Hasta La Ideas

A 100-year-old house in Paris has been renovated and extended by local studio CUT Architectures to frame a garden facing the morning sun and create a shaded terrace overlooking a nearby park (+ slideshow).

CUT Architectures refurbished the existing House in Meudon, which is home to a family of three. The building was constructed by the client’s grandfather and was only 42 square metres in size, so a timber extension was added to create extra room.

“We wanted to keep the sentimentality and feel of the existing house in the new extension,” architect Yann Martin told Dezeen. “It was very much a working house, with rabbits in the garden and wood for the chimney.”

The new extension doubles the size of the building and provides extra space for the parents to work separately from their teenage child.

The architects sourced native red cedar and used it to wrap both the existing structure and extension. They then constructed a south-facing timber terrace at the front.

“We liked the idea that the established house was wooden framed and wanted the new extension to be constructed from steel and wood, with the trees and view surrounding it,” Martin explained. “The use of timber helps to create a continuous surface across the build.”

Raised one metre above the ground to match the original property, the extension contains a large living room with bare white walls that contrast with the black-framed windows.

“It was difficult to build on the soil that was marked from years of clay and chalk digging in the undergrowth, so when we built the new extension, we provided a concrete base that gave the house a strong footprint and two separate gardens,” Martin said.

The terrace sits just in front and features a slatted roof to shade it from the sun, creating a pattern of shadows that filters through the facade.

A master bedroom and bathroom are tucked away at the rear, leading out to a sheltered garden where the owners can enjoy the morning sunrise over breakfast.

In the original structure, a bedroom and bathroom offer separate living spaces for the youngest member of the family.

Here’s some more text from the architects:

House in Meudon, France

The project is the extension and refurbishment of a very small detached house in Meudon, one of the nearest suburbs of western Paris. The location is exceptional; the plot is on the hill offering fantastic views and facing a park. The existing house was in a very bad condition but the owners had a sentimental attachment to it and didn’t want to tear it down.

The extension is twice the size of the existing house including a 20m² terrace. The extension is a wooden structure with a zinc roof almost invisible from the garden. Both the extension and the existing house are wrapped with vertical timber giving a continuous surface to the two volumes.

The living space and the terrace are lifted 1.2m above the garden level to match the existing house ground floor level and turning the terrace into a promontory for the views. The bedroom and bathroom space is on the natural ground level on the back of the plot. The articulation of the extension creates two gardens for the house: the one in the back for the morning sun and the one in front, facing the park and south-west from the terrace.

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by CUT Architectures appeared first on Dezeen.

The three pitched roofs of this bungalow extension in Manchester were designed by Blee Halligan Architects to capture sunlight at different times of the day and frame views of trees in the garden (+ slideshow).

London studio Blee Halligan Architects arranged the extension’s three double-height windows to face east, west and south so that interior spaces receive light at times that are appropriate to their functions.

The kitchen faces east to welcome the morning light and create a bright space for eating breakfast, while the west-facing living room receives sunlight in the evening.

Each of the windows looks out onto the garden and the steeply pitched roofs direct views towards the canopies of the trees bounding the site.

“The brief was to turn a very common low-ceilinged bungalow into a bright, voluminous house,” architect Greg Blee told Dezeen.

“This was the reason we developed the tall pitched-roof composition, which frames views rather than providing expansive views.”

The external walls of the building are clad in dark-stained larch panelling that helps it blend in with the surrounding garden.

“We liked the idea that the extension would be recessive against the house and garden, which is a verdant green with mature trees and planting that accentuates its colour,” explained Blee. “The building does not fight with this garden setting.”

Sliding doors connect a central dining room with a patio that can be used for al fresco dining. The kitchen also leads to a terrace, which is set to be extended to link the house with a proposed garden room.

White-painted timber boards line the interior of the extension to give the space a soft domestic feel that contrasts with the dark external surfaces.

A short set of stairs connects the dining room to the existing house, which contains a reception area, study and the bedrooms and bathrooms.

A new timber porch outside the front entrance incorporates benches sheltered beneath a translucent plastic roof. The slatted aesthetic of this structure is complemented by a chunky wooden fence in front.

Photography is by Mike Black.

Here’s a short description from Blee Halligan Architects:

A dilapidated bungalow is the site for a new rear addition

Three interconnected, pitched volumes, face in three directions – east, west and south, capturing sunlight at different times of the day, appropriate to function – the kitchen faces east for a light-bathed breakfast and the living room faces west to catch the last of the sunlight. They each pitch up to a large double-height window, capturing views of the garden and trees.

The building is clad in black stained larch, so it appears recessive in the context of the garden and possesses an abstract geometric quality at night.

The post Blee Halligan’s Triptych house extension
catches sunlight from three directions appeared first on Dezeen.

Irish studio GKMP Architects added glazed white tiles to the angular walls of this extension to a semi-detached house in Dublin to help direct sunlight into the interior (+ slideshow).

GKMP Architects designed the Greenlea Road extension for the home of a family of five, who wanted a large, bright living area that improves the connection between the house and the garden.

“The old layout included a dining room and garage extension to the west of the ground floor, which cut evening light to the interior and enclosed the kitchen within the plan, blocking light and access to the garden,” architect Michael Pike told Dezeen.

The existing extension built in the 1990s was demolished to make room for the new addition, which contains an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area filled with light from the windows and a central skylight.

The shape of the walls and the shiny surfaces of the glazed tiles surrounding the doors and windows help funnel daylight into the extension.

“The tiles were used for the texture they bring to a facade and for their ability to bounce light into the interior to brighten the terrace and garden spaces,” explained Pike.

GKMP Architects used terracotta tiles that resemble brickwork to clad another extension in Dublin. Tiles are well-suited for use as a practical and decorative exterior finish said Michael Pike.

“Ceramic tiles are a very traditional material however they are not widely used externally in Ireland,” Pike pointed out. “We use the tiles as a cladding to bring texture and warmth to a facade and also to highlight or draw attention to certain details.”

Door and window frames made from iroko wood stand out against the white ceramic tiles, but also contrast with green tiles that surround some of the windows and cover a low planter that extends towards the garden.

A skylight lined with plywood introduces more light into the interior, while a polished concrete floor used throughout the ground floor helps to reflect it around the space.

The kitchen features a cast concrete countertop that complements the floor and contrasts with the natural surfaces of the birch plywood benches and cabinetry. There is also a store room, utility room and shower room that continues around the corner of the house.

Photography is by Paul Tierney.

Read on for some information from GKMP Architects:

32 Greenlea Road

This project involves the demolition of a 1990s extension and shed to the rear of a semi-detached suburban house in Dublin, Ireland and the construction of a new single storey extension to the side and rear extending to 31sq.m. A new plywood kitchen and dining space open out to receive west light and connect to the back garden.

White glazed tiles bring texture to the facade and bounce light into the interior and onto the new polished concrete floor, whilst the cast concrete countertop then continues the language of the floor into the new plywood kitchen.

New windows are made from Iroko timber and green ceramic tiles are used to highlight certain window openings. The green tile is also used to draw attention and add scale to the washed concrete terrace. A large planter, clad also in green, seeks to bring the garden right up to the dining room window. Inside, a large, plywood-lined skylight marks the transition between old and new construction and serves to bring light into the centre of the living space.

The post Tile-covered walls reflect light into Dublin
house extension by GKMP Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

A concrete room cantilevers over a swimming pool as part of this extension to a postwar property in Singapore by local office Formwerkz Architects.

The clients asked Formwerkz Architects to extend a two-storey 1970s residence in Singapore’s Bukit Timah neighbourhood to give them a multigenerational family home, which is named the Extended House.

The architects designed a new wing at the rear of the plot with a contemporary geometric profile and a exposed concrete exterior that contrasts with the black-rendered plaster finish of the older building.

“From the beginning, we wanted to retain as much of the existing house [as possible], working around it and using it as part of the new narrative,” said studio co-founder Alan Tay. “It became a dichotomy of old and new, a story of a recent past and contemporary aspirations.”

As well as the new wing, which contains a dining room, kitchen and bedrooms, the architects added a lap pool along one edge of the site and extended the ground floor of the existing building to create a new lounge area.

This extension and a new balcony that projects from the facade of the black building are both finished in the board-formed concrete that creates a clear distinction between the old and new parts of the home.

The cantilevered section contains the master bedroom and extends out towards the pool, shading the decking and the dining room windows below.

An atrium built on the site of the original double-height dining room connects the two wings, while gaps on either side create courtyards sheltered by the long sections of the two main buildings.

The courtyard next to the pool is raised above the level of the decking around it and is bounded by a low concrete retaining wall that provides additional seating space.

A steel mesh bridge inside the atrium traverses the space between the old house and the extension, with concrete walls creating a sense of consistency with the external surfaces. The angled roofline of the original structure can be seen below the level of new windows installed when the atrium was constructed.

Photography is by Albert Lim.

Here’s some more information from Formwerkz Architects:

The Extended House

The house at the intersection of Linden Drive and Jalan Naga Sari in Singapore is built for a multi-generational family that entertains frequently. We retained the existing 2-storey post-war bungalow built in the seventies and added a new block at the rear and a lap pool along the side boundary. The new rear extension sits on higher ground than the pool with its upper volume cantilevering over the deck.

From the beginning, we wanted to retained as much of the existing house, working around it and use it as part of the new narrative. It became a dichotomy of old and new, a story of a recent past and contemporary aspirations. The dialogue between the old and new formed the framework for the design. Formally, the new addition is articulated in board-formed concrete volumes in contrast to the existing house in black rendered rough plaster.

The existing high ceiling dining hall is converted to a atrium that bridged the existing house with the new block at the rear. This is the heart of the project where it bridges both physically and spatially, the old house and the new extension.

On the upper floor, a wire mesh steel bridge negotiates the level difference between the existing house and the new extension. The H-shaped massing encloses two intimate courtyard spaces that together with the atrium are spaces of greatest tension between the old and new. The elevated courtyard that fronts the pool has a low concrete retaining wall that encircle it to serves as both barrier and outdoor seating.

Architect – Formwerkz Architects
Design Team – Alan Tay, Iskandar Idris, Ming Hui, Xue Zhen
C&S Engineer – Portwood & Assocates
Builder – Sinwah-Apac Construction
Site Area – 670 sqm
GFA – 450 sqm
Completed – 2013

The post Concrete room cantilevers over a pool
at Formwerkz Architects’ Extended House appeared first on Dezeen.

Glazed panels create views between the floors of these two Edwardian townhouses in London that have been renovated by local architects Studio Octopi to accommodate resident artists (+ slideshow).

By connecting two neighbouring properties, Studio Octopi has doubled the residency capacity of non-profit arts organisation the Delfina Foundation from four to eight, making it London’s largest artist residency provider.

The architects responded to a competition brief aimed at retaining the residential character of the townhouses by focusing on the central role of the hearth. They preserved existing fireplaces on the ground floor, as well as recesses and hearth stones in the artists’ private areas on the top two storeys.

Other original details, including brickwork and concrete lintels that previously surrounded doorways, have been left in their raw state to retain a sense of the buildings’ history.

“Adopting the role of architects-cum-archaeologists, Studio Octopi have created an environment which is unassuming, layered and contextual, while peeling back the layers of ornamentation and finish to expose the period craftsmanship of the buildings,” said the Delfina Foundation.

Throughout the interior, glazed panels in the floors and walls create a visual connection between public and private spaces, and allow light to filter through to rooms in the centre of the building.

Separate entrances for the public and the artists lead to a reception, dining room and kitchen on the ground floor of the five-storey property.

The basement houses a gallery and workshop space, while offices and a library are located on the first floor and the artists’ residences are contained on the top two floors.

Many of the spaces are updated with white walls, pale wood joinery and practical fitted cabinetry that offer a contemporary counterpoint to the grand facade and authentic detailing.

Splashes of bright colour provided by the kitchen cabinets and bathroom floor enhance the modern look of these spaces.

A small terrace located at the basement level provides an outdoor exhibition space, while a terrace on the ground floor can be accessed from the dining room.

“The scheme aims to act as a palimpsest, to retain the integrity and character of the existing buildings while simultaneously creating a series of spaces for residents, staff and visitors to use and enjoy,” said architects Chris Romer-Lee and James Lowe.

Studio Octopi designed the concept at the competition stage with Egyptian office Shahira Fahmy Architects, and subsequently oversaw the £1.4 million development and construction process.

Photography is by Julien Lanoo.

Here’s a press release about the project from Delfina Foundation:

Delfina Foundation opens its newly expanded building

The £1.4m redevelopment has doubled the residency capacity, increasing the number of residents at one time from four to eight, as well as creating 1,650 square feet of additional exhibition and event space. Currently located at 29 Catherine Place in an Edwardian townhouse in Victoria, the Foundation has expanded into the adjacent building, giving it a combined area total of 4,564 square feet.

Adhering to one of the core concepts of the Delfina Foundation’s history as a provider of ‘homes’ for artists, the architects have retained the domesticity of the two houses, exploring the significance of the hearth in a home. Across cultures and throughout history, the hearth has been an integral part of a household, becoming synonymous with notions of domesticity, and place making. Fireplaces are kept in their entirety on the lower floors, and the recesses and hearth stones are retained in the artists’ private spaces.

The designs also set out to maintain the juxtaposition of public and private spaces. The introduction of glazed panels in the floors and walls allow for their integration. Diagonal views across the buildings and through the floors expose the Foundation’s ecosystem at work, as well as opening up the two buildings and bringing in more light throughout the space. With flexible artist workspaces throughout, the five-storey property boasts an expansive gallery/workshop space on the lower ground floor; reception, dining area and kitchen on the ground level; offices and library on the first, whilst the residents’ quarters occupy the two top floors.

Adopting the role of architect cum archaeologists, Studio Octopi have created an environment which is unassuming, layered and contextual, while peeling back the layers of ornamentation and finish to expose the period craftsmanship of the buildings. New insertions are made with a light and considered touch, while detailing is discrete and at times whimsical.

Brickwork to the reveals of the new openings is left exposed and overhead concrete lintels retained in their natural state. By leaving materials in their raw state, a reminder of the building’s beginnings is introduced.

A sense of permanence is imbued in the two townhouses, linking the present with the past and consequently looking ahead into the building’s exciting future.

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townhouses for the Delfina Foundation appeared first on Dezeen.