New York City – New York – USA (by Phil Dolby)
Comprised of perpendicular bars atop a hill overlooking the village of Healdsburg, this home offers both ample social space ideal for entertaining and the privacy of a rural retreat.
The taller section runs along the ridge of the hill and houses the home’s great room under lofty ceilings and a simple shed overhanging roof, filled with light and views let in through tall glass walls. Four oversized glass panels open dramatically on each side, transforming the space into an outdoor pavilion whose flush concrete floors extend into a poolside patio to the north and into a terrace featuring a fire pit to the south to offer comfortable outdoor areas for both hot and cool weather. With these doors drawn up, the site offers one sweeping, continuous view from the pool, through the great room, and down into the distant village below.
Designed for social clients who love to entertain, the great room features a small, efficient kitchen with a larger, working kitchen ideal for caterers tucked discretely away. The perforated panels in the room’s ceiling that absorb sound during large parties and the discrete stone strips across the floor that delineate zones within the space without visual barriers act as subtle details that add both refinement and functionality to the great room.
From its intersection with the great room, the home’s second wing extends towards the north and becomes incrementally more private as it flows from the garage to a media room opening onto the pool to the master bedroom at its rear. The master bed looks out through another oversized operable glass panel onto the rolling meadow beyond, establishing a visual connection with the land in the first and last moments of each day. Just a short walk away, a guesthouse extends the wing’s path down the hill and offers an additional level of privacy.
With dark-stained cedar siding and low stone landscape walls that anchor the building, Healdsburg 1 offer a modest and thoughtful response to both its site and the client’s needs.
Product Description:
The Renlita doors are a significant architectural feature of the home. Their size and operability become a key spatial and aesthetic component to the home allowing for large vertically stacked openings and maximized views.
Known for its light weight and high strength properties, graphene has been promised to us as the material of the future for quite some time now. But difficulties in translating its 2D strength into 3-dimensional applications have so far held it back from common use. Now, thanks to new research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), that future may now be closer than ever before. In the school’s latest experiment, researchers have discovered how the material could be shaped into to sponge-like form to resist forces 10 times greater than steel.
The innovation comes in the object’s complex geometry. Starting with a computer model, researchers 3D printed 2 similar forms in a magenta colored polymer, one thinner object and one with thicker walls and folds.
They then subjected the two models to compression testing. Unexpectedly, the lighter object was found to be able to withstand greater pressures – this is because the thinner walls allowed the structure to deform incrementally, while the thicker walls hold a higher deformation energy capacity, which releases all at once in an explosive performance.
While not made of graphene, these models represent new ways of thinking about the material’s structure.
“You can replace the material itself with anything,” said Markus Buehler, MIT’s head of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “The geometry is the dominant factor.”
Potential uses for the structure would include coating polymer or metal particles with graphene using a heat and pressure treatment, which would leave the graphene’s lightweight, super strong structure in tact. MIT believes this material could then be applied to build anything from long-span bridges to ultra-efficient water filtration systems.
For more information on this research, click here.
Six “Miracle” Materials That Will Change Their Industries
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Products for architecture | ArchDaily
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From your side of the world, saying goodbye to the dead might mean burial or cremation. For others, funerals are more than just burying the dead.
Call it weird, strange, bizarre, or even crazy, but here are eight unconventional ways practiced by other cultures when disposing their dead:
In the “acceptable” world, coffins are buried deep in the ground in a cemetery. In a place called Sagada in the Philippines, coffins mean hanging it on the cliffs.
Igorots believe that in death, the soul must be in the most solemn and peaceful place. This way, the spirit will be able to easily find its way to Kabunian, their god, and attain peace. Because of this practice, the cliffs where the hanging coffins are located have become tourist spots as well, wowing crowds from all over the world.
Apparently, hanging coffins is just one of the bizarre funeral practices conducted by ethnic groups in the Philippines.
The Tinguian people make their dead look like they are still alive by dressing their bodies in their best clothes. The dead are also made to sit on a chair, have a lit cigarette on their lips, and treated as if they are alive.
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as green funerals and it happens in the United States. This is because more people are choosing environment-friendly burials. This practice means foregoing the embalming process, using biodegradable or woven-willow caskets, and reducing concrete vaults. In fact, there are 40 environment-friendly cemeteries in the US to date.
Totem poles usually tell stories of a peoples’ native culture. On the other hand, the Mortuary Totem Poles are different. They are special kinds of totem poles that house the remains of chiefs, notable warriors, or shamans after their bodies were crushed with clubs. The icons found on each pole act as guardians and guide the spirit to the afterlife.
Death is not just a time to mourn but also a time to celebrate the life of the deceased. In Ghana, the dead are buried in caskets that symbolize their life, including their personality and status in the society – even if it means being buried in caskets in various styles, say a beer can or planes.
Apparently, Zoroastrians in Mumbai, India don’t need funeral plans. As part of their culture, they leave their dead in “dakhma” or the “Tower of Silence,” which will be eaten by vultures after the bodies are cleaned. They believe that the dead body becomes a source of defilement and corruption that could pollute sacred elements on Earth. Hence, they must be consumed by vultures.
Most people want to be buried in the cemetery. Some even have mausoleums so they can be buried beside family members. For the few, they prefer a memorial reef in the ocean.
Eternal Reefs, an American company, compress the remains of the dead in a reef ball or sphere. This will be attached to a reef in the ocean and provide a habitat for sea life. Who knows, it might lure a curious fish.
In case you opted for cremation, some allow you to take ashes and place it in containers like a locket. In South Korea, they do it differently. Instead of keeping the ashes as they are, they compress the remains of the dead into colorful gem-like beads. The beads are stored in jars and even used as home decorations.
What do you think? Weird? Maybe, but for people who practice these rites, it means something sacred, which we should all respect.
The post 8 Strange Funeral Customs From Around the World appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
From the architect. To structure the volume of the second floor it was considered the same strategy of the preexisting housing, supporting the roof by horizontal pieces that were supported in this last case by vertical elements. The new sawhorse respects the composition, location and orientation of the original, but replaces the wooden structure with steel tubular pillars 135 x 135 x 5 mm and double C beams 200 x 50 x 5 mm.
The new structure allows the support of the mezzanine and the inclined planes of the roof. It also lodges inside the staircase.
The rest of the structure is through the walls supporting both the second and the first floor. The mezzanine is made up of SIP panels of 210 mm thickness, and the volume of the second floor, both walls and roof with panels 110 mm thick.
The dimensions of this are determined by the unit multiplication of the width of the panels (122 cm). In this way the project is subject to both the logics of prefabrication and material optimization.
The volume of the second floor is finished by structuring with a ring of walls in panels, the presence of a core of bathroom, and two diagonals on the only open side.
Finally, during the process of building the system, it aroses the concern to strengthen lateral resistance. In this way appears a last constructive element, that through the stiffening of the sawhorse in its upper part, strengthens the meeting of the four main pillars
Reviled by Parisians for its shocking inside-out appearance when it first opened in 1977, the Centre Pompidou has reached its 40th birthday, and as a gift, is set to receive to 2-year, $110 million renovation that will preserve the unique structure for years to come.
Designed by the then-unknown duo of Renzo Piano & Richard Rogers, the building was the surprise winner of a competition for a new museum and cultural center in Paris’ historic Le Marais district, standing out from the crowd via its open-plan galleries and guts-on-the-outside approach.
The renovation project will preserve that unique aesthetic, restoring the landmark facade (including HVAC elements that are no longer functioning) and replacing the building’s famous outdoor escalator, known lovingly as “the caterpillar,” at a cost of $24.5 million. Because many of the museum’s inner workings are located on the outside, the building requires a significant amount of maintenance.
Between 1998 and 2000, the structure was closed for a $108 million dollar overhaul. This time around, the museum intends to remain open during the entire renovation period.
“It will be a sort of construction game, but our aim is to stay open,” said Serge Lasvignes, president of the Pompidou Centre. “That is the objective.”
More information on the project can be found here.
News via The Guardian.
AD Classics: Centre Georges Pompidou / Richard Rogers + Renzo Piano
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From the architect. This public place is located at the heart of Cap-aux-Meules, a village in the Magdalen Islands, on the ruins of a fish processing plant that was destroyed in a fire. The purpose of this project is to grant a second life to this strategic site and create a gathering place for passersby. The Place des gens de mer is an initiative of the Municipality of Magdalen Islands aiming to pay tribute to workers at sea.
The Place’s various features were set up on the former plant’s foundations. The layout of the features is reminiscent of the plant’s processing chains and long sorting tables. Despite its strategic location, at the centre of the port zone, the Place’s immediate surroundings are not very welcoming. The idea was for the Place to be closed in on itself. An openwork wooden stockade surrounds the site to ensure some intimacy and guide passersby along a discovery path. The undulation represents a stormy sea. The Place features a service wing, a belvedere, a public market zone, a stage, and an agora. Protruding and oscillating wooden counters and benches represent the docks.
The Place des gens de mer is part of a larger project: Le parcours insulaire. This public place is the first in a series of 12 panoramic sites chosen for their photogenic character and their importance to the heritage of the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. The other sites along the Parcours insulaire consist of signs, interpretation aids, and interactive terminals telling the site’s history. At this Place, a poem by a local artist takes you on the journey, while the other sites have a storyteller telling the stories of the site. Eastern cedar and marine plywood are used for their resistance in saline environments.
Zion National Park’s reddish rocks wear a coat of snow in this serene winter photo from last January. After winter storms, snow can disappear within just a few hours at lower elevations, making these magical sights short-lived. If you’re visiting, be sure to check with the park for the most recent conditions and closures. Photo by Sierra Coon, National Park Service.
Did you know? An incidence of burglary happens somewhere in the USA every 18 seconds, adding up to 200 per hour, and nearly 4,800 burglaries every day.
And the shocking fact is that 30 percent of these burglaries are done through unlocked windows and doors while over 50 percent take place during the day when homeowners are at work. Many of these burglaries could be prevented by following simple home safety measures.
Don’t let your home to be the next target. Instead, reinforce your home security by not making any of the common home security mistakes given below:
Given that 30 percent of burglaries happen because of unlocked doors and windows, make sure to lock these entry points every time you leave, otherwise, a burglar won’t even have to try very hard to get into your home.
Additionally, get your old and malfunctioning door and window locks replaced as soon as possible with quality locks.
This old trick won’t work anymore as today’s burglars are more sophisticated and smarter than you think. A burglar knows well where a homeowner is likely to hide the keys—either under the doormat or the plant pot. This is why you should keep the keys with you or hand over them to your reliable neighbors (if you have any) after locking the home.
Mails overflowing from the mailbox or newspaper piling up at the front of your door hint of the home owner’s prolonged absence. Therefore, stop the delivery of mails and newspapers or ask your neighbor to collect them from time to time.
Homes without security or alarm systems are up to 300% more likely to be targeted by a burglar. Therefore, you must invest in a home security system to avoid the potential break-ins.
They let you monitor the property from a distance, send your home status via messages and alert the police in the case of a break-in, thereby ensuring your peace of mind.
Apart from burglary, they offer protection from fire breakouts, electrical faults, and other accidents. Remember, you might find them costly, but not installing one may cost you even more.
See Also: 10 People in Urgent Need of Smart Home Security Systems
Do you leave the ladder outside? Is it in the backyard or placed under the window? Is your ladder leaning against the wall?
If yes, you are making the task easier for a burglar. An intruder can use your ladder to get inside your home through the windows or the rooftop. Similarly, the tools you leave outside may come handy for a burglar to remove the hinges of the gate or the bars of the windows. Secure and store your ladder, hammers, lawn clippers, and saws inside when not in use.
Sharing your vacation plans on social media alerts the burglars that you are away from home. No wonder 4 out of 5 burglars use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to pick targets. Be careful to update about your holidays on social media when you’re away, especially on Twitter and Instagram which are easily accessible to everyone.
Tall shrubs along your homes and dark areas in your yard are the perfect hiding spots for burglars. That doesn’t mean you have to cut down all the trees and shrubs in your yard. Simply trim larger bushes and tree branches regularly to minimize the dark shadows and shelters that cover intruders.
Remember these tips to make your home safer for yourself and your loved ones.
See Also: Home Security: Try These 10 Ways to Make Your Home Safer – Without a Gun
The post 7 Common Mistakes Making Your Home Prone to Burglary appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Sig Nordal 