Hasta La Ideas

The long narrow bodies of snakes inspired the shapes of this pair of matching woodland hideaways that stretch out between the trees of a park in northern Portugal (+ slideshow).

Designed by architects Luís Rebelo de Andrade and Tiago Rebelo de Andrade, the structures each offer accommodation for one or two inhabitants at the Pedras Salgadas Park, a rural holiday resort on the edge of a spa town.

The architects aimed to “recreate the fantasy of tree houses”, by designing spaces that sit amongst the tree branches. Rather than climbing upwards, the structures maintain a flat level, which gradually becomes more elevated as the ground slopes away underneath.

Both buildings are constructed from timber, but are externally clad with slate tiles that create the impression of rough scales.

“The characteristic design associated with the slates and the wood on the base suggests a snake gliding between the trees,” said the designers. “Like a wild animal in its natural habitat, the house suddenly appears in the visual field of the observer.”

Narrow columns anchor the structures to the ground and long narrow bridges lead from the hillside towards each entrance.

Inside, symmetrical interiors offer combined living and sleeping areas with a kitchen and washroom on one side and a toilet and closet on the other.

Sustainable technologies such as solar panels and water recycling allow the buildings to be self-sufficient, while low-energy lighting and well-insulated walls ensure that electricity and heating are used as efficiently as possible.

This isn’t the first project Luís Rebelo de Andrade has worked on at the Pedras Salgadas Park – last year he collaborated with young Portuguese architect Diogo Aguiar on a series of woodland cabins.

Other tree houses on Dezeen include a hotel room that looks like a bird’s nest and a treetop artists’ studio. See more tree houses »

Photography is by Ricardo Oliveira Alves.

Here’s a project description from the architects:

Tree Snake Houses

Along with the project Pedras Salgadas Park by architects Luís Rebelo de Andrade and Tiago Rebelo de Andrade, came the challenge of creating an object that could recreate the fantasy of the tree houses.

The project for these houses was developed in partnership with the Modular System Company. The idea was to get an object that would be far away from the orthogonality and from pre-established concepts associated with the modular construction.

The characteristic design associated with the slates and the wood on the base suggests a snake gliding between the trees. Like a wild animal in its natural habitat, the house suddenly appears in the visual field of the observer.

The choice of materials gives an instant sense of connection with nature at the same time it establishes a coherent image of the proposal into a perfect symbiosis between the house and the Park.

The architects made use of new technology already tested in prototypes that allow a weightless easy-carrying construction. Native raw material, slate and wood used in the finishing also promote the integration at the same time it confers invisibility to the houses, not allowing these to take the chief role which belongs to the centennial Park itself.

Sustainability and ecology have always been one of the major concerns during the development of the project. The consistency and rationale for the intervention were attained by the layers and reinforced insulation, heating systems, water reuse, water solar panels, the low consumption lighting system using LED technology as well as the option of keeping the soil without any impermeable system, among other solutions. Each house comprises a studio with a bathroom and a kitchen.

Thus, the two Tree Snake Houses of Pedras Salgadas Park are objects that, using similar materials and technologies, point out to our imaginary: the primitive hut and the wild animal.

Developed by the architects Luís Rebelo De Andrade And Tiago Rebelo De Andrade in cooperation with Modular System the project also foresees multiple purposes, which can be adapted to different landscapes and climates.

More models of these houses like the Mountain Snake House, the River Snake House and the Sand Snake House, whose dimensions and materials are easily adapted to various climates and regions, are being developed and will soon be available to the public. It will then be possible to acquire one of these houses and to benefit from different situations such as coastal areas, riverbanks, mountain or urban environments.

Architects: Luís Rebelo de Andrade & Tiago Rebelo de Andrade
Collaborators: Madalena Rebelo de Andrade, Raquel Jorge, Pedro Baptista Dias
Project Area: 27,00 sqm
Client: UNICER
Constructor: Modular System

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Tiago Rebelo de Andrade appeared first on Dezeen.

Dutch studio KoningEllis Architects used a combination of grey slate, warm timber and shimmering aluminium for the walls of a new building at this school for children with learning disabilities in Haarlem, the Netherlands (+ slideshow).

Daaf Geluk secondary school had previously been located on two sites, but the construction of new housing had created the opportunity to bring the entire school together on one campus. KoningEllis Architects was tasked with renovating one of the old buildings – a brick structure from the 1940s – and adding an additional block of classrooms and sports facilities.

To complement the red and brown tones of the existing brickwork, architects Suzanne Ellis and Ieke Koning designed a two-storey extension with a timber facade, then added a ribbon of grey slate around its middle.

“The two buildings are in agreement with each other not only in form, but also in appearance, without being copies,” said the architects.

A glass tunnel leads from the renovated building to the new structure, which accommodates 12 classrooms, offices and a pair of sports halls.

Rooms are arranged around a double-height atrium with a generous skylight. A wide staircase extends up through the centre and doubles up as seating, allowing the space to function as an informal auditorium.

To create a “quiet, homely atmosphere”, the architects used a simple colour palette of white, grey and lime green. They also added windows at the end of every corridor so that natural light floods through the building.

“White walls and ceilings combined with grey melange floors form a peaceful basis,” explained Ellis. “For the frames, the staircase, floor and ceiling of the auditorium white oak was used, to add a neutral, natural and warm-looking material.”

She added: “We only added one distinct colour – grass green. This fresh colour forms a stylish, modern combination with the oak.”

Each of the classrooms feature thick partitions walls, creating built-in storage closets on the inside and private workspaces in the corridors.

The two sports halls are housed at the western end of the building and feature first-floor viewing platforms for spectators.

Other recently completed school buildings in Europe include a timber-clad extension to a school near The Hague and a French nursery and elementary school with hilly rooftops that pupils can explore. See more school design »

Photography is by Maarten Noordijk.

Here’s a more detailed project description from KoningEllis Architects:

Secondary School Haarlem

The Daaf Geluk School is a special-needs school, which means that it provides education for secondary school pupils who need more attention, guidance and help. The school offers tailored-made education and provides lessons in small classes of up to sixteen pupils.

Renovation and Expansion

Formerly, the 350 pupils of the ‘Daaf’ were spread over two locations in Haarlem. When the annex had to give way to housing, the school got the chance to come together on one site. The choice was made for renovation and expansion of the existing building at the current location. The expansion consists of offices, a communal space, twelve classrooms and two sports halls.

Design

For the type of pupils of ‘the Daaf’ it is important that the school has a quiet, homely atmosphere. Structure, clarity, peacefulness and security were therefore important conditions for the design. The layout ensures that there is always light at the end of the spacious corridors. The interior design has been kept basic and light, to avoid too much stimulation.

The heart of the school is the auditorium, where the broad wooden staircase, also functioning as seating for the stage, immediately catches the eye. The wood extends as a carpet in front of the staircase and at the end curls up into natural casing of the stage. A large skylight above the stairs makes the auditorium light and pleasant.

The building has been logically and cleverly planned. For example, the common areas are situated at the nodes and there is no wasted space. In the corridors smart double walls have been constructed. On the classroom side, there are built-in cupboards and on the corridor side there are recessed lockers and workplaces where pupils can sit and work quietly. Through the window the teacher can monitor them as well.

At the far end of the extension is a double gymnasium. The height in this part of the building is used for changing-rooms on the first floor and to provide a balcony where spectators can follow the activities in the gym. By providing the gyms with their own entrance they can also be used outside school hours.

Renovation

On the site they found a beautiful brick school building from the forties, but it didn’t meet the current requirements any longer and the original structure was not visible anymore. By removing the superficial interior additions and careful renovation of the primary structures, the architects were able to bring back the beauty of the original building. Constructive interventions strengthened the improvement of the routing and lines of visibility.

Sight lines are important to our design. From the new entrance square you look through the connecting corridor into the old building. The orientation of the buildings creates several outdoor areas: an entrance square, two playgrounds, and a secluded courtyard between the old and the new buildings. The old and the new are connected by a glazed corridor.

The new interventions were accentuated by using the colour green, which continues into the new building. To leave the historic appearance as much intact as possible, the iconic iron window frames were retained and renovated. Finally, a modern ventilation/air handling system was put in to improve the climate in the building. In this way the historic characteristics of the existing building have been preserved and the quality of the building environment has been optimised.

Exterior

The two buildings are in agreement with each other not only in form, but also in appearance, without being copies. The colour palette of the façade and the roof of the old building; brown and purple-grey, returns in the new building in contemporary materials such as preserved wood, aluminium and slate, all maintenance free materials. Hence the new building gets a warm feel to it, in tune with the old one, but still with its own character.

Around the school they put a ‘ribbon’; a horizontal stripe of purple-grey slate. In front of the entrance are the large steel letters ’DAAF’. The sign fits well with the modest building. No loud signs, just a stylish touch.

Detail

An aluminium strip ensures a tight transition between the different materials and gives the outline of the horizontal and vertical surfaces in the facade extra sharpness. The sun-blinds are hidden behind a removable panel. The technical drawings for the construction were not outsourced to ensure the quality of the design and to have maximum control during the building process.

Surroundings

With the same attention to detail the building was integrated into the environment. Also, the neighbourhood, welfare and preservation organisations were consulted. It was a puzzle to get the new building onto the plot. The new building doubled the volume of the existing school, and residential homes are close. That is why the appearance of the school has been kept modest. By using a light colour wood at the top and the bottom, the building looks friendly and inviting.

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by KoningEllis Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

French architects RAUM have arranged a cluster of holiday apartments in Brittany around terraces that are connected by small alleys (+ slideshows).

The clients for the project were a couple who asked RAUM to create two holiday homes with adjoining studio flats on the Quiberon peninsula, which can be rented by one or more families.

The architects designed the buildings around a series of outdoor spaces, linked by passages that can be transformed from public to private areas by closing gates.

Interiors are given a minimal treatment to focus attention on the terraces, and all of the ground floor living rooms feature sliding doors that open onto the decking outside.

A small building in the southwest corner of the site houses one of the studio flats, while another is located above the garage.

Wooden flooring is used throughout the interiors and also creates a connection with the external decking.

Other holiday homes that have appeared on Dezeen this summer include a house in the Stockholm archipelago with a zig-zagging concrete roofline, and a building inserted into the ruins of a castle in England that won this year’s Stirling Prize. See more holiday homes »

Photography is by Audrey Cerdan.

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by RAUM appeared first on Dezeen.

Here’s an exclusive set of images showing the inside of Zaha Hadid’s Innovation Tower at the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, sent to us by photographer Edmon Leong (+ slideshow).

Hong Kong-based architecture photographer Edmon Leong captured the images as some levels of the building were still being completed and faculty staff and students were moving in.

The building is now partly in use, with some floors still under construction.

Leong describes his journey round the building: “The first thing I saw were escalators… I was limited to angles since the entrance was heavily decorated with gold celebration balloons and student installations to mark its opening.”

Leong also took some shots standing at the top of the escalators in the main entrance looking downwards.

“The rest of the space feels more like a museum than a university. You can see the design’s similarity to the Guangzhou Opera House but on a smaller scale,” he added.

Walking around the third floor, Leong described how you encounter a small atrium on one side and a large lecture theatre.

“On the other side of the third floor you will find a larger atrium and this looks up to the ninth floor,” he said.

“The atrium looks pretty amazing, just next to it you find a staircase leading up to the ninth floor while floors four to nine are still under construction.”

Leong took a lift from the third to the ninth floor. He captured the unfinished space there and walking into a classroom with a view of the surrounding campus.

“I wish I’d had a space like this when I attended university,” he said.

“Many areas are still unfinished and I can’t wait to go back and finish photographing it at my own pace.”

He described the exterior and how he felt that it morphs into three different buildings.

“It looks completely different from various angles and sticks out amongst the landscape filled with box shaped buildings,” he said.

“Hong Kong needs more buildings like these because its such a modern metropolis.”

Zaha Hadid Architects were commissioned to complete the 76-metre high building in 2008.

Planned as the university’s design school, the building is close to Hung Hom station in Kowloon.

The leaning tower will provide a space for more than 1500 university students.

We published a story on the Innovation Tower with a series of exterior image by Edmon Leong a few months ago.

More Zaha Hadid projects include the Serpentine Sackler Gallery that opened in London last week, images of a boutique chain interior for American shoe designer Stuart Weitzman and the forthcoming design for the National Stadium of Japan.

See more Zaha Hadid projects »

All images are copyright Edmon Leong and used with permission.

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photographed by Edmon Leong appeared first on Dezeen.

Product news: Japanese studio Nendo has made this range of drinking vessels and wine bottle holders in the same way as pails and barrels (+ slideshow).

Nendo worked with traditional Japanese barrel maker Nakagawa Mokkougei, using wooden bucket-making techniques to create smaller versions for the Oke collection.

The range includes a tumbler, drinking cup, shot glass, sake cup and sake pitcher.

Nendo altered the silhouette of the buckets, which normally have straight edges. “We added a slight curve at the base to create a soft feel both visually and in the hand,” the studio said.

The lighter-coloured pieces are crafted from Japanese cypress and darker items are made out of Jindai cedar, a rare wood removed from the ground after being buried for 2000 years.

Both woods are treated with urethane to prevent warping caused by sunlight, dirt and moisture.

One metal hoop rather than the usual two is used to bind the wooden slats. The hoop is sandblasted for a matte finish.

The slats forming the larger Uneven-Oke Bucket are different heights so a bottle neck can rest against them. It has two hoops instead of one so it looks distinctly barrel-like.

All designs will be available from Seibu department stores in Japan from 22 October.

Nendo has also designed a collection of office furniture that is screwed together with a coin rather than tools and a chair inspired by the spike heels on a pair of stilettos. See more design by Nendo »

Photos are by Akihiro Yoshida.

Here are some more details from Nendo:

Oke Cup, Oke Carafe, Uneven-Oke Bucket

Nakagawa Mokkougei is a traditional Japanese cooper whose pails, buckets and other wooden items have long been beloved of exclusive Kyoto inns and restaurants. We designed a collection of drinking items – a tumbler, guinomi drinking cup, shot glass, sake cup and sake pitcher – that utilise the same barrel-making skills and techniques. Somewhat unconventionally, we decided to bind the wooden slats with one hoop, rather than the usual two. We made the walls thicker than usual and created nearly imperceptible spaces between the slats, a new construction that disperses the stress around the structure.

Using only one hoop makes for a clean look, and the thicker wood has a strong, comforting feel against the lips when lifted to the mouth. We also played with the cups’ silhouette. The walls of Japanese wooden buckets ordinarily lie straight. We added a slight curve at the base to create a soft feel both visually and in the hand.

To soften the hoop’s metallic gleam, we sandblasted it to a matte texture then coloured it with a powdered paint, developing another new technique. The pieces are made from a combination of Japanese cypress (hinoki), the traditional material for buckets, and Jindai Cedar, a rare, darker wood uncovered from having been buried in the earth for more than 2000 years.

We treated both woods with urethane to keep warping from ultraviolet rays, dirt and moisture to a minimum. A collection that combines old and new techniques to bring out the best in its materials. All the items will be sold at Seibu department stores in Japan exclusively from 22 October.

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by Nendo appeared first on Dezeen.