Hasta La Ideas

Hinged panels discretely integrated into the facade of this house in Parede, Portugal, by Lisbon architect Humberto Conde protect the property when the owners are away. (+ slideshow).

Humberto Conde designed the family home for a narrow plot next to a three-storey property that informed the overall dimensions of the new building and the position of its street-facing elevation.

To the street, the house presents a minimal facade covered in cement panels and punctuated by narrow vertical windows. The hinged shutters fold down to conceal the windows, protecting the property at night and when the family is on holiday.

“The new building promotes a dialogue between the surrounding area by a language of contrast in its image and shape regarding all the spatial articulation principles that mark the adjacent building,” said Conde.

At ground-floor level, the entrance is shielded by a small boxy canopy, while the hinged shutters that conceal the kitchen and laundry can be folded upwards to admit natural light and views toward the street.

The gently sloping courtyard at the front of the house provides space for parking two cars, while a large patio at the back is surrounded by vegetation and incorporates a lap pool that is illuminated at night.

A long corridor leads from the entrance to the kitchen on the left and into the main living and dining area, which is connected to the garden by full-height sliding glass doors.

A staircase located to the right of the entrance ascends from the corridor to a first floor containing two bedrooms.

Next to the master bedroom is an antechamber between the dressing area and en suite bathroom, which contains a square, swivelling window.

This window looks out at a sculptural tree in a sheltered courtyard with frosted windows on either side, allowing light and ventilation to reach the bathrooms.

A door from the master bedroom provides access to a balcony overlooking the garden at the rear of the house, which projects over the patio below to shade the living spaces.

On the second floor is a third bedroom and doors that open onto a large roof terrace.

Similarly to the hinged panels on the house’s minimal front facade, these doors sit flush with a dark wall that gives the terrace a contrasting appearance to the rest of the white exterior.

Photography is by Fernando Guerra.

Here’s a project description from Humberto Conde:

Parede 11 House, Cascais, Portugal

Principles

The project aims to develop a single house located in the centre of Parede, Cascais, in a site characterised as Historical Urban Space. The lot of the house as a particular elongated and thin configuration like the adjacent lot on the left side – south. The nearby buildings are part of a summer houses morph-typological group that proliferated in the Portuguese coastline in the 40s, 50s and 60s.

These houses were usually built as second houses or summer residences, presenting, in general, a garden that involves them throughout their perimeter. The exception is made in smaller lots of recent date where it was usual the implantation of terraced houses, as a way to potentiate the opposite top sideband.

In this particular case, given the lot’s configuration and taking into account the adjacent house (with three floors above the ground and one basement), we believe that the new construction should certainly be marked out through these alignments, namely the build’s height, volumetry and the alignments of the main facade.

The new building should promote a dialogue between the surrounding area by a language of contrast in its image and shape regarding all the spatial articulation principles that mark the adjacent building – as well as by the used construction details, such as window openings, metric of the facades and visual relation with the exterior.

Safeguarding a small courtyard at the entrance of the house – access area to the parking lot and the house – that assures the alignments, the new building is developed in three floors above ground, freeing at the back (West), a green space which is in direct relation with the social spaces of the house.

Access / Outdoor Spaces

The building is focused on the alignments with the adjacent house, with a East/West orientation, which allows to free part of the lot at East as a reception and decompression space, providing an area for two parking spaces inside the lot.

There’s a longitudinal corridor, delimited by the contiguous lots’ walls, with the introduction of a single vegetable element – a tree – allowing the automobile and pedestrian access to the interior of the housing. It’s also considered the interest in maintaining the permeability of the soil by applying a large green surface at the back of the house. This will allow the infiltration of a significant percentage of rainwater and the optimisation of the access to the infrastructure network derived from extensions installed on the public road.

Functional Structure

The access to the interior of the house is made by a small and slightly inclined ramp, which is also use as a common distribution atrium of the automobile and pedestrian access.

At the ground floor level are the social spaces of the house. Through a central corridor, which serves as the house’s entrance hall, it’s made the distribution to the different spaces of the house. On the left side of the hallway are the kitchen and clothing treatment areas, accessed laterally. In front is the living room, a big space that establishes a close relationship with the exterior, through the use of a garden. Finally, on right side of the corridor are the staircases for the upper floors – the private spaces of the house.

Reaching the first floor through the distribution staircase, located on the right side of the house’s main access, we’ve got two bedrooms equipped with their own private bathroom and closet. Both bedrooms are naturally lit through the openings located on the East and West facades, having been also created a small outdoor garden to canalise natural light and ventilation of the bathrooms of both bedrooms.

The second floor consists on a single space – the third bedroom and a bathroom. Both spaces enjoy natural light and a strong relationship with a terrace facing the West, where a tree coming from the garden on the lower floor emerges.

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of Humberto Conde’s Portugal townhouse appeared first on Dezeen.

Slovenian firm Studio 360 built walls of modular white shelving inside every room of this L-shaped apartment in Ljubljana to maximise space whilst removing clutter (+ slideshow).

Studio 360 renovated a 100-square-metre apartment in the heart of the Slovenian capital to create the modern home, which contains a large living and dining room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a study.

The designers didn’t make any changes to the layout of the apartment, but gave each room a different arrangement of shelving based on simple geometric shapes. This inspired the project’s name, Geometric Residence.

The studio also made small structural adjustments by changing windows and doors, replacing the flooring and rewiring the electrics.

“When the client approached us, this apartment was vacant and ruined,” explained studio director Lidija Dragisic. “In order to bring it back to life, the renovation was absolutely necessary.”

The interior combines basic materials and natural colours, with white walls, oak furniture and detail accents in black. “This approach allowed the residents the freedom of doing any additional decorations without disrupting the overall design statement,” said Dragisic.

Entering the space, the apartment opens onto the open-plan living room, accessed by walking under a strip of mirrored glass.

The lounge area is dominated by block white shelving, with gaps made of oak deliberately inserted to allow the addition of books, a TV and speakers.

In contrast, the adjacent kitchen features uniform white units, which surround a custom-made 3.5-metre wooden table with a parquet finish.

In the master bedroom, oak storage units are suspended from the wall above a bed made from the same wood. Both this room and the second bedroom feature full-height white wardrobes.

Sandwiched between the two bedrooms is a small study with shelving divided into squares and rectangles.

The two main bathrooms are finished in slate grey tiling and feature mirror-lined walls and white inlet shelving.

Photogaphy is by Miran Kambic.

Here’s a project description from the designers:

 Geometric Residence, Ljubljana, Slovenia 

The apartment is located in the heart of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is divided into living area (consisting of a large living room with kitchen and dining room) and more intimate / sleeping area (two sleeping rooms and a study room). In between these two spaces there is a service part offering two contemporary bathrooms and one utility.

When the client approached us, this apartment was vacant and ruined. In order to bring it back to life, the renovation was absolutely necessary. The adaptation didn’t make any significant changes to the floor plan, besides some bathroom enhancements, windows & door replacements, new flooring and electrical installations.The interior furnishing design is simple, with design-scheme combining basic materials and natural colours: oak, white furniture and some detail accents in black. This approach allowed the residents the freedom of doing any additional decorations (art, coloured cushions, carpets, accessories etc.) without disrupting the overall design-statement.

The furniture along the walls is in a neutral white and designed in a geometrical pattern, which magnifies the flat’s ambience. Several carefully selected accents are wood, which create a pleasant and cozy atmosphere. The furniture is custom and unique – for example, a big 3.5 m long wooden table in the middle of the dining area or a huge pantry with parquet-finish, which brings the living and private spaces together. The marriage of white and oak is implemented in the master bedroom as well (master-bed and a geometrically-shaped wall closet above). The massive curtains throughout the apartment achieve additional intimacy, softness and consistency (they are also in a neutral black & white combination). The bathrooms are simple and without any unnecessary decorations, which allows the beautiful concrete-like tiles to stand out. These spaces are visually enhanced with the clever use of built-in mirrored walls.

Our aim was to adapt this interior to the versatile, ever changing needs of the modern customer. Besides the functionality, we wanted to create many different lighting scenarios and environments. This is achieved by combining basic lighting with the indirect led lighting, which are hidden in the furniture elements. The ceiling in the bedroom adorned with a crystal chandelier, which (along with the other vintage accessories) gives this residence a unique soul.

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and storage to Slovenian apartment appeared first on Dezeen.

Perched on an Alpine ridge 3256 metres above sea level, this shiny steel cabin by Swiss firm Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes creates a starting point for mountaineers climbing the Bishorn, Weisshorn or Tête de Milon (+ slideshow).

Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes designed Tracuit Mountain Hut to replace an existing climbers’ facility that had been constructed in 1929 in the Chaussy section of the Swiss Alpine Club.

The existing building had been subjected to a number of adaptions over the years and would have required extensive renovation to bring it up to modern standards, so a decision was made to simply knock it down and start from scratch.

Wrapping over the peak of a mountain and glacier, the building has an angular shape that is orientated south to make the most of solar heat and energy.

“The nature of the site, between a cliff and a glacier, defined the position and shape of the new hut, which is constructed along the ridge above the cliff, fitting in with the site’s topography,” said the architects.

Solar panels cover the south elevation and the roof, allowing the building to generate all of its own power. Larger windows are also located on this side of the building, where they can take advantage of solar heat gain.

The difficulty in transporting concrete to the remote location prompted the architects to use a timber frame for the building’s structure, which had to be prefabricated and airlifted to the site by helicopter.

Corrugated stainless-steel panels clad the west, north and east elevations, creating a shiny surface that offers a distorted reflection of the surroundings.

Four storeys of accommodation are contained within the building, including sleeping spaces for up to 116 guests and large canteen.

“From the refectory, guests enjoy an uninterrupted, plunging view over the Val de Zinal,” added the architects.

Photography is by Thomas Jantscher.

Here’s some project text from Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes:

New Tracuit Mountain Hut, Zinal

The Tracuit Mountain Hut (altitude 3256 metres) belongs to the Chaussy section of the Swiss Alpine Club and is situated in the Val d’Anniviers, in the heart of the Valaisan Alps. Its superb position makes it the ideal starting-point for climbing the Bishorn, the Weisshorn, and the Tête de Milon.

The hut was built in 1929 and enlarged several times to cope with a constant increase in guest numbers and expected levels of comfort. Current requirements concerning health and safety, staffing, facilities, and environmental protection meant that the hut needed to be enlarged and completely refurbished. As transforming the existing hut would have produced a significant cost overhead, the club decided to build a new one. The design was chosen via an architectural competition.

The nature of the site, between a cliff and a glacier, defined the position and shape of the new hut, which is constructed along the ridge above the cliff, fitting in with the site’s topography. The south facade of the building extends from the cliff and works like a large solar collector, being either glazed or covered with solar panels to make maximum use of solar energy. The other facades reflect the surrounding landscape. From the refectory, guests enjoy an uninterrupted, plunging view over the Val de Zinal.

At this altitude, the construction methods had to be adapted to the adverse weather conditions and to the means of transport available. As transporting concrete is particularly expensive, its use was minimised and restricted largely to individual footings.

The whole of the structural frame is of wood. The wall and floor components, consisting of studs/beams, insulation and cladding, were prefabricated in the factory and transported by helicopter for on-site assembly. Panels of stainless steel cladding protect the roof and outer walls from the elements.

The east, west and north walls have only a few openings, reducing heat loss while providing optimum natural ventilation. Larger windows on the south wall, which is exposed to the sun, enable passive solar energy to be stored, and this wall is also covered with solar panels.

During the work, the existing hut accommodated the usual guests and also the construction workers. At the end of the work, this outdated, energy-hungry building was taken down. The lower part of the walls remains, with the south wall delimiting the terrace and protecting its users from the wind.

Via its large area of solar panels and south-facing glazing, the building makes maximum use of solar radiation. The compact shape of the building and efficient wall insulation reduce heat loss. Low-tech ventilation is used to recover the significant amount of heat emitted by the building’s occupants, while making it more comfortable and preventing any problems with mould growth in premises that are closed for several months of the year.

Client: Swiss Alpine Club, section Chaussy
Program: hut with 116 beds, (6 dorms with 12 places, 5 dorms with 4 places, 1 dorm with 24 places), refectory, professional kitchen, techniques
Civil engineer: Alpatec SA
HVAC engineer: Tecnoservice Engineering SA

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Architectes wraps over an Alpine ridge appeared first on Dezeen.

Bangkok designers THINKK Studio have created a modular shelving system made from wooden batons with perforated aluminium surfaces that slot in to create dividers or hide clutter.

THINKK Studio wanted to develop a versatile, stackable shelving design that provides multiple functionalities, including hanging space and adjustable surfaces.

“To find a fresh system for modular shelving we decided to start the project by thinking about detail first,” the designers told Dezeen.

They created a framework comprising jointed wooden batons that stack neatly thanks to the arrangement at each corner and don’t require any additional fixings to lock the individual modules together.

“The cross-section of the four legs is intentionally designed for stacking,” added the designers. “When the shelves are flipped horizontally and stacked on top of another one, the legs perfectly insert down and sit on the lower shelf.”

Flipping and stacking the units creates a random rhythm of the vertical bracing bars and additional metal surfaces.

Vertical batons on either side of the shelves protrude above the horizontal surface to provide a hanging hook.

Slits in the shelves and batons opposite create gaps into which the perforated aluminium sheets can be slid to provide surfaces for dividing the space, hiding mess or acting as a backdrop for objects.

The aluminium surfaces are also fitted to the two vertical bars to create an additional horizontal shelf in the middle of each unit.

The modules are available in natural oak or in a variety of coloured stains, with the aluminium sheets produced in complementary hues.

THINKK Studio will present the Stackle shelving system at the Ventura Lambrate design district during next month’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile.

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designed by THINKK Studio appeared first on Dezeen.

This wearable design concept helps epilepsy sufferers manage symptoms, predict potential seizures and alert passersby or loved ones when having a fit (+ slideshow).

The Dialog device, developed by American technology company Artefact, would use a wearable sensor and an iPhone app to help monitor patients’ vital signs and keep a log of conditions leading up to, during, and after a seizure.

“There are currently three million epilepsy sufferers in America, and it is the third most common neurological disorder after Alzheimer’s and stroke,” said Matthew Jordan, the project leader.

Current solutions, according to Artefact, only focus on detection, alert or journaling and don’t address the whole experience of living with the condition.

The Dialog would deal with the problem by creating a digital network that connects the person living with epilepsy to caregivers, doctors, and members of the public who have installed the Dialog app with data and instructions on how to give assistance.

The user attaches a nodule to the skin, which can be done either using transparent adhesive paper or by wearing it in a bracket that looks like a watch.

Using a series of sensors that monitors hydration, temperature, and heart rate, it gathers information on the wearer and stores the data on a smartphone.

Additionally, the sensor would prompt the wearer to take medication and record mood through the sensor’s touchscreen, and logs information about local climate conditions that could increase the likelihood of a seizure.

In the event of a fit, the wearer simply grasps the sensor, which alerts a caregiver and anyone within close proximity of the sufferer who has downloaded the app.

“It helps possible first responders be notified that a patient who is nearby is having a sustained seizure, directs the bystander to the patient, gives instructions on how to help the patient through the emergency, and affords a direct line of communication to the family caregiver,” said Jordan.

When the seizure ends, information about the length of the seizure, along with other contextual information, is displayed on the user’s smartphone to help reorient themselves.

With the information generated by wearing the sensor, the app will then be able to learn what conditions or vital signs could indicate a potential seizure is imminent and alert all parties. It would also give time for the wearer to take preventative action.

A doctor can would be able to access all of the data generated by the app and make changes to medication or offer insights into causes and symptoms.

“At this point, the device is a concept, but we designed it with technologies and components in mind that are currently in development or being tested in labs and research centres,” said Emilia Palaveeva, another member of the Dialog team.

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to predict seizures and call for help appeared first on Dezeen.