House with 30,000 Books is a residence for two families, which has a large library between those two dwelling parts. As the name suggests, the number of books the library can store is about 30,000, which almost equals to the number of books that one small public library can store. The library space, sometimes works for bonding two families, sometimes works as a buffer space, is the common property for them and the most spacious place of this house.
It was such a great honor for me to design the renovation of my favorite building that I used to see every day. About nine years ago, we had co-established a shared office HAPPA across the street from the building and relocated our former office there; we employed to observe the neighborhood through the glass and this building was my most favorite among others on the street.
Hewitt Studios LLP have recently completed the first phase of the conversion and refurbishment of a former nuclear research and engineering building at Berkeley Centre on the Severn Estuary in the UK.
The project provides South Gloucestershire and Stroud College with a renewable energy and engineering skills centre supported by both local enterprise funding and international technology partners, such as Schneider, Welink and Bosch.
In January 2012, Atelier Kempe Thill in collaboration with Fres architects won the competition for fifty apartments, a dentists practice, a mother – child – care center and an underground parking at the Porte de Montmartre in Paris for the public housing corporation Paris Habitat. The apartments are in terms of budget within the lowest financing categories of public social housing for rent. The site is part of the typical former industrial estates and areas with 1960’s apartment complexes along the boulevard Périphérique that are going to be changed into contemporary housing areas.
Located in an environmentally sensitive area, this house was built to replace an existing non-conforming structure occupying the same footprint. A pool house and pool were added to the adjoining and eventually merged lot. Staying sensitive to the areas vegetation and proximity to water, the two structures speak to each other across elevated decks and living areas. They are built on piles with breakaway walls that allow for flooding to come through as needed, while leaving the structures intact. Acknowledging the wear and tear of the seaside setting led to the use of teak siding, decking, and window and door frames. The teak is intentionally left to weather naturally to allow the buildings to grey out and recede into the setting over time. The house was designed for an active family who likes to entertain. The living area on the main floor easily opens up to the water facing deck, allowing for indoor outdoor living. A private guest suite is accessed off the family room on this level, while family rooms take in the breathtaking views on the upper floor. Here too, everyone shares access to decks and views, with the master suite in the most prominent location. The family loves water sports. The lower level otherwise uninhabitable, becomes a storage area for canoes and kayaks. The lower level of the pool house provides ample storage for sea vehicles as well. Special consideration is taken into account for the passage of the sun, providing overhangs to cut out the summer rays. Shading elements throughout prevent unwanted heat gain, while operable fenestration allows for cross breezes and natural cooling. Landscaping here is minimal, with no added fill, which may disturb the natural setting.
The site is located on the soft ground near the lower basin of the big river. The client of this house decided to build one-storied house because the site area is wide enough, but it was necessary to reduce the foundation area because of the construction budget. So I arranged closets in the outer periphery, and attached them by the cantilevering structure.
Acquisition of an adjoining site made possible a new extension to an existing Victorian period house in Brondesbury, North London, which had stabling at ground floor level originally. This enabled a doubling of the original volume and transformation into a stunning contemporary home for the two occupants.
Forward-thinking education requires contemporary concepts, including renovation of university infrastructure, which the French ministry of education has provided extensive funding to expand. An important goal of these reforms is to rethink outdated learning concepts. Technical progress, as well as new methods of communication between teaching institutes (students and teaching bodies) and the public, begin to question the traditional form of scientific libraries. The new Learning Centre “Innovation” is part of a series of similar institutes tasked with stepping up to the new challenges and preparing for the future.
Titisee-Neustadt is a peaceful small town in the upper reaches of the Black Forest, which has become a favourite destination for tourists from Asia. With its idyllic lakeside position in the romantic Black Forest, many appreciate how it offers a polar opposite to their urban, industrialised lifestyle. And of course shopping is now as important a part of any German holiday as visiting Cologne Cathedral or Munich’s Hofbräuhaus beerhall.
Fun in the outdoors is where in their own way able to produce their own whereabouts. Nestled where the wind is pleasant, see the good scenery, to find a sat easy place to enjoy a cup of coffee, put a tarp between trees.
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