A geometric facade formed of hollow concrete blocks allows breezes to naturally cool the interior of this house in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, by local firm VACO Design (+ slideshow). (more…)
The F&A House is located in a residential area on the outskirts of the city. Existing trees give real character and personality to the land so they are taken as the basis for the positioning of the project and the design and construction of the landscape.
Formally, we opt for a solution with a powerful and recognizable image like the “prototypical gabled house”, which we combine, functionally, with an organization in strips of the programme.
We put in place a first strip connecting with the garden and swimming pool for public areas (entrance, kitchen and living room).;a second strip for more private uses and a third intermediate core of humid zones, service and storage areas, which separates and distinguishes public areas from private ones.
The volume is formed by creating porches, large eaves and courtyards that create shade and protect from the rain, as well as transition spaces between the interior and exterior that allow people to move through at different times of the year.
The house is formalized with an external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) in white flexible stucco finish. Facing the garden, a second layer of white aluminum slats overlap it, acting as solar, visual and safety protection.
White on white. In this way, the image of the project is built, it portrays and reinforces the idea of home and incorporates reflections, brightness and intensity of light as another construction element.
Savion Residence is a private residence located in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was designed by Neuman Hayner Architects in 2014 and covers an area of 1,247 square feet. Savion Residence by Neuman Hayner Architects: “The house was planned for a family of four. Two cubes separated by a passage combine into an “L” shaped house. The front cube, of double height space, holds the public areas: entrance, living room, kitchen,..
Damir Ussenov and his architectural firm “Lenz Architects” designed a villa in the foothills of Almaty. The main aim of the architect was to create a separate, isolated and safe space, while making it possible to enjoy the wildlife.
The unique metal framework allows natural light to enter the interior, bypassing the dense thickets and difficult terrain. The facade consists of dynamic aluminum panels which using an electronic mechanism can close windows and isolate the house from the environment, providing security and soundproofing.
Panels are treated with white plaster EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finishing Systems) which have thermal insulation properties and sanitizers.
The house, which resembles a shell, includes a large studio with a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a relaxation room. A spiral staircase leads to an open and comfortable guest bedroom.
German Airbus subsidiary APWorks has unveiled a 3D-printed motorbike that features an “organic exoskeleton” based on natural growth (+ slideshow). (more…)
Sky Garden is a suspended garden in Ortaköy Square which is one of the most touristic and busiest squares in Istanbul. Putting a garden on the ground in such a congested area would reduce the walkable surface and make the square even more dense. Instead, we proposed to hang the garden while keeping the ground still accessible. We used the existing slab in the square as a base for the new garden which will also serve as a canopy made of pots during sunny days.
This garden with assorted plants, provides seating and shadow as well, during the flower festival. Being suspended, the garden acts as a roof which people can stay under and watch Bosphorus. Just like a tree with different branches, the garden flies between the sky and the Bosphorus with each pot, while the pulley system lets the pots go down for a closer look of visitors.
The mechanism that lets the hanging pots move up and down, is a simple pulley system. Since the pots are equally weighted, they remain aligned when in balance. If a visitor pulls one of the pots to look at the plant closer, than the equivalent pot is lifted.
We consider public installations as a tool to question the architect’s power over design. When the visitor is being able to change the installation, architect is no longer able to control the form, up to a certain point. For us, it is a challenging experience to expand the borders of control even with small gestures like in this project, while the temporary installation urges to transform an established public space.
A three-storey-high atrium brings natural light and ventilation into the heart of this skinny house in Vietnam by Nguyen Khac Phuoc Architects (+ slideshow). (more…)
Venice Architecture Biennale 2016: Portuguese architect Samuel Gonçalves has installed three hollow concrete forms at the Venice Biennale to promote his modular housing system based on drainage pipes (+ movie). (more…)
From the architect. This sleep out is located within the grounds of a family beach retreat in a secluded coastal setting. The brief called for a family guest house to acocmodate the owner’s children and grand children. Architecturally the new building was required to sit sympathetically within the native landscape whilst being architecturally distinct from the main house.
The design concept proposes a building that becomes a landscape wall element. A simple rectilinear form conceals living spaces, bedrooms and a roof deck set over 5 split levels. Weathered grey timber cladding, operable louvred screens and climbing vines create a textural backdrop to the existing tennis court and entry driveway.
The challenge of siting a new guest house on this property was heightened as sits position was strictly governed by the exsiting tennis court, vehicle access way, front and side setbacks. The building also needed to be well away from the main house and sit comfortably within the existing landscape. The available site area of approx 100 sqm needed to accomodate a communal family house comprising three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living area, storage room and roof deck. This project allowed us to explore how a new residential building may be added to existing sites without compromising the character of the existing building, quality of space, environment and relationship to existing building.
Photo essay: these images by Polish photographer Alicja Dobrucka depict houses disguised as tents in a village in the West Bank (+ slideshow). (more…)
