A deliberate balance between modernity and tradition creates this unique and textured retreat in the suburbs of Kyoto.
Osaka based design studio, atelier Luke, collaborated closely with craftspeople in Kyoto, Osaka and Nagano to apply traditional finishes and techniques to the design and renovation of this postwar terraced house. The client, a Danish-Australian furniture maker, wished to modernise the home without abandoning the character that makes traditional Japanese houses unique. From this position of respect, a design approach was adopted whereby modern attitudes to living would be balanced and contrasted with tradition.
‘AP House’ bears witness to the rebirth of an ancient rural hamlet situated on the top of one of the highest hills in Urbino, highly esteemed for its landscape and environment.
The new system of buildings stands on ancient remains dating back to Medieval Communes.
The site of this project was a vacant, untouched plot of land next to the existing suburban residence. Fortunately, the surrounding of the site is under the management of the city authority as a green space, and it will be kept as it is in the future–therefore the client hoped to maintain the feel of nature in their daily lives, while enjoying the time spending on gardening or having meals outside of the house. Then, we proposed a simple, hut-like residence corresponding to the scenery; from inside, the surrounding nature is to be enjoyed as a view; when staying outside, being the integral part of the nature is to be appreciated.
This ten-storey office building opened at the beginning of the 1990s as the ‘Lahmeyer-Haus’. Like many buildings from that time, the increasingly sophisticated demands of tenants and Frankfurt’s oversaturated business real estate market quickly rendered the building no longer competitive. It stood empty for many years until project developer Phoenix Real Estate recognised its attractive position in Frankfurt’s Westend and decided to completely gut and revitalise the building. Since Phoenix itself rents office space in the building for its Frankfurt branch, the brief was simple: “to build the best house in the respective market segment”. Our studio was commissioned to design the entrance lobby and the access and supply cores for all storeys, as well as interior architecture for two rented offices.
The project site sits on the corner of two quiet suburban streets in the beach-side suburb of South Fremantle. The area is characterised by single storey weatherboard workers’ cottages of the late 19th Century. Many have been restored, typically brought back to their original footprint of 2 rooms and a corridor, lean-to accretions of subsequent decades removed to make way for a new extension, which is a summary also of our project.
Article source: Eva Herrmann Kommunikation Architektur
The design falls back on the type of courtyard development that is both suitable for giving the Paulaner headquarters an identifiable building and also for making reference to the history of the place and thus continuing the tradition of the former Zacherl brewery. Furthermore, it enables the creation of an administration building with various usages, flexibly mixed, and with variable, largely hierarchy-free occupancy, short distances and compact dimensions. The inner courtyard, as an expressive space and central point of the building, makes it a distinctive location.
Designed for a couple as a weekend house and eventual retirement home, this house sits in the high desert of the San Luis Valley (elev. +8,500 ft.) with exceptional views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Great Sand Dunes National Monument to the Southeast. The area is known for its serenity and environmental uniqueness. The house has been designed to not only respond to that environment, but also to take advantage of the unique spirituality of the site.
Nestled within a rocky shoreline, The Boathouse is designed for day and night time lounging and entertainment. It is situated at the edge of a densely forested north facing slope with dramatic cliff faces. In addition to needing boat parking and year-round storage, the client wanted a space that captured a full day’s sunlight as well as the northeastern views over the water.
I keep on design activities in Hokkaido, so most of my projects ran there. By designing in a remarkably cold, I continued thinking on response to completely different contexts from other areas. They are mainly “cold” and “snow”. Of course there are other various things to deal with, but these contexts have the great impact. In this state, I felt the possibility of “a windbreak room” and thought about the expansion and diversity.
Dieter Vander Velpen Architects remodelled a 70’s house near the Belgian town of Leuven, to create a new kitchen and bathroom for the owners, with clean lines but a warm material palette including bronze, Walnut veneer, Travertine and Calacatta marble.
email
Facebook
Twitter
RSS Feed
