Hasta La Ideas

This wood panelled house and studio in Nacka, Sweden, is by Swedish studio In Praise of Shadows.

Called Solbrinken Ordinary House, the residence and studio buildings are separated by a gravel courtyard.

Both buildings feature large double-height glazed windows and sky lights.

Photographs are by Björn Lofterud.

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Here’s a bit of text from the architects:

Solbrinken Ordinary House in Nacka

An ordinary single family house with a separate studio. The houses are situated between the forest and the former old garden.

We made the most out of the landscape variation and turned the closed walls to the outer world and neighbours.

The family wanted to create their own world. A designer and a art director. A living room for skateboard.

A high room for kitchen. A sleeping room with roof light and art.

In the space between the volumes are an outer room for recreation and play, with a character of Japan or Skåne.

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The house for living is a big open space in height as well as lenght with functional interaction between kitchen, living and sleeping areas.

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Connected to the double high kitchen is a working studio.

The materials are chosen with a simplicity and roughness for an active family; concrete floors, mdf kitchen, outside wood panel in black oil paint.

Simple and sustainable Nordic.

architect: In Praise of Shadows Arkitektur, Katarina Lundeberg
landscape: Alf Orvesten

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Resort by Edlund, Palmer and  Ingman	Container Studio by MB Architecture	Shingle House by NORD Architecture

Edinburgh studio Malcolm Fraser Architects have completed this wooden treehouse housing an artists’ studio in Glen Nevis, Scotland.

The wood-panelled structure sits atop a pillar and is reached via a bridge.

A meandering wooden walkway leading out from the hut nestles into the sloping landscape.

Called Outlandia, the project was commissioned by art and architecture collective London Fieldworks.

The structure is made partly of trees that were cut down to clear the site.

See also:

Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven by London Fieldworks
Tree Hotel by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter

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Here’s some more information from London Fieldworks and the architects:

Edinburgh studio Malcol, Fraser Architects have completed a treehouse in Glen Nevis, Scotland,

Outlandia is an off-grid treehouse artist studio and fieldstation in Glen Nevis, Lochaber, Scotland. A flexible meeting space in the forest for creative collaboration and research. Imagined by artists Bruce Gilchrist and Jo Joelson (London Fieldworks) and designed by Malcolm Fraser Architects, Outlandia is inspired by childhood dens, wildlife hides and bothies, by forest outlaws and Japanese poetry platforms.

It is located in a copse of Norwegian Spruce and Larch on Forestry Commission land, at the foot of Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands. “Construction was part-joinery, part-forestry and part-mountain rescue, with a local contractor who nicely combined all three, and an unusual set of Risk Assessments”.

Outlandia is an artist-led project, built in 2010 to foster links between creativity and the environment; a multi-purpose platform for the use of local and invited artists. London Fieldworks were invited by the Highland Council to make a proposal to celebrate the Year of Highland Culture that would create a lasting contemporary art legacy for the Fort William area. Outlandia is the outcome, a platform from which to consider creative responses to the environment. The proposal was inspired by London Fieldworks’ previous experience working in Lochaber: whilst there is an abundance of artistic talent and creativity in the Highlands there are few dedicated contemporary arts facilities in Fort William or in the surrounding area.

The Outlandia project is sensitive to the shifting ecology between human population, industry and landscape. The site is on Forestry Commission land overlooking the southwest facing side of the glen with its ancient, native trees. This context makes explicit the dichotomy within a landscape under pressure to function as an area of outstanding natural beauty (the area has been branded Outdoor Capital of the UK) as well as a resource for society’s raw materials – a schism common to many rural communities. During its time of service, Outlandia will provide a multi-purpose platform for the use of diverse community groups as well as selected artists and researchers. Outlandia is in line with The Scottish Forestry Strategy that aims to create opportunities for more people to enjoy trees, woods and forests in Scotland, and to help communities benefit from woods and forests.

OUTLANDIA: PROJECT DESCRIPTION
By Malcolm Fraser

The Project Brief was nice and loose: an artists’ fieldstation in Glen Nevis, to allow and encourage creative interaction between artists and the land, its history and people.

The site was even looser: somewhere in Glen Nevis. Where, exactly, grew out of a complex negotiation with partners, landowners and the local authorities, which brought to the surface some interesting tensions – a portion of the climbing fraternity, for instance, believes that hills should be for serious craggies only, and that artists should be kept away. On the ground, the choice of site grew out of long crawls through wet undergrowth and up wooded slopes, in clouds of midges and carpets of pine needles, in search of natural and human drama.

The site chosen is full of it. Sitting half-way up the opposite side of the Glen to Ben Nevis, a visitor approaches Outlandia through the path we cut through the dense woods behind, descending out the musty dark of the trees into a big view which, from dark-to-light and framed by old, tall larches, opens-up across the Glen to the shoulder of the Ben. The view of great nature dazzles, but we soon start to see the multiplicity of human interaction with it: the routes threading across the view, from the main road and West Highland Way along the foot of the Glen to the tourist route up the Ben, with its strings of tiny bobbling hats working their way up the hill; the car parks, caravan parks and visitor centre, places of the modern tourist trade; the old mills and older burial mounds, traces of more ancient useage; and the great industrial aluminium smelter across the Glen and the hydro that powers it.

Nothing could be further from the idea of the Highlands as “unspoilt wilderness”. We have long been part of this landscape, and it seems unlikely that any artists making work for, from or aound Outlandia would fail to enjoy and illuminate the tensions around nature, industry, tourism and heritage.

The building itself sits out from a 45 degree slope: a treehouse, part-built out the trees cut down to form the site, entered across a bridge from the slope behind; a simple box, leaning-out into the view with big windows opening-up to it. Part of the building of it was a low-impact, eco-friendly use of material recovered from the site; part the opposite, high-impact and hairy landings of concrete, for the foundations, from a helicopter. Construction was part-joinery, part-forestry and part-mountain rescue, with a local contractor who nicely combined all three, and an unusual set of Risk Assessments.

London Fieldworks commissioned Outlandia and are curating the work in and around it.

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Spontaneous City by London Fieldworks	Tree Hotel by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter	Takasugi-an by Terunobu Fujimori

This house by Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, is completely lined with with pine shelves to display the owners’ extensive collection of books.

Called Shelf-Pod, the house features interlocking laminated pine-boards that slot together to form the latticed shelving units.

The interior has a pyramid-shaped ceiling and wooden platforms of differing heights that form steps, tables and flooring.

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The following information is from the architects:

Shelf-Pod is a private residence located in Moriguchi City, Japan. The client owns an extensive collection of books on the subject of Islamic history, so he requested us to design this architecture not only for living, but would have the maximum capacity for its storage and exhibition.

In order to satisfy this demand effectively, we designed a lattice structure made from 25mm thick laminated pine-board what serves as book-shelve.

The dimensions of each shelf are as follows: 360mm height, 300mm width and 300mm depth. All of the architectural elements in this space (stairs, windows, desks, chairs, etc) have been designed on the basis of this shelf scale, with the aim of achieving geometrical harmony that is comparable to Islamic Architecture.

This innovative structural system affords not only large amount of book storage, but the possibility of flexible floor level which is delivered from height of bookshelf. Each space for different activity rise up helically, giving the impression of exploring a wooden jungle gym.

The original image of this structure is derived from the Japanese woodcraft of Kumiko. The structural integrity against the earthquake is provided by a panel of plywood board nailed on the shelf. Initially, the horizontal resistant force guaranteed by the panels was examined in a real-scale model.

Further to this, an analysis of the whole structure was performed in order to determine the placement of the windows and panels.

The inter-locking laminated pine-board was manufactured precisely in advance and assembled on-site. Similarly, the pyramid-shaped roof was assembled on-site, from 12 pieces of prefabricated wooden roof panel.

The completed roof has a thickness of only 230mm and sensitively covers the whole space like the dome of a Mosque.

As oppose to its unique structure, the outer wall employs the construction techniques of a traditional Japanese storehouse Dozou.

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The bamboo net wall foundation layer was attached to the lattice structure and the clay and straw mixture was applied to the foundation by the trowel. Then the red cedar panels forms exterior wall.

The interior clay wall was finished with white plaster. These techniques are in accordance with urban fireproofing specifications, as well as maintaining a suitably humid environment for the storage of books.

DETA

Design : Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio
Structural engineer : Mitsuda Structural Consultants
Date of completion : August 2007

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1st floor 38.34 square meter
2nd floor 13.44 square meter
total 51.78 square meter

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Near House by Mount Fuji Architects Studio	Tree House by Mount Fuji Architects Studio	House Antero de Quental by Manuel Maia Gomes

Japanese architecture firm Takashi Yamaguchi & Associates have completed this house in Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan.

The project comprises two adjacent volumes with inclined roofs, connected by a central atrium.

Large glazed walls inside the house frame views of the surrounding landscape.

Living spaces are arranges round the atrium, while a bedroom and family room on the second floor  lead out onto a roof terrace.

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Here’s some more information from the architects:

House in Ise

The building is located on high ground with lush greenery and a bluff that overlooks the beautiful Miyagawa-River flowing north-south through Ise City.

The Intention was to create a rich relationship between the house and these surroundings.

The building is composed of two volumes arranged in parallel.

A vertical void links the rooftop terrace and the light court on the first floor, drawing nature into the interior.

On the first floor, a horizontal void connected directly to the vertical one opens up a view of Miyagawa River.

The interaction of these external voids – the way they intersect and connect with interior spaces – generates richer, more complex scenery throughout the building as a whole.

Rooms are arranged around the light court, which extends into the entrance such that Miyagawa River bursts into view when the door is opened.

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The eastern volume’s first floor contains the living, dining and kitchen areas central to everyday life.

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The large opening dug from its northern end offers dramatic views of Ise and Miyagawa.

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The aluminum flooring’s dull sheen gently amplifies the illumination from the light court and reflects a variety of natural transitions onto the white interior.

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The second floor contains family space and a bedroom in an enclosed area with a sloped ceiling.

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Milky-white natural light entering through slits in the roof wraps the interior in a soft, subdued atmosphere.

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The western volume’s first floor contains the garage and a study.

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The long, relatively low opening in the study enables eyes weary from reading to rest with a view of the abundant greenery outside.

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The rooftop terrace and light court are open to Miyagawa area’s natural scenery and afford excellent vantage points for the summer fireworks festival.

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The building’s white exterior walls both reflect the fresh green of spring and catch the shadows cast by bare branches under the setting sun of late autumn.

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Such changing scenery is sure to create precious memories for the family that calls this house home.

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63.02° house by Schemata Architecture Office	Usuki House by Tonoma	Double House by Tsuyoshi Kawata

Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group have designed a residential building for Manhattan, New York, with a rectangular plan pulled up at one corner to form a triangular tower. 

Called West 57th, the 600-apartment block will be organised around a central courtyard, providing residents with views of the Hudson River.

The sloping roof will rise to a peak of 467 ft and its surface will be punctured by roof terraces.

The other three façades will comprise balconies and bay windows serving each of the apartments.

Construction is due for completion in 2016.

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Here’s some more information from American developers Durst Fetner Residential:

DURST FETNER RESIDENTIAL SELECTS BIG TO DESIGN 600-UNIT RESIDENTIAL BUILDING ON W57TH STREET

West 57th, designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, introduces an entirely new residential typology to New York City that will add an inviting twist to the Manhattan Skyline.

Durst Fetner Residential (DFR) today announced the design of West 57, a 600-unit 80/20 residential building on West 57th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues.

The building is designed by renowned Danish Architect firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and is their inaugural North American project. The building’s program consists of over 600 residential units of different scales situated on a podium with a cultural and commercial program.

The building will strive for LEED Gold Certification. “It’s extraordinarily exciting to build a building whose architecture will attract visitors from around the globe,” said, Hal Fetner, CEO of Durst Fetner Residential.

“BIG’s design is innovative, evocative and unique and the building’s beauty is matched only by its efficient and functional design that preserves existing view corridors while maximizing the new building’s access to natural light and views of the Hudson River.

West 57th will establish a new standard for architectural excellence and its creative design, sustainable-construction and operations, breathtaking views and distinctive amenities will make it New York’s most sought after residential address.”

The building is a hybrid between the European perimeter block and a traditional Manhattan high-rise.

West 57th has a unique shape which combines the advantages of both: the compactness and efficiency of a courtyard building providing density, a sense of inti- macy and security, with the airiness and the expansive views of a skyscraper.

By keeping three corners of the block low and lifting the north-east corner up towards its 467 ft peak, the courtyard opens views towards the Hudson River, bringing low western sun deep into the block and graciously preserving the adjacent Helena Tower’s views of the river.

“New York is rapidly becoming an increasingly green and livable city.

The transformation of the Hudson River waterfront and the Highline into green parks, the ongoing effort to plant a million trees, the pedestrianization of Broadway and the creation of more miles of bicycle lanes than the entire city of my native Copenhagen are all evidence of urban oases appearing all over the city.

With West 57th we attempt to continue this transformation into the heart of the city fabric – into the center of a city block,” Bjarke Ingels, Founder, BIG.

The form of the building shifts depending on the viewer’s vantage point. While appearing like a warped pyramid from the West-Side-Highway, it turns into a slender spire from West 58th Street.

The courtyard which is inspired by the classic Copenhagen urban oasis can be seen from the street and serves to extend the adjacent greenery of the Hudson River Park into the West 57th development.

“The building is conceived as a cross breed between the Copenhagen courtyard and the New York skyscraper. The communal intimacy of the central urban oasis meets the efficiency, density and panoramic views of the tall tower in a new hybrid typology. The courtyard is to architecture what Central Park is to urbanism: a giant green garden surrounded by a dense wall of spaces for living”, Bjarke Ingels, Founder, BIG.

The slope of the building allows for a transition in scale between the low-rise structures to the south and the high-rise residential towers to the north and west of the site. The highly visible sloping roof consists of a simple ruled surface perforated by terraces— each one unique and south-facing.

The fishbone pattern of the walls are also reflected in its elevations. Every apartment gets a bay window or a balcony to amplify the benefits of the generous view and balconies which encourage interaction between residents and passers-by.

DFR commissioned Copenhagen based BIG in the spring of 2010 to introduce a new residential typology to Manhattan. As of 2011 BIG has opened a new office in New York in order to oversee the development and upcoming construction of West 57th.

W57 DATA

PROJECT: West 57th Street
CLIENT: Durst Fetner Residential
ARCHITECT: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group SIZE: 870,000 ft2 (80,000 m2)
LOCATION: Manhattan, New York, USA
STATUS: Direct Commission

COLLABORATORS: SLCE Architects (Architect of Record) , Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects, Thornton Tomasetti (Sturctural), Dagher Engineering(MEP), Langan Engineering (Civil), Hunter Roberts (Construction Manager), Philip Habib & Assoc. (Transportation), Israel Berger & Assoc. (Building Envelope), Nancy Packes (Marketing), Van Deusen & Assoc. (Vertical Transportation), Cerami & Assoc. (Acoustical), CPP (Wind), AKRF (Environmental), German Glessner (Renderings & Animation)

Partner in Charge: Bjarke Ingels
Project Leader: Beat Schenk
Project Architect: Sören Grünert
Team: Thomas Christoffersen, Celine Jeanne, Daniel Sundlin, Alessandro Ronfini, Aleksander Tokarz, Alessio Valmori, Alvaro Garcia Mendive, Felicia Guldberg, Gabrielle Nadeau, Ho Kyung Lee, Julian Liang, Julianne Gola, Lucian Racovitan, Marcela Martinez, Maria Nikolova, Minjae Kim, Mitesh Dixit, Nicklas Rasch, Riccardo Mariano, Stanley Lung, Steffan Heath, Thilani Rajarathna, Xu Li

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The World Village of Women Sports by BIG	8 House by BIG	Zira Island masterplan by BIG