Hasta La Ideas

Thick walls made from locally sourced stone frame courtyards and corridors at this radio broadcasting station in the Nepalese town of Jomsom, designed by Korean studio Archium (+ slideshow).

Architect Kim In-cheurl of Seoul-based Archium developed the building for the Mustang Broadcasting Community (MBC), a radio station launched last year to serve residents and visitors in the remote Mustang region of north-west Nepal.

Situated on a ledge close to the banks of the Kali Gandaki River, 3000 metres above sea level, the building was designed to utilise locally available materials and labour.

To protect employees and guests from the strong winds prevalent in the region, the building is enveloped in walls made from a local stone called gneiss that also helps the radio station merge with the surrounding landscape of rock-strewn mountains.

Tall walls punctuated by small glazed openings line the edges of a paved pathway, creating a sheltered entrance to the site.

Influenced by the arrangement of vernacular houses, the building’s meeting rooms and broadcasting facilities are organised around courtyards that allow natural light to reach glazed walls and windows.

An antenna rises from the centre of the largest courtyard and is surrounded by strings of colourful flags.

Cement columns support the ceilings of cloisters surrounding the courtyards, helping to shield the interiors from direct sunlight.

Some of the rooms are lined with the same substantial rocks used for the external walls, while others feature walls constructed from tightly packed smaller stones. A chunky stone slab supported by wooden legs also creates a robust natural desk in one of the studios.

Stools carved by hand from solid tree trunks furnish several of the rooms, which are paved in the same irregular stone slabs used for the outdoor spaces.

Wood was used for window frames and doors to provide a warm and tactile contrast to the imposing stone surfaces that form the walls, floors and ceilings.

Photography is by Jun Myung-jin.

Here’s some more information from Archium:

Himalesque, Jomsom, Nepal

Himalesque in the plateau of Nepal and against its backdrop of unlimited nature, was another solution to the local climate conditions. The local traditional boundary markers are constructed from spaces with a thick outer skin, in order to solve the condition of a plateau in a lump. I paid attention to the deconstruction of the thickness of the boundary wall I divided of enclosed space which is separated from the outside according to functions.

A gap can be created in between the stone wall blocking wind and the glass wall, forming inner space. Site conditions facing strong winds with changing directions, from rainy seasons to dry seasons, and environmental conditions require that a cool, unheated space is maintained, in spite of the extreme daily temperature differences, reorganised by contemporary methods with local materials.

The small garden in between the separated walls open up a space seemingly destined to be confined by a softening wind and full light exposure, making a gap to establish its relationship with nature.

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a radio broadcasting station in Nepal appeared first on Dezeen.

This Berlin clothing store by Mexican design studio Zeller & Moye is filled with concertina-shaped display stands made from raw cement boards (+ slideshow).

Zeller & Moye designed the concept store for German-Austrian fashion brand ODEEH in the Bikini Berlin shopping centre in the west of the city.

A zigzag pattern is present throughout the interior. As well as the concertina-shaped stands and seating areas, the space features clothing racks with angular bases and folded partitions and mirrors.

These elements were designed to be arranged in different configurations, creating new ways to display garments for seasonal collections or during fashion weeks.

“The client asked us for a totally flexible system, so that manifold configurations can be set up from the very same elements,” studio co-founder Christoph Zeller told Dezeen. “The series of movable elements offers them maximal flexibility.”

Zeller said the cement boards offered a cost-efficient and sustainable approach, so the store wouldn’t have to be refitted every time their clients wanted a new look.

“The contrast with the clothing was rather a side effect but works extremely well, as ODEEH uses very fragile and sensuous fabrics,” he added.

The industrial-style space also features cross-shaped fluorescent lighting, which hangs below the pipes and services left exposed overhead.

Photography is by Harry Weber.

Here’s a project description from Zeller & Moye:

ODEEH Concept Store

The first concept store for german fashion brand ODEEH inhabits the terrace floor of Bikini Berlin, a modernist icon of 1950’s West-Berlin, offering vistas onto the Memorial church at Breitscheidplatz and the Berlin Zoo.

A landscape of movable elements can be arranged in ever-changing configurations allowing for maximum flexibility in the creation of unexpected spacial formations and curated concepts. The modular system of paravents and podests made of raw cement board is complemented by a series of delicate metal objects such as cloth racks, hooks and trays, specially designed for the store.

The mirrored insides to the paravents create kaleidoscope-like interiors showing individual products at all facets and allowing customers to eyeball the clothes from multiple angles. The reappearing zigzag lines and the cross patterns of the lights refer loosely to stitching methods in tailoring.

Project type: Fashion store
Project name: ODEEH
Location: Bikini Berlin, Budapester Straße 38-50, D-10787 Berlin
Program: Retail store
Status: Completed
Size (m2 and ft2): 250m2 / 2690ft2
Architects: Zeller & Moye
Partners: Christoph Zeller, Ingrid Moye
Project team: Omar Muñoz
Local architect: Rundzwei, Andreas Reeg
Project team: Christine Huber

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Berlin boutique for ODEEH appeared first on Dezeen.

American firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed this wooden lodge as the holiday home for a family at the Kicking Horse Mountain ski resort in Canada (+ slideshow).

Kicking Horse Residence, which was named as one of the ten recipients of the American Institute of Architects‘ 2014 Housing Awards earlier this week, was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson as a weekend retreat that can accommodate the family and their guests, but can also be left unoccupied for long periods of time.

“The clients desired a weekend gathering place for their active family of five that would allow for flexibility to accommodate larger groups of family and friends, and provide a direct connection to the outdoors for seasonal recreation,” said the architect.

A forest of aspen and spruce trees surrounds the site, so timber was chosen as the primary building material. But unlike the typical wooden lodges of the region, the house features an angular structure intended to reflect the clients’ Scandinavian heritage.

“The Kicking Horse Residence is a family retreat that uses evocative forms to embrace the natural world,” said the architect.

The three-storey house is made up of two wings, connected by a central staircase. The largest of the two is an asymmetric volume accommodating the main living and sleeping spaces, while its rectilinear partner contains a family room offering views of the mountain peaks.

The building nestles into the slope of the site, creating entrances on both the lower and middle levels. The first functions as the main access and the second is a landing providing access to nearby ski and bicycle trails.

Bedrooms are scattered throughout the house. Three sleeping spaces are located in the loft, while two master bedrooms sit at opposite ends of the middle storey, creating a cantilever at the front of the building.

The base of the house is surrounded by concrete and contains a garage, a mudroom and a play space for the children.

Here’s a project description from Bohlin Cywinski Jackson:

Kicking Horse Residence

The clients desired a weekend gathering place for their active family of five that would allow for flexibility to accommodate larger groups of family and friends and provide a direct connection to the outdoors for seasonal recreation. They requested careful arrangement of the program to maintain privacy on the narrow lot between two neighbouring residences, while focusing on the views and providing direct access to nearby ski and bike trails.

While Kicking Horse Mountain resort is a relatively new ski destination, the majority of the custom homes in the area still take the form of traditional timber structures. The clients appreciated the intimate scale and warmth of traditional mountain lodges but wished to explore the possibility of creating a Modernist cabin more rooted in their Scandinavian heritage that connected directly to the landscape. The sloping site is adjacent to a ski trail and surrounded by a forest of aspen and spruce trees. Located between two neighbouring residences, the careful arrangement of program maintains privacy through the thoughtful composition of windows, while focusing on the views and providing access to the nearby ski and bike trails.

The house is composed of two primary elements: a dense bar along the northern edge of the site containing the sleeping and bath spaces, and an open shell with living and dining spaces oriented toward the extraordinary mountain views. A central stair volume links these two forms, with the main entrance at the lower level and an upper landing for ski access on the west side.

The linear form of the sleeping spaces cantilevers over a board-formed concrete base containing the garage, mudroom, and playroom. A standing seam metal roof folds over the peak to become an articulated wall with operable vents, bringing light and air into the loft spaces. These lofts contain bunk beds that allow flexible sleeping arrangements for children or guests.

Anchored by a tall concrete fireplace, the geometric form containing the living and dining spaces floats above the forest floor, allowing natural drainage patterns to flow uninterrupted through the site. Plywood-clad walls and ceiling planes extend to the exterior, framing alpine views and sheltering an outdoor deck.

Given its function as a weekend retreat, the house was designed to perform for extended periods without occupancy. The design inherently reduces exposure to natural drainage patterns by limiting the building footprint, and we worked directly with the contractor to detail the below grade drainage system to perform most efficiently for the soils on site. Electrical, heating, and security systems are monitored and controlled remotely so the client is made immediately aware of any issues, and an emergency generator was supplied in case of power outage.

The evocative forms of the house are oriented to capture daylight and views to the stunning mountain peaks above, but also act to effectively shed snow from the massive storms that move through the area. The client chose a local general contractor, native to the Golden, BC area, with a long history of building in remote areas. They enjoy both the craft involved in building intricate wooden structures from locally sourced timbers and also heading outdoors after a day of hard work.

Wood is a primary natural resource in this region. The local Louisiana Pacific Mill is a lifeline for the town of Golden, and a project goal was to express the natural diversity of wood in the architecture.

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holiday home at a Canadian ski resort appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan 2014: Konstantin Grcic, Naoto Fukasawa and Jasper Morrison are among the six designers who have created objects from Carrara marble for design brand Marsotto Edizioni, showing in Milan this week (+ slideshow).

Italian brand Marsotto Edizioni have invited five of the same designers from previous commissions dating back to 2009 to create furniture pieces in the Italian white stone, with an addition of a sixth designer, Phillippe Nigro.

The Working on Marble collection comprises modular, flexible pieces including meeting tables, work surfaces and writing desks.

London-based Studio Irvine is responsible for the art direction of this year’s project. “Work, as a necessary part of our lives, covers a vast range of activities relating to the intellect, manual skills, the individual and the group. Hence this collection, with its diverse interpretations of surfaces as action tops,” said the studio.

British designer Jasper Morrison‘s Arena is a set of large round meeting tables with tapered, broad support columns.

Keyboard by Konstantin Grcic is a desk with a curved rotating top extension that allows for different working configurations.

Naoto Fukasawa has introduced a rectangular and modular meeting table with curved marble panels as legs. The table comes in three parts and fits together as a system, with 45 degree angle corner connections to create a curved opening in the centre.

Studio Irvine’s Toio writing desk and Isa dressing table both feature the same tapered legs, pairs of which sit at a 45 degree angle to the top.

The writing desk incorporates a groove, which supports a reading stand while the dressing table uses a groove to store cosmetics. The dressing table also features a circular detachable mirror.

Ross Lovegrove‘s Two Mates chess table comes with curved seats. He has also created two other freestanding chess tables, which stand at different heights.

French designer Philippe Nigro’s Rendez Vous reception desk is made to house electrical cables and available in three types, at different heights.

The exhibition will be on show from the Academia di Belle Arti di Brera in the Brera district in Milan from 8-13 April.

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presented in Milan appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan 2014: American furniture company Emeco has revealed a collection of stools and tables made from recycled and reclaimed materials in collaboration with Nendo (+ slideshow).

Called SU, which means simple and plain in Japanese, the collection is being shown at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan this week.

The tabletop is made from high-pressure laminate (HPL). The stool seats come in three materials – reclaimed oak, eco-concrete and recycled polyethylene. The legs to the table and stools are made of reclaimed oak or recycled aluminium in natural or with a black anodized finish.

Oki Sato from Nendo said he was inspired by the American company’s Navy Chair design in making the collection. “The Emeco Navy Chair is “the chair”, and has always been inspiring many architects and designers around the world,” said Sato.

“After roughly two years, we are proud to present a stool, which is strongly linked with the Navy Chair. It is for us, definitely “the stool”.”

The reclaimed oak seat has been sourced from old buildings in the US and carved by Amish craftsmen in Pennsylvania. Magnus Breitling, Vice president of product at Emeco said the wormholes in the oak give the seat “character and uniqueness”.

“We keep the oak seat untreated to allow the colour to change depending on its exposure to the sun, humidity and above all – usage, thus creating its own history,” said Breitling.

The eco or ‘green concrete’ is made from 50 per cent recycled glass bottles and CSA (calcium sulfoaluminate cement), which requires less energy to make.

The recycled polyethylene seats are shaped into the SU seat through rotation moulding and come in red, flint grey and dark charcoal grey.

The stools and tables will be on show until 13 April at the Emeco stand, Hall 20, E09 in Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan.

Here’s some more information from Emeco:

Emeco Announces the SU Collection – Stools and Tables Designed in Collaboration With Nendo

SU Collection features the famous Emeco characteristics of design, engineering and strength, built with recycled and reclaimed materials.

HANOVER, PA – April 8, 2014 – Emeco today announced that they will launch The SU Collection of stools and tables designed in collaboration with Nendo, at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Italy, April 8 – 13, at Emeco’s Stand Hall 20, E09. The Japanese concept of ‘su’ comes from traditional Japanese culture, and means simple, plain, minimal. Nendo brought the design aesthetic of ‘SU’ to the collaboration with Emeco, along with the name, for the Emeco SU Collection.

The SU Collection features precise engineering and the use of new, surprising eco-conscious materials. SU has “Emeco bones” the iconic seat of Emeco chairs made since 1944, and is made of reclaimed and recycled materials discovered through ongoing exploration of eco-conscious resources. SU seats come in three new material choices, all of which demonstrate a more environmentally conscious way of doing things, using responsibly selected alternatives of some traditional materials.

Solid reclaimed oak seats have been sourced from old architecture in the U.S.A., and carved into the Emeco seat by Amish craftsmen in Pennsylvania. Every piece is unique with signs of its past life. Eco- Concrete seats are made of Green-Concrete, a revolutionary concept that can replace the energy-consuming traditional concrete used in architecture. Emeco’s eco-concrete SU seat consists of 50% recycled glass bottles and CSA (calcium sulfoaluminate cement) that takes much less energy to make.

Recycled Polyethylene seats, made of 75% postindustrial and 25% post consumer content, and shaped into the SU seat through rotation molding, come in three timeless colour options – red, flint grey and dark charcoal grey. Emeco’s traditional material, recycled aluminium is used to make SU legs with either natural or black anodized finish. Reclaimed oak, as used in the seat, is another choice for the legs.

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to create new stool for Emeco appeared first on Dezeen.