Hasta La Ideas

More from architect Hironaka Ogawa: the two trees felled to make way for this house extension in Kagawa, Japan, were reinstalled inside the living room (+ slideshow).

The two-storey extension branches out into the garden of the 35-year-old family house to provide a residence for the client’s daughter and her husband.

The two trees stood in the way of construction and had to be removed beforehand, but Hironaka Ogawa was concerned about the connection they had to the family’s history. “These trees looked over the family for 35 years,” he explains.

The architect decided to keep the trees intact, dry them out and insert them into a double-height living and dining room. The floor was sunken just below ground level to ensure enough height to fit them in.

“Utilising these trees and creating a new place for the client became the main theme for the design,” says Ogawa, and explains that the family asked a Shinto priest to perform an exorcism on the trees as they were cut down.

Entitled Garden Tree House, the residence also contains a mezzanine loft that squeezes in alongside the trees. Bathrooms are tucked away below it.

Walls and ceilings are painted white, allowing the yellow and brown shades of the trees to stand out.

Trees were also the centrepiece of a wedding chapel that Hironaka Ogawa designed, which we featured on Dezeen this week. See more architecture from Japan on Dezeen.

Photography is by Daici Ano.

Here’s a full project description from Hironaka Ogawa:

Garden Tree House

This is an extension project on a thirty-five year-old house for a daughter and her husband. A Zelkova tree and a Camphor tree stood on the site since the time the main house was build thirty-five years ago.

Removing these trees was one of the design requirements because the new additional building could not be built if these trees remained. When I received the offer for the project, I thought of various designs before I visited the site for the first time. However, all my thoughts were blown away as soon as I saw the site in person. The two trees stood there quite strongly.

I listen to the stories in detail; the daughter has memories of climbing these trees when she was little. These trees looked over the family for thirty-five years. They coloured the garden and grew up with the family. Therefore, utilising these trees and creating a new place for the client became the main theme for the design.

In detail, I cut the two trees with their branches intact. Then I reduced the water content by smoking and drying them for two weeks. Thereafter, I placed the trees where they used to stand and used them as main structural columns in the center of the living room, dining room, and kitchen.

In order to mimic the way the trees used to stand, I sunk the building an additional 70 centimetres down in the ground. I kept the height of the addition lower than the main house while still maintaining 4 metre ceiling height.

By the way, the smoking and drying process was done at a kiln within Kagawa prefecture. These two trees returned to the site without ever leaving the prefecture.

The client asked a Shinto priest at the nearby shrine to remove evil when the trees were cut. Nobody would go that far without a love and attachment to these trees.

When this house is demolished and another new building constructed by a descendant of the client hundreds of years from now, surely these two trees will be reused in some kind of form.

Above: site plan – click for larger image

Above: floor plan – click for larger image

Above: cross section – click for larger image

Above: long section – click for larger image

Above: exploded isometric – click for larger image

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by Hironaka Ogawa appeared first on Dezeen.

London studio alma-nac has staggered the floors of this extension to a 2.3 metre-wide terraced house in south London to help bring natural light in through a sloping roof.

The narrow house is located in the former stable access between two properties and suffered from poor natural light due a lack of outward-facing walls.

“With such a narrow and deep plan the existing building was claustrophobic,” alma-nac partner Tristan Wigfall told Dezeen. “The key driver in developing the proposal was ensuring that natural light was able to penetrate deep into the plan to create rooms that felt spacious and light.”

The architects extended the house at the rear, then added a gently sloping roof dotted with skylights to allow natural light to enter rooms on each storey. This addition allows space for a new ground floor dining area, an extra bedroom on the first floor and a study on the second floor.

Floors on the two upper storeys fold up to meet the new roof at a perpendicular angle. “One of the key aspects was cranking the floor plates so that the main rooms, orientated towards the southerly rear of the property, had increased head-heights and improved the outlook to the garden and sky,” said Wigfall.

Storage was a key consideration and the architects have added a new dressing room on the first floor, a loft above the top floor and even a cupboard behind the head of the bed.

Slate tiles clad the walls and roof of the extension. “We liked the idea of the material continuing from the slope of the roof on to the vertical rear facade,” added the architect.

An oak-framed door punctures the slate surface and leads out from the dining area to the garden.

Other recently completed house extensions in London include a house with a wall of books and an orangery with an oak-screened staircase. See more residential extensions on Dezeen.

Photography is by Richard Chivers.

Here’s some more information from alma-nac:

Alma-nac were approached by a young couple in order to investigate the possibilities for extending and enhancing an existing terraced house on the busy high street of St John’s Hill, Clapham, London.

The uniquely narrow property, measuring just 2.3m internally throughout, presented certain challenges in reorganising the spaces. This was coupled with a strict budget within which to work; the property had been re-valued since the original purchase and the bank loan was based on the difference of the increased value.

It is understood that the location of the property was the original stable access to the rear of the high street. The resulting narrow proportions meant that the centre of the house was dark and gloomy. The building was laid out over three floors with cramped bedrooms facing on to the noisy high street and small sash windows of the study and bathroom to the south facing rear. At ground level the entrance lobby doubled up as a dining room and a piecemeal existing rear extension gave limited access to the garden through the kitchen.

The neighbouring property, an art gallery and studio at ground level and apartment above, had extended almost to the full depth of the plot with a terraced rear facade. An immediate response might have been to continue this form with a series of terraces forming the new rear facade. However, the complexity of constructing multiple terraces and roofs meant that this option was deemed prohibitively expensive as well as proving problematic in terms of bringing light into the centre of the plan.

A response to this was to form a continuous slate-clad sloped roof creating a simple and easily understood construction method. This material treatment is continued on the rear facade and reflected in the slate shingle ground cover of the rear garden.

In order to enhance the sense of space within the newly formed rooms the floor plates at each level were cranked, allowing an increased floor to ceiling height and encouraging light to penetrate deep in to the plan. A light-well was formed over the central stair by opening up the ceiling to the sloped roof. This allows natural light to flood deep in to the plan at first and second floor levels and provides a natural stack effect when the rooflights are opened. The brick flank walls are left exposed at the top of the stairwell to convey the original building roof shape.

A key consideration was storage space and every corner of the property has been utilised, from the bed-head with integrated storage, loft space over the top bedroom and compact bathroom layouts. The elongated form of the main bedroom at first floor level allowed for the creation of a dressing room area so that the bedroom space remains uncluttered of furniture. The design of the roof build-up ensured the minimum depth (250mm) in order to maximise the space internally and achieving a high U-value (0.14 W/m2K).

The staggered window pattern on the rear elevation plays with the scale. The rooflights are organised to allow views through to the exterior along the corridor side and to illuminate the top section of the sloped ceiling.

Architect: Alma-nac Collaborative Architecture
Design team: Tristan Wigfall, Alice Aldrin-Schrepfer
Contractor: McGovern Carpentry & Design
Interior Styling: Nina Wigfall Interior Design
Structural Engineer: Train and Kemp
Party Wall Surveyor: John D Shafee & Co
Building Control: NHBC

Above: site plan

Above: exploded axonometric diagram – click for larger image

Above: plans (ground, first, second, roof) – click for larger image and key

Above: long section – click for larger image and key

The post Slim House extension
by alma-nac appeared first on Dezeen.

French architect Emmanuelle Weiss has added a contrasting dark brick extension to a red brick house outside Lille (+ slideshow).

Weiss wanted to create a contemporary extension, but also respect the traditional materials palette. “The chosen materials are an homage to the existing house, but stay in a modern urban context,” the architect explained.

Unlike the original building, which has a vernacular roof, the extension features an asymmetric roofline that slopes upwards at two opposite corners of the building to form a butterfly shape.

The two buildings barely touch, so only a single doorway connects to the existing hallway from a new open-plan living and dining room, while two patios slot into the spaces between.

A new staircase leads up to the first floor, where the irregular shape of the roof provides a faceted ceiling over the extra bedroom and dressing room.

There is no connection to the main house from these rooms, but a doorway leads out to a small terrace on the roof.

See more residential extensions on Dezeen »
See more architecture in France »

Photography is by Julien Lanoo.

Here’s some more information from the architect:

Maison D – Emmanulle Weiss

House D (Maison D) is an extension of a family home in the middle of an urban area on a parcel of land twice as wide as the existing house.

The house doubles the linear qualities of the existing house façade, thus unifining a roadside landscape that was deconstructed before. The extention also doubles the importance of the private family garden.

The House D extension welcomes all the important living functions, private income patio, kitchen and living room, the architect (Emmanuelle Weiss) chose to incorporate on the first level of the extention an equipped sleeping quarter, with bathroom and a well organised dressing room.

The result of this exercise frees up the existing house, wich has mainly become the children’s territory. Also now, the complementation of House D makes room to add a large office area in the existing house, addapted to the professional life of its inhabitants.

The volume, high levels, low levels: “zones” create a dialogue with the existing typical style house. All the volumes in House D translate into its roofline, bringing a richness to the space. Natural light embraces the volume, sometimes directly, sometimes reflected, it fills the complete project and living quarters.

House D is an answer to the existing devision of the main house. Its functional properties talk directly to the vertical circulations of the existing house, it opens up living space.

To link the old and new together, the architect chose to use a minimal contact between both architectures. The new differentiates itself on the outside by two little patios, only linking itself to the old on the interior where the new encroaches into the hallway.

The chosen materials are an homage to the existing house, but stay in a modern urban context. Dark bricks (reflecting back on a modern way to the dark old red bricks typical for this area) and aluminium detailing show subtle hints to thier surroundings.

Above: ground floor plan

Above: first floor plan (extension only)

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Emmanuelle Weiss appeared first on Dezeen.

A simple uniform of Irish blue limestone dresses these four mono-pitched extensions to a rural cottage on the south coast of Ireland by London firm Niall McLaughlin Architects (+ slideshow).

To recreate the character of the single-storey cottage, the architects mirrored its sloping roof profile for the new buildings, creating a staggered row of gables that step gradually down the sloping site.

The existing residence has white-painted exterior walls, so the dark limestone of the extension relates more closely to the slate that covers its roof.

The architects explain how the limestone “weathers over time to match the geology of the surrounding cliffs,” and also “becomes highly reflective when wet.”

Semi-enclosed courtyards fit into the gaps between each of the buildings, finishing with an east-facing terrace overlooking the coastline, which the architects say “reveals spectacular views of the cliffs, the sea and the islands of West Cork.”

Glass walls and large windows frame more east-facing views from the dining room, living room and study, which occupy two of the new buildings.

House at Goleen was completed in 2009 but hasn’t been widely published.

See more residential extensions on Dezeen, including a Corian-clad addition to a house in London.

Photography is by Nick Guttridge.

Here’s some more information from Niall McLaughlin Architects:

House at Goleen

Client Brief

The existing house had suffered the abuse of the local climate and haphazard development over a period of years resulting in a fragmented plan and disjointed appearance.

The clients brief was straightforward; to retain part of the original structure and to provide additional accommodation and landscaping fit for the quality of the site.

Existing Site

The site is located in an area of exceptional natural beauty. Sea views and rugged yet lush landscapes combine with fast changing skies and wild deep blue seas. The site faces the sea to the east.

The existing house was set between a steep rock face to the north and a small stream to the south. The access road winds down the cliff from the west to the house. To the east a long gently sloping lawn stretches seaward towards the rocky coastline.

Planning Constraints

Outside of the local development boundary and set just below one of Europe’s most scenic roads, the character of the views and the landscape seen from the land around the house and the sea had to be maintained.

The local design guide proposed traditional or vernacular forms as acceptable but was clear that designs of exceptional quality with an emphasis on energy efficiency offering diversity in design would be acknowledged.

Design

The house is formed of a series of linear pavilions set parallel to the original house. The pavilions step down the 1.6m fall of the site creating a meandering path through the house from the entrance on the west to the living space and sea views to the east.

The form of the existing cottage influenced the design of the new structures and its ridge was used as a datum that defines the heights of the new buildings. A series of pitched roofs are staggered across the site creating pockets of space forming semi-enclosed courtyards.

At the end of the journey a large terrace reveals spectacular views of the cliffs, the sea and the islands of West Cork.

Guest bedrooms are located in the refurbished cottage. Visitors pass through a glass link into the first of the limestone buildings, the first of which accommodates the master bedroom and bathroom.

The second limestone pavilion contains the dining room and kitchen.

The final pavilion is broken into two parts, one for the living room and the other a freestanding study, accessed via stone doors and a small bridge over the cascading pools.

Materials Method of Construction

The existing house is roofed in natural slate with rendered white walls. New structures are clad in Irish blue limestone. This natural material weathers over time to match the geology of the surrounding cliffs. The stone becomes highly reflective when wet. The loads of the stone to the roof and the walls are supported by a reinforced concrete structure providing thermal mass that regulates temperatures and stores heat.

Project: House at Goleen
Location: ‘La Finca’, Spanishcove, Goleen, Co. Cork, Ireland
Compeltion: July 2009
Area: 300 sq m
Project architects: David Hemingway, Tilo Guenther

Site plan – click above for larger image

Ground floor plan – click above for larger image

Section – click above for larger image

East elevation – click above for larger image

The post House at Goleen by
Niall McLaughlin Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

This rooftop house extension by Californian architects SFOSL has a metal bridge at its entrance and a facade that folds open.

The architects weren’t permitted to adapt the volume of the derelict house, so instead designed a rooftop living room that is barely visible from the street but offers residents a view out over the San Francisco bay.

“The box on top incorporates the maximum allowable zoning volume,” said architect Andreas Tingulstad. Other restrictions included a necessary 4.5 metre setback from the facade and a maximum total height of 10 metres.

A perforated screen folds down over the south-facing facade of the new room to prevent it overheating during the day.

“The operable sunshade is perforated by an abstraction of the blocks’ facades, integrating the context of the neighbourhood into the building,” explained Tingulstad.

A wooden staircase provides a route down to rooms on the first floor, while the metal bridge stretches back to meet a patio that steps down to the same level.

The exterior of the house is painted black to set it apart from its white, grey and cream-coloured neighbours.

Other American houses we’ve featured on Dezeen recently include a country house clad in shimmering aluminium panels and a writer’s hideaway clad in black-stained cedar.

See more stories about residential extensions »

Photography is by Bruce Damonte.

Here’s a project description from SFOSL:

20th Street – San Francisco

The client came to us with a derelict home on 20th Street by Potrero Hill.

The client’s had a basic need for an upgrade but also more space – to achieve this it soon became evident that expanding up through the roof was our only way.

This would not only meet their needs, but could potentially take advantage of the view overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

The existing 1575 sq. ft became 2225 sq ft – the private domain would remain on the 2nd floor – while the public functions would rise to an addition on the roof – a classic but clear programmatic division.

We chose to fully comply with all the zoning regulations, and let that be the solution to our design strategies.

We maneuvered through many City issues, but managed to solve the project requirements within the required setback of 15 feet, extending 32 feet in height, all within 175 dollars per sq ft.

We were not allowed to change the existing façade other than replacing windows and cladding due to the fact that the city had designated this block as historic.

Ground floor plan – click above for larger image

Although we felt that the building itself had no particular historical significance – it was first and foremost a volume – but we felt the block could make sense. We proceeded by distilling the façade components in order to highlight the common denominator of the individual houses.

As the home faces south, the new dining and living space would be excessively hot in the sun during the San Francisco’s Indian summer. We naturally wanted to capture as much of the view as possible, but also ensure that privacy and cooling issues were resolved.

First floor plan – click above for larger image

The extension would become an outdoor / indoor space enabling the free roaming from the deck in front, through the public space and back to a formerly unappreciated terraced garden in the rear. We wanted as big of an expanse as possible, but simultaneously we wanted to allow for privacy – the solution was a flexible sunscreen. By perforating the skate-ramp cladding with a pixilated image of the street we combined the city setback guidelines, the shading- and the privacy strategy with the City’s wish to embrace the character of this block.

Second floor plan – Click above for larger image

The once obsolete and underutilized backyard was given new meaning by enabling a continuous loop in-between the private and public functions. The new indoor stair and the outdoors catwalk bridge now connect the private and secluded 2nd floor to the living area on the 3rd level. This allows the owners’ two dogs a free passage to the rear yard 24-7. Our only other injection apart from the color black and the bridge connection was an aim of the highest possible degree of floral diversity – to give the backyard that oasis feeling.

Roof plan – click above for larger image

For the interior we embraced the client’s love of raw construction materials. They especially wished for many visible and unpainted wooden surfaces combined with brightness and gloss. We recycled wooden roof joists and custom-built a shelving system. PSL beams were used for the stair connecting the old house to the new, and OSB sheets connected the 2nd floor to the entry.

Section – click above for larger image

To weave the house into the urban fabric the building was clad in the inexpensive Ramp Armor material, used to make skateboard ramps. This material, with its precision, makes the building autonomous and differentiates it from the neighboring houses – while simultaneously enhancing the original design by pinpointing the primary components of the original vernacular – in that sense the building once and for all reaches its full potential within the historic envelope.

Sustainable Design is imperative to us. For this project we installed solar panels, and reused existing materials and minimized new materials to minimize waste. Our take on sustainability is foremost about the use of square footage. In every project – and maybe especially in this renovation and extension, every square foot has been thought through in its intention and objective. If we detect a spatial blind spot – we make sure it goes away or comes to life.

Front elevation – click above for larger image

Architect: Casper Mork Ulnes, Andreas Tingulstad, Grygoriy Ladigin.
Location: 1330 20th Street, San Francisco
Year Completed: 2012
General Contractor: Natal Modica Construction, Inc.
Engineer: Double D Engineering
Metal Work: Defauw Design & Fabrication
Landscape Architects: Flora Grubb
Area: 2225 sq ft (remodel + upward extension)

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by SFOSL appeared first on Dezeen.