Thursday, December 25, 2008

Pedestrian Bridge, Zapallar by Enrique Browne



















Architects: Enrique Browne y Asociados Arquitectos
Location: Zapallar, Chile
Collaborators: Rodrigo Rojas, Davor Pavlovic, Baltazar Sánchez y Tomás Swett
Project year: 2006-2008
Structural Engineering: Alfonso Larraín
Photographs: Enrique Browne
Architect homepage: www.ebrowne.cl





















This cool designed pedestrial bridge / footbridge was designed by Enrique Browne y Asociados Arquitectos. The function is to connect the group of social housing that was built for local families in the traditional resort town of Zapallar, in the Central Coast of Chile. The bridge is also being use to serve and transfer water pipes, electricity, etc. from one side to another.





















The “frames” were elevated to maintain the metallic railings, the drainpipes with Led lights and, also, the metallic netting, avoiding eventual stone throwing toward vehicles. All the materials were untidy in their natural color.


By external motives to the architect the bridge was displaced some 50mts. from its original location in the zenith of the elevation of the road. Also, the ramps and pedestrian access roads were not carried out according to the plans of architecture.

Anyway the bridge offers different interpretations. It can be seen as an inverted boat of the bay, like a beauty queen tiara, or as arch of access to the town, etc.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Mirindia House by Marcio Kogan

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Layers of warm Brazilian hardwood, stone and concrete edge their way up Mirindiba House – one of the latest contemporary architectural artworks designed by Brazil’s Marcio Kogan.

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This luxury home low profile boasts covered and open living spaces, embracing the outdoors as an important component of the home’s plan. Large spans of glass form pillarless windows that open seamlessly into the outdoors. An elongated pool stretches along the deck and past the sauna, under the open sky, and flows into a “cave” that houses a cool, shady outdoor living room. Concealed in the far wall, sliding glass windows can be pulled across to close off this living space from the elements.

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This favorite living and lounging spot lures residents and guests deeper into the house, through a formal dining room and into the far reaches of the kitchen, tucked off the main corridor. Upstairs, the bedrooms and their accompanying ensuites, and the master bedroom with his and hers walk-in closets, complete the upper floor. The piece de resistance is found topping this luxurious yet hospitable home – the cinema room, encased in hardwood and boasting magnificent views of the city at your feet.

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About Marcio Kogan

Born in 1952. Graduated from Mackenzie School of Architecture in 1976. Received an IAB award for the Rubens Sverner Day-Care Center in 1983, and in 1994 an award for the facade for the Larmod Store, organized by the Magazine of the newspaper Folha and CCSP (Creation Club of São Paulo). Realised an exhibit of small-scale models entitled “Architecture and Humor”, a critical view of the architectural and urbanistic problems of the city of São Paulo, which had great repercussions throughout the city.

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Participated in the IV Architecture Biennial with these projects: UMA Store, Strumpf Residence and the MRA-2 commercial building in 1999. Awarded Architectural Record House 2004 for Du Plessis Residence – Laranjeiras / Paraty / Brazil.

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Prefab Home Modular 4 by Studio804

Prefab Home Modular 4 by Studio804

Prefab Home Modular 4 is Studio 804’s most ambitious project to date. Consisting of seven modules, the 1500 square foot home features a remarkably flexible floor plan anchored by a core of service space that defines the interior, while the seven modules are offset in the middle to separate public and private, creating a bold four-foot cantilever on either side of the house.

Prefab Home Modular 4 by Studio804

In contrast to its contemporary appearance, this prefab home design addresses materiality and energy efficiency concerns. The north facade was kept tight to protect from cold winter winds while the south façade was opened up with broad glass to flood the living space with natural light and take full advantage of the sun’s heat in the winter. The cellulose insulation in the walls, floor and ceiling was made from recycled materials and offers superior thermal and moisture protection.

This prefab home also features many other sustainable materials which include: bamboo flooring, recycled countertops, adjustable thermal window protection, a porous driveway, FSC approved Brazilian hardwood and recycled aluminum siding, ventilating skylights, and a white “cool” roof.

Studio 804 is a design/build program at the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Urban Design focused on the creation of community based architecture. During this final exercise, the students collaborate to bring a housing design to fruition that provides architectural solutions with an emphasis on affordable homes.

Via: www.busyboo.com

Modern Residence in central Austin by BercyChen

Modern Residence in central Austin by BercyChen

A modern residence designed by Bercy Chen Studio for a 2-family house located in central Austin. The architecture design is split into two living areas in order to accommodate two families.

Constructed of a modular steel frame, the house consists of two pavilions connected by a glass hallway. the frame is infilled with prefab thermasteel panels to minimize construction on site waste. the structural frame is exposed, showing the construction process and articulating the house’s facades. the repetitive modular method as well as the prefabrication allows for greater efficiency during construction.

Modern Residence in central Austin by BercyChen

the house is influenced by different regions and cultures. both the use of the roof as an outdoor living space and the shading devices are derived from moorish architecture. The body of water and the spatial continuity between inside and outside was inspired by asian architecture. the structural transparency of the volumes and the minimalist aspect of the interior was derived from japanese pavilions.

Sustainable Boomerang House in Tilaran, Costa Rica

The Boomerang House in Tilaran Costa Rica

At 1,000 sq. ft., the Boomerang House in Tilaran, Costa Rica, may be small, but it sure is sweet. Aside from its aesthetically appealing architecture and the wonderful, warm, yellow light radiating from its curved, glass entrance, this modern home’s most notable appeal is actually Green. The house is the sustainable creation of innovative designer Jean Paul Cazedessus of Be Green – Sustainable Housing in Costa Rica.

Sustainable Boomerang House Design comes to Costa Rica

This boomerang-shaped house design incorporates a copper standing seam with a grass-covered roof and walls, lending a look of rustic, raw modernism to the structure. The house is actually custom-created with a waste-not-want-not philosophy, “built to human scale, considering wants and needs of occupants"

Sustainable Boomerang House Design comes to Costa Rica


The state-of-art Boomerang House was the first to be built in the b-green.org development. The home is 1000 square feet of art and architecture, integrating the smooth curved lines of an Australian boomerang with a custom “sunrise design” wood post & beam patio structure.

Sustainable Boomerang House Design comes to Costa Rica

This green home combines a copper standing seam roof with a living grass roof, like the walls, is built to a structural resistance of 8.0 on the Richter scale. One of many unique architectural features in the custom designed home. One of the most appealing are the “Thomas Jefferson” style, auto French door, that in the opinion of all who have seen them, are “unique in the world”.

Sustainable Boomerang House Design comes to Costa Rica

Some of the other unique features are operable glass block ventilation windows, and glass block door/wall in the shower, to mention but a few of many attributes. Additionally it includes a detached 300 sq feet covered carport and storage room.

Status: For Sale $325,000

Casa Elegante, Luxury Property on Sarasota Bay

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Casa Elegante is a pure simbol of luxury, a lavish new construction designed to catch the eye of the high-end shopper. Records show that the property on Sarasota Bay was buy for under $1.5 million back in 2003. The home was developed by Laughlin's Luxury Lifestyles and built by Triangle Construction and is a lavish 14,243 square foot residence. Believe it or not, the listing says this one is a certified green home.

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There are five bedrooms and the finishes include lots of marble and travertine as well as exotic woods including Brazilian cherry, teak and bamboo.The grounds include a large pool and spa and a dock and boat lift.

It's been on the market for a while, check out this press release from August 2006 that says that Sky Sotheby's Realtors Laura Brady and Stuart Mattison "personally commit to spending upwards of $50,000 over the course of the first year, of which 5 percent goes to photography and copywriting, 20 percent goes for the launch event, 15 percent goes for Internet ads, 30 percent goes for direct mail and brochures, 25 percent goes for print advertising, and the balance goes for odd and ends."

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It looks like the home was previously priced at $10,850,000 but it is currently at $9.950,000. Although it was built in 2006, the extreme extravagance already makes it seem like a relic of an earlier, more optimistic time.

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Friday, November 7, 2008

Sustainable Barn House in Belgium

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Recycling is among the simplest of eco-friendly actions, but when architect Rita Huys of the firm Buro II took on this modest approach to modern house design, the result is something quite spectacular by way of sustainable housing. Dubbed the Barn House for obvious reasons, this reclaimed Belgian barn boasts a traditional frame set in a contemporary glass and fully functional shutter facade, allowing for large, naturally lit, naturally ventilated interiors. Buro II.

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Artist Wim Delvoye decorated the interiors with his artwork. The interior includes living, dining and resting areas, but also a library and a small mezzanine hosting the en suite bedrooms. The architect created large openings at the two ends of the barn’s long rectangular shape from where the owners can enjoy wide and relaxing views of the countryside.

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The dense shutters enveloping the structure create a sense of mystery, leaving the passer-by wondering what hides within, also protecting the occupants from harsh weather conditions - but parts can open wide on a warm sunny day, creating a welcoming atmosphere.

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The architect’s respectful approach resulted in a warm, cosy house, which will urge the occupant to open up towards nature and embrace the surrounding green fields, rather than just withdraw in it. ‘After all,’ says Huys, ‘the house’s best room is, in a way, the outdoors.’

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The farm was the main place where people lived alongside nature, seeing it both as force and as threat,’ says the architect, who took into account the weather conditions and the surrounding nature, when working on the Barn House’s design. Seeing the barn re-interpretation as a way of developing and managing the landscape, the architect added a new, residential dimension to a structure once only connected to working the land.

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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Higueritas Sport Center designed by GBGV Arquitectos






















Designed by GBGV Arquitectos - Federico García Barba y Cristina González Vázquez de Parga on 2003 for their client Excmo. Ayuntamiento de La Laguna, Programa Urban de La Cuesta y Taco and located on a dense metropolitan area between the Santa Cruz and La Laguna districts, this building incorporates sports facilities to fill the lack of equipment.

The required program is quite complex, in order to organize services to practice several sports, mostly the usual sports for covered courts such as basketball, volleyball, handball, tennis and a space for gymnasium and fitness. Also, training and therapeutic pools were required.





















The proposed building allocates the required spaces on several levels, making use of the height differences on the site. The pools and locker room are located on the semi basement level. The gymnasiums and workout areas are placed on an intermediate level. Finally, the upper level holds the multiuse courts and seats for 300 people.





















The goal was to make a compact building, in order to lower costs and achieve high energy efficiency, while allowing for good ventilation and lighting. Special care was put to fit this new infrastructure on the site, after studying the heights, so you could access every space from street level. This strategy involved an interior elevator that connects the 4 levels.






















The formal language pretends to simplify the global form while defining a new urban landmark for the neighborhood, as should be for a quality urban equipment. Simple and easy to install materials were used to achieve rich spaces with good illumination.





















Blue tinted translucent polycarbonate panels were used to enclose the pool area in order to achieve a nice atmosphere.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Calvin Klein New Home Furniture Collection


















Calvin Klein Launches New Home Furniture Collection. Calvin Klein has announced they will introduce two designer furniture lines this spring – ‘Calvin Klein’ and ‘The curator collection by Calvin Klein Home.’












The latest additions to the Calvin Klein Home line will consist of modern, timeless pieces in keeping with the Calvin Klein brand aesthetic. The full line will debut at the High Point Market in late October, and will appear in stores in January 2009.

Concert and Congress Centre by Future Systems
















This Antonin Dvorak Concert and Congress Centre designed by Future Systems which is going to offer you a feel of Heaven Cultural and Commercial Spaces. Antonin Dvorak is a cultural space and grand entrance which is open constituted from restaurants areas, café lounges, dance floors and music halls.















There are 2 concert halls with a seating arrangement of 1000 people and a chamber music hall with accommodation of 400 people. Each and every hall is created of sensual free form curves that manage to join artistic beauty with amazing audio quality that is only enhanced by the ‘eye’ window concept. People are surely going to have a thrilling experience in Antonin Dvorak structure.


























Client: South Bohemian Society of Friends of Music
Architect: Future Systems
Design Team: M.Gabriel,J.Kaplicky,Y.Peer,F.Previtali,G.Roetzel
Acousticall Engineer: Neill Woodger, George Ellerington @ Arup
Structural Engineer Ed Clark @ Arup
Environmental Engineer: Andrew Sedgwick @ Arup