Contrast House explores the role of contrast in the modern renewal of a 120-year old home. Employing the use of contrast in a historic neighbourhood and as a means to amplify natural light, the design juxtaposes opposing elements to explore the relationship between light and dark, old and new. The owners, relocating to Canada from southern climes, hoped to brighten the dark, narrow house. Although the existing house possessed a south-facing façade, it was only 11 feet wide and due to a traditional Victorian layout, had no direct sight lines to allow outward views and access to light. As a result, the primary design challenge was to increase natural light in the space, accomplished through both physical and perceptual means. Physically, the long, narrow house was reorganized in plan and in section, introducing new sight lines to the expanded openings at the rear of the house and updating the layout for a growing family. Perceptually, contrast is used as a means to ‘brighten’ internal spaces without direct access to natural light. Contrasting elements are placed in proximity to visually intensify the natural light spilling down from the large openings above.
Informa Canada produces and manages over 45 annual conferences, trade and consumer shows in the construction, design, craft, art, real estate, and furniture sectors, including the Interior Design Show, IIDEXCanada, the Artist Project and Fan Expo. Informa is known for their global and holistic approach, offering unparalleled opportunities for industry insight from around the world, with a mandate of innovation and design excellence in their exhibitions. The fit-up for Informa’s Toronto expansion into one of midtown’s Class A office buildings comfortably accommodates a growing team of 110 employees in a 16,000 s.f. floorplate.
Off a state highway along a “false” river, an oxbow lake made by the Mississippi, lies a narrow site which slopes to the water, shaded by a 100-year-old cypress tree. Descending the slope, a long skinny camp lies ready for summer weekends and fishing.
In Louisiana, where the natural environment is volatile, wet, hot, humid, and extremely fragile, most buildings seek to resist these extreme conditions. Contrary to the conventional approach, GATOR House encourages interaction with Louisiana’s natural environment. Primarily, it creates human comfort in the seemingly uncomfortable and privileges social interaction in generous outdoor social living spaces. More porch than interior room, almost all occupancy happens under roof or in the shade of the tree. This includes living, dining, cooking, celebrating, and bathing. Using natural ventilation, fans, and deep shade, heat, humidity, and insects are controlled to establish human comfort outdoors. Secondly, it is raised above grade to protect from flooding and is made from materiality that does not rot, resists insects, can get wet, and be wiped down when it gets dirty.
This new resort, recently completed on a spectacular beachfront site, is intended to be distinctly Byron Bay and Australian in character. Byron Bay is the easterly most point of Australia, located about 2 hours south of Brisbane. The region is very well known for its rich agricultural history and the abundant fauna and flora which flourish in and around the ancient Mt Warning volcanic caldera. Designed to be sensitive and respectful of its site, which includes rare littoral rainforest, ponds, a diverse wildlife, native landscape, ocean and wetlands.
“La Ganadera” is a commercial building for a local association of livestock farmers in the city of San Francisco del Rincón, Guanajuato. The architectural program attends the following needs: meeting area, offices, drug store, warehouse, kitchen and terrace.
The emplacement is given in the corner of a main street that seeks an immediate visual answer, through a dynamic composition and the acknowledgement of a solid material composition.
The Curtain, by Tony Owen Partners has just been completed in Wolli Creek near Sydney Airport. The 15 storey building contains 200 units, retail and commercial space.
This site fronts onto a large park with the waterfront beyond. The unique design consist mostly of ‘through-units’ with an open rear corridor. As such almost all of the units face north and enjoy the panoramic views. The benefit of through-apartments is that they are naturally ventilated. This allows for natural cooling with reduced energy costs.
Article source: Arhitektu birojs MG arhitekti, SIA
The low-rise apartment building is located in one of the most beautiful seaside cities of Latvia – Jurmala. It is located in a cultural and historical district, between the dune zone and the main street, only 200 meters away from the sea. Originally this area was occupied by a former two-storey wooden sanatorium building which as a part of this project was surveyed, measured, and reconstructed.
Oodi represents a new era of libraries. The newly completed building in the heart of Helsinki consists almost entirely of public space and offers a wide selection of services. It will become the new central point for the city’s impressive public library network.
The design divides the functions of the library into three distinct levels: an active ground floor, a peaceful upper floor, and an enclosed in-between volume containing the more specific functions. This concept has been developed into an arching form that invites people to utilize the spaces and services underneath, inside and on top of it. The resulting building is an inspiring and highly functional addition to the urban life of Helsinki and the Töölönlahti area.
Software used: Revit, Autocad, Rhino, Grasshopper, V-Ray, 3dS Max
Client: City of Helsinki
Team at ALA:
Competition Phase: Competition phase: ALA partners Juho Grönholm, Antti Nousjoki, Janne Teräsvirta and Samuli Woolston with Aleksi Niemeläinen, Jussi Vuori and Erica Österlund, as well as Willem Barendregt, Martin Genet, Vladimir Ilic, Tiina Liisa Juuti, Julius Kekoni, Auvo Lindroos, Pekka Sivula, Pekka Tainio and Jyri Tartia
Implementation Phase:
Project Architect: ALA partners Juho Grönholm, Antti Nousjoki, Janne Teräsvirta (until 2015) and Samuli Woolston with Niklas Mahlberg
Interior Architect: Jussi Vuori, Tuulikki Tanska, Tom Stevens, Heikki Ruoho
Team: Nea Tuominen, Pauliina Rossi, Anna Juhola and Miguel Silva, as well as Michal Bala, Marina Diaz Garcia, Jyri Eskola, Zuzana Hejtmankova, Harri Humppi, Mette Kahlos, Anniina Kortemaa, Felix Laitinen, Malgorzata Mutkowska, T. K. Justin Ng, Marlène Oberli-Räihä, Olli Parviainen, Alicia Peña Gomez, Anton Pramstrahler, Jack Prendergast, Akanksha Rathi, Niina Rinkinen, Mikael Rupponen, Mirja Sillanpää and Pekka Sivula
In 2011 one of Denmark’s most iconic culture venues burnt to the ground. Since 1938, the K.B. Hall has been a driving force behind some of the most significant concerts and events in Copenhagen. Now the hall will be revived in a contemporary architectural interpretation based on three principles: the Gable, the Disk and the Arch. The Gable is made of glass that open up the hall’s interior to create a connection between the life of the hall and the surrounding area. The Gable is part of a journey through the urban spaces of Copenhagen, where the hall’s visitors reach their destination upon entering the foyer. In the Disk, on the first floor, bars and lounges are placed around the concert hall under the Arch. The Arch is the large unifying structure that recreates the K.B. hall’s iconic look. Inside, the balconies, balustrades, bars and fittings will all have historical references. The new flexible architecture, the acoustics and technical solutions all fulfil the requirements for a contemporary event venue.
Spaces, atmospheres, textures and light are the four key concepts to approach the Sundaram House project, concepts that merge into an architecture so simplistic and imposing that it is a paradise to inhabit.
The spaces are methodically distributed in three levels that contain two residential areas; one for the owners of the house and another one for their guests.
In the main area the garage and a front garden are found, perfect exordium for the living hall that welcomes its visitors and thus, start the tour to the kitchen, dining room and a covered terrace with a pool in a central garden and outdoor cinema , a guest room, laundry, two main bedrooms connected by an extensive corridor and a study-terrace that offers an incomparable view of the natural landscape of the mexican jungle.
email
Facebook
Twitter
RSS Feed
