Courtesy of ACAU

• Architects: ACAU
• Location: 39310 Bellecombe, France
• Architect In Charge: Abdelkader Chaoui
• Area: 140.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Courtesy of ACAU

Courtesy of ACAU

From the architect. In a hamlet situated in the heart of the Drôme Provençale, the project concerns the construction of a holiday house able to host a dozen persons. The sloping terrain is South oriented and have an exceptional panoramic view on the far landscape and the Ventoux mountain.

Courtesy of ACAU

Located in the north of the parcel and totally open in the far landscape and the south light, the project have been made to ensure that the roof level does not exceed the street level.

Courtesy of ACAU

The architecture of this house is a reference to the typical farm hangar present in this region and present the advantage to reduce the cost of the building.

Courtesy of ACAU

This inspiration leads us to conceive a super-rational supporting structure. Indeed nine concrete porticos have been installed and it’s covering all the living areas. South oriented and withdrawal from the supporting structure, each living space of the house have an extension towards the outside.

Floor Plan

Theses terraces recovering of timber truss define a transition space between the inside and the outside but also formed a solar protection system.

View from inside the installation of this porticos expose a beautiful painting of living nature.

Courtesy of ACAU

Product Description. The architecture of this house is a reference to the typical farm hangar present in this region and present the advantage to reduce the cost of the building. This inspiration leads us to conceive a super-rational supporting structure. Indeed nine concrete porticos have been installed and it’s covering all the living areas. South oriented and withdrawal from the supporting structure, each living space of the house have an extension towards the outside.

Courtesy of ACAU

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© Norbert Tukaj

• Architects: arches
• Location: Vilnius, Lithuania
• Lead Architects: A.Liola, R.Liola, E.Neniškis, M.Kaučikaitė, E.Geštautaitė
• Area: 415.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Norbert Tukaj

• Structural Engineers: Dainius Dubaka

© Norbert Tukaj

Just a few hundred meters from the active city street and you can find yourself in exclusive surrounding of the park. Calm and harmony of nature. This sensation is enhanced by natural valley, the old Raguva. Sunny slope of the valley. Outskirts. Place of the former wooden farmstead. Regional park territory. Regulated architectural solution. Territory limitations for architectural expression and clients vision to live in contemporary house – these were starting points.

© Norbert Tukaj

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© Norbert Tukaj

How to harmonize all of this? 

The object is located in the sunny part of the slope next to the outskirts. It is designed in the former farmsteda place. Existing slope and all valuable trees in the site are preserved. The idea of the building is to ,,hang“ it over the valley and open it to the valley by continues  windows. The ground floor is partly hidden in the slope. Due to black shale finish the ground floor disappears in otskirt shadow. Only the  first floor volume, finshe wit natural wood, is exibited .  Laconic, sculptural form of volumes interprets the silhouette of traditional  sloped house. Divided volume, varying forms forms, humane proportions, glass and wood harmony creates the impression of lightness.  Interior  spaces follows forms of the volume. Integral natural wood finish of the facades and roof creates impression of form solidity.  The volume with its materials and coloring flourishes in forest and valley background. By dividing the volume, micro-spaces –  courtyards  are created.  This is the building in nature. Therefore all main interior spaces have  entrances into exterior spaces- courtyards. Courtyards are arranged in different levels, creating sensation of wholeness and privacy, enables to enjoy both morning and evening sun.  The hanging volume of the first floor naturally creates the terrace. Windows of the ground floor are partly covered with the vertical wooden lamelles, they serve as protection from overheat and becomes a part of the interior. Suroundings are planted with grass, the path to the enrance is of granite tiles in order to minimize the intervention to the nature. The plot is surounded with the open work fence. 

© Norbert Tukaj

Plan 2

© Norbert Tukaj

Product Description. For building facades exclusively natural finishing materials were selected. The main finishing material is pine wood manufactured by ,,Kebony“ technology. Pine was selected as typical tree for the surrounding. Using unique ,,Kebony“ technology  wood becomes particularly resistant, stable, durable and there is no need for any additional maintenance. It is ecological product and this becomes important factor in regional park territory. Within time, pine wood grays ant fits the environment even more by fading in pine trunk background.

© Norbert Tukaj

© Norbert Tukaj

Because of the exclusive qualities of ,,Kebony“ technology, manufactured wood allowed to create visually solid volumes. Finish is applied not only for the facades but also for varying geometry of roof planes, visible from the slope.  The wood is attached to stainless steel profiles system within self-fixate plastic holders. The accurate wood geometry allowed to combine wooden finish planes, form vertical wooden blinds by creating accurate graphics. The graphics is continued by natural shale finish. Black ,,Rathscheck“ shale is used for finish of the lower parts of the volume. Shale finish is also attached to stainless steel profile system fixing with fixating glues in vertical stripes. The graphical expression is enhanced by metal railing stripes fixed above the shale contunueing its vertical division. Different materials, different elements supplement  each other fulfilling the facade graphical expression. It is all about the graphical interpretation of park trees trunks. 

© Norbert Tukaj

The other reason for choosing natural wood as the main finishing material of the volume is the aim to interpret Lithuanian traditional wooden house. The main characteristics of Lithuanian traditional houses are laconic volume, double pitched roof, wooden blinds, wooden finishing and granite rocks foundation.  Considering that the project site is in regional park territory, the idea was to remind qualities of traditional farmstead house by interpreting it in a contemporary way.

© Norbert Tukaj

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© Jingsong Xie

• Architects: West-line studio
• Location: Chetian Village, Guizhou, China
• Architecture And Interior Design: Haobo Wei, Jingsong Xie
• Exhibition Design And Curator: Martina Muratori
• Area: 715.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Jingsong Xie

© Jingsong Xie

From the architect. The cultural center is located in the rural Chetian Village, 30 km from Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, in South-West China. The village has more than 400 years of history and is famous for its ‘stone houses’ built with local materials. 41 families, out of the 207 living in the village, belong to the Miao (苗) ethnic minority, one of the oldest minority groups in China, most of whom live in Guizhou province. The square outside the cultural center, surrounded by the river, is often used as a stage for local Miao dance and drama performances.

© Jingsong Xie

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© Jingsong Xie

The architecture of the cultural center is strongly characterized by 40 cm thick walls, built according to the local traditional methods, using the stone coming from the village’s pit. The stone has a very unique blue shade, which is why it is commonly called ‘blue stone’. It comes from sedimentary rocks and its major components are limestone and dolomite. The strong and obsessive presence of the stone creates an intimate interior space and shows the architects’ deep respect for the historical masonry traditions of Chetian Village.

© Jingsong Xie

© Jingsong Xie

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© Sameer Chawda

• Architects: Nudes
• Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Architect In Charge: Nuru Karim
• Area: 3250.0 ft2
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Sameer Chawda

• Design Team: Nuru Karim, Himika Lakhanpuria, Shreya Pate

© Sameer Chawda

The human skin is an anatomical barrier in bodily defense from pathogens and damage between the internal and external environment. It also contains nerve endings that react to touch, pressure, vibration, tissue injury, heat and cold.

© Sameer Chawda

The average sq. inch of skin holds 650 sweat glands . . . on an average there are 100,000 strands of hair on a young adult amounting to approx. 2200 strands of hair per square inch . . . the human tongue has approx. 2000 to 8000 taste buds, taste buds are the receptors of taste and are involved in detecting the five elements of taste perception; sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy…the BAD Yoga project has 25,992 recycled pvc electrical conduits  grafted onto its anatomy with surgical precision.

Courtesy of Nudes

There are several compound words containing yoga in Sanskrit. Yoga can take on meanings such as “connection”, “contact”, “union”, “method”, “application”, “addition” and “performance”. In simpler words, Yoga also means, “Combined”. For example, guṇáyoga means “contact with a cord”. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline, the BAD experience is all of the above and much more. Designed as a tactile, sensory experience the project harbors a range of hybrid activities.

© Sameer Chawda

The architectural component was designed to facilitate yoga, gastronomical experiences, and cultural event spaces for music, art, performances, intellectual discourse and fashion. These activities are stacked vertically over three levels, including an open to sky terrace courtyard. 

© Sameer Chawda

Situated in a historical village settlement in Bandra West (which has morphed in recent times due to socio-economic pressures and increasingly high land costs), the project is accessible by foot and cycle from parking zones in close proximity. Remotely located from traffic snarls and insulated from typically high levels of air and sound pollution, the project is sheathed in tranquility and peace. The dynamic “skin”, all of 25,992 black cylindrical conduits grafted into CNC’d aluminum composite box panels with acupuncture-like precision shares a peaceful co-existence with its neighbors, its presence gradually unveiled as one meanders through the narrow by-lanes of the historical urban fabric. 

Courtesy of Nudes

The porous, perforated nature of the skin allows the project to breathe and ventilate thereby reinforcing the relationship between the inside and outside, between body and soul. The architectural component was designed to facilitate yoga, gastronomical experiences, and cultural event spaces for music, art, performances, intellectual discourse and fashion. These activities are stacked vertically over three levels, including an open to sky terrace courtyard. Rough tactile “true to material” textures draped in a striking “black” and “black” composition complete the user experience.

© Sameer Chawda

Product Description. The architectural skin is composed of re-cycled PVC pipes. The dynamic “skin”, all of 25,992 black cylindrical conduits are grafted into CNC’d aluminum composite box panels.Digital design and fabrication tools were deployed to compose the entire system.

Courtesy of Nudes

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© Tatsuya Noaki

• Architects: Aida Atelier
• Location: Tokyo, Japan
• Area: 570.57 sqm
• Photographs: Tatsuya Noaki

• Interior Architect: Tomoro Aida / Aida Atelier
• Mep Engineer: RS Setsubi Kikaku
• Lighting Design: Izumi Okayasu Lighting Design
• Textile Design: Yoko Ando Design
• Sign Graphic: INSENSE
• Plants: Kojien
• Interior: Benefit Line
• Bunk Beds: Aoki Kagu Atelier
• Site Area: 359.78 sqm
• Building Area: 202.65 sqm
• Client: FIKA

© Tatsuya Noaki

From the architect. UNPLAN Kagurazaka is a newly opened hostel in central Tokyo, built to accommodate various guests such as international backpackers and domestic business travellers. The hostel houses 78 bunker styled beds and three fully enclosed rooms along with an open lounge and other supporting functions.

© Tatsuya Noaki

As the sole tenant of this new three-story building, our aim was to simply insert elements for accommodation in furniture form into a rather banal looking building. As the result, the façade with a large glass opening is characterized with a series of cubic wood bunk beds facing the street.

© Tatsuya Noaki

The design intention of these bunk beds was to create a minimal yet fully comfortable and private environment for guests. While natural light and views to the streets are provided, each guest is able to control the level of privacy by using the curtain of each unit. Each bed is also equipped with a headboard containing a security box, a lighting fixture for both direct and ambient lightings, and an electrical outlet.

Floor Plan

The lobby area is welcomed by a giant table around the central column which stands out as a signage for the hostel. This table serves as a reception, a concierge desk, and also as a café table, replacing a traditional reception counter. This eliminates any sense of boundary between the host and guests, promoting the social interaction within the hostel.

© Tatsuya Noaki

As its name suggests, this hostel hopes to become a place with unplanned encounters between the travelers and with the local community.

© Tatsuya Noaki

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© Tatsuya Noaki

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© Christine Francis

• Architects: Nic Owen Architects
• Location: Melbourne VIC, Australia
• Area: 166.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2014
• Photographs: Christine Francis

© Christine Francis

From the architect. A renovation and extension to the rear of a modest sized ‘ex’ housing commission semi-detached clinker brick 1940’s house in Hampton, located on a generous allotment.

© Christine Francis

The owners required more space, updated amenities and desired a strong connection to the outside. The well travelled couple wanted a tranquil, calm and relaxing environment to call home.

© Christine Francis

Often it’s the journey and not exclusively the destination that brings joy and excitement to life. The journey through this project begins by entering through the renovated house which includes all new / updated facilities. The existing hallway then directs you through a black timber clad curved tunnel where the end is not visible. The destination is a surprise, the mystery a waits as you track on. A large light weight timber structure emerges that presents the new open plan living spaces. This tent like space is orientated to the north surrounded with glass and timber and extends outside with a timber deck. Your destination has been reached – for now, a place to relax and dream of traveling.

Courtesy of Nic Owen Architects

Courtesy of Nic Owen Architects

A monolithic external skin wraps around the new extension defining the new space in a tent like manor. The single vaulted roof line rises up to the north providing a feeling of space whilst still maintaining an intimate human scale. This increased vertical height gave the opportunity for high windows to capture extended views of neighboring trees.

© Christine Francis

A curved dark tunnel separates the original house from the new works providing an element of mystery and surprise.

© Christine Francis

The extension runs along the south boundary to capitalize on northern solar gain, reorientating the existing relationship to the backyard.

© Christine Francis

Very little of the works are visible from the street. The new works respect the original clicker brick 1940’s house celebrating the original features. Most of the original house remains and new works are hidden at the rear. From the street it is unclear what is at the back of the existing house.

© Christine Francis

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© Federico Cairoli

• Architects: Leonardo Jáuregui, Leandro Zapata
• Location: Av. Constitución, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Area: 197.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2012
• Photographs: Federico Cairoli , Courtesy of Leonardo Jáuregui + Leandro Zapata

• Construction: Carlos Madrid
• Sqm Cost: U$S 445

© Federico Cairoli

From the architect. The Silent Houses have much to say. They are searching for new experiences of living. They are isolated from the world, because they feel somewhat hostile. They are not interested in the context, but sometimes they can look the outside . They are hard and dry, but the inside is neutral, appropriated and unstable. They are home to a hermit life.

© Federico Cairoli

The property is located in a residential neighborhood of medium density.

The proximity to the sea with its particular climate, low traffic and low occupancy of the homes in the area at certain times of year, are definite circumstances to decide the location as a succession of indoor experiences.

Diagram

A succession of courtyards and filters organizes the house.

The garage functions as a first filter access from the outside. The first court announces the arrival of the living space.

© Federico Cairoli

Through the corridor you enter to another courtyard, this time covered (winter garden), which functions as a central space.

This works as a hub from which you can access to all rooms of the house. As in the ovenbird nest, the central space avoids “contamination” of the external environment, generating an “extra suitable- space” which can function as recreational space, work or simply as expansion.

© Federico Cairoli

A living room  area integrated makes most of the wide of the plot and a large glazed surface is related (or not) with the backyard.

Plan

Facade

“We feel that nowadays,  one of the needs of people is more freedom, at least in spatial terms. They want to avoid the constrictions and we feel that if you give them more possibilities they will thank them, because then they can develop their own freedom. In this sense, modernity is interesting because, according to our interpretation, there are no fixed territories, no fixed functions in a space. So you can imagine how easily you can move in the space, but in order to  do that it has to be greater than the minimum. “Anne Lacaton

Extra space, Extra apropiable.

© Federico Cairoli

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Courtesy of British Council for Offices

The British Council for Offices (BCO) has announced the winners of the 2016 National Awards. The BCO Awards program was established to recognize “ top quality office design and functionality and sets the standard for excellence across the office sector in the UK,” providing a benchmark for excellence in design and functionality. This year’s ‘Best of the Best’ winner was The Enterprise Center at the University of East Anglia by Architype.

“This year we have once again seen a fantastic range of diverse and innovative workplaces, highlighting Britain’s position at the forefront of the global office sector. The Enterprise Centre stands tall as both a dynamic and collaborative work and event space, and as a benchmark in sustainable design,” said Emma Crawford, Managing Director of Central London Leasing at CBRE and BCO National Awards Chair.

Continue reading to see this year’s winners.

‘Best of the Best’ & Corporate Workplace: The Enterprise Center, University of East Anglia, Norwich / Architype

Courtesy of British Council for Offices

The University of East Anglia’s The Enterprise Centre was praised by judges for showcasing low carbon and sustainable design at its best. Judges commented that the workplace offered a wide range of highly flexible accommodation with incubation and collaborative spaces for new and developing businesses in a building equipped to deliver for the 21st century.

Courtesy of British Council for Offices

Commercial Workplace: The Leadenhall Building, London / Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Courtesy of British Council for Offices

The Leadenhall Building holds its own in the London’s ‘City Cluster’ with its striking form the result of the elegant resolution of a myriad of issues.

Courtesy of British Land and Oxford Properties

Refurbished/Recycled Workplace: Alphabeta, London / Studio RHE

Courtesy of British Council for Offices

The restoring and reformatting of a series of historic buildings to create Alphabeta has created an active and vibrant communal “village.”

Courtesy of British Council for Offices

Fit Out of Workplace: Berghaus HQ, Sunderland / Rock Townsend

Sunderland’s Berghaus HQ was praised for strongly reflecting the brand’s ethos of ‘live for adventure’ through impressive solutions such as the sky rail and climbing rope staircase

Project up to 2,000m2: Bunker, Littlewoods Complex, Liverpool / Shedkm Architects

The flexibility of space offered by The Bunker in Liverpool impressed the judges, with the open plan floor plate giving the space the potential to be split into two, three or four units on each floor.

Test of Time: BBC North, Salford / Wilkinson Eyre Architects + Chapman Taylor + ID:SR

BBC North was selected by the judges for its quality of design and in-built flexibility, enabling quality content to be consistently produced as occupier numbers steadily increased.

Innovation: LandRover BAR Team HQ, Portsmouth / HGP Architects

Portsmouth’s LandRover BAR Team HQ was awarded for innovation due to its highly sustainable and energy efficient design coupled with an incorporation of impressive facilities such as F1 style meeting rooms and a state-of-the art gym.

The BCO also awards regional winners in each category, which become the shortlist for the national award. More information on the award, along with the regional lists, can be found at the BCO website, here.

Entries for the 2017 awards open on Wednesday 5th October 2016.

News via BCO.

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© Morely von Sternberg

• Architects: Mark Fairhurst Architects
• Location: 4 Hafer Rd, London SW11, UK
• Area: 1517.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Morely von Sternberg

• Planning Design: Peter Barber Architects
• Client/Developer: On the Rise Housing Co-operative
• Contractor/Developer: Kuropatwa Ltd.
• Structural Engineer: Hall Davis Consulting Engineers
• M&E Engineers: Mandick Waring Consulting Engineers
• Cdm Coordinator: Andrew Worsley
• Party Wall Surveyor: GKR Associates
• Acoustic Consultants: KP Acoustics
• Energy Consultants: Mandick Waring Consulting Engineers
• Landscape Architect: Buckley Design Associates

© Morely von Sternberg

From the architect. Mark Fairhurst Architects were appointed in 2014 by Kuropatwa Ltd. the developer/ contractor for the technical design of the 16 residential apartments at Hafer Road, we were challenged to deliver what was a relatively complex concept design by Peter Barber Architects.

© Morely von Sternberg

Located in the London Borough of Wandsworth close to Clapham Common and Lavender Hill, 4-8 Hafer Road is a cooperative housing development replacing 8 existing flats on a former bomb damaged site with 4 maisonettes and a further 12 residential units.

© Morely von Sternberg

A new basement provides accommodation for maisonettes naturally lit via two external courtyards to the rear and a continuous light well to the front spanned by entrance bridges to the maisonettes and communal entrances, two stair cores giving access to 8 flats above. Flats are arranged with dual aspects with a combination of external terraces, projecting balconies and recessed terraces at roof level surmounted by a biodiverse brown roof with PV cells for renewable energy.

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We developed the detailed design to ensure the successful realization of the scheme and to incorporate the different design requirements of the end users, more challenging than a conventional developer led scheme. Various design enhancements were made to the glazing, internal layouts and finishes during the technical design stage.

© Morely von Sternberg

The building was constructed in in-situ reinforced concrete frame with light gauge galvanised steel structural framing system for the external brick cavity wall support. This allows substantial thermal insulation and flexibility in opening positions for various window types and concealing rainwater down pipes within the external wall construction so as not to disrupt the neatness of the façade and internal space.

© Morely von Sternberg

The residents were keen to increase views and natural daylight to the rooms surrounding the courtyard. External basement staircases, originally conceived as part of the bespoke fire strategy, were omitted and lobbies introduced at ground floor along with glazed screens to the living spaces.

© Morely von Sternberg

The original courtyard glazing, designed as a matrix of smaller composite framed window panels, were replaced with a structural glazed curtain walling system allowing unobtrusive floor to ceiling glass complimented with full height sliding doors with glazed balustrades; the opening up of the courtyard allowing one owner to install a green wall with water feature.

© Morely von Sternberg

Larger glazed panels were introduced to the rear gardens along with bi-parting sliding doors. A similar approach was taken to the design of the oriel windows with the opening sash relocated to the side panels to create a single sheet of glazing creating the ‘gold fish bowl’ effect.

© Morely von Sternberg

Brick detailing was critical to the final appearance of the building this included integrating the differing window reveal depths. The brick balconies were altered during the original planning process due to the planners concern about the bulk of full brick balustrades facing the road therefore the front balustrades were revised to steel railings.

© Morely von Sternberg

The high quality finish of the building was due to the contractor’s ability to offer a bespoke service to the residents allowing them to vary the internal finishes including the cabinets, tiling and sanitary wear. Our collaborative relationship with the contractor and expertise as an RIBA Chartered Practice enabled us to understand the complexity of the planning design and detail sympathetically to the original design intent

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© Michael Moran

• Architects: O’Neill Rose Architects
• Location: Sheffield, MA, USA
• Architect In Charge: Devin O’Neill
• Area: 3000.0 ft2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Michael Moran

• Structural Engineer: Ross Dalland
• Mep Engineer: D’Antonio Consulting Engineers

© Michael Moran

In order to heighten how it relates to its surroundings, the architects took a simple house to the extreme.  One end of this stretched, elongated house is anchored into the hill, while the other floats over marshy wetlands.  When it rains, the water literally runs under the house: next to the entry footbridge, a boulder strewn rain garden cascades underneath the house to the meadow beyond.

© Michael Moran

Built for a nature loving couple who is retiring to the countryside, the house integrates ‘aging in place’ into its design.  The house is all on one level, sited so that the landscape rises and plunges on all four sides, in order to visually counteract the future loss of mobility.  In order to maximize the experience of outdoors, the screened porch can be enjoyed year-round, thanks to a large fieldstone fireplace and interchangeable screened and glass wall panels.  Taking human (and canine) centered design into account, windows on all sides frame key vistas; up towards the orchard, down to the lake, and across to the woods.  Two low windows are strategically placed so the dogs can look out as well.

© Michael Moran

Plan

© Michael Moran

True to their aesthetic, O’Neill Rose Architects paired their sensitive approach to siting with clean, light filled interiors.  Streamlined references to the rural vernacular can be found in details like the turn buckle ceiling cables.  As with other projects, key furniture and lighting is designed and fabricated by the architects, including the blackened steel light fixtures and the blue cypress wood dining enclosure.

© Michael Moran

Product Description. One of the principal materials in this project is cypress.  We like to re-interpret context in a way that highlights both the newness of our work and casts the original context in a new light. The agricultural buildings in the area, which are simple wood framed structures with field stone bases, really resonated with us. The stone bases anchor the buildings to the ground, and the lighter, wood structures engage the surrounding site.  We felt this gesture was really appropriate, and we could use it to really call attention to the building’s position within it’s site.  We chose to clad the building in vertical boards of cypress, stained with ebony, because it is a really beautiful wood, and the translucent stain showcased its beauty.

© Michael Moran

We used it at the interior as well; cypress with the same ebony stain as the exterior creates the ‘house within the house’ that the kitchen service bar inhabits, while a special blue stained cypress enclosure plays double duty as a kitchen banquette enclosure, a spatial divider within the open plan.

© Michael Moran

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