Alpine Barn Apartment - Ofis Arhitekti

July 27, 2015, 12:49 am

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Project team: Rok Oman, Spela Videcnik, Andrej Gregoric, Janez Martincic, Michele Albonetti, Maria Della Mea,  Tomaž Cirkvencic, Pawel Nikkiel, Gözde Okyay, Roberta Costa Maria Rosaria Ritonnaro, Ralea Toma Ioan Catalin,  Grega Valencic, Vlad Popa, Tanja Veselic, Jade Manbodh 

Project: 2014
Completion: 2015
Area: 140 m2
Budget: 140.000,00 EUR

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Met - Studio GUM, Valentina Giampiccolo, Giuseppe Minaldi

July 7, 2015, 2:29 am

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Insieme al vecchio faro, il Met è l’ultimo avamposto sul nuovo lungomare di Marina di Ragusa. Dopo la demolizione dell’attiguo edificio, costituisce l’unico costruito al centro di due vuoti urbani: da una parte P.zza Dogana e dall’altra Piazza Torre, realizzata sul sedime dell’ex Camperia (antico magazzino). La richiesta della committenza è la trasformazione dell’edificio da residenziale a commerciale (bar-ristorante) e la chiusura a veranda del terrazzo.

In origine la fabbrica presenta dei tre prospetti liberi due risolti e uno cieco (p.zza Torre), con travi e pilastri in c.a. a vista. Questa dualità permane nel progetto. Il prospetto su p.zza Dogana, ben noto negli anni agli abitanti del luogo, è cristallizzato e mantiene i connotati stilistici e le bucature anche laddove non servono più. Il prospetto su Piazza Torre è pensato invece come estensione verticale della piazza, per sopperire alle sue mancanze (verde, arredo urbano, punti di aggregazione); spazio fruibile e trasformabile, cornice per esposizioni temporanee all’aperto. Partendo dalla maglia strutturale di travi e pilastri si genera un reticolo, che acquisisce tridimensionalità in prossimità della veranda. Nei punti del reticolo ottenuti dall’intersezione delle ortogonali, è posto un modulo che accoglie il sistema d’illuminazione della facciata e diventa supporto per possibili installazioni.

Il non finito iniziale della facciata permane e genera infinite risoluzioni. Anche gli interni subiscono il processo di riduzione alla struttura portante. Al piano terra i blocchi funzionali sono come monoliti lasciati dal mare. Il cubo di ferro che accoglie i bagni è ossidato all’esterno(ferro nero) e perlescente all’interno(alluminio). Dalla scala al piano superiore una patina turchese riveste il tutto e crea una sensazione di sospensione propria del galleggiare nel mare, che di questo spazio è la quarta parete.

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Arturito Restaurant - Candida Tabet

July 31, 2015, 6:56 am

≫ Next: House at Neil Road - ONG&ONG

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This was a remodel project for an existing restaurant establishment. Our client desired something “joyful and laid back” as he thought the existing ambiance was a bit austere, dark and pretentious. In addition to being excited about this challenge, we were equally inspired by Paola Carosella, restaurant owner and chef, whose personality was extroverted, restless, lively and goal driven. Overall, the two most challenging aspect of the project were to go through the project without having to temporarily close the restaurant and dealing with a limited budget. In terms of design, there was a complete fusion between landscape and architecture, as they were physically overlayed in a few ambiances. Over the existing blank facade we installed a steel tube grid meant to be tangled in vines that referenced back to the existing volumes and voids in a very simple and harmonious way. This same overlay was repeated on the narrow garden-like seating area, unifying internal and external solutions. This subtle touch of green was able to lighten and cheer up the new looking restaurant. On the inside, we removed the dark wood cladding, exposing the white walls and installed large mirror panes; we replaced the upholstery for a colorful fabric with an exuberant pattern and replaced the chairs for light and transparent wicker chairs. The restaurant and waiting/bar area were equally considered. In the waiting area, we included armchairs and individual tables in a laid back and distinct environment. We focused on a conscious and responsible approach, with no waste or rubble while trying not to disrupt the restaurant’s routine: we also intended on delivering pleasant aesthetics and practicality.

Photo by Rômulo Fialdini. © Candida Tabet Arquitetura. Published on July 31, 2015.

Floor plans

Facade and sections

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House at Neil Road - ONG&ONG

August 3, 2015, 12:43 am

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Located within a conservation district, this home celebrates the traditional charm of Peranakan shophouses with the addition of new spaces that are sensitive to the building’s rich heritage.

Akin to traditional shophouses, the spaces are interspersed with courtyards that serve as visual focal points. The original courtyard – with its preserved ornate fish mould centerpiece and accompanying water feature – forms the heart of the common areas while a newer courtyard marks the transition from the old structure into its new extension. A young tree in the centre of this new courtyard adds a touch of nature to the urban ensemble. To the rear of the house are the kitchen and a retro spiral staircase that leads to the second floor master bedroom and rooftop terrace.

Many original elements were retained as well as restored, such as the timber flooring, doorframes, window shutters and iron gates. Clay bricks were also recycled and incorporated into a partition wall as salvaged glazed tiles were put to use in the bathrooms. Even the blue paint for the walls was restored to a more authentic tone by using mineral silicate, while a pigmented grouting mixture helped to recreate the five-foot way’s red cement flooring.

Interestingly, the forecourt’s boundary wall displays a similar progression from old to new, with its paint-stripped bricks revealing layers of the shophouse’s history. The bathroom floors were also given a terrazzo finish as a nod to the age-old craft that is fast dying out.

With its blending of old and new elements, this house not only preserves a unique cultural heritage, but also acts as a storytelling device that narrates the histories of its past and present occupants.

Completion: 2013
Location: Singapore
Gross floor area: 520 sqm

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Levering Trade - ATELIER ARSº

August 3, 2015, 12:08 pm

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For us, it is very important to design attending to the character of the building through its physical presence and to communicate clearly the use of the building working with its image. Looking at the work of German photographers Bernrd and Hilla Becher, we can appreciate the beauty of the industrial structures that in part is because its forms and the relations of its elements are the result of the pertinence in use. In other words, they are beautiful because of the sincerity of its forms and none of its elements were added for aesthetical or decorative purpose.

Facade 2

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

We wanted to propose a building that was able to communicate its industrial condition through the architectural elements. So we recalled a couple of forms that is possible to recognize as classics in industrial architecture: the saw tooth roof and the vierendeel beam. The work of Albert Kahn is a very relevant example of the particular beauty of industrial architecture through a tectonic expression.

Facade

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

Our project sets up a tectonic system of saw tooth roofs and vierendeel beams whose repetition along the facade make possible the character of the building itself and establishes a formal relation with a set of silos located a few meters from the plot. Variations in that system allow manifesting in the façade, the different conditions and requirements of the inner space of the building, such as warehouse, private offices, meeting rooms and other spaces. It is very important to understand that this building was constructed with a very low budget and that is the reason for the materials used in it.

Roof

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

In the corner of the building we can observe a major variation in the tectonic system; the direction of the roof has changed to manifest the new relation with the side street where the entrance is located. Otherwise the slope of the roof could be seen from the street.

Corner

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

A steel lattice work was proposed to reduce solar radiation and also to protect the windows from possible vandalism due the marginal conditions of the zone at night.

Facade detail

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

The inner work space is described as a double height ward, limited by OSB panel walls that add a friendly atmosphere at low cost, and also maintaining the industrial character. It is possible to find craft workers on the streets of Guadalajara, weaving objects on request with different materials like plastic threads and many natural fibers. We wanted to add to the building a craftwork sample, so we decided to hire a team of weavers to work with the handrails, weaving its gaps with palm leaves.

Interior

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

We verified the effectiveness of the saw tooth roof observing the quality of natural lighting in the warehouse space, just by using a conventional translucent plastic sheet as a lid on the Vierendeel beams.

Office

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

Office 2

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

Office 3

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

Office 4

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

Office 5

Onnis Luque. Published on August 03, 2015.

Plan 1

Plan 2

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

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BREEZE - ARTechnic / Kotaro Ide

August 4, 2015, 11:28 pm

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A Mute Exterior A building that sits in mute repose, like an impassive signpost. In seeking to realize such a building, which becomes part of the scenery around it, acting as part of the backdrop for passers-by, I felt that I needed to create an exterior that was distinct from the standard architectural lexicon.

Once you slip through the entrance that recalls a crevice to a secret rock cave and pass through the dimly lit interior void, suddenly you are presented with an open space that is in total contrast to the confines of what you have just experienced. The effect is to create a space like a private beach, enclosed by a soaring rock face. My concept was to create a space that would provide a bolt-hole for personal rest and relaxation, while still being able to benefit from the convenience of the city center—an ideal private spot in the heart of the city.

Although the house is located in a quiet residential area on a vacant lot next to the former home of one of the notable prime ministers of 20th century Japan, it sits on a 5.5m wide frontal road that is a well-used side road, with a stream of cars and people passing by in the morning and evening. In this location, the single largest challenge was to consider how to achieve a building that would continue to maintain its appeal and superiority as a high-end rental property. Buffering walls were created on the two sides that fronted onto this main access road, with the gaps between the buffering wall serving as the entrance to each of the unit. Once inside the houses, the south-facing side features an expansive open area, which provides a light and airy living space.

The buffering wall is creating a rational cross-section. The wall on the north side is constructed so as to allow for ground-level parking space, while also widening out to provide extra space in front of the second-storey entrances. The east side features a triple-legged stairwell with single passage space on the lower floor that also widens out to a double passage space on the upper floor.

I decided on the current layout after considering the most efficient configuration for each residential unit based on the building plot, which is long from east to west and short from south to north, which fronts on to the road on the north side. My idea was that a terrace house style would be the most efficient given the specifications of the building plot. I thought that a terrace house structure would be a comfortable and appealing option. I sought to concentrate on bringing out the commercial appeal of the luxury of space created by a terrace house configuration.

Once I had settled on a multiple-storied terrace house design, from the perspective of commercial appeal I decided to have entrances only on the first and second floors for the units, which ultimately led to a lay-out of first-floor flats, with duplex maisonettes taking up the second and third floors. As the appeal and comfort of the duplex maisonettes was self-evident, I concentrated on boosting the appeal of the first-floor flats. My solution was to place a green roof terrace of the second-floor at a slant, in order to open up the south-facing section of the first-floor apartments, ensuring a large and airy space.

In order to ensure that there was no need to place the bedroom windows on the road-facing north wall, which also looks over the parking area, I designed slits between each unit that act as light courts. As all the individual rooms face these light courts, this ensures that they all have their own private exterior aspect.

This project was one that I developed independently, from the decision on the location itself through to planning. The specifications of the building were also selected with total life cycle costs in mind.

While selecting a finish that would be maintenance-free to the greatest degree possible, I made the bold decision to use an exterior insulation and finishing system (which is coated on to the exterior wall) in order to retouch the exterior easily at predetermined periods during the building life-cycle as a means of keeping these rental units looking fresh and appealing.

Heating environment The quest for comfort is the same as the quest for commercial appeal. In terms of the heating environment, it is a tough call to realize comfort and energy efficiency together. To achieve both of these goals required that the thermal heat capacity of the external insulation be used to maximum effect with a heating/cooling system which utilizes the under-floor chamber. By utilizing the radiant heating/cooling effect of the floor together with high efficiency equipment it proved possible to both exceed next-generation energy efficiency standards while also ensuring a luxurious and comfortable environment. By adding humidifying/de-humidifying and air-cleaning functions to the total heat exchange equipment, an almost perfect air-conditioning system has been achieved.

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Tinman House - Junsekino

August 2, 2015, 8:28 pm

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Based on the owner’s appreciation of steel structures, the expression of this building is a simple and straightforward but distinctive design using structural steel as the primary material. Besides the characteristics and inherent benefits of structural steel in terms of high resiliency and performance under difficult conditions with the ability to go up quickly to meet tough construction schedules, structural steel can also reflect the flexibility of construction process and represent the quality of the ‘Truth to materials.’  