Hasta La Ideas

by Gavin Lucas British design and ideas studio Dorothy has just unveiled two Hollywood Star Chart prints, each of which re-imagine, and re-name, the constellations after some of the most culturally significant films to have emerged…

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This house in western England by London studio Paul Archer Design features a mirrored facade that slides across to cover the windows (+ slideshow).

Surrounded by gardens, Green Orchard house is designed to camouflage with the landscape, so Paul Archer added huge panels of polished aluminium to the walls. “The outer reflective panels will pick up the colours of the landscape, the idea being to make the structure almost invisible,” he says.

The panels are well insulated and connected to a motorised system, so that the client – Paul Archer’s mother – can transform the building into a thermally sealed box with relative ease.

The house has two storeys, including one that is sunken into the inclining landscape. The living room, dining room and kitchen occupy an L-shaped space on the ground floor and lead out to terraces on both the south-west and north-east elevations, designed to catch the sun at different points of the day.

The master bedroom is also on this floor, while three extra sleeping rooms are located on the sunken lower level. Part of this floor emerges from the ground, allowing enough space for a few high-level windows.

A wood-burning stove is positioned at the centre of the plan and provides all of the house’s heating. A 93-metre well supplies fresh water, which can be heated via thermal solar panels on the roof.

“Whilst unashamedly contemporary in its design, Green Orchard is a sensitive response to its location, integrating appropriate materials and functional details to create an innovative and tangible solution to current environmental issues,” says Archer.

Several buildings with mirrored walls have cropped on Dezeen recently. Others include an Australian visitor centre for botanic gardens and a six-sided art museum in Ohio.

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Photograph is by Will Pryce, apart from where otherwise stated.

Here’s the full project statement from Paul Archer:

Green Orchard: A Zero Carbon House
Compton Greenfield, South Gloucestershire, UK

Green Orchard is a new 200 sq m carbon-neutral house designed by Paul Archer Design. Set within 2,675 sq m of landscaped gardens in the green belt of South Gloucestershire, the house benefits from spectacular views over the Severn Estuary.

Having earned a reputation for highly contemporary residential extensions and renovations predominantly in an urban setting, Green Orchard is the practice’s first new-build detached single-family dwelling commission. The project brief called for a Californian case study house with green credentials, which would permit seamless outdoor/indoor living whilst delivering a zero carbon agenda.

The house replaces a dilapidated single-storey dwelling with a contemporary low-rise four-bedroom home. Set within landscaped gardens without the constraints imposed upon typical urban projects, Green Orchard is designed in the round, with all four elevations taking advantage of views out and access to the garden. Maximising its rural setting, the house adopts the methodology of a passivhaus typology without the single orientation.

The main living spaces and master bedroom are located on the ground floor with direct access to the garden. An excavated sunken level creates a second floor for additional sleeping accommodation, ensuring a low-rise profile that embraces the natural topography of the site.

The house incorporates four bedrooms (two of which have en-suite facilities), a main bathroom, a workshop space, kitchen, dining and living area. All living spaces are open-plan with a wood burning stove at the heart of the plan and plant room located on the floor below, to give a greater sense of openness and maximise views and sunlight. Two external terraces connect to the garden and are orientated to catch the sun at different times of the day.

The outer skin of the building is made of bespoke hand-crafted full-height panels, which are electronically motorised to slide open fully. The panels are highly insulated and allow the occupants to control and vary the thermal performance of the house depending on the time of the day and year. The panels are constructed of locally sourced timber and clad with mirrored aluminium to reflect the landscape and camouflage the structure in its surroundings.

The house and landscape have been designed with specific intention to reduce the consumption and requirement for energy: a wood-burning Stuv stove is the only heat source; water is supplied by a 93 metre bore hole; thermal solar panels on the roof yield heating for 80% of the house’s water; and photovoltaics provide all electric use when taken over the yearly cycle. A green roof embeds the property into the landscape, filtering out pollutants from the surrounding air and acts as an effective active insulation. It keeps the building cool in summer and warm in winter, reducing the requirement for excessive energy production.

Set in gardens cultivated by the client, Green Orchard is screened from its neighbouring properties and road frontage. A sunken driveway and raised garden reduces the visual impact of the house and planting provides a tranquil setting from which to enjoy the countryside views.

Green Orchard is the second house the practice has designed for the same client, practice director Paul Archer’s mother and her husband. The plan allows for easy navigation and access to all areas whilst generous room sizes and a flowing internal layout ensures that manoeuvrability is unhindered, an essential consideration when designing for a client in their later years.

An innovative house has been achieved on a modest budget by designing the entire house to accommodate modular off-the-shelf interior units. The client has taken a hands-on approach to deliver high quality finishes by contributing their own expertise, from the design and planting of the garden to the carpentry of the exterior sliding panels and manufacture of the interior glass balustrades.

Whilst unashamedly contemporary in its design, harnessing the latest in green technology, Green Orchard is a sensitive response to its location, integrating appropriate materials and functional details to create an innovative and tangible solution to current environmental issues, presenting a way forward in designing for a sustainable future.

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Paul Archer Design appeared first on Dezeen.

News: British architect Terry Farrell’s firm is onboard to masterplan a £1 billion business hub in London’s docklands for Chinese and Asian businesses.

The Mayor of London’s office has announced its plan to transform a 14 hectare site at the Royal Albert Dock, a stretch of land near London City airport, into a gateway for Far Eastern businesses looking to establish their headquarters in Europe.

Farrells, which has offices in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai, is creating the masterplan for the £1 billion development, which will comprise around 230,000 square metres of office space as well as shops, apartments and leisure facilities.

The first phase of 55,000 square metres is due to open in 2017, subject to planning permission, with work on the site intended to be completed by 2022.

The Royal Albert Dock is one of a number of developments currently planned on the banks of the Thames, including three residential towers by Foster + Partners and plans to slot a glazed extension over the brutalist concrete architecture of the Southbank Centre – see all London architecture.

Earlier this year the firm’s head Terry Farrell was selected to lead an independent review of the UK’s architecture policy, working with an 11-strong advisory panel of architects and designers.

Other Farrells projects we’ve featured include the 442-metre Kingkey 100 skyscraper in Shenzhen and a proposal to convert London’s Battersea Power Station into a park – see all architecture by Farrells.

Here’s the press release from the Mayor of London’s office:

Mayor announces £1bn to transform Royal Albert Dock into capital’s next business district

» ABP to create state of the art business port aimed initially at Chinese and Asian business
» Estimated 20,000 jobs to be created
» Development to be worth £6bn to the UK economy when complete

The Mayor, Boris Johnson, has announced details of a £1bn deal to transform London’s historic docklands into the capital’s next business district, forging new trade links with China and other economies in the Asia-Pacific region and securing billions of pounds of inward investment in the UK economy.

Owned by the Greater London Authority and situated in the heart of Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, the 35-acre site at Royal Albert Dock is set to be transformed by ABP China (Holding), a successful commercial developer, into a gateway for Asian and Chinese business seeking to establish headquarters in Europe as well as other businesses wanting to set up in the capital.

Historically the trading heartland of the capital, the deal will re-instate the Royal Docks as a commercial and trading centre for the 21st century, delivering around 20,000 full-time jobs and boosting local employment in Newham by 30 per cent. When complete the site will become London’s third business district and, according to initial projections, be worth £6bn to the UK economy, generating £23m in business rates annually and acting as a catalyst for further development in the area.

The largest development of its kind in the UK, the state-of-the-art business district will act as a platform for financial, high-tech and knowledge driven industries looking establish and drive forward their business in UK and European markets. The deal represents one of the first direct investment by a Chinese developer in London’s property market and will eventually be home to over 3.2 million square feet of high quality work, retail and leisure space, including 2.5 million square feet of prime office space, creating a new, vibrant 24/7 district on London’s waterways.

An experienced developer in China, this is ABP’s first development project in Europe. With a track record of investing in and transforming large areas in need of regeneration, the company specialises in delivering projects of significant scale. ABP have recently completed a large development of around 15 million square feet in Beijing, while their Shenyang project in north-eastern China is even larger, with plans for 75 million square feet when complete.

Working with UK developer Stanhope and architects and masterplanners Farrells, ABP have a commitment to developing a minimum of 600,000 square feet in the first phase, with strong interest for office space already being shown by Chinese companies, including some of the country’s top banks. The first occupiers are due to move in in 2017.

The deal is a key part of the Mayor’s on-going commitment to regenerate London’s docklands, bringing jobs and homes back to the capital’s waterways and builds on the momentum of the development of the Olympic Park and Stratford City. It is the latest in a string of investments in the area including the Siemens Crystal Centre, the Emirates cable car, and new homes at Great Eastern Quay, as well as upcoming developments at Silvertown Quays and the plans to create the UK’s largest floating village at Royal Victoria Dock.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “For centuries the waterways of east London were the throbbing arteries of UK trade and commerce. This deal symbolises the revival of that great era, continuing the re-invention of this once maligned part of the capital into a 21st century centre of trade and investment. Creating a third financial district in the capital, this development will act as a beacon for eastern investors looking west, bringing with it tens of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of investment for the UK economy.”

Chairman of ABP, Mr Xu, said: “I am very pleased and very proud that my company ABP has reached this agreement for the Royal Albert Dock with the Greater London Authority. This project will be hugely significant for both the Chinese and UK economies. My vision is to develop a world class international business district which will initially target Asian businesses to help them secure a destination in London, which in China is seen as the gateway to both the United Kingdom and the wider European economy. Our plans aim to strengthen trade between east and west, provide new local jobs and deliver benefits for the wider London and UK economy.”

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Enterprise Zones are creating new local jobs and stimulating business ventures through significant tax incentives, simplified planning and super fast broadband that will support our economy.

“This is a significant investment deal for London and will boost employment and growth in the capital. I am delighted that the benefits of Enterprise Zone status are attracting foreign investment to the country and strengthening our trade relations with major international players like China.”

Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham said: “The Royal Docks Enterprise Zone offers an unrivalled investment opportunity and this deal further strengthens Newham’s growing reputation as an ideal destination for international business.

“We welcome ABP’s ambitious vision for the Docks which are already home to London City Airport, the University of East London, the Siemens Crystal and the Excel. ABP’s proposals will bring further investment from abroad and unlock future development. It will also create benefits for local people by providing thousands of new jobs and further enhancing the waterfront for people to enjoy.

“Newham will work closely with ABP and their UK development partner, Stanhope, to ensure that as many of these jobs as possible are accessible to local residents. Our successful Workplace jobs brokerage scheme is ideally placed to ensure this happens.”

Situated in the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, the Albert Dock site, when complete, will have some of the best transport links in the capital, with direct access to central and western London via the new Crossrail station coming in 2018. It also benefits from close proximity to the University of East London and City Airport, providing direct links to Europe’s key business destinations.

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business hub in London docklands appeared first on Dezeen.

An elongated timber prow oversails a solid brick base at this school boathouse in Worcester, England, by British studio Associated Architects (+ slideshow).

The Michael Baker Boathouse replaces an existing building that had served as the The King’s School’s boathouse since the 1950s but was too small to accommodate storage for rowing boats and sculls as well as training facilities, changing rooms and events spaces.

Associated Architects redesigned the building as a two-storey structure with a boat-shaped first floor that cantilevers out towards the adjacent River Severn, while the brickwork ground floor protects the interior from the regular flooding that occurs on the site.

The architects used double-length bricks to emphasise the slender form of the boathouse. The timber-clad upper floor features diagonal lengths of sweet chestnut, which will naturally fade to a silvery-grey, and a glazed bow facing out over the water.

“This and the gently curving plan, following [Worcester’s] historic defensive line, give the building a distinctive modern presence on Riverside Walk,” say the architects.

Interior walls are lined with sheets of birch, alongside more exposed brickwork. A skylight spans the roof to bring daylight into the upper floor.

The layout of the new boathouse also creates a new pedestrian route across the neighbouring memorial gardens.

“The scheme creates a new route to the boathouse through the gardens, which is much more direct, wheelchair friendly, and improves security: the previous boathouse was isolated and accessible only from outside the school grounds,” add the architects.

The Michael Baker Boathouse is the latest of several projects by Associated Architects at The King’s School, which include a new library and a sports hall that is still under construction.

Other boathouses on Dezeen include a cylindrical building in Austin and a renovated Victorian boathouse in the south of England.

Photography is by Martine Hamilton Knight.

Here’s some more information from Associated Architects:

The King’s School, Worcester
Michael Baker Boathouse

Associated Architects’ second ten-year Masterplan for King’s Worcester included rebuilding the Boathouse, which was previously a small and unsightly 1950s building. The site is a focal point in the Masterplan, Conservation Area and in the Worcester City Council/Sustrans Worcester Riverside project. On the line of the old city defences, it is at the edge of the historic city core which has a rich history including Norman and medieval archaeology. The Masterplan proposal to create a striking modern building was welcomed by Worcester City Council planners.

The existing ground floor footprint is increased by 60% to provide storage for all the School’s considerable fleet of rowing boats and sculls. The site is subject to regular flooding, so this floor’s construction internally and externally is robust fair-faced brickwork growing out from the line of the historic brick embankment. Reflecting the elongated form of the building, the new wall is built with double-length bricks.

By contrast, the lightweight upper floor floats above the retaining wall and flood plain. It provides changing, teaching and a school/community training and reception space, with dramatic views up and down the River Severn from a new glazed and cantilevered prow. This and the gently curving plan, following the historic defensive line, give the building a distinctive modern presence on Riverside Walk.

The upper floor overlooks the historic Creighton Memorial Gardens, previously an under-used part of the School grounds. The scheme creates a new route to the Boathouse through the Gardens, which is much more direct, wheelchair friendly, and improves security: the previous Boathouse was isolated and accessible only from outside the School grounds. A new garden terrace and windows north focus views to the twin Worcester landmarks of the Cathedral and St Andrew’s spire.

Fine sweet chestnut timber laths cloak the upper volume, weathering down to a natural silvery-grey colour in keeping with the sensitive historic context. Rather than running horizontally, the laths are set at a shallow angle to enhance the dynamic form of the building. The interior is panelled in ice-birch over timber I-beams, facilitating airtight construction and rapid thermal response for multiple uses. The roof is traditional standing seam terne-coated stainless.

Sustainability is a central consideration in the brief and design. Solar electric and hot water roof panels meet much of the building’s energy needs in summer, and make a useful contribution in winter. The construction uses the principles of Passivhaus design with triple glazing, super-insulation and air-tightness. These measures, coupled with a wood-pellet boiler, give environmental performance to EPC A, approaching zero carbon standards.

Contract Value: £1.86M
Cost per sqm: £1772/sqm
Floor area: 772 sqm
Design: 2010
Construction: 2012
Carbon footprint: 9.4 kg CO2 kg/m2/yr

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by Associated Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Giles Miller’s London design studio has positioned a target of reflective pixels in front of a medieval gate for this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week, which kicks off in London today (+ slideshow).

Giles Miller Studio designed a single, curved pixel element and collaborated with metal manufacturers Tecan to create 2433 stainless steel and etched brass pieces for its exterior.

The metal pixels are arranged at angles over the curved surface, forming patterns that change according to light conditions.

“We wanted to celebrate Clerkenwell as an architectural hub,” Giles Miller told Dezeen, “the target shape stamps the district on the map.”

A bullseye of brass panels sits in the centre of the glimmering structure, placed in front of a stone gate that was once part of St John’s monastery. “St John’s Gate is very iconic,” said Miller. “We enjoyed the contrast of what we do against the old brick.”

The installation in the central London district is Giles Miller Studio’s latest iteration of imagery created by pixellated or reflective surfaces. For last year’s Clerkenwell Design Week, the designers created an archway from 20,000 wooden hexagons at the entrance to the Farmiloe Building and designed a bar for a former petrol station the year before.

This year’s event continues until Thursday 23 May. Find out who is exhibiting here or register to attend here.

Dezeen Watch Store also has a pop-up shop in the Farmiloe Building at Clerkenwell Design Week, where we are presenting a selection of our latest and best-selling watches – more details here.

Photography is by Jon Meade.

See more design by Giles Miller Studio »
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Giles Miller Studio sent us the following information:

Giles Miller Studio and Tecan present The Heart of Architecture, Clerkenwell 2013

Critically acclaimed Giles Miller Studio is delighted to team up with British precision metal fabricators Tecan, in presenting ‘The Heart of Architecture’. This innovative installation has been constructed at the iconic Saint Johns Gate as a part of this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week.

London’s Clerkenwell boasts the highest number of architects per square mile in Europe. The ‘Heart of Architecture’ consists of a giant sculptural target built to stamp Clerkenwell and its inhabitants on the world stage, and to represent this thriving area as the creative core of the British Architectural and Interior design world.

Giles Miller Studio has created this unique installation alongside Tecan, a precision metal manufacturer based in Dorset, who’se intricate and specialist manufacturing process has generated the latest in the studio’s range of reflective surface systems.

Featuring Giles Miller’s signature technique of manipulating light and shadow to show intriguing imagery, the installation has been formed from thousands of systematically hand laid stainless steel and brass ‘pixels’. By angling the specifically designed elongated pixels at opposing angles the surface of the installation will become an observation of light and shade, reflecting and bouncing light patterns in a celebration of its historic yet creatively progressive surroundings.

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by Giles Miller Studio appeared first on Dezeen.