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Broombank house by Soup Architects planned as "two white sugar cubes" floating over a meadow

The wild rural landscape extends up over the roof of this riverside house in Suffolk, England, which was designed by British firm Soup Architects with walls built from handmade bricks (+ movie).

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

Named Broombank, the house by Soup Architects is accessed by a long, narrow lane and set into a marshy bank of the River Alde in Suffolk, with broad views that unfold from the entrance.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

“The client wanted the house to have a bold, almost urban entrance that gave little away of the landscape beyond,” architect Patrick Walls told Dezeen.



“That view is kept and created by the front entrance. Upon entrance, you move through to the main living space, which then opens out to the wide landscape,” he said.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

The two-storey house, which replaces a poorly extended home on the site, was designed for a woman with two children, who shares the property with her partner.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

“She splits her time between London and Suffolk, and has done so for the last 15 to 20 years, so the main aim of the project was to consider the next major phase in life as the family grows,” explained Walls.

“The brief was to create a more substantial, flexible house in Aldeburgh to spend a greater amount of time with family and friends.”

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

The lower level is clad in handmade bricks, made by Danish company Petersen. The sedum roof slopes down to meet the landscape, helping to ground the building into the surrounding marshland.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

“We settled quickly on the idea that the ground floor would sit into the banks of the sloped site, and that the more compact first floor would sit on top like two white sugar cubes,” said Walls.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

Inside, an oak-lined entrance hall conceals storage and features a corner of glazing that wraps up the front of the house and over the ceiling to bring natural light into the centre of the plan.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

This space leads through to a large open-plan kitchen and dining space, with a living room at the side. Glass sliding doors stretch the width of this space and open on to a terrace, which is partially sheltered by a section of the floor above.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

A restrained palette of materials was used in the living space, including a concrete floor that was colour-matched as closely as possible with the exterior bricks.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

“From the outset we always knew that the greenery, the tall grasses and the sky would be very important elements within the space, and so to counter that we have tried to create a very cool and very calm interior space that’s quite neutral,” said Walls.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

A yellow kitchen island was added to enliven the living rooms. “We wanted it to work as a focal point within the loose living space – an anchor between the landscape and the calm interior palette,” said Walls.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

A sliding oak wall allows the occupants to close the living space off from the entrance hall, which also has three bedrooms and two bathrooms arranged around it.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

A white powder-coated steel staircase leads upstairs. Glass balustrades are fixed into the bottom of the stairs, which avoided the need for a handrail at the top.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

The top floor has a master bedroom and bathroom on one side of the stairwell, and a snug on the other side, which serves as an alternative living space and opens onto a terrace, offering more expansive views of the river and marshland.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

The snug also doubles as a guest bedroom when required, and features an internal balcony overlooking the entrance hall to improve connections between the two floors.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

At the back, a long pool has been lined with black tiles so that it appears deeper and creates reflections of the sky on the surface.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

“The pool was included within the brief at the outset and this allowed us to consider it as an integral part of the house and landscape,” said Walls. “Its position against the sloped bank works well in drawing the eye out towards the view.”

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

Solar water panels on the roof provide hot water for the house, and the sedum roof helps to insulate it. The concrete flooring also helps to create even temperatures year-round by naturally soaking up heat and releasing it as temperatures drop, while a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system further minimises the need for additional heating.

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects

Photography is by Andy Matthews. Video is by Jim Stephenson and Edward Bishop with Andy Matthews.


Project credits

Architects: Soup Architects
Structural engineer: BTA Structural Design
Quantity surveyor: Baillie Knowles Partnership
Landscape design: Christine Hatt
Building contractor: Robert Norman Construction

Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects
Site plan – click for larger image
Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects
Ground floor plan – click for larger image
Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects
First floor plan – click for larger image
Broombank house in Suffolk by SOUP Architects
Section – click for larger image

The post Broombank house by Soup Architects planned as
“two white sugar cubes” floating over a meadow
appeared first on Dezeen.

ListenUp: Christopher Owens, The Gotobeds, Homeboy Sandman, Kilo Kish and a Cool Hunting #PrivateJam in the music we tweeted this week

ListenUp


Kilo Kish: Locket The imitable and charming Kilo Kish has returned with “Locket,” off her Kitsuné-released Across EP. In her trademark dreamy style, Kish offers a chilled out track—her vocals floating atop the slowed-down beat. To…

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Grzegorz Layer creates a menswear store inside a former sewing factory

A concrete staircase ascends to a mezzanine office at this menswear showroom inside a former sewing factory in the Polish city of Katowice, which was renovated by architect Grzegorz Layer (+ slideshow).

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

Grzegorz Layer renovated a two-storey space in the abandoned factory building to create a permanent showroom, sales office and workshop for mens accessories label Poszetka.



The building is located on a street that is home to other creative businesses and shops, including a boutique with stripped-back plaster walls that sells products by local designers.

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

“Good company helped to take up the challenge which proved to be the revitalisation of a sewing factory neglected for years, although its potential could be felt from the very beginning,” said owner Joanna Krajewska Godziek.

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

Having previously operated the business from home, with sales limited to an online store, Krajewska Godziek decided to move manufacturing and sales to the new premises.

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

The main space was previously divided into five smaller rooms but has been opened up to create a bright showroom with a shopfront at one end and large windows behind the sales point at the other, filling it with natural light.

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

An original mezzanine crossing this space has been converted into an office, which is reached by a simple concrete staircase supported by metal beams.

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

The textured wooden floorboards and beams on the underside of the mezzanine are left exposed and create a feature in the showroom below.

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

Original details including metal doors, hooks, clothes hangers and lamps were retained and used within the interior to create a link with the building’s history as a place of manufacturing.

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

A sales desk installed towards the rear of the ground floor space is also used as a work space where customers can see the products being created.

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

A doorway next to the sales point flanked by raw unpainted brick walls leads to a tailoring workshop containing storage for fabric and equipment for transforming it into ties, pocket squares, bow ties and scarves.

“The workplace is not isolated, it is a part of the sales area,” said Krajewska Godziek. “This allows the clients to have contact with the process of product development and to learn about the company from the inside.”

Old sewing factory renovation by Grzegorz Layer

Original brick walls have been whitewashed to provide a neutral backdrop for products displayed on vintage furniture and shelving.

Photography is by Dorota Zyguła-Siemieńska.

The post Grzegorz Layer creates a menswear
store inside a former sewing factory
appeared first on Dezeen.

Studio Makkink & Bey creates Blue Pottery using traditional Indian techniques

Dutch designers Studio Makkink & Bey collaborated with a family of craftspeople in northern India to develop a collection of Jaipur-clay ceramics (+ slideshow).

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

Studio Makkink & Bey worked with artisans in Jaipur to develop the collection, which was designed to celebrate the diversity of Indian craftsmanship.



“When we visited Jaipur for the first time we collected samples and met artisans, artists and craftsman,” the designers told Dezeen. “Our aim was to connect different qualities and learn from each other.”

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

Contrary to what the name implies, blue pottery is not necessarily one colour and can be decorated with blue, green and yellow dyes.

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

Studio Makkink & Bey’s collection of plates, bowls, cups and vessels are hand-painted with designs that reference Indian dancers portraying different characters with their hands, each with their own symbolism.

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

The dancing hands have been translated into hand-carved wooded spoons shaped as fingers to complement the cups.

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

Marble pieces are designed to fit as lids onto the cups and bowls, but can also be used separately as table mats or serving platters.

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

The designers formed the range from Jaipur clay, prepared by mixing quartz stone powder, powdered glass, Multani Mitti – a bleaching clay powder also known as Fuller’s Earth – borax, gum and water.

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

They worked with a family of craftspeople in the Jaipur area to learn the techniques and create the collection.

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

“We picked artisans who were interesting to us not only by their craft but also their way of doing business,” said the studio. “The family we work with lives in a small village very close to the city. This small place is committed to blue pottery.”

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

“It’s a quiet area where artisans have the opportunity to work very in a very concentrated way to create high quality hand work,” the designers added.

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

The Blue Pottery collection will be launched by Imperfect Design – which pairs Dutch designers with craftspeople in developing nations – during the Maison & Objet trade fair from 5 to 9 September in Paris.

Blue Pottery by Studio Makkink and Bey

The post Studio Makkink & Bey creates Blue Pottery
using traditional Indian techniques
appeared first on Dezeen.

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Sleeping Series

La photographe française Alice Lemarin nous propose avec Sleeping une série de clichés montrant des enfants s’endormant dans divers milieux urbains. L’environnement autour de ceux-ci peut ainsi s’apparenter à leur imagination et permet d’illustrer les rêves. A découvrir.

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Sleeping Series8
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Sleeping Series1

Perforated walls bring light into the heart of Gus Wüstemann's Los Limoneros house

This house in Spain by Swiss architect Gus Wüstemann features a largely windowless exterior, but an internal courtyard surrounded by perforated walls ensures that light permeates the building all year round (+ slideshow).

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

Named Los Limoneros, the house in located in Marbella. It is surrounded by private villas and bordered by a golf course, so Gus Wüstemann decided to enclose it behind austere three-metre-high walls, but also allow rooms to open out to the garden and pool.



Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

“Being in Andalucia in the south of Spain, the idea was to create a huge garden with big covered outside spaces, giving some shade when needed, where you could live outside day and night, all year long,” said Wüstemann.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

The two-storey house was designed as a second home for a family, who asked for a property where they could enjoy southern Spain’s warm climate in privacy. It replaces a non-descript house that previously sat on the site.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

“The house appears as a white and cubic sculpture, similar to the Moorish patio houses in Andalucia. Only the plants give a sign of the interior life,” said Wüstemann.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

The building was constructed with a strict 12-month schedule.

“From the beginning, the moving in date was set,” Wüstemann told Dezeen. “After the first brainstorm, we developed the house and it still looks like how it was presented the first time, which is amazing. The client trusted the architect.”

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

The ground floor is conceived as a garden with living spaces arranged around the periphery.

An open-plan living room, dining area and kitchen is at one end, and a pool and lawn are at the other end. A covered bar, lounge and patio are at the side, and an open-air courtyard is in the middle.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

The combined kitchen, dining and living area features 14-metre-wide openings on both sides with glass sliding doors, so the space can be closed off when necessary. The rest of the ground floor remains open all year round.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

“The occupants can choose to interact with the peripheral areas, from leisure and sport to reading and cooking, depending on the time of day, their mood, and how many people are in the house,” said Wüstemann.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

Water forms an integral part of the design. A pool folds around a corner of the lawn, while a pond wraps around a patio at the opposite corner, behind the main living space.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

“We used water as a meditative element with the quiet patio pond, where the owners can enjoy morning sun, and as an active, sporty element with the pool. Both elements are at the corners, and add a freshness to the home’s microclimate,” said Wüstemann.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

The upper level features more private spaces, with bedrooms and bathrooms around the periphery, and a circulation route around the centre, overlooking the courtyard below.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

A perforated wall brings light into the circulation areas, while maintaining a degree of privacy for the upper level.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

One end of the upper floor has a master suite, with a bedroom on one side, a bathroom on the other side, and a terrace in between.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

“The master bedroom, bathroom and patio can become one open space, so the owners can enjoy sleeping and bathing outside, without being seen,” said Wüstemann.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

The other end of the house features four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and terrace, which are separated by sliding doors.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

“The four bedrooms can be separated into single rooms with the sliding doors, or opened up and used as a loft space,” said Wüstemann.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

The home’s exterior is covered in white plaster to reflect the sun, and a white mineral-based concrete coating has been used for the flooring inside.

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann

Photography is by Bruno Helbling


Project credits

Architect: Gus Wüstemann Architects, Zurich – Barcelona
Project team: Silvia Pujalte, Joan Pau Fernandez, Jan Kubasiewicz, Mariana Marquez da Silva, Sandy Brunner
Engineer: Alicia Huguet, BAC  Barcelona
Building Company: ADP Empresa Costructora, Marbella

Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann
Ground floor plan – click for larger image
Los Limoneros by Gus Wustemann
First floor plan – click for larger image

The post Perforated walls bring light into the heart
of Gus Wüstemann’s Los Limoneros house
appeared first on Dezeen.