Hasta La Ideas

This solitary wooden cottage on the Norwegian island of Vega was designed by Swedish studio Kolman Boye Architects to resemble the weather-beaten boathouses that are dotted along the island’s coastline (+ slideshow).

The traditional sheds, known as Naust, are common to Norway’s seaside towns and villages, so architects Erik Kolman Janouch and Victor Boye Julebäk decided to pay tribute by creating a small residence that resembles a pair of cabins.

“We have aimed to build a contemporary Naust with an unpretentious presence and a distinctive character, developing themes from the vernacular architecture,” they said, referencing the simple materials and gabled profiles.

Vega Cottage was built over the uneven terrain of a rocky outcrop near the coastline. “The site is distinctive for its grand and harsh northern landscape with wide panoramas of the Norwegian Sea and the jagged mountains rising from it,” said the architects.

A pathway leading to the entrance sits within a natural ravine, so as not to disturb views across the landscape. As a result, the house appears to be completely cut off from any other traces of civilisation.

The architects used pine to build the structure then added birch joinery details. Exterior walls are left exposed, while interior surfaces are painted white.

“The interior is kept subtle with a character of being hand-built, promoting tactile qualities and the attractive patina developed over time,” added Kolman Janouch and Boye Julebäk.

The largest space in the two-storey building is a family living room that occupies one half of the ground floor and features a stone fireplace.

Two oversized windows offer views out towards the ocean and the surrounding mountain range, while a door opens the space out a terrace flanked by two walls.

Other spaces on this floor include a lobby with a wall of storage. Bedrooms and smaller family rooms are located upstairs.

Photography is by Åke E:son Lindman.

Read on for the full description from Kolman Boye Architects:

Vega Cottage

The house stands on the island of Vega in the Norwegian archipelago not far from the polar circle. The site is distinctive for its grand and harsh northern landscape with wide panoramas of the Norwegian Sea and the jagged mountains rising from it.

Not far from the site, near the ocean shore, stands a group of traditional seaside huts, in Norwegian called Naust, whose forms and materials reflect many years’ experience of building in these conditions. The outermost hut shelters those behind – the huts being placed at odd angles to each other, partly due to topography and partly due to chance. The windowless weathered wooden facades have a straightforward tectonic and a strong material vocabulary.

We believe that good buildings engender the refinement of everyday life, having a curious, evocative and empathic nature. We have aimed to build a contemporary Naust with an unpretentious presence and a distinctive character, developing themes from the vernacular architecture.

Seemingly growing from the landscape, the house sits on a rock beneath a granite shoulder negotiating the uneven terrain. As not to disturb the dominant view towards the sea, access to the house is given through a narrow natural ravine densely grown with gnarled birch shrubs and laid out with sea-sand from the nearby shore. The landscape remains untouched and wild.

The large windows of the house face three directions, each with its strong unique characteristic. They are simple and robust in detailing and the optically white glass conveys undisturbed frames of the ocean, the mountain range and the bedrock.

Organised on two levels adapting to the terrain, the plan is compact, providing generous social spaces within a limited floor area. The upper level is comprised of smaller scale bedrooms and family rooms, whereas the lower level is a large gallery-like space structured around a stone hearth. Completed in linseed oil painted pine with untreated birch skirting, frames and reveals, the interior is kept subtle with a character of being hand-built, promoting tactile qualities and the attractive patina developed over time.

Upon completion of the house the clients’ father, who spent his childhood in the close vicinity, visited the cottage. Being able to sit down – for the first time – sheltered from the elements; he stayed seated for several hours silently observing the ever-changing light over the sea.

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references weathered Norwegian boathouses appeared first on Dezeen.

A dramatic oak staircase with a sweeping handrail connects the five storeys of this Victorian convent building in south London, which has been converted into four homes by John Smart Architects (+ slideshow).

The Old St John’s Convent and Orchard was renovated by London firm John Smart Architects to create four five-storey properties that retain the original order of the facades while adding modern interventions and overhauling the interiors.

“The distinctive Victorian skin was largely renovated and reinstated to retain as much of the character of the original convent as possible,” the architects told Dezeen.

“New interventions remained largely hidden where possible on the front facing facade, whereas the back facade required opening up to benefit from the south facing aspect and to improve visual connections with the large gardens,” they added.

Extensions to two of the properties incorporate large windows and Juliet balconies looking out onto the garden, and are clad in pale limestone that contrasts with the existing facade.

“Moleanos limestone was chosen as a pure, unapologetically modern solid element which contrasted against the original London brick,” said the architects.

Inside one of the extensions, a double-height void rises from the lower ground floor kitchen and dining area to a reading room above that features a glass balustrade to retain views of the garden.

The kitchen floor is made from polished screed, while oak was used for built-in cabinetry and an adjoining partition that screens the utility area.

A fluid oak staircase at the centre of the house was constructed from staves with standardised sections and assembled on-site. The wood was exposed to ammonia fumes to darken its colour.

Just two types of wedge-shaped staves were used to build the inner and outer curves that form the handrail and the stringer supporting the treads.

“The stairwell concept was to design a heavy vertical sculptured element, providing a solid core to the overall programmatic framing of the house,” the architects explained. “The building’s history meant it felt appropriate for the staircase to have a strong robust presence, which suggested dark oak.”

On the original main floor of the convent, a large oak bookcase acts as a dividing wall between a living area and the staircase.

The bookcase is constructed from the same fumed oak as the staircase, creating visual consistency between these two vertical elements while contrasting with the pale herringbone wooden floor.

Bedrooms and bathrooms are contained on the second and third storeys, with the staircase continuing to a roof terrace fitted between two sections of the sloping roof.

Photography is by Edmund Sumner.

Here’s some more information from the architects:

St John’s Orchard

Set within a tree lined neighbourhood in South London; a distinctive local landmark has been attentively refurbished and crafted into four elegant houses. The Old St John’s Convent and Orchard at 17 Grove Park has been given a fresh lease of life through combining the rich history of the original Victorian building with new contemporary spaces and interventions. Each house is set over 5 floors and spans over 4000 square feet.

The Great Room Floor

Conceived as an open single space, the Great Room Floor provides three distinct areas within the original ground floor of the convent, whilst still maintaining an open dialogue across the floor.

Library

The oak library unit forms a central ‘furniture wall’ in the Great Room. Concealed full height doors allow space to flow freely around it, creating a fluid space. The fumed oak joinery relates to the fumed oak stair, bringing the verticality of the central core into the spatial dynamic.

Staircase Design

The five-storey oak stair is constructed using staves of standard section sizes that were laminated into a bespoke form. Crafted in a workshop, the elements were assembled on-site into a seamless flight that rises through the core of the house. Detailing is reduced to a minimum – just two types of wedged-shaped staves were used to achieve the inner and outer curves of the stair, which serves as both stringer and handrail.

Kitchen and Dining

At the heart of each house is a cooking and dining space situated under a dramatic six-metre high double height void. Framed by a full height oak window and sliding door, it has vistas onto the gardens and terrace beyond. Inside merges with outside, giving a garden backdrop to cooking, eating and entertaining in one light-filled room. The double aspect space can be used to create two distinct atmospheres if desired, each with their own ambiance, for casual family dining and more structured formal dining. A monolithic polished screed floor unifies the space while storage and utility are concealed neatly behind bespoke cupboards and timber clad walls. The kitchen itself is crafted from fumed oak with framed black granite oak doors and an Italian white marble worktop.

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Chilean architect Smiljan Radic was named as the designer of this year’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion last week, so we’ve collected together stunning examples of Chilean architecture on our new Pinterest board. See our new Pinterest board»

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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.

New York photographer Randy Scott Slavin has stitched together more photographs of American cities and landscapes to create this extension to his Alternative Perspectives series.

Randy Scott Slavin manipulated photographs he has taken of scenes across the USA into 360-degree panoramas, which he then digitally mapped as stereographic projections to create his Alternative Perspectives 2 series.

It includes views of New York City such as the giant LED billboards of Times Square and the new buildings at the former World Trade Center site, as well as the series of bridges across the East River.

This set of photographs is more landscape-orientated than the first and most of the effects centre around sky and water.

Beaches, woodland, deserts and urban spaces were shot in locations including Miami, Los Angeles and Bridgehampton on Long Island.

Slavin explained that he can’t predict if a set of images will be successful as a 360-degree panorama until post-production.

“While shooting series one I came to realise that I could never know how and what would make a great Alternate Perspectives image until afterwards,” he said. “Sometimes I would be shooting a landscape that seems mundane and then in post production I found it to be amazing!”

Slavin endured extreme weather and wildlife encounters in order to take the photographs. “Ants, mosquitos, jellyfish, sunburn, rain (lots of rain), freezing winds, treacherous icy hikes are just some of the few joys I experienced while shooting Alternate Perspectives 2,” he said.

This time around, Slavin is making the prints available to purchase rather than solely producing limited editions.

“For Alternate Perspectives series one I made limited edition prints that were extremely expensive but it pissed me off that so many fans of the work were priced out,” he said.

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Perspectives panoramic photo series appeared first on Dezeen.