ICON and Lake Flato build 3D-printed House Zero in Austin

Construction technology outfit ICON and architecture studio Lake Flato have completed a 3D-printed, modern ranch-style home in Austin to be displayed during the SXSW festival.

ICON, the company to first sell ready-to-own 3D homes in the US, worked with San Antonio and Austin-based architecture studio Lake Flato to design House Zero.

ICON worked with Lake Flato Architecture studio to 3D print House Zero

The home is sited in a single-family residential neighbourhood in East Austin, Texas, and was built using ICON's Vulcan construction system.

The system uses 3D printing, a technology that dispenses layers of material mechanically based on a computer program, to lay the walls of the 2,000-square-foot (186-square-metre) home. The 3D-printed wall aspects took 10 days to print.

"House Zero is ground zero for the emergence of entirely new design languages and architectural vernaculars that will use robotic construction to deliver the things we need most from our housing: comfort, beauty, dignity, sustainability, attainability, and hope," said Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of ICON, in a release.

House Zero has walls made of ICON's proprietary material Lavacrete

Reinforced by steel, the walls are printed with a proprietary material ICON calls Lavacrete – a cement-like substance that is air-tight while also providing increased insulation.

"We let the Lavacrete lead the way," Ashley Heeren, associate architect for Lake Flato, told Dezeen. "We could then use other materials in ways that were not only honest to their nature but also supported and complemented the concrete".

Lavacrete is a cement-like material used in ICON's 3D printing

"While the organic nature of the 3D-printed concrete and curved walls are new design languages for us, House Zero was still entirely in line with the natural connections we seek in our architecture," said Heeren continued.

"The home expresses our shared passions for craft and performance in an inviting and comfortable family home constructed through a totally new way of building".

The smooth Lavacrete walls are present in most of the home's rooms

According to ICON, the home was built using biophilic design principles, claiming that the soft curves of the 3D-printed support walls create "naturalistic circulation routes throughout the home".

In addition to being able to build houses faster, the technology could mean that homes like this could be built at lower cost.

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House Zero has three bedrooms with two and a half baths, along with a one bed and bath accessory dwelling unit. While the exterior walls are composed of the soft lines of the Lavacrete, many of the interior walls, ceiling, and rafters are made of wood.

"It’s regional and sensible and welcoming so, in that way, it’s what a really good mid-century ranch house wants to be," said Lewis McNeel, associate partner at Lake Flato. "And yet the new technology has freed it from rigid stylistic definitions and easy labels."

The 3D-printed walls were reinforced with steel

The living space at the front of the home is surrounded by the semi-circular Lavacrete walls punctuated by glass that provides views of the street. The flat roof is supported by rafters that run the width of the home and cantilever into awnings.

ICON does not currently have plans to sell House Zero, the company told Dezeen, but instead will use it as a place to bring "partners, architects, organisations, developers, and showcase the future of homebuilding".

The building was completed in time for the SXSW festival, which takes place in Austin from 11-20 March 2022.

ICON uses its Vulcan construction system to 3D print homes

In terms of sustainability, McNeel said that both the insulation properties and the cutting down of material used makes it a viable option.

"You can eliminate a number of separate materials and construction steps on a job site if you can print the equivalent of cladding, sheathing, thermal breaks, formwork for structure and interior finish all in one pass of the printer," he said.

3D-printed houses have been gaining in popularity worldwide and even beyond.

ICON has been active in this push, working with designers like Yves Behar to create a 3D-printed community in Latin America as well as with BIG and NASA to plan buildings for the moon.

The photography is byCasey Dunn.

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#all #architecture #residential #materials #technology #usa #3dprinting #texas #austin #3dprintedhouses #lakeflato #icon

Vaulted brick roof spans Intermediate House in Paraguay by Equipo de Arquitectura

Paraguay studio Equipo de Arquitectura has completed a residence with vaulted brick ceilings on a narrow lot in Asunción, which opens to a courtyard with a mango tree.

The Intermediate House comprises two blocks either side of the central, open-air courtyard.

The architects referred to the entrance block as the "quincho", which loosely translates to "gazebo", while the second block at the back on the site contains the living room, kitchen, and bedroom.

Intermediate House sits on a narrow lot in Asunción, Paraguay

"The goal was to create a fluid and flexible space with natural sunlight, cross ventilation and a constant contact with nature," said Equipo de Arquitectura, which is based in the city.

The walls and ceiling throughout the building are made of manually pressed, uncooked dirt bricks. The same bricks are arranged with gaps in-between on the street-facing facade.

The entrance is into the open-air "quincho" block

Four vaults span the roof, resting on black steel I-beams. The voids between the structural supports and the arches are filled with glass.

"Using local materials such as earth and wood we created a space that is open and closed at the same time," said the studio. "That is why the project is named Intermediate House."

The kitchen area can be sealed away by sliding wood slats

Shelving, desk space, food preparation area, and an entertainment system were designed to be part of the concrete slabs that hold up the I-beams.

Putting most of the furniture in the walls, which can be covered by folding wooden doors, helps to make the most of the 7.2-metre-wide lot. Equipo de Arquitectura used designs by 20th-century modernist Louis Kahn to inform this tactic.

A mango tree stands in a courtyard between the two sections

"These frames are the actual frames of the furniture," said the studio. "So the structural support turns into the functional support, or vice versa."

"With Kahn we learned that structural support can become functional support, which is why the entire roof of the house rests on the furniture that makes up the perimeter of the property," they added.

Furniture is housed within the structural concrete walls

Other furniture items in the centre of the rooms can be moved when needed to open up the space.

Glass doors allow the back block to be closed off from the courtyard, while the quincho remains open.

Sliding glass panels allow for ventilation

Sliding wooden slats can also be used to conceal the living room from the bedroom, which is the last in the sequence of indoor spaces on the linear plot.

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Beyond is another garden at the rear of the house, which can be accessed through the bedroom.

A glass wall dividing the two brings in extra light and offers views of the greenery.

A garden in the rear of the house is just off the bedroom

Throughout the residence, the floors and wooden slats are made out of curupay – a local wood.

"Everything was made by local craftsmen, so the processes were pretty slow and delicate," said the studio.

Structural concrete also separates areas including the bathroom

Equipo de Arquitectura has previously renovated a synagogue in Asunción using board-marked concrete and warm wood.

For more homes that utilise space on narrow lots, see this list of 12 skinny houses that make the most of every inch.

The photography is byFederico Cairoli.

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#all #architecture #residential #bricks #houses #paraguay #handmadebricks #equipodearquitectura #vaultedceilings

Olson Kundig creates floating Water Cabin in Seattle's Portage Bay

Knotty cedar and galvanised steel were used to form a two-storey, floating home by US firm Olson Kundig that draws upon cabin architecture.

The Water Cabin is located in Seattle's Portage Bay, just south of the University of Washington. It serves as a full-time residence for a client who previously rented a floating house in the area and decided to build his own home there when a lot became available.

The Water Cabin floats on Seattle's Portage Bay

Designed by local firm Olson Kundig, the building is intended to offer "a cabin sensibility in an urban environment".

In particular, it draws upon design principal Jim Olson's personal cabin in rural Washington, which features rectilinear volumes, overhanging roofs and a subdued colour palette.

Its living space opens onto a terrace

The floating home is also designed to provide a strong connection to the bay, which is part of a canal connecting the Puget Sound to Lake Washington.

"Small in stature, the home creates a platform from which to enjoy and engage with the surrounding waterway," the team said.

The home has a horizontal stature

The building consists of two levels, with the upper one stepping back to create a "sense of refuge". The recess also allowed for a 100-square-foot (9.3-square-metre) terrace.

Flat, overhanging roofs shade patios and large stretches of glass. Visually speaking, the roofs contribute to the home's low, horizontal stature.

Olson Kundig added glass windows with sweeping views

"The horizontal lines of the building echo the flat plane of the lake in an effort to make it one with the site," said Olson.

Given the home's location, the team chose exterior materials that are low-maintenance and can hold up in a marine environment.

Warm wooden tones contrast with metal finishes in silver and black tones

The structural system is made of galvanized steel, and facades are clad in knotty western red cedar that was lightly stained.

"The siding's thin, vertical wood slats are arranged in an irregular articulated pattern, recalling the random composition of trees in a forest," the team said.

The floating home's cosy interior takes cues from forest cabins

Inside, the 1,580-square-foot (147-square-metre) home offers all the key living elements. "There are strict restrictions on the size and dimensions of floating homes," said Olson. "Our client wanted to make the best use of every inch."

The lower level encompasses an open space for lounging, dining, cooking and working. There also is a hidden Murphy bed for guests.

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A glazed corner and large, sliding doors enable the interior to flow onto a patio with ipe wood decking. A window-lined staircase – which serves as a light well – leads to the top floor, where the team placed a bedroom suite.

Like the lower level, floor-to-ceiling glass provides sweeping views of the watery terrain and diminishes the boundary between inside and out.

Floor-to-ceiling glass provides views of the watery terrain

Materials within the home include knotty cedar, oak and birch. Warm wooden tones are contrasted with metal finishes in silver and black tones.

Overall, the home is intended to feel cosy and intimately tied to its surroundings, similar to a cabin in the forest.

"This informal, low-contrast interior supports a sense of the home as an oasis, despite its location in a bustling community," the team said.

Flat, overhanging roofs shade patios and large stretches of glass

Other floating homes in Seattle's Portage Bay include a compact dwelling by Studio DIAA that features a dark exterior and a light-toned interior.

The photography is byAaron Leitz.

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Project credits:

Architect: Olson Kundig

Project team: Jim Olson (design principal), Jason Roseler (project manager), Betty Huang, Christine Burkland, Eunice Kim and Hunter Van Bramer

General contractor: Dyna Contracting

Structural engineer: Voelker Engineering

Lighting design: Brian Hood

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#all #architecture #residential #instagram #usa #cedar #seattle #washingtonstate #olsonkundigarchitects #cabins #floatingarchitecture

ARQBR weaves open space into Couri House in Brasília

Architecture firm ARQBR has completed a family house in Brasília that features a ribbon-shaped plan and a central courtyard with a swimming pool.

The Couri House sits on a 713-square-metre plot within a residential neighbourhood in Brazil's capital city. The property features a single Pequi tree – a protected species that is native to the region.

ARQBR built Couri House in Brasília

Adjacent to the lot is non-buildable, public green space with a newly planted forest.

It is within this context that local firm ARQBR was tasked with designing a small, single-storey home with lots of open space for a five-member family.

The dwelling is roughly Z-shaped in plan

The architects conceived a low-lying, 340-square-metre dwelling that is roughly Z-shaped in plan and stretches nearly the depth of the site.

This configuration allowed for a large, internal patio with a swimming pool and enabled the preservation of the Pequi tree, which sits in the centre of the property.

ARQBR configured the project with an internal patio featuring a swimming pool

"The solution was to launch a ribbon-shaped plan that develops around the lot, adjusting to its perimeter and forming voids integrated with gardens and with the occupation of the house itself," the firm said.

"Due to the limited land area, it was challenging to distribute the entire program of needs on a single floor, preserving the existing 'pequizeiro' tree, and still configure qualified unbuilt spaces."

The home has a concrete structural system

The home has a concrete structural system, with average spans of five metres. Walls are made of ceramic block masonry that was painted white.

On the front facade, an absence of windows conceals what lies within the dwelling. The garage and front entrance are marked with honey-toned wood.

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The interior layout has a clear separation between shared and private spaces.

The front portion encompasses a garage, living room, kitchen and dining area. The back wing holds a media room and four bedrooms, each with their own bathroom.

A kitchen and dining area is located in the front portion

The owners must pass through the central patio to reach the two different zones.

"The distribution of the spaces and their relationships promote unusual paths through the house, for it is natural to walk through an open space to reach a closed one," the team said.

ARQBR weaved open space into the project

"In this way, everyday life experiences this relationship of continuity between inside and outside – and through it, contact with nature and the sky."

Other projects in Brasília include a concrete home by Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura that has light wells and an angular roof, and an all-white home by Bloco Arquitetos that is composed of irregularly stacked boxes.

The photography is byJoana França.

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#all #architecture #residential #brazil #courtyards #houses #swimmingpools #brazilianhouses #brasília

15 London home renovations shortlisted for Don't Move, Improve! 2022

A pastel-hued extension with Romanesque arches and a converted artist's studio are among the projects vying to be named London's best home renovation in this year's Don't Move, Improve! competition.

A total of 15 dwellings are shortlisted for the 2022 edition of Don't Move, Improve!, an annual contest held by independent organisation New London Architecture (NLA) to celebrate the "most innovative home improvement projects" in the capital.

Other projects in the running include the Concrete Plinth House by DGN Studio and a 1920s semi-detached residence that Nimtim Architects has remodelled with playful joinery.

An apartment with a translucent sleeping pod and a Victorian loft extension by the award's previous winner Proctor & Shaw have also been shortlisted.

Don't Move, Improve! is open to home renovations or extensions in London's 33 boroughs that have reached completion in the last two years.

This year's shortlist was selected from over 200 entries by a jury chaired by NLA's director Amy Chadwick Till and including Phil Coffey, the director of Coffey Architects, Sebastian Wood, director of Whitby Wood, journalist Anna White and property expert Kunle Barker.

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According to the panel, this year saw a number of entries with indoor-outdoor living spaces, as well as ones that make use of wood and natural materials. The presence of statement ceilings, colourful structures and bold shapes was another key trend.

"This year's submissions delighted our jury with innovative approaches to structure, layout, materials and colour," reflected Chadwick Till.

"Don't Move, Improve! aims to encourage great domestic-scale design across the city, so we are really pleased to have another shortlist that showcases a wide range of budgets, building styles, locations and home-owner needs."

The winner of this year's competition will be announced in May 2022. Alongside the overall prize for the best new home improvement, there will be five special awards for the best compact design, urban oasis, materiality and craftsmanship, unique character and transformation.

Previous overall winners of Don't Move, Improve! include The House Recast by Studio Ben Allen, a "beautifully understated" rear extension by Proctor & Shaw and a dwelling in the shell of a derelict chapel.

Here's the full Don't Move, Improve! 2022 shortlist:

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Photo is by Adam Scott

A Tuscan Veranda by Turner Architects

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Little Brownings by Archmongers Architects

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Non Boxy Lofty by Fraher & Findlay

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Photo is by Billy Bolton

Pergola House by Benjamin Wilkes

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Photo is by Adelina Iliev

Transitions by Red Squirrel Architects

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Photo is by Nick Deardon

Coffered House by Proctor & Shaw

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Photo is by Megan Taylor

Curve Appeal by Nimtim Architects

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Photo is by VATRAA

Artist Studio Conversion by VATRAA

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Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Pink House by Oliver Leech Architects

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Photo is by Jim Stephenson

Bay Window House by Gundry + Ducker

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Photo is by Building Narratives

Concrete Plinth House by DGN Studio

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Photo is by Tim Soar

Church Road by Ruffarchitects

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Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Shoji Apartment by Proctor & Shaw

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Photo is by Andy Stagg

Slide and Slot House by Ashton Porter Architects

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Photo is by David Grandorge

Forest House by AOC

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#all #architecture #residential #news #london #extensions #renovations #residentialextensions #britishhouses #londonhouses #londonhouseextensions

The Ranch Mine designs Arizona desert home informed by surrounding boulders

The organisation of this home in Arizona's Sonoran Desert was inspired by a rock formation that architecture firm The Ranch Mine noticed during a site visit early in the design process.

The project is located on an arid site north of Scottsdale. Phoenix-based firm The Ranch Mine drew influence from the site's rocky topography while designing the house, lending it the nickname Boulders.

The Ranch Mine designed Boulders in Arizona's Sonoran Desert

"When studying the site before starting the design of the house, The Ranch Mine came across three very large boulders, stacked in a way that created a protected and shaded area, a respite from the desert sun for the local fauna," said the architects.

"Simple, functional and at the same time powerful in form, this outcrop became the inspiration for the house," they added.

The main living spaces are housed in a cantilevered volume between two bedroom wings

Each of the home's two bedrooms is located in a separate volume at either end of the 2,400-square-foot (223 square metres) residence. These support a long cantilevered roof that forms the main living area, which includes the kitchen and dining room.

"The large, cantilevered roof features openings that provide extra diffused light into the patio area while allowing hot air to rise and escape through," said The Ranch Mine.

Inside, a neutral palette includes concrete floors and wooden ceilings

The longitudinal living space is lit by clerestory windows above the kitchen on one side, and by full-height sliding glass doors on the other.

The doors open out to a swimming pool, which is located in the open space formed by the L-shaped configuration of the home.

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"The bedroom wings are rotated at 90 degrees from each other, creating and L-shaped plan that forms a courtyard for outdoor living and defines two distinct views," said The Ranch Mine.

"The short view looks at Lone Mountain, about 1,000 feet away to the base of the mountain across the desert terrain," they added. "The long view looks towards the mountains a few miles to the northwest, in the small town of Cave Creek."

An L-shaped swimming pool is located outside

The architects also included a yoga room and outdoor shower with easy access to the pool. The curved walls of this volume contrast the lines of the rest of the rectilinear home.

The interiors have a neutral palette of grey tones, with concrete flooring running throughout and wooden ceilings that add some depth to the space.

The design of the house was influenced by a rock formation found on the site

The Ranch Mine was founded in 2010 by husband-and-wife duo Cavin and Claire Costello. The firm recently completed a board-formed home for a ceramicist, and a backyard guest house that is entered via a large pivoting glass door.

Other desert homes in the US include a residence in Utah made with weathering steel and concrete blocks, and a detached guest suite that can serve as an accessory dwelling unit for a family that relocated to rural Texas from Tennessee.

The photography is byRoehner + Ryan.

---

Project credits:

Builder: Boxwell Homes

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#all #architecture #residential #arizona #deserts #usa #houses #americanhouses #theranchmine

Brooks + Scarpa designs 11 NOHO in California to diverge from typical housing block

Architecture firm Brooks + Scarpa has created a North Hollywood apartment building that prioritises social areas over private space and includes units for low-income tenants.

The project, called 11 NOHO, is located in an emerging arts district in North Hollywood. The quarter-hectare site, which stretches along Camarillo Street, was formerly occupied by a small office building.

Brooks + Scarpa designed the 11 NOHO apartment building in North Hollywood

Brooks + Scarpa – which has offices in the Los Angeles area and Florida – wanted to create a building that diverged from the typical, solid apartment block.

The architects ended up conceiving a five-storey, rectangular building that is organised around a central courtyard.

The five-storey, rectangular building is organised around a central courtyard

They carved away parts of the housing block – including a sizable cut in the main facade – to create a sense of openness and to connect the building to its surroundings.

"11 NOHO eschews the typical neighbourhood defensive apartment buildings with solid walls and fences in favour of a carved-out cube – a beacon in the neighbourhood that celebrates social space by de-emphasising private space," the firm said.

Large aspects of 11 NOHO were cut away to open up the design

The building has a white exterior that helps enhance natural light and reduce heat gain – the latter being an important consideration given the area's hot climate.

Exterior walls are wrapped in stucco and corrugated aluminium panels. Open-air corridors and balconies are lined with metal railings.

The white exterior increases natural light

The 110,550-square-foot (10,270-square-metre) building contains 60 rental apartments, including 12 designated for low-income tenants.

By including affordable units, the developer was able to construct a taller and denser building, while also helping address the city's housing crisis.

The design of 11 NOHO is oriented around public space

"This much-needed affordable housing provides poor and disadvantaged populations housing in an affluent area of town, where low-wage workers are critical but unable to afford to live," the architects said.

"It also contributes to much-needed housing stock in short supply in Los Angeles."

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The apartments have either one or two bedrooms and range from 650 to 800 square feet (60 to 74 square metres). Strategically placed windows and exterior circulation help orient the apartments toward the courtyard, and visually connect the units to each other and the street.

The building's social spaces include the courtyard, a community room and an upper-level covered deck. There also is a below-grade parking garage and ground-level retail totalling 4,000 square feet (372 square metres).

The building follows Southern California's tradition of housing around courtyards

The firm noted that 11 NOHO follows the tradition of courtyard apartment buildings in Southern California. Notable examples include the Irving Gill-designed Horatio Court, built in 1918, and the post-Second World War Ambrose Gardens, which was designed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style.

"For people living around the courtyard, the space provides a sense of safety and privacy," the architects said.

The apartments have either one or two bedrooms

"The courtyard is a quasi-public space that mediates between the home and the street," they added. "For the city at large, the courtyard is an urbane housing type that fits well into neighbourhoods."

Brooks + Scarpa is led by Angela Brooks and Lawrence Scarpa, winners of the 2022 AIA Gold Medal. The firm has offices in Hawthorne, which is near Los Angeles, and the Florida city of Fort Lauderdale.

The windows were optimised to receive natural light

Other projects by the studio include a high school with aluminium facades coloured bright yellow, and The Six, a low-cost housing development for displaced veterans.

The photography is byTara Wujcik, Jeff Durkin and Lawrence Scarpa.

---

Project credits:

Architect: Brooks + Scarpa

Project team: Lawrence Scarpa (lead designer, prinicipal-in-charge), Angela Brooks, Dionicio Ichillumpa, Jeffrey Huber, Iliya Muzychuk, Fui Srivikorn, Eleftheria Stavridi, Diane Thepkhounphithack, Yimin Wu, Arty Vartanyan

General contractor: Hillock Land Company, Danny Kradjian

Structural engineer: Labib Funk Engineering

MEP engineering: IDS Group

Civil engineering: Barbara Hall

Landscape architect: Brooks + Scarpa with Tina Chee

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#all #architecture #residential #losangeles #california #usa #housing #hollywood #brooksscarpa

David Saik gives Emeco a cactus-filled Californian brand home

US furniture brand Emeco has worked with architect David Saik to convert an old sewing factory in Los Angeles into a multipurpose hub and "conversation place" with a cactus growing from the ground indoors.

Located on the outskirts of a residential neighbourhood in Venice Beach, California, the Emeco House has an exhibition and event space as well as accommodation for visiting guests.

Saik worked with Emeco owner Gregg Buchbinder and his daughter, Emeco head of sustainability Jaye Buchbinder, to transform the 1940s building into an open and inviting place that could welcome designers, architects and the local community.

The Emeco House is a renovated 1940s building in Venice Beach, California

The father and daughter, who love nature and surf together weekly, also wanted Emeco House to reflect the brand's messaging around design and sustainability.

"This really gave us a chance to codify and scale our value system – focus on honest, humble materials," said Jaye Buchbinder. "Nothing is flashy, but everything is thought through."

"We hope the quiet comfort will help foster a closer connection between people who come here," she continued. "It's not a commercial space, it's a conversation place."

The renovation project was meant to capture Emeco's ethos around design and sustainability

The starting point for the Emeco House was a desire to retain, upgrade and restore the existing building, a former sewing factory, in defiance of local norms favouring demolition.

In doing so, the architect and clients hoped to create not only a more environmentally sustainable project but one that would be connected to its neighbourhood.

Saik preserved the original structure of the building, exposing parts that had previously been covered, while progressively adding interventions in layers that he hoped would integrate seamlessly with the existing elements.

The house includes a cactus planted beneath a light-well

He describes it as a kind of "architectural natural diversity", where the old and new support each other in the creation of an indivisible whole.

The Emeco House features large open spaces for events, exhibitions and workshops downstairs, and a more domestic area upstairs, with room for guests to cook, eat, sleep and socialise.

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"One can move between easily between these spaces and always find a place to gather and have a conversation, such as the built-in benches at the open window to the street, or the bench at the entry, or on the benches on the backyard wall," Saik told Dezeen.

The Emeco House is zero-energy and powered by its own solar panels. Light-wells and skylights optimise the supply of natural light while also helping with cooling through passive ventilation, as they are either fully retractable or fitted with operable vents.

The building features open spaces for events, exhibitions and workshops on the ground floor

Plantings feature in all spaces, including a roof garden of succulents and, on the ground floor, a cactus that extends through the ceiling and into the light-well, where it can enjoy the natural air and daylight.

"The cactus brings the exterior and the interior together and provides a great deal of joy to the atmosphere of the architecture," said Saik.

Upstairs is a more domestic area for accommodating guests

The interior fittings and finishes were mostly done with the help of local contractors, carpenters and fabricators, including the cabinetry, interior and exterior plaster walls, and custom steel windows, doors and rolling gates.

Emeco was stablished in 1944, the same year it created its well-known 1006 Navy Chair, intended for US Navy submarines and made from salvaged aluminium. It is still in production today.

The house is intended to be more of a "conversation place" than a commercial space

The brand's recent products include the On and On chair, an endlessly recyclable plastic chair by Barber and Osgerby.

The company is also in the process of building a zero-energy factory in California, which will use solar energy to power its mechanical systems, appliances and heating.

The photography is byMartin Tessler.

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#all #architecture #residential #losangeles #california #usa #emeco #adaptivereuse #californianhouses #venicebeach

Mid-century Phoenix home receives updates and expanded living space

This home at the foot of Camelback Mountain in Arizona has been thoroughly renovated by 180 Degrees Design + Build and CBTWO Architects with updated finishes and a new double-height living room.

Located in Phoenix, the Brandaw Residence was originally built in the 1960s, and in need of a refresh.

Local architects 180 Degrees Design + Build teamed up with Oregon-based CBTWO to update the home.

The Brandaw Residence sits at the foot of Arizona's Camelback Mountain

The team completely re-clad the exterior of the 4,930-square-foot (458-square-metre) home in a white stucco finish. They also took this opportunity to simplify its form, creating orthogonal corners and a consistent line at the parapet.

"Our goal was to focus less on the architecture, and allow the beauty of the site dictate the organisation of space, both horizontal and vertical," said the team. "From here it was an exercise in restraint and subtraction."

There is a dramatic fireplace in the living room

The residence is V-shaped in plan, with two wings that meet at a central living room.

This space was demolished and rebuilt completely, receiving a new pitched roof that directs the gaze upwards and towards the mountain behind the home.

Full-height glazing wraps the living space on two sides

"The design team, along with the owner, agreed to reorganise much of the interior uses to create a stronger relationship to its environment, allowing the interior spaces to capture the incredible dynamics of the surrounding mountains and distant views," the architects explained.

The entrance to the home is at the intersection of both wings, which now is highlighted by a yellow steel portal.

Private areas received a lighter touch during the renovation

"The steel portal, painted in vibrant yellow to mimic the yellow blooms of the desert plants, compresses as you enter the home," said the architects.

Immediately through the door is a dramatic fireplace that creates a separation from the entrance and the living room beyond.

[

Read:

Concrete home by HK Associates looks onto the Arizona desert

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Full-height glazing wraps this room on two sides, helping to connect the interior living spaces to the back yard, which was also overhauled as part of the renovation.

"The beauty of the architecture now becomes a canvas on which the desert environment and mountain can exist," said the architects.

The architects re-clad the Brandaw Residence in white stucco

The wings of the home contain four bedrooms and other private areas, with the primary bedroom enjoying its own wing for additional privacy.

These areas received a lighter touch but were still updated with new flooring, finishes, and simplified windows that give the residence a cohesive feel.

The entrance to the home is now highlighted by a yellow steel portal

Phoenix is among the fastest-growing US cities, resulting in many new-build and renovation projects.

Others to recently complete include a home with a "zen-like" quality and a board-marked concrete residence for a ceramicist.

The photography is byAn Pham.

---

Project credits:

Architecture firms: 180 Degrees Design + Build, CBTWO Architects

Design team: James Trahan

Structural engineer: Cartwright Architects & Engineers

Environmental & MEP engineering: Otterbein Engineering

Lighting: Woodward Engineering

Construction: 180 Degrees Design + Build

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#all #architecture #residential #instagram #arizona #usa #houses #renovations #americanhouses #midcenturyrenovations #phoenix

Erbar Mattes strips back and extends flats in former London pub

London studio Erbar Mattes has transformed a pair of apartments in a former pub in Hoxton into a duplex flat by adding a "monastic" grey-brown brick extension.

The old pub, called the Blockmakers Arms, is located in the Regent's Canal conservation area and dates back to the mid-19th century. It was converted into three flats in the 1970s.

Erbar Mattes has extended a pair of apartments in a former London pub

The owners of the ground floor flat sought extra space for their growing family and acquired the vacant first-floor dwelling with a view to creating a five-bedroom duplex.

Erbar Mattes' approach involved stripping away previous extensions that detracted from the pub's original structure and replacing an external staircase with an elevated walkway and brick loggia informed by monastery cloisters.

The extension incorporates a loggia

"One of the main challenges consisted of creating a larger dwelling while retaining separate access to the independent apartment on the top floor," explained the studio.

"To overcome this, the external circulation is relocated to the side elevation and a new raised walkway added to the rear."

The extension has transformed two flats into a duplex

"The loggia, with its solid brick piers, draws inspiration from monastic architecture, where cloisters form a sheltered transition space between inside and outside," Erbar Mattes continued.

Replacing redundant vehicular access, this new arrangement strengthens the building's relationship with a walled courtyard at the rear, which is now overlooked by the loggia and a new brick volume.

External circulation has been added to the side of the building

"The new rectilinear building volumes wrap around the side and rear elevations without detracting from the ornate front facade," said the studio.

Internally, the existing structure was reconfigured to better suit its expanded size, with plasterboard ceilings and finishes stripped back to restore the original ceiling heights and wooden panelling.

[

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Sam Jacob to convert former London pub into house and nursery

](https://www.dezeen.com/2016/04/19/sam-jacob-former-pub-conversion-house-nursery-hoxton-street-london-postmodern/)

A former function room on the first floor has been repurposed to create a large main bedroom, which has access to a roof terrace on the first floor above the original entrance to the pub.

The new volumes contain a staircase which overlooks the nearby trees through a large window, as well as two further bedrooms and a bathroom.

Original details of the pub have been restored internally. Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

During the project, Erbar Mattes was also commissioned to convert the interiors of the independent second-floor apartment, which involved a similar approach of stripping back recent additions to reveal the original interior features.

The internal staircase looks out over nearby trees. Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Erbar Mattes was founded in 2015 by Holger Mattes and Demian Erbar, who previously worked for David Chipperfield Architects.

The studio also recently extended an Edwardian house in London's Crouch End, where a bright living area built in pale brick overlooks a garden.

The photography is by Simon Menges unless stated. Ståle Eriksen

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#all #architecture #residential #instagram #london #apartments #uk #england #bricks #extensions #residentialextensions #londonhouses #londonhouseextensions

Ten homes with decorative parquet wooden flooring

Our latest lookbook highlights 10 homes with decorative parquet flooring including a Victorian terraced home and 1930s apartment feature in Portugal.

Parquet flooring is a traditional style of hardwood flooring, that is used to create decorative and mosaic-like patterns in homes and interior settings.

The decorative hardwood flooring is made from short wooden battens that are slotted and placed together in often intricate, geometric and mosaic arrangements.

Parquet flooring rose in popularity during the 1600s as it became a favoured option with European aristocracy, offering an alternative to decorative marble floors that required less maintenance.

It can be installed in a number of different patterns including, herringbone, Versailles, chevron and chantilly.

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing cavernous interiors, bright-white kitchens and self-designed homes by architects and designers.

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1930s apartment, Portugal, by Aboim Inglez Arquitectos

Portuguese studio Aboim Inglez Arquitectos incorporated parquet flooring, stone surfaces and a bright sunroom in its update to a 1930s apartment in Lisbon (above and top).

Hardwood, parquet flooring uncovered during the renovation was restored across the home. The floor is comprised of blocks of different tones which are arranged to create a checkerboard-style pattern that is framed by strips of light wood.

Find out more about the 1930s apartment ›

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Apartment Basta, Russia, by Blockstudio

A mixture of different textures, materials and time periods were all combined within this Moscow apartment by Blockstudio, which aimed to recreate the look of a Parisian apartment.

To create a lived-in feel within the new-build structure, reclaimed-oak parquet flooring sourced from Italy was used throughout the living and dining room.

Find out more about Apartment Basta ›

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Charred House, UK, by Rider Stirland Architects

Rider Stirland Architects remodelled this Victorian terraced home in south London and added an extension clad in blackened wood to the rear.

To juxtapose with the extension's charred exterior, materials were chosen to provide the interior with warmth. Parquet flooring stretches across the home and was paired with bespoke joinery.

Find out more about Charred House ›

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Leith apartment, UK, by Luke McClelland

Scottish architect Luke McCellard renovated the interior of this Georgian apartment in Edinburgh, creating a bright, light and contemporary home for a formerly dark space.

McClelland blanketed the floors of the 19th-century apartment in warm oak parquet flooring which was arranged in a herringbone pattern. The wood complements the stark white walls throughout the property.

Find out more about Leith apartment ›

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Victorian terraced house, UK, by Matthew Giles Architects

This Victorian terraced home in Wandsworth, London, was updated and extended by Matthew Giles Architects.

On the ground floor, parquet flooring in a herringbone pattern was designed to draw the eye from the entrance through to the garden at the rear beyond the newly added dropped-level kitchen diner.

Find out more about the Victorian terraced house ›

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Hatfield House, UK, by Archmongers

Located on the iconic Golden Lane Estate in London, local studio Archmongers renovated the duplex flat using bold colours that aimed to complement the home's modernist look.

The studio uncovered parquet flooring which was restored and made a focal feature of the home.

Find out more about Hatfield House ›

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Portland Residence, Canada, by Atelier Barda

Black furniture and fixtures sit on top of the chevron-patterned oak parquet flooring in this Montreal home by Canadian architecture studio Atelier Barda.

The studio added a rear extension to the existing stone house and reconfigured the floor plan to create open-plan living areas and a better flow between spaces. The home's original rounded walls and mouldings were preserved and highlighted by the oak flooring beneath.

Find out more about Portland Residence ›

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Dutch townhouse, The Netherlands, by Antonia Reif

This early 20th-century townhouse in The Hague was renovated by Dutch architect Antonia Reif. The home was previously divided into two apartments which the architect reversed to reconnect the building's four floors.

Reif fitted the interior with herringbone-patterned oak flooring to create continuity between the home's different spaces.

Find out more about Dutch townhouse ›

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Apartment Vilnius, Lithuania, by Kristina Lastauskaitė-Pundė

Original features at this apartment in Vilnius were spotlighted and paired with grey-painted joinery and brass accents.

The overhaul was completed by interior designer Kristina Lastauskaitė-Pundė who wanted to give the home a contemporary update that still spotlighted its historic and original features. Muted chevron flooring spans the interior of the apartment to visually connect its different rooms.

Find out more about Apartment Vilnius ›

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1970s apartment, Portugal, by Aurora Arquitectos

Wooden panelling lines the walls and ceiling of areas of this apartment in Lisbon which was refurbished by Aurora Arquitectos.

The home was defined by its use of wood seen through its vast pale herringbone-patterned parquet flooring and blonde panelling that frames skylights across the ceiling. Wood and marble were arranged in a herringbone pattern to define the apartment's different zones and spaces.

Find out more about the 1970s apartment ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasingcavernous interiors, bright-white kitchens, and self-designed homes by architects and designers.

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#all #interiors #residential #lookbooks #instagram #wood #parquet #roundups #flooring

CLB Architects arranges Japan-influenced Wyoming home around courtyard gardens

US firm CLB Architects has blended Japanese and mid-century Californian architecture styles for this house in Jackson, Wyoming, which is broken up by a trio of courtyards.

The Tengoku Residence is located in the ski resort town of Jackson, at the base of the Teton Range of the Rocky Mountains. It is situated next to a small marshy artificial pond in a grove of blue spruce.

CLB Architects designed a Japanese-influenced home in Wyoming

Locally based CLB Architects noted that the design — influenced by both Japanese architecture and California modernism – is a departure from the mountain modernism typical of vacation homes built in the region.

The four-bedroom home is arranged around a number of garden courtyards that extend through the roof, letting trees grow up and out through round apertures. The entry and dining courtyards are planted with aspens, while the the main courtyard has an Amur maple.

The Tengoku Residence is arranged around three courtyards

"There's a strong contrast between the quiet, protected courtyard spaces and the long, dramatic views of the Tetons," said Kevin Burke, design principal for the project. "Weaving the house in and out of these courtyards while maintaining consistent long views makes for a dynamic experience throughout."

Tengoku was chosen as the project's name for it loose translation to "paradise" or "heaven", alluding to the courtyards and the open views of the misty peaks from inside the glazed living areas.

One of the courtyards was placed at the entrance

The facade of the home is simple and linear. It sits low against a small eastern rise covered in desert shrubs. A chimney of structural concrete rises with the change in the elevation of the roof.

Two different heights of the rock-covered roof give the home visual depth, while deep overhangs shelter a seating area and garden plots on the west side.

The Teton Range can be seen through glass walls

Facing the mountains, the west side has walls of uninterrupted glass, while the east side — where there is an entryway and garage — is more closed, with vertical planks of western red cedar.

"The courtyards allow you to always have a direct visual connection with nature," said Burke. "As one moves through the home from one space to the next, there's always the ability to connect with the outdoor environment."

An office overlooks the small pond on the property

The rich red cedar is also used in the walls of the courtyards, which have shaped to create interesting light patterns as the sun moves across the home.

"I love the curvilinear openings over the courtyards, which we nicknamed 'the guitar picks'," Burke said. "It was a chance to have a little bit of fun and whimsy, while also connecting to a mid-century modern feel."

[

Read:

Seven "Japandi" interiors that blend Japanese and Scandinavian design

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The living spaces snake around the three internal courtyards in an "S" shape.

"Each resulting zone of the house feels like a small pavilion, with access to natural daylight and ventilation on multiple sides to encourage passive ventilation," said the studio.

The double-sided fireplace faces towards the kitchen and den

To compensate for the region's wide temperature swings, the home's clerestory windows are operable for airflow in the summer and are triple-paned for heat retention during the frigid Wyoming winters.

The living room, dining room, and kitchen are located in the central, double-height part of the building.

White cabinetry sits below operable clerestory windows

Light oak flooring and white cabinetry in this space were chosen to keep "focus on the landscape outside".

Slabs of Caracas blue limestone line the double-sided fireplace that faces the living room and a den.

The Tengoku Residence has two different roof heights

A piece of amethyst placed beside the south-facing entrance window illuminates the adjacent space with decorative purple light.

The wings of the house contain the bedrooms as well as an office space, which has a full view of the mountains.

Thick glass panes keeps the home warm during harsh Wyoming winters

Other projects designed by CLB Architects in and around Jackson include a home with five different agrarian-influenced structures and a massive timber public art installation meant to function as a gathering place.

The summer photography is byJohn Ellis. Winter photography is by Matthew Millman.

---

Project credits:

CLB Architects team: Kevin Burke, Eric Logan, Bryan James, Leo Naegele, Jen Mei, Cynthia Tibbitts.

General contractor: Two Ocean Builders (general contractor)

Structural engineer: KLA

Mechanical engineer: Energy One

Landscape architecture: Agrostis

Lighting designer: Helius Lighting Group

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#all #architecture #residential #instagram #courtyards #houses #americanhouses #wyoming #clbarchitects #jackson #us

Ten houses that celebrate their sand dune surroundings

A faceted seafront dwelling in England and a residence on the sandy shores of Argentina feature in this roundup of houses that are surrounded by coastal dune landscapes.

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Photo is by Filip Dujardin

*Dune House, the Netherlands, by Marc Koehler Architects

*

Sunken into a sandy plot on the coast of Terschelling island, this cabin has a crystalline form designed to deflect strong sea breezes around it.

It was clad in strips of silvering red cedar, chosen to complement the textures and colours of the dune landscape.

Find out more about Dune House ›

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Photo is by Chris Wright

*Dune House, UK, by Jarmund/Vigsnæs Architects and Mole Architects

*

A faceted roof clad with dark-stained timber crowns Dune House, which Jarmund/Vigsnæs Architects and Mole Architects designed on the seafront in Suffolk.

Created as part of Alain de Botton's Living Architecture series, it has an open-plan ground floor surrounded entirely by glass, framing views out to the surrounding grass-covered dunes.

Find out more about Dune House ›

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*Amagansett Dunes House, USA, by Bates Masi Architects

*

This house was positioned on sand dunes on Long Island's south shore and oriented toward the prevailing winds to help keep it cool.

Paying homage to its beachside setting, the western facade was shielded by louvres that are made from strips of sailcloth. These louvres allow breezes to pass through while blocking direct sunlight.

Find out more about Amagansett Dunes House ›

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Photo is by Daniela Mac Adden

*House in the Dune, Argentina, by Luciano Kruk

*

Tactile board-marked concrete encloses this holiday home, which Luciano Kruk designed to fit the uneven topography of a sand dune in a coastal town near Buenos Aires.

Social spaces occupy most of the building's floor plan and are bracketed by large windows that frame the coastal setting and pine trees at the rear of the residence.

Find out more about House in the Dune ›

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Photo is by Richard Chivers

*Seabreeze, UK, by RX Architects

*

Seabreeze is a pink-coloured house located on Camber Sands beach in England. It was designed by RX Architects to withstand high winds, moving sand and salt air at the site.

To prevent the collection of sand, the windows are flush-mounted into the exterior that has been sealed with a microfibre concrete coloured with pink pigment.

Find out more about Seabreeze ›

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Photo is by Juozas Kamenskas

*Dune House, Latvia, by Archispektras

*

Archispektras topped this dwelling with a large, angular thatched roof that was designed to echo surrounding grassy dune landscape of Latvia's Pape Nature Reserve.

The roof was broken up by a band of glazing that wraps around the dwelling, providing the owners with views out towards the sea from the home's pale pine wood interior.

Find out more about Dune House ›

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Photo is by Daniela Mac Adden

Casa MR, Argentina, by Luciano Kruk

A peak of a sand dune provides support for the upper storey of Casa MR, a contemporary holiday home located on a stretch of the Costa Esmeralda coastline.

The dwelling is divided into two intersecting cuboids that are unified by their concrete and timber-clad exteriors designed by Luciano Kruk to retain the natural slope of the sandy site.

Find out more about Casa MR ›

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Photo is by Christian van der Kooy

*Villa Meijendel, the Netherlands, by VVKH Architecten

*

Villa Meijendel is a boxy geometric house created by VVKH Architecten for a sandy site in a Dutch nature reserve, set between a forest and a valley of dunes.

The stepped roofline was intended to mirror the irregular shapes of the dunes, helping the building to establish a dialogue with its surroundings.

Find out more about Villa Meijendel ›

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Photo is by MWA Hart Nibbrig

*House in the Dunes, the Netherlands, by Unknown Architects

*

Unknown Architects disguised this house in Terschelling as a single-storey cabin by sinking it into the surrounding grass-covered dunes.

The dwelling is topped by a steep, asymmetric pitched roof that was clad with Accoya wood planks. As they slowly turn grey over time, this will help the house blend in with the landscape.

Find out more about House in the Dunes ›

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Photo is by Jane Messinger

House of Shifting Sands, USA, by Ruhl Walker Architects

Ruhl Walker Architects raised the House of Shifting Sands above this sandy waterfront site in Cape Cod to reduce the impact on its ecosystem.

The home comprises a series of overlapping, cantilevered volumes that are orientated to maximise views of the coast and surrounded by drought-resistant plants.

Find out more about House of Shifting Sands ›

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#all #architecture #residential #houses #roundups

Plan:b Arquitectos creates brick vacation home in Colombian tropical forest

Brothers Felipe and Federico Mesa of Plan:b Arquitectos have designed a brick and perforated concrete holiday home for their families in the rural town of La Siria, Colombia.

House in La Siria, which sits on a narrow patch of land abutting the tropical forest and mountains around 120 kilometres south west of Medellin, was designed to be as compact as possible while using local material and building techniques.

Brothers Felipe and Federico Mesa designed House in La Siria for their families

"We wanted to have an affordable house, flexible, built with local materials, but also with permeable spaces to take advantage of the tropical weather," said Felipe Mesa of Plan:b Arquitectos.

Permeability was achieved by opening up the back of the home with a double-volume area, a courtyard in the middle of the home, and using perforated concrete blocks to let in air.

It is set in the tropical jungle on a narrow lot

"We can have air currents crossing the building all the time," said Mesa.

"The blocks have this circular perforation. In some cases we cover the holes with circular glasses. But the majority are open."

The double-height living room is permanently opened

The main living space, which opens onto a terrace containing a pool, has an angled roof that rises to create a double-height space topped with perforated blocks to let in air and light.

This area contains the dining room and living room with the kitchen set into its rear wall.

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A central courtyard separates this living space from the three enclosed bedrooms that are also topped with a sloped roof.

While the living area was designed to be permanently open, the kitchen can be closed off with a sliding wooden door and access to the courtyard and bedrooms sealed.

The main entrance leads into the courtyard

Alongside the garden courtyard are two further bathrooms and another bedroom.

"This sequence allows the house to function extroverted and open to the landscape, or introverted and focused on the courtyard," said Plan:b, who also noted that one aim of the layout was that the house never cast shadows on the swimming pool.

The bedrooms are accessed from the courtyard

The home combines natural and more industrial materials. Its roof was made from local wood that is exposed throughout the interiors.

Steel beams support the mouth of the living area, and a "rusted steel" pergola protrudes towards the pool.

Concrete window frames jut out from long rectangular windows on both walls.

In the living area, the kitchen is accessible through a sliding wooden wall

"The house has an appearance halfway between traditional housing construction and a small industrial building," added the Colombian architecture studio.

Alongside the holiday home, the pool area sits on a platform to deal with the incline, and from one edge of this patio handrails were placed to create a viewing station.

Steel beams and the pergola mark the transition to the outdoor space

Felipe Mesa is an assistant professor at the Design School at Arizona State University where he recently oversaw students designing a covered outdoor classroom.

Other projects that include brick and perforations are a home in Vietnam with a triple-heigh atrium and this Bangladeshi mosque by Marina Tabassum.

The photography is byAlejandro Arango.

---

Project credits:

Architects: Felipe Mesa, Federico Mesa

Project Manager: Cristian Camacho, Verónica Mesa

Work team: Laura Kate Correa, Sebastián González, Leyre

Vicente

Structural Design: Plexus – Ingeniería Integral

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#all #architecture #residential #bricks #holidayhomes #perforations #colombia #planbarquitectos

Gluck+ covers Hollywood Hills home with an angular roof

A faceted roof on slender columns tops this home by Gluck+ in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills neighbourhood, covering the residence "like a parasol".

Simply named California House, the single-family residence was completed by New York City firm Gluck+ on a "spectacular" steep site overlooking LA.

An angular roof on slender columns tops California House

From the property, residents enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the Hollywood Sign landmark.

"Building on this site, long considered unbuildable, presented two challenges," said Gluck+. "First, to minimise the impact of the house on the landscape and second, to create sufficient flat area to be comfortable for outdoor activities."

The project was designed for a family

The team resolved this by creating a strong separation between the upper and lower levels of the home. Burying the lower floor into the steep hillside created a plinth on which the top floor could be built.

Since the upper level's footprint is smaller than the storey beneath, it is surrounded by a flat exterior space surrounding on all sides.

Bedrooms are located on the lower level

"The lower floor is carved into the hill and with its expanse of green roof, it creates a strong ground-plane, or bench, in the steeply sloping land," the architects explained. "This section, though large, is meant to be essentially invisible."

Gluck+ included four bedrooms, six bathrooms, home offices, a theatre, and most of the private spaces on the lower level.

A home cinema is also located downstairs

The top floor contains areas for cooking, entertaining, and gathering as a family. This airy space is glazed on all sides and has tall, angled ceilings that follow the outline of the sculptural roof.

"Everything here is configured to maintain the simplicity and openness of the space," said Gluck+. "Kitchen and spatial divisions never touch the ceiling so that it seems to float above on independent steel supports."

[

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The roof sits on slender steel columns, and offers plenty of shade both within the home and for the surrounding exterior spaces.

"Like a vast parasol, the roof of the house is a rectangle with upturned edges that extend well beyond the footprint of the rectangular pavilion," said team.

Neutral interiors feature inside California House

Building so much of the 7,500-square-foot (696-square-metre) home underground helped Gluck+ meet California's Title 24 Energy Code, which sets some of the strictest efficiency standards in the US.

Among the building's other sustainable features are geothermal heating and cooling, as well as solar panels on the roof that are hidden in the upturned surfaces. According to the architects, these produce more energy than the home consumes.

It has expansive views of the Hollywood Hills

Gluck+ is an architecture and construction firm that was formerly known as Peter Gluck and Partners Architects.

Other projects by the studio include a laboratory and research centre in North Carolina that is meant to withstand harsh coastal weather, and an artist's residence in Upstate New York made up of wooden volumes connected by glass walkways.

The photography is byPaul Vu.

---

Project credits:

Gluck+ team: Austin Anderson, Ross Galloway, Thomas Gluck, Matthew Harmon, Narin Hagopian, Gonzalo Moran

Civil and structural engineer: Peck

Geotechnical engineer: Schick Geotechnical

Mechanical engineer: IBC Engineering Services, Inc. CES Engineering

Lighting design: Lux Populi

Interior design: Insight Environmental Design

Landscape design: Hoerr Schaudt

Expeditor: Kimberlina Whettam and Associates

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#all #architecture #residential #losangeles #california #usa #houses #greenroofs #americanhouses #gluck #whitehouses #californianhouses

Manuel Cervantes Estudio embeds Hill House into a slope in Mexico

Architecture firm Manuel Cervantes Estudio has used concrete, wood and rugged stone to build a dwelling in central Mexico that is partly sunken into the ground.

The Hill House project is located in the rural town of Salazar, about an hour's drive from Mexico City. The vacation dwelling is nestled into a wooded site that slopes down toward a ravine.

Top: the northern section of Hill House is partly buried below ground. Above: the southern end opens up as a viewing platform

While designing the project, Mexico City's Manuel Cervantes Estudio sought to capitalise on views and to orient the home in a way that protects against cold weather.

The team conceived a series of flat-roofed, rectilinear volumes that are interspersed with terraces and walkways.

Manuel Cervantes Estudio built the house from concrete, wood and weathered stone

To the north, the house is partly buried below grade. On the south side, however, it opens toward the landscape and acts as a viewing platform.

Wood, metal and concrete were used to form the building, and weathered stone clads several walls.

The building has flat roofs and large expanses of glass

The southern elevation features large expanses of glass, which are shaded by roof eaves and large, blocky pieces of timber.

Inside, there is a fluid layout and a strong connection to the natural terrain.

"Views are provided to the forest surrounding the house from all living spaces," the team said.

[

Read:

Manuel Cervantes builds his own home and studio on a Mexican hillside

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The south-facing volume encompasses a living room, dining area and covered swimming pool, along with a painting studio and main bedroom suite.

A wing to the west holds four bedrooms, while a two-level volume to the east contains the kitchen and service quarters.

Terraces and walkways wrap around the rectangular volumes

Throughout the dwelling, the team used earthy materials and colours that tie the building to the natural environment. Interior elements include timber beams and exposed concrete surfaces.

Beyond the house, a series of stone retaining walls help capture rainwater.

Manuel Cervantes Estudio has completed a number of homes in Mexico, including a dwelling in Amatepec that features enclosed gardens and white-brick walls, and a secluded stone-clad residence in the Valle de Bravo region.

The photography is byRafael Gamo.

---

Project credits:

Architect: Manuel Cervantes Céspedes

Design team: José Luis Heredia, Israel Caballero, Facundo Savid, Emilio Alvarez Abouchard

Structural engineer: Grupo SAI, Gerson Huerta García

Electrical and plumbing engineer: IESH, Samuel Nischli

Interior design: Habitación 116

Landscape architect: Entorno, Taller de paisaje

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#all #architecture #residential #houses #mexico #mexicanhouses #manuelcervantesestudio

Robert Adam designs neoclassical country house as "UK's largest new home for over a hundred years"

Architect Robert Adam has designed an 11-bedroom neoclassical house for an estate in the Cotswolds near the village of Chipping Norton, UK.

Named St John's House, the 6,692-square-metre home has been drafted for a 60-acre site that is currently being sold by Sotheby's International Realty.

If realised, the house designed by Adam, who was recently a director of British studio Adam Architecture, would become one of the largest new country homes in the UK.

"This would make it not only the largest new home to be built in the UK for over a hundred years, but also the only one built from the ground up," explained Guy Bradshaw, managing director of Sotheby's International Realty.

Robert Adam has designed a neoclassical country house in Oxfordshire

The home in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was designed by Adam as a modern take on a traditional English country house.

"It is a classical country house, but one that moves the classical tradition forward," Adam told Dezeen.

"The house adds to the country house tradition. Traditions are not static, they move on to adapt to present needs while keeping a clear connection with the predecessors."

Its main block would be flanked by two wings

The home will have a central block with a classical portico in its centre, flanked by two wings extending forward.

Its three-storey main block stands above three semi-subterranean levels that would contain a gym, swimming pool and bowling alley, alongside a garage for 50 cars that is described as a car museum. A ballroom, which opens onto a terrace, would be placed on the lowest level.

The main block would contain a living room and dining room on the ground floor, nine ensuite bedrooms on the level above and two principal suites on the top storey.

It would have a classical portico

While the house has many typical classical elements, it was not informed by any particular English country home and was designed to contain a number of modern details.

"Other than the fact that all country houses have certain key features – significant entrance, garden facade with outlook, carefully composed approach, main house and ancillary buildings, there is no specific country house from which this design is derived," Adam explained.

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"It is both classical and modern, this is really the point, these are not incompatible," Adam continued.

"It is part of the tradition but, sometimes in quite subtle ways, moves it on a notch. You don't need to be odd to be modern."

It would be built on a large estate in the Cotswolds

According to Sotheby's International Realty, the planning permission for the home is the result of a "24-year journey". A previous modernist scheme designed for the site by architect Adrian James was granted planning permission in 2004 but not built.

Other recent British country houses featured on Dezeen include a stone residence in a river valley in Hampshire by Niall McLaughlin Architects and a secluded dwelling in Kent that is topped by chimney-like roofs.

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Neil Dusheiko transforms London fashion showroom into light-filled home

Architect Neil Dusheiko has converted a showroom in west London into a bright, contemporary residence designed to meet the changing needs of its elderly owners.

Nicknamed Danish Mews House for its minimalist Scandinavian furnishings, the home is tucked away in a quiet mews lane in the Lancaster Gate area.

The mews house was once a showroom for the owner's fashion company

Although in recent years the current owners repurposed the building as a showroom and warehouse for their clothing company, it was originally built as a Georgian coach house for storing horse-drawn carriages.

Dusheiko's primary concerns when converting the property into a home were bringing in more light, as well as making sure that the interior could support its inhabitants as they grow older.

The main kitchen and sitting room are on the first floor

For this purpose, the house was fitted with a guest bedroom, kitchenette and toilet on the ground floor, which could ultimately be used by the inhabitants themselves in case their mobility becomes restricted.

A lift was installed to provide easy access to the upper floors of the house, which can also be reached via a central staircase.

Glazing in the stairwell brings light into the living spaces

In the stairwell, a newly installed skylight and a wall of gridded glazing on the first-floor landing allow sunlight to seep into the interior.

Behind the glass partition lies a sitting room and a kitchen with oatmeal-coloured cabinetry as well as a small dining area.

Light leaks in from a skylight at the top of the stairwell. Photo by Rachael Smith

Both here and throughout the rest of the home, several of the furnishings were sourced from well-known Danish design brands including Carl Hansen, Louis Poulsen and Montana.

The second floor is illuminated by six new dormer windows and accommodates another two bedrooms plus their respective en-suite bathrooms.

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The principal bedroom is largely clad in wood, save for a section on the rear wall that is finished in chintzy floral wallpaper.

Glazed doors with black metal frames run along one side of the room and can be slid open to access a sun terrace lined in Douglas fir battens.

Floral wallpaper features in the principal bedroom. Photo by Rachael Smith

The space is decorated with a couple of folding director's chairs and a built-in white-brick planter.

Danish Mews House is one of several residential projects that Neil Dusheiko has completed in London.

The room also has its own sun terrace. Photo by Rachael Smith

Previously, the architect created a home for his father-in-law in Stoke Newington, in which a striking wall of shelving is used to display ceramics and glassware.

Dusheiko also overhauled a home in Hammersmith, introducing a curved brick extension and a cinema room.

The photography is byStåle Eriksen unless stated otherwise.

---

Project credits:

Architect: Neil Dusheiko Architects

Structural engineer: Price and Myers

Contractor: ABC Limited

Quantity surveyor: White and Lloyd

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Disney plans resort-like residential community with a "special brand of magic"

Entertainment and media giant Disney has announced plans to start building mixed-use residential communities in the USA.

The Walt Disney Company revealed plans for its first Storyliving residential development in California's Coachella Valley, where the brand's late founder Walt Disney owned a home.

Cotino will feature a thriving town centre

Named Cotino, the residential complex will include 1,900 housing units, which will be designed in a resort-like, small-town style that will take cues from Disney's famed theme parks.

According to the company, Cotino's homes will vary from standalone family homes to estates and condominiums and will be arranged around a 24-acre central lake described as a "grand oasis".

The residential complex will be arranged around a "grand oasis"

As well as providing expansive residential areas, Cotino will have a town centre with a range of shopping, dining and other entertainment experiences.

All the facilities will be staffed by Disney cast members – the theatrical term for Disney theme park employees that was originally coined by Walt Disney.

A members' clubhouse will feature in the community

Experiences at Cotino will include programmes centred on wellness, cookery, educational seminars and various live performances.

A professionally-managed beach park attached to the lake will provide recreational water activities to the public through the purchase of a day pass, while there is also plans to build a beachfront hotel.

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The project will be developed by Arizona-based DMB Development in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative arm of The Walt Disney Company that is responsible for the construction of its theme parks worldwide.

Disney described Storyliving as "vibrant new neighbourhoods that [will be] infused with the company's special brand of magic."

Cotino's clubhouse will be positioned on the water

Cotino is named after continus coggygria, the name for the European smoke tree plant that references Smoke Tree Ranch, where Walt Disney had a house in nearby Palm Springs.

While most of the development will be open to homeowners of all ages, it will feature a section reserved specifically for residents over the age of 55.

Disney is also develeoping a number of other Storyliving developments in other parts of the US. Spanning entertainment, theme parks and other consumer products, The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Burbank, California.

Architecture studio SOM recently designed the company's New York City base. Interior designer Kelly Hoppen previously reimagined Disney's iconic Mickey Mouse character in black, taupe and gold for a "grown-up" audience.

The renderings and video are courtesy of Disney.

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Kompas completes tile-clad house and gallery for art collector in Japan

Architecture studio Kompas has completed a house and art gallery in Chiba, Japan, featuring a sawtooth roof and a facade clad in black tiles that are angled to create louvred openings.

Named the Nishiji Project, the residence was designed by Kompas for a real estate developer and art collector who wanted a family home that could double as his company's offices and a gallery.

Kompas has created a house and art gallery called the Nishiji Project

The site in Chiba's historic Nishifunabashi neighbourhood was owned by the client's parents and already contained their home, alongside several old warehouses and a parking area.

Kompas positioned the new building at the opposite end of the site from the existing house and orientated the plan so the living areas look onto a quiet central garden.

It is clad in black tiles

"Our first approach was to organise the entire site so that the two families' lives and the workspaces coexist comfortably, arranging site circulation and developing a sloped garden moderating the level differences between the two buildings," said Kompas.

The Nishiji Project contains garages at the centre of its ground floor, while the galleries and offices are arranged vertically across three storeys on the south side facing the main road.

The building features a sawtooth roof

The client was keen for the building to engage with the neighbourhood, so the prominent southern elevation features a public entrance that invites visitors to enter from the adjacent street.

Traditional Japanese kawara tiles clad most of the exterior and were chosen to recall an old warehouse that had occupied the site since the owner's grandparents' generation.

Its tile-clad elevations rest on a monolithic concrete base

A special version of the tiles called Kuroibushi kawara, which are blackened to resist salt damage, was used to cover the upper portion of the facades.

Most of the tiles are laid in a typical overlapping pattern, but in places where light and views are required, they are rotated outwards to form louvred openings.

There is an outdoor terrace at the centre of the building

The tile-clad elevations rest on a monolithic concrete base and extend up to the sawtooth roof, which allows consistent northern light to flood into the gallery and living spaces.

Behind the three-storey elevation facing the street, the building steps down towards the north to follow the local building code and create spaces with a more residential scale.

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The pitch and height of the sawtooth roofs vary depending on the usage and daylight requirements of the internal spaces below.

The three uppermost windows flood the large gallery with natural light, while a bedroom and the main living space below feature openings that look out towards the garden.

The dwelling is positioned at the back of a plot owned by the client's parents

An outdoor terrace at the centre of the building provides a shortcut between the living spaces and the offices. The sheltered first-floor terrace can be used as an additional exhibition space or as a play area for the children.

Several other interstitial spaces incorporated between the main rooms will allow the Nishiji Project to adapt over time, potentially providing additional galleries to house the owner's growing art collection.

The gallery is lit by the sawtooth roof. Photo is by Munemasa Takahashi

The arrangement of spaces over multiple levels and the creation of rooms with varying sizes and daylight conditions enhances the building's flexibility.

According to the architects, following Nishiji Project's completion, the owner made the decision to open the spaces to the public rather than using the building solely as a private gallery.

The private living spaces look out to the garden

"This new cluster with the kawara facade and the sawtooth roofs begins a new era in this historical site as a generous field to comfortably mix artworks, residents, and visitors," claimed Kompas.

"We hope this architecture to be the reliable base for art and culture appealing to the world, besides supporting joyful and abundant daily life like living in a museum."

The exhibition spaces are open to the public. Photo is by Munemasa Takahashi

Other homes featured on Dezeen that double as art galleries include Oeuf by Flat House in Tokyo and the Cambridge Residence in Massachusetts by Stern McCafferty Architects.

Elsewhere in Japan, Apollo Architects & Associates designed the Fleuve house for a client who wanted to combine their home with a small salon space from which to operate his business.

The photography is byVincent Hecht unless stated.

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