feb 18, 2016

all images courtesy of alexis dornier

the design of this restaurant on the indonesian island of bali pays homage to the famous acapulco chair, while subtly referencing the food on offer. first produced in the 1950s, the distinctive chair — usually made of brightly colored vinyl cords — became very popular in mexico as outdoor lounge seating. the eatery, named ‘la pacha mama’, appropriately serves mexican cuisine with a vegetarian twist.

designed by alexis dornier, the restaurant’s inner courtyard is covered with a canopy supported by bent steel tubes that rise above the existing building below. the vertical structural elements form a hybrid of a truss, a vault, and an arch, interwoven with rubber recycled from old truck tires. this structural framework provides space for plants and flowers to grow. the restaurant’s kitchen is viewed from the street through two large windows, with stairs leading to the sheltered terrace above.

the restaurant is covered with a canopy supported by bent steel tubes

stairs lead to a sheltered terrace

the design pays homage to the famous acapulco chair

bent steel tubes rise above the existing building

the vertical structural elements form a hybrid of a truss, a vault, and an arch

the supports are interwoven with rubber recycled from old truck tires

the structural framework provides space for plants and flowers to grow

the restaurant’s kitchen is viewed from the street through two large windows

When MAEMA Architects were designing the renovation of a small 538 sqft (50m2) apartment, they decided to make the living, dining, and kitchen areas all open, but to provide some separation, they designed two angled half walls that wrap around the kitchen and living area, essentially creating three separate areas.

In the kitchen, the half wall hides the cooktop but doesn’t completely cut off the kitchen from the rest of the space.

 The dining room is positioned between the kitchen and living room, and the half wall enables a small floating shelf to be hung. Decorative floor tiles and a sculptural light fixture also help to anchor the space.

In the living room, the half wall becomes a space for the entertainment unit and some shelves.

     Photography by Nicolas Aubert-Maguéro

When Tal Goldsmith Fish Design Studio were designing this home for a family, they decided to create a unique bookshelf that perfectly fits the living room.

A custom white geometric bookshelf was created to fill the wall above the fireplace, and it also doubles as an artistic feature in the room.

It’s made from aluminum and is a single unit so that it doesn’t have any complicated connections.

So next time your thinking of adding a bookshelf to your space, think about whether you want to make it a bit more unique than the standard designs we see so often.

Photography by Amit Geron

attached to an ‘ameoba-like pavilion’, norwegian firm mork-ulnes architects / SFOSL have transformed and extended a dilapidated barn in sonoma county, california, into a residence-cum-artist studio.

image © bruce damonte

measuring at 2,500 square feet, the distinctive property features an inverted butterfly roof which accommodates a spacious artist’s studio and an office. mork-ulnes architects developed a space that seamlessly establishes an indoor and outdoor setting. in the extension and interrupting the concrete floor, parts of the floor has been filled with compost and planted with bamboo, aloes and various exotic plants.

the inverted pitch roof creates sweeping double height spaces for art production and storage
image © bruce damonte

the art studio is located within the vernacular barn. the traditional gabled roof has been inverted to create a double height space for creativity and storage, with views out towards the surrounding landscape. wood is the main construction material; the 100-year old reclaimed bar siding has been re-used as the contrasting cladding seen on the home’s external envelope.

the roof is an exposed wood, scissor-beam roof construction with a large skylight that brings light into the space
image © bruce damonte

‘lars wanted an outdoor kitchen and dining room that he could use year-round,’ says architect casper mork-ulnes ‘the idea was to let the landscape bleed in and out of the building. he imagined it as a jungle, with exotic plants, such as papaya, banana, and mango, inside and out.’

on the outside, the contemporary extension ‘the ameoba’ visually reaches out into the landscape and inside, the open-plan kitchen and dining sits within the S-curved cement walls, which keeps the thermal mass balanced during the summer and winter. the interior embraces nature and the outdoors, capturing the landscape to create a lush landscape of taro, fig, and bamboo that softly separates the kitchen from the dining area.

a 720 square feet concrete kitchen and dining space grows out from the studio
image © bruce damonte

for this project the architects used adaptive re-use strategies for most of the building materials, and minimized unnecessary glazing where possible. thermally broken window frames, formaldehyde-free insulation, sustainable FSC certified milled wood were recycled and used, which resulted in the reduction of waste.

the structure has eight-inch-thick s-curved cement walls which helps in controlling thermal mass
image © bruce damonte

for this project the architects used adaptive re-use strategies for most of the building materials
image © grant harder

the ameoba pavilion extends and opens out into the landscape
image © bruce damonte

100-year old reclaimed barn siding was used as the exterior cladding material
image © grant harder

image © bruce damonte

the residence at night
image © bruce damonte

the home is based in sonoma county, northern california
image © bruce damonte

jul 28, 2016

In tempio pausania, a town of about 14,000 inhabitants in the northern part of the island, the architects have realized a series of colorful sails that fluctuate in the sky, animating overhead pedestrians and passersby to the lively public space. dedicated to the late italian singer-songwriter fabrizio de andré — whose friendship with piano became a important source of the project — the installation serves not only to celebrate the artist as ‘one the most sensitive interpreters of human nature’, but also to highlight the beauty and importance of small towns across italy.

all photos by luigi filetici

developed by alvisi kirimoto + partners and conceived in continuity with an idea by renzo piano, the project comprises 12 suspended elements set against a backdrop of historical stone buildings and the market arcade. in celebration of the light and colors of the landscape, green, gold, red and blue fabric sails fluctuate in the air as if carried by the wind, finally resting on a web of wires that stretch between the buildings. piano’s idea of a ‘spiderweb’ of color is translated into a labyrinth of wires and cloth that don’t touch the piazza, but give it a dynamic effect of shadow and color. when the sails are closed, ’12 colored pencils’ (a reference to fabrizio de andré’s great passion for faber-castell crayons) seem to be suspended between the narrow irregular streets and granite walls.

‘this intervention, with its lightness and its untamed vitality, allowed us to relate ourselves once again with small urban centers,’ architect massimo alvisi describes. ‘starting from renzo piano’s idea to ‘capture the rays of light and its colors’, we moved the action up high, above the piazza, thus forcing passers-by to look beyond the roofs, to deal with the gray buildings and the color of the sky, to transcend the angular margins of the area.’

in its construction, the installation includes an arrangement of steel cables anchored to the granite walls of the surrounding buildings. this net creates a series of suspended triangles, where each vertex acts as the starting point for other rods. the fabric geometries can be rolled up though a motorized system — similar to those used in sailing. the device allows for two distinct configurations: open sails produce triangles of shadows in the piazza; closed sails form an intricate system of cables and rolls overhead. additionally, the open composition can also host visual projections, adding another dimension to the ever-changing installation. 

 

 

 

 

may 25, 2016

all images courtesy of formo design studio

formo design studio was approached with an odd request, to combine a laundromat and patisserie into a single interior. titled with practical appropriateness ‘wash coffee’, the unique project comes from the client, a french pastry connoisseur, who wanted to provide quality delicacies. laundry facilities make visiting that much easier; why not enjoy a cup of coffee and a snack while taking care of something necessary at the same time? 

seating

the interior, designed by formo, follows in line to the business’ simple, unpretentious example. industrial materials (form works, piping) are paired with re-claimed items (freight container door, metal halide lamps). finishes were removed from most walls, and mismatched furniture — including an OSB couch — helps evoke an understated homeyness. perhaps laundry will always be boring, but a fresh, buttery brioche would certainly make it an easier chore to handle. 

a glass wall allows visual connection between laundry and bar areas

OSB sofa

spatial context — relation to washer and dryers

waiting area 

a recycled freight container door was repurposed as a sliding door

entrance detail

plan