High on a wooded hilltop above a lake in Michigan, the Tower House is the result of an inspiring collaboration between Balance Associates, clients with a passion for architecture as well as their site, and a skilled local contractor.
Directed to create \”a sustainable retreat that reflects the timeless beauty and simple comforts of the area,\” the architects responded by raising the primary living space above the dense surrounding woods in order to gain light, air and views of Glen Lake and Lake Michigan beyond. Two fin-like, metal-clad walls rise from the crown of the hill to support a three-story plywood box suspended a full story above grade.
Phase 2 of the renovation of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Laboratory (MMPL) – originally built in 1955 as a living memorial to honor the men and women of the University of Michigan community who lost their lives in World War II service – is now complete. In addition to a renovation of the existing building’s second level as research laboratories, Phase 2 also included the design and construction of a new building addition that houses the University of Michigan Energy Institute (UMEI).
Tags: Ann Arbor, Michigan Comments Off on Phase 2 of the renovation of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan by Lord, Aeck & Sargent
This project redefines the internal organization and exterior form of an existing 1960’s single story ranch house. The project for a new master bedroom suite and a guest room leverages the limited scope of work by using the overall new form to give the entire house a new identity.
Fall In…Art and Sol is a celebration of art, culture and science throughout Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region featuring the world’s first major solar art exhibition with International artists in October 2013.
The SOL Dome is a lightweight dome structure, 8 metre in diameter, 4 metre high and weighing only 40 kg. Its fabricated onsite over 3 days from thousands of individually woven circles of composite fibre. The structure is animated and part of a responsive lighting system, lit by a circular matrix of solar powered LED floodlights.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – One of the country’s older nature-based day camps has undergone a significant facilities makeover to enhance its mission to provide safe experiences that allow children to grow into active and respectful community members through exploration of the natural world.
The original 1,100 square main house was completed in 1986 as a weekend retreat. A writer’s studio was competed in 2002. The guest house was completed in 2012 and provides private space for guests and a remote study for the owner.The form of the guest house was inspired by an Anselm Kiefer painting.
Successful innovation districts are not comprehensively designed from the outset; they mature over time, taking advantage of emerging local talent pools and evolving business clusters of excellence. Nexus, a plan to create an innovation district in Midtown Detroit focuses on proximity, talent growth, culture, and urban density – qualities intensely destabilized in the wake of the city’s economic decline.
High on a wooded hilltop above a lake in Michigan, the Tower House is the result of an inspiring collaboration between Balance Associates, clients with a passion for architecture as well as their site, and a skilled local contractor. Directed to create “a sustainable retreat that reflects the timeless beauty and simple comforts of the area,” the architects responded by raising the primary living space above the dense surrounding woods in order to gain light, air and views of Glen Lake and Lake Michigan beyond.
Article source: Bureau for Architecture and Urbanism
The wooded site location became the beginning point for the concept of this project. The house was meant to read as if it were dropped into the woods and therefore different than the natural landscape but not dominant over it. The design was kept very minimal and simple: in elevation it is the classic 4 sided house with a 45 degree roof. To further illustrate this idea, the house was raised on a concrete plinth that is inset from the footprint of the house, thereby emphasizing the bottom two corners which help articulate the houses edges and the fact that it is this object that is placed within these woods.
Main front entry facades : Image Courtesy Steve Maylone
Koby Cottage was designed for a boarding school for troubled teens to allow families to visit with their child in a private domestic setting surrounded by nature. The 1,100 sf cottage consists of two modules raised and separated for light, space and privacy. The space between the modules is enclosed with glass. The cottage plan has an ‘X’ form. The dining table is situated at the structure’s crossing, creating a place for rejoining and discussion.
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