecture and design are celebrated through a unique series of exhibitions displaying the best works of Romanian architects over the last 120 years and fashion clothing inspired by Ion Mincu the name of which the university bears.

For more information, please access www.rocad.org.ro.

Located on North Malé’ atoll, in the constantly-fascinating Maldives, Reethi Rah five-star resort developed by One&Only, awaits guests with great services and an array of activities, making each holiday here memorable. According to the official resort description, “One&Only Reethi Rah is home to 130 private villas discreetly placed along the shore – with 98 Beach Villas secluded by lush tropical greenery, and 32 Water Villas set above the clear, protected waters of the lagoon. Amongst the largest resort villas in the world, each is detached, expansive and equally luxurious. Designed with a contemporary elegance, their stylish feel is combined with a diverse Asian influence, blending clean lines with the skillful use of natural materials such as coconut shell, sea grass, silk, rattan, teak, mahogany, terrazzo and thatch. Generous exterior spaces range from beach verandas to private swimming pools and large over-water decks“. Enjoy the timber and thatch villas below and let us know what holiday plans they trigger for the upcoming summer.

via fancycribs.com

When completed tastefully, a warehouse conversion can provide a strong appeal to a dwelling. This is the case with this inspiring property located in Abbotsford, a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Preserving original industrial elements and making the most out of the existing brick walls, this dwelling cleverly and aesthetically combines some of the features of the old warehouse with the best in comfortable living. The result is a three level home, with a structure perfectly suited for the modern day needs: the ground floor features a large bedroom with courtyard, open plan study and living space, large bathroom with laundry, courtyard and lock up garage. The middle floor is where the core of the residence is located, an impressive open plan living and dining space. The upper level accommodates an over-sized master bedroom with city views, plus a wrap around balcony and sun deck. See any details you love?

via freshome.com

This video shows an interview with renowned Landscape Architect and Designer Charles Jenkcs. He is also an architectural theorist. His books on the history and criticism of Modernism and Postmodernism were widely read in architectural circles and beyond. He at first studied English Literature at Harvard University, later gained an MA in architecture from the Graduate School of Design in 1965. He also has a PhD in Architectural History from the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College, London. During the interview, he talks about his recent project of the Water Garden, a feature of the next year’s International Garden Exposition Suncheon Bay Korea. 

Jenkcs explains that his first impression about Suncheon Bay was related to all those animals which live there. He was impressed by a number of natural species of birds. He also realized that Korea is a whole except it has a wetlands. Jenkcs thinks that is a great idea to reduce a amount of wetlands and complete the whole. In his opinion, it is possible to do that in the near future. 

Photo from briandeutsch.blogspot.com

Jenkcs asked about his project of Water Garden answers that basically it is a mountain view lake, because they build these landforms quite high and then each one of the landforms relates to a mountain and the surrounding valley. The architect explains that the most important mountain in the center of Suncheon Bay City is mountain Bongui. The center of their project is a miniature of mountain Bongui. So visitors will be able to walk up the miniature and look in the panorama and see all the mountains and each mountain is in a little garden.

Jenkcs asked about the beginning of the conceptualization process answers that the inspirations came from a strong contrast between the city and the mountains. People live in the city but they see the mountains. He explains that ecologically his project is to make people understand that not only Suncheon Bay but also the mountain ecology is very important. Thanks to this project he wants to show that ecology could be enjoyable. Because only if people enjoy they will really preserve the ecology. That is the basic idea behind this project and it is unique and he hopes that it will be the first in many future exposures. 
 
Jenkcs asked about the relation between garden design and architecture answers that cities are so big and the industrialization so strong that people have to build everything in a bigger scale. Because of that many different kinds of design should be connected.   

Green walls, green roofs and vertical gardens are literally bringing life to modern architecture. Partially or entirely covered with vegetation, the facade of any modern residence can completely change the overall feel of a house for the better, both aesthetically and functionally. For today we decided to present a selection of the most impressive green walled projects out there, in order to provide inspiration for those of you thinking of giving your home an Eco-friendly appearance. Enjoy this green display below and don’t forget to leave your comment!

#1. The Meera House was designed by Guz Architects and is located on the island of Sentosa in Singapore.

#2. Initially built by architect Wilfried Hilger for his family, House S was recently redesigned by German studio CHRIST.CHRIST.Associated Architects located in Wiesbaden, Germany.

#3. Black Beauty Tierra Villa is an impressive modern residence located in the Black Beauty Village in Ostional, Costa Rica.

#4. Located in the picturesque region of Cap-a-l’Aigle in the heart of Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada, the The Malbaie V residence was envisioned by Montreal-based studio Mu Architecture and displays an inspiring design.

#5. Dutch NL Architects recently completed Blok K, a building that is included in a larger project of 500 dwellings and a park, by Frits van Dongen of de Architecten cie.

#6. The School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore displays an amazing swirling green roof where students can have lunch and study sessions.

#7. High above Lake Lucerne, with breathtaking views of the water and the Alps in Switzerland, lies this massive contemporary home with an architecture that is truly dazzling. Designed by Ungertreina, the project called Villa Am See.

#8. The Sun House was envisioned by Singapore-based studio Guz Architects in a bungalow area and features plenty of natural elements in its fresh design.

#9. An impressive, modern golf and club house rises in Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla), South Korea. The Green Weaving Club House spreads over 5,670 square meters, but the building had to be constructed on a long and narrow site. This challenged the designers, Hyunjoon Yoo Architects, and they created a fantastic place where golf connoisseurs can enjoy modern facilities in a contemporary setting.

#10. The Semiahmoo Library Green Wall was recently uncovered in the White Rock suburb of Vancouver, Canada. Designed and constructed by North American-based design firm Green over Grey, the expansive living wall is the largest outdoor green wall in the region.

#11. The chess board is a real inspiration in the world of design and architecture. This next building is a living proof. Designed by architects Sansiri and landscape architects Shma, the remarkable chequered facade of this Bangkok showroom entitled Vertical Living Gallery.

#12. Ricardo Bofill is the proud inhabitant and creator of one of the best architectural reconversions. An old cement factory became the playground of a fabulous array of art and culture.

#13. Cluny House was designed by Guz Architects and is an impressive sustainable residence located in Singapore.

#14. Design studio Bricault developed the Brooks Avenue House in Venice, California for a growing family.

#15. SuperLimão Studio and Campana Brothers designed the incredible Firma Casa in Brazil, a showroom clad with no less than 3500 plant vases!

#16. The cute Lord of the Rings Hobbit Houses in New Zeeland may not be your ideal accommodation space, but they are as green as they get.

#17. Plan B Studio promotes sustainable living and building Eco-friendly. House M in Colombia stays true to these principles and displays a V-shaped green roof.

#18. Architects Samyn and Partners developed an intriguing home in the outskirts of Brussels showcasing a flourishing facade and roof from a selection of exotic plants. It may not appear so in the image, but the residence has a total of four floors and serves as living and working space for a cinematographer and his family.

#19. X Architekten have created a project entitled Hole 19- Golfclub St. Oswald. According to the architects, “the club house merges with the landscape and integrates consistently into the natural surroundings, almost being completely absorbed by it. Its outer and inner rooms are designed as a seamless transition into the golf course and become one with the surrounding sports grounds”.

#20. Designed by McGlashan Architecture to fade into the natural landscape, this next Californian house displays charming cascading green roofs.

via freshome.com

In our search for the most beautiful resorts, we came across the Labriz Silhouette Seychelles – a 5 star collection of pavilions surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Captured in between white sand beaches and offering magnificent views of the mist-hidden, forest-covered Mount Dauban, the luxury resort welcomes guests in an awe-inspiring setting. Complementing the surroundings, the exotic accommodations blur the lines between inside and outside. The island is only a 45-minute boat ride from the capital, but the feeling it gives is of a tropical paradise far from any care. Pavilions feature private plunge pools, outdoor showers and exceptional natural-colored interiors. Spa treatment suites were placed on massive boulders emerging from the forest, creating a unique bond between guest and island. Traditional Seychelles cuisine can be enjoyed in the restaurants or on the beach and a wide array of activities like sea expeditions, big-game fishing or island excursions will quench your thirst for adventure.

via freshome.com

This unusual detached home applying the principles of an Escher painting in architecture displays a volumetric facade covered in a soft synthetic grass, pierced by weirdly placed staircases and large windows adorned with other windows. Yes, it is a lot to take in, but focusing on each detail at a time gives us a complete view of this green residence in Frohnleiten, Austria. Designed by Reinhold Weichlbauer and Albert Josef Ortis of Weichlbauer Ortis Architects, the single family home can be looked at as an exploration of the connectivity between nature and architecture. The concrete structure covered in greenery has vertical corner windows interrupted by another window placed horizontally, shaping a cantilevering railing. Simple concrete stairs leading nowhere construct a fairy-tale scenario, while the surrounding green scape participates in creating a picturesque surrounding. Do you think that this an inspiring project? Or would you rather chose as inspiration one of the 20 Green Walled Buildings presented by Lavinia not long ago?

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Emma Architects have designed the restaurant Aan Zee in Oostvoorne, The Netherlands. The restaurant provides day and evening service, as well, the building displays information about the surrounding Dutch countryside and facilities for outdoor sportsmen. A wooden wall rises up from the sand dunes and curls up to a watchtower. The wood is layered and in small parts mounted on the facade. It is exposed to the elements and will weather beautifully to blend into the surroundings. A glass façade ensures light and views. A third wall is concealed in the dunes and is formed by a series of buried shipping containers.

The building has a special water and energy management. Electricity is generated by windmills and solar panels. Heating and cooling is extracted from geothermal energy, and a natural convection system is used for the ventilation. The wastewater is treated in a helofytenveld. The regional, seasonal food is prepared on a wood burning stove and grill. Finally, the building is constructed so that it is possible to dismantle it again. Thus, the materials can be reused and the location again be returned to nature.

via contemporist.com

Architect Todd Saunders designed the Squish Studio a beautiful getaway. The Squish Studio is located just outside the small town of Tilting on the eastern end of Fogo Island. First settled in the mid-18th century, Tilting is known for its strong Irish culture and its recent designation by Parks Canada as a National Cultural Landscape District of Canada. The Squish Studio’s white angular form, sited on a rocky strip of coastline, that could rival Italy’s western coast, offers sharp contrast to the traditional vernacular architecture of the nearby picturesque community of Tilting. As its architect, Todd Saunders, has commented on the studio’s siting, “…it is out of sight, but close.” The approach to the front entry of the studio is dramatic, as the most southern end of the studio rises twenty feet above the ground, in sharp contrast to its most northern tip that measures only half that dimension.

The compact, trapezium shaped plan of the studio is augmented by the extension of the east and west exterior walls to create a sheltered, triangulated south entry deck and a north terrace that overlooks the ocean. From a distant view, the streamlined form of the Squish Studio becomes apparent with its high back and low (squished) front designed, in part, to deflect the winds from the stormy North Atlantic.

As we approach the entry of the studio we are greeted by Silke Otto-Knapp, a London-based artist and the first occupant of the Squish Studio. As Silke brings us through the studio, the spatial compression of the tall and narrow entry area gives way to the horizontal expanse of the main room. The downward angled roof leads the eye to the full height oblong glass window focused on a splendid view of Round Head.

The vertical white planks that line the interior walls are interrupted by a playful series of narrow windows integrated with an expanse of built in cabinetry. Silke’s quick figurative studies on paper are posted on the walls, as well as, several large scale canvasses. She is delighted to work in such an architecturally inspired space, especially when it is stormy and she can experience the immediacy of the sea and, on some days, observe the dramatic shift of the island’s weather.

The Squish Studio, like most of its other counterparts, is equipped with a compost toilet, a small kitchenette and wood-burning stove. Power is supplied by stand- alone solar panels, mounted on an adjacent hilltop. Both the interior and exterior of the studio, including the roof, is clad with spruce planks that are painted white.

At night, the studio, illuminated by the soft glow of its solar-powered lighting, appears as a lantern or a lighthouse placed strategically on a rocky cliff to over- look the North Atlantic. In its isolation, one can also imagine a sole occupant, vulnerable but protected from the elements – inspired to work late into the night, occasionally distracted by the crash of the waves, or perhaps, fully immersed in the work at hand, the first glimpse of the sunrise through the Squish Studio’s slot windows that face the north-eastern horizon.

contemporist.com

When commissioned to build a new lecture hall for the Technical University Munich, Germany, architects Deubzer König & Rimmel Architekten came up with a creative and visually appealing solution. This undulating modern building is a result of a 9-month planning and building period, on a budget estimated at just 60% of regular building costs. According to the architects, “the almost square building contains two lecture halls with 479 and 288 seats. They are separated by a corridor which provides the access for handicapped people and the speaker. The foyer, the bathrooms and the technical facilities are situated below the seating. The main accesses for the lecture halls are the two staircases and the first floor corridor“. The most striking element of this project is the black, undulating facade, built with rough cut spruce planks and added an interesting visual effect when exposed to natural light. Find this design approach suitable for a learning edifice?

via freshome.com

Sharon Neuman Architects & Oded Stern-Meiraz collaborated in the development of House N, a modern residence located in Yehuda, Israel. Stretching over a surface of 260 square meters, on a lot of 500 square meters, House N stands out due to an interesting architecture detail: a tall brick wall, painted in white, that shelters the building on the street side, ensuring a high level of privacy. A floating deck on the first floor leads the way towards the main entrance, through a long gap in the external wall. The concept for the house was inspired by the work of minimalist artist Walter De Maria entitled Gothic Shaped Drawing and displaying a basic one line two-dimensional shape of a house, almost as if drawn by a child. The interiors are spacious and highly modern-have a look! [Photography by Elad Sarig]

via freshome.com

This building is the result of a first prize in an open international competition in order to develop two different buildings on one plot. Mixing both programs into a single shape we obtained an strange concrete tree-like shape that contains in its interior the Dance School, and the surrounding space becomes a Museum. Later, this double program was changed and refurbished as National Museum of Science and Technology using the whole area.

That concrete shape, with massive slabs and big girder walls, rests on a metallic structure very atomized, perimetral, that adopts a character of mesh in order that the natural light expresses the weight of the interior volume. The texture of the museum conforms exclusively for printed glass and concrete made with natural wood form. For the ceiling, 1000 acoustical cylinders hide the technical floor while stablish an spatial reference to the whole.

via plusmood.com

Spira has four different performing arts venues: a main concert hall that seats 910, a 450-seat theater, a 200-seat black box, and a 200-seat café stage. The building is situated on an artificial peninsula jutting out into Lake Munksjön, right in the center of downtown Jönköping.

The layout follows from a foyer that opens to the west and the sun as it sets over the lake, and from the four main halls strung together along the foyer. To the east lie workshops for everyday activities, and another public building will eventually be erected adjacent to Spira’s east side.

via plusmood.com

OFFICE AT designed the L71 house in Bangkok, Thailand. Architects wrote about this project: The L71 house is a single family house located on the northeastern side of Bangkok, Thailand. The site for the house is a long and narrow shape site. All of the house programs such as 4 bedrooms, dining room, and family room are placed along the site to face the North. Since the owners have occasional parties, the public areas, such as living room and parking, are in the front of the house, and the private areas are in the back of the house along with a swimming pool.

The living room mass was extended to create private space for the swimming pool and the second floor mass was extended to create shading for the swimming pool and terrace. If the house is designed as one big mass it will block ventilation and natural light, so in this house each room is split to maximize ventilation and natural light.

Since the masses are split, it creates some semi outdoor space to interlock indoor and outdoor space. Varieties of natural materials including water, grass and wood are inserted into each space.

The roof of the main house is double-roof to cover the house from weather. The lower roof is reinforced concrete slab, and the upper roof is metal sheet roof. A space between the two layers of roof acts as an air buffer, natural ventilation and allows for easy maintenance. Main material of this house is painted plastered brick wall and tint glass. Where the masses are splitted, the material of the splitted masses is wood.

via contemporist.com

Giovanni D’Ambrosio designed the Under the Moonlight house in Mount Hotham, Australia. Architects wrote about this project: The Project tries to integrate itself in the site through use of materials that have been used before and that are part of local historical background. House’s shape resembles typological archetypes used by country-men and cowboys that lived in the area. Stone, wood and metal are materials used for both structure and construction of the Project. The House have been designed in order to comfort seasonal stay, both during summer and winter, of inhabitants and to let them appreciate as much as possible natural environment surrounding them. This has been done through placement of many glazed frames that grant wider external views. This is the idea I [Designer] wanted to base the project upon: treat interior and external spaces as if they were the same thing.

Furthermore I propose above mentioned house also like comfortable summer house and not only like winter one. Project is divided in two levels. At the ground level everyday life takes place and it is possible to see the garden from a glazed frame that opens onto a deck. In ‘Under the Moonlight’ House there are two bedrooms, on the second floor, a master bedroom with bathroom and spa.

The House has a sheltered (from snow and rain during winter season) Parking. ‘Under the Moonlight’ House has been designed with care in order to prevent damage to local vegetation and trees. Roof is made out of insulated metal and accomplishes with functionality of any climate. Its brownish colour matches well chromatic shades of Natural Reserve.

via contemporist.com

Originally built in 1969, this residence underwent a necessary transformation that modified the entire floor plan and facade display. Known as the Northface House, this modern, 277 square meter dwelling was resurrected and can now offer both a beautifully designed setting for a modern lifestyle and unobstructed views of the inspiring landscape to the north. Its location in Stavanger, Norway, allows the glass walls to capture breathtaking, uninterrupted views of the fjord. Element Arkitekter AS were the ones who came up with a solution for the modernization of this house, rehabilitating the bottom two stories and replacing the top story with a lighter construction oriented towards the view and cantilevering 3 meters over the lower levels. Entering at top level and experiencing different vantage points throughout the floors, the Northface House is dressed in wood on both the inside and outside, creating a warm atmosphere for the inhabitants, as well as passers-by.

via freshome.com

This unique building called the Guanabanos House in Mexico. The house was designed by Taller Héctor Barroso. The architecture is a beautiful orchestration of shapes weights spaces proportions and tones with acute attention to detail. Some of people could say that this building is an example of a modern classic. Would you agree with that sentence?

via contemporist.com

300 sqm of Ukranian charmness this is what Alexander Chervinskyi has created for Azovskiy & Pahomova Architects. With a highly fashionable interior, lovely milky white walls and spacious rooms with contemporary furniture, this luxury apartment is all about comfort. But the design is not only about showing off, it’s a great example of functional designing — something that we lack when dealing with both spacious and very small apartment.

Everything is carefully organized in a lavish manner. The architects have divided the whole area in two major spaces – an active and a quiet zone, so the whole arrangement follows this pattern. There’s a beautiful open dining space, a ultra-modern kitchen and a relaxing living area with a large L-shape sofa taking a center spot.

via fancycribs.com

Different tints and shades of white play an awesome game here. Does this have anything that gives a clue that this is a ceramic designers’ house? Why anything, in fact, everything implies to the same in one way or the other. Let’s take a tour through Norwegian-based ceramic designer Silje aune eriksen’s beautiful residence.

via decoist.com

Situated on a natural terrain in Kamala Beach on the western coast of Phuket in Thailand, Villa Amanzi features all the facilities you would see in a contemporary luxury villa. The project for this magnificent building has been designed by the creative folks from Original Vision Studio. Meant as a luxury vacation rental spot, in the first place, Villa Amanzi is perfect for a typical family of seven/eight, or for a bunch of friends coming to the country seeking fun. It has six lovely bedrooms with contemporary bathrooms. The forte for this three level edifice is a 15 meter protruded infinity pool. Add to the fact that the Andaman Sea and the beautiful scenery put together an amazing, visually enticing spectacle, and you’ll thank for all those stunning glassy walls that fit so perfectly.

Available for rent throughout the year, if you’re heading for Kamala Beach and you’d like a luxury stay then know that a stay at Villa Amanzi would cost $2,000 to $4,500 per day, depending on the season. Not the cheapest you could find, but so dreamy.

via decoist.com

Paddington Penthouse was envisioned and implemented by SHH and stretches over a surface of 4700 square feet. The project is the result of a merger between two apartments located on the 14th and 15th floor of a new building in the Paddington Basin in London. According to the architects, the brief was to “create a contemporary but luxurious interior in cool grays and dark browns, with a series of flexible spaces, particularly in the main living area, where a feature island wall separates formal and informal lounge and dining spaces. Accommodation includes five bedrooms (four of which are en suite); two reception rooms; two kitchens; a guest bathroom and a cinema/media room. Space was maximized throughout with custom-designed furniture fitting the available spaces exactly“. The new duplex also features a roof terrace with a table for eight and complementing skyline views. Do you like it?

via freshome.com

Floating on an urban lot and slightly sloping on one side to shape and underground garage, House THE in Luxembourg rises from n-lab architects‘ vision and adorns the street with its volumetric architecture. Overhangs formed out of different sized volumes and some partly covered with privacy-protecting timber slats, blinds and curtains compose a vivid symphony of playful volumes fashionably offering a set of bright interiors. Open towards the back garden views, the rooms were given a seamless connection to the outdoors while maintaining a simple material palette that aims at placing the focus on the views rather than interior details. Clean and simple, with the accent on family life, House THE provokes the mind to take a step back and enjoy a fascinating array of elegant, versatile spaces designed for the owner’s enjoyment. The street facade hints towards an exemplary suite of private and public spaces where natural light coming from floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights floods the interiors and focuses the views on the surroundings. This home is a perfect example of a relaxing urban dream home.

via freshome.com

From the air, island resorts are magnificently showing off a collaboration between luscious nature and man-made luxury. Closing up on the island, each view brings new highlights and each light unforgettable shadows. The Maafushivaru Hotel in the Maldives is this fascinating place where the Maldivian paradise meets elegant design. Spacious 116 square meter pool villas constructed on land in groups of two with shared private pool are ideal for families, while the cozier 91 square meter water villas have wooden decks directly connected to the water and feature rainfall showers and splendid ocean views. The beautiful beachfront villas are the same size as the pool villas, boasting private terraces in direct connection to the beach. Welcoming guests with Mediterranean inspired cuisine infused with local flavors, the restaurant is also prepared to cater for unique lobster dinners on the deserted island of Lonubo or romantic candlelit diners on the beach. Now, how many days until vacation time?

via freshome.com

Everyone who is involved in building industry knows how important communication is throughout the development process. Of course the most obvious method to discuss ongoing work is face-to-face meeting. Nevertheless, in today’s technologically developed times direct meetings are becoming simply inconvenient. Everyone wants to do their business faster and cheaper and what is the most important in much simpler way. Fortunately, there is a solution which provides working with clients across the globe more effectively than many companies can service clients across the street. 

Lots of people who work on a site have problems to communicate with their investors. They’d rather want to work on a site than drive for 10 meetings per day only in order to discuss one simple thing on the project. “In order to avoid meetings we explain a lot of things very often on the phone, but not always we have good understanding” does this sentence sound familiar to you?

If the answer is YES, you definitely should meet arcilook’s workflow which is a web-based, secure, collaboration and project management platform dedicated to everyone who is involved in the building process. Thanks to this intuitive web-based workspace, you are able to organize your work in a very effective way.

Problems with communication?

Now, you do not have to visit i.e. a constructor or an investor for never ending project consultation. Simply try Co-sketch, a state-of-the-art visual communication tool. Thanks to this application you can communicate both using graphical elements and in writing. It has never been so easy and non-time-consuming to discuss all project matters in a real time. Finally, you won’t waste so much paper troubling yourself to print so many draft copies of just one project. It is possible to use it not only from your office but also from any place that has the access to the internet.

The video below was added by one of our members and it shows how to use Co-sketch.

You can try Co-sketch demo for free! You can also create a free Workflow Account to explore whole potential of arcilook.com.

This small twisted tower is one of the six artists’ studios that Saunders Architecture of Norway are constructing on Fogo Island off the coast of Canada. The floors of the building incrementally rotate, so that a terrace on the roof is turned away from the ground floor by 180 degrees. These twists also create a faceted recess at the entrance, which unlike the other exterior walls is lined with white-painted spruce. A large triangular skylight allows light to flood into the studio on the middle floor, while a mezzanine overlooks it from above. Architects wrote about this project:

The Tower Studio is dramatically situated on a stretch of rocky coastline in Shoal Bay, Fogo Island, Newfoundland. The studio’s sculptural silhouette leans both forward and backward as it twists upward. For the average visitor to the island, this windowless black tower, more often than not, provokes a quizzical response and the enviable question, “What’s that?”

For the locals, they know that this structure is a project of the Fogo Island Arts Corporation – an art studio opened in June 2011. The Tower Studio’s official opening was one of the most festive and included: a roaring bonfire, flares dramatically shot from its rooftop terrace and the recorded sounds of local whales as a background score.

Perched on a rocky stretch of shoreline, there are no roads to the Tower Studio, it can only be reached by hiking along the shore from the adjacent community or walking on a narrow wooden boardwalk consisting of weathered planks that hover just slightly above a bog that features an abundance of cloudberries, known locally as bakeapples.

From a distance the wooden boardwalk reads like a tether strap, linking the stranded Tower Studio to the lifeline of a busy stretch of road. The boardwalk, a mere twelve inches wide, is a vital component to the story of the Tower Studio, it provided an even track for wheel barrows to bring building supplies to the construction site without disturbing the delicate ecosystem of the Newfoundland bog and the lichens that grow on outcroppings of rock.

The boardwalk is a testimony to the holistic thinking that is part of the Shorefast Foundation mindset that connects the dots of economic, cultural and ecological sustainability at both the macro and the micro level. Now that its purpose has past, the boardwalk will soon disappear in order to minimize the impact on the surrounding landscape of the Tower Studio’s construction.

As one approaches the studio, its south-facing entry area is angled back thirty degrees. Overhead a triangulated section of wall leans forward to shelter the double glass doors below. Both the soffit and the angled entryway, clad in horizontal boards of spruce are stained white in sharp contrast to remainder of the building’s windowless exterior of vertical plank siding painted slate black.

The Tower Studio is comprised of three levels with an overall height of thirty-two feet. Its entry area is equipped with a kitchenette, a compost toilet and wood- burning fireplace. Its second level is a studio, day lit by a generous skylight that faces northward. A mezzanine overhead, juts into the double height volume of the studio. Aside from the geometric complexity of the space, the second feature that adds to a sense of disorientation is the elimination of architectural detail and the fact that all vertical, horizontal and inclined surfaces, clad in smooth plywood, are painted a brilliant white.

The only relief from the stark interior is a sliver of the exterior visible through the studio’s sole skylight. A slightly angled wall opposite and parallel to the skylight provides the perfect viewing surface upon which a body can recline and enjoy the view. One can imagine the magical effect of resting against this surface during a moonlit evening with the audible roar of the North Atlantic and force of the wind against the exposed surface of the tower. From the studio level, a narrow ladder (also painted white) leads past the mezzanine level to the underside of a roof hatch. As one passes through the horizontal opening and stands on the rooftop deck, the view of the ocean and the rocky windswept terrain is spectacular. From the roster of studios recently completed, it is generally agreed that the building of the Tower Studio by the local crew of carpenters was one of the most challenging. Although the basic premise of the Tower’s geometry is a simple one – the plan rotates one hundred and eighty de- grees to the roof plan – the construction of the facetted form proved to be a little more complex. In order to figure out the framing diagram, a series of wooden models were constructed. Ultimately a large-scale model was fabricated to mini- mize any on-site confusion.

The story of the Tower Studio is not complete without referencing two structures that support it. The first one is a ‘standalone’ array of solar panels situated about fifty feet to the west of the studio’s main entrance. Because all the studios are located on isolated sites without access to the utilities of electricity, water and sewer, they are equipped with photovoltaic panels, compost toilets and water cisterns.

The other structure necessary for the Tower Studio’s success is its ‘fraternal twin’ – a restored traditional house in the nearby village where the artist lives while he/she is not working in the studio. All the Fogo Island studios follow the same model in which the studio is paired with a Saltbox – a traditional Newfound- land house, where the artist abides when not fixated on his/her most recent art project. The restoration of the traditional Saltbox house and the new construction of the architecturally provocative studios has created an interesting dynamic that brings the local vernacular architecture face-to-face with the multi-faceted expressions of contemporary culture.

As the architect, Todd Saunders, has explained, the fact that the renovated houses were part of a vernacular way of building increased the level of architectural experimentation allotted to the studios. In contrast to the renovated houses, located in the middle of the villages, the studios are situated about a fifteen-min- ute walk on the villages’ periphery. The artists experience both the warm hospitality of their neighbours, as well as, the cool refuge of their studios. Because the studios are outside the local villages, their architectural character is both seemingly familiar and uncannily ‘strange’. In some sense the studios ‘fit in’, but more importantly they stand out.

At times, the stark abstract forms of the studios painted black and/or white seem to disappear into the foggy weather, typical on Fogo Island. Disappearance may be an interesting addition to the lexicon of Saunders’s architectural production that focuses on playful geometries that generate dynamic forms that are strangely familiar. This series of architectural projects on Fogo Island does encompass the vernacular within the production of the new. More importantly, it forms a contemporary sensibility that is vital to reframe, re-situate and rejuvenate any traditional culture, in order for it to meet the opportunities and challenges of the twenty-first century – head on.

via dezeen.com

Stealth Barn is a new project by London-based studio Carl Turner Architects that was constructed near one of their other modern projects – the Ochre Barn – and complement the simple residential brick construction it stands by. The Norfolk countryside was the perfect place to experiment with the construction of two equally interesting projects and we will concentrate on the Stealth Barn, which was designed to be used either as a guest house, studio or meeting place. “Stealth Barn pays respect to the form of the agricultural context but contrasts with the traditional barn.

Stealth Barn is a sharp black mass – a shadow of the adjacent barn or a silhouette on the horizon. It is a robust exterior wrapped with a restricted palette, devoid of fussy detail, and formed to withstand its exposed position.” Interiors were dressed in OSB, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere reminiscent of old barns divided by straw bales. Compartmentalized interiors were given the chance to visually connect to the surrounding landscape through carefully placed windows. Pocket-like spaces convey the idea of a semi-open, welcoming space that can easily be used as a bedroom, dining space, office zone and meeting room without interfering with one another.

via freshome.com

Designing a dreamy residence that encompasses daily activities and dreams in a studied floor plan can be quite challenging. Singapore-based architectural practice Pencil Office had even more things to consider when building the Stereoscopic House – like sustainability, solutions for constructing a resort-style residence or the interesting twist they eventually chose for this house. The detached weekend house is located on Singapore’s beautiful resort island of Sentosa, creating the perfect setting for an artistic interpretation of a modern retreat. Three sisters commissioned the architects to design a house that would merge eco-friendly features (low-E glazing, solar hot-water heating, cross ventilation, rain harvesting systems) with a modern design ensuring a fascinating set of views across the ocean.

Displaying a translucent base on the front facade, the house was adorned with a herringbone patterned wood cladding and white shutters that act as privacy screens for the passers-by. Inside, spread over the three floor of the house, the 608 square meters of living and sleeping spaces were designed to offer dramatic views and be linked by an interesting space arrangement – a distorted tube on the upper floors that focuses all the attention on the views, cantilevering over the pool in the back garden. Details and materials make this weekend retreat an example of great architecture and design.

via freshome.com

In the rural Andes Mountains there is but a six-month window in which the weather can accommodate a construction process, a well-known concern to architects Nicolás del Río & Max Núñez. This structure borrows from relevant building types like chalets, lodges and other ski-resort essentials including prefab building techniques and a stark contrast of cold industrial exterior cladding and warm wooden interiors. It also bridges a strange vertical gap in the form of a retaining wall and road behind it and steeper slope in front of it, managing both via breathtaking trussed bridges and taking advantage of all possible views as well.

Architects wrote about this project: “First, an interior plywood cladding for a warmer atmosphere in the inside, then a double thermal insulation within the steel structure, next a waterproof membrane, and finally an exterior cladding of black slate stone. This external finish resists well the harsh weather of extreme low temperatures, snow and rain. It also establishes a material link with the old stone refuges nearby. Unlike the nearby existing structures, whose construction is now too expensive, here the stone doesn’t take a structural role. This is accentuated by the vertical and horizontal position of the stone and by not letting the cladding touch the ground.”

via dornob.com

This video shows an interview with Amelia Valletta, Architect and Expert in Strategic Design. She collaborates with leading research institutes and design centers. Valletta is a founder of Designtools, developing research projects and strategic consulting in the field of architecture and design, particulary in the field of colour, material and finishing. She is also a Project Leader of “Design Culture: Methodologies/Tools/Strategies”. During the interview, she introduces a different and more profound approach to design. The question she wonders about, and she asks is “what’s beyond design?”. Politics, music or history do influence design?

She thinks that design approach should be reestablished totally from the root. Nowadays, when people speak about design they should consider issues like anthropology, sociology, politics, culture, technology, art, environment and creativity in general. She thinks that our cultural approach to design could give us the possibility to change radically our point of view and to create a very new way to do projects. The culture oriented approach allows designers to understand and establish a new point of view to design processes. She thinks also that this approach could help them to improve a new strategic design skills. 

Photo from twitter.com

Valletta explains that her personal approach to design research within the project is based on a very simple idea – “to find the thought beyond design”. It means that it is crucial to improve our search method that is very far from the appearance of things and try to figure out which are the main meanings of things. She convinces that the culture design oriented approach gives the opportunity to understand for example: how the philosophy or the thoughts of Italo Calvino, John Thackara and also the musician Philip Glass could be very relevant to the development of new processes in design. 
 
Valletta thinks that in the future we will have to deal with very important key values. These key values are based on importance of environment, mobility, rapidity, flowing processes and they are just few of the main key values to empower this design approach. These key values give us also a opportunity to explore design researching method in a different way.          

WALKER AND MARTIN ARCHITECTS have worked on a variety of projects and the multi-faith project designed by David Walker is a good example of being able to bring fresh-thinking to create something special. Located in the new Westfield Stratford City Shopping centre (the largest in Europe), and adjacent to the London Olympic site – the space was to perform the difficult task of being welcoming to users, both non-religious and religious and from various faiths, to provide contemplation and calmness away from the retail environment.

This is achieved by a subtle split of the area into two spaces – a reconfigurable main space and a smaller “side space”, while they exist happily side by side they are defined in different ways.

The main space uses curved elements to hide lighting which washes across the adjacent surfaces, the ceiling element also provides a definition or focus as well as controlling the acoustics. In this space we designed two “boomerang” shaped mobile screens allowing the space to be configured for different uses.

The side space or lounge is a subtle contrast to the main space being long and rectangular, the ceiling is made from timber panels which are “fractured” to allow the lighting to wash out from the openings. This space is furnished with acoustic highback sofas, which provide privacy and can be grouped to allow single, double or upto 4 people in an intimate setting.

Both spaces are defined by red brick walls – this was deliberately chosen as a small-scale and “domestic” finish which is completely different to the retail environment outside. The entrance is defined by with a short corridor and the washing spaces to one side.

The space has been extremely successful, originally intended for use by some of the 10,500 people who work on site or nearby, it has become a destination in its own right and attracts many positive comments from people of all faiths.

Description comes from architects and photographs are by Isabel Aram-Walker.

From their offices in Milano, Park Associati architects designed a praise-worthy Countryhouse in Val Tidone. Located in the foothills of Val Tidone, in Italy’s Piacentine countryside, the modern version of typical surrounding barns and traditional “cascinas” rises as high up as the adjacent buildings, while mirroring the influence of modern architecture in rural countrysides. The architects describe it as “a modern design, free from nostalgic elements“, and the construction also does it part in protecting the environment – its orientation allows it to see the sun as an ally, minimizing exposure during hot summer months and maximizing light gain during the colder period of the year.

Organized around a central courtyard, the contemporary residence features a series of carefully designed spaces: “The ground floor consists of a cloakroom and storage area and two large rooms that are visually connected via large sliding glazed doors: the kitchen and dining area that are conceived as a single space and the living room; these areas have been designed as a series of spaces that lead from one to the other and on to the outside, through the courtyard and out to the timber-decked terrace. At first floor there are four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The floors are covered in planks of iroko wood and local stone laid in an irregular pattern. The brick of the external elevations continues inside to become one of the interior finishing materials, along with plaster and a large, stone wall with a fireplace and alcove for firewood in sheet metal in the living area.” Designed to feel and look comfortable and inspiring, this rural dream home is embraced by a natural ascending green wall that completes the strong connection to nature.

via freshome.com

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa in the southern most atoll of the Maldives stretches across the sparkling waters, offering a luxurious place to retreat and forget everything – just concentrate on yourself in direct connection with the natural environment. Awaiting guests with its 142 villas, the resort surrounded by white sands accompanies a carefree vacation surrounded by 3.5 miles of Indian Ocean coastline. Encompassing the essence of these words – “where the heart wonders, tranquility will follow” – Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa gathers luxury facilities on 30 acres of lush vegetation pierced by nature trails – a perfect setting for the perfect waterfront vacation.

via freshome.com

The glamorous Foothill House in Paradise Valley, Arizona, is up for sale. If you have $10 million lying around and are in search of a unique, exquisite residence for you and your family, this could be your dream home. The contemporary two level house is surrounded by a 10 acre property where owners can enjoy a myriad of features – from the staggering eight bedroom set of private spaces to the relaxing mini golf course on the premises. Let’s take a look at the inviting interiors – the single family home features twelve bathrooms, two large family rooms for socializing in an intimate atmosphere, a library for those inspiring moments alongside needful knowledge, a fitness room and a circular pool keeping the inhabitant’s bodies fit with a spa to relax in afterwards and a majestic kitchen with formal and informal dining spaces – all gathered under the roof of this 12,860 square foot modern house. Everything about this residence screams luxury and we would love to see one of our readers get their hands on such a property.

via freshome.com

This video shows an interview Piero Lissoni, a Milanese architect and designer. Lissoni approaches his work with a mastery of proportion and an acute sensitivity for the subtlety that distinguishes the common from the insightful, never designing for a specific function or purpose, but designing for human beings. He began his career in 1978 having gained his architecture degree at the Milan Polytechnic and in 1985 started with Boffi Kitchens as Art Director & Designer. With Nicoletta Canesi he founded the architectural firm Lissoni Associates in Milan in 1986, and ten years later lent his vision to Graph.x, a graphic design company. Lissoni’s projects are often total designs that are full-scale interiors and architecture of offices and showrooms, yachts, private homes, and hotels. He is also the author of recognized projects of industrial design, graphic design, corporate identity, advertising and packaging. In recent years, he has designed luxury hotels such as the Monaco & Grand Canal in Venice, the Al Porto hotel on Lake Zurich, the Bentley Design Hotel in Istanbul, and the Mitsui Garden Ginza Hotel in Tokyo, He is a winner of 20 international design awards like “Best of the Best” and the “International Award Cologne” in 2010. During the interview, Lissoni shares with us his design philosophy.

Lissoni explains that he takes inspirations from life in general. His ideas are based on street life, music, natural beauty, culture. That is why he thinks that it is incredibly important to have a specific connection with normal life. He thinks that for him being a designer is one part of his face. On the other hand, being an architect is associated for him with working on site, with dimensions spaces and proportions. Architecture also creates for him a specific connection between different antique pieces, heritage and new buildings and new proportions.  
 
Lissoni explains that during design process it does not matter what you are designing. It is not important that you design a watch, a coffee machine, a table or something else. Always the beginning of the process looks the same, because at first you put everything into the “special box” and the first level of preparation is always a conceptual approach. After that you ought to combine together some different attitudes which are results of different type of objects that you need to design.    
 
The designer thinks like that because of some reasons representatives of his profession need to be free. Nevertheless, when you are a director you need to be absolutely clear in introducing your point of view without any level of compromise. It is that because as a director you need to combine together different faces. It is not enough to respect creativity, you need to respect the prospect and the economical part of the project. He thinks that in the work as a director you also need to be precise and absolutely not romantic. 

A wall of wooden scales folds through the glazed facade of this house and studio that Korean architects AND designed for an artist in South Korea. As the panels emerge behind the glass they begin to separate from one another, creating a series of openings that permit views across from the double height studio to the living quarters behind. The wall also curves upward to wrap and conceal a bedroom on the first floor. Find out what architects said about this project.

Artist + Painting

An artist walks into the office, introducing himself with a pamphlet of his paintings. Vivid colors and forced brush strokes that densely filled the screens shows his sensibility and thoughts. His use of unfamiliar words to describe his works that he is “interested in ecological theology,” illustrates the naïve mind of the artist that he paints from himself, or he paints himself through the painting. Perhaps, that is why his recent works include a body of a person in a landscape. The body, rather than being separated as a distinctive object, is depicted as part of the aggregated elements of the surrounding landscape where the trees, bushes, and the sky respond to each other blurring the boundary. What he depicts here is not a moment’s phenomenal state; rather it is the deconstruction of the object as a monad, at the same time, it is about things become an integrated being united with the surroundings.

Studio + Nature

The artist has been working at home for more than ten years. The subjects of his paintings are nothing special but spaces of his daily life. He has been constantly projecting his gaze at the parks nearby, streets, a small village in a countryside where he often visits. As seen from his recent exhibition titles, ‘A Talk with a Tree,’ ‘Thinking Forest,’ there is no clear boundary between human and nature in his paintings. Furthermore, the distinction between a body and its surroundings, or interior and exterior is only allusive.

What is clearly revealed is the flow of continuous matter waves and powerful forces that fill the space. A quotation found from his note explains everything, “Molecules think, too.” As an alternative to the Modernist’s ontology that separates man and nature, body and reason, and that postulates a certain dominant structure, his studio explores the world of wholeness. His studio shall reflect his world view. Then the real question is how one constructs an ambiguous field that interior is blurred with exterior, nature permeates into the space, and the artist’s gaze spills out to the nature.

Skin + Space

To the north of the site is a 4 meter high sloped hill, and the site is open towards all three sides. First, a long façade stands on the south of the site and overlooks a stream. The skin of the façade is gently rolled inward as it breaks up the boundary between the interior and the exterior. The rolled in surfaces lift up as they enter the interior and they traverse the interior toward the opposite side of the wall. During the crossing, the panels of the skin are split and distorted, creating loose crevices.

The landscape permeates through the crevice, and so does light. The light colors the space with every moment in time. As a body moves, the space of the crevice changes sensitively. Skin becomes space, and space becomes skin. The boundary is blurred, and the flow that passes through the interior and the exterior becomes denser.

via dezeen.com

Storing books and other decorative objects may seem like a practical matter, but shelving has transcended the mundane and entered the realm of creativity. Who says a bookshelf can’t be a canvas for an eye-catching arrangement of reading materials and vases? And what if the shelf itself were a work of art?

An array of modern options awaits you, from the simple and clean-lined to the whimsically modular. Whether the room calls for a wall-mounted shelf or a free standing piece, a variety of colors and designs are available. Enjoy perusing the shelving finds below–storage has never been so stunning!

Freestanding Shelves

Ushanki Ushanki shelf lamps from Ukranian design house decorkuznetsov

Enrico Zanolla Design Studio

The Diego Room Divider

The 3.14 White Bookcase designed by Mark Daniel.

TWIG bookshelf mirrors by Faktura

V bookcase by Faktura

SCALA bookcase by Faktura

Elevate Walnut 68″ Bookcase by Crate&Barrel

Three-Tier Bookcase by Hokku Designs Cielo

Sloane Espresso Leaning Bookcases by Crate&Barrel

Hancock Clover Bookcase by CB2

Whitewashed Wood and Metal Shelves by West Elm

Parsons Tower by West Elm

Wall-Mounted Shelves

Spine Wall Shelf by West Elm

Alcove Wall Shelf by CB2

Wall-Mounted Bookcase by West Elm

Red Wall Bookshelf by CB2

Modular Shelving

Cubist Modular Wall Shelf Se by CB2

Qubicles by Quirky

LagoLINEA by LAGO

IVY modular shelving system by parislowitz.com

Cocoon modular wall shelving system by Paola Navone

Cocoon modular wall shelving system in blue by Paola Navone

IKEA

Hillside modular shelving system by Arflex

via decoist.com

Interior designer Rees Roberts collaborated with Steven Harris Architects to create a stunning modern house located in Cabo San Lucas. The private residence named Casa Finisterra boasts building materials like concrete, stone, metal and glass. Composed of private courtyards and elegantly designed interiors, the house on the Baja Peninsula overlooks sparkling waters and was designed to appear as part of the landscape, with large expanses of glass opening the interiors towards the views. A neutral color palette including white, beige, and grey was pierced by dark accents and adorned with minimalist furniture to create a calming effect and avoid taking the focus off the surrounding landscape. Stone patios connect the volumes of the house and act as part of the interior/exterior space arrangement, allowing inhabitants to make the most of such a splendid location.

via freshome.com

Located in a fascinating landscape of the Atlantic rainforest, the Iporanga House in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was designed to occupy as little terrain as possible, but still be large enough to shelter 5 distinctive suites – one for the client couple, one for each of their 3 sons and an additional guest suite. Nitsche Arquitetos Associados made sure the house was perfectly adapted to the surroundings and built a 400 square meter interior floor plan: “So we decided to split the program in 3 levels: a suspended volume, wood structured for the 5 suites, so they would be on the trees´ crown/top; a plan, the concrete slab elevated from the ground to support all of the program social activities, living, dining room the kitchen and the swimming pool; and underneath it, on ground level there is a small enclosed area for services.

A small accommodation for a house keeper couple, a laundry and a deposit.” Designing this inspiring residence led to using a varied material palette that constructed the almost transparent house – a lot of glass was used to convey the spirit of the forest, concrete helped protect the interior privacy and aluminum to frame the elements. Supported by concrete columns embedded in the humid soil, steel beams and wood frames were put together to shape an exciting architecture that we hope you enjoy.

via fancycribs.com

This video shows an interview with a Swiss architect Milena Cvijanovich, who is the Founding Principal of MCM Design Studio which specializes in international luxury residential and commercial architecture. The studio puts an emphasis on alternative energy solutions and sustainability. Cvijanovich has developed an innovative mode of travel and relaxation, one that harmonizes luxury with sky, water and earth. Instead of being at odds with the environment, her studio has conceived of a nomadic island that transports one to an unmatched equilibrium. During the interview, she talks about the background of the Island(E)motion project – a revolutionary sustainable floating vessel concept.

Cvijanovich asked about the beginnings of the Island(E)motion, answers that the idea of this project started on the beach in Monako during a normal sunny day about 4 years ago. She was having a drink with some friends who were dreaming about some sort of a large platform on which they could actually create everything they want. During a discussion, Cvijanovich suggested that this platform could be also sustainable, completely out of grid and never seen before. She explains that since that time they have done a lot of work to make this project happen. They have worked with all sorts of researchers, naval architects, green roof specialists and so on to come up with the projects which we can see today.      
 

Photo from elitechoice.org

Cvijanovich explains that in the existing version of model of this residential project there are 180m2 VIP suites which were designed to mere exacting standards of harmonious interior design. Nevertheless, they are working on more traditional size of rooms which will be much smaller. The idea is to create a unique, private island which the client could take wherever he wants. This could be also a very exclusive destination for resort which could be run as a hotel, spa or medical wellness. Especially, they wanted to create a luxuries space which does not have a big impact on the environment.  

Cvijanovich describes that the 4 decks of Island(E)motion feature use of both recycled and recyclable construction materials for their superstructure. The yacht’s cruising speed is 10 knots. A gyrostabilizer system will deliver excellent rolling motion attenuation by up to 95% while the vessel is at anchor, drifting, alongside, loitering or at transit speed. Energy required to power life on the yacht will be generated by a unique combination of solute and thermal panels, as well as by wind energy. New propeller technology and fuel systems will reduce power consumption. As a result, the water bodies classified as UNESCO heritage sites will be places of paradise readily accessible to Island(E)motion.

This unique building was designed by Architect David Jameson and it called NaCl House. The building is located in Bethesda, Maryland. Architect wrote about this project: “Breaking the prescriptive mold of horizontally layered homes, NaCl House aspires to render unclear the spatial organization of the project and explore an architecture of ambiguous scale. The resultant massing reveals an imperfect, rough-hewn form recalling the natural isometric formation of mineral rock salt.

The exterior composition is read as a single object that reflects a dynamic fluid interior. Uncorrelated to the buildings structure, glazing panels are detailed flush to the exterior surface, eliminating shadows which further inhibit a reading of the buildings scale.”

via contemporist.com

Few moments in life are quite as satisfying as the first swim of the summer– especially when it takes place in your very own back yard. A swimming pool can provide a luxurious vacation-like reprieve just steps away from the comfort of your own home. Not to mention, by adding simple landscaping and a set of low maintenance waterproof patio furniture, you can enjoy turn your pool into your very own tropical retreat. Here we present 26 sleek pool designs for your inspiration. Which one you like the most?

via decoist.com

Two floors were sufficient to encompass the necessary living spaces for Casa Del Pico in Spain. Created by Madrid-based studio ÁBATON, the 3,143 square foot home rests on a sloped granite terrain, which became the inspiration for the two-floor residential project cladded with colored mortar render. Materials used to build the house include honed limestone floors, white plastered walls, white-lacquered MDF woodwork and doors on the inside and lacquered aluminum exterior joinery. Architects share a few words about the challenging site, adapted architecture and focused interior arrangement: “The sharp slope from street level to the back of the site made it vital to conceive of two floors.

The presence of granite throughout prompted the design conceit of dual structures floating above the stone itself. In order to emulate the geometry of the stone, the base of the swimming pool is uneven and mirrors the shapes etched out by the granite over which it is built. The ground floor was designed to interact closely with the outside so that the garden is perceived as an extension of the interior. The upper floor, where the living room and the children’s area are located, was linked to the swimming pool. The rooftop terrace over the living room boasts views of the mountains and city and comes with a giant built-in bench which additionally acts as a barrier. Changes in usage within open-plan areas are punctuated by differing ceiling or floor heights.”

via freshome.com

Casa CKN was designed by Giuliano Montero Architects and is located in Playa de Atlântida, Xangri-lá, Brazil. Spread over a total surface of 422,08 square meters, on a lot of 540 square meters, the imposing summer house was especially built for the entertainment of the residents and their guests. Defined by uneven volumes, brick and red roof tiles, the exterior appearance of the residence is complemented by a swimming pool on one side, and by a paved pathway and a miniature car lane on the other. The interior design is a logical extension of the exterior, with tall brick walls and plenty of wood employed throughout. The heart of the project is the double-height living room, connected with all other spaces and “flanked” by two suites. Various terraces create a good indoor/outdoor relationship.

via freshome.com

This video presents a speech by AIA President Jeff Potter, FAIA. Apart from performing this function, he is also vice president of POTTER Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Planning of Longview and Dallas, Texas. He is a graduate of the college of architecture of Texas A&M University (MArch). He was president of the Professional Leadership Board of the Department of Architecture from 2000-2003. He was president of the Texas Society of Architects (2004) and has been a long-time leader of and contributor to Texas Architect magazine. As a member of the national board of directors (2006- 2009), Jeff served on the Board Advocacy Committee, Secretary’s Advisory Committee, and was 2008 chair of the AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education Jury. This speech is especially directed to young people in order to encourage them to become architects. During the talk, Potter brings up the subjects of AIA and the future of the profession of the architect.

He explains that American Institute of Architects was created in order to provide architects a stronger position to influence public policies that help shape the world of practice and design. He proudly admits that over a century later that mission has not changed. Neither has the vision of the AIA members to work for more livable communities. Whether it is about advocating for sustainable environment, leading disaster recovery or making the case for more livable, healthy and beautiful communities. Nevertheless, he convinces that AIA needs young people to cultivate this vision, thanks to their energy and idealism. In response young people are able to fulfill their passion that led them to choose architecture as a career.

Photo from aggienetwork.com

He recalls that when he was a student of Texas A&M University, a several of his faculty members were AIA members. He explains that they talked about their professional experience and issues shaping the practice of architecture. He really wanted to be a part of those conversations and some night he crashed the party and went to AIA meeting. The individuals that he met that night are still his close friends and have been advisors and mentors throughout his career. He explains that he started in AIA by inviting himself. Shortly after graduation he became a member of AIA which was an opening up door for him to give something back to his profession in his community.

He admits that today is very popular to learn things virtually or to employ social media to experience things. Nevertheless, he thinks that the richer experience is in the interplay, in the face-to-face communication, in the exchange of ideas among creative women and men who share the same interest in leaving the world a little bit better. He encourages young people to pursue their dreams with other members of their generation through the AIA.

“People bring design to life” is the slogan used by IKEA to promote Milan Design Week 2012. Graffiti and street art enthusiasts will surely recognize the Banksy and Obey inspired stenciled-posters over its ads. Found all over the subway stations in Milan, the black and white additions do a great job in complimenting the colorful IKEA posters and transforming them into eye-catching messages. The IKEA creative team also glued the stenciled-posters on turnstiles, stair-steps and on the floors, which means walking through Milan with the subway just got more interesting. We added a video below, that should answer any questions you may have about the campaign implementation process. Enjoy the unexpected black&white stencils in the photos and tell us if you find this IKEA campaign as original as the company’s previous creative efforts.

via freshome.com

The SeaCity Museum, Southampton, set to open on the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure from the city. Designed by British architects Wilkinson Eyre, the museum occupies a former magistrates court in Southampton, England, which is where the ship famously set sail from 100 years ago this month. A strip of glazing connects the existing building to the new north wing, which accommodates special exhibitions and has its own separate entrance.

Here’s some more information from Wilkinson Eyre Architects:

Wilkinson Eyre Architects has unveiled images of Southampton City Council’s new SeaCity Museum that is to open on April 2012, a century after the RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton. The design for the £15m museum, which has refurbished and extended one of city’s most important civic buildings, will tell the largely untold and fascinating story of the crew on board the Titanic and the impact the sinking of the world’s most famous ship had on families in Southampton. The Museum will also feature other exhibitions about the city’s maritime past and present, telling the stories of people who have arrived and departed in the port over the past 2,000 years.

The project’s architectural brief was to reinvigorate the existing Grade II* listed Magistrates’ Court building, which includes courtrooms and cell block, to create 2000 sq m of exhibition and learning space. Plans also included the addition of a pavilion, which signals the presence of a new important cultural attraction within the city, and has taken the form of a bold architectural addition connected to the north façade of the existing building.

Designing the visitor experience

The Magistrates’ Court building forms part of a complex, collectively known as the Civic Centre, which was designed by E. Berry Webber and represents one of the most important 1930s buildings of its type in the south of England. On entering the building, visitors move into the foyer that provides orientation and connectivity between the two principal levels of the building and opens to the dramatic newly-refurbished Grand Hall.

The main entrance space provides access to the ground floor, where the ticketing, shop and cafe are located. This is adjoined by a triple height light well that has been formed by enclosing a former prisoners’ exercise yard. A continuous red oxide wall, which recalls the antifoul paint of the Titanic, links the entrance space, light well and pavilion’s lobby, and has been designed to help visitors navigate the different spaces.

A bridge spans across the northern end of the light well, acting as a ‘gangway’ for visitors within the Titanic exhibition. Above the bridge, a roof light frames views of the clock tower; as the height from the light well to the tower is approximately the same height as the Titanic’s funnel, this design feature gives the impression of the scale of the ship.

The design for the SeaCity Museum remains sensitive to the existing characteristics of the building and uses the qualities of these restored spaces to enhance the visitor experience. Significant adaptations of the Grade II* listed building, which have been done in close consultation with English Heritage, include the transformation of the court rooms into exhibition spaces, plus the restoration of the original prison cells into toilet facilities and also the refurbishment of the original steel frame of the building.

The pavilion

A simple material palette of glass and reconstituted stone has been used to make sensitive, contemporary additions to the existing building, including glazed roof extensions and a new single storey pavilion connected to the northern façade of the existing building. The pavilion is linked to the Magistrates’ Court building via a glazed link, designed to act as an independent entrance into the extension if required.

The pavilion’s geometric design negotiates an irregular site where the ground rises two metres from south to north. As a result, the structure – which takes the form of three interlocking bays rising in parallel with the ground – corresponds to the surrounding buildings whilst making a bold architectural statement. The façades are formed of reconstituted stone precast panels and translucent, backlit reinforced glass panels, allowing for natural light to reach the interior spaces. The use of stone aggregate also ensures that the exterior of the pavilion is consistent with the architectural style of the Magistrates’ Court building.

Anna Woodeson, Associate at Wilkinson Eyre Architects, said: “We are delighted with the finished museum, which brings a new lease of life to a very important building in Southampton, whilst also announcing the arrival of a new cultural attraction with the addition of the pavilion. These new spaces will play a key role in helping Southampton tell its fascinating maritime story.”

Wilkinson Eyre Architects also designed the landscaping that surrounds the museum, creating green areas and a new grey granite pedestrian path that connects the SeaCity Museum toSouthampton’s City Centre.

via dezeen.com

Part of an exclusive mountain neighborhood in Whistler, Canada, the residence belonging to a London-based client was inspired by its surroundings and received a simple name hinting to its location – Whistler Residence. Battersby Howat Architects completed this residential project taking into account the client’s affinity for typical Whistler chalets, but upgrading the architecture to a modern standard. As the architects describe it, the house is slightly deceptive: “located on a smallish, yet prominent site, the visual mass of this large structure was diminished through making a substantial portion of the house appear to be below grade. Thoughtful removal of bedrock and the careful allocation of program to allow for both adult and children’s retreat zones resulted in a structure that is extremely private and looks deceptively modest in relation to its neighbors.” A collection of carefully placed windows help capture views of the distant mountain peaks and rocky/green terrain in the immediate vicinity. Cladded in black stained shingles and topped off with standing seam metal roofing, the Whistler Residence stands out without overwhelming the panorama.

via freshome.com

The project was designed by Madrid studio Exit Architects. Constructed from load-bearing brickwork, the nineteenth century building comprises four wings that have been completely refurbished to accommodate an auditorium, a library, multi-function rooms and classrooms for art and music. At the centre of the four wings is a new hall, inside which large round skylights extend down to create cylindrical light wells and miniature courtyards. The library is contained within the wing that previously housed prisoner cell blocks and features a central reading area beneath an octagonal skylight.

Here’s some more text from Exit Architects:

The former Palencia Provincial Prison complex was created at the end of the XIX century, built with brick bearing walls following the “neomudéjar” style, and composed mainly of four two-storey wings and some other with one storey.

On this building was planned a comprehensive refurbishment to transform the former use and convert it into a center that promotes the social and cultural activity in this part of the town.

Our proposal intends to convert the former prison into a meeting place, recovering some of the old spaces, and creating at the same time new structures that make possible the new planned activities.

It is a project that respects the existing building, which is given a contemporary, lighter appearance, and where the natural light will play a key role.

With this aim the main two-storey wings have been refurbished, emptying their interior and placing a new independent structure to bear the new floors and roofs. Besides, between the main wings have been built new connecting pavilions, which form the new complex perimeter and give it a modern and friendly aspect.

To introduce the light in the building we had to remove the old covered with tiles which were in very poor condition, and have been replaced by others of zinc that open large skylights which introduce light into the open halls of the Center.

The entire building is organized around a great hall that connects the 4 pavilions of the former prison. It is a diaphanous space based only on a few mild cylindrical courtyards of glass that illuminate and provide the backbone of the stay.

Due to its central location in relation to the pavilions, this space acts as a nerve center and distributor of users, across the Pavilion access and reception, directed towards the rest of the areas of the Centre.

The hall gives way to the lateral pavilions where the auditorium and various music and art classrooms are. On the upper floor, under a large glass skylights, are two multi-purpose areas dedicated to more numerous groups.

In the area where is the cells of prisoners were, we placed the library. The reading rooms are articulated around a central space of high-rise under a lantern of octagonal shape that acts as a distributor for the different areas and that arrives vertical communication and control areas and offices.

Finally, access to the Centre are carried out through a very light and bright glazed perimeter that pretends to be a filter between the city and the activity of the interior.

A structural steel beam travels abroad tying areas glazed with the former factory walls getting an alleged industrial air.

The use of metallic materials in all intervention, as the zinc in facades and roofs, glass and uglass in the lower bodies and skylights and the aluminium lattices as light filters also contributes to this.

architects: EXIT ARCHITECTS – ÁNGEL SEVILLANO / JOSÉ Mª TABUYO
location: AVDA. VALLADOLID Nº 26, 34034 PALENCIA
clients: MINISTERIO DE FOMENTO, AYUNTAMIENTO DE PALENCIA
area: 5.077 m2
budget: 9.675.038 EUROS
project date: 2007
completion date: 2011
quantity surveyor: IMPULSO INDUSTRIAL ALTERNATIVO. ÁLVARO FERNÁNDEZ

via dezeen.com

This video shows an interview with the MIT Professor Philip Freelon on the occasion of his firm’s exhibition “REACH” that takes place in the Wolk Gallery at MIT from 15th February to 5th May. Philip Freelon is a founder of The Freelon Group that specializes in the design of museums and cultural centers and education and research facilities. Its projects are i.e. the National Center for Civil & Human Rights in Atlanta, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore, and the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. The firm has received over forty-two American Institute of Architects (AIA) design awards for projects plus AIA North Carolina’s Outstanding Firm Award. The firm is well-known not only because of its achievements in design but also of its inclusion of women and minorities traditionally underrepresented in the architecture profession. During the interview, Freelon talks about “REACH” and his time as a student at MIT, and the importance of encouraging diversity in the profession of Architecture.

In Freelon’s opinion, the exhibition it’s called “Reach” because this word for them signifies the fact that their projects are reaching out to the community. That’s why from the very beginning they have been focused on public sector projects commissioned by local and state governments, universities and schools. For him, it’s important because they have an opportunity to bring design excellence to very broad base of customers and users. The exhibition shows what the whole design process looks like and in what way the work in the firm is done.

Photo taken during the “REACH”

Freelon asked about their proudest achievement, stated that it is a difficult question, because, from his point of view, it has been an evolution as their firm started as one person and then expanded and each stage of their development has its moments of pride and significance of the firm. Nevertheless, Freelon after a while admits that a proud moment for his firm was to be commissioned to build the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
 
As far as his student time is concerned, Freelon said that he really enjoyed the time when he was MIT student. He considered other universities but he chose MIT because when he came to the studio he noticed two things. Firstly, projects were focused more on human scale and secondly, the students were very friendly and open and the studio environment seemed very welcoming. These two factors were decisive.
 
Freelon asked about a role that race has played in his career, said that when he came back to teach, he noticed that there wasn’t a big racial diversity among students and it was something that he wanted to work on with other professors. He wanted to open up opportunities for broader range of students. He thinks that many students are discouraged to study architecture because they don’t see many examples in a real life, for instance, only 2% of Afro-Americans works in architect profession. According to him, the exhibitions like “REACH” are a great opportunity to encourage young people to follow their dreams.   

There are no horizontal crossbeams to interrupt the vertically striped wooden batons that clad this house outside Munich by German architects Titus Bernhard. Matching wooden slats frame the building’s deep-set windows, which fold around the corners of walls as well as up over the concealed eaves. The name of the three-storey residence is House 11×11, which relates to its square shaped dimensions in plan.

Here’s some more information from Titus Bernhard Architekten:

The idea behind House 11 x 11 was to design an apparently compact house of homogenous materials, with a low external surface but as large a usable area as possible, a house that serves a family as an inhabitable sculpture and shows its exterior as an image of the inner organization.

House 11 x 11 is an icon for its users, symbolic and built with a new method of construction: the exterior walls and the wooden roof made of prefabricated elements are covered by a vertical wood-lamella façade without counter-battens, converging on the ridge of the roof.

A pronounced graphic character is the result, reinforced by the variable density and very precise setting of the lamellae, including the integration of the wooden window frames.

The inner organization expresses itself in the open-plan floor space of the ground floor, containing a kernel for secondary uses as a space continuum, connecting optically with the upper story by means of airspaces and cleverly designed lighting.

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Project FJ House was designed by São Paulo-based studio Guilherme Torres and is located in São Paulo, Brazil. The 1,453 square foot modern apartment was especially developed for a single owner, combining a business life with that of a DJ. Here is more from the official project description: “The kitchen, integrated to the living room, occupies the area that was previously designed for corridors and lavatory. All the woodwork was designed by the architect and one of the great aspects of the project’s interior design was the “high-low” effect, that is, great insights with very low costs. For example, the DJ table, is actually an aluminum ladder that gained a new interpretation. The whole furniture line follows an unassuming style, inspired in the 70’s. The Master suite gained a bathtub integrated to the sleeping area, a transgression more than welcome on this contemporary way of living”. The apartment below is a remodel of an 80′s apartment, which was brought down and designed from scratch. What do you think of the final result?

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Taking in the infinite views and inspiring sunsets on the Andaman Sea, this exotic residence located in Kamala, Phuket, Thailand accommodates no less than five bedrooms, on a total built area of 2160 square feet. Built on a hilltop, the villa not only takes in the surrounding beauty; the interiors are decorated with elements staying true to Thai national traditions. But this is as far as it goes- with a jaw-dropping price tag of $9 million, comfort is obvious in every room of the mansion and is reflected in opulent furniture items and extravagant decorating ideas. However, the most striking feature of this all equipped modern Thai villa is a 969 square feet infinity swimming pool, surrounded by vegetation and overlooking the sea and hills. A poolside terrace with comfortable lounge chairs becomes the transition space between the exterior and the plethora of indoor living facilities.

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Djuric Tardio Architects designed this “Sustainable Eco-House” in Paris, France. The architects wrote about this project: The new project has been realized in a neighborhood, Antony that is an example of the belief that architecture, whether heterogeneous and homogeneous, is shaped by outdated zoning regulations. The delays in securing permits, along with conditions of the urban situation and our desire to continue and refine our own research on wood constructions, led us to propose a type of construction system.

This type is still not released in urban areas and rather reserved for detached houses in less dense sites. The urban rules and the site context, which is very typical, have suggested the template, which has proved a real asset to the project.

Up there, the shape of the roof/pergola, which looks like an unfinished roof, has a specific function. On the one hand, it takes the archetype of the context, inserting the project in its environment without disrupting the urban rhythm, on the other hand, it won’t accommodate a closed roof that would become a catch-all attic or a wasted space.

So we have inserted inhabitants in it, and have left it open by transforming it into a vegetable terrace, intimate and sunny. The choice of plants proposed by the landscape designer, grasses and vines on the pergola offering fruits (kiwis, squashes, grapes), will enable the owners to enjoy a vegetable garden, a suspended garden.

The program was for a blended family, calling for a flexible, modular design and design process. The answer was to instill two areas, separated but and overlapping. With very few adjustments, these two areas could become one larger, combined space.

The walls of the skylight illuminating the ground floor can be optionally removed, tomorrow perhaps working as railings and returning visual link between the two floors. The staircase is positioned in the central frame of servant areas, with the entry today common to both access. Tomorrow it might be possible to open this frame in onto the day spaces.

Giant sliding walls on each floor divide into two day spaces in order to currently organize a new partition of the areas and create an office/library on the ground floor area and a cinema on the first floor, and tomorrow, to partition the space according to use. A sideboard on wheels slips between the kitchen and the terrace on the ground floor, moving the dining area outside on sunny days.

The layout has been designed to focus on flexibility and adaptation of the everyday living spaces, seasons (in summer, the space continues outside and is more open and more spacious, while in winter, it is gathered around the fireplace) and on long-term projects. This layout researches the adaption of the lifestyle of the owners.

Eco-Sustainable Construction System

Completely built in wood panels placed on a pedestal (the ground here is very bad), the house is completely prefabricated in a workshop and delivered to the site to be finally assembled in just two weeks. This is a building system in Finnish wood panels that come from sustainably managed cooperatives of small private forest owners.

The pre-cut panels, supplemented by wood fiber insulation and non-treated siding, arrived at the site almost finished, reducing pollution to a minimum (the site being located in a dense suburb). The façades, in wood panels too, were mounted along the floor. With a very efficient exterior insulation system which completely allows the elimination of thermal bridges, wood construction has the advantage to make the building very powerful.

The under-floor gas-fired heating with low temperature becomes almost superfluous. The double-glazed + argon windows of the patios and the South façades, deliberately oversized, capture the sun in winter and are sheltered by a canopy and a pergola in summer. This allows together with their performance and surface, an easy control of the solar gain and air flow as needed, without necessitating an intensive use of air conditioning or heating.

The main facade on the street, lodging the rooms in the North, is a composition of large glazed openings and single opening shutters designed in stainless steel mirror with no glazing. The reflections of the vegetation and the movement of these shutters in stainless steel mirrors make the façade changing.

The ventilation of the rooms is regulated by the openings of the shutters, and the penetration of light through the windows. The recovery of rainwater can water the garden and planters allow homeowners to cultivate aromatic plants and garden without water over-consumption.

via contemporist.com

This video shows an interview with Dutch architect Bart Van Der Velde. He graduated from the Technical University in Eindhoven and worked for Bert Dirrix, Eindhoven and KPF, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in London. In 1998 he joined Grosfeld architectural studio and became a principal in 2008 and the studio changed name to Grosfeld Van Der Velde Architecten. After beginning the cooperation with Pascal Grosfeld, they won European 5 competition in 1999 in Turku, Finland and the competition for a contemporary Buitenplaats in Breda. In 2007 he won an international competition in Jyvaskyla, Finland for an urban plan in a landscape context. He also is a lecturer at ArtEz Academy of Architecture in Arnhem. During the interview, he explains why investing in history pays off for a city and its citizens.

He describes his actual project in Holland, where his architectural firm is doing a preservation and reconstruction of a group of buildings in a heart of the city of Utrecht. All those buildings came from 18th century and they originally housed the city library. The main goal of the project was to renovate those buildings and actually open them up to the public. He explains that his team did a lot of research to find the best possible solution to these buildings. One result of that research was the idea to transform old ballroom into open space. They have opened this space up to the roof showing the wooden frames that have never been shown. Thanks to this intervention, there is more light and much more space in the place where people were dancing or dinning about three hundred years ago.

Photo from grosfeldvandervelde.nl

Interviewer asks how far renovators could go before they destroy the heritage of the building, van deer Velde answers that it depends on the location of the particular project. He explains that in general Holland is a land where people talk to each other a lot and they discuss about this kind of projects and try to find the best solution. His firm tries to do everything with logic for the people of the city who will use that place. He thinks that they should not treat the building like monument, they should just use the building and its beautiful spaces. 
 
He thinks that Europeans will start to preserve their architecture and make money from it soon. He thinks that the energy from twenties of thirties is very inspiring but in seventies it turned out to be economic to produce without any details on a larger scale. Now, people start to notice the quality of old buildings and that they can be used for many functions. Historical buildings with their beautiful details and emotional value start have become interesting again. So, he thinks that it will be no longer necessary to demolish old buildings only in order to create a new one.

Drozdov Partners designed the Anti Patio house in Kharkov, Ukraine. Architects wrote about this project: The terraced plot is located on the eastern slope of the hill, with a 10-15 km panoramic view characteristic of a penthouse. The ensemble of three containers (60 sq m each) is sited on two natural terraces: the “guest container” occupies the lower one, the “bedroom container” leans on the slope and the “common area container” uses the upper terrace. Total glazing of day zones provides a view from the “village” to the megapolis, with its puffs of smoke and fireworks.

via contemporist.com

The Seadrift Residence designed by San Francisco based CCS Architecture may look like another wooden house by the lake. We assure you, it doesn’t! The sleek home is located in Stinson Beach in North California, nestled in the valley of the semi arid hills. Elevated above ground level to get an even surface in the hilly area and meet new building codes, it spans over an area of 1900 sq ft and reveals a spectacular architecture, ideal for a big family of six.

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Hayman five-star Hotel is located on a privileged island in Australia, and provides easy access to the Great Barrier Reef. The natural beauty surrounding the resort is just minutes away from exploring. This is probably why the 240 luxurious rooms of the hotel, included in suites, penthouses, villas and beach houses, are not just a way of guest pampering, but can also be considered the starting point of an unforgettable nature adventure. The hotel’s playful appearance, contrasted by the green forests and blue waters of the surrounding swimming pool, sets the tone for a holiday-inspired scenery. The interior design of the accommodation units tastefully combines modern details (precise geometric shapes and floor to ceiling glass windows) with more traditional furniture and wooden accents. The overall feeling is that of elegance and refinement throughout.

via freshome.com

This massive white residence is located on a lot of 2.63 Acres in North Arlington, only a short drive away from the airport in Dallas, Texas. Currently up for sale for $1,975,000, the project has an impressive exterior appearance, defined by a white color palette and generously-sized windows, reflecting the light. A large swimming pool complete with a waterfall gives the villa a relaxing feel. Composed of four bedrooms and four bathrooms, this complex home showcases a highly contemporary design. The entrance reveals a spacious hallway, which facilitates the transition between the exterior and the secondary living area. The main living zone is connected to the dining area and displays a daring color palette, mixing blue and yellow. An indoor home theater and a gym will also be available for the new owners to enjoy.

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This video shows an interview with the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry. He is internationally well known and his buildings even his private residence, have become tourist attractions. His works are treated as being among the most important works of contemporary architecture. Vanity Fair Magazine labels him as “the most important architect of our age”. Much of Gehry’s work falls within the style of Deconstructivism, which is often referred to as post-structuralist in nature for its ability to go beyond current modalities of structural definition. Gehry is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council and also a recipient of many architectural awards including Pritzker Prize, National Medal of Arts and AIA Gold Medal. Gehry’s best-known works include the titanium-covered Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; MIT Stata Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles; Experience Music Project in Seattle; Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis and Dancing House in Prague. During this interview, Gehry comments on the importance of his new web-based design software. Gerhy hopes the software will streamline the design and permitting process for owners, developers, architects, engineers, general contractors, and fabricators.

Gehry thinks that architecture is marginalized, probably because of special devices and profession organizations. He thinks that architecture suffers because of overprotection and lack of willingness to take more responsibility. He convinces that tools and programs that architects are using give them more information and whoever has more information can control “the game”.

Photo from kirkgittingsphotography.blogspot.com

He convinces that precision and quality have changed in recent times. As an example of a new possibilities he gives his project of Bilbao Guggenheim Museum in which there were no two identical pieces of steel. He adds that there was a limited budget which was 100 million dollars what gave 300 dollars per square foot. Nevertheless, thanks to new possibilities his architectural studio did this unique but also demanding project 18% under the budget.

He recalls that about 10 years ago he had a conversation with people responsible for insurance. They told him that he would be able to build even more extraordinary buildings if he took more responsibility. He thinks that this time is near because architects use more and more developed software. Gehry convinces that a new world is coming and the only thing is to develop a way of creating a machine with enough stuff inside to have feelings. Feelings that will allow to create comparable designs to Rembrandt. The machine should be able to create Rembrandt on the screen.

Throughout the years, the living room has transformed from a formal parlor-esque space designed for entertaining guests to a cozy and relaxing everyday place for friends and family to kick back in front of the television or share stories about their day. Today, the purpose of your living room depends greatly on the size of your home. In larger houses, a living room may still be dedicated only to hosting company, but in most cases a living room may fulfill multiple functions – from a home theater or makeshift office to a party space for your children’s sleepovers.

via decoist.com

In the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco is located an office that succeeds in creating a fresh look and awe-inspiring decor. This is the office of Buck O’Neill Builders, and unlike the dark, cold and sometimes suffocating office cabins and cubicles, this office space is something really worth following and experimenting in your office as well. Meant for a team of six persons working together and built on a limited budget, the office has been in tune with the dream of the owner. He wanted the space to work as an element of motivation to all his staff members. The indoors are bright and fresh, while the design is absolutely eco-friendly and the materials used for building and furnishing is not that costly.

Spread across 1,100 sq ft , the office sports a design by Hulett Jones and Paul Haydu, and is in the process for a LEED certification where it’s expected to receive a gold rating. “Buck wanted to create a gem of a space for his team of six and also make a statement about the craft he brings to every project,” says Haydu. “But of course there was a limited budget, so we had to determine how many karats this gem was going to be.”

via decoist.com

Displaying an irregular exterior appearance, the Shield House designed by Studio H:T and located in Denver, Colorado, is a project that won our attention. According to the architects, “this urban infill project juxtaposes a tall, slender curved circulation space against a rectangular living space. The tall curved metal wall was a result of bulk plane restrictions and the need to provide privacy from the public decks of the adjacent three story triplex. This element becomes the focus of the residence both visually and experientially. It acts as sun catcher that brings light down through the house from morning until early afternoon. At night it becomes a glowing, welcoming sail for visitors“. The unusual, but appealing exterior design elements are partially brought indoors with the help of wooden beams, some of them bended. Have a look and tell us what you think.

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Island Hideaway is one of the many fascinating refuges in the Maldives. Located on the crescent-shaped island of Dhonakulhi, the resort has complex accommodation options, plenty of facilities and a design inspiring comfort and relaxation. Here is more from the official description, as provided by the staff of the resort: “Guests are whisked to The Island Hideaway in the North of the Maldives by a 45-minute scenic photo-flight from the international airport at Malé, the capital city, to Hanimaadhoo (Domestic) Airport followed by an exhilarating 20 minute speedboat hop to Dhonakulhi Island.The crystal clear turquoise waters of the shallow waist-deep lagoon surrounding the Island stretch as far as the eye can see. The Island is unique in its reef formation, the reef system it sits on having a natural channel splitting it in two distinct parts, and thereby forming a natural harbor for the marina“. The guests on Island Hideaway resort can choose between a variety of accommodation units, from family villas to water or garden rooms, each of them “equipped” with a holiday atmosphere.

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This video is an official presentation of Mississauga’s Absolute Towers. This residential condominium is a complex of the five tower Absolute City Centre located in the north-east corner of the crossroads of Hurontario Street and Burnhamthope Road, a gateway to the Mississauga, Ontario town center. The project was built by Fernbrook Homes and Cityzen Development Group. The first three towers (Absolute City Centre 1 & 2 and Absolute Vision) were built between 2006 to 2008, the last two towers (Absolute World 4 & 5) was completed in 2011. Standing at 50 and 56 storeys, these two skyscrapers are the tallest of any built in a North American suburban city. During this video, we have occasion to listen to the most important people who were involved in this project about its background, innovative method of selecting the architects and finally how the project was completed.

Hazel McCallion, Mississauga Mayor recalls November 28, 2006 when during the annual Mississauga Urban Design Awards ceremony she announced that an international design competition was going to be held for the building of the fourth tower for Absolute World. The building was supposed to be the landmark tower for the development located at the north-east corner of Burnhamthorpe Road and Hurontario Street. It was supposed also to be an effect of the first international design competition that was held by a private development group.

Sam Crignano, President Partner Cityzen Development Group adds that it was an idea which started to live its own life. He explains that no one from the design team could not anticipated the response that they would get, not only from the City of Mississauga but globally. No one believed that a private sector company would ever do that. Over six hundred registrants and ninety-two submissions from architects in seventy countries took part in this competition which was a global success. Then it was left up to the jury to decide who the finalist were.

Paulo Stellato, Partner from Cityzen Development Group explains that six projects were shortlisted but they did not make this information public until the time of the official ceremony. At the ceremony six finalists were presented to the public in a form of exhibition.

Ma Yansong, Founding Principal from MAD Architects recalls that one day his company got an email which said “Congratulations”. He explains that his firm has an ambition to build the future. Nevertheless, the major question is what the future city will look like in the high density urban context. He decided that this tower should not be another memorial or a symbol of strength and power. He rather wanted to introduce beautiful curves and the softness of the building. He thinks that its beauty raises thanks to its similarity to organic life.

JOHO Architecture have designed a parking building in Yongin, South Korea. Designers wrote about this building: Parking lot either frankly reveals itself to be a parking lot without any consideration for design or surroundings, or disguises like a commercial facility. However, both cases are not welcomed in a city and ruin the city landscape. Development districts of New Downtown in Korea that are fully filled with gigantic real estate goods only emphasize the legal maximum floor area ratio. The city identity is represented by the wall-covering signs not the presence of space nor void. The massive box lumps clutter the city with the logic of capitalism that is composed of investment, lease and presale, rather than the respective regional characteristics. This project intended to change the urban landscape through a proposition of a certain symbolically designed icon on a dry city.

In Korea for the development of a new town, developers parcel out the land in lots according to the usage such as a business area and a residence area, based on the Building codes. Parking lot zone also gets placed in major site following the business and residence area zoning program. A plot for a parking lot can be planned with cheaper land price and eased regulations than a business area.

However, it has a restriction that the commercial facility-to-parking facility ratio has to be 2 to 8. After all, deriving the land cost and construction cost with very 20% commercial area is the poor reality of Parking lot construction in Korea. This substandard business value causes the parking buildings to be built without any design concerns for lower construction price.

Furthermore, a vicious circle of gradually deteriorating surrounding urban environment continues because of the box-shaped boring parking buildings. The Herma parking building was started from a fundamental consideration of current parking lots in Korea.

via contemporist.com

Unlike many other areas within the home, a dining room is a place built solely for the purpose of entertaining guests and presenting a meal. Due to its function, homeowners are presented with the unique opportunity to really go above and beyond with their design. However, it can also be easy to err on the side of traditional. In order to break out of your hum drum décor habits, consider a few tips for a dining room that is sure to impress.

Firstly, keep in mind that a dining room is one of the only places in a home that needs only one primary focal point – the dining table. Whether you choose a round or rectangular dining room table, keep in mind that this is a place around which friends and family will gather for food, drink and conversation for hours at a time. As such, it does not need to be over dressed. Dining tables with too many settings and centerpieces can look cheap and cluttered.

Secondly, do not be afraid to choose chairs that boast bright colors or bold patterns – especially if your table and place settings are somewhat subdued. If you’re not prepared to invest in brand new chairs, consider reupholstering older chairs with a durable and trendy new fabric. You can further personalize your dining room by choosing chairs with interesting shapes. For small dining rooms, consider seating made from acrylic – this helps give the illusion of additional space.

Lastly, remember that lighting is an extremely important element and you need to have varying options. Some nights you may prefer a romantic candlelight dinner while other occasions may call for heavier lighting. Consider a chandelier with a dimmer as well as smaller side lamps or wall sconces. Also, remember that your choice of lighting fixture is yet another way to show off your personal décor tastes.

via decoist.com

Geometrix Design Architects have recently presented their newest project, a highly modern apartment located in a famous residential complex in Moscow. The total area of ​​the loft is 152.6 square meters and the materials used for the interior design- leather, ebony wood and stone- blend in perfectly with the strict geometry and precise architectural forms. Abandoning the idea of plain, blank walls, the designers decided to make use of each square inch and divide the space into functional zones, united by a common concept. In the hallway, the closet smoothly flows into the storage room area. Sliding doors of black glass reveal the fireplace or the elegant bookshelves. The lounge area near the fireplace can smoothly be transformed into a home theater, with plenty of room for guests. The lighting units have a metal finish, enhancing the flashy, modern feel of the apartment.

via freshome.com

Located in Santa Fe, Argentina, Casa V was designed by Matías Blas Imbern+ Agustina González Cid and borrows its name from the shape of the residence. According to the architects, the idea for this project was to build a house around a patio without having to resort to a cloister, taking advantage of the irregular shape of the terrain. Measuring 210 square meters, on a lot of 800 square meters, the residence gives the impression of a fluid volume, a compact mass that was stretched, while preserving its continuity. The pool completes the appearance of the project and the whole assembly is surrounded by lush trees. Dynamism and fluidity are the features that characterize the strategy of this work, as well as the project’s relationship with its surrounding landscape. How would you comment on the features of this modern home?

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This video shows an interview with Benedetta Tagliabue who is an Italian architect and the leader of Benedetta Tagliabue the Miralles-Tagliabue-EMBT architectural studio. Her studio works with architectural projects, open spaces, urbanism, rehabilitation and exhibitions, trying to conserve the spirit of the Spanish and Italian artisan architectural studio tradition which espouses collaboration rather than specialization. In 1989 she graduated from the “Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia” in Venice, Italy. Currently, she teaches at the University of Architecture ETSAB in Barcelona and lectures regularly in architectural Forums as, for example, the RIBA, the Architectural Association and Bartlett School in London. She has received the Honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Napier University (2004), the RIBA Stirling Prize 2005, the Centenary Medal from Edinburgh Architectural Association and the 2005 Spanish National Architecture Prize ‘Manuel de la Dehesa’, for the Scottish Parliament building. During the interview, she shares with us her architectural philosophy.

The architect asked about specific type of projects that gives her the biggest pleasure, answers that there is no such. She explains that her firm is involved in many different types of projects. She does not like to say that her firm has a specialization, that they do public spaces for example. They do what is rooted in the Spanish tradition of architects; they are involved in whatever is needed. She describes that they do parks, open spaces, high rises, small budged buildings, schools, theaters and many more. She explains that they are doing all these projects in a way to make those places better. This is their label, more than “specialized in this or that”.

Photo from architecturelab.net

Tagliabue asked about her description of modern Spanish architecture, answers that it would be a good place. As she told earlier Spanish way of making architecture is about trying to make a good place anyway. She explains that you can be an architect involved in urbanism, in public space, in small housing projects, in everything, in furniture also. This is a fantastic way of being and Spain has a good tradition in this. It has good, small studios that are very conscious of the capacity of their colleagues or the colleagues of the past. It is a little like Finland which is not a big country, but it is a place where the architectural capacity is a tradition.

The architect asked about her point of view on green urban regeneration, she answers that it is fantastic. She thinks that it implies many different things. It is about understanding what a city needs to really function in its best way. It is also a main theme and it was always, in a way, because good architecture, good urbanism was always about making things function better. Nevertheless, she thinks that now everybody is very conscious and there is this theme of alternative energy, this consciousness about how important public space is, how the city should be, which density is the best to make it work, to make the public transportation work. This is a very fundamental theme that we always have to keep in mind.

KLab Architecture have designed the Urban Cubes building in Athens, Greece. Architect wrote about this building: “We defined our new apartment building as a paradox. It resembles that of an urban village, similar to the ones in Cyclades but rather, a vertical one, an urban antidote. Every apartment building is a small village within itself. It is a unique society where every inhabitant is so different from the other. In “urban cubes” each floor reflects this individuality as one floor differs from another but lies under the same society rules, all in all being signified by a white cantilevered cube hung by the retaining exposed concrete walls. Our party walls made by exposed concrete with few small openings are used metaphorically as the defensive walls of our village.”

We were interested to provide a new building that reflects an elevated standard of living. To cater to the different expectations of multiple users we chose to have a variety of floor plans and representing different layouts represented through the use of “boxes/cubes” thereby giving a visual appearance of casual sculptural sophistication that interacts with the city in a novel way.

The plot is long and narrow with a frontage on two perpendicular roads on Filolaou street a main street in Pagkrati. The plot is divided into two parts housing, two separate units with apartments which are conjoined by the common party wall which in the center becomes the circulation of the building, stairs, elevator and corridors. The vertical courtyard that is formed provides natural light to both sides.

The apparent austerity of concrete coexists with the curved staircase that separates the two exposed concrete party walls. Small openings which give light to the apartments are part of an elaborate plan so as the party walls cease to be blind, but are designed to be consistent and work as the form is based on the unseen interesting back facades of apartment buildings of the 60s and 70s that were almost not have been designed at all and made by chance.

via contemporist.com