Hasta La Ideas

Clerestory and dormer windows that face a nearby river intersect with a copper-clad roof, which wraps around onto the front and rear facades of this house in the Dutch city of IJsselstein.

EVA Architecten, which is based in nearby Utrecht, designed Villa IJsselzig for a site on the banks of the Hollandse IJssel river that gives the city its name.

The property’s simple gabled form evokes the region’s traditional houses, while a monochrome material palette and crisply detailed form mark it out as a modern addition.

“The house refers to the neighbouring homes in the original ribbon development in terms of form but has a contemporary character with minimal details and rich colours,” said the architects.

The building uses materials in matching reddish-brown tones that are intended to lend it a consistent and homogenous aesthetic, as if the entire structure is carved from a single volume.

The facades are predominantly clad in a slimline red brick that introduces a traditional tone and texture. Windows with minimal modern frames are recessed into both gable ends.

The brick surfaces are juxtaposed against a roof formed of patinated copper panels fixed together with standing seams. The metal wraps over the off-centre ridge and extends down onto the top portion of the front and rear elevations.

The roof is intersected by dormer windows at the rear, which frame views towards the river. A row of clerestory windows at the front allow light to enter and prevent overlooking.

The entrance facade looks towards neighbouring properties and is therefore predominantly closed. A glazed entrance vestibule connects with a porch sheltered beneath an overhanging section of the roof.

In contrast, the more private rear facade incorporates large glazed surfaces that wrap around one corner and create a visual connection between the interior and the garden.

The interior developed in collaboration with fellow Dutch studio NEST features a timber core that incorporates functional elements including the staircase and storage.

The remaining space is largely open and flows through from the entrance to a double-height kitchen and dining area connected by a short set of steps to the living room.

The stairs lead to an upper storey with bedrooms situated towards the rear so they look out towards the river. Bathrooms and utility areas positioned to the front of the building are illuminated from above by the clerestory windows.

The introduction of skylights to supplement the high-level windows ensures plenty of daylight reaches the living areas, which are overlooked by a bridge that connects the bedrooms on either side of the upper floor.

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The 2019 Bentley Bentayga plug-in hybrid made its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show, showing off a smaller engine to fit the plug-in battery pack underneath its luxurious shell. The model, which is capable of up to 50km of electric-only range, uses an electric motor with a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine – the same set-up used in the Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid. The motor acts as both, an electric motor and a generator. Performance figures have not yet been revealed but a total output of 456hp is expected. With an at-home charger, a full charge should arrive in 2.5 hours, whereas a standard wall outlet will take 7.5 hours to fully juice up the SUV. A smartphone app lets Bentayga owners check the car’s charge status and search for nearby charging stations either on the route or in the immediate area. The app can also let you set the climate controls remotely…(Read…)

The latest from designer Hamid Bekradi, the Bang & Olufsen A3 Capsule was conceived to bridge the gap between the ultra-durable, rectangular A2 Beoplay Active and the circular Beoplay A1 speakers. This all-new model sports a power amplifier that reaches peak performance at 180w. Unlike the previous 2 models, however, its cylindrical shape delivers true 360° sound. Like the rest of the wireless B&O family, Bluetooth connectivity offers it convenient streaming from all your smart devices. Made from extruded aluminum with a rubberized plastic base and handsome leather handle, it’s sleekness is in line with the B&O design language yet rugged enough for you to enjoy your music indoors and out.

Designer: Hamid Bekradi

Austin Maynard Architects has completed a house in a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, featuring curved tubular-steel supports that prop up a first floor that faces out towards the ocean and the city’s skyline.

The Melbourne-based studio designed Greenacres as a family home perched on a steeply sloping site in Newcastle’s Merewether neighbourhood.

In their brief, the owners requested a house they could grow old in, and added that they would appreciate “a window with a view if possible.” The proposed design provides views from throughout the house and garden.

The awkward hillside site was previously occupied by a dilapidated house that could not be saved and was therefore demolished to make way for a new building designed to take advantage of its desirable location.

The architects designed the property as a series of tiered volumes that follow the terrain and offer a variety of views, without negatively impacting the neighbours.

The garage is positioned at the base of the property, with a set of metal mesh steps connecting to a path that leads up and around the side of the building towards a main entrance at the centre of the house.

The stairs and paths are lined with plants that also extend across the roof of the garage, ensuring that the view back down the hillside is dominated by greenery.

The garage is the first in a sequence of brick-clad volumes that step back up the hill. The second block contains the bedrooms and a bathroom, with dedicated entrances onto the garden.

The surfaces of the robust, monolithic structures are given a characterful and aged texture by the masonry, which incorporates colourful graffiti-covered bricks.

Resting on top of the brick base is a white-steel volume, which is extruded outwards to create a container for a main living space that culminates in a light and permeable balcony.

“Inspired by the macrobinoculars in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the white suspended living zone was designed to bring the views into focus, like a lens, framing the vista,” said the architects.

Full-height sliding doors connect the open-plan kitchen, dining area and lounge with the balcony, which features a slatted balustrade and battened ceiling that align to draw the eye towards the view.

Where the white box projects beyond the brick volume below, it is held up by three steel supports described by the studio as “giant steel paperclips”.

These minimal metal props enhance the lightweight feel of the structure and maintain views from the spaces below.

A corridor to the rear of the metal-clad box leads to the master bedroom, which occupies the other brick volumes and features a walk-in wardrobe, en-suite bathroom and private study.

The home’s bright and contemporary spaces respond directly to the brief, as does the inclusion of a lift connecting the garage with the levels above, which ensures the house will remain fully accessible as its owners age.

One of the studio’s founding partners, Andrew Maynard, previously renovated his Melbourne home to make it bright enough to improve his mental wellbeing, while the studio also used recycled bricks to build a house on top of a former garage in a Melbourne suburb.

Photography is by Tess Kelly.

Project credits:

Architects: Austin Maynard Architects
Builder: CHC Builders
Engineers: Lewis Engineering
Quantity surveyor: Plan Cost
Landscaping: Octopus Garden Design

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Mexican architecture firm Espacio 18 has made the most of a narrow site in Puebla, by incorporating a bright internal courtyard and a rooftop patio into a dark-rendered residence.

Casa Once spans 2,680 square feet (249 square metres) across three floors, with a main living area on its ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs. The house was a collaboration project between local firms Espacio 18 Arquitectura and Cueto Arquitectura, led by Juan Pablo Fernandez Cueto.

“Casa Once was designed to suit a young couple who were looking for a refuge that would take them away from the outer chaos and create a space of tranquillity,” said Espacio 18.

The home has a rectangular floor plan, taking up all of the buildable area and leaving no yard space. To create outdoor areas, the top floor has a patio overlooking the city, while a protected courtyard on the ground floor introduces greenery inside.

“The house is located in a single family complex in the city of Puebla, where the real-estate sector has grown dramatically,” said Espacio 18. “The price of land has increased as a result of this boom, so the properties are [getting] smaller and more exclusive.”

Upon entering is a sitting room, dining area and kitchen. A black metal staircase leads upstairs with timber boards, adding a contemporary industrial feel.

An acacia tree is planted in the centre of the internal courtyard, and changes to a bright purple in the spring, adding the only pop of colour to the pared-back interiors. The internal garden comprises a decked patio surrounded by double-height glazed walls and one textured surface painted white.

Planted courtyards are common in residences across Mexico and Latin America, with other recently completed examples including a grey two-storey home in Guadalajara by Santoscreativos and Miguel Valverde, and a clay brick house arranged around a cactus tree by AS/D Asociación de Diseño.

The top floor of Casa Once provides more space for entertaining, with a media room and an outdoor patio that boasts panoramic views of the city and its volcanoes.

Nature and cross-ventilation play a prominent role in the design of the home, in keeping with the area’s warm and temperate climate. The home’s exterior is covered in natural wood around the bottom and black stucco at the top, with minimal windows facing the street to create privacy, as well as controlling daytime heat.

Inside, engineered-wood floors and timber beams provide texture and warmth to the otherwise white, contemporary interiors. Tiles in the bathrooms are designed by Oaxaca-based artist Francisco Toledo.

Photography is by Lorena Darquea.

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