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Interesting Homes Around the Blogs Yesterday
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOWOn 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
Hong Kong Design Centre Workshops [del.icio.us]
00/00/0000, 00:00 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :Stone Houses
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Green Home Building and Sustainable Architecture
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!
Architectural Horror [Clipping]
10/31/2008, 16:54 | Land+Living: Modern Lifestyle + DesignSketching is Offically Back, Finally
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Design SojournThe Breezy, Beautiful Brazilian Leaf House
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Inhabitat
Outside of Rio de Janeiro, on a beautiful little beach with amazing blue water, sits a little house with a flowering roof that shades and protects like a big tropical banana leaf. Designed by Mareines + Patalano, the open air abode is meant to encourage interaction and connection between man and nature. With verandas and open spaces in between rooms and no corridors, the tropical beach house is an ideal place for social gatherings and parties. The open layout also takes advantage of trade winds that blow in from the sea, providing natural ventilation and passive cooling.
Explaining Innovation through Illustration: Google Chrome [del.icio.us]
00/00/0000, 00:00 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :saint-étienne international design biennale 2008
00/00/0000, 00:00 | designboom weblog, design related news, reviews and previews
'club3' by rémy bardin, guillaume jounet - ENSA de paris-la-villette, part of 'habiter demain' exhibition
this year's saint-étienne international design biennale will be held at three main venues within the
cité du design site, the former saint-étienne weapons manufacturer. there will be a few main exhibitions including
'city eco lab' by john thackara and the 'sugoroku' exhibition by catherine beaugrand which will present
experiments which put humans at the heart of urban development. this year, there is the 'flight number ten'
exhibition will be taking a look at designers who have made their mark in the design world over the last ten years,
including ronan and erwan bouroullec. the biennale is an opportunity for designers from france and abroad
to present their latest designs to the public, using design to raise awareness to the current changes in society.
'le sommeilleur' by benoît , rest units at the mine museum, 2008, part of the 'habiter demain' exhibition
'lîlot damaranthes' by emmanuel louisgrand, part of the 'city eco lab' exhibition - image © galerie roger tator lyon
'manger au travail - système pline' by julie bouillaut, part of the 'city eco lab' exhibition - image © véronque huygues
'robuDOG' by robosoft, 2008 - image © robosoft
'algues' by ronan and erwan bouroullec, installation at roubaix museum, 2004 - image © paul tahon
cité du design: http://www.citedudesign.com
My Take On Design Leadership
00/00/0000, 00:00 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :
Again one of these posts I would have wished to have written myself ;-) Anyway I’ve skim read Kevin McCullagh’s posting on the Core77 Design Blog just before leaving to The Hague last week. Fortunately Kathryn Best reminded me on Kevin’s posting after my return a week ago!
What I like about Kevin’s post is his approach to assemble a sort of list of patterns he has observed when it comes to describing the term we love so much these days: ‘Design Leadership’. What I like in particular about ‘pattern recognition’ in general and this is also a reason why I like Kathryn’s book on Design Management is that it is not aiming for categories and definitions academia is looking after like: ‘right-wrong’, ‘good-bad’ or ‘truth’ in general.
While I will give my very own definition or better ‘description’ of the term later on I’d like to point to the four questions that have triggered Kevin’s article:
1.) What makes a design leader?
2.) Do they have to be designers?
3.) Who is leading whom?
4.) And to where exactly?
A point where I do disagree with him is clearly addressing question 2 as I don’t think that ‘Design Leaders’ necessarily need to be designers themselves. Let me try to explain this by referring back to the photo (or collage) I’ve assembled and which you see in the upper left corner. The picture in the lower right corner is taken from Kathryn’s book and illustrates quite well the three areas of responsibility of a Design Leader, a Design Manager and a Designer as those people in organisations who ‘Define a Vision’, ‘Manage the Process’ and ‘Create the Content’.
While on one hand I think that this ‘classification’ is helpful for better understanding the very often unclear terms I do think that on the other hand they are too discrete. Apparently a Designer or Design Manager can only remain in their category and won’t be able to embrace all of them at the same time. In contrast according to my understanding of a ‘Good Designer’ she/he must be able to address all those levels in order to ‘thoughtfully design’.
Therefore and in order to make the model more flexible I’d want to refer to one of the originators of the term ‘Design Thinking’ namely Roger Martin. You see his latest book ‘The Opposable Mind’ pictured in the upper left corner of the collage. Then replace ‘Design Leader’ with ‘Design Thinker’ and let ‘Design Leadership’ embrace all three functions ‘Design Thinking, Design Management and Design’ and you have a more flexible framework that communicates the key message: “Only if you’re good at all disciplines: ‘Thinking, Managing and Designing’ you are a ‘Design Leader’!
Accordingly this perspective also implies that one person will have a hard time to act as a ‘Design Leader’ since this would imply that all functions would need to be addressed by her/him alone. Even though for example the success of Apple Computer these days might appear as the single effort of Steve Jobs it is for sure the joint effort of many more (needless to mention Jonathan Ive).
Furthermore I do think that it is somehow anachronistic to believe that (in the competitive business landscape of these days) that individuals are still able to dominate; even though I admit that we tend to have a fascination for these sort of ’single heroes’.
Instead ‘Design Leadership’ according to my perspective above recognises that it is something that needs to be achieved collaboratively as a joint team effort of various ’specialists’. So the answer to Kevin’s question No. 2 definitely is: No, because only teams as I’ve described them above can effectively handle various functions from several disciplines with ‘Design Thinkers’ as the category most likely to embrace people from non-design disciplines.
What do you think? Is this something Kathryn/We shall adopt for the future?
Two Things Design Experts Do That Novices Don’t [del.icio.us]
00/00/0000, 00:00 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :The Florida Homebuyer Home Design Challenge
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogThe Florida Homebuyer Home Design Challenge
On one level I'm very gratified to see modern shouldering its way into this mainstream platform. At the same time I'm discouraged because the homes, while modern, seem to have the same issues as typical developer homes. They are dressed modern, and some I think look nice, but they are bloated and pseudo luxurious in a way that makes my skin crawl. Its not just look and feel, its statistical as well - there is an alarming bedroom count to square footage ratio in most of these homes. 3 bedrooms in 3,500 sqft?
The discussion of "modern" on LiveModern all the way back to the Dwell messageboards always involved doing more with less, as a lifestyle, as a design dictum, not even driven by sustainability, but as a personal value and as an aesthetic. This stuff is really stepping on that for me.
What do you think? Please check out the link and comment.
Technorati Tags: modern design, modern house
IS IT GREEN?: ZipCar
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Inhabitat
One of the great perpetrators of the United States’ wastefulness is urban sprawl, which leads to SOV (single occupancy vehicle) disorder. Many Americans drive to work, and we usually don’t carpool. Beyond driving to work, we use our cars for other things – soccer practice, forgotten items at the grocery store, and trips across our giant country. It doesn’t need to be that way. If we could break ourselves of this habit of hyper-convenience, we could have better bike lanes, rail, and bus systems. Or we could share our cars. Zipcar is an innovative car sharing service that prides itself upon its convenience and accessibility. We recently caught up with Zipcar spokesperson Lesley Neadel to ask a few questions about the company’s green cred.
London Design Festival: Piet Hein Eek
10/05/2008, 23:25 | MoCo Loco
The London Design Festival saw the launch of the first Rabih Hage/Piet Hein Eek pop-up store in a space large enough to highlight a wide variety of Eek's work. The temporary shop will be open through October 31 and features Eek's new 99% cabinets, storage that makes use of 99.13% of a whole steel sheet (the waste is a result of the holes for the fasteners). There was a nice selection of signature Waste Scrapwood pieces, all a glorious, yet soothing, patchwork of colours. The Plywood Chandelier and Plissélamp were good examples of Piet Hein Eek lighting, and the ceramics range caught the sun on the tables. The Crisis Cushion Sofa beckoned softly from a corner, and the Plywood dining set showed up well in the space.
Fleshing out a new design
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog
I have to confess that I find the space really interesting, but no doubt it won't be for everybody.
Technorati Tags: house plans, modern design, modern house
Happy Thanksgiving From Future House Now
00/00/0000, 00:00 | FUTURE HOUSE NOWThe extremely generous support of architect Greg La Vardera, Matt Olson of rolu|dsgn, Max Mead of Building Green, and Justin Anthony of materialicio.us - cool people I have come to know through this blog, and the many other people I have met via blogging. That's the best part, for sure.
My wife (who is too good to me) and my wonderful kids, Owen and Parker. Unfortunately, Owen broke his arm a little over a week ago. He was so brave. He never cried, not when it happened, not on the way to the emergency room, not when the doctors were poking him and putting in an IV, or when they set the bones. That little five year old has more guts and composure than almost any adult I've ever met. He's doing great, even with a heavy cast on up almost to his shoulder. I am sooo thankful that he is okay.
Modernist Japanese residential architecture - for challenging and inspiring me always. So much good stuff.
The Detroit Lions, my football team who I get to watch on Thanksgiving day. A really nice tradition for us Lions fans. Let's hope they win one for a change (doubtful).
Dwell and Pugh+Scarpa's entry to the Dwell Home II Competition, both of which inspired me to start this blog. My inaugural post is still the beacon.
Thanks everyone for visiting my site.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Drew Mandel Design - 83A Marlborough Ave
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Modern Residential Design
Infill house on a 13ft wide plot, becomes feature residence of the street - Drew Mandel has used every inch of this brownfield (ex 1 car garage & garden) site to create his ideal residence. Influences of Frank Lloyd Wright and Rudolph Schindler eminent in the residence's façade lead to elegant use of wood detailing for the interior.
Overview
Drew, an up and coming Canadian architect snapped up an “interesting” plot, that his colleague at MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects, David Miller had on offer. Setting out to create his debut "big time" design, Drew won a number of awards in Toronto and Canada. The house is an impressive example of modern infill, coming in at a modest $182 per ft2.
The Lot
Miller and his architect wife, Amy Falkner, had obtained a minor variance allowing them to build to the very edges of the property line without the usual margin of grass or ground cover. (It's only because the houses on each side are set back from the lot line that there is any space at all between the Mandel-Cooper house and its neighbours.) To support development, the municipality had allowed a substantial increase in the floor space, from 908 to more than 1,280 square feet above ground.
Their relatives labelled the plot a bowling lane, Mandel and his wife like to think of it as a lane each.
Design
Focusing on commercial design at work, Drew’s evening efforts on his own house pulled from his designs of multiplexes, community centres, libraries and banks. The main Achilles heel of the plot, the extended walls down either side of the property, led Drew to (as he sometimes reflects) to overcompensate with house glass panels at either end and a large light well at the centre of the build. I disagree; the house is fantastically bright and airy.
Breaking the house away from other designs out there and I believe linking it to his favoured FLW and Rudolf, is the use of patchwork glass rather than a large expanse of industrial like uniform façade. A cute modernist take on the Juliet balcony protrudes from the master bedroom, breaking the rear wall further and allows great views down to the meticulously landscaped garden, that complements the house so well. Adding to the functionality of the glass façade, a large central panel pivots to allow bigger pieces of furniture to be hoisted in.
Bringing in that industrial design know-how resolved the issue of construction methods too. Such a narrow tall design refused traditional frame design used in residential projects, meaning an industrial to balloon framing technique was adopted. Steel supports for the entire 38-foot length of the walls were put up first, and then the floors were locked in afterwards.
Further industrial features of the house include the two ramps from the entrance of the house to the living room and from the master bedroom to the second bedroom, a comfortable alternative to stairs.
Layout
From the semi-subterranean guest room at the front of the house you head south up the ramp to the living room, then north up five stairs to the dining room-kitchen floor, then south again up the house's only full flight of stairs to the master bedroom and bathroom. Finally, completing the layout you head north, up the second ramp to the second bedroom.
The Result
Drew and Denise have blown their relatives away. Despite the restricting plot they've created a house that through it's high ceilings, skylights and maximum glazing at both ends is a bright, spacious and airy home.
Plans
Architect/Designer: Drew Mandel Design
Client: Denise Cooper & Drew Mandel
Completed: 2007
Structural: Blackwell Engineering Ltd. (David Bowick)
Builder: T. Fijalkowski & Associates
Site Plan Approval: David Miller & Amy Falkner
Lot:13' x 115' or 1560 ft2
Costs: $182 per ft2
Information courtesy of: Drew Mandel Design
Brewery Art Walk, Los Angeles [Clipping]
10/30/2008, 12:03 | Land+Living: Modern Lifestyle + DesignGlobal Warming Media
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Green Home Building and Sustainable ArchitectureAs you might imagine there are many new books written about global warming and its consequences; I noticed over twenty five that were published in 2007. This time, the ratio of nay-sayers has diminished to about a quarter of the volume. I take this as an encouraging trend, in that the real science and public perception are obviously coming closer together. To see a listing of some of new media see this page.
Shubin + Donaldson Architects - Urban Spa
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Modern Residential Design
Urban Spa - Shubin + Donaldson Architects have remodelled this house to soak up its Malibu shore front location. Sliding doors and windows allow the residence to be open plan or sectioned off at will. The site elements of the highway and beach challenged, and dispatched with charming results.
Program
The initial task was to renovate the original 1976 dwelling into a contemporary urban retreat, whilst adding some structural reinforcement. Bought in 2001 for it's location, the owners, together with the architects, went on to extensively remodel the house into an urban oasis. Concious efforts to negate the road behind and emphasise the beach in front are evident throughout.
Design
The overall concept for this 2,900-square-foot beach-side modern house was to transform it into an urban spa-like retreat. The house is perched along Malibu’s Pacific Coast Highway, and features access to the beach at the back. Sheltering the house and providing a hard façade is the garage to the rear. As an area of transition between the street and beach, an interior entry courtyard behind the garage, laid with rectangular cement pavers and bordered by smooth river rock and tufted grasses, introduces the primary design element of the home — a seamless union between interior and exterior spaces. Through crisp linear architecture, a split level plan, and visual access throughout the house brings in the beach.
From the entry courtyard, a line of sight straight through the living room takes in the sea views. Dragging your attention away, to the left is a bay window type dining room, accented by a white grid of window panes and shadowed from the noon sun. This window grid is echoed by the geometric pattern of the cabinets and shelves that lead into the minimal kitchen. True to the open plan, the kitchen seamlessly overlooks the main living space, allowing distractions whilst cooking. 
The interior design palette of natural woods and limestone, white walls and fabrics, frosted and clear plate-glass creates a crisp and airy environment to appreciate the Pacific Ocean setting. A true Urban Spa,the elements were hand picked to portray the theme of air, light, and water.
Ground-floor living room and adjacent sitting room offer shadowed relief from the sunlit terraces beyond, with cooling white and dark wood tones in the furniture and materials. Double-paned windows, which open onto the first-level terrace, offer several ways for freedom, permitting unrestricted views onto the ocean while buffering sound (from the highway). 
The upstairs rooms continue the overall theme of air, light, and water with repeating materials and colours. The well-dressed master suite faces onto a second large terrace with pocket-glass doors that fold away, converting the stepped upper terrace into a sleeping porch reminiscent of designs by Schindler and Neutra (and last weeks post - David Hertz! [Image]).
For reclining on the teak chaises, billowing fabrics can be drawn above and alongside the terrace to shield the sun and wind.
With the clients goal being a boutique like retreat to entertain guests rather than as a reclusive beach getaway, opulent bright-white materials: Limestone and high gloss surfaces were used to give that crisp light filled feel. In fact, the owners found it too 'bling'. The house was cool crisp and far too full of light, with the white being overwhelming sometimes. Aware of this, Shubin + Donaldson had already incorporated exterior shutters and shades, which compensate in the southern facing rooms. Then in terms of layout, a simple North facing Media room was added with minimal windows at the rear, providing a further space to retreat in summer, and a little getaway for all. 
Openness and transformation are themes throughout and are most expressive in the master bath. Cool, ocean-blue frosted glass lines the walls and windows (that face another house on these sought-after lots). Behind the glass swing doors are the toilet and shower. Three layers of floor-to-ceiling glass form a translucent door that closes the space off from the bedroom, or opens it up to the master suite, porch, and Pacific Ocean beyond. Dark wenge wood - used throughout the house as an accent - encases the tub, vanity, and spacious closets. The rich brown colour gently contrasts with the limestone counters and floors. Double mirrors are placed on poles in front of the frosted glass, rather than set into a wall. To name-drop, the tub is designed by Philippe Starck.
![[Image]](http://lh6.ggpht.com/modresdesnick/SEbDmpgh_aI/AAAAAAAACP0/vKWwFnNv9cU/3.jpg){kind=link}
Layout
First level: living room, dining room, den area, terrace with beach access, powder room. Upper level: home office, guest room and bath, powder room, media room, and master suite with bathroom/walk-in closet, closet office, outdoor sleeping porch.
Plans
Architect: Shubin + Donaldson Architects - Robin Donaldson, AIA, Principal and Russell Shubin, AIA, Principal
Interiors: Audrey Alberts, interior design consultant
Commenced: 2001
Photos: Tom Bonner Photography
Article & Imagery: Courtesy - Taylor & Company (many thanks)
via: Taylor & Company
Using Earthbags as Ceiling Insulation
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Green Home Building and Sustainable Architecture
There seems to be a general lack of interesting ceiling options using sustainable building materials. For instance, when touring otherwise beautiful straw bale homes one often sees sheetrock covering conventional industrial insulation. Instead of using fiberglass batts or even manufactured cotton batts to insulate a roof, it is possible to use earthbags that are filled with a variety of insulating materials. These materials include rice hulls, crushed volcanic rock (such as scoria), vermiculite and perlite. The insulating value of these ranges from about R-2 to R-3, so they are quite effective, and can also be quite inexpensive to install.
This article also describes how one might use mats made of natural fibers to cover and finish these earthbag ceilings.
Suspended ceilings, as described in this article, have a number of benefits. They conceal the roof structure, plumbing, venting and electrical wiring, as well as improve acoustics and insulation. And they can also greatly enhance the ambiance or hominess of a room.
Are Methods The New Waterfall? at Experience Matters [del.icio.us]
00/00/0000, 00:00 | :: Vol. 2: the design management weblog | by ralf beuker :Life Preservers for Polar Bears On Sinking Arctic Ice
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Inhabitat
As the climate crisis mounts and Arctic icebergs slip away, polar bears are suffering starvation, population declines, and drowning as they must swim further and further to find food. Seeking to raise awareness for the endangered species’ plight, ADDI Concepts has taken wildlife preservation literally by designing a life-vest for displaced polar bears struggling to stay afloat as their homes sink into the sea.
cnn gets carried away
11/05/2008, 15:49 | InfluxinsightsPosted by Ed Cotton
Has Design Evolved since Papanek?
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Design Sojourntokyo design week 08: 'cellular automation' by ross lovegrove
00/00/0000, 00:00 | designboom weblog, design related news, reviews and previews
'celluar automation origin of species 2'
image © designboom
as animals grow, their bone structures increase in size. they develop into the ultimate shaped forms,
being able to support the entire structure with just one fifth the mass of the whole. this is a study
of ross lovegrove's organic essentialism. in his work he analyzes the composition and structure of bones
and finds ways through modeling and structuring. for 'cellular automation' he created complex structures
experimenting with 3d software to create pieces that imitate nature. his work is on display as part of
the second nature exhibition at 21_21, tokyo, japan.
image © designboom
image © designboom
image © designboom
image © designboom
detail
more:
http://www.rosslovegrove.com
designboom article on ross lovegrove's organic essentialism
MODERN MOMA
00/00/0000, 00:00 | GAILE GUEVARASpend a day at the MOMA in New York and you’ll know why it’s my favorite place to be! On a recent visit with my good friend Michelle, we rediscovered how subtle design details go into creating maximum effects.
Not every passing eye may notice, but I * love, love * that every where I look, the “too complicated” or “too expensive” details are represented here seemingly effortlessly. From the flush drywall reveals to the spatial planning of transitioning from one space to another … subtle application of natural light and physical movement through a volume of space … striking white walls, over sized slab stone clad walls … a cantilevered bridge carefully finished on all exposed sides intersects with a vertical opening exposing the floor plates of each gallery level … the cut outs and view points all with frameless glazing … to the flush linear a/c vents and grills … It’s the beauty of minimalism that gives this simplistic yet stylized illusion.
Just observe and you’ll see that even the people within the space, passing through admiring the artworks on display… become art itself.
P.S. Doesn’t Michelle make the best model?!
Earthbag Tube Forming Machine
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Green Home Building and Sustainable Architecture
Metropolitan Home article by Karrie Jacobs
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan BlogWe'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
Trend: Crowdsourced Fashion Models
00/00/0000, 00:00 | CScout TrendBlog
Girls Walker has announced the beginning of the search for the next Miss Tokyo Girls Collection, the finale event for the now famous biannual real fashion festival. This is the ultimate opportunity for a would-be reader model, not only to grace the pages of one’s favorite magazine, but to actually join the stage with top teen fashion icons.
Unlike traditional pageants, where the winner is selected by a panel of expert judges, Miss TGC is eventually chosen from a panel of peers: the girls in the audience who can vote with their mobile phones.
For the original post and the latest reviews of other Japanese trends please visit our CScout Japanese blog.
Hus1 - moving towards design prints
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog
Technorati Tags: house plans, Hus1, modern design, modern house