Lisbon studio Aires Mateus used only reclaimed timber to construct this pair of waterfront cabins in Grândola, Portugal (+ slideshow).
Named Cabanas no Rio, which translates as cabins on the river, the two rustic structures offer a rural retreat for a pair of inhabitants.
One hut contains a living area, with a simple counter that can be used for preparing food, while the other accommodates a bedroom with a small toilet and sheltered outdoor shower.
Architects Aires Mateus used recycled wooden panels to build the walls, floors, roof and fittings of the two structures, leaving the material exposed both inside and out.
The edge of the roof sits flush with the walls, plus the wood is expected to change colour as it exposed to the weather.
“The wharf is medieval and assembled with wood,” said the architects, explaining their material choice. “Its identity is kept long beyond the material’s resistance, an identity that allows [it] to change, to replace, keeping all the values.”
With a combined area of just 26 square metres, the cabins were both built off-site and transported to the site on the back of a lorry.
Each was then hoisted into place, framing a small wooden deck that leads out onto a jetty.
The wharf is medieval and assembled with wood. Its identity is kept long beyond the material’s resistance. An identity that allows to change, to replace, keeping all the values.
The project develops two spaces: one to unwind with the support of a kitchen integrated in the same material of the walls; other as a sleeping area with a small bathroom and a shower. The construction is entirely finished in reused wood, subjected to the weather that will keep on changing it. The forms, highly archetypal, are designed by the incorporation of the functions in these minute areas, and by the varied inclination of the ceilings that tension the spaces according to their function.
Name of the project: Cabanas no Rio Location: Comporta, Grândola, Portugal Construction Surface: 26m²
Authors: Manuel e Francisco Aires Mateus Coordination: Maria Rebelo Pinto Collaborators: Luz Jiménez, David Carceller Client: João Rodrigues
Jerusalem is known for its vertical communities that climb from hillside to hillside. This proposal for the area applies the modernist concept developed in the Bauhaus school in Germany in the 1930′s which is based on five principles, including separation of the walls from the building frame to create a free standing shell. Here the traditional constructive elements become a camouflage for the building frame rather than a part of the structural frame of the building. Take a tour after the jump —>
Designer: Ofir Menachem
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German studio J. Mayer H. Architects has completed a building housing a law court, university library, auditoriums and offices in the Belgian city of Hasselt (+ slideshow).
The court of justice building is divided into three separate units containing the courtrooms, student library and the office tower, which also houses a restaurant with panoramic views across the city.
The form of the tower and the pattern of perforated panels on the facade reference the hazelnut trees found in the City of Hasselt’s coat of arms.
Photograph is by Philippe Van Gelooven
Steel cladding on the exterior evokes the area’s industrial heritage and the influence of art nouveau on this part of Belgium.
The tree motif continues inside the building, with a veined pattern covering a wall behind the main reception desk.
Photography is by Bieke Claessens, except where stated otherwise.
Here’s some more information from the architects:
New Court of Justice, Hasselt, Belgium
September 13th, 2013 marks the opening of “Court of Justice” in Hasselt, designed by the architects team of J. MAYER H. Architects, a2o-architecten and Lensºass architecten. After finishing the exterior skin already in 2011, the interior was completed in spring of 2013.
The new court of justice is an open, transparent building with direct public access, combining the Court of Justice with a university library and auditoriums for the faculty of law.
In keeping with the building’s logistical requirements and safety provisions, the structure is divided into three separate units: courtrooms, the library for students and an office tower with a 64-meters-high panorama restaurant on top from which offers a panoramic view of the city of Hasselt and its surroundings.
Based on a master plan by West 8, the former railway station site has been restructured with a park, public buildings, offices and hotels, as well as urban residential blocks.
Photograph is by Philippe Van Gelooven
The team of J. MAYER H. Architects, Lens °Ass and a20-architecten have realized one of the two high-rise buildings, “the new court of justice”, a structure that stands as a contemporary urban landmark of the new district.
Photograph courtesy of Lens°ass architects
References in the design process point to both the image of the “tree”, the hazelnut trees in the City of Hasselt’s coat of arms, and steel structures in the once industrial and Art Nouveau-influenced area.
Photograph courtesy of Lens°ass architects
Client: n.v. SOHA (Stedelijke ontwikkelingsmaatschappij Hasselt) – Autonoom Gemeentebedrijf Hasselt + Euro Immo Star) Architects: J. MAYER H. Architects, a2o-architecten, Lensºass architecten Construction Company: T.H.V. Hasaletum nv (Democo nv – Cordeel nv – Interbuild nv) Tenant: Regie der Gebouwen User: Federale Overheidsdienst Justitie Square Footage: 20.763 m² above-ground spaces (Offices, Meeting-Rooms, Library, Reception, Cafeteria, Court rooms) 4.694 m² Underground spaces (Archive), 3.384 m² Underground spaces Parking Lot
Photograph courtesy of Lens°ass architects
Construction Time: October 2008 – September 2013 Address: Parklaan, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium Project-manager: Eurostation NV
Japanese studio Apollo Architects and Associates arranged the spaces of this tall, angular house in Tokyo to frame views of the nearby Skytree observation tower (+ slideshow).
Located on an irregularly shaped site at the end of a narrow street, the three-storey Alley house centres around a four-storey stair tower, leading residents to a roof terrace with a view across the city skyline.
Apollo Architects and Associates planned the residence for a family of four, adding bedrooms and bathrooms on the top and bottom floors, and sandwiching a large kitchen and dining room on the middle storey.
A split level creates a natural divide between the kitchen and family dining table, which is designed around a sunken space so that diners have to climb inside.
Large windows line this corner of the building to frame views of the 634-metre observation tower beyond. “People can relax while enjoying the gorgeous view of Tokyo Skytree,” explained architect Satoshi Kurosaki.
A metal staircase rises up through the tower to connect the floors. More windows bring sunlight into this stairwell, plus open treads allow it to spread through the building.
On the ground floor, sliding doors open a guest bedroom out to the entrance hall, creating a multi-purpose reception room.
“By sitting on the edge of the intermediate space, a sense of unity with the entrance hall can be felt, and this reminds us of good old Japanese houses,” said the architect.
A wooden frames gives the house its structure and is revealed by exposed ceiling beams on each floor.
The exterior is clad with galvanised steel and coloured brown to blend in with the surrounding buildings.
“The ceilings with exposed joists and the see-through stairs are lit up at night, and the exterior appears as a tower of light,” added Kurosaki.
Here’s a project description from Apollo Architects & Associates:
Alley House
A client for a house, of which I designed and supervised eight years ago, got married and bought a small lot near Tokyo Skytree, which is located in a place with a downtown atmosphere. Due to difficulty of construction within the small narrow site at the end of a narrow path, a wooden construction was chosen. Soft, dark brown galvanised steel exterior walls create a Japanese impression, and the house naturally blends into the old neighbourhood.
By using glass walls on the street side, indoor views include the surrounding environment. The ceilings with exposed joists and the see-through stairs are lit up at night, and the exterior appears as a tower of light. In addition to the large opening on the facade, the high window on the penthouse provides sufficient light to the interior, and these do not make one feel that the house is in a high density residential area.
Behind the large entrance earth floor, a small multipurpose space that can be used as a reception room was made. By sitting on the edge of the intermediate space, a sense of unity with the entrance hall can be felt, and this reminds us of good old Japanese houses. For the family room on the second floor, instead of chairs or a sofa, a hori-gotatsu (a sunken area for sitting around a built-in table) style table was designed where people can relax while enjoying the gorgeous view of Tokyo Skytree. A large U-shaped open kitchen allows the couple to cook authentic dishes together, and to welcome many guests. A step was made between the kitchen and the family room in order to add an accent and a rhythm to the small space, and indirect lighting creates an unusual impression. For the busy couple, the ‘small cosmos’ that enables them to be their natural selves is the exact ideal for their desired small house.
Location: Sumida ward, Tokyo Structure: Timber Scale: 3F Typology: private housing Completion: 2013.02 Lot area: 52.78 sqm
Builiding area 32.89 sqm 1F floor area 32.89 sqm 2F floor area 32.89 sqm 3F floor area 32.89 sqm PH floor area 3.46 sqm Total floor area 102.13 sqm
Structure engineers: Masaki Structure – Kenta Masaki Facility engineers: Shimada Architects – Zenei Shimada Construction: Kara Construction
3D-printed guitars, food, and fashion will be displayed and discussed at Mediabistro’s Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo next week, September 17-18 in San Jose, California. Join us there and network with leaders in the Silicon Valley tech community.
Design-oriented sessions include “Tools of Creation” and “The Future of Retail and Materials for 3D Printing,” which will be led by Isaac Katz of Electronic Art Boutique and David L. Bourell of Laboratory for Freeform Fabrication. continued…
News: New York studio SHoP Architects has revealed its design for a 411 metre skyscraper in Manhattan on a plot that is just 13 metres wide.
Proposed for a lot on West 57th Street in Manhattan, the building would be approximately 30 metres taller than the Empire State Building and would feature a stepped facade facing the street.
Apartments appear to be stacked up like boxes at this concrete housing block in Paris by French studio RH+ Architecture (+ slideshow).
Named Plein Soleil, the building was designed by RH+ Architecture with a 36-metre-long south-facing facade that features dozens of sunny balconies with sliding glass screens.
These loggia spaces also have a second function; they create a thermal buffer that allows daylight to penetrate the apartments whilst providing an insulating boundary against cold outdoor temperatures.
“The depth of these loggias allows tables and chairs to enjoy the sun,” said the architects. “It is both a balcony and a winter garden.”
Located in the north of Paris, the seven-storey building contains a total of 28 apartments in its upper levels, as well as a crèche on the ground floor and a car park in the basement.
The volume of the structure is intentionally staggered to relate to the heights of surrounding buildings, as well as to allow sunlight to reach the crèche garden at the rear of the building.
A mixture of studio flats and apartments of one, three and four bedrooms are located over six storeys. Many come with double-height living rooms and some feature decked terraces rather than balconies.
Communal corridors have been positioned along the edges of the building so that they can benefit from natural light.
Here’s a more detailed project description from the architects:
Plein Soleil
Location in the site
The situation of the plot at number 16 Rue Riquet is exceptional: largely visible from the corner of Avenue de Flandre, it is very close to the Bassin de la Villette and has a length of 36 metres of frontage facing south with a depth varying from 18 to 22 metres. The building at the corner of Avenue de Flandre constructed at right angles as well as the small buildings with adjoining ground floors gives to the western corner of the plot a very valuable “faubourg” touch.
On the other side of the same street, the large gable of number 14 allows the new building to be built upon. The whole of these characteristics bear a rich urban potential. Our project aims at making the most of it in the setting up and design of the new building.
1. The Program
The private owner has a vacant land of 700 square metres located rue Riquet in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, near le Bassin de la Villette and Avenue de Flandre. He has decided to build 28 free rental units with a crèche on the ground floor (run by the association “ABC childcare”).
Some options have come out as obvious:
» To develop an environmental approach in the first stage of the design, with the integration of engineering consultants specialised in “High Environmental Quality”, RFR Elements » To make the most of the linear facade » To gradually move west back from the neighbouring building and create views for the new building » To create a garden at the bottom of the plot and a way to lead to the block of flats from the rear on the north side
The objectives of the operation
The owner together with his project delegate AURIS has set the following targets:
» To get a building project both robust and lasting with an architectural signature » To optimise the building capacity in order to receive the bonus floor area ratio by getting the BBC Label with HQE certification
To create a building matching the values of project management particularly on the following aspects: aesthetics and urban integration, quality and sustainability.
To respect the following constraints:
» To create business premises on the ground floor to become later a crèche run by an association. » To optimise the design of the building in order to reduce operating costs and thus the costs charged to tenants. » To optimise maintenance costs. » To reduce energy consumption. » To offer a balanced distribution of typologies.
Envelope and environmental qualities
To secure a thermally efficient project, losses should be minimised. The thermal performance of the envelope has been obtained by the systematic elimination of thermal bridges.
That has been done by:
» The choice of insulation from the outside (material stands before the insulation slab nose). » The use of thermal break on the south side to detach the thermal structure at the front of the inner facade (unheated part) from the inside of the flats. » The choice of a console on the north side meant to carry for a limited period the floor of the corridors.
The south facade is organised on a principle of loggia. The thermal limit is located at the level of the 30% opaque and double-glazed very efficient inner facade. The exterior sliding window pane is a simple, slightly printed glazing for the bedrooms and transparent for the living-rooms. In winter and at the beginning/end of the mid-season that is to say during the heating period which usually runs from mid-October to mid-March, these loggias play the role of a buffer space whose function from a thermal point of view can be developed in three ways:
» function of protection of the inner glazing against the effects of the wind, which result in increased heat transfer and infiltration of cold air, » function of heat buildup when the weather is sunny and the loggia exposed to direct sunlight, the temperature is then higher than the outside temperature, » function of preheating the fresh air, the air intakes for mechanical ventilation being placed outside the rooms and lounges thus the loggia (appropriate as far as energy and thermal comfort are concerned).
As winning project of the call for low consumption building projects (BBC) from ADEME 2010, and having obtained the certification Cerqual H & E profil A, we have offered a philosophy of clean environmental approach. The project is part of a plot of high quality characterised by a significant linear facing south. Before the sketch work was carried out, the design team has focused on environmental issues so in our answer the issue is intimately linked to the architectural offer and rooted in fundamental elements of the quality of life.
Spatial organisation and environmental qualities
As far as the ground plan and spatial organisation are concerned, the qualities of the project are obvious: all flats are through and the bathrooms get daylight. What’s more, each flat opens widely on to the south side to capture the most of the sun.
The inner environmental qualities of our project consist in:
» A supply of free sun on the southern facade » Possibility of a through ventilation in summer, appropriate to refresh the flats at night and thus lob the peaks of heat » These qualities have a large impact on comfort but also on energy consumption: less heating needed in winter and in summer, no discomfort which would likely lead to the use of side air conditioners, disastrous in terms of energy and environment
We should also mention as highly appropriate from an environmental point of view the fact that the parts in common are mostly on the outside of the buildings: this will reduce heating consumption, artificial lighting and thus the costs.
2. The Building’s Setting in Terms of Sunshine
Making the most of the south facade can be achieved through the design of a thermal facade together with private outdoor spaces that increase the comfort and quality of the flats.
A thermal southern facade: the concept of loggia favours both summer and winter comfort. The loggia is a buffer zone consisting in two sliding glass walls that can open and close according to the variations of temperature.
This concept provides several functions:
» A function of protection: heat losses are reduced. » A supply of free heating by the sun: that heat is absorbed by the floor and the walls and released at night. » Given the 1.700 hours of sunshine per year, this supply is particularly significant in terms of energy savings. » The function of preheating fresh air, provided by controlled mechanical ventilation.
Provide comfort of use
This “thick” facade consisting in loggias running outside along the living rooms and the bedrooms provide a nice patio area. The depth of these loggias allows tables and chairs to enjoy the sun. As extensions of the living rooms some of the loggias have clear glass bays on two levels. This extra space can be opened or closed depending on the sunlight. It is both a balcony and a winter garden. As extensions of the bedrooms loggias have clear glass bays in the foreground and screened glass bays over the street. This treatment filters views and sunshine for more privacy.
3. Integrating the Project in the Context
West terraces – neighbouring buildings at number 18 rue Riquet have an identity of their own: they form a complex with a very “faubourg” touch in the type and height of the buildings and the imbrication of the plots.
It appeared to us that in many ways there was a strong connection between the project and this complex:
» There must be respect in the way the buildings are linked, the project must not crush the existing buildings nor pour too much shade on them » The project must offer flats widely opened on the outside with views to the west (good position, facing multiple directions). » Sunlight should reach the garden at the bottom of the plot.
For all these reasons we opted for gradually decreasing terraces on its western side. The terraces would run from west to east but also from south to north which allows light to reach the bottom of the plot. The choice of terraces and vegetal roofs make it even more pleasant for future residents and the neighbourhood.
Compliance with the local urbanism plan
Consistent with Parisian architecture and in accordance with the Local Urbanism Plan, the project suggests marking a base to ground floor by the building of a glass facade running all the imposed 3.20 metres of height. The two last levels stand back in conformity with the templates, so that the attic stands out. The yard created at the north east corner of the plot as an extension of the existing adjoining courtyards is there to create crossing flats.
4. Create Outdoor Space to Benefit Everybody
The project offers several types of outdoor spaces: A large courtyard with a real garden for the crèche on the ground floor. Keeping in mind the fact that the flat is located in a plant growing area, the two of them form a large open space of pleasant proportions: 150 square metres.
This creates a vegetal strip of land which can be enjoyed not only from the ground floor but also from the corridors of distribution and the west terraces. These buildings have an open outlook and leave perspectives free. And finally this garden is a valuable space for the buildings close to the imbricate plots.
As an extension of an already existing adjoining yard, a yard in the corner allows the creation of crossing flats and on a city scale to keep open spaces designed to let the housing block breathe.
Each flat except for the studios overlooking the courtyard owns a private outdoor loggia. The western corner flats even have a terrace facing southwest.
All flats are at least all-through flats. Those located on the western side face south-west and north. There is a flat on the ground floor with a 35 square metre terrace facing west. Except for the two rooms overlooking the courtyard, they all have private outdoor space. The ceilings are 2.50 metre high and on the west side living rooms have partial double heights(+ 1 metre). Typologies follow that pattern: seven studios, eight one-bedroom flats, five three-room flats, eight four-room flats.
Situé en Islande dans le parc national de Thingvellir, patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO depuis 2004, le ION Hôtel est véritablement un lieu d’exception. Alliant un design ultra moderne avec un environnement naturel assez sauvage, le lieu est magnifique. Un endroit original à découvrir en images dans la suite.
A cantilevered storey projects from the side of this house in Gifu, Japan, to create a sheltered alcove on the edge of the garden (+ slideshow).
Keitaro Muto Architects designed the family home for a 171 square metre plot in a residential neighbourhood of the city.
The cantilevered section is raised 1.4 metres above the ground, providing a sheltered space where the family’s children can play and from which a hammock has been slung.
A staircase leads from a paved parking area into an entrance hall in the cantilevered space, which also houses the master bedroom.
The floating theme continues inside the house, where a staircase with horizontal wooden treads that seems to hover in mid air descends into the open-plan kitchen and living space.
A flight of perforated metal stairs leads from the entrance to the upper storey, which houses two bedrooms, a toilet and a walk-in closet.
The garden is visible through windows below the level of the cantilever, while a void extends the living space to the height of the second storey.
This concrete-clad house in northern Portugal by Arquitectos Matos comprises an L-shaped block that folds around a courtyard (+ slideshow).
Portuguese studio Arquitectos Matos designed the single-storey home, named Casa de Mosteiro, for a family living just outside the town of Santa Maria da Feira.
The dark concrete exterior contrasts with the house’s bright interior, which features white walls alongside wooden floors and fittings.
Two adjoining blocks give the house its L-shaped plan. The first contains the dining room, living area and kitchen, while the second accommodates three bedrooms, a bathroom and a study.
Floor-to-ceiling doors slide back to open various rooms out to a wooden deck, which folds around the grassy courtyard and features a small swimming pool.
“The interior spaces are directly associated with the patio,” said the architects. “[It] unifies the different areas of the house and intensifies the daily experiences of the family.”
A flat concrete roof overhangs this side of the building and creates a sheltered patio and garage in one corner.
One wall is tiled with bright-green glazed ceramics, salvaged from the house that formerly occupied the site and belonged to the owner’s parents. The architects refer to it as a “memory wall”.
The site is located on the outskirts of Santa Maria da Feira, surrounded by a diffuse and changing landscape.
The concept of the project comes from the combined interpretation of the functional program of a single-family house with the specific premises of the clients, as from the study of the characteristics of the lot and its surroundings and morphological conditions.
The house is organised in a single floor around a central courtyard, facing South and West, protected from the street on the North side. Shaped as an “L”, it is divided in two parts – a longitudinal volume organised the service areas and the leisure zone, while the bedrooms are located in the shorter volume, transversal to the lot.
An additional volume, a storage room placed in the limit of the terrain, accurately defines the central courtyard.
Access to the house is made from the east side, by a ramp that serves as a transition between the level of the street and the main and service entrances.
At the intersection of the two volumes of the L, a void announces the main entrance, that inward, through its transparency, reveals the central courtyard and leads to the different areas of the house.
The interior spaces are directly associated to the patio, though protected by the porch, that externally unifies the different areas of the house as intensifies the daily experiences of the family.
The living room is an ample space, where the dining and living areas are commonly organised, spatially extending to the outdoor through natural light.
The volume, simple and compact, is coated by an opaque ventilated façade made of prefabricated black textured concrete panels on its public surfaces, whilst its interior walls, facing the private patio, are fully open through their transparency.
The background scenery of the courtyard and garden is framed by the “memory wall”, built out of stones from the demolition of pre-existence.
Designation: Casa de Mosteiro Location: Santa Maria de Feira, Portugal Project: 2008-2009 Construction: 2010-2012 Client: Private Architecture: Arquitectos Matos (Ricardo Matos, Nuno Matos) Co-author: Luís Loureido Architecture collaboration: Huge Gomes
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