If you find there is any copyright abuse, contact us as soon as possible, thanks.
Jurlique rebrands
00/00/0000, 00:00 | David ReportJurlique rebrands to focus on its biodynamic farming principles.
This is post by David Report contributor Kristina Dryza.
Andra bloggar om: ekologisk, ekologiskt, mat, livsmedel, design, varumärken, varumärke, förpackningar
Greener is the new Blacktop [Clipping]
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Land+Living: Modern Lifestyle + Designinterview with minsuk cho now online
01/01/1970, 01:00 | designboom weblog, design related news, reviews and previews
designboom met with minsuk cho from mass studies during last month's milan design week.
we have now published our interview with the korean architect, featuring images of many of his
projects both new and old.
what is the best moment of the day?
the best moment of my day is when I'm in a transitional
state. when I am in the shower in the morning, I have a
hard time getting out, because I love just standing and
completely being in between. and I also feel the same
way about going to bed....
HOUSE kn by Kochi Architect's Studio
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOW
Nice treatment of parking space too. My pet peeve is nice homes ruined by ugly attached garages and bad driveways. HOUSE kn gets it right.
Via the girl in the green dress. It's a wonderful design blog, so please do click over and take a look. You'll be delighted.
Image credit - Kochi Architect's Studio site.
Thermoplan and Zeigel Blocks
05/10/2008, 17:39 | Green Home Building and Sustainable Architecture
There is a manufactured building system that has been gaining popularity in Europe for several years called Thermoplan or Zeigel Blocks. While I have no personal experience with this technology, I can readily see its many advantages. As far as I know this system has not made its way across the ocean to North America. From what I can gather from the websites (referenced below), here are some of the advantages:
Thermoplan or Zeigel Blocks are fired clay blocks which use about 1/3 less energy to make compared to concrete blocks, and about 2/3 less CO2. They are fast, simple and ideal for a self builder to use. About 50% of German homes are made this way and the technology is spreading to other areas of Europe.
Thermoplan systems use Ziegel blocks with a thin bed of mortar, to provide a breathing wall construction system. When combined with woodfibre board they can form a thermally and acoustically high performance shell. The Ziegel blocks come as part of a full load-bearing external and internal wall masonry system, and combine high thermal performance with robustness, speed of build and a breathing wall design.
Because of all the trapped air and the thickness of the walls, these blocks provide reasonable insulation, while at the same time do provide some degree of interior thermal mass for maintaining constant interior temperatures. This is an unusual combination of these two factors in a single wall system.
See www.burdensenvironmental.com or www.natural-building.co.uk for information for this innovative system.links for 2008-02-20
02/20/2008, 02:23 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :- It’s fascinating to see the self-refering attitude of the Italians in general and Verganti in particular. On the other hand he did ‘publish into action’ what I’ve found as ‘too simple textbook application’. So sometimes it just takes a simple ‘go for it’!
Rammed Earth is for Everyone!
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOWVia Earth Architecture (of course!).
Conducting Workshop at Invent Singapore 2008
08/11/2008, 16:02 | Design SojournDesign (Management) in a box
02/21/2008, 00:15 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :I get regularly asked by people from outside the design (management) community what can design actually do for them and their business. My spontaneous answer for sure is: A lot! - However the tricky part begins right after when it comes to explaining why and how ;-)
Therefore as part of my design management lecturing activities and inspired by Roger Martin’s thinking I try to give my audiences an answer to the question above by starting with a broader illustration what makes Design (Thinking) different from Business (Thinking). Wait, wait this is not a question of black/white, right/wrong, better/worse, but rather an issue of ‘context’ in which problems occur.
Without going into details here I do start my workshops by presenting my audiences different approaches on how to perceive and understand problems on a general scale. From this level at the two ends of a spectrum you can perceive a problem as something that has one, single solution (a Puzzle) while at the other side problems are paradoxes with multiple possible options. The tendency to see problems as puzzles is more likely to be found in business schools while designers somehow unconsciously accept paradoxes as a natural part of their problem solving process.
While this might sound reasonable on paper audiences are indeed interested to see what ‘overcoming paradoxes’ means in terms of design solutions. Well not surprisingly I do show some great everyday examples (no iPhones, iPods, etc. ;-) like for example Orikaso tableware. Fortunately over at Core77 today I’ve found another great YouTube video that shows what you can do with design as a tool to solve paradoxes. Watching this reminds me on how puzzle driven I am too often ;-) Simplicity rules!
Guess the upcoming house plan
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog
Technorati Tags: house plans, modern design, modern house, L House
F3 Arquitectos | House in Rupanco
05/14/2008, 09:35 | Modern Residential Design
Wooden Wonder - F3 Arquitectos - renowned for their timber architecture in Chile, have created this wonderful prefab retreat in 75 days! I question what more could be required of a modernistic cabin?
Many thanks to Plataforma Arquitectura for bringing us this fantastic residence in Southern Chile.
Translation / reword of original article by Carlos J Vial
Located in a remote area of Lake Rupanco, the commission responds to the request of a "summer house" or retreat, of sporadic use. Due to its complex, ever changing climate and geographical location, the plot made on site slow construction impossible.
The project consists of a single volume, with the layout distributed linearly, parallel to the lake views and shore. The site drops down a field to the shore below and northern sun.
A solid timber rear faade with a singular overlapped entrance, to the house, provides the necessary private secure barrier to the public road, becoming the main structural axis of the project. This wall in turn partially meets the requirements of security due to the prolonged periods when the house is uninhabited.
In contrast, once inside the interior, each room has a glazed wall facing the lake, creating a porous, and therefore vulnerable, faade. F3's solution being sliding wooden panels, clad in the same treated wood of the rear faade, that allow the owner to create a singular, completely airtight volume when leaving for the city.
As for the remote location and inclement weather that would hinder an on-site build - this was resolved by prefabricating many of the wall, floor and roof panels.
The Result
A beautiful, simple, elegant lakeside retreat. And to top it off, construction was completed in 75 days!!
Plans
Location: Lago Rupanco, X Region, Chile.
Arquitectos: F3 Arquitectos - Alejandro Dumay, Nicols Fones, Francisco Vergara.
Size: 127 m2.
Materials: Treated wood, in prefab panels.
Completed: 2005.
via: Plataforma Arquitectura
& F3 Arquitectos
TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: World’s Tiniest Fuel Cell Vehicle
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Inhabitat
If last week’s Transportation Tuesday article on the world’s smallest solar vehicle wasn’t your cup of tea (after all solar is so last year), then hopefully this week’s entry will be more to your taste. The Hydrocar is a pint-sized vehicle that is powered entirely by a hydrogen fuel cell. It would make an excellent office racer or a fun educational vehicle for children - check out it’s kid-friendly angle over at inhabitots!
personal infomatics
07/02/2008, 12:05 | InfluxinsightsTom Coates of Yahoo and Matt Jones of Dopplr gave this fascinating presentation about the topic at this years Web 2.0 conference.
The personalization of experiences through this information suggests that no experience should ever be the same.
After years of talk and nothing to show for it, we are truly moving into a one-to-one world.
Posted by Ed Cotton
Back to the Boom
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Land+Living: Modern Lifestyle + Design
Okey dokey, very quiet around here for CA Boom time of year... yes we are usually buzzing with activity. Alas, not this time. We will have some stuff to share with y'all later, buy you'll just have to wait. In the mean time, here are some links to tide you over:
LA Times was there, and they were snapping pictures:
LAist was there... first timers? Dunno, but they put together a nice photo essay from the Hangar: And the NY Times was there too... no comment: Props to the Curbed LA peeps for stepping it up this year with some nice coverage of the home tours:
- Kanner Residence | Kanner Architects
(we were there back at CA Boom 2... just had to say that) - Felderman Keatinge Residence
- Alan-Voo House | Neil M. Denari
- Red Barn House (for sale with questionable use of "stone")
- House of Sand | lee + mundwiler architects (another one for sale?)
- Modern-Shed on the Prefab Floor | Modern Shed (for sale signs galore!)
0857 L House - window frames
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog
Technorati Tags: house plans, L House, modern design, modern house
Guerrilla gardener movement takes root in L.A. area [Clipping]
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Land+Living: Modern Lifestyle + Designnurturing the talent you buy
06/21/2008, 22:47 | Influxinsights(Grant seems to have all the details and more in his post).
Yahoo was a brand that shone bright at the earliest part of the internet revolution, but it failed to keep pace with the times. However, the recent years have not been without hope. The company made two great acquisitions in Flickr and deli.icio.us- leading edge 2.0 companies with really smart founders, and really nice brands.
Everyone understands the smart thing to do with nascent brands is to let them be, give them space and autonomy as soon as you start screwing around with them all hell breaks loose.
However, in this supposed war for the most talented, shouldn't companies really be paying more attention to the people who created these entities?
For as much as they are buying the power and uniqueness of these new brands, they are also buying the talent of their creators, who's needs also have to be nurtured.
Time after time companies fail to capitalize on the talent they acquire because they can't find a way for it to fit into the culture or the culture itself crushes them.
Yahoo really need Stewart Butterfield, Caternina Fake and Joshua Schacter to spearhead the development and build out of Yahoo 2.0.
Why that really never happened, only the insiders will know, but clearly companies need to plan their acquisitions better and pay closer attention to the talent they are buying, rather than focusing their thinking on scaling through their system or saving costs by eliminating duplication and inefficiency.
Of course, Stewart Butterfield had the last laugh with his zany resignation letter, that tells his boss- he's thankful for his 87 years of service and doesn't need no gold watch.
Reading between the lines, it's clear giant corporate culture crushed his spirit and energy just at the time when Yahoo most needed those qualities.
Posted by Ed Cotton
TRANSPORTATION TUES: The Dry Leaf Eco-skateboard
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Inhabitat
We often cover alternative cars and other vehicles for Transportation Tuesday, and while they are making advances for their respective industries, they still require some type of fuel and are resource intensive in their production, which brings their sustainability into question. So when we can feature a truly sustainable transportation alternative, we jump at the chance. Enter the Dry Leaf skateboard by Lets Evo, a sweet eco-ride that is almost entirely constructed from sustainable materials and socially responsible labor practices.
Carnivorous Plants [Clipping]
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Land+Living: Modern Lifestyle + DesignMODERN 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
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
Meta MoCo This Week
01/01/1970, 06:00 | MoCo LocoThis week's MoCo picks, Summer pool edition.
+ Norisada Maeda's "MACHINE HEAD ?UNSUI" house in Kanagawa, Japan at architecturephoto.net. Via Dezain.
+ JM Architecture's Dolomites House at Arch Daily, "A wood deck made of 14cm wide Ipe wood planks surrounds the house, runs up a sunbathing platform with a Jacuzzi inserted, and covers two long decks.".
+ Bro Wehberg's 40 meter floating pool in Wolfsburg harbour, Germany. Via Judit Bellostes and Designlines.
+ Alverto Kalach & Daniel Alvarez Architects' jungle pool at Casa Negro. Via mopu42.
+ How Much Should Design Cost? at TreeHugger, "The architectural profession is broken in the single-family house biz; the vast majority of people live in houses that were built by developers from generic plans.".
+ ReCollections of Kiki and Joost video at Designguide.TV, "It?s about memories about forgotten objects, values or techniques.".
+ voonwong&bensonsaw's SETCAST bone china collection, ?a collection that makes the best use of bone china?s excellent light-reflective properties and also moves away from traditional decorative tableware to focus on striking new typologies that make a bold statement.?. Via NOTCOT.
+ Wasara disposable paper products inspired by traditional Japanese forms and aesthetics. Via swissmiss.
+ Fiona Thomson's wireless candelabra, "cleverly transforms what were purely ornamental objects into functional and useful objects.". Via Cool Hunting.
+ Eiry Rock's collection of chair designs "explore the relationship between objects and their reliance on each other.". Via designboom.
+ ibride's Ming vase made up of six stackable melamine dishes and bowls that come apart for dinner duty. Via Apartment Therapy.
+ The Amadana AD-203 iPod and CD Player, "cradles your iPod, plays your CDs, wakes you up via alarm". Via Apartment Therapy.
+ Michael Young's Cityspeed urban bike for Giant at Dezeen, "The bike features LED headlights and tail lights integrated into the frame.".
Natural Building Network
03/19/2008, 17:26 | Green Home Building and Sustainable ArchitectureThe Natural Building Network is a non-profit membership association, where the joining members can place listings for their services and talents and network world-wide. Towards this end, there are directories of natural builders by location, by specialty, and by their willingness to teach others their skills. This helps the members find suitable employment and helps the public find experienced builders who live in their area. Additionally there are classified listings of announcements about related matters. The Network website also features listings of workshops and events around the world, along with resources for further education.
This network and website offer a much-needed central facility for collecting information about natural builders around the world.
weekly wrap up + tina hakala
07/25/2008, 18:00 | Design*Sponge
it’s been a hot, sticky week and i’m so glad the weekend is finally here! next week we have some seriously awesome sneak peeks coming up, a new city guide and a special guide created by one of our interns, christy kolar. until then i hope you all have a wonderful weekend and i’ll see you monday. [above and below are new designs from finnish designer tina hakala and a summary of this week’s posts.]
- new sneak peeks: something’s hiding in here (must, must see), elana of rosebud design
- affordable design: d*s on domino under $10
- new city guide: san diego!
- new before and afters: tamera’s chairs, leona’s chair, lindsey’s chair
- diy wednesdays: stamped dish towels
- new: pillow and bag sneak peek from thomas paul, textiles from tikoli, porcelain candle gourds, 20-armed candelabra, faux bois doormat, napkins from skinny laminx, erwan frotin prints, funnel papers calling cards, lacquer storage boxes
- movies i love: mamma mia and josef frank fabrics!
- just for fun: john derian plate
- for the kids: fun diy shelving idea
- wedding ideas: hand-printed invites
- thank you to sarah at saipua for her fantastic guest blog posts!
Urban Green Building
04/25/2008, 18:21 | Green Home Building and Sustainable Architecture"I happened to notice that very little, if not at all, mention of urban dwellings and how small urban homes are practically the greenest you can get when you factor in transportation. Green homes spread out in the country, unless you're living off the earth and have no use for a car, may counteract your carbon footprint savings if you have to drive on a continuous basis. A vast majority of Americans live in a metropolitan area, it would be nice if your information can include an aspect to the benefits of small homes in urban dwellings."
"I am curious about building an earth covered or underground home in the future. Can these houses be built on a small lot within a city? I think being close to your neighbors etc., is one way to help achieve sustainable living, however, the green homes I have seen always appear to be on a large parcel of land."
I think these folks are absolutely right about this. It is unfortunate that most of the natural building movement has been more of a rural activity...but there is no reason why it has to be. Virtually all of the principles of sustainable architecture that I outline at http://greenhomebuilding.com/sustainable_architecture.htm would equally apply in an urban setting.
In districts where housing goes above 2 or 3 stories, it is difficult to use some of the more natural techniques. One problem is that many of these methods of building result in rather thick walls, especially when the walls must go quite high, so that interior space is compromised by this. This is where some hybrid concepts might be useful, such as building with a steel framework to allow multiple stories, and then fill in the walls with less industrial materials, such as strawbales, cordwood, or earthbags.
As for going underground in a city, it certainly can be done. It would be a great way to create dwelling space and reserve most of the land above for gardening or parks, creating much needed green space in the city.
Also much of the movement towards "sharing facilities," such as co-housing, can be done in cities. This is another way to create both denser housing and reserve open space for parks and gardening.
I think that all proponents of green architecture need to put more creative thought into urban design!
Trend: Updates of Social Networking in China
00/00/0000, 00:00 | CScout TrendBlog
Social networking (SNS) becomes more focused in China.
Trend Discription:
Instead of setting up an all-round Social Networks, the IT professionals in China chose to push the SNS to a more focused direction. They try to attract registers by inviting elites of the industry circle to the network and cater to the urgent needs of the people, such as providing job-hunting information.
Cases
 5G
5G(Wuji, meaning Five Seasons) is an IT-industry-focused SNS co-launched on June 20 by a couple of IT elites like Oak Pacific Interactive’s former IT community Donews.com chief-in-editor Hong Bo, Microsoft global technology center founder Hua Hongwei and social networking site Linkoo.cn CEO Jin Xiaofeng. It aims to set up socialization platform for IT talents, promote discussions and offer recruitment information. Oak Pacific Interactive also runs China’s leading student-focused SNS: Xiaonei.
Workmate SNS
TechWeb, China’s IT information portal website, started the first “workmate†SNS on June 26. The SNS claims 2,972 members across 359 companies on its launching. It houses 11 sections such as mini-blog, online photo album and recruitment- and business-related simulation games. So far more than 50 virtual companies have registered on the website.
Trend Potential:
Asia is widely talked as having the most developed social networking in the world. Facebook introduced its simplifed Chinese version on June 26, the same day with the “workmate†SNS’s birthday. How much can it take away the share of local SNS and is it going the right direction? Let’s wait and see.
For the original post and the latest reviews on other Chinese trends please visit our CScout China blog.
Tom Kundig's Sublime House - "The Brain"
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOW
I resisted buying the book, though I'd really like to have it. It's very nice and Kundig's work is amazing. The house on the cover, Chicken Point Cabin, has been shown everywhere, and for good reason. It's pretty spectacular, and that giant, tilting window and the unusual mechanical folly for opening it are sublime.
Visiting the OSKA site, I found that the house I liked most wasn't one of the groovy cabins I'd spotted in a lot of the blogs and architecture mags. I was taken by the "The Brain," a fascinating concrete monolith built for a filmmaker.
That's wonderful. I love the way the house rests on its site, half hidden, with creeping vines growing all over it. I hate big ugly garages hanging off the side of a house, parasitic, distorting proportions, so I was delighted to see this house with the garages tucked neatly underneath, buried into the slope of the landscape. No yard either - excellent!
"The form is essentially a cast-in-place concrete box, intended to be a strong yet neutral background that provides complete flexibility to adapt the space at will." - OSKA site
The austere concrete exterior belies a more playful space inside: wonderful bookshelves (just look at 'em!), interesting lighting, a fireman's pole, and an amusing custom staircase.
Yes, this is a house I can see myself living in. The only exception I take with it, and with most Kundig houses frankly, is that they all look like bachelor pads. I'm married with children. But I think the wife and kids could adapt. Who wouldn't want to live in a house with a fireman's pole?
_____________________________________________________
Addendum:
I should have pointed out this very good Seattle Times article about "The Brain." I've realized since writing this post that "The Brain" is a garage/studio, not intended to be a residence. Thanks to those who left comments pointing that out. It is also worth noting that Kundig received an AIA award for "The Brain" in 2004.
Oh well, even though it's not technically a house I'm still very inspired by it!
Image credits - Amazon listing (book), OSKA Architects site
Bernardes + Jacobsen - CF Residence
04/14/2008, 14:17 | Modern Residential Design
Steeling the show - Blessed with a great plot and open brief, a lightweight, transparent, horizontal building, was what the architects Thiago Bernardes and Paulo Jacobsen designed.
Overview & Plot
Located on a plot in the picturesque condominium Portogalo in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Paulo Jacobsen and Thiago Bernardes wanted to accommodate a large family retreat taking full advantage of the plot and its location. The challenge was how to minimise the buildings impact from roadside - difficult with such a large house.
Departing from traditional Brazilian wood or brick structures the house employs steel to span the vast openings that connect all rooms to the views below.
The svelte steel corner pillars provide minimal interruption to the open plan dining and living area of the ground floor. In summertime (almost constant in Angra dos Reis) the glass panels dividing this area up slide away to provide an enormous expanse of shade.
Half way up the faade, and providing elevated viewing to the bedrooms are two outdoor balconies of Peroba wood, these break up the stark white of the lower level and the surrounding steel structure. The wood is also used throughout the second level interior, and as a lining the the vast roof span.
Continuing to the roof level, tropical storms and heavy rain, common in the early part of the year in Rio de Janeiro are caught by large glass overhangs, which still let light through to the bedrooms. The glass also blurs the connection between the roof?s reflecting pool, paved with green ceramic tiles, imitating the colour of the inlet and sea beyond. The same applies to the pool on the terrace, which seems to fall into the sea. This camouflage, and the fact that the house is set into the hillside at the rear, reduces its size, as to the thin steel structures, elongating its horizontal structure. It?s only from below, backstroking in the pool that the house?s true size is revealed.
Layout
With the entire ground floor dedicated to the pool, dining and entertaining, the upper level provides the entrance and 4 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. Originally two giant bedrooms, the sets of two our housed either side of the atrium over the pool. As you enter the residence through its large dark wood doors, the bedrooms act as blinkers, focusing the view out to the water beyond.
A small seating area between allows you to contemplate, and perhaps acts as a formal arrival area. From here, ?grand? staircases head both inside (left) to the living room, and outside (right) to the pool area (Bernardes + Jacobsen are renowned for impressive staircases).
The Result
Now complete in a 4 bedroom layout, this family retreat seems to have all one needs for a relaxing weekend. The thin steel structure and stretched horizontal roofline give it the appearance of a lightweight marque or stretched canvas roof. A seaside camp that mirrors the water beyond. Yet, from within, there is no doubt that this house is: permanent; modern and luxurious; and will provide a great weekend spot for years to come.
Plans
Architect/Designer:
Bernardes + Jacobsen
Client: Carlos Firme
Construction: February, 2001 ? December, 2003
Materials: Steel structure, stone, wood, glass and Ceramic tiles
Built area: 1024m2
Plot: 2000m2
Information courtesy of: Bernardes + Jacobsen
M2E Charges Your Cell Phone With Kinetic Energy!
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Inhabitat
Earlier this year we highlighted Idaho startup M2E Power’s push to develop motion-powered electronics for the military. Now M2E is emphasizing the commercial applications for their technology, with a specific goal: revolutionizing cell phone batteries. M2E will announce the development of an external charger later this month that will generate between 300 and 700 percent more energy than current kinetic energy technologies, and may eventually replace cell phone batteries altogether.
GOLD FOR CHINA: Olympic Village Receives LEED Award
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Inhabitat
Amidst the exciting of athletic accomplishments at this year’s summer Olympics, a significant achievement for sustainable design was recognized as well. Last week, on Wednesday, August 13, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson presented Chinese officials with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold award for the 2008 Olympic village. The world-class development boasts a variety of sustainable features including solar panels, green roofs, and an extensive rainwater recycling system.