Modern elegance

This interesting sophisticated living on Downshire Road in Newbury in England was conceived by the architecture firm Mim Design. The layout of the house is quite simple. On the first floor there is a kitchen, living room and other rooms for socializing through which the garden can be entered. The second floor offers space for relaxing. There is a sense of lightness to the house, from its linear form and pale colors to the heavy use and transparency of glass doors and light-toned wood floors. The dominant material is metal which was also used in the house’s structural framework but also served as the inspiration for the gray and steel-toned color upholstery fabrics in the house. The interior with its contemporary furnishing is enlivened by large-scale abstract paintings. The rear of the house is anchored by a covered terrace and swimming pool, which are visible from the living and dining areas sided by floor-to-ceiling glass. The light enters the house also thanks to the well arranged skylights which noticeably influence the atmosphere of the interior.

House 6

House 6 by BKK Architects is located on the semi-desert coast of Australia’s Western Port Bay. This architectural studio from Melbourne concentrates on designing institutional, company, retail and living spaces. In this case it is the last one. From the driveway the house looks like it was created on a hill as the façade is slightly sloping and continues as a roof with lagging. This side is almost empty, there are only a few windows and its counterpart façade facing the sea is completely glassed-in and orthogonal. What is evident at first sight is the amount of materials used in the exterior. The architects used not only steel but also wood and stone. The result is surprisingly harmonic. The interior is dominated by a large fireplace in the central part from where one can enjoy spectacular views of the sand beach and the ocean. The interior is furnished in a modern and elegant fashion. Something that probably each villa has to have is a swimming pool, with its shape similar to the house itself in this case. Living in this house must be very pleasant and relaxing although there is a lot of empty space.

Kangan Batman Institute

In Australia, in Melbourne’s Docklands the new Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) was created. It accommodates showrooms, manufacturing halls and offices. The Australian architectural studio Lyons designed this building in the context of its surrounding commercial urbanscape. A crucial factor of the design was to respect the historical character of the surroundings and that is also the reason why the building has a slanted roof which is visible from the nearby railway station. In the interior as well as the exterior evident elements resembling cars are present – the whole façade of one of the sides and the floor inside look like a tyre tread. The main foyer with its monumental staircase gives the impression of modern design. As to the materials, everything can be found here – from exposed steel and concrete to contemporary carbon fibre and glass. The façade system with its automatic blinds provides for shading and airing when needed. The offices are cooled by an active thermal mass system. The complex is very environment friendly and has achieved a 5-Star Green Star environmental rating.

Studio East Dining

Studio East Dining, the temporary restaurant was designed by Carmody Groarke and came to life on a roof of a multi-storey car park overlooking the site of the London Olympics. Carmody Groarke is a relatively young London practice which has become known mostly with its public projects, for example their 7/7 Memorial in London’s Hyde Park commemorating the victims of the 2005 bombings. As this building was designed as temporary, it is understandable why architects chose the materials used. The interior resembles not a restaurant but the theatre backstage with visible scaffolding, pipes and rough-sawn boards. This striking construction forms the central part of the building which is wrapped in a white coat. Thanks to the white façade the attractive shape of the building becomes apparent. The floor plan looks like chaotically scattered wood logs and does not disturb the surroundings. The large windows are situated on all sides and offer beautiful views of different parts of the city. The interior is dominated by an interesting steel skeleton covered up to a certain height by wooden boards and long tables from the same wood. The result is a very modern space with charming atmosphere.

Rolling hotel

Norwegian architectural studio Jagnefält Milton Architecture came up with a unique idea how to liven up the small town of Åndalsnes. The town serves as a gateway to the region’s magnificent fjords and is surrounded by splendid nature. The architects designed a hotel that rolls on the train tracks that connect the town to the outside. The hotel does not resemble a traditional train at all but looks more like a number of large boxes loaded with oversized freight. Fortunately the impression is not correct and inside of the boxes of various heights and widths are fully furnished minimalist rooms big enough to sleep in. This way the tourists can get to see the country and not lose a minute searching for accommodation. The proposal goes further into details to include a rolling public bath and concert hall that could travel along the rails. When winter sets in, the units collect near the town center and in summer they travel along the various existing train tracks. The design has an interesting retro feeling and reminds us of the times hundred years ago in USA when private cars traveled on the rails. Nevertheless this idea is practical in all ways and this hotel does not negatively affect the nature and is environment friendly.

AS House

What modern architecture concerns South America has been steadily gaining momentum. Brazilian architects in particular have earned the fame with their designs around the continent. One of them is the Brazilian architect Guilherme Torres who designed also this building – the AS House. It is located in the small city of Cornélio Procópio in the south of Brazil on a gently sloping terrain. The walls are 25 feet high and the house is 6 460 square feet large. The two-story rectangular home features 4 bedroom suites, offices and a TV lounge on the street level and entertaining spaces on the basement floor. Artificial lighting is installed throughout the house to compensate for the lack of natural light mostly on the lower floor. The common areas are plastered in white cement which contrasts with dark wooden furniture. An interesting element of the house is the exposed patio with palm trees surrounding the swimming pool.

The Pentagonal House

This pentagonal house was built near Nagoya in a calm village of Thushima in Japan by architectural studio Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio. As the name suggests the geometry of the plan is pentagonal and to that shape also the roof is adopted. The roof is the element the architects mostly concentrated on. The house was designed for a young couple just next to the house of their parents which is built in a traditional Japanese style. The surrounding housing development had to be respected and that is why the pentagonal roof was designed. It not only fits in the surroundings but is also original. The unusual floor plan creates the largest possible open living space. The five main structural walls were set in radially, and they can stick out as extension of the inner spaces. They are cut off only in the centre with the dining table, a place from which everything can be seen. Here, under the peak, the ceiling is high and the owners can enjoy their dishes together with the garden views. The usual materials were used, mostly wood, the material of the whole construction. The white plaster walls together with it create a harmonic space.

Tellus Nursery School

Tham & Videgård Arkitekter have completed this curving nursery school located in Stockholm, Sweden. It is situated between a former industrial estate and a forest where new housing is being developed. The entrance to the courtyard is the first place where the parents say their good-byes or where they pick their children up to go home. The organic layout encourages movement as space becomes continuous and creates both exterior and interior rooms of challenging shapes. Windows are freely placed at different heights and allow children of different age see the exterior playground and the wooded hill. The architects cooperated closely with the client and were also inspired by the pedagogues so that the best possible way to organize the interior could be developed. The result is a rather unusual plan, where instead of an individual room for each group of children, there is a common interior plaza where the six groups can interact. This main space is complemented with separate atelier spaces for art and other projects, as well as a small room for resting. The facade panel, made of 50x50mm sawn wood, filters direct sunlight into the interior and underscores the curved interior and exterior spaces.

Concept for Bungalove

Studio 63 Architecture + Design in collaboration with ED Contract created a concept of living in a bungalow. Just as the world changes so our needs and demands for living change. These new needs bring new ideas but also rediscovery of the old habits. In the 21st century it is also important to think about temporary space for a temporary stay and the idea of a return to nature. The idea that in the late ’60s led to the creation of living cells. The future of living is to enjoy wild places that are not often visited by tourists. A nomadic room that wanders without leaving any marks because it respects the host environment – this is how the concept can be perceived. The system is fully customizable, with a flexibility from a simple village to a luxury resort. The prototype consists of four units – two of them being individual bedrooms and the other two a dining room and a living room. The architects paid attention not only to the overall effect but also details such as a wooden bookshelf.

Scholl Residence

During the 1950s and 1960s a number of outstanding architects including Mies van der Rohe, Richard Neutra and Ray Eames were commissioned to build model homes that were inexpensive and efficient as part of an architectural experiment. The result were rectilinear homes, which were mostly built in California and became famous very quickly. Recently Studio B architects designed something similar – Scholl Residence located in Aspen, Colorado, USA. This house was designed as a low-cost, efficient, modern and comfortable living space. Its owner is an art collector who wanted a spacious house that would accommodate and serve as a showcase for his collection. Built amid mountains, the house has two stories. Materials such as zinc panels, sandblasted concrete, aluminum windows, and tempered glass railings were used. Polished wood and marble floors and Barcelona chairs prevail in the interior.