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David Hertz - Studio EA - Floating Residence
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Modern Residential Design
Suspended Tetris - David Hertz has produced a number of fantastic residences and the Floating or Binder Residence in Venice, CA is no exception. It's paired back black minimalist play on volumes and floating separated masses intrigues.
Overview
The project is located on a small, 37 foot wide lot on a pedestrian only street in Venice, CA. Rather than create one solid object, David followed his residential design signature of two, two story units. The upper levels of the units seeming to float above minimal tilt up concrete walls and pillars of the lower levels. The two upper levels being attached by an open-air bridge. The larger of the structures is used as a residence while the other is used as an art studio and guest room over a garage.
The glazed panels, central to the floating effect are also large, sliding doors that conceal themselves so that the ground floor appears to be open to the exterior courtyards, thus blurring the definition of interior and exterior spaces. A large 2-story chimney wall frames the rear of the courtyard while blocking the overlooking 2-story neighbours. The exterior fireplace at the second floor flanks an outdoor sleeping porch and seating area off of the perforated breezeway bridge. Ipe, and black steel are used throughout the house to complement the Syndecrete® prefabricated concrete panels.
Walls on the first floor are intentionally held from touching the ceiling of the second floor to allow for a clear line of site over neighbouring residences and giving the illusion that the second story is floating above the first floor. These clerestory windows also bathe the lower level in light. The mass of the second floor elevations is divided into sections of positive and negative spaces that reinforce the destabilisation of the wall plane. Some of the vertical slices are specific to selective views of nearby palm trees.
A central floating stair divides the spaces and leads to a usable roof deck framed by high solid parapet walls providing privacy and strategically edited views of the distant landscape.
A continuous skylight, that opens to serve as a shaft to facilitate stack effect ventilation, frames the stairs that float from the ceiling of the second story. The exterior walls of the second story are covered in a smooth, steel trowel, integrally pigmented, stucco. These are connected seamlessly to the interior ceiling of the first floor, their continuation internally to form one single mass, further emphasises the weight of the "floating" block above.
Slideshow
Plans
Plasma Plants Will Vaporize Trash While Generating Energy
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Inhabitat
Recently St. Lucie County in Florida announced that it has teamed up with Geoplasma to develop the United States’ first plasma gasification plant. The plant will use super-hot 10,000 degree fahrenheit plasma to effectively vaporize 1,500 tons of trash each day, which in turn spins turbines to generate 60MW of electricity - enough to power 50,000 homes! Cutting down on landfill waste while generating energy is a pretty win-win proposition, and the plant will also be able to melt down inorganic materials to be reused for other applications, such as in roadbed and heavy construction.
Trend: DIY Communities
00/00/0000, 00:00 | CScout TrendBlog
Recent years have seen a flourishing of organizations that gather people with common interests participate in do-it-yourself activities
In a reaction to the digital age, creative people are finding ways to build community in the real world to share knowledge, projects, and ideas. People are looking to the Internet to find outlets for active creativity, rather than merely passive entertainment or consumption.
Cases
The Make Lounge
North London’s Make Lounge brings arts and crafts into the 21st century. One-off workshops are delivered in a branded “drop-in” environment, attracting those looking to dabble in activities such as millinery, jewelery making, or knitting.
The School of Life
Located close to some of London’s top universities, The School of Life makes adult education accessible and cool. Opened in September 2008, the space features a shop that sells books, art, courses, vacation packages, and consultancy to those seeking intellectual adventure. Beneath the shop is an underground classroom that hosts regular courses across five central themes - work, play, family, politics and love.
Maker Fair
Dubbed “Woodstock for inventors,” Maker Fair is a two-day event for people who love to make things themselves. Everything from arts and crafts to engineering and science, sustainable design, food, and music are represented. The event is no small job for organizers Make Magazine and Crafts Magazine: the last Maker Fair attracted 65,000 people.
Trend Impact
Although the Internet may provide us with instant, free information, we still thrive on real-world human interactions. Creative people are going online to connect people with common offline interests.
Best MoCo Architecture This Week
10/04/2008, 23:02 | MoCo LocoSlight change to our weekly Meta MoCo survey post, we've decided to split it into two parts; Best MoCo Architecture This Week and Best MoCo Objects This Week. With the number and quality of design blogs steadily growing, the quantity of design objects and architecture has virtually exploded. The name change also more aptly describes the content we are presenting. Best MoCo Architecture This Week will be posted every weekend and Best MoCo Objects This Week will now be posted on Mondays.
+ Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter's prefab Read-Nest, "Measuring only 10 m2, Read-Nest is a small pre-manufactured structure that is designed to sit in the landscape like an architectural folly. Being flexible in both situation and use, the owner can place Read-Nest where he or she feels would best suit their needs, whether for study, relaxation or both.". At Arch Daily.
+ Also from Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter; Summerhouse in Jørlunde at Arch Daily. "Raised above the ground by concrete pillars, the house extends over the sloping terrain with interior spaces and terraces filtered from the outer landscape by movable fabric screens stretching along the perimeter.".
+ Splitterwerk's 32 sq. meter "Ivory and fresh Shell" apartment # 1 in Black Treefrog, Bad Waltersdorf, Austria. Converted from an old farmyard and a fire station, "The new interior envelope is conceived as a continuously active media surface - Projections, enlarged picture screens or TV - that makes the spatial divisions into virtual phenomena.". Via Judit Bellostes and We Make Money Not Art.
+ Jan Konings and Droog Lab's Hotel Experimenta*. "a temporary hotel at the northern IJ-river front in Amsterdam. It can be seen as an inverted hotel - the neighbourhood as a whole functions as a hotel, the streets are the hotel corridors, and the inhabitants are the hosts that offer the guests services, activities and excursions.". Via Judit Bellostes, Droog lab and Frame magazine.
+ Allied Works Architecture's Dutchess County Guesthouse profiled in the NYT's Style Magazine. "A cool guesthouse for a pair of art collectors upstate New York by the firm that redid 2 Columbus Circle.". Via Materialicious.
+ "Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates design a house for an industrial designer in a quiet residential area in Tokyo." at World Architecture News.
+ Curiosity, Inc.'s C-2 House at rolu | design, with "a dash of something 70's here. picture the exterior covered in cedar shakes.".
+ Swedish designer Jonas Wagell's Mini House, "a 15 square metre house that can be built in a weekend". At Dezeen.
+ DeMaria Design's Redondo Beach House, "constructed with a combination of prefabricated shipping containers and traditional building materials". At Inhabitat.
+ Morten and Andrea's Gotland island sommarhus at Hemfeber.
It is Design Sojourn’s 3rd Birthday!
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Design Sojournin the kitchen with: ditte isager
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Design*Sponge
On my recent trip to London for the Design Festival, I did not limit my search for aesthetics to home interiors and accessories. I stopped in a bookstore and checked in on some British cookbooks that are easier to find in the UK than in the US like Tamasin Day-Lewis, Leith’s Cooking School series, and the new Gordon Ramsay Cooking for Friends. Ditte Isager is the photographer who shot Gordon Ramsay’s new book, and I will admit that the photos sold the book. I am so enchanted by Ditte’s work, that I keep the book on my bedside table to look at before going to sleep so I’ll have nice dreams! Ditte’s signature photographic style is unmistakable and totally addictive. Her recipe for a fruit meringue cake looks fancy but is simple to make. Don’t be afraid of meringue! It will be your new friend! Click here for the full recipe or just click “read more” below. -Kristina
About Ditte: Ditte Isager was born and raised in Copenhagen. She was educated at Danish technical school of photography and Schiller studio and is now living in NYC. Specialized in interiors, travel, and food, her clients include Gourmet, Traveler, Domino, Martha Stewart, Gordon Ramsey, Fritz Hansen, to name a few.
Fruit Meringue Cake
Meringues
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
½ cup sugar
For topping:
whip cream
fruit or berries, whatever you feel like
1. Whip the egg whites, vinegar and sugar for around 5 min to it is thick and shiny.
2. Put a little bit of flour on baking paper and make a circle around 20 cm in diameter with the whipped egg whites.
3. Bake it at 305 degrees (F) for around an hour to it is crisp, turn off the oven and leave the meringues there until it is cold.
4. Whip the cream, you can add some berries to the cream too, and decorate the cake with whipped cream and berries
Why Ditte chose this recipe: This is my favorite cake soooooo easy and so delicious! I always make it for birthdays, dessert when friends come over for dinner ………any occasion.
Images are 4×5 polaroids taken with a Linhoff camera.
Diarmuid Gavin Designs | Chelsea Garden - Oceânico Garden
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Modern Residential Design
Changing Residential Design for Landscape Design - Stepping away from houses, I thought I'd cover the big news this week in London, the Chelsea Garden show.
The show, as well as showcasing the latest in gardening, showcases some fantastic Landscape gardening. A stand out in my mind, was the Diarmuid Gavin Designs | Oceânico Garden
What got me next was the fantastic crate like design of the garden shed.
Three of the four walls fold down on hot days, or fold up in increments for wind or winter use, with the top 300 mm folding out to form some shade protection, or ventilation, when the other walls are closed.
I think it's a great solution for outdoor entertaining!
It's kind of a miniature Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects | Coromandel House
Layout
The Royal Horticultural Society describe it thus:
The Café Garden is a place for people to stop, sit, relax and to immerse themselves in the atmosphere; it is a haven from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
The garden opens to a clearing to reveal an open wooden pavilion with slatted wood sections for shading visitors. Inspired by a set of 1940s-style French mesh work chairs, outsized, stainless steel daisies are the centre of drama in the garden.
The daisies burst out of the ground and tower above the garden, set at varying heights among rich planting and a deep green jungle of foliage.
Tables and chairs with leafy parasols are interspaced within the planted areas.
Beyond the café, there is a forest of lollipop Catalpa trees and daisies, a dreamy backdrop to complete the scene. Pathways link the seating areas.
And, The Telegraph have some fantastic panoramas:
Of the Oceânico Garden, And others.
More on the Chelsea Garden Show from the Royal Horticultural Society
Designers must Develop Critical Insight
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Design SojournFelix Jerusalem's Stroh Haus
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOW
Thanks Juzz!
Image credits - Stroh Haus site
Freewheelin way to go
00/00/0000, 00:00 | David Report
The Freewheelin story.
Bike sharing was a hit when launched in Paris in 2007. It was cheap, convenient and eco-friendly. End of story? Not so fast. A U.S. health insurer changed the game and wrote a new story. Humana promotes its business agenda - lower health care costs - through a state-of-the-art bike sharing program tested during the 2008 U.S. political party conventions in Denver and St. Paul.
Freewheelin promotes its social and business agenda through communication - made possible by wireless/mobile and social networking technology. When you ride a Feewheelin bike, wireless networks track your mileage and calories burned. Social networking tools help individuals track their personal successes and, by calculating reduced carbon emmisions, their contributions to the shared health and wellness of their community and the planet.
Andra bloggar om: cykla, motion, träning, miljö, hållbarhet
'diamond' turntable designed for woman
00/00/0000, 00:00 | designboom weblog, design related news, reviews and previews
while the mp3 is the leading music format, there is still a passionate collection of vinyl record collectors
out there. while not all of these collectors are professional djs, a large majority are men. and while most
contemporary turntables are designed for men, the diamond turntable by scheu ananlog is designed
for woman. the sleek design combines a curvy form and frosty record holder in a very non-traditional
turntable. while the main model comes in a very feminine pink, it is also available in black and wood grain.
despite the 3,900 euro price tag, there may even be a few guys waiting in line to buy one.
http://www.ladylikescheu.com
via luxist
New Mexico EcoSteel House - more done than not
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog
Look below the fold for a photo browser with more interior shots.
Technorati Tags: 6030 House, 6040 House, ecosteel, modern design, modern house, prefab house
MODERN CONCRETE - SOLUS DECOR
00/00/0000, 00:00 | GAILE GUEVARA
Concrete "Firebowl" - $4,200.00 CAD with fire
Solus Handcast Concrete Decor Goes “Outdoor” For Spring - (thanks Lindsey for the info!)
Solus Decor Inc, a Vancouver, Canada-based firm that designs and manufactures precast concrete home decor products, has been creating fireplace mantels, tiles, site furnishings and custom pieces since 1997. This spring, Solus is launching a new collection of planters, vessels and site furnishings under the banner “Solus Outdoor.” The line is highlighted by an outdoor fire feature called the Hemi Firebowl, and the Grate Bench, a 2007 selection for New York’s Haute Green, “the best in sustainable design for the contemporary home”.
Concrete "Hemi Bowl" - $1,800.00 CAD
The Outdoor line was created as a response to a dearth in modern four-season outdoor furnishings and is the result of four years of experimentation and refinement. All the pieces in the collection are cast in high performance concrete: formulations that are up to five times stronger and more durable than typical concrete. This state-of-the-art material gives the pieces their uniquely contemporary look and also allows them to withstand harsh Canadian winters without “weathering ugly.” Unlike other materials used for outdoor furniture, high-performance concrete requires no maintenance and is not adversely affected by UV rays and dampness.
The Litha - Plank Bench $1,800 CAD
The Litha - Grate Bench $2,200 CAD
The benches and planters in the collection utilize Solus’ Litho, an ultra high-performance concrete with a compressive strength in excess of 20,000 psi (140 MPa+). This has allowed the Solus design team to push the boundaries of what was previously possible, with pieces that are unexpectedly thin and detailing that is refined crispness. Further, all pieces in the Outdoor line employ post-industrial recycled content in their formulations which not only helps to reduce the environmental impact of the products, but also enhances the concrete’s performance characteristics.
The spring line-up includes the Hemi Firebowl, Box Planters in two sizes, the multi-use Hemi 36 vessel, and two modern garden benches. All are available in a range of architectural colours and can be shipped across North America. The Solus Outdoor collection will be displayed at IDS West at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, May 19-22, 2008, Booth 705.
Solus Decor was founded in 1997 in a small garage in North Vancouver by two Fine Arts graduates from the University of British Columbia. Solus continues to manufacture all of its products in Vancouver, but has grown into a 15,000 square foot facility and showroom with a dedicated 18-person staff.
The Box Planters:
Trough $1,100.00 CAD or Cube $400.00 CAD
Find out more at SOLUS DECOR. If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Khai Foo, please contact Solus at 604.255.2472, toll-free at 1.877.255.3146 or email: khai.foo@solusdecor.com
At Specialty Garage, Making Hybrids Even Greener [Clipping]
11/04/2008, 16:44 | Land+Living: Modern Lifestyle + DesignRecycled Houses
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Green Home Building and Sustainable ArchitectureA big truck tractor was towing this entire 1200 square foot house balanced on two huge steel I-beams and a bunch of wheeled dollies. Progress was slow but steady as it inexorably moved toward its next incarnation. Just that morning it had departed its original home where it had been seasonal housing for migrant workers.
The owners of this seeming mirage had searched for just the right orphaned house to adopt as their own, lovingly place it on a new foundation, and refurbish it. Many houses would not be suitable for such a trip; generally only well-built wooden structures can withstand the stress of such a move. This house had all the qualities they were looking for: charm, integrity, and affordability. The entire cost of the house and having it moved was $10,000.
By the time they have it completely fixed up with new plumbing and electric service, an insulated stucco exterior, new energy-efficient windows, a metal roof, a completely rebuilt front porch, all of the interior walls resurfaced, and miscellaneous repairs, they estimate that the total cost of the project will be about $50,000, including the land. Not bad for what in most regards will be as good as new!
Of course new is not what they wanted; they bought this early twentieth century house (it's actual date of construction is unknown) precisely because of its special vintage quality. It reminds one of the owners of the house his grandmother lived in, with 9 foot ceilings, three smallish bedrooms, tongue and grooved fir flooring, cast-iron radiators, built-in cabinets, drawers and even ironing board, and the intangible quality of a by-gone era. They plan to retain the original floor plan intact, only altering a walk-in closet to become the mechanical room and turning a room off the kitchen into a dining space.
The house made the entire trip with just a few places where the plaster cracked in one corner, which is easily repaired. This is one very solidly-built house, made from the sort of fir that no longer can be bought. There was only one place under the kitchen sink that had suffered leak-induced rot over many years; everything else is as straight and true as any carpenter would want.
Another late twentieth century vintage home of about 800 square feet came from property leased from the Federal government and the house needed to be moved. With local help, the buyer of this little home added an additional room onto the original to comply with the homeowners' association square foot minimum. She has thoroughly enjoyed the process of remaking this simple cabin into her charming home, imbued with the wonderful quirky qualities that spring from her fanciful mind.
Once a house is moved it must comply with current plumbing and electrical codes, so these elements were completely redone. Most of the windows were replaced with second hand units that gave her just the views that she wanted. The exterior was resurfaced with rough-sawn lap siding and a new metal roof was installed. The original interior plastic paneling was replaced with sheetrock, and decorated with lots of natural wood trim. The whole feeling of the place is one of lovingly crafted touches wherever the eye lands. The new owner says, “I would much rather live in something recycled than buying something brand new which has no character. I let this house come together…it just evolved!”
Creating new life for old or abandoned houses has got be one of the most sustainable ways of making habitation. This is the ultimate form of recycling, where most of the basic components of a house are utilized intact instead of being tossed into a landfill or burned. There is a tremendous savings in the embodied energy of the house (in both materials and labor), so that all that needs to be done is to repair and polish the original dwelling to create a whole new life for it. Hoorah for these people who have the vision and willingness to take on these projects!
A Good Strategy is like a Good Movie
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Design Sojourndesign is differentiation
11/14/2008, 17:27 | Influxinsights
Posted by Ed Cotton
k:fem department store by wingårdh architecture
00/00/0000, 00:00 | designboom weblog, design related news, reviews and previews
the k:fem department store by wingårdh architecture is located in the vällingby development, just outside
of stockholm. the store was conceived as a new beacon for the community serving to inject new life into
the area. the exterior is covered in a milky glass which get increasingly see through toward the top,
merging into the red overhang above. the list of stores inside are displayed on the overhang, all in white
on red. a pedestrian street cuts-through the department store, dividing it from the adjoining solo retailer.
inside the store, the semitransparent theme continues. the most unique features is the light filled central
core which is open to the sky.
http://www.wingardhs.se
via arch daily
10 Useful Cost Saving Design Strategies for these Troubled Times
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Design SojournI Like It, I Actually Like It
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOW
MODERN MOMA
00/00/0000, 00:00 | GAILE GUEVARASpend a day at the MOMA in New York and you’ll know why it’s my favorite place to be! On a recent visit with my good friend Michelle, we rediscovered how subtle design details go into creating maximum effects.
Not every passing eye may notice, but I * love, love * that every where I look, the “too complicated” or “too expensive” details are represented here seemingly effortlessly. From the flush drywall reveals to the spatial planning of transitioning from one space to another … subtle application of natural light and physical movement through a volume of space … striking white walls, over sized slab stone clad walls … a cantilevered bridge carefully finished on all exposed sides intersects with a vertical opening exposing the floor plates of each gallery level … the cut outs and view points all with frameless glazing … to the flush linear a/c vents and grills … It’s the beauty of minimalism that gives this simplistic yet stylized illusion.
Just observe and you’ll see that even the people within the space, passing through admiring the artworks on display… become art itself.
P.S. Doesn’t Michelle make the best model?!
links for 2008-09-08
00/00/0000, 00:00 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :-
One of a few conferences I've never been to so far is the IIT Design Research Conference held each year in Chicago the home of IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology). Unlike many other conference organizers they are releasing the conference videos quite shortly after the conference has ended and that's what I've appreciated over the last years. While very often the selection of speakers tends to be the outcome of buddy networking there are from time to time some good talks available to be found in the archives.
Pretty much the same counts for their other conference they are hosting each year the 'IIT Insitute of Design Strategy Conference' to be found here: http://snipurl.com/iitstrategy [trex_id_iit_edu]
These Designers Have a Hard Time!
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Design SojournDavid Hertz - Studio EA | McKinley Residence
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Modern Residential Design
Green Alchemist's Residential Compound - The McKinley Residence is David Hertz's live in laboratory for modern - environmentally friendly - residential design. Converting common elements into green design, it's feature packed. The house is a true testament to David's commitment to the cause and to top it off forms a homely modern residence, showcasing practical design elements, fine tailored for a young family.
Aimed at "spreading the word", the Studio of Environmental Architecture is David Hertz's latest venture, leading the way in Eco friendly design and sharing what he's learnt both through his residential work and his own house. Many thanks to the team at Studio EA for the details on this house.
Overview
Designed as a new house when Venice was till a rough neighbourhood the house presents a relatively strong/protective façade at street level and uses enclosed balconies to extend the upper levels and take full advantage of sea breezes.
The house consisted of two pavilions connected by a bridge, and was already cutting edge (environmentally) through its use of Syndecrete®, which contains about 41% percent recycled content and is twice as light, with twice the compressive strength, of normal concrete. Syndecrete® is David's own development and one of many featured in the residence.
It is now a compound made up of four discrete two-story buildings linked by three enclosed bridges that all face onto the courtyard.
Style "Balinese Modern"
Working it through
There was only one snag in the whole process. David is staunchly in favour of green design, the mere fact of adding that much space nagged at him. "There's no getting around the fact," he says, "that on a purely ecological level, 4,400 square feet is a lot of house by most of the world's standards."
His solution was to make the house the greenest house of its size he'd ever seen. Hertz used this house as a case study for green building techniques. An array of 20 solar collector panels on the roof help generate about 70 percent of the home’s electricity needs, and other sections of the roof are given over to flat-plate collectors that provide hot water to the water heater, which then sends it into a radiant heating system in the concrete floors.
I've no beef with the results, David's family expanded and so has his residence, the house is all used and as much as we battle with the urges, who wouldn't want their own compound like this. David's innovative materials and willingness to push for a more environmentally sound house is exemplary.
The materials used were chosen carefully to support environmental sustainability and the design intent. Recycled and FSC certified sustainable woods such as Ipe, Mahogany, and Fir, are used throughout the house to complement the Syndecrete®.
The Syndecrete® acts inside the house as a kind of “solar sink” for passive solar energy transfer, storing up the sun’s warmth during the day, and thus keeping it from overheating the interior, and then slowly releasing that heat during the night. Syndecrete® flooring was chosen for several reasons; it eliminates mold and dust caused by carpet, requires less maintenance, and is more environmentally sensitive than carpet, wood, or other floor finishes.
In order to maintain excellent indoor air quality, David used zero VOC paint, and eliminated a forced air system and carpeted floors, and with them mould and dust.
Another bonus of these materials is the resultant durability and functionality of the house. Its for living in. Rather than begin a minimalist box (don't get me wrong they have their place) the house portrays both David's design innovations, but also the family's efforts, endeavours, favourite drawings, posters, toys, etc. And it's a tough house.
You can see here one of my favourite shots showing the utilitarian nature of the house, and how its designed for a family.
Yup, David's hosing it down, an ability that's now on the list for my house. You can also see that playful design feature to let the kids feel its their house too, a pint size door for them.
Green Credentials
Hopefully in the images, you'll spot some of these fantastic features.
- Passive Ventilation – eliminating the need for a forced air system the shaded front living area naturally ducts cool air up thought the house and stairwell, then out the temperature sensitive skylights.
- Solar Energy – an array of 20 solar panels on the roof supply around 70% of the home's energy needs
- Photovoltaic Panels and Flat Plate Collectors – providing hot water to the water heater and subsequently the radiant heating system in the concrete floors. David says to heat the place, with these panels installed takes about as much energy as a 60w light bulb, all taken from his solar array.
- Vacuum tubing on the roof, which uses a parabolic collector to focus the sun’s rays, provides additional hot water
- Recycled FSC certified sustainable woods such as Ipe, Mahogany and Fir
- That Syndecrete®, a light-weight concrete that uses 41% recycled content - it also holds various pigments and textures to form furniture throughout the house, like the kitchen bench, table and bathroom sinks.
- Zero VOC paints
- High performance heat-mirror glazing
- The pool system uses an ionization and silver filter, eliminating the need for chlorine
Layout
I've wanted to write about David's work for some time now as his preferred layout for houses draws from tropical bungalows and linked pavilions.
Phase-1
You'll note that he has separated the functional areas of the original house at the bottom, both vertically and horizontally into 4 boxes. The living and dining come entertaining areas at the front are split from the garage at the rear to form an external lounge/fire pit, one that tops my list for "ideal after work summer beer spot".
Above, the bedrooms retreats, with the master bedroom above the lounge, and the children's bedrooms, back away over the garage.
Second only to the fire pit, is the outdoor sleeping area off the master bedroom. In summer time, the enclosed balcony becomes a comfy, cool sleeping area.
Phase-2
This renders the children's original bedrooms as guest areas that convert into a large rumpus room for rainy days. To accommodate the three children as they grow older, David's given them more space (between them and their wing of the house) and space for their guests. They have a bedroom and studio area in the upstairs of the new wing, and mum and dad gain an open plan kitchen/dining area with a wall that opens up completely to the pool and inner courtyard formed between the two wings.
Results
This building is a successful study in architecture that is both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally responsible, whilst functioning as a pair of Levi 501s, hard wearing, sexy and a design classic.
Images
Slideshow
Plans
via: Many thanks to Christina at Studio EA
MODERN ARCHITECT - NIGEL PARISH
00/00/0000, 00:00 | GAILE GUEVARA
Architecture & Interiors by: SPLYCE
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Specialty: residential and commercial renovations to custom furniture and landscapes
Project Highlights: Renovations of West2nd and West 7th private residences
Interior Photography: Michael Boland Photography
The great thing about blogging is that I have gained such a great sense of community, meeting so many amazing talents from all corners of the world and also reconnecting with the local design scene. Earlier this year I was honoured to read a kind comment from one of Vancouver's most talented architects, Nigel Parish of SPLYCE. I came across his work last year while sourcing images for modern west coast architecture. Over the past months, I have been lucky enough to learn more about Nigel's work and approach to both architecture and interiors. You can see through his work the merging of the structure and interior volumes of space holds a strong relationship and is seamless. I admire his keen sense of attention to construction details in exploring natural materials in flush exterior cladding and the combining of economical yet quality materials.
Here is an example of his work shown in the West 2nd renovation project on a 1,200 sq.ft. 1950s apartment. Love the detailing of the hardware and open staircase using laminated glass treads. Another favorite of mine is the West 7th Penthouse renovation, where his attention to details is well executed through the design of a multi-functional built-in that cleverly includes a movable cantilevered worktop.
His bio reads "The fascination with craft and how things are made is reflected in all of Nigel's work by an acute attention to detail on every scale. From the broader conceptual organization of spaces to the finer detailing and selection of finishes, Nigel strives to apply meaning and purpose to all design elements. Design decisions based on the specific and unique parameters of each project, such as site conditions, budget constraints and client's wishes, always take precedent over style and popular trends. The results are objects and spaces infused with meaning and lasting beauty." - this is well represented in his work. Stay tuned for the soon to come feature magazine articles on his recently completed home renovations in West Vancouver. Excellent examples of icon additions to Vancouver's collection of modern westcoast homes.
To see more of Nigel's work, see slideshow
3030 House - steel framing goes up
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog
Here we see the frame set up to the second floor, and first and second floor joists in place. The roof framing has just begun.
Here it appears the entire main framing system is in place, including the roof purlins. Next will be the light gage wall framing to infill the exterior walls and frame out the window and door openings.
Here we see the recycled barn siding that we saw in an earlier post being installed as the first floor ceiling. The bar joists will be exposed, painted, but more or less as we see them here. The barn planks are going directly over the joists, and plywood floor deck will go down over the planks, and then finish flooring. I love the way this looks. The contrast between the industrial truss joists and the rustic planks is just great.
Tune into the 3030 House flickr group to see all of the photos forwarded by the owner.
Technorati Tags: 3030 House, ecosteel, modern design, modern house, prefab house
Kermit the Frog on Design Management
00/00/0000, 00:00 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :If you’ve ever wondered what it means to work at the intersection of Managers and Designers than you should watch this great video clip! … after all I was wondering the other day which Muppet character would best characterise a Design Manager!? Any ideas?
found via Dan Roama chair for the times
11/07/2008, 11:05 | InfluxinsightsHerman Miller took a long hard look at these problems and designed a chair with a positive impact on health. It's amazing to see a company take such an ambitious and rigorous approach to understanding and solving the needs of its users.
"Embody lets your body move and keeps you well supported, because your mind works best when you move freely and stress is minimized on your muscles, bones, and tissues. Blood circulates better, heart rate goes down, more oxygen flows to the brain, and there is no distracting discomfort or physical constraint. That's critical in our idea economy where innovation drives success and people get paid for their thoughts and creativity."
Better health= Better ideas- Very smart and it makes a nice pitch to CEOs and CFOs.
To get there, Herman-Miller talked and involved dozens of experts in fields of vision, biomechanics, physical therapy and ergonomics. These experts shared insights and helped develop prototypes.
Of course, the Embody is ahead of the curve environmentally, containing 45% recycled materials, no PVC and is 95% recylable.
Posted by Ed Cotton
P&G’s Innovation Culture [del.icio.us]
00/00/0000, 00:00 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :sumika projects by sou fujimoto, toyo ito, terunobu fujimori and taira nishizawa
00/00/0000, 00:00 | designboom weblog, design related news, reviews and previews
tokyo gas co., ltd., is japan's largest supplier of natural gas for both residential and business consumption.
for their 'sumika project', they teamed up with japanese architects toyo ito, sou fujimoto, terunobu fujimori
and taira nishizawa. each of the architects are responsible for designing a built structure on the project site.
the concept behind sumika is to provide new residential units, buildings and a main pavilion that will use gas
as their main source of energy.
the main pavilion is a communal space that is meant to bring people together, to gather and interact with
one another. with the increasing amount of people living in apartments in urban areas, homes have become
uniform and monotonous. the aim of the sukima project is to provide more primitive, free and prosperous housing
which connects to nature and awakens the five senses.
sou fujimoto and toyo ito
terunobu fujimori and taira nishizawa
by sou fujimoto
by toyo ito
by terunobu fujimori
by taira nishizawa
tokyo gas co., ltd.: www.tokyo-gas.co.jp