The untypical facade of coloured plain tiles make this house a peculiar new member of the urban fabric. Simultaneously the hasty passerby will not neccessarily take notice of the greenish structure blending with plants and trees deep in the gap between neighbouring buildings.

© Michael Nast

© Michael Nast

The huge number of plain tiles and the chosen range of colour lead to an interplay between the very traditional building material in its almost handmade haptic quality and the pixel-like apearance of the whole facade from a distance. The colour gradiant is laid out as a repeating pattern and is planed into great detail. It recalls the former nursery on the estate and also interprets the clients brief to built a „garden house“.

© Michael Nast

© Michael Nast

© Michael Nast

While using the plain tiles for the whole facade a massive and durable solution was found, which beside its design potential provides a technically perfect coverage for the timber frame construction behind. To complete the overall „green thought“ of the building cellulose (recycled paper) has been used exclusivly for thermal insulation and heating is substantially supported by passive solar energy panels.

© Wison Tungthunya

© Wison Tungthunya

In order to cope with the site limitations, a conventional linear fence is broken into series of smaller vertical planes. These planes are projected onto a grid at varying distances from the house thus blocking out intruding views and simultaneously permitting ventilation into the outdoor area. The planes continue horizontally above the entire terrace creating a well-defined semi-outdoor living space.

© Wison Tungthunya

The planes are made from two materials: metal lattice screens and sheer canvas panels which both allow partial vision from looking through them. Lattice panels and swaying trees cast delicate and moving shadow patterns on terrace floor, building elevations and canvas planes. A large shallow pond further adds intricacy of reflective shadow to the scene.

© Wison Tungthunya

© Wison Tungthunya

At night, periphery trees catch trespassing car headlights and cast their shadows on deliberately-placed canvas planes. The shadow images appearing on series of canvases fade in and out and move from one side to another depending on direction and speed of passing vehicles, reminding us of some black and white animations on movie screens.

© Wison Tungthunya

© Wison Tungthunya

What resulted from this are an al fresco space that is in constant flux during days and nights – a space where its qualities are defined autonomously by external forces; the wind, the sunlight, and the car lights. The project welcomes the constraints of site and program as a framework to which molds the Shadow House into a living place filled with playful and imaginative shadow and reflection, and into architecture unique for its location and for its owner.

Interior architect: Department of Archietcture Co.,Ltd.
Landscape architect: Department of Architecture
Lighting designer: Accent Studio
Structural engineer: Jet Structural

Owner: Sakkawat Phongsphetrarattana
Area: 480 m2 (Exclude Parking and Roof Deck)
Cost of the construction: 13 Million THB
Build time: 2006 – 2011

Photographer: Wison Tungthunya

 

 

The Chinguacousy Park Redevelopment project is comprised of a new Ski Chalet / Clubhouse for the ski hill, outdoor volleyball complex, skateboard park, and bmx park; the renovation and addition to the Tennis / Curling Club, and a new Boat Pavilion, integrated into the water course within the park. The new facilities are all linked by new landscaping and pedestrian pathway system.

© Shai Gil

© Shai Gil

© Shai Gil

Context
Chinguacousy Park is a civic landmark in Brampton, Ontario, a local and regional destination, with numerous park activities throughout. The new facilities are a core group of structures within the larger park system, designed to modernize the park, develop a consistency in the park architecture, and link the program areas.

© Shai Gil

© Shai Gil

© Shai Gil

Approach
The redevelopment goal is to create a welcoming community hub capable of sustaining year-long recreational activity, and to transform the park into a beautiful sequence of indoor and outdoor spaces. The new facilities have been designed using a consistent vocabulary of forms and palette of materials. Each building has a series of terraces and shaded deck areas overlooking the park activities, reinforcing the indoor-outdoor intentions of the complex.

© Shai Gil

The Chalet and Tennis / Curling facilities have revitalized the core commercial aspects of the park and added to the interior program areas, as well as adding park features to be served by these buildings. The Park Amenity and Boat Pavilion has added new program to an underserved area of the park and supports the playground and picnic area.

© Roland Halbe

© Roland Halbe

Upon entering, the occupants and users decide whether they wish to remain on the ground floor or make their way to the lower level. On both floors the planning has proceeded ‘from the outside in’, thus producing a sequence of interlinked rooms. The hillside location of the property means that the quality of the interventions also enhances the topography. A common atrium connects the two floors that occupy the terrain. This space has been cleverly enclosed by a u-shaped structure. Thanks to a bridge on the entrance level the atrium affords a view from the forecourt – showing the house in cross-section, as it were – down to the lower-lying areas. An additional enclosed atrium emphasises the projecting north-western corner where the living room is situated. On the north side the architectural interplay between the open and  closed sections of the external envelope becomes readily comprehensible as an integral element of the building process but without developing into an end in itself.

© Roland Halbe

© Roland Halbe

This part of the house is designed primarily to provide an array of different views of the nearby lake, although the varying public dimension of the individual spaces – from the living room to the bedroom – is clearly discernible. The areas for private use are situated on the southern entrance side. The transition between the traffic-calmed access road and the site is particularly fascinating.

© Roland Halbe

Two sections of wall, one of which serves to enclose the property and the other to secure privacy for the pool behind, underline the difference in approach to the building as such. This “looks out” in part above the layers, thus ensuring a certain degree of integration into its immediate surroundings.
Gert Walden

© Martin Gardner

After the initial astonishment, the Police and later a team of Archaeologists were brought in who thankfully identified the remains as being of Roman origin. After a period of intense excavation, it was confirmed as a site of Archaeological importance when further evidence of Roman burials and defensive fortifications were uncovered, including the discovery of a rare Roman burial urn. Once the site was cleared of artefacts and the bodies taken to the local museum for research, work on the building could continue.

© Martin Gardner

These ancient findings further added to the already rich historical context of the property situated in the town of Winchester, the old Roman capital of England. The project was to convert the original servants’ quarters of the large Manor House that overlooked the surrounding grasslands. It was built by the Earl of Airlie in 1856 while he served as Camp Commandant at the nearby Peninsular Barracks military base and split into two more modestly sized dwellings in the 1950s.

© Martin Gardner

© Martin Gardner

Since then, the servants’ quarters had fallen into a state of disrepair after the unfortunate passing of a sole elderly owner. It remained vacant for a number of years, until the long-time occupants of the Manor House sought to retire and move into the more manageable servants’ quarters and turn it into their dream home. The owner’s love of glass fuelled their brief to construct a beautifully simple sculptural glass staircase and a contemporary glass extension, situated at the rear of the property in the space created by the ‘C’ shape of the building, which would open itself up to the garden.

© Martin Gardner

© Martin Gardner

The couple approached AR Design Studio Chartered Architects because of their experience in dealing with glass architecture and their interest in how this material can be used to create seamless relationships between inside and outside space, between the man-made and nature. Hidden from view behind the buildings traditional façade, the finished extension is an elegant piece of modern contemporary glass architecture. It completely reinvents the feel and atmosphere of the previously dark and cramped servants’ quarters; all within the rich and poignant historical context of the site.

© Martin Gardner

The concept was to provide a clean and light architectural intervention alongside the traditional shell of the building which would positively affect the feel and functionality of the property. The spaces are designed to accentuate a play between light and dark; contrasting from the bright and open communal spaces to the more subtle and secluded, almost cave-like retreat spaces in the old house. The existing layout was clarified; vertical voids were cut through the house to unite the cellar, ground and first floors and redirect the flow of the house to naturally draw the user towards the new glass space at the heart of the home. This extremely light and spacious frameless glass extension houses the open-plan kitchen, living and dining areas. As the delicate structure reaches over to form the walls and roof of the extension, it creates a flexible inside/outside space allowing sunlight to flood through the home and filter down gradually, creating beautiful shards of light and shadow.

© Martin Gardner

As a contrast to the extension, the formal lounge, study and dining room have a more sheltered and embracing nature. Upstairs, the Glass House has 4 large double bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom. The master suite has its own walk-in wardrobe and views overlooking the garden and the top of the glass extension below. All the essentials have been accounted for, in the form of utility and laundry rooms, study and WC that flank the glass box. The strategic placement of the large roof light floods the entrance hall with sunlight that tracks through the double-height space with the time of day and the seasons.

© Martin Gardner

Timber ceramic tiling was used as an innovative alternative to traditional timber flooring because it does not discolour in the weather and is a perfect surface to compliment the underfloor heating throughout. This allowed for a seamless floor finish running from the inside to the outside onto the cantilevered patio. The rest of the house is finished to a minimal and clean appearance to allow the functional glass structures to stand out as exquisite pieces of sculptural art in their own right.

© Martin Gardner

© Martin Gardner

Whilst still retaining a subtle street appearance, the finished property now renamed Clarkes, is completely transformed from its previous gloomy and decrepit nature. The modern renovation and extension creates a light, airy and open living environment bursting with traditional values, contemporary style and innovative design.

© Juan Solano

© Juan Solano

© Juan Solano

The project part of the analysis of the relations and situations within the University Campus, to generate a building that houses an inner environment but linked to the campus. The building is permeable, and at the same time shelters and welcomes the students on their way and in their stay. The public space aims to generate the various possibilities of student ownership and interaction, possibilities to be bound, to read, eat, chat, to inhabit. In this way it poses an open relationship with the environment based on the generation of freedom in its use.

© Juan Solano

© Juan Solano

© Juan Solano

The permeability of the building is reflected in its many possibilities of roam and use. The building opens on its front to the biggest pedestrian way of the University Campus, and displays faceted towards the East side in their first two levels. The building defines and encases a green area, a space of natural interaction on this Campus. Between the building and the central green area inserts a vertical space, with lighter materiality, where green penetrates, as a filter between the inside and the outside of the building, this constitutes a large-scale area of transition, connection, dissolving the limits with the outside.

As in ancient monasteries, the building was organized around a central garden square with a gallery – cloister – where the various spaces open. Two sides contain the bedrooms, brick vaults raised without formwork or supports. Linking these two sides are the structure with the solar collector plates and a water tower. Two walls, perpendicular to the vaults, separate rooms from bathrooms and, as aqueducts, lead hydraulic piping. In the third block, service areas, kitchen and dining room have semicircular vault ceilings built the old Roman way, with wooden crankshafts displaced along the walls. Four vaults, organized as a “weathervane”cover the dining room and meet in the center on a monolithic granite pillar.

The fourth side, the entrance, has living and meeting spaces with cylinders covered by brick domes built also without the aid of molds and with openings zenithal lighting. There is the access to the chapel, single volume to invade central garden space, with its continuous ceramic parable – floor, wall, ceiling – closed on both sides by stained glasses.

An almost forgotten technique was employed: on the roof of the cloister, mainly, the construction of flat slabs made of mud bricks. At the entrance gallery that roof is supported by generous arches and opens up to the light through various circular zenithal openings.

The participation of the staff work in the making of many elements and operations of the construction was intense: various designs in the placing of bricks – almost every worker’s signature on the walls -, improvement and transformation techniques, preparation of tender details. Thus, for example, the “gaudian” chimneys and the hollow element walls of the master work, the cross recess modulated bricks that surprised everyone when the chapel was finished: the missing detail in the vault that covers the altar. Other inspired hands worked wood, iron, stone, glass. The words of Louis Kahn, ‘history as a friend “, were the guiding theme of these spaces.

© Amit Geron

© Amit Geron

© Amit Geron

Entering by a wooden bridge, which stop at reflection pool. On the left –double height entrance door that open to a big void, that separates the house. On one side – Double sided fireplace reveals \ hides the living room. A space that have close wall to the side, with low Japanese window – that view the reflection pool.  To the back yard- 2 high and wide glass door, that show the swimming pool and the garden, and brings them in. On the other side -kitchen and family room that open to the breakfast terrace.

© Amit Geron

© Amit Geron

© Amit Geron

Bedrooms are on the second floor. Subdivided by the double space of the front door. Large “open space” master bedroom, with an half open bathroom. The room is open to the back garden and its giant tree, by huge glass doors. Basement is used as a space for games and Studio Round roof contains a fitness center with a balcony and nice views.

© Amit Geron

© Amit Geron

© Amit Geron

Modest building materials. Gray plaster outside and white inside. Pale gray marble flooring. Lowered gypsum ceiling with peripheral disconnections. Massive iron beams protect the house from the outside. Aluminum Storefronts -height 330 cm’. Clear glass railings.

This summer, the architectural workshop ADM is completing the project of renovating a 1950s administrative building, which is to drastically change its appearance. The edifice was built in 1951. First, it was a planning institute, and in recent years its premises were let on lease. The building itself was of no particular architectural interest – a standard block of sand-lime brick – which cannot be said about its surroundings. Actually, it was the location of the building (a quiet, green residential neighborhood) that prompted the investors to the idea of equipping a high class house. The best renovation project was chosen through a tender. The prize was given to the ADM Bureau that suggested a drastic change of the image of the edifice just with a few masterstrokes, keeping the construction and the envelope, and without the need for complex technical solutions.

In order to get a bright and expressive architectural object instead of a dull gray amorphous bulk, which was formerly an institute, ADM dramatically changes the look of its facades. First of all, the architects made a reproportion of piers and openings – once small windows that “perforated” the massive wall were extended down to the level of the floor. This not only let the authors make the interior lighter, but also emphasize the facade with dynamic verticals. The windows are also visually stretched due to the inserts of fiber-reinforced cement that reminds concrete.

The facades themselves are veneered with clinker tiles in imitation of old brick that is in favorable contrast with this silver-gray surface, and glass, and with the composite material “alpolic” that imitates wooden texture and of which the apertures of windows are made of. These narrow “wooden” inserts are installed on one side of the windows over the bricks – they alternate in a chessboard pattern on the left or on the right of the opening, depending on the floor. This “glitch” allows to avoid monotony in the façade décor and to set a certain rhythm that echoes with the graphic variegated bricklaying. And in order get rid of the feeling of a squat elongated structure for good, the architects fully pane the stair blocks. The transparent cleft visually splits up the block of the former institute into compact segments that are more comfortable for the human eye.

The contrasting combination of textures and colors of the finishing materials – brick with its rich color-palette, light “wood”, silvery aluminum (the horizontal lines of T-bars mark the floors), polished glass and rough “concrete” – gives visual appeal and beauty to the adjusted ornamental composition of the façade. In this way the building is nothing like the dull “box” of 1950s. As architect Andrew Romanov says, they managed to completely escape the “office-like” impression thanks to the balcony balustrades. Every room gets two balconies – one of which is used for its designed purpose, and the other is intended for the air-conditioner (which also prevents from setting it at random in the future). The simple constructions of the balconies adorn the facade with relief projections and add thin delicate lines to its large rhythmic pattern.

Reconsidering the laconic flat roof of the original building, the architects extend the material of the wall to frame the upper windows. The loops of bricks seem to “stitch together” the volumes of building and the roof with its laying. The entrance areas of the first floor with nonresidential premises are elaborated just as thoroughly – the authors put porches, benches and the fencing integrated with granite there, planned the advertisement positioning. This set of simple and reasonably priced measures turned an ordinary construction into a unique architectural structure which seems to be bound to ravish the citizens.

Text by: Tatiana Pashintseva

Architect: ADM | Andrey Romanov, Ekaterina Kuznetsova

© Guangzhou Vanke

The shop lots serve as a mixture of convenience stores, cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating located in the sensitively landscaped streets.

© Guangzhou Vanke

© Guangzhou Vanke

The convivial pedestrian environment is overlooked by the sculpted form of the SOHO residential building that features colourful pop out balconies; the balconies break up the scale of the building assisting in the creation articulated three-dimensional hillside cum urban village milieu for the development which has been hailed as the first lifestyle centre in Guangzhou.

© Guangzhou Vanke

© Guangzhou Vanke