The 25th-anniversary edition of the Lapala chair has a textured woven shell seat made from natural wicker, informed by the materials used for the original version.
Designed for both domestic and hospitality settings, it has an ergonomic, gently curving silhouette and can be stacked.
Expormim is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Lapala chair
“We want to remain faithful to our roots, combining tradition and innovation in order to provide our clients exclusive furniture with the highest quality and minimum environmental impact,” said Expormim.
“Features like its soft, gentle curves and its stackability guarantee its adaptability to any environment.”
In 2015, Expormim updated the chair to be made from resistant materials, including nautical rope and stainless steel, to make it suitable for outdoor use.
Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
A company called CountyComm designs and manufactures specialty equipment for government agencies, the aerospace industry and Silicon Valley clients. They then sell their overstock to the general public, and their random library of wares perfectly intersects with the EDC market. I’ve often marveled at that market (which I am not part of) and find CountyComm’s creations fascinating.
This Topo Slide Box is made out of Ultem, a high-strength plastic with high heat resistance. It features “ultra secure dual locking ball detents,” and is a bit of a mystery—while CountyComm was contracted to make the thing, they have no idea what it’s for:
“Original government use unknown. We have a limited overrun of [these] boxes. We are not quite sure what Uncle Sam is putting in his lightweight capsules, but we are using ours to keep small important items close and secure. Brand new, never used, overrun from government contract.”
I’m not sure why these Composite Resin Disposable Tweezers are billed as disposable; the company says they’re made of “UV stabilized resin so they can last decades if needed in harsh environments.” Reviewers like them for handling magnetized parts.
This peculiar 8″ Titanium Long Arm Tweezer Kit is like an extreme pair of helping hands. It was reportedly fabricated on a contract basis for a Silicon Valley client, precise purpose unknown.
The design is such that it offers precise holding power a good distance away from the base, and seems it would be handy for soldering:
These silicone Tinker-Man DIY Trays, which come in International Orange and glow-in-the-dark, “are used by military and civilian small arms armorers to keep all those pins and parts from rolling off the work bench and getting lost,” the company writes. “Avionics technicians also use them to those tiny screws from magically disappearing. Features non-slip (inverse golf ball pattern). High semi-rigid walls prevent pins from rolling off the tray surface.”
This 12-Inch Titanium Adjustable Wrench is used by technicians and Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Airbus. Furthermore, its origin story provides the kind of credibility the EDC crowd drools over: “Members of the U.S. military Explosive Ordinance Disposal teams,” the company says, “keep asking for us to make lightweight, non-magnetic wrenches for working on magnetically sensitive devices, and this is what we provide them.” Despite its massive size, it weighs just 14.2 oz.
This TPSK Brass Precision Screwdriver Kit features a “ball bearing concave swivel top.” I can’t figure out what they mean by that; by “concave” are they referring to the dimples in the ball end? In any case, it’s one of those objects I want to touch.
This Abrams Unibody Whistle is also made from Ultem, machined out of a solid block of the stuff. It puts out “an ear-blistering 122 decibels.”
You can see more of the company’s unusual offerings here.
Summertime means there is excitement in the air, pina coladas in our hands, and of course beads of sweat on our foreheads. But, unfortunately, summer 2023 is coming to an end! As we gear up for fall, it is only fair that we pay tribute to the excellent summer we had with a few super cool products such as the Pool Pasta collection. The quirky collection is something you definitely would love to get your hands on to prepare for summer next year.
The Standard Hotel teamed up with NYC design studio Jumbo to create the adorable Pool Pasta collection which is basically a range of pasta-shaped inflatable pool floats! Inspired by Italian cuisine and the various types of pastas, these pool noodles provide pool lovers with a playful and amusing experience. The collection includes large macaroni, farfalle, rigatoni, lasagna, tortellini, ravioli, and shells. Pick the pasta float of your choice, and float around as if you’re in a massive pot of water.
The collection of giant pastas was launched in December 2022 at Art Basel Miami. The floats were designed to add some whimsical fun to the iconic pool at the Standard Miami. The pool floats perfectly replicate the type of pasta they are mimicking, and in fact, they feature an Emoji-like essence, that makes them even more animated and quirky. The pasta shapes have a personality and identity of their own! They’re all a standard pasta yellow, and we do wonder if wouldn’t it have been more fun if the pastas were made in various color options. Imagine the Standard Miami pool scattered with myriad pasta shapes in pink, blue, orange, magenta, or even purple!
These supersized pasta shapes will have more installations in Ibiza, Hua Hin, Bangkok, and the Maldives. But if you’re in the mood to relax and unwind on a massive tortellini, and or catch a nap on a ginormous macaroni in your pool, then you can check out the Pool Pasta collection online, and grab a few for yourself! Pick the pasta shape that perfectly defines you and your pasta preferences and adorn your yard pool with them!
Part of the Palm collection, the Palm A chair has a powder-coated metal tube structure set at angles, which is intended to create a silhouette both archetypal and compelling.
The Palm A chair is designed to be used indoors or out
The collection is offered in both indoor and outdoor versions, with optional leather arm-wraps or solid Iroko wood armrests for the indoor version and a removable upholstered, water-resistant seat and back cushions for the outdoor version.
Perfect as part of a garden dining set, the Palm A chair has a powder-coated textured finish and is available in colours including White, Black, Green Olive, Deep Blue, Bordeaux and Carbon Grey.
The metal frame structure is meant to be both classic and compelling
It is made utilising the metalworking expertise of Parla Design and reveals delicate welding and joinery when observed in close-up.
The Palm collection is designed to marry heritage, craftsmanship and technology, and includes seating and tables.
Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
The foundation of innovation lies in how we conceptualize the future… and our capacity to enhance and develop these concepts is crucial for this future. This is why concepts have always fascinated us at Yanko Design. They are the foundation of our work, providing a glimpse into the future of products, technologies, and experiences. It’s also one fundamental thing we have in common with the Red Dot Award: Design Concept, as they celebrate the power of conceptualization.
The Best of Best category of this year’s Red Dot Award: Design Concept showcases some truly exciting concepts. From cutting-edge technology in consumer electronics to innovative designs in the health sector, these concepts demonstrate inventiveness and creativity that deserve recognition. We are particularly drawn to designs that enhance user experiences and environments, as they exemplify the intersection of art and functionality.
The Red Dot Award: Design Concept “Best of Best” is our annual source of inspiration, showcasing designs that embody creativity, collaboration, and impeccable execution. We are thrilled to share a few of our favorites from this year’s selection. And don’t forget to scroll down to discover the winner of the prestigious Luminary Award. You saw it here first!
Time to Snow by Baek Sunwoo, Kim Myeongseong & Prof. Lee Woohun
Time to Snow is an interactive installation that displays the time using Styrofoam grains resembling snow. The clock defies the laws of physics with how it causes the particles to form numbers within the clock’s face, while also simulating the effect of snowfall and snow blowing through the breeze. The result isn’t just form and function, it’s emotion too, in the form of awe and curiosity as viewers are captivated by the effects of this faux snow and its ability to tell time. A camera on top also allows people to interact with the snow through gestures, creating an experience so fun you’ll never want to look at another boring clock again!
UFO Intelligent Rotary Stove by Liang Wengan, Li Zhaoping, Wu Qiting, Wu Shengjia & Zhou Jinhui
Who among us hasn’t dreaded cleaning up a stovetop after the pasta water or a saucepan of milk boiled over while cooking?! The UFO Intelligent Rotary Stove features an elevated, rotatable burner that offers an easy stovetop cleaning solution and extra countertop space when not in use. Gas stoves, while essential for cooking, can be tricky to clean given their shape (and sometimes how hot they are after usage). The UFO Intelligent Rotary Stove simplifies cleaning by putting the burners on a rotating arm so they can be moved away whenever needed, making cooking more enjoyable and maximizing kitchen space. The stove also offers precise fire intensity adjustment with an 8-level touch control for better cooking results.
Kid’s Service Design Toolkit For Saving The Earth by Choi Seolyung, Hyun Eunryung, Mun Juyeong
The Kid’s Service Design Toolkit for Saving the Earth helps children understand carbon emissions and develop their solutions using the Double Diamond process. It fosters environmental awareness and encourages creative thinking. The toolkit guides kids through learning phases, including the Carbon Footprint Game, customer journey maps, and idea generation. It promotes cooperation, communication, and concrete action plans to address real-world environmental issues, contributing to climate action for sustainable living.
Tetrix Roof Tiles From Recycled Composite by Adam Friedrich & Kajetan Topolewski
Crafted from recycled plastic composite, the Tetrix Roof Tiles, offer sustainable, lightweight, and durable roofing. They’re frost-proof, waterproof, UV-resistant, and ideal for photovoltaic systems aka solar panels. The tiles come in a series of modular units and are available across a variety of design styles, allowing you to customize your roof design. They’re made to replace hazardous asbestos roofs, and are an absolute breeze to install thanks to their modular design that lets you simply plug tiles together. Produced with recycled plastic and quartz sand, the tiles are eco-friendly and are virtually unbreakable too.
O-Vision Noice Cancellation Sleep Mask by Chen Shaolong, Chen Fengming, Chen Weihao, Luo Qimei, Yang Junlong & Zheng Xiangjing
The O-Vision Noise Cancellation Sleep Mask offers 3D noise reduction and total light blockage for peaceful, high-quality sleep. Its innovative design combines 3D noise cancellation technology with a pressure-free, light-blocking eye mask. Breathable materials ensure comfort, while advanced noise-isolation earplugs create a quiet sleep environment. The earplugs are easily replaceable and come in a convenient silicone package, making this a portable and comprehensive sleep solution.
Ingo – Reusable CGM & Insulin Pump by Chris Kilbane & Maxwell Stevens
Ingo is an innovative, sustainable CGM and insulin pump that combines both functions in a compact design, eliminating the need for separate devices and tubing. It offers wireless charging and on-body insulin pump refilling for user convenience. Ingo features recyclable sensor patches, promoting cost savings and sustainability. The companion app provides real-time feedback, battery monitoring, and customization options for a personal touch.
Geneverse SolarGenerator S1 by Bai Wei, He Jiajin & Yin Xiaowei
The Geneverse SolarGenerator S1 is a customizable modular photovoltaic sunshade with 200w double-sided solar modules. It cools spaces, generates electricity, and stores it in your home energy system. These modules continuously convert clean energy, reducing household expenses. It features a self-circulating lighting system and a sturdy, foldable design for easy transportation and installation.
INO200 Intraoral Scanner User System by Zhao Yachong, Song Weiwei, Su Zhendong, Sun Jia, Wang Gege & Zhao Yachong
The INO200 Intraoral Scanner User System streamlines dental digitization for dentists and patients. Using advanced 3D technology and multifunctional software, it delivers real-time, cost-effective, and accurate impressions. Designed for ease of use, it accommodates different patients, sterilizes easily, and offers intuitive controls. The tiny handheld scanner packs AI technology and cloud integration, helping improve accuracy/efficiency, and enabling real-time tracking and convenience for both doctors as well as patients.
Grass by Lin Chih-Hong Chan Chi-Yin, Huang Yu-Ming, Jian Ling-Chien & Luo Jia-Wei
Dubbed ‘Grass’, this awe-striking light installation uses real-time traffic data to capture the city’s vitality, reflecting the dynamic interaction between cities and people. It offers a unique perspective on urban expansion, breaking away from traditional light and shadow art. Each individual cell varies in size, undulation, and pattern, and depicts major traffic routes in the same way that buildings and roads do in cities. The cells glow bright or dim depending on the activity/area they represent, creating a unique expression of a city that looks at urban planning and life through the eyes of artists.
Lunet by David Edquilang (Luminary Winner)
A winner of this year’s Luminary Award, Lunet is an affordable, 3D-printed mechanical finger prosthesis designed to restore finger functionality for amputees worldwide. Produced through 3D printing, it’s customizable in style (CMF) and anatomical fit, thanks to parametric modeling and a modular design that allows for micro-adjustments based on ergonomics. Lunet’s snap-together, metal-free assembly features a robust linkage mechanism mimicking real finger motion. With 3D printing’s accessibility, Lunet offers a cost-effective solution, priced at less than 1% of commercial alternatives.
In it, he says: “I love everything about the swamp: the boulder out front, the modest interiors, the seclusion (ideal for singing karaoke late into the night), you get the picture”.
It features rough-hewn wooden furniture
The holiday home, which sleeps up to three guests, has an open-plan design, with a sturdy wooden bed leaning against one wall.
A matching table and two wooden chairs sit in front of an open fire on the opposite side of the house, which is held up by large tree trunks.
A fish-shaped lamp decorates the bedside table
Shrek’s Swamp Airbnb also features decorative touches, including a green “earwax candle” – a nod to a scene in which Shrek pulls out a stick of earwax from his ear and lights it.
It also has a bedside lamp that looks like a stuffed pufferfish.
The dining table sits in front of an open fire
Visitors can also make use of Shrek’s outhouse, a well-known location from multiple Shrek films, which is located about 20 metres away from the swamp itself.
Located in a forest in the Scottish Highlands, the hut is surrounded by signs reading “Stay out”, “Beware Ogre” and “Danger!” though these are “probably for decoration”, according to Donkey.
The home will be available to book from 13 October for a two-night stay between 27 and 29 October and comes with an on-site concierge who will arrange meals for the guests – including morning waffles and parfaits.
“This mud-laden, moss-covered, murky-watered oasis is a perfectly snug spot to escape from village life and embrace the beauty of nature,” Airbnb said.
The home has a bare-earth floor
The company will make a one-time donation to the HopScotch Children’s Charity as part of the project.
The Italian Sea Group (TISG) left the maritime world in awe when it released the first look of its intriguing catamaran. Now the vessel maker has launched the first look at the magnificent interiors of “This Is It.” Crafted under Tecnomar brand, this 43.5-meter motor catamaran is poised to make its grand debut at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show.
‘This Is It’ boasts an exterior that seems to have sprung from the depths of a fantasy realm, evoking the graceful forms of mythical sea creatures. Its hull has been engineered meticulously to enhance hydrodynamic efficiency, which should result in reduced fuel consumption, a benefit every vessel maker strives for on the water.
The catamaran’s exterior is mostly glass, which according to the makers measures about 600 square meters. The expansive view out of the window not only adds to the aesthetic appeal, but also sheds weight on the vessel’s construction, adding to the fuel efficiency.
If you’re not satisfied with the mere green aspect and crave speed and adventure on the open waters, ‘This Is It’ won’t disappoint. With a maximum speed of 19 knots, the motor catamaran promises to offer exhilarating voyages. However, if sustainability and milage have more impact on your buying decision; the catamaran can leisurely cruise at 10 knots to an astounding range of 3,500 nautical miles.
‘This Is It’ is designed for 12 people and boast cabins that are well lit with natural light penetrating through the skylight. The cabins are attached to a terrace, while the two on-board decks have vertical gardens for green appeal. The main lounge has floor-to-ceiling doors and connects to a multifunctional exterior area comprising a dining area, bar, game area, and swimming pool. On the upper deck is the rejuvenation area with a sauna, a sensorial shower and a playroom just adjacent to it.
Starting in April 2024, ‘This Is It’ will be ready to welcome guests as the largest motor catamaran available for charter. Environmental consciousness is at the forefront of its design and it should be a capable ride to embark on luxurious journeys to the world’s most stunning destinations.
Oftentimes, the aesthetic influence of one object is only fully realized when it’s placed in dialogue with something else—whether that’s a series of complementary pieces or the atmospheric framing of empty space. An inspiring guide to accessing the beauty of the objects we display at home, Arranging Things is the debut book from acclaimed interior stylish Colin King. Written with Sam Cochran, the global features director of Architectural Digest, the recent Rizzoli release pairs artful visual references with intuitive insight culled from personal experience. Throughout, King provides compelling counsel—and makes clear that as one elevates their space through the arrangement of vignettes, they explore their relationship with every object therein.
Courtesy of Rizzoli
When you set out to create Arranging Things, what did you hope to offer readers?
My goal was really to demystify styling and to help people look at their home with fresh eyes and create a space for beauty by arranging the things that they love in unexpected ways. It’s about offering a fresh perspective on things. It’s also about sharing the joy I feel in the daily practice of arranging things. It’s not about buying new stuff. It’s about creating compositions and vignettes that change your relationships to the objects already around you.
What was your process like for brining this book together?
I thought it was going to be very intuitive. I don’t want to say “easy,” but I thought it would be a version of what I do for a living. It ended up being quite the process so I brought my dream team together. I sometimes have trouble differentiating the true from the false with my own work. It’s hard to see the work from an outside perspective because I am so in it.
I reached out to Sam. I love the way he can pull out exactly what you want to hear. I asked him to help me write the book that he would want to read and he did that. We were able to put vocabulary to a process that felt so intuitive to me. I brought on Javas Lehn, who is an incredible graphic designer and creative director. He had done the Kate by Mario Sorrenti book that sits on my coffee table. I love it—the font, the sensibility. I knew if I were ever to do a book, I would do it with him. All of my work is so collaborative. I find that if I can hire up and bring people around that I want to learn from, I get the best results. That’s what I did.
Courtesy of Rich Stapleton
You touch upon it in chapter five, but I’d like to begin with your use of light. You embrace natural light and the application of shadow.
It came from asking myself what I like about certain images. I would experience paintings, like those from Dutch masters, and I would ask myself “what is it that I am drawn to in these images?” It would always be the light. Even in non-photographic form, it was about how the artist captured light. It’s the first thing that I notice when I walk into a room, as well.
It corresponds to my dance background. As a dancer, we were never front lit, we were always side lit. We were always going in and out of the wings. When you are lighting multidimensional spaces, you always light from sides so that you can see the layering. With dance, there was this natural understanding of how light works and how it lends dimension and texture. I brought that with me into this field, as I transitioned from dancer to interior stylists. The best work captures a feeling. It’s an emotion. It evokes a mood. There’s a stillness, as well as a power that I try to achieve.
Courtesy of Adrian Gaut
Do you feel that the aesthetic of the book is a reflection of your aesthetic as a stylist?
I feel like it’s a moment in time. As a creative, I’m always pushing forward. I am always asking myself new questions and checking in on my intentions. I hope to always be evolving. I never want to be still. This book is a great representation of how my career started—but I hope it is the first of many books.
I don’t want to give the book’s secrets away, but you nod to the fact that styling should be a daily practice. Can you speak to me about what this means to you?
I don’t realize I am doing it. I have an intuitive need to change things, to move my surroundings. I go into a room and it’s almost a track that I fall into, something that’s guiding me. I realized this most when I was home alone in Brooklyn, during quarantine, as a single person. I made this promise to myself, that I would creative a still life every day. That was my job when I didn’t have much else to do. It became a meditative practice. It empowered me to see things in new ways. I was abandoning the intended use of objects: a pear became a sculpture, a vase because a pitcher. Objects became paint.
Courtesy of Adrian Gaut
You encourage people to accept constraints and utilize the power of emptiness. What would you say to a person who is a big collector?
I love collections. I went to Jack Winter Larson’s Long House in East Hampton. He was such a collector. The thing I will tell you about his collection is that it is all in incredible arrangements. Arranging things is not limited to one or two objects—or what I like to do with my own work. I want to encourage trial and error. Get in there and move your things around, even if your environment is maximalist.
Of course, there’s power in peeling away noise so that an object can be felt. As powerful as an object, is the space created around it; it almost makes a frame from the atmosphere. But for avid collectors, it’s about experiencing their objects in different ways.
In Arranging Things, you also speak about objects in dialogue with one another. Do you think people should take risks here?
I am such an advocate for just buying things you like. You don’t have to explain yourself. There should be no hierarchy to design. I collect rocks all the time and place them right next to a beautiful Japanese vase. I think there’s something interesting about forging relationships with all of these objects. One might lift one up, the other might balance both out. There’s a dialogue that can be created without having too much pretension around it.
Courtesy of William Jess Laird
What do you think your book cover conveys about what’s inside?
There’s a jacket which shows my home, which is my greatest teacher. I basically took all my learnings from years of styling and experiencing other peoples work in my space, all through trial and error. For the cover, I didn’t want to make any clients favored or feel less than others so it made sense to use my own place.
On the interior, there’s a small moment of objects that I made with Menu Space that just kind of shows a very simple arrangement. People can see that it’s step by step, small moment by small moment, that makes a home. It doesn’t need to be something grand.
Courtesy of Stephen Kent Johnson
Before Arranging Things, we had the opportunity to see your rug collaboration with Beni at Alcova during Milan Design Week. What drew you to Beni Rugs as a collaborator?
I admire them. They saw a niche in the industry in Marrakesh. It came from this very simple task where they were trying to select a Moroccan rug for their home but they couldn’t find the right size or color or design. They began to wonder “how do we keep this ancient craft but find people who can make rugs in the size and shape that we need, in the colors that we want.” This is what started it for them.
They are raising up their weavers, these talented women, paying them double the national average and giving them access to benefits, healthcare, childcare and transportation. They came to me and said “what would a rug collection look like if you designed it?” and I said “this” and gave them a series of designs. I saw something in them that I see in myself, this insatiable desire to create.
It includes a dining table, bench and stool made from fallen ash trees, chosen by Goldfinger to make use of timber that would otherwise be destroyed while celebrating the beauty of native British wood.
The furniture was originally designed as bespoke pieces for the Tate Modern Corner cafe
“In collaborating with Holland Harvey and Tate Modern, I think we all saw the wide appeal of the sleek and bold design, the ash rescue story, as well as being able to own a piece of Tate Modern,” Goldfinger associate Lisa Werner told Dezeen.
“This is Tate’s first foray into furniture and celebrating their commitment to sustainably-minded partners at the outset is really impactful for the commercial market.”
The furniture has chunky square legs with rounded corners, intending to reference the Tate Modern building and Trellick Tower, where the Goldfinger workshop is located.
Presented at London Design Festival, the collection is now available for sale
Available in natural and black ash finishes, each piece of furniture features an engraving of the coordinates of where the tree used to make it once stood.
“We love to incorporate this storytelling of the tree’s journey,” said Werner.
“It is a Goldfinger signature detail to stamp the GPS coordinates of where the tree once stood into each piece, providing a sense of memory and honour for the tree’s first life.”
Goldfinger used timber from fallen ash trees to make the furniture
For the Tate Modern collection, ash wood was sourced from timber company Fallen and Felled, which rescues trees that have fallen due to disease, weather-related reasons or urban development.
According to Goldfinger, 5,000 trees in London are felled annually, most of which are chipped and burned. The studio aims to save the fallen trees from being destroyed by making them into furniture.
“This not only saves the tree from being chipped or burned for biofuel, it sequesters carbon and removes the need to cut down forests,” said Werner.
“Over 90 per cent of Britain’s hardwood is imported, we’re on a mission to reverse that trend and promote the raw materials we have right on our doorstep.”
“The UK is the second largest importer of wood behind China,” added Leslie Feeney, Goldfinger head of impact and partnerships. “There is a lack of knowledge of the wood available to us in the UK.”
The Goldfinger Academy gives training and career opportunities to local residents and those who are out of education and employment, while the Future Makers programme offers students insight into the industry and portfolio development.
In 2015, Goldfinger launched the People’s Kitchen initiative, which offers monthly free meals for the local North Kensington community.
The pieces have chunky square legs with rounded corners
The furniture is on show at Material Matters from 20 to 23 September 2023 as part of London Design Festival. See our London Design Festival 2023 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.
Dutch studio WillemsenU has completed a house that is partially buried underground to blend in with its rural surroundings in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Appropriately called The House Under the Ground, the home is designed by WillemsenU to “enhance the beauty” of its site and act as a retreat for the couple who own it.
WillemsenU has created The House Under the Ground
Its design also offers privacy to its occupants, with the sleeping spaces lowered six metres into the ground and the protruding living spaces blanketed with a hill covered in wildflowers.
“The surrounding bocage landscape with its small height differences was a huge inspiration,” project architect Marrit Winkeler told Dezeen.
It is designed to blend in with its rural surroundings
“The house is designed as part of this landscape, being part of a hill,” added Winkeler. “It is playing with visibility, alternately shielding and opening the view of the nature reserve, creating privacy and shelter from the elements.”
Located in a meadow on the edge of a protected nature reserve, The House Under the Ground fits within the parameters of a former goat shed.
A weathering-steel corridor cuts into the slope
The part of the house that is visible above ground is defined by its arched shape, which is designed to limit the building’s height and merge with the landscape.
Its structure is built from concrete cast in situ, while the facades that are left exposed are clad in vertical timber boards.
Timber boards cover the home’s external facades
“The use of wood is inspired by the vernacular materials used for sheds and barns in this area, and is used internally and externally,” Winkeler explained.
“By using different patterns of wooden slats in the facade, [the design] very subtly references the old goat shed that used to be on the plot.”
On approaching the house from the field’s edge, a path bordered by wildflowers leads to a Corten steel-clad corridor that cuts into the hillside.
Here, a large pivot door opens into an expansive dining room and kitchen that offers generous views over the valley beyond. The arch of the curved roof directs the eye to a void that goes down to the basement.
The living room opens onto a terrace
The House Under the Ground is arranged around this central void, which houses a glass platform lift. This brings light to the rooms below the ground while ensuring the home is wheelchair-friendly in the future.
“The curved roof opens up above the stairs and the lift, so that the light penetrates deep into the home to offer stunning sky views framed by the hill’s vegetation,” said Winkeler.
The dining and kitchen areas have views of the surrounding landscape
The underground level has a living room that opens onto a terrace bordered by wildflowers, while the floor below contains the main bedroom.
Internally, the concrete structure forms smooth walls, floors and ceilings. Light and translucent materials are used to allow daylight to penetrate the lowest floor.
The House Under the Ground’s concrete structure is exposed internally
WillemsenU’s partial placement of the home underground helps it to achieve a high energy performance, with heat extracted from the earth by a heat pump to warm internal spaces.
Burying the house also increases its thermal mass and creates a consistent internal environment that is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
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