Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

This narrow house on a high street in Tokyo by Apollo Architects & Associates features a glazed ground-floor gallery (+ slideshow).

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

The three-storey house has a long and slim shape that is common for city residences in Japan, which are often referred to as eel’s beds or nests.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

Apollo Architects & Associates designed the building with a simple rectangular facade and added the glazed gallery in a prominent position on the left-hand side. The entrance to the house sits to the right and is recessed to create a sheltered porch.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

A grid of eight windows stretches across the facade on the upper levels to bring natural light into the two main residential storeys.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

On the first floor, a blue-painted partition separates a small study from a traditional Japanese room, while a bathroom is tucked away at the back.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

One floor up, a single room spans the building to create a living room with a kitchen at its far end.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

The staircase connecting the three floors is made from steel and features open treads that allow light to pass through. It extends up to the roof, which accommodates a small terrace.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

Apollo Architects & Associates is led by Satoshi Kurosaki and also recently completed a house with three courtyards behind a concrete exterior. See more architecture by Apollo Architects & Associates.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

Other Japanese houses on Dezeen recently include an extension with two tree inside it and a residence with twisted proportions generated using the Fibonacci mathematical sequence. See more houses in Japan.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

Photography is by Masao Nishikawa.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

Here’s some more information from Apollo Architects & Associates:


Flag (Nakano Ward, Tokyo)

The site for this residence is narrow on the side facing the shopping district and long in the other direction, just like an “eel’s bed”. The facade is composed of large openings arranged in a regular grid.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

The couple – a husband who works for an advertisement company and wife who works for a furniture store – is an active DINKS (double-income, no kids) couple.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

The first floor is the glazed gallery which opens toward the street. Even though the house is compact, it can generate income when also used as a shop and by including a space for people to gather, it attains a public character. It is an urban residence which can offer a lifestyle of the future.

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

Location: Nakano ward, Tokyo
Completion: 2013.01

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

Site area: 45.19 sqm
Building area: 34.59 sqm
1F floor area: 31.09 sqm
2F floor area: 34.59 sqm
3F floor area: 34.59 sqm
PH floor area: 3.95 sqm
Total floor area: 105.03 sqm

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

Structure: Steel
Scale: 3F
Typology: Private housing + Retail

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

Structures: Masaki Structures, Kneta Masaki
Facility engineers: Shimada Architects, Zenei Shimada
Construction: Ido Construction

Flag by Apollo Architects & Associates

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Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre by Charles Wright Architects

This mirror-clad visitor centre by Australian firm Charles Wright Architects was designed to be invisible amongst the surrounding trees of the Cairns Botanic Gardens in Queensland.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Comprising two buildings and a dividing promenade, the visitor centre was designed as a gateway to the gardens, which contain a selection of tropical plants from northern Australian rainforests as well as from across Southeast Asia.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Charles Wright Architects drew inspiration from the suit worn by the alien-hunter in the 1987 movie Predator to give both buildings a reflective outer coating that would play down their impact on the park landscape. “We proposed a design which literally reflects the gardens as camouflage for the building,” explain the architects.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Rather than cover the surfaces with a single polished plane of metal, the architects added a series of flat panels that break the facade down into facets. Each one sits at an incrementally different angle and helps to muddle the reflected images.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

The pedestrian promenade runs across the site from east to west. To the north, one building contains a cafe and exhibition area for visitors, with a multi-purpose hall and a courtyard amphitheatre, while to the south a second block accommodates staff offices that open out to a long and narrow terrace.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Both buildings have non-linear shapes, generated by the routes of predefined pathways and locations of mature trees. They also have to nestle against the landscape at one end where the ground starts to climb upwards around them.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Charles Wright Architects have offices in Melbourne and Shanghai. The firm also recently completed a house that can withstand powerful cyclones. See more architecture in Australia.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

See more stories about mirrors on Dezeen, including a polished steel pavilion by Foster + Partners and a playground pavilion in Copenhagen.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Photography is by Patrick Bingham Hall.

Here’s a project description from Charles Wright Architects:


Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre

Conceptual framework

We set-out to design a “green” building which represents a paradigm shift for Cairns, moving away from the conventional building vernaculars toward new and progressive solutions that can be applied anywhere on a tropical latitude. There was a collective desire to attract both national and international attention, which would also aid in creating new opportunities and connections to existing facilities, communities and groups.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Public and cultural benefits

A new, iconic gateway into the botanic gardens and tanks arts centre precinct – “a democratic public space under-cover” – a challenging new architecture for the tropics which will act as an attractor to assist Cairns in its mission to be seen as a progressive city nationally and globally significant.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Relationship of built form to context

Council called for the building to be long, low and blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment (ideally invisible). We proposed a design which literally reflects the gardens as camouflage for the building with visual effect similar to the suit as worn by the alien hunter in the original 1987 Predator film. We sited the new building to straddle and activate the pedestrian promenade linking the gardens with the Arts Centre, acting as an open and flexible conduit into the interpretive and performative spaces.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Program resolution

The functional brief was very tight for the allotted site and constrained by existing paths, roads, easements, mature trees and a gradient that made the delivery of universal access particularly challenging.

The northern block contains the café terrace and opens to the major interpretation display and information space.

The southern block is an office building for council staff with a naturally ventilated corridor serving a linear sequence of cellular office spaces that all open out to the shared staff terrace on the south. This thin plan configuration encourages maximum use of passive cross-ventilation, augmented by efficient ceiling fans. Individual AC control when combined with an insulated internal thermal mass helps to minimise annual energy use through a mixed mode operation.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Above: site plan – click for larger image

Integration of allied disciplines

The project team had a collective desire to develop a world-class ESD, flexible office and mixed use public facility which wasn’t reliant on complex technological solutions or costly maintenance. We collaborated closely with council’s public artist to incorporate art glass within the glazed promenade facades.

Cost/value outcome

The client engaged in the choice of costed design strategies for the planning and form. There were significant mutual benefits such as the non-briefed inclusion of the informal amphitheatre as an alternative to excessively high retaining systems. The project was delivered under budget.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Above: sections – click for larger image

Sustainability

ESD initiatives include solar panels for feedback into the energy grid, stormwater harvesting tanks, mixed mode air-conditioning systems, low energy light fittings throughout, low water usage fittings, long life cycle efficiency materials and construction, solar treatment to all windows, naturally ventilated circulation corridors and shaded exposed thermal mass internally.

Response to client and user needs

Cairns Regional Council sought fresh and challenging ideas to create a memorable piece of tropical architecture, which has unquestionably been achieved. The Visitors Centre has already become a new landmark for the city.

Cairns Botanic Gardens by Charles Wright Architects

Above: elevations – click for larger image

Principal architect: Charles Wright Architects
Project team: Charles Wright, Richard Blight, Justine Wright, Katja Tsychkova
Project manager/s Charles Wright Architects / Cairns Regional Council / Aecom
Builder: Hansen Yuncken

Structural & Civil consultant: ARUP Pty Ltd
Hydraulics consultant: CMRP Pty Ltd
Electrical & Mechanical consultant: WSP Lincolne Scott Australia Pty Ltd
Quantity surveyor: Turner & Townsend
Landscape architect: JNP Pawsey & Prowse
ESD / Energy Efficiency consultant: Brad Pinches Consulting

Size: GFA 1415m2, cost $4.7 M
Time to complete: 4 months Design & Documentation, 10 months construction
Council: Cairns Regional Council
Client: Cairns Regional Council
Design software used: Autodesk AutoCad & Revit

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Sergio concept car by Pininfarina

Italian car company Pininfarina unveiled a two-seater concept vehicle without a windshield at the Geneva Motor Show last week (+ slideshow + movie).

Sergio concept car by Pininfarina

Named after Sergio Pininfarina, the designer who led the company for 40 years and died last year aged 85, the car has no side windows either, but does come with a pair of crash helmets.

Sergio concept car by Pininfarina

A Ferrari 458 Spider provides the structural base for the car, while its body is inspired by one of Pininfarina’s early designs, the 1965 Dino Berlinetta Speciale.

Sergio concept car by Pininfarina

A vintage Dino is on display alongside the Sergio at the Geneva Motor Show, which continues until 17 March.

Sergio concept car by Pininfarina

“My father would be proud of this concept car because it expresses the aesthetic values that always inspired him – the purity of the lines, the harmony of form, and balance,” said company chairman Paolo Pininfarina, adding that the car could feasibly be produced in limited numbers.

Sergio concept car by Pininfarina

We’ve recently reported on a tiny two-seater with wings that shoot out to form brake lights and plans to get a fuel-efficient 3D-printed car on the road – see all car design.

Sergio concept car by Pininfarina

Here’s some more information from Pininfarina:


At the Motor Show world debut for the Sergio, a modern interpretation of the 2-seater barchetta. As a tribute to the Senator, the stand is also displaying one of his most beloved masterpieces, the Dino Berlinetta Speciale, 1965.

It is named Sergio after the man who led Pininfarina for 40 years and conceived some of the greatest car legends. It is the new, amazing concept car created to celebrate the Life Senator Sergio Pininfarina. At its world debut today at the Geneva Motor Show, the Sergio joins the brand that has so marked the history of Pininfarina: Ferrari.

Universally known as Master of Italian style, the signature of Sergio Pininfarina left its imprint on the whole history of design with his creative genius, from the age of the great bodyworks to modern industry, often anticipating trends. The concept car dedicated to him renews the spirit of the extraordinary achievements under his leadership, translating it into a modern vision in the name of exclusivity, innovation and passion.

The Sergio, in fact, is a two-seater barchetta that looks to the future, very compact, very sporty, racy, pure and sensual. An exercise that Pininfarina decided to undertake on Ferrari 458 Spider mechanicals. Its formal interpretation is absolutely free, in the best tradition of the Pininfarina research which has produced so many Ferrari-based concept cars or unique models now recognised as masterpieces. Its exclusivity and development on the basis of a production car, in fact, sets the Sergio in the tradition of the great Pininfarina custom-made cars specifically designed for “special” clients. It is therefore a real car that can easily be produced in limited series of a few units.

“My father would be proud of this concept car,” said Chairman Paolo Pininfarina, “because it expresses the aesthetic values that always inspired him: the purity of the lines, the harmony of form, and balance. Furthermore, he would be happy with this latest concept on Ferrari base, a brand to which we are related by a history that has helped define the most beautiful cars of all time in an evolution that has lasted 60 years and shows no sign of ending.”

On its stand in Geneva, Pininfarina has placed the new Sergio next to one of the Senator’s most beloved Ferraris: the Dino Berlinetta Speciale, a unique model presented at the 1965 Paris Motor Show, which led to the lines of subsequent Dino production cars. Since 1967, the Dino has been part of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest Collection and is exhibited along with other historic prestige cars in the Musée de l’Automobile of Mans.

With the new Sergio, Pininfarina confirms its excellence in design, the cutting edge of a Company deeply involved in engineering services, research applied to sustainable mobility and brand enhancement activities.

“This concept,” says the CEO Silvio Pietro Angori, “is the best way to confirm the role of Pininfarina as a bearer of the aesthetic values of Italian design in the world and to strengthen the brand name, the Company’s real distinguishing feature. Together with design, Pininfarina is highly focused on all the traditional activities aimed at providing vehicle manufacturers with an all-round service: engineering: product development, testing, prototype construction. The enhancement of production assets and know-how is expressed in the creation of unique pieces like the Sergio or limited edition cars realised thanks to unique craft skills gained in over 80 years of activity”.

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Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

Glass panels slide into the walls to create an outdoor living room at this lakeside house outside São Paulo by Brazilian architects Studio Arthur Casas (+ slideshow).

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

Named Casa Itu, the building is the main residence for a young family with two children. It is two storeys in height, but most of the rooms occupy the ground floor to create a long L-shaped plan.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

Studio Arthur Casas used an earthy materials palette of sandy-coloured render and Brazilian teak wood to create a relationship between the house and the surrounding landscape.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

“We always try to use local materials,” architect Alexandra Kayat told Dezeen. “We used local earth in the mixture of the colour for the facade. We tried to find a colour that would be as close as possible to tones found in the landscape, so the house would fit better in the landscape, as its quite large and horizontal.”

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The living room sits at the outer corner of the plan, allowing two sides to open out to the garden. A wooden pergola cantilevers out beside it and has now (since the photographs) been fitted with a retractable canopy, while a supporting column is concealed behind the trunk of an indoor tree.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

A timber deck stretches out along the edge of the rear elevation, where the architects have installed a swimming pool. From here, a staircase ascends to give access to another terrace on the roof.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The entrance to the house is positioned behind the living room, at the intersection of the two wings. To the right, a dining room extends out onto a patio with a matching stone floor. A staircase leads up from here to a guest room above, while the rest of the bedrooms are at the other end of the house.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

Studio Arthur Casas also recently completed a golden house in São Paulo. Other Brazilian houses on Dezeen recently include a concrete house with a sunken living room and courtyard. See more architecture in Brazil.

Photography is by Fernando Guerra.

Here’s a project description from Studio Arthur Casas:


Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

Located about an hour from São Paulo, the house in Itu is a refuge for a young couple with children. A prime position on the banks of a small lake and the presence of a large yellow-ipe tree led us to create a house that takes maximum advantage of the landscape.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The floor plan in L shape divides the house in a simple way: the main volume contains the childrens’ room in the ground floor, a courtyard next to the home theater forms an intimate living room, a large living room opens onto the terrace and garden, erasing the boundaries between inside and outside.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

Above this volume are situated the master suite and a gym. In the secondary volume are the dining room, kitchen and the service areas. On the first floor of this volume are the guest rooms.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The house is marked by horizontality and fluidity between the spaces.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The entry is made at the point where the two volumes converge; a low-ceiling guides the look to the external landscape.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

On one side the stone floor of the dining room goes towards the terrace, gradually merging into the garden.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The living room is at a slightly lower level and has a higher ceiling. A tree trunk dominates this space, covering the single column present in the room.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The windows slide completely and are hidden inside the walls, bringing the terrace and landscape into the house.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The wood floor and ceiling give a warm and domestic aspect to that space that is merged with nature.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

A second terrace room was created under the pergola in continuity with the living room.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The whole side of the volume is dominated by a large wooden deck and a swimming lane, integrated with the landscape by rocks that penetrate the pool.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

The old yellow-ipe tree was preserved and merges with the architecture; a staircase was created aligned with that tree to connect the deck with the first floor.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

Several pathways are possible between inside and outside, being one of the most strong characteristics of the plan.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

Ground floor plan – click above for larger image

Covered in cumaru wood and painted with a colour that uses the local earth, even though it contains a large volume the house holds a discrete insertion in the landscape, its strong horizontality in dialogue with the tree canopies that surround the site.

Casa Itu by Studio Arthur Casas

First floor plan – click above for larger image

Architects: Studio Arthur Casas – Arthur Casas. Alexandra Kayat, Regiane Khristian, Renata Adoni.
Contractor: EB Malucelli Construtora
Consultants: Systemac (Structural Engineering); Kitchens (Kitchen Project); Luis Carlos Orsini
(landscape); La Lampe (lighting);
Suppliers: G Moveis Especiais (Millwork); Mekal (Inox Steel); Arthur Decor (Sun shades); De Aluminio (Frames); Metalbagno/Deca (Metal); NPK(Stones); Altero/Floresta (Hardware); BTicino (Electric Hardware Finishings), Jatoba (Mosaic Tiles); Vallve (Bathtubs), Prima Matéria (Solum Paint facade).
Interior design: Casual; Micasa; Varuzza; Nanni Chinelatto; Atelier Ricardo Fasanello; Dpot; Arthur Decor; Emporium Cortinas; Passado Composto.
Project date: 2008
Project completion: 2012
Total area: 950m2

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Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Prague-based Studio Muon have completed a hair salon in Brno, Czech Republic, that looks like a cross between a warehouse and a dungeon (+ slideshow).

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Although it looks more a warehouse, the 1920s building was first constructed for use as a bank. Studio Muon converted part of the structure into a fashion showroom in 2008 and was brought back to add the hair salon in 2012.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

While the first space was designed as a simple room with garments hanging from the ceiling, the second is planned as a series of zones with styling stations propped up on a stage.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

“Different functions requested different spaces,” architect Jiří Zhoř told Dezeen. “The main exhibit in the showroom is dresses, but in the hair studio it’s people.”

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Mirrors bolted to rough concrete blocks run along the centre of the hairdressing platform, with chairs either side and spotlights suspended from above.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Concrete beams are used to front a steel reception desk. Elsewhere, reclaimed wooden joists are used as tables and shelf surfaces.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Other salons completed recently include a forest-like beauty salon filled with birch trees and a hair salon with copper pipes snaking across the walls. See more salon and spa interiors.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Photography is by the architect.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Here’s a project description from Studio Muon:


Hair Studio “Táňa Kmenta”

Hair Studio “Tana Kmenta” is located in the bank building originally created and built in 1929-30 by Bohuslav Fuchs and Ernest Wiesner. It is located next to showroom DNB which is created by the same architect Jiří Zhoř in 2008. Both projects are symbiotically related, but different.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

The main consideration was to divide the zones and create an elevated podium/stage (level patio) which can be visible from the outside. To create a space where hairstylists can be seen carrying out their creations, the active section and the place to perform.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Elevated podium is intersected by large mirrors which are supported with concrete blocks and basic lighting. The concrete blocks in a contrast with smooth stainless surface of the floor and mirrors further enhance elevated look.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

While the zone for cutting hair is visible from the street, the space with the reception and for washing hair have cosy atmosphere.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

The concept of furnishing is a solitary. All furniture and equipment are custom made. The principal materials are black steel, concrete block panels, old wood beams and glass mirrors. The moving table is made out of 200 years old wood beams. The reception is made from steel construction with concrete blocks same as weights under the mirrors.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

The important element is a functional basin with different shelves for hair chemicals. Minimalistic black reflectors evoke a feeling of theatre atmosphere. The building of the bank is unique thanks to its construction from reinforced concrete what was innovative in the time of its development in 1930.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Above: fashion showroom, completed 2008

One of the aspirations of the project was to show off the basis of the building and its constructional principles. The atmosphere of the interior was soften by light white spraying what also created calmness and helped new elements to stand out in their real proportions and materials.

Táňa Kmenta Hair Studio by Studio Muon

Above: fashion showroom, completed 2008

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Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Students arriving at and departing from this school in Zaragoza, Spain, often obstructed sports games in the playground, so architect Guzmán de Yarza Blache decided to lift one of the sports courts up out of the way (+ slideshow).

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Raised up by one storey, the new elevated sports court sits at the entrance to Lasalle Franciscanas School. It is held in place by concrete pilotis, creating a sheltered entranceway underneath that can also be used as a general playground.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Yarza Blache, a director at J1 Arquitectos, was asked to complete installation of the structure during the six week summer holiday period, so he specified a prefabricated concrete structure that could be built in just a few days.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Two layers of steel fencing were added to create see-through walls, which are curved over at the top to prevent balls from escaping. The outer layer sits within a Corten steel planting box, so that ivy can grow up and eventually surround the court.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Ramps extend down from both sides of the structure, leading to an infants’ play area on one side and an entrance to the building on the other.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Since its opening, children at the school have nicknamed the structure “The Whale” in reference to its bulbous shape.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Other playground structures completed in recent years include a pavilion featuring funhouse mirrors and a building with fairytales engraved into its facade. See more stories about schools.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Photography is by Miguel de Guzmán.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Here’s a translated project description from the architect:


Elevated Sports Court at Lasalle Franciscanas School

The commission is originated by the need from the school to augment the total surface of the courtyard that due to the great amount of students and parents that usually gather during the day, can sometimes obstruct the correct developing of the sports and leisure activities that should take place in it.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

The courtyard is 33 metres wide by 35 metres long and has a south-east orientation. It is formed by the existing school that has a U form with two wings, one from the 50’s and another one from the 70’s.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

The fact of being a school meant that we had to accomplish the building works exclusively during the summer months. That fact made immediately think about a prefabricated concrete structure that could be built in a couple of days, and that could also solve the 13 meters distance that we wanted to cover in the ground level.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

The necessary elimination of the two existing trees in the courtyard gave another of the key drivers of the project; the inclusion of vegetation in the new structure. To do so we have designed a 70 metres long corten steel flower pot from which almost three hundreds of ivy plants grow, that in a few years will have covered the whole metallic bubble.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

That metallic bubble is formed with a double layer of galvanized steel, so one of the layers can help the ivy grow while the other one can resist the practice of teenager ball-related sports.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

The ground level hosts a garden-bench with an organic shape that includes different species of plants and allows the parents and the students to sit down and observe. The relation of the new volume with the rest of the school also had to be solved, for which a soft 45-meter ramp was designed to connect the ground level with an intermediate level and the elevated court.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Another organic ramp was also included to let the children from the infantile area get out to their courtyard´s zone, also in the ground level and partly under the court.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

The later visits to the school have revealed the success of the project and its fast iconic assimilation by the students, who have kindly called it “The Whale”.

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Architect: Guzmán de Yarza Blache
Finishing Date: September 2012
Location: Calle Andrés Piquer 5, Zaragoza.Spain
Client: Lasalle Franciscanas School
Built Surface: 350 sqm
Budget: 290.000 Euros

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Contractor: GM Empresa Constructora
Collaborators: Ana Guzmán Malpica, Julien Luengo-Gómez
Quantity Surveyor: Jose Manuel Arguedas
Structure: Josep Agustí de Ciurana, PRAINSA

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Above: ground level plan – click for larger image

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Above: court level plan – click for larger image

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Above: roof plan – click for larger image

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Above: long section – click for larger image

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Above: cross section – click for larger image

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Above: long elevation – click for larger image

Elevated Sports Court by Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Above: side elevation – click for larger image

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Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

A tubular steel slide plummets through four storeys inside this penthouse apartment in New York by architect David Hotson (+ slideshow).

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

The apartment occupies the uppermost stories of a late nineteenth century tower in lower Manhattan and had never been used as a residence before, so David Hotson was able to restructure the entire volume to create a quadruple-height living room, a glazed attic, indoor balconies and the two-stage slide.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

“The penthouse involved a complete re-imagining of the interior and all of the remarkable relationships between this space and the vertical cityscape around it,” Hotson told Dezeen.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

This cityscape includes Frank Gehry’s rippled residential tower next-door and the Chrysler Building in the distance.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

The slide starts at the very top of the apartment – an attic room surrounded by glass – and is slotted into a circular hole so residents can safely climb inside and start their descent.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: photograph is by Eric Laignel

It’s made from polished stainless steel, giving it a mirrored surface.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

After winding around a column and through a window, the slide comes to a brief stop on the next floor down.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Residents can either get out and access the rooms on this floor, or clamber back inside and spiral down through three more floors.

Skyhouse with an indoor slide by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

At the end of the slide, the stainless steel surface fans out to create a rectangular funhouse mirror at the edge of the living room.

Skyhouse with an indoor slide by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

If they don’t fancy using the slide, residents can always walk down through a faceted stairwell.

Skyhouse with an indoor slide by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

“This is a complex interior with a number of dramatic elements,” Hotson explained.

Skyhouse with an indoor slide by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: photograph is by Eric Laignel

“The four-storey stairwell twists up through the centre of the apartment while the four-storey-slide provides a quick trip back down.”

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: photograph is by Eric Laignel

The architect collaborated with interior designer Ghislaine Viñas, who added all of the furniture and artworks throughout the apartment.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: photograph is by Eric Laignel

These furnishings include a floral-printed “nest”, which is accessed across a bridge, and bright green breakfast area with a spherical chandelier overhead.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

The riveted steel columns of the building cut up through some of the spaces, while others feature arched windows that line up with the original facades.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Buildings with slides as well as stairs have cropped up on Dezeen a few times over the years.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Others include the Denmark office of toy brand Lego and a house with a concrete slide in Indonesia. See more slides on Dezeen.

Skyhouse with an indoor slide by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: photograph is by Eric Laignel

Photography is by the architect, apart from where stated otherwise.

Skyhouse with an indoor slide by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Here’s some more information from David Hotson:


Skyhouse

Occupying a four-story penthouse structure at the summit of an early skyscraper and commanding astonishing views of the surrounding Lower Manhattan cityscape, this project creates a breathtaking contemporary home in the sky.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

As the collaborative brainchild of architect David Hotson and interior designer Ghislaine Viñas, the project pairs Hotson’s crisply delineated spaces and rigorous architectural detailing with the vibrant colors, playful references and startling juxtapositions that are signatures of Viñas’ work.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

The residence features a four-story high entry hall spanned by structural glass bridges and illuminated by ingenious skylights borrowing light from upper level rooms, a fifty-foot tall living room ascended by climbing holds anchored to the central column, and a mirror-polished stainless steel slide that coils down through rooms and over stairways before it flares out to form a distorted wall at one end of the entry gallery.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Juxtaposed with this spatial drama, Viñas’ incandescent colors, startling overscaled floral patterns, whimsical menagerie of animal forms, tongue-in-cheek lighting fixtures and sly pop-cultural references create a playful and lighthearted foil to the vertiginous architecture.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

The design exploits its theatrical location by capturing framed views of the iconic buildings and bridges of the surrounding cityscape at a range of scales, from the dramatic skylight in the private elevator vestibule which frames the top of the new Beekman Tower by Frank Gehry looming above, to the intimate peephole in the guest bedroom shower which captures the glow of the Chrysler Building seventy blocks to the north.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

The historic riveted steel structure – among the earliest steel frames used in a New York skyscraper – is exposed as it weaves through the occupied spaces at all levels.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

All these elements are woven into the enveloping prototypical house form of the historic penthouse – with its steep hipped roof, chimneys and projecting dormer windows- creating the startling impression of a magical house suspended midway in the vertical cityscape of Lower Manhattan.

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: photograph is by Build Pictures

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: long section – click for larger image

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: cross section though living room one – click for larger image

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: cross section through living room two – click for larger image

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: cross section through entry stairwell – click for larger image

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: west elevation

Skyhouse by David Hotson and Ghislaine Viñas

Above: east elevation

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and Ghislaine Viñas
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Still by Apollo Architects & Associates

This house for a surgeon in Chiba, Japan, by Apollo Architects & Associates contains courtyards with elevated wooden walkways and glass walls behind its thick concrete exterior (+ slideshow).

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

The residence was designed for a busy street in Yotsukaido City, so Apollo Architects & Associates used chunky slabs of reinforced concrete to create a soundproofed barrier around the interior spaces.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

“[The client] requested privacy and quietness for his wife and three children to lead healthy lives,” explain the architects.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

The largest of the three courtyards sits beyond a sheltered driveway and contains a grass lawn and a central tree, while the second is positioned past the entrance and accommodates a pebble surface and a small maple tree.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

The smallest court is tucked away at the back to offer a small outdoor area for the main bedroom and bathroom.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

“The family can enjoy different atmospheres in these courtyards,” say the architects.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

Two staircases lead up to the living room and the children’s room on the first floor. One is indoors and built from wood, but the second is a series of concrete treads that rise up from the grassy courtyard.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

Wooden balconies overlook the courtyards from above and residents can look into different rooms through glass walls.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

The house is named Still and was completed in spring 2012.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

Tokyo-based Apollo Architects & Associates is led by Satoshi Kurosaki. The studio has designed a number of houses since launching in 2000, including Lift in Sendai with a pointy overhang and Damier in Tokyo which has a chequered facade. See more houses designed by Apollo Architects & Associates.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

Photography is by Masao Nishikawa.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

Here’s some more information from Apollo Architects & Associates:


Still

The client acquired the 330 m2 orthogonal property located along the road in pursuit of a space to rest his body and soul exhausted from his work as a surgeon. He requested privacy and quietness for his wife and three children to lead healthy lives. The building is set back from the frontal street where heavy vehicles pass by regularly. Parking space is secured for three cars. Reinforced concrete structure is chosen for its soundproofing ability. The opening is kept to a small horizontal ribbon window to block the noise and automobile emissions.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

The client purchased this property sized over 300 m2 for a purpose of creating courtyards with tall symbolic trees. There is a compact court with a maple tree in front of the entrance. Across the central corridor is the main court. And, toward the back of the site is a narrow bathroom court. The family can enjoy different atmospheres in these courtyards.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

The master bedroom and bathroom are located in the quiet area far from the street so that the residents can relax while viewing the garden. Each space offers its unique ambience. For example, in the study adjacent to the bedroom, the residents are able to carry out their professional work, or in the Japanese room facing the entrance court, they could relax and enjoy the space while sitting on the floor.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

The family space on the second floor is a single space surrounded by full-height glazing. Across the central corridor, the children’s room/study space is located. The space can be separated into individual rooms in the future. The other characteristic of this house is that the residents can experience the circulation space as they cross between inside and outside, thanks to the central corridor and roof balcony connecting the main building and annex. It is the ultimate luxury to lead a slow-paced life and enjoy the changing seasons.

Still by Apollo Architects and Associates

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& Associates
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Viktor & Rolf Autumn Winter 2013 scenography by Studio Job

Artists Studio Job created a backdrop of wilting flowers for Viktor & Rolf’s Autumn Winter 2013 show at Paris Fashion Week (+ slideshow).

Viktor & Rolf Autumn Winter 2013 scenography by Studio Job

Giant floral prints in various shades of grey were repeated across the partitions at the bottom of the catwalk to compliment the monochrome collection, titled Rebellious Sophistication.

Viktor & Rolf Autumn Winter 2013 scenography by Studio Job

The pattern was inspired by the work of 19th Century English textile designer William Morris.

Viktor & Rolf Autumn Winter 2013 scenography by Studio Job

Models walked down a runway covered in a printed herringbone arrangement of grey and white wooden planks.

Viktor & Rolf Autumn Winter 2013 scenography by Studio Job

The graphics stood out against the ceiling and tiered seating that were painted black for the show, which took place earlier this week.

Viktor & Rolf Autumn Winter 2013 scenography by Studio Job

Studio Job also designed the scenography for the Dutch fashion house’s Spring Summer 2010 and Autumn Winter 2010 collections.

Viktor and Rolf Autumn Winter 2013 scenography by Studio Job

They presented an Eiffel Tower lamp and Taj Mahal table  at Design Miami last December and designed a lounge for the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands.

More stories from Paris Fashion Week on Dezeen include two-in-one transforming dresses by Hussein Chalayan and Gareth Pugh’s outfits made from bin liners.

Photography is by Peter Stigter.

See all our stories about designs by Studio Job »
See all our stories about projects by Viktor & Rolf »
See all our stories from the Autumn Winter 2013 season »

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scenography by Studio Job
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Bikini Island collection by Werner Aisslinger for Moroso

Product news: Berlin-based designer Werner Aisslinger will unveil brightly coloured chairs and a set of modular furniture for Italian brand Moroso in Milan next month (+ slideshow).

Bikini Wood by Werner Aisslinger for Moroso

Werner Aisslinger’s Bikini Wood dining chair and swivel chair for Moroso come in a variety of bold colour gradients. The backs of the wooden chairs are covered by a slim piece of leather or fabric.

Bikini Wood by Werner Aisslinger for Moroso

The Bikini Island collection comprises a range of modular units, including tables, poufs, cabinets and sofas in various fabrics.

Bikini Wood by Werner Aisslinger for Moroso

The angular sofas can also be matched with round tables, bookshelves, clothes rails and plant pots.

Bikini Island by Werner Aisslinger for Moroso

The furniture will be presented at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan between from 9 to 14 April.

Bikini Island by Werner Aisslinger for Moroso

Aisslinger recently presented a storage system for German brand Flötotto that’s held together by plastic clips as well as a swinging sofa for the office – see all design by Werner Aisslinger.

Bikini Island by Werner Aisslinger for Moroso

Other products created for the brand include a Le Corbusier-inspired armchair and sofa by London designers Doshi Levien and Tord Boontje’s plywood furniture held together by thread – see all design from Moroso.

Bikini Island by Werner Aisslinger for Moroso

See all chairs »
See all furniture »

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for Moroso
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