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2 (or 3) Questions for Charlie Lazor
11/20/2008, 08:45 | MoCo Loco
Charlie Lazor is the founder of FlatPak, the system of prefab building components that are configured to meet the client's needs. The client works with the design team to create the best house for the site and can have as much creative input as he or she wishes. Or simply leave it up to the design team. (The excellent FlatPak website features a revealing case study about this process.) The system is based on one component: an 8' wall that is one storey high. The design comes into being eight feet at a time, so the possibilities are almost endless. Or are they, now that the housing market is a mess?
FlatPak House in the Catskills
How are things going now that the real estate business is suffering? Is this a golden opportunity or the beginning of the end?
We sell a product that is a good value. We don't sell silver bullets. So like all good values, your market might shift in a severe downturn and you would expect to do less, but frankly, it's too early to tell. I can say we have clients looking to capitalize on hungry builders; savvy homeowners, university and resort property people. Worst case scenario, we can ride this out because we have low capital inputs and overhead and we'll be ready to rock when things getting moving again.
A Brilliant and Wonderful Story on the rolu Blog - CITYDESKSTUDIO Turns Minneapolis Skyways Into Modern Homes
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOWI was really delighted this afternoon to find a new rolu post waiting for me in my feed reader. I clicked on over (because rolu posts are best enjoyed on their own page) and was absolutely blown away. With all due respect to the many other fine blogs I enjoy reading, to me rolu|dsgn has the most original, interesting, and brilliantly told architecture and design related posts on the web. This latest piece is something special, and I cannot recommend strongly enough that you give it a look.
The post describes an almost daydream of a vision, one of Minneapolis skyways converted to chic modern cabins, that was actually turned into reality by the firm CITYDESKSTUDIO. It's a great story of people connecting through common love of design, of seeing interesting things in unusual objects, and turning inspiration into reality.
Here's a quick look at the project. Read the rolu post for the details.
First sea container homes, now this. Wonderful!
I enjoyed browsing CITYDESKSTUDIO's work on their site. They've done a lot of nice projects. For some reason their kitchens really appeal to me. They're bright and cheerful and clean. I'm a morning person, and kitchens are morning person places. I can easily see myself in any one of them, having banana pancakes and hot tea, and reading rolu posts on my laptop (though I very seriously caution you against mixing maple syrup with keyboards). Take a look at a couple of examples:
Did you see the blue Eames chair? It's like they're reading my mind.
By the way, Matt was incredibly kind to mention Future House Now in his post. I'm not writing this gushing praise as a reciprocal gesture, but I must admit it pleases me endlessly to be included in such a good story in any way.
The rolu blog is my favorite site on the web. I say that in all honesty. If you haven't given it a look yet click on over and say hi. You will not be disappointed.
Image credits - CITYDESKSTUDIO site
The post describes an almost daydream of a vision, one of Minneapolis skyways converted to chic modern cabins, that was actually turned into reality by the firm CITYDESKSTUDIO. It's a great story of people connecting through common love of design, of seeing interesting things in unusual objects, and turning inspiration into reality.
Here's a quick look at the project. Read the rolu post for the details.
First sea container homes, now this. Wonderful!
I enjoyed browsing CITYDESKSTUDIO's work on their site. They've done a lot of nice projects. For some reason their kitchens really appeal to me. They're bright and cheerful and clean. I'm a morning person, and kitchens are morning person places. I can easily see myself in any one of them, having banana pancakes and hot tea, and reading rolu posts on my laptop (though I very seriously caution you against mixing maple syrup with keyboards). Take a look at a couple of examples:
Did you see the blue Eames chair? It's like they're reading my mind.
By the way, Matt was incredibly kind to mention Future House Now in his post. I'm not writing this gushing praise as a reciprocal gesture, but I must admit it pleases me endlessly to be included in such a good story in any way.
The rolu blog is my favorite site on the web. I say that in all honesty. If you haven't given it a look yet click on over and say hi. You will not be disappointed.
Image credits - CITYDESKSTUDIO site
Rammed Earth Homes With SIREWALLs from Terra Firma Builders Ltd.
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOWI've admired rammed earth homes for a long time, even though they're not really appropriate for the climate I live in. It's just that rammed earth walls are mesmerizing to look at. I get lost staring at the different layers of soil, in varying subtle shades of earth tone, flowing gracefully along along a wall. To my eye, rammed earth walls epitomize the very essence of natural beauty.
I can't think of any rammed earth builder that does it better than Terra Firma Builders Ltd. They have a way of crafting the most gracefully curved walls. Their designs blend with the surrounding landscape. Inside, massive earthen walls and sturdy timbers comfortably intertwine with delicate, artistic finishing. It's a totally unique aesthetic.
Terra Firma's website is fantastic. There's a wealth of images of their work in their portfolio. There's also a great explanation of why rammed earth is an effective, sustainable building solution.
Probably the most interesting thing I found on their site is that they use an unusual insulated rammed earth wall approach called SIREWALL (SIRE = Stabilized Insulated Rammed Earth). SIREWALL was developed by Meyer Krayenhoff, an environmental builder of over thirty years, who also founded Terra Firma. Here's an explanation from the SIREWALL site:
I always thought that would work. We've seen that concept applied to concrete walls, so why not rammed earth too? Actually, reading their FAQ, and noting that they're in Canada and do their building in British Columbia, I've learned that rammed earth can be a solution for climates other than hot, arid deserts, especially with the SIREWALL approach in place.
Note that Terra Firma builds complete homes only on their home turf. But they will build walls elsewhere, and let your builder finish the house. They also train and certify builders in the SIREWALL system, and offer design and consulting services. Wherever you are, whatever type of rammed earth project you might be considering, I think these would be the people to talk to.
I have new hope of living in a rammed earth house yet!
Image credits - Terra Firma site
I can't think of any rammed earth builder that does it better than Terra Firma Builders Ltd. They have a way of crafting the most gracefully curved walls. Their designs blend with the surrounding landscape. Inside, massive earthen walls and sturdy timbers comfortably intertwine with delicate, artistic finishing. It's a totally unique aesthetic.
Terra Firma's website is fantastic. There's a wealth of images of their work in their portfolio. There's also a great explanation of why rammed earth is an effective, sustainable building solution.
Probably the most interesting thing I found on their site is that they use an unusual insulated rammed earth wall approach called SIREWALL (SIRE = Stabilized Insulated Rammed Earth). SIREWALL was developed by Meyer Krayenhoff, an environmental builder of over thirty years, who also founded Terra Firma. Here's an explanation from the SIREWALL site:
Stabilized, Insulated, Rammed Earth (SIRE) walls are made using rebar and insulation enveloped with the mass of 14 – 20 inches of rammed earth. This combination, along with SIREWALL®’s system for quality control and soil blending, builds walls that exceed current standards for energy efficiency and compressive strength. SIREWALL’s customizable forms refined over the last fifteen years by SIREWALL’s expert builders, work seamlessly with unique designs and modern finishes that have timeless appeal.
I always thought that would work. We've seen that concept applied to concrete walls, so why not rammed earth too? Actually, reading their FAQ, and noting that they're in Canada and do their building in British Columbia, I've learned that rammed earth can be a solution for climates other than hot, arid deserts, especially with the SIREWALL approach in place.
Note that Terra Firma builds complete homes only on their home turf. But they will build walls elsewhere, and let your builder finish the house. They also train and certify builders in the SIREWALL system, and offer design and consulting services. Wherever you are, whatever type of rammed earth project you might be considering, I think these would be the people to talk to.
I have new hope of living in a rammed earth house yet!
Image credits - Terra Firma site
The World House Project - "We Can 'Grow' Buildings"
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOWHere's something I saw on Inhabitat today that looks extremely interesting - the World House Project:
They're benchmarking homes from around the world, old and new, studying them to gain an understanding of important implications of "climate, culture and terrain." The team, international and interdisciplinary in nature, will examine housing in the framework of twelve core elements of housing design and work to "create dwellings that are grounded in the principles of ecological design and that promote the long-term health of natural and human economies." The twelve core elements are: identity, social, communication, spatial, constructional, air handling, energy, water, waste, food, mobility, and finance. That's a very compelling list, indeed.
Here are a few images from the World House Project scrapbook on Flickr that I really like:
I've always imagined that homes could (and should) be built in this way!
It will be very interesting to see what comes out of this project. I'll be looking forward to watching it.
Image credits - World House Project Flickr photo album
"The Evolution of Home
The WHP is a multi-year, collaborative initiative led by the Institute without Boundaries (IwB) that will explore the evolution of shelter and plan for the next generation of holistic housing design. The project will build on the research concepts of IwB’s inaugural project, Massive Change, using the same method of interdisciplinary design innovation.The home is the intersection between the individual and society. On one end of the spectrum, urban sprawl and monster houses consume huge amounts of energy and pollute the atmosphere. On the other, over a billion people live in urban slums or in the streets without shelter.
The ambition of the World House Project (WHP) is to generate a system that achieves a balance between these extremes, and operates on the principles of sustainability, universality, technological responsiveness and balance, so that we may create dwellings that promote the long-term health of nature and human cultures."
They're benchmarking homes from around the world, old and new, studying them to gain an understanding of important implications of "climate, culture and terrain." The team, international and interdisciplinary in nature, will examine housing in the framework of twelve core elements of housing design and work to "create dwellings that are grounded in the principles of ecological design and that promote the long-term health of natural and human economies." The twelve core elements are: identity, social, communication, spatial, constructional, air handling, energy, water, waste, food, mobility, and finance. That's a very compelling list, indeed.
Here are a few images from the World House Project scrapbook on Flickr that I really like:
I've always imagined that homes could (and should) be built in this way!
It will be very interesting to see what comes out of this project. I'll be looking forward to watching it.
Image credits - World House Project Flickr photo album
Interesting Homes Around the Blogs Yesterday
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOWSeveral of my favorite blogs posted interesting homes yesterday.
On the ever-cool BLDGBLOG Geoff Manaugh points out the compact Single Hauz from front architects. They remind him of the billboards outside his LA home. You can put them practically anywhere, even in the middle of a lake, which is what Manaugh says he'd go for. Personally, I've always wanted to live in a meadow.
Jetson Green brings us a sleek Cape Cod beach house by Independence Energy Homes. At 7,000 square feet it's probably not quite in my price range. I also usually frown on very large homes, but this one uses geothermal heating and photovoltaics to meet all its energy needs. It also has an air exchange system and low or no VOC materials for good indoor air quality, a permeable driveway, water conserving fixtures, and is built from "rapidly renewable materials." Very nice. Still, give me a 2,000 square foot, $200,000 home with all these features. Now that would be an accomplishment.
Finally, on the LamiDesign blog, Greg La Vardera shows off a final pic of the completed Vermont Plat House. You can follow the entire process of building this house, from start to finish, on Greg's blog. I think it turned out really well.
Image credits - architects sites
On the ever-cool BLDGBLOG Geoff Manaugh points out the compact Single Hauz from front architects. They remind him of the billboards outside his LA home. You can put them practically anywhere, even in the middle of a lake, which is what Manaugh says he'd go for. Personally, I've always wanted to live in a meadow.
Jetson Green brings us a sleek Cape Cod beach house by Independence Energy Homes. At 7,000 square feet it's probably not quite in my price range. I also usually frown on very large homes, but this one uses geothermal heating and photovoltaics to meet all its energy needs. It also has an air exchange system and low or no VOC materials for good indoor air quality, a permeable driveway, water conserving fixtures, and is built from "rapidly renewable materials." Very nice. Still, give me a 2,000 square foot, $200,000 home with all these features. Now that would be an accomplishment.
Finally, on the LamiDesign blog, Greg La Vardera shows off a final pic of the completed Vermont Plat House. You can follow the entire process of building this house, from start to finish, on Greg's blog. I think it turned out really well.
Image credits - architects sites
Slussen in Stockholm by BIG and NOD
00/00/0000, 00:00 | David Report
The collaboration between BIG Architects of Copenhagen, Denmark, and NOD Landscape Architects of Stockholm, Sweden, provides not only a solution to Slussen, one of Scandinavia’s busiest intersections but most importantly privileges the pedestrian and cyclist.
When the Stockholm City Council invited BIG and NOD to act as design consultants on Slussen, the direction given was to create a proposal that reconnects the historic Gamla Stan with Södermalm. Understanding the long legacy of previous attempts to solve Slussen’s traffic chaos, the team set out to create a single form within which the different modes of traffic are layered. The proposal touches the waters surrounding Gamla Stan and slowly terrace up using ascending and descending ramps to create a new, coherent area focusing on providing an attractive and functional setting for both movement and rest.
Currently considered inaccessible to pedestrians and cyclists, Slussen is a black hole in the heart of Stockholm. It is no wonder then that Danish-Swedish collaboration has made sure to offer cyclists as well as pedestrians easy access to and through the area. The proposal turns Slussen into an urban recreational area assuring easy movement for the citizens and tourists of Stockholm. Slussen will gain a whole new kind of urban space unlike any other in the world, where artwork, a summer’s midnight stroll and outdoor theatre can cohabitate with the need to move cars, buses, trains, metro, and boats. The strength of Slussen lies in its continual and varied movement which the proposed ramped landscape only underscores. The heavy traffic of cars and buses is carefully immersed under the rising hillside. Suddenly due to the submersed traffic, large areas have been freed and are made attractive to the entire city to enjoy. As a result, new opportunities for urban life are created.
The basic traffic system has already been developed by Nyrens Arkitektkontor as part of an architectural competition, with soft traffic and a public program on the top and with heavy traffic at ground floor level, storing away boats, buses, metro, cars and trains. But instead of separating the different levels, connected only by stairs and elevators in a traditional way, we propose to integrate all public, accessible areas around Slussen by interweaving the levels using descending and ascending ramps as this will allow people to move freely between the levels.
Pedestrian zones are designed to connect the already existing promenades and road crossings, and all areas of the new Slussen are as such accessible to pedestrians. The bicycle lanes follow the road as well as the promenade along the waterfront, and are pulled away only where the curvy bays of the new Slussen are created to leave space for pedestrians to enjoy the waterfront.
Today Slussen does not take advantage of its rising topography. Seeking to utilize its unique setting the proposal uses the terraced hillside to house kiosks, shops, and tourist information stands accessible through the network of ramps. In this way, a new and active urban area is created. In addition to the landscaped contours and pathways characterising BIG and NOD’s proposal, the dispersion of light has been instrumental in developing the site and the various levels. By day, natural light will pierce through circle shaped skylights into the lower levels. By night, the skylights will be illuminated from below. The expression will thus vary from dusk till dawn, from season to season and depending on the weather. This dynamic process and the continual hum of traffic will serve as the backdrop to a new urban form and regenerate life into the surrounding neighbourhoods.
There is an animation showing the complete program as well. I will put it up in a separate post as well.
Andra bloggar om: slussen, stockholm, kultur, arkitektur landskapsarkitektur, bjarke ingels, stadsbyggnad
New Mexico EcoSteel House - interior finishes coming together
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogThe work on the interior of the New Mexico EcoSteel House is progressing. Today we share more photos taken by the owner.
Click through the link below to see a photo browser with more images of the interior and the site.
Click through the link below to see a photo browser with more images of the interior and the site.
Technorati Tags: 6030 House, 6040 House, ecosteel, modern design, modern house, prefab house
introducing a new design: Hus1
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogThe first of a new collection of house plans on the lamidesign.com/plans site. The new collection is to be modest in size, large on livability, family friendly, eminently build-able, with a contemporary modern presence and a bit of retro mid-century dash as well. The first in a series, introducing the Hus 1.
The result of my year long study of the Swedish housing industry, and my love of mid-century modernism, the Hus1 puts these influences together with practicality and livability of the many small 50s and 60s homes in my own neighborhood. The basic two bedroom house will start out at modest 1,350 sqft, or the larger 1,750 sqft 3 bedroom plan shown below. Both have the option of an additional 500 sqft master bedroom upstairs which in the larger plan allows the downstairs master to serve as a family room.
A very livable home, the L shape creates privacy for its rear terrace where family life can flow out from the living areas. Conventional construction makes this house easy to build, and the iconic traditional form won't scare the average home builder.
Look for Design Prints to come available on the site soon. Well, you will hear about it here when it happens! And yes, this is the house for which we have been experimenting with new drawing styles. Not quite sorted out yet, but when its done the new collection will have a distinct graphic look apart from the original collection of designs.
The result of my year long study of the Swedish housing industry, and my love of mid-century modernism, the Hus1 puts these influences together with practicality and livability of the many small 50s and 60s homes in my own neighborhood. The basic two bedroom house will start out at modest 1,350 sqft, or the larger 1,750 sqft 3 bedroom plan shown below. Both have the option of an additional 500 sqft master bedroom upstairs which in the larger plan allows the downstairs master to serve as a family room.
A very livable home, the L shape creates privacy for its rear terrace where family life can flow out from the living areas. Conventional construction makes this house easy to build, and the iconic traditional form won't scare the average home builder.
Look for Design Prints to come available on the site soon. Well, you will hear about it here when it happens! And yes, this is the house for which we have been experimenting with new drawing styles. Not quite sorted out yet, but when its done the new collection will have a distinct graphic look apart from the original collection of designs.
Technorati Tags: house plans, modern design, modern house, Hus1
Mass. EcoSteel Plat House - steel on site
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogIts time to build the house. All the steel pieces for the Massachusetts EcoSteel House arrived on site this week.
We've watched these go up here before and they generally happen very fast. I'll be posting progress photos in the coming weeks as fast as I receive new photos so stay tuned!
Here is the slab layout ready to receive the steel framing. The garage is in the foreground and the house beyond with the home office at the far end of the photo. More pictures in a photo browser below the link.
We've watched these go up here before and they generally happen very fast. I'll be posting progress photos in the coming weeks as fast as I receive new photos so stay tuned!
Here is the slab layout ready to receive the steel framing. The garage is in the foreground and the house beyond with the home office at the far end of the photo. More pictures in a photo browser below the link.
Technorati Tags: ecosteel, modern design, modern house, Plat House, prefab house
New Mexico EcoSteel House - more done than not
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogIt finally feels like the New Mexico EcoSteel House has crossed the line to being more finished than not. The latest round of photos show the painting almost done, finishing touches going in, light fixtures too.
Look below the fold for a photo browser with more interior shots.
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
Mass. EcoSteel Plat House - steel rising
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogThe assembly of the frame has begun in earnest at the Massachusetts EcoSteel Plat House.
More photos of the frame going up after the fold.
With good access all around the house the work can be done with the all terrain fork lift, saving the expense of a crane.
More photos of the frame going up after the fold.
With good access all around the house the work can be done with the all terrain fork lift, saving the expense of a crane.
Technorati Tags: 6030 House, 6040 House, ecosteel, modern design, modern house, prefab house
3030 House - construction begins
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogConstruction has begun on the new EcoSteel 3030 House model in Maryland. We have recieved the first progress photos back from the Owner, and we have them online to share with you. But first its time to share a little bit more information about the house.
As we described it before, the 3030 House sits on a 30ft x 30ft plus porch footprint, just under 2000 sqft, 3 bedrooms, and a nice open plan living space. It includes a generous kitchen work space and upstairs a large master bathroom, and in the case of this first one a full basement as well. It will fit on narrow in-fill lots or in new compact communities, but its size also makes it a good candidate for a weekend home as well.
The foundation is already in and steel will being rising this week. Lets look at the plans, beneath the fold.
On the ground floor you enter very near to grade level. Here you have a short stair up to the ground floor, and the stair to the basement. To the side is a coat closet and a powder room. Up the short run of steps you land in the middle of the ground floor. To one side is the kitchen island, and the workspace which continues around the corner. To the other side is the dining area. The living room sits towards the front of the house. The open plan allows you to alter the proportion, or location of these rooms. For instance the dining area can be moved closer to the kitchen island and a second seating group added to the living area. If it was me, I'd get a Wilkhahn Confair table and move the dining area on a daily basis! A sheltered terrace is beyond with doors from both the dining side and the kitchen side. In the Maryland house since grade is sloping away this will have a set of steps to grade.
Up the stairs we come to a large landing. On this landing level is a small laundry area and the shared bathroom for bedrooms 2 & 3, At the top of the stairs there is a linen closet between the two bedrooms, and a wide set of doors to the master bedroom. The master has a walk-in closet and a large bathroom with shower and tub. Doors lead out to a balcony that extends the width of the house. Here is a section view where you can see the relationship of these landing levels.
The compact cubic proportion of the house is efficient with materials, and the floor plan is also efficient with space. The open plan makes it flexible, and gives the impression of being larger than its 1800 sqft would suggest. Into that space we have 3 bedrooms - enough for a family, but not too much to bite off for a first home. See the construction progress in the photo browser below. It starts with the demolition of the existing run-down house and shows excavation, and concrete work for the foundations and basement walls.
As we described it before, the 3030 House sits on a 30ft x 30ft plus porch footprint, just under 2000 sqft, 3 bedrooms, and a nice open plan living space. It includes a generous kitchen work space and upstairs a large master bathroom, and in the case of this first one a full basement as well. It will fit on narrow in-fill lots or in new compact communities, but its size also makes it a good candidate for a weekend home as well.
The foundation is already in and steel will being rising this week. Lets look at the plans, beneath the fold.
On the ground floor you enter very near to grade level. Here you have a short stair up to the ground floor, and the stair to the basement. To the side is a coat closet and a powder room. Up the short run of steps you land in the middle of the ground floor. To one side is the kitchen island, and the workspace which continues around the corner. To the other side is the dining area. The living room sits towards the front of the house. The open plan allows you to alter the proportion, or location of these rooms. For instance the dining area can be moved closer to the kitchen island and a second seating group added to the living area. If it was me, I'd get a Wilkhahn Confair table and move the dining area on a daily basis! A sheltered terrace is beyond with doors from both the dining side and the kitchen side. In the Maryland house since grade is sloping away this will have a set of steps to grade.
Up the stairs we come to a large landing. On this landing level is a small laundry area and the shared bathroom for bedrooms 2 & 3, At the top of the stairs there is a linen closet between the two bedrooms, and a wide set of doors to the master bedroom. The master has a walk-in closet and a large bathroom with shower and tub. Doors lead out to a balcony that extends the width of the house. Here is a section view where you can see the relationship of these landing levels.
The compact cubic proportion of the house is efficient with materials, and the floor plan is also efficient with space. The open plan makes it flexible, and gives the impression of being larger than its 1800 sqft would suggest. Into that space we have 3 bedrooms - enough for a family, but not too much to bite off for a first home. See the construction progress in the photo browser below. It starts with the demolition of the existing run-down house and shows excavation, and concrete work for the foundations and basement walls.
Technorati Tags: 6030 House, 6040 House, ecosteel, modern design, modern house, prefab house, 3030 House
New Mexico EcoSteel House - railings installed
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogThe handrails on the stair and all around the second floor of the New Mexico EcoSteel House are installed and they look great.
I had gotten very used to lookng at the stair without a rail, and I was afraid that the rail would somehow complicate or spoil the spare look of the stair. Well it did not turn out that way and I think this is why. The rail that was picked is a stainless tube rail with cables so its very light and transparent. Also the brightness of the stainless really separates it from the grey vertebrae and ribs appearance of the stair. If the rail had been painted steel work that matched the stair I believe it would have compromised the lines of the stair.
More photos below the fold.
I had gotten very used to lookng at the stair without a rail, and I was afraid that the rail would somehow complicate or spoil the spare look of the stair. Well it did not turn out that way and I think this is why. The rail that was picked is a stainless tube rail with cables so its very light and transparent. Also the brightness of the stainless really separates it from the grey vertebrae and ribs appearance of the stair. If the rail had been painted steel work that matched the stair I believe it would have compromised the lines of the stair.
More photos below the fold.
Technorati Tags: 6030 House, 6040 House, ecosteel, modern design, modern house, prefab house
Metropolitan Home article by Karrie Jacobs
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogKarrie Jacobs has been writing a series of articles for Metropolitan Home magazine, all under the theme of "How We Live". In the October 08 issue she wrote about our house plans.
We've not seen the issue yet, only this scan from friend Jeff "jake" Jacobs.
Karrie is a thoughtful observer and commenter on design and one of my favorite design writers. It was the questions that she posed as founding editor of Dwell, about why it was not possible to go out and buy a modern home that inspired me to create this collection of house plans way back at the start. Its really an honor to have it come full circle, to be interviewed by her about the house plans and the whole journey.
We've not seen the issue yet, only this scan from friend Jeff "jake" Jacobs.
Karrie is a thoughtful observer and commenter on design and one of my favorite design writers. It was the questions that she posed as founding editor of Dwell, about why it was not possible to go out and buy a modern home that inspired me to create this collection of house plans way back at the start. Its really an honor to have it come full circle, to be interviewed by her about the house plans and the whole journey.
Technorati Tags: house plans, modern design, modern house
Ok Tray House - sneak peak inside
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogA shot of the corner of the living room today from the owners of the OK Tray House. They are moved in, but not unpacked, and they promise more photos to come once they are settled.
So what do we have here. Well open up the catalog page so you can look at the floor plan. This photo is taken from the living room, looking into the study. We can see a stone wall which is flanking the fireplace, and above it we can see the gridded window wall which sits above the fireplace. I'm real excited about that since it looks like they did a really great job with that. Out the window we can see more of that nicely stained siding. To the left we can see the front door and the entry vestibule. In the study we see the side windows, and a couple of modern chairs? Man after my own heart! And upstairs some cable rail, and a glimpse of the bedroom ceiling. It looks awesome - can't wait to see the rest of the house!
And don't forget the flickr set of photos of this project from start to finish.
So what do we have here. Well open up the catalog page so you can look at the floor plan. This photo is taken from the living room, looking into the study. We can see a stone wall which is flanking the fireplace, and above it we can see the gridded window wall which sits above the fireplace. I'm real excited about that since it looks like they did a really great job with that. Out the window we can see more of that nicely stained siding. To the left we can see the front door and the entry vestibule. In the study we see the side windows, and a couple of modern chairs? Man after my own heart! And upstairs some cable rail, and a glimpse of the bedroom ceiling. It looks awesome - can't wait to see the rest of the house!
And don't forget the flickr set of photos of this project from start to finish.
Technorati Tags: house plans, modern design, modern house, Tray House
Arkansas Plat House to be on HGTV
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogThe Arkansas Plat House will be making an appearance on HGTV's program Beyond the Box.
The episode covers several different house projects, but the Plat House no doubt is the segment described as "a couple who found almost everything used to build their home through Internet shopping."
The first airing of the show will be September 17, 2008 9:00 PM ET/PT with several other airings to follow. See the entire scheudle at the HGTV site.
And for anybody who did not see the link to the Plat House catalog page in the first line of this entry I'll give you another link right here:
CLICK HERE to go to the PLAT HOUSE catalog page!
In case you missed the sentence before this one, that link goes directly to the catalog page for the PLAT HOUSE, the one from TV!
The episode covers several different house projects, but the Plat House no doubt is the segment described as "a couple who found almost everything used to build their home through Internet shopping."
The first airing of the show will be September 17, 2008 9:00 PM ET/PT with several other airings to follow. See the entire scheudle at the HGTV site.
And for anybody who did not see the link to the Plat House catalog page in the first line of this entry I'll give you another link right here:
CLICK HERE to go to the PLAT HOUSE catalog page!
In case you missed the sentence before this one, that link goes directly to the catalog page for the PLAT HOUSE, the one from TV!
Technorati Tags: house plans, modern design, modern house, Plat House
3030 House - waiting for the steel erector
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogThe next step for the 3030 EcoSteel House is to assemble the steel framework, but the owner is waiting in line right now. Plenty of other tasks to do in the meantime however. And us, we've had a request to see what the front of the house looks like, so a new image of the model is posted as well.
This illustration shows a different color scheme than the previous images.
On site they applied a void filling top coating to the foundation wall and ground it smooth. This creates a mottled patina on the concrete surface which looks pretty cool.
The rest of the crew is sanding reclaimed oak barn boards which will become the ceiling of the ground floor.
Tune into the 3030 House flickr group to see all of the photos forwarded by the owner.
This illustration shows a different color scheme than the previous images.
On site they applied a void filling top coating to the foundation wall and ground it smooth. This creates a mottled patina on the concrete surface which looks pretty cool.
The rest of the crew is sanding reclaimed oak barn boards which will become the ceiling of the ground floor.
Tune into the 3030 House flickr group to see all of the photos forwarded by the owner.
Technorati Tags: 3030 House, 6030 House, 6040 House, ecosteel, modern design, modern house, prefab house
Sage Modular House - 2 years in, revisiting a ground breaking house
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogA real treat today. I just received an email from Sara and David Sage, the owners of a modular house I helped them design back in 2004. They have been in the house for about 2 years now, and they are well moved in and at home. They shared many pictures of the house which I'm posting here.
A panoramic view of the Sage home interior.
Sara and David's big goal for this house was to bring it in for $100 a square foot, no small task in the expensive Los Angeles county construction market. But they had a plan, to do copious research on their own, to get the most value out of every consultant they used, and every vendor and contractor they engaged, they resolved to build the house modular, to source their modules from a market with much lower labor cost in Utah, and to complete a good deal of the work themselves as sweat equity. It was their dream to have a modern house and I must say they succeeded on every count. From finding the best materials and vendors, to researching planting material and submitting their own landscape plan for permitting, Sara and David did it all and tracked it in detail in their blog on LiveModern.com. It was a tremendous inspiration and people cheered for them every step of the way. Its hard to know how many other people they inspired to dig their heels in and pursue their own dream of a modern house.
When the work was done, well, almost done, and the smoke had cleared I believe Sara calculated that their cost worked out to about 114$/sqft. This was pretty remarkable at a time when there were literally dozens of prefab house start-ups trying to get traction. The lament was how everything was costing much more than expected, and much more than hoped. In that milieu of dashed hopes Sara and David fought and struggled to make their house happen at a cost that was a pipe dream for the rest of the market.
The house is a reasonable 1400 sqft, 3 bedrooms, with an open kitchen, living/dining, family room space, it really is a wonderful plan that lives much larger than it appears on paper. The modular units in different colors tell the prefab story. You should be able to orient yourself to the photos using the plan. The house site is unusual in that the back yard of the house is really at the side, so the front porch wraps around to the side, and that is the main back yard like space. The rear and other side have proximity to neighbors, more like a house typically has at the sides.
My favorite thing about the design is the three spaces you see in the photos - the kitchen, living/dining, and family room are each small square rooms that overlap at their corners, each space well defined, and very open to one another. It really walks the tightrope between open plan and discrete rooms. David and Sara brought a rough version of this floor plan to the table when they hired me, so they deserve the credit for its design, my role being more to refine, and adapt it to division into modules, and to resolve the plan into the 3d massing and window placement. It was truly a collaboration of the best kind. More photos in the browser below.
A panoramic view of the Sage home interior.
Sara and David's big goal for this house was to bring it in for $100 a square foot, no small task in the expensive Los Angeles county construction market. But they had a plan, to do copious research on their own, to get the most value out of every consultant they used, and every vendor and contractor they engaged, they resolved to build the house modular, to source their modules from a market with much lower labor cost in Utah, and to complete a good deal of the work themselves as sweat equity. It was their dream to have a modern house and I must say they succeeded on every count. From finding the best materials and vendors, to researching planting material and submitting their own landscape plan for permitting, Sara and David did it all and tracked it in detail in their blog on LiveModern.com. It was a tremendous inspiration and people cheered for them every step of the way. Its hard to know how many other people they inspired to dig their heels in and pursue their own dream of a modern house.
When the work was done, well, almost done, and the smoke had cleared I believe Sara calculated that their cost worked out to about 114$/sqft. This was pretty remarkable at a time when there were literally dozens of prefab house start-ups trying to get traction. The lament was how everything was costing much more than expected, and much more than hoped. In that milieu of dashed hopes Sara and David fought and struggled to make their house happen at a cost that was a pipe dream for the rest of the market.
The house is a reasonable 1400 sqft, 3 bedrooms, with an open kitchen, living/dining, family room space, it really is a wonderful plan that lives much larger than it appears on paper. The modular units in different colors tell the prefab story. You should be able to orient yourself to the photos using the plan. The house site is unusual in that the back yard of the house is really at the side, so the front porch wraps around to the side, and that is the main back yard like space. The rear and other side have proximity to neighbors, more like a house typically has at the sides.
My favorite thing about the design is the three spaces you see in the photos - the kitchen, living/dining, and family room are each small square rooms that overlap at their corners, each space well defined, and very open to one another. It really walks the tightrope between open plan and discrete rooms. David and Sara brought a rough version of this floor plan to the table when they hired me, so they deserve the credit for its design, my role being more to refine, and adapt it to division into modules, and to resolve the plan into the 3d massing and window placement. It was truly a collaboration of the best kind. More photos in the browser below.
Technorati Tags: modern design, modern house, modular house, prefab house
Hus1 - moving towards design prints
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogJust a glimpse of the site model for the Hus1 taking shape.
Technorati Tags: house plans, Hus1, modern design, modern house
New Mexico EcoSteel House - ready to move in
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogThis is it! There are only a few items left to complete and correct in the New Mexico EcoSteel House. The owner has their CO and is moving in. They sent along one last round of photos of the empty house taken with a very wide angle fish-eye lens.
More of the photos in a photo browser after the click-through.
So this is it. Perhaps we will see some photos of the place with furniture, but this project is coming to a close. Its been very exciting to see it come together, and the owner has been very generous with their photos. Our thanks to them for sharing their house with us, and you our readers.
More of the photos in a photo browser after the click-through.
So this is it. Perhaps we will see some photos of the place with furniture, but this project is coming to a close. Its been very exciting to see it come together, and the owner has been very generous with their photos. Our thanks to them for sharing their house with us, and you our readers.
Technorati Tags: 3030 House, 6030 House, 6040 House, ecosteel, modern design, modern house, prefab house
The Enertia House
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Green Home Building and Sustainable ArchitectureI recently got a query from one of the editors of Mother Earth News regarding a news story she had read in the New York Times. The writer, David Pogue, had been a judge in a contest sponsored by by the History Channel and the National Inventors Hall of Fame titled "Modern Marvels/Invent Now." A $25,000 prize was awarded to one amoung 25,000 contestants, and the winner was the Enertia House, which was invented by engineer and former log-home architect, Michael Sykes.
The Mother Earth News editor said that these homes had been featured in their magazine before. They essentially provide two wooden shells for the home, one inside the other. She said that there was no mention in the article about the cost per square foot. She was wondering what I thought about the concept from the standpoint of sustainable architecture.
Here is my response:
Double envelope house designs have been around for several decades and they definitely offer some benefits, as well as raise some questions. Any house that takes advantage of the geothermal properties of the ground will be doing its inhabitants and the earth a good turn. This can take the form of earth-sheltering in general, or some clever system of circulating air like the Enertia concept; coupled with sensible passive solar design, it is possible to approach a "zero energy" home.
Clark Snell of www.thinkgreenbuilding.com wrote, "I spent five minutes looking over the web site, so these comments are only based at looking at marketing materials, i.e. they may be inaccurate. Ditto what has been said so far. A couple more “red flags:”
That's a pricey list of not includeds and notice they say nothing here and I saw nothing in my quick scan of the site about some really big and typical costs like excavation and foundations, below grade walls, or basement floor. They say this is a structural package but they don't mention all the things that are going to be extra that most people would expect in a house - plumbing, wiring, fixtures (electrical and plumbing), stove, etc. and especially that the solar PV and thermal water heating systems are not part of the package. It would be nice if they said right up front and clearly what they do and don't sell. And they should make it very clear that all the prices include only the factory labor, not the cost of actually assembling and finishing these structures.
But the biggest issue I have is that these are essentially double wall structures using an enormous amount of thick, milled lumber, which appears to use many times more wood than goes into a stick frame house. It would be interesting to see if they use more wood than a comparable log home. They'll likely be more energy efficient than a log home, but they'll use as much or more wood. Which raises all sorts of issues about the sustainability of this venture - beyond just the trees cut down - much bigger transportation, milling, probably kiln drying impacts as well. The concept is fine and likely works reasonably well in most climates. I'd need to see much more actual performance data and of course real cost data to be able to make any kind of realistic judgment of the viability of this concept as anything more than a niche market system. But between the costs which are going to be very high and the amount of materials going into one of these, calling it sustainable seems like a real stretch."
And finally, Jeff Judkoff of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, wrote: "The concept of "Double Envelope" homes has been around since at least the 1970's. A number of them were built in the late 70's early 80's. Some variations of the concept were published in the Solar Home Book, by Bruce Anderson and Michael Riordan in 1976, Cheshire Books. Other publications in that time frame also showed the concept. The only truly new concept here is the notion that the resins in the wood behave as phase change storage materials. I have no idea if that is true, but I doubt it because the most common phase change is from a solid to a liquid, in which case the resins in their liquid phase would leak out creating a mess. That's not to rule out the possibility that some tree resins could go from a solid to semi-solid phase, or that they are encapsulated in the wood, I just don't know if they can, and would only be able to determine it through controlled scientific testing in a calorimetry chamber. Phase change storage can really be a big boost to the performance of many flavors of passively heated and cooled homes.
There are many ways to acheive highly efficient homes that more or less "heat and cool" themselves. Different approaches have different costs and will work better in some climates than in others. In Colorado, my lab, NREL, worked with Habitat for Humanity to create a net energy producing home. We used super insulation, passive solar tempering, ventilation heat recovery, engineered shading, solar hot water with a backup instantaneous water heater, compact flourescent lighting, and PV. We also have more than a years worth of detailed data to prove the performance of the home (it really was a net energy producer for the last year).
I saw no data to indicate how well the Enertia home actually performed from an energy perspective. Cost, energy performance, and comfort are the key criteria by which to evaluate such homes, and data is always better than arm waving, or catchy theories. Nothing beats the scientific method for objectively determining the value of an idea."
The Mother Earth News editor said that these homes had been featured in their magazine before. They essentially provide two wooden shells for the home, one inside the other. She said that there was no mention in the article about the cost per square foot. She was wondering what I thought about the concept from the standpoint of sustainable architecture.
Here is my response:
Double envelope house designs have been around for several decades and they definitely offer some benefits, as well as raise some questions. Any house that takes advantage of the geothermal properties of the ground will be doing its inhabitants and the earth a good turn. This can take the form of earth-sheltering in general, or some clever system of circulating air like the Enertia concept; coupled with sensible passive solar design, it is possible to approach a "zero energy" home.
The concerns about their system that I have are: The use of wood as the primary building material is not generally sustainable in this day of lost forests. With the double envelope design, you are practically building two houses to end up with one. Relying on wood as a thermal mass material compromises the potential thermal performance because wood does not serve this function nearly as well as traditional masonry thermal mass materials. So, I guess what I am saying is that a more sustainable and less costly design can be accomplished in more traditional ways.
Clark Snell of www.thinkgreenbuilding.com wrote, "I spent five minutes looking over the web site, so these comments are only based at looking at marketing materials, i.e. they may be inaccurate. Ditto what has been said so far. A couple more “red flags:”
- Solid wood envelope. They seem to be using the old “mass enhanced R-value” argument for why solid wood walls perform well thermally. I think it’s well established that this is true only in very specific climatic situations. Touting solid southern yellow pine walls in comparison to solid white pine walls is like saying a Chevy Suburban gets better gas mileage than a Hummer…that’s not really a useful statistic.
- Energy without oil. The presentation intimates that this is a completely passive design. For example, no heating system is mentioned. That simply isn’t credible for most climates using the technology they are describing.
- Passive means local. You simply can’t create a design that relies heavily on passive techniques and generalize it across climates. In my area where we have high humidity, I’d wonder about this convective loop through the attic and basement, for example.
I could go on. I’m a passive design freak, so I’m all for the basic concepts they are dealing with. However, I don’t see anything really new here, but see marketing claims touting what they are doing as a major breakthrough and “the answer”. That always makes me nervous."
David Eisenberg, of www.dcat.net wrote, "After a skimming around their website, I see that they sell kits and their base prices don't include a lot of things - some of which are enumerated:
"Enertia Homes are sold as pre-cut, numbered kits varying in size from 1000-6000 square feet. The kit is a structural package that includes the timbers for the four exterior walls and the two interior walls (Energy WallsTM) which form the envelope, as well as the flashings, gasket, spline and fasteners to put the structure together. Also included are the beams for the upstairs floor system and the rafters for the roof structure. Doors, windows, flooring, and foam SIP roof panels are priced separately as per your blueprint and climate."
That's a pricey list of not includeds and notice they say nothing here and I saw nothing in my quick scan of the site about some really big and typical costs like excavation and foundations, below grade walls, or basement floor. They say this is a structural package but they don't mention all the things that are going to be extra that most people would expect in a house - plumbing, wiring, fixtures (electrical and plumbing), stove, etc. and especially that the solar PV and thermal water heating systems are not part of the package. It would be nice if they said right up front and clearly what they do and don't sell. And they should make it very clear that all the prices include only the factory labor, not the cost of actually assembling and finishing these structures.
But the biggest issue I have is that these are essentially double wall structures using an enormous amount of thick, milled lumber, which appears to use many times more wood than goes into a stick frame house. It would be interesting to see if they use more wood than a comparable log home. They'll likely be more energy efficient than a log home, but they'll use as much or more wood. Which raises all sorts of issues about the sustainability of this venture - beyond just the trees cut down - much bigger transportation, milling, probably kiln drying impacts as well. The concept is fine and likely works reasonably well in most climates. I'd need to see much more actual performance data and of course real cost data to be able to make any kind of realistic judgment of the viability of this concept as anything more than a niche market system. But between the costs which are going to be very high and the amount of materials going into one of these, calling it sustainable seems like a real stretch."
And finally, Jeff Judkoff of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, wrote: "The concept of "Double Envelope" homes has been around since at least the 1970's. A number of them were built in the late 70's early 80's. Some variations of the concept were published in the Solar Home Book, by Bruce Anderson and Michael Riordan in 1976, Cheshire Books. Other publications in that time frame also showed the concept. The only truly new concept here is the notion that the resins in the wood behave as phase change storage materials. I have no idea if that is true, but I doubt it because the most common phase change is from a solid to a liquid, in which case the resins in their liquid phase would leak out creating a mess. That's not to rule out the possibility that some tree resins could go from a solid to semi-solid phase, or that they are encapsulated in the wood, I just don't know if they can, and would only be able to determine it through controlled scientific testing in a calorimetry chamber. Phase change storage can really be a big boost to the performance of many flavors of passively heated and cooled homes.
There are many ways to acheive highly efficient homes that more or less "heat and cool" themselves. Different approaches have different costs and will work better in some climates than in others. In Colorado, my lab, NREL, worked with Habitat for Humanity to create a net energy producing home. We used super insulation, passive solar tempering, ventilation heat recovery, engineered shading, solar hot water with a backup instantaneous water heater, compact flourescent lighting, and PV. We also have more than a years worth of detailed data to prove the performance of the home (it really was a net energy producer for the last year).
I saw no data to indicate how well the Enertia home actually performed from an energy perspective. Cost, energy performance, and comfort are the key criteria by which to evaluate such homes, and data is always better than arm waving, or catchy theories. Nothing beats the scientific method for objectively determining the value of an idea."
Stone Houses
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Green Home Building and Sustainable ArchitectureI recently returned from a vacation wandering around the Ozark Mountains in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas, and was amazed to see so many stone houses. This style of building has obviously been a vernacular art for at least two centuries, since many of the buildings were quite old. I would estimate that something on the order of 5% of the residential construction in that region is done with stone walls. I don't know if these houses are insulated on the inside (I hope so, given the seasonal heat and cold they must endure.)
This is a picture of one stone house that happened to be for sale, with about 3 acres of land for about $90,000 US. Some of the wood around the windows was rottiong out, but the rest of the structure appeared sound. One of the beauties of stonework is that it can last for centuries and be as sound as the day it was originally built!
This is a picture of one stone house that happened to be for sale, with about 3 acres of land for about $90,000 US. Some of the wood around the windows was rottiong out, but the rest of the structure appeared sound. One of the beauties of stonework is that it can last for centuries and be as sound as the day it was originally built!Once I got home I was delighted to get an email from Xinyuan, a young woman in China, who was proud of the stone house that she had made near Biejing and completed in 2004. She designed the house and got the help of local construction workers to build it. She expects this to be her retirement home.
Xinyuan is a lover of nature and natural things and wants to promote natural building and life styles in China. There is a tradition of using stone for building in this region.
The house she made is obviously very well-built and quite handsome. The setting near the ruins of the Great Wall of China is also a knockout! Xinyuan would be happy to communicate with like-minded folks, and can be contacted at y.x1213AThotmail.com .
MODERN ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN - VANCOUVER
00/00/0000, 00:00 | GAILE GUEVARA
To view the complete inspiration images see slideshow
Architecture & Interiors by: Omar Arbell
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Specialty: residential and commercial renovations to custom furniture and landscapes
Project Highlights: Renovations of Penthouse Suite, Vancouver + Inform Interiors + Salt Tasting Bar
Interior Photography: Michael Boland Photography
Architecture & Interiors by: Omar Arbell
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Specialty: residential and commercial renovations to custom furniture and landscapes
Project Highlights: Renovations of Penthouse Suite, Vancouver + Inform Interiors + Salt Tasting Bar
Interior Photography: Michael Boland Photography
(be sure to check out Micheal Boland's work, he has an amazing portfolio of capturing modern architecture and interiors)
Getting back to blogging, I look back at the past year and am proud of Vancouver for the increase of modern design projects, it's a slow start but great to see that modern aesthetic is starting to be recognized more and more every day. An architect I have long admired is Omar Arbel. After seeing the transformation of a penthouse renovation, the opening of the cool Salt Tasting Bar, the renovation of the new Inform Interiors showroom - I'm speechless. It's inspiring to come across Omar's work being featured in more and more design articles to also experiencing installations of his designs like the Bocci Lights. A beautiful choice of light fixture hung throughout STK in the meatpacking district in New York.
To gain a "behind the scenes" insight into the building of a cool new interior in Vancouver, check out the blog story behind Salt where Sean shares the inspiration of combining the design talent of Omar Arbel with the details of local furniture designers like Brent Comber. Got to love learning more about the design & food lovers joining the blogging community.
Getting back to blogging, I look back at the past year and am proud of Vancouver for the increase of modern design projects, it's a slow start but great to see that modern aesthetic is starting to be recognized more and more every day. An architect I have long admired is Omar Arbel. After seeing the transformation of a penthouse renovation, the opening of the cool Salt Tasting Bar, the renovation of the new Inform Interiors showroom - I'm speechless. It's inspiring to come across Omar's work being featured in more and more design articles to also experiencing installations of his designs like the Bocci Lights. A beautiful choice of light fixture hung throughout STK in the meatpacking district in New York.
To gain a "behind the scenes" insight into the building of a cool new interior in Vancouver, check out the blog story behind Salt where Sean shares the inspiration of combining the design talent of Omar Arbel with the details of local furniture designers like Brent Comber. Got to love learning more about the design & food lovers joining the blogging community.
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
MODERN HOMES - MAJORCA + SINGAPORE + LONDON
00/00/0000, 00:00 | GAILE GUEVARA
Images provided by SHOOTFACTORY
View the complete inspiration library of images as a slideshow
Thanks to amazing blogs out there like one of my new favorites by Justin Anthony of materialicious he shares with readers his amazing sources on residential architecture, design, craftsmanship, materials and products. An excellent resource. Featured on one of his articles is an amazing company SHOOTFACTORY based out of the UK. "shootfactory is a full-service location agency, representing UK and international properties, studios and venues for TV, film, photo shoots, product launches and events. With over ten years’ international experience in our respective arenas of photography, styling, location management and production, we are committed to providing our location owners and clients with the best service, advice and support." Shootfactory is great option for clients to consider to turn their vacation properties into a source of income while not in use.
Here are a few examples of the many amazing interiors Shootfactory features. My top cities for modern inspiration MALORCA + SINGAPORE + LONDON.
MAJORCA - "Modern lifestyle studio in SE Mallorca (Majorca). Superb daylight. Open plan. Internal and external studio spaces. Props and lighting."
