Clinging to the side of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona, a Spanish Colonial Revival style house has been transformed by architecture firm The Ranch Mine into the ‘Red Rocks’ residence, a dwelling that creates and elevates a variety of experiences with both the natural and man-made environment.
When the homeowners approached Claire and Cavin Costello of The Ranch Mine to redesign their mountainside home, they were frustrated by the thick columns that interrupted the views, the heavy clay tile roofs and dark beams, and the floor plan that focused more on a ceremonial entry than the indoor/outdoor lifestyle they craved. It was clear very quickly to the design duo that although the Spanish Colonial Revival style can be beautiful in the right situations, the style of this home was repressing the potential of the site, or more simply put, the house was style over substance.
Apple today reopened its landmark Fifth Avenue store, located on the corner of Central Park, one of the greatest public urban spaces in the world. Set against the backdrop of the famous General Motors Building by Edward Durell Stone, the site has a long history; a sunken urban plaza in the 1960s that was filled-in at turn of the Millennium, it was later transformed in 2006 into one of the most photographed attractions in the city with the insertion of the iconic glass cube, Steve Jobs’ defining symbol for Apple Fifth Avenue.
Through the careful peeling back of layers of history and the sensitive restoration of the cube, Apple Fifth Avenue seeks to revive the plaza by making it more accessible from three sides, reinforcing the progressive and innovative spirit that is emblematic of Apple. The project is the result of a close collaboration between the design team at Apple led by chief design officer, Sir Jonathan Ive and the integrated design and engineering teams at Foster + Partners.
Clark’s is a remodel of a 1940s building that once housed a former restaurant and before that an auto repair shop. On the edge of the historic Clarksville neighborhood and a commercial strip, Clark’s is positioned as Austin’s definitive neighborhood oyster joint. Clayton & Little worked closely with the owner to revitalize this 1,400-square-foot gem from the inside out.
A refreshed open-layout kitchen with all new equipment opens up to the bar and dining area, clustered around a 300-gallon aquarium. Diners have the option of sitting in the bar area open to the working kitchen and oyster bar, at a quieter dining table inside, or outside on the patio.
“It’s a special opportunity to remodel a house that the clients have lived in for many years. They know the site so well: the best views, the direction of winds, and how the sun interacts with the site throughout the year.” –Jim Olson, FAIA, Design Principal.
A family home originally built over four decades ago, this Fox Island beachfront residence boasts unobstructed views of the Puget Sound and an island wildlife area to the west. Opening up these previously constrained views and integrating the family’s active coastal lifestyle into the home served as the primary directives for the new design. An elevated roofline and a new row of clerestory windows on the home’s water-facing side, along with wall-height windows replacing the original truncated glazing, brighten a previously darker and compressed living area. Hidden pivot points in several of these window walls open the west side of the home to the outdoors, extending the livable area out to the newly remodeled deck.
Project Team: Jim Olson, FAIA, Design Principal; William Franklin, Project Manager; Elisa Renouard and Adam Pearce, LEED® AP BD+C, Architectural Staff; Christine Burkland, Interior Design
An existing art institute in Brookline, MA, this building was proposed to be the new Boston cultural center for the religious institution of Soka Gakkai International. The proposal included the assessment and renovation of an existing facility which houses office space, conference rooms, meditation rooms, and an outdoor landscaping element. Located along a highly trafficked street, the intervention of a wood wall and screening system transformed the existing facade into an interactive and dynamic street-front landmark. A pallet of light tones, painted brick, and articulated greenery create an accepting atmosphere that reflects the ideals and identity of SGI. The motif of wood and light carries through the entry and into a re-invented atrium space where an articulation of skylights work into a double height space highlighting a connection to the main worship space and additional program beyond.
121 East 22nd is OMA’s first ground up building and residential complex in Manhattan. The design was conceived from its site which straddles two separate and different neighborhoods: a quiet residential area surrounding Gramercy Park, an enclosed and private garden, and the bustling commercial space around Madison Square Park, a public park that hosts an array of activities.
The L-shaped site posed an opportunity to be informed by the two neighborhoods while activating three street fronts. The concept emerges from this dualistic condition, referencing Cubist artwork, in which objects are viewed from a multitude of viewpoints rather than a single one to represent the subject in a greater context. As such, the North Tower conveys the meeting of the two neighborhoods, realized through two interlocking planes that come together at 23rd and Lexington to form a distinct, three-dimensional corner.
Concept to Design Development: Yolanda do Campo, Lawrence Siu, Sunggi Park, Daniel Quesada Lombo, Jackie Woon Bae, Juan Lopez, Jorge Simelio, Andrea Zalewski, Nathalie Camacho, Leen Katrib, Nils Sanderson, Carly Dean, Nicholas Solakian
Construction Documentation to Construction Administration: Christine Yoon, Yolanda do Campo, Darby Foreman, Marki Becker, Nils Sanderson, Andrea Zalewski
Set along a ridgeline with significant mountain views, Ridge House is a family home that thoughtfully blends old and new, indoor and outdoor, and public and private spaces.
At project commencement, the team and the client identified several goals for the redesign, such as: create a space that accommodates a young family; honor the rich history of the project while utilizing materials that patina and improve with age; create a strong indoor-outdoor connection; connect the home to the significant mountain views; create spaces that have visual and/or special connections to other spaces within the house yet remain their own distinct space; and establish areas within the home for specific art.
A fairly simple building, this house has two distinctive features, the 35-foot cantilever of the 2nd floor and the atypical site plan with dual courtyards substituted for the traditional suburban backyard. Both of these features are a direct result of 3 fairly prosaic goals: the client’s desire for privacy, an efficient use of the pie-shaped lot, and a facade that isn’t dominated by a garage door. Layered over these requests is the architect’s inclination to create a highly controlled and beautiful entry experience. The building itself consists of 2 (roughly) rectangular volumes that are connected by a glazed hallway. The public spaces are all contained in the single floor eastern volume, while the 2 story western volume houses the private portions of the program. The large cantilever places program to the extents of the buildable area while still allowing proper vehicular circulation for a side facing garage door. To enter the house one goes through the gate that is under the large expanse of the cantilever and then passes through the first courtyard that is just behind the front concrete wall. The actual entry door is in the hallway that connects the volumes and divides the courtyards. This hallway exists in a somewhat ambiguous state between interior and exterior space as its materiality and ceiling plane is continuous with that of the covered exterior spaces that are adjacent to both courtyards. Once inside, one passes between the two courtyards before entering the large volume of the living space.
Located on a prominent site along the East River, against the backdrop of rapidly built skyscraper condominiums, the 22,000 square foot Queens Public Library at Hunters Point stands as a public building and public park, bringing community-devoted space to the Long Island City waterfront.
Resisting recent trends of incorporating public libraries and much-needed social space within high-end residential towers, the Hunters Point Library stands independently, rising with a minimal footprint on its 32,000 square foot site to offer maximum surrounding green space to the local community and becoming an integrated part of the vibrant public park that lines the river’s edge.
The clean lines and carefully structured geometry of this modern Long Island home make a statement of aesthetic and style, while maintaining a natural connection to the surrounding landscape. Characteristic yet subtle, the architecture exhibits a clear and exciting contrast from the neo-traditional residences in the surrounding areas. Set back from the road and sited centrally on the plot, the structure is presented against a backdrop of old growth trees, and artfully carved to create a varied massing of solid and void, highlighted by a two-story glass box eliciting views directly through the home to the landscape beyond. The proportions of the structure work to minimize the effect of the two-story massing, emphasizing rather the horizontality of the elongated main level.
email
Facebook
Twitter
RSS Feed
