German designers Maigrau have won the Blickfang Design Prize, awarded at the Blickfang design show in Stuttgart last week, for two new products launched at the fair.
Line (top image) is a shelf, or “wall installation”, while Line (above) is a presentation bowl.
Maigrau is a new design brand headed by designers Alex Stamminger and Nik Back.
Here’s some info from Maigrau:
The German design brand ‘maigrau’ has launched its new products at the design fair ‘Blickfang’ in Stuttgart and has immediately received the ‘BLICKFANG design price 2008′ in gold.
These products designed by Alex Stamminger and Nik Back are available via www.maigrau.com.
’split’
The presentation bowl ’split’ from laser-cut aluminium captivates by its reduced geometrical form.
Its elegant appearance offers the ideal presentation surrounding for your tiny favourite objects.
The refinement allows for a stressable and food-genuine surface.
’split’ can therefore even be used as a fruit bowl.
‘line’
The wall installation ‘line’ represents a tray surface in a minimalist form and inspires by its ease.
The aluminium plate was anodized to get a high-quality and durable surface.
To meet your requirements, the individual elements can be combined to create ensembles on the wall.
‘line’ is available in one depth and two different lengths.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Split and Line by Maigrau
Skew bookcase by Smånsk
Stockholm Design Week: Swedish designers Smånsk showed a prototype of their Skew bookcase at the Greenhouse young designers showcase at the Stockholm Furniture Fair last month.
The bookcase consists of identical modular components that are stacked facing alternate directions to create sloping shelves.
Smånsk are currently seeking an appropriate manufacturer for the design.
Here’s some information from the designers:
Skew Bookcase
Sloping shelves mean you do not have to arrange the shelves in various heights as with ordinary bookcases. There are room for binders at the high end of each shelve and pocket books at the low end.
All parts of the bookcase are identical. To assemble it you just rotate the parts and place them on top of each other. The identical parts provides easy manufacturing as well.
Tour Signal shortlist
Five architects, including Studio Daniel Libeskind (above and below), Ateliers Jean Nouvel and Foster + Partners, have been shortlisted to design Tour Signal, a high-rise building at La Défense business district in Paris.
French architects Jacques Ferrier Architectures and Wilmotte et Associés SA are also shortlisted.
The shortlist was announced at the MIPIM property fair in Cannes last week. Above: Jacques Ferrier Architectures.
Above: Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Above: Foster + Partners
Above: Wilmotte et Associés SA
Here’s some info from competition organisers EPAD:
The La Défense business district is at a turning point in its development. The prime centre for European business must continue to assert and strengthen its place among the great international business districts.
With the establishment of the La Défense Renewal Plan, EPAD has undertaken a strategic and prospective study with the aim of sustainable development and architectural innovation, two aspects which play a full part in its economic attractiveness.
Therefore, in July 2007, EPAD launched an international call for projects for the construction of the Tour Signal, which forms an integral part of this plan. It is a question of exploring the organisational, programmatic, technological and aesthetic proposals that might extend and enhance the special characteristics of La Défense. Due for completion in 2015, the Tour Signal will symbolise the renewal of La Défense. This new high-rise building will add a Very High Emotional Quality to the previous symbolic and historic architectural constructions in the La Défense district, such as the CNIT and the Grande Arche.
For this call for projects, EPAD deliberately did not impose a site. The candidates were thus able to choose their sites either from among the entrances to the business district (South Gate and West Gate), either from sites subject to demolition operations. The Tour Signal will thus endow the business district with a new landmark.
Today at MIPIM, the Tour Signal project is moving into its second stage, with the disclosure of the identity of the 5 fi nalist projects that are competing for selection of the winning project, which is planned for the end of April 2008.
Small houses BedUp
Small houses don’t have much room, right? so why not pull your bed up so you could change that small room and use that extra 4 sq. meters house space during the daytime.
The Bed’Up is a hide-away bed offering a real sense of space and comfort, especially in small houses. Keep it up at daytime and lower it down at night time. When you go to sleep the board stops at the height that you have previously chosen placing the bed in a certain distance from the ceiling in order not to suffer any inconveniences.
St Paul’s Way by Fashion Architecture Taste
Here’s a third project by architects Fashion Architecture Taste (FAT) - a design for a 19-storey residential tower beside Mile End Park in London.
The project has just been submitted for planning permission.
Here’s some info from FAT:
Fat have submitted a proposal for a mixed-use tower for planning approval on a brown-field site at the southern end of Mile End Park, London. The landmark building is conceived as a ‘green gateway’ to Mile End Park.
A vertical garden on the east elevation integrates the building into the park and vice versa. The proposed 19-storey mixed-use scheme comprises of 27 mixed tenure residential units, together with a ground floor restaurant/café.
The design uses a patterned lattice framework both as a structural component and as a means of modulating the scale and relationships of the buildings facades - like an Arts and Crafts version of High-Tech which contributes to the skyline of east London.
Passive Houses by Kjellgren Kaminsky
Swedish architects Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture have designed a series of four prefabricated low-energy houses.
The Passive Houses, which were presented at the Hem & Villa housing fair in Malmö, Sweden earlier this month, are well-insulated homes that require minimal heating.
“Passive houses are extremely well-insulated buildings that are largely heated by the energy already present in the building - people and our household equipment generate a lot of energy,” says Joakim Kaminsky of Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture. “Now we will make these buildings achievable for everyone.”
Here are some short descriptions of each house from Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture:
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VILLA SADELTAK (above and below)
AREA: 160m²
BEDROOMS: 4
We are just moving into our new house. In the area theres a mix of old and new buildings. We wanted our house to fit in among the others, but still have a modern touch. Now when the house is built it looks as if it where a younger relative to its neighbours. The main characteristics are the same; the volume of the house with its ridged roof, the plaster facade and the pan tile but if one looks closer there are many differences as well. White plain plaster in combination with black plain pan tiles gives the house a minimalistic monolithic volume. The windows are positioned to support a modern floorplan.
VILLA VY (above and below)
AREA: 200m²
BEDROOMS: 3
Our whole family lies on the couch playing. We are in what we call the living room, bur really the whole bottom floor is one big room. There are no here doors, instead the rooms float into each other seamlessly. It makes the house seem bigger than it really is. On the upper floor are our bedrooms. Right now we use one of them as a working room, so there room for the family to grow. In a couple of years we will probably have moved the computer to the hall outside, there’s a built in work place for it with a view.
Did you know that you can lower your energy consumption by placing bookshelves and wardrobes by the facade? They will work as an extra layer of insulation and save both energy and money. That’s why all the storage are placed along the facades in this house. Between the shelves and wardrobes there are high windows giving contact to the nature outside and letting in light.
VILLA ATRIUM (top images)
AREA: 160 m²
BEDROOMS: 2
The autumn is closing in, but its still warm in the sun. Its Sunday morning and I’m reading the newspaper in the kitchen. From here I can see almost the whole house. The kitchen and the living room form one big open room. From there two corridors running along the atrium connects it with the bedrooms. If I look into the atrium I can see the doors to the bedrooms on the other side, there our kids are still fast asleep, they stayed up a bit too long yesterday watching movies in our home cinema. On the middle of the atrium stands an apple tree. The apples are ripe and looks like red Christmas balls on the tree. I walk out and start picking them, today the whole family will have apple pie for breakfast!
VILLA VINKEL (above and below)
AREA: 150 m²
BEDROOMS: 4
I sit in our living room looking out. It almost feels as if I’m outside. The room forms a large open space together with the kitchen. Its formed as an L that protects our garden and offers a view over the endless fields outside. In the middle of the space there’s a piece of furniture containing the kitchen, wardrobes, storage and the dining table. One can walk around the piece. On the backside of it there’s the bedrooms with storage and bathrooms close at hand.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
House in Sendai-Kasumi by Kiyonobu Nakagame
Japanese architects Kiyonobu Nakagame have updated their website, showing work including House in Sendai-Kasumi.
The house, overlooking the city of Sendai, was completed in September last year.
Here’s some information from Kiyonobu Nakagame and Associates:
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The house sits on the hill top that overlooks the city of Sendai, situated within the area called Yakiyama offering magnificent views of cliffs that rise from the Hirose River running at the bottom.
The site has an elongated configuration in a North/South orientation, adjoined by existing houses on both sides.
The site planning was conceived in relation to the density of neighboring houses and consisted of the elongated volume placed along the site and the large garden adjoined to it.
While the site descends towards the cliff side the house volume is lifted up, creating the gap between them in which the garden, the living room and even the marvelous view of Sendai integrate with each another and become a large unified site as a whole.
In terms of HVAC, we contrived effective heating systems. Although Sendai is not fully a cold district adequate heating devices were still necessary, considering the frequent strong north winds blowing up the hill. Hydronic radiant floor heating was applied to the entire floor area in the large room on the 1st floor. Furthermore, hydronic heating is also provided on the walls in each room, creating comfortable spaces with the radiant heat.
Location: Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Architects: Kiyonobu Nakagame & Associates
Engineers: Kanebako structural engineers
General contractor: Prolog
Completion date: September, 2007
Photographs: K.Torimura
China Design Now by Tonkin Liu
Architects Tonkin Liu have designed the China Design Now exhibition, which has just opened at the V&A museum in London.
The exhibition, a major showcase of China’s creative industries, opened on 15th March and runs until 13th July.
The following information is from the V&A:
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China is huge. China is becoming topical. Yet China remains mystery to most people in the West. ‘Made in China’ has become a familiar tag, but the spectacular creative energy in modern China is barely known. During the last twenty years, the Chinese have rediscovered their pre-socialist past and begun to combine their own traditions with global influences to produce a cultural rebirth. At the heart of this lies a new culture of design.
This exhibition will take you on a journey along China’s coastal cities to experience the country’s creative landscape. The journey starts in the far south, where graphic designers in Shenzhen began to explore new directions in the early 1990s. Next we move up to Shanghai. Here consumerism and urban culture have combined to produce astonishing fashion and lifestyles. Finally, we travel to Beijing, where monumental architecture for the Olympic Games is transforming the skyline of this ancient capital.
China Design Now explores China’s dreams and hopes over the last two decades, from individual designers to the nation as a whole. It is our hope that this exhibition will bring contemporary China closer to you.
Bentley library by Fashion Architecture Taste
Architects Fashion Architecture Taste (FAT) have won a competition to design a library and nursery at Walsall, England.
Here’s the announcement from the architects:
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Fat have one a RIBA competition to design a new Library and nursery in Bentley a suburb of Walsall in the West Midlands. The scheme aims to create a new civic landmark.
The library and study centre are low-rise buildings each with vertical towers that relate to the tower of the nearby Emmanuel Church and frame views of the existing Cairn at the top of a banked landscape behind the site.
The buildings exterior material is proposed as brick but given a twist so that it is arranged to look like books sitting on stone or concrete ‘ shelves’. The bricks are different colours and are arranged to create a polychromatic effect which graduates over the librarys facade.
According to the judges, FAT’s scheme – the practice’s first public building – ‘responded most closely to the stakeholders’ aspirations’ and ‘would set a design benchmark for future developments in Bentley’.
Casas Lago by Adamo-Faiden
The architects describe the building, which was completed last year, as “two very small and economic houses in a typical neighbourhood of Buenos Aires”.
Here’s a fact sheet provided by the architects, followed by some prose, which we assume has something to do with the project:
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Casas Lago (2006-2007).
Studio: Adamo-Faiden.
Project team: Sebastián Adamo, Marcelo Faiden, Carolina Leveroni, Paula Müller, Luciana Baiocco.
Client: Lago family.
Budget: US$ 37.000
Location: Morón 3939, Floresta. Buenos Aires.
The contemporary constructor
The contemporary constructor walks through a hotel corridor. Countless rooms converge to it. You can find someone righting an atheist book in one of the rooms. In the next one, there may be someone on his knees begging for faith and fortitude; in a third room there could be a chemist researching body properties. In a fourth room there might be someone designing a model of idealistic metaphysics; and in a fifth room, someone demonstrating the impossibility of metaphysics. They all share the same corridor. The contemporary constructor should walk along the corridor if he wishes to have a practical way of going inside and out of his own room.
The contemporary constructor understands the world as a collection of particular facts in constant motion, not a puzzle which pieces reconstruct a whole by fitting ones with anothers. He describes them as a mosaic whitout glue, with multiple loose pieces, which are free and have value on their own and in relation to the others, developing diferent asosiations and in changing conections.
The conemporay constructor gives up on certainty and objectivity as the goal to means of thinking, he places himself into an heterogenic and unstable context and he does so with certain optimism, knowing that unstable and heterogenic are not a traumatic accident but precious crative material, genuine object of contemporary imagination.
The contamporary constructor constantly expands his net of relations. He believes that the best way of doing it is by reading books, so he spends most of his time taking special attention to books rather than real people. He knows that if he only meets “neighbourgh people” he will be stuck in the languaje in wich he was educated, therefore he tries exchanging knowledge with unknown constuctors, techniques and enviroments.
The contemporary constructor uses his necessity of producing as the perfect excuse to study. A studio is a place to study.
The contemporary constructor is always chatting with history. Without memory his innovations become just the latest news. History brings direction to his personal growth. But as the same way his memory is not ever perfect, each memory becomes a mixed image of a previous moment or situation. This way, each memory becomes always a new one, a partial and diferent construction of its origin, and as such, with potential for his personal growth.
The contemporary constructor knows that most every object can become ocasionally important any day, he sees the advantage of possesing a truth reserve, or ideas that would be truth in mere posible situations. The contamporary constructor stores these extra truths in his memory and with the exess he fills his consult book. When one of those extra truths becomes relevant in an emergency, it defrosts and begin functioning in the world and his believing in it turns active.
The contemporary constructor recognizes human daily experiences techniques, he sees what he wants to see and not what he is force to, he sees every packaging in a supermarket as the ocation for an instant beauty explotion, he rejoys with proximity.
The contemporary constructor creates new words, constantly expands his vocabulary. He assures that new circumstances requires a new way of thinking, requiring at the same time new ways of expression. The way he expresses himself creates new circumstances.
The contemporary constructor climbs up to other people’s shoulders. He can go even further held by former constructor’s achievements and even the view is much better from there.
The contemporary constructor imitates sometimes, he is not shy. He tries approaching the original as much as possible because he knows he will never fully reach it and the difference of not doing so will be notable. He reminds us of how underestimated, discredited and fruitful results such imitation as a technique.
The contemporary constructor has a parasitic relation with his precursors. But since he is aware that he could only give birth to a tiny part of himself, he trusts in the benevolence of all those strangers that might find him in the future.
The contemporary constructor turns theories into self insurance tools and not as answers to puzzlers. He does not lean on them, instead he moves forward, and in certain occasions, he rebuilds nature with its help. The contemporary constructor makes our theories flexible; he moderates them and makes them work.
The contemporary constructor does not want to have a defined way of thinking, but he knows how to use the strength from his theorist weakness. As he has a relaxed attitude, it is hard to attack him, but as it is uncertain what he believes in, it is also impossible to become his follower. The contemporary constructor proclaims only one way of behaving (being insistent in what is certain, maybe), so it not probable he might become the replacement for what he is fighting against.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Aurillac concert venue by Brisac Gonzalez
2008
London architects Brisac Gonzalez have completed a multi-purpose hall at Aurillac in France.
The space can be used for concerts, sports events, trade shows and theatrical productions.
Brisac Gonzalez won the job at an architectural competition in 2004.
Here’s a bit of info from the architects:
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Aurillac is at the edge of France’s Massif Central mountain region. The site is situated near the city’s main train station, an area that is under regeneration to provide a stronger link with the city’s historic centre.
The building is a new venue for theatre, concerts, fairs and sports events. It will contain retractable seating and demountable stage for versatility. The main space will be able to accommodate up to 4500 people during performances.
Three ribbons of concrete that vary in shape and texture define the building. Their juxtaposition delineates the different zones of the building: entry, storage and back of house facilities.
The upper ribbon is made of prefabricated concrete panels with a regular grid of glass bricks. It creates a nine-meter high cavity of varying width that contains the building’s services and technical access.
Fluorescent lights with colour filters within, will allow the building’s temperament to continually change in the evenings.
Construction of Linked Hybrid by Steven Holl
2008
Photographer Iwan Baan has taken a set of photos of the construction of Linked Hybrid in Beijing, a ring of towers linked with aerial bridges designed by architect Steven Holl.
The bridges will contain programme such as lap pools, exercise rooms and cafes. The project is due for completion later this year.
Here’s some text from the architects:
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Linked Hybrid
Beijing, China
2003 - 2008
PROJECT TEXT
Filmic urban space; around, over and through multifaceted spatial layers, is one of the central aims of this Hybrid Building complex with over 600 apartments sited adjacent to the old city wall of Beijing. The aspiration of the developer Modern Group is for an ultra-modern expression of 21st Century ecological urban living, in this 210,000 square meter project.
Current development in Beijing is almost entirely “object buildings” and free standing towers. This “city within a city” envisions urban space as the central aim—as well as all the activities and programs that can support the daily life of over 2500 inhabitants: café’s, delis, laundry, dry cleaners, florists etc, line the main public passages. The eight towers are linked at the twentieth floor by a ring of cafes and services.
The polychrome architecture of Ancient China here inspires a new phenomenal dimension especially inscribing the “spatiality of the night”. The undersides of the cantilevered portions are colored membranes in night light glow. Misting fountains from the water retention basin activate the night light in colorful clouds, while the floating Cineplex centerpiece has partial images of its ongoing films projected on its undersides and reflected in the water.
Focused on the experience of the passage of the body through spaces, the towers are organized to take movement, timing and sequence into consideration. The point of view changes with a slight ramp up, a slow right turn. The elevator displaces like a “jump cut” to another series of passages on a higher level, which pan across exhilarating peripheral views.
The encircled towers express a collective aspiration; rather than towers as isolated objects or private islands in an increasingly privatized city…..the hope of a new type of collective 21st century space in the air is inscribed. Programmatically this loop aspires to be semi-lattice-like rather than simplistically linear. We have an initial series of programs. However we hope the sky-loop and the base-loop will constantly generate random relationships, just as a modern city does.
Mass housing in china has historically been standardized and repetitive. Our hope is to break the pattern; this new vertical urban sector aspires to individuation in urban living. Hundreds of different apartment layouts in a huge variety of types will be available among the 622 living spaces constructed here. And it should be emphasized, that even if this would lead to a commercial advantage, the reason for this individuation is philosophical as well.
Digitally driven prefabricated construction of the exterior structure of the eight towers allows for “beamless” ceilings. Every apartment has two exposures with no interior hallways. Principles of Feng-Shui are followed throughout the complex, which is aimed at sustainability “LEED Gold” rating.
Pottersfields Park pavilions by DSDHA
Architects DSDHA have created two cafe pavilions at Pottersfield Park in London, England.
Parkside Pavilion (top and above) is a charred structure set beside City Hall while the Blossom Square pavilion located next to Tower Bridge (below) is built of whitened timber.
Photographs © Helene Binet
Here’s some text from DSDHA:
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DSDHA, morelondon and Amano are pleased to invite you to the launch
party for the newly completed Pottersfields Park Pavilions.
DSDHA were appointed by morelondon to design the two pavilions - one is
to be situated adjacent to City Hall, the other next to Tower Bridge.
As the UK’s first charred timber building, Parkside Pavilion has a distinctive
silhouette that offsets the iconic structures that surround it, and continues
DSDHA’s research into contemporary forms of urban architecture and public
space.
The new cafe at Blossom Square, on the boundary of the World Heritage
Site and made from whitened timber, will generate income for the community
Trust established to maintain this high profile park owned by Southwark and
designed by Gross Max.
HL23 by Neil Denari
American architect Neil Denari has designed HL23, an apartment building for New York.
Renderings are by Hayes Davidson.
See also our earlier story on Denari’s Alan-Voo House.
Here’s a little bit of info from Denari:
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HL23 is noted theorist Neil Denari’s first freestanding building and quite a special project for New York City in many respects.
The avant garde design will become reality thanks to seven separate one-time exceptions to zoning law by the City of New York’s Department of Planning, and the building is already expected to become a landmark in the heart of the West Chelsea district.
Built to LEED Gold Certification environmental standards, it will be the subject of an entire museum exhibition.
Sliced Porosity Block by Steven Holl Architects
Steven Holl Architects has been commissioned to build a complex of five linked towers surrounding a public plaza in
Called Sliced Porosity Block, the buildings contain voids containing pavilions designed by Holl, American architect Lebbeus Woods and Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei.
Holl has designed the History Pavilion (below), Woods will build the High Tech Pavilion, and Wei Wei will create the Du Fu Pavilion (above).
The palaza will contain three ponds which will also function as skylights for the six-story shopping centre below. Esculators will rise out of these ponds to carry visitors to the three pavilions.
The 105,000 square feet site will incorporate offices, serviced apartments, retail, a hotel, cafes, restaurants and an open public plaza. Above: High Tech Pavilion by Lebbeus Woods.
The buildings will be heated and cooled geothermally. The design will also make use of high-performance glazing, energy-efficient equipment and regional materials.
The complex is due for completion by late 2010.
Photographs © Iwan Baan
The following information is from Steven Holl Architects:
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STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS TO BUILD A ‘SLICED POROSITY BLOCK’ IN
Steven Holl Architects (SHA) has recently been commissioned by CapitaLand
The ‘Sliced Porosity Block’ will be located just south of the intersection of the First Ring Road and
The three generous ponds on the plaza are inspired by a poem by Du Fu (713-770), in which he describes how ‘Time has left stranded in
The ‘Sliced Porosity Block’ is heated and cooled geo-thermally and the large plaza ponds harvest recycled rainwater while the natural grasses and lily pads create a natural cooling effect. High-performance glazing, energy-efficient equipment and the use of regional materials are just a few of the other methods employed to reach the LEED gold rating.
The ‘Sliced Porosity Block’ is the third large urban development SHA is designing in
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
ideaco Tubelor Homme
iF product design award winner in 2008, the Tubelor Homme trash can by ideaco will give your interior design style a minimalist boost while making recycling even more stylish then ever. Now you can recycle those nasty plastic bags and use them for your trash can but with the coolest cover of all.
Made from polypropylene, the sleek Tubelor Homme trash can hides the trash can inside bag. In combination with the brown inside container, Four different colors are available for the cover; sand white, wenge brown, persimmon and stone green.
ideaco, a Japanese product design and planning company believe that “nowaste” is beautiful. ” A life style of the future with minimal waste is what we strive for. Disregard fads, and create simple but functional, innovative but timeless products for everyday life. ”
Lounge furniture Bulldang
The Bulldang is a 30 feet long lounge furniture. This piece of modern furniture, designed by Hirohiko Kamiya, is a modular armchair-sofa lounge; with an organic, supple, human feel, one can form any seating arrangement desired.
The Bulldang lounge furniture is made from de-structured, padded, and segmented tube, which offers users the possibility of composing a seat adapted to their use depending on their idea of comfort. By putting a number of these modules together, possibilities of composition in spatial layout are enormous.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
prefab houese: pinc house sport
“ The SPORT is the original model from the awesome Swedish prefab company Pinc House. Some call it a sports cabin, some call it a classic Swedish bungalow. I don’t care what they’re classified as, I think they’re terrific. Shown here are random images from several houses in different locations. The SPORT range features houses, in various configurations, in two categories: Leisure and Residence, in sizes ranging from 20 to 160 m2.
Modern architecture design by BercyChen
This is a modern architecture design for a 2-family house in central Austin. The architecture design is split into two living areas in order to accommodate two families.
Constructed of a modular steel frame, the house consists of two pavilions connected by a glass hallway. the frame is infilled with prefab thermasteel panels to minimize construction on site waste. the structural frame is exposed, showing the construction process and articulating the house’s facades. the repetitive modular method as well as the prefabrication allows for greater efficiency during construction.
modern-architecture-design-bcarc
the house is influenced by different regions and cultures. both the use of the roof as an outdoor living space and the shading devices are derived from moorish architecture. the body of water and the spatial continuity between inside and outside was inspired by asian architecture. the structural transparency of the volumes and the minimalist aspect of the interior was derived from japanese pavilions.
Bercy Chen Studio LLP is a progressive design/build firm based in Austin Texas, founded by partners Thomas Bercy and Calvin Chen. As a member of the City of Austin Green Building Program with certified 3 star projects, Bercy Chen Studio has worked with clients to create designs which are environmentally sustainable and aesthetically pleasing.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Prefab home HiveModular
Prefab homes by Hive Modular are practical, functional, well-designed homes. The prefab B-Line is named for it’s “Bar” shape; keeping a simple and elegant form to provide maximum value and interest while controlling cost and size. The B-Line homes provide gracious living for those who believe less can be more
The Hive prefab homes are available in a small, medium and large version of the basic model, any of which can be ordered with a flat or pitched roof, with clean modern or traditional siding and windows and with or without an attached garage.
The B-line small is ideal for use as a cabin or second home. The medium version is a great choice for urban infill lots or where a smaller full-featured home is desirable. The large version of these prefabricated houses is a wonderful home for a medium sized family or empty-nesters who need a guest room.
Hive Modular sells several models of contemporary modular homes with an emphasis on excellent architectural design.
Small houses storage staircase
Storage staircase is a smart solution for every home and small houses in particular. A small space can challenge your houses design making you come-up with creative storage solutions.
In my opinion, the staircase is a challenging space we should utilize for storage. I have found a couple of smart and creative ways on how to make your small house a lot smarter. Take Leonie & Rhodri London flat for example
small-houses-storage-staircase“…the architect proposed a handsome and clever book-lined staircase to house their formidable combined libraries in one streamlined space. “It’s just brilliant because the way it’s conceived, you can walk by it and not even notice it,” Leonie says. “So it’s like this fabulous surprise.” The rather treacherous staircase hangs from steel beams, so as not to put any pressure on the Victorian floor, and the staircase has the air of a steep mountain climb from the bottom. “At first I was terrified! Every time!” says Veronika. “Soon, though, it becomes a mechanism and even in the dark one manages to make it downstairs.” ”
Another great example for smart storage is the staircase drawers by Mark Wright, where each step you take you find an unexpected slide-out storage compartment that you can utilize for books, boxes, games and more; when closed, the only hint that the drawers are there is the finger-pull hole.
Modern architecture design by BercyChen
This is a modern architecture design for a 2-family house in central Austin. The architecture design is split into two living areas in order to accommodate two families.
Constructed of a modular steel frame, the house consists of two pavilions connected by a glass hallway. the frame is infilled with prefab thermasteel panels to minimize construction on site waste. the structural frame is exposed, showing the construction process and articulating the house’s facades. the repetitive modular method as well as the prefabrication allows for greater efficiency during construction.
the house is influenced by different regions and cultures. both the use of the roof as an outdoor living space and the shading devices are derived from moorish architecture. the body of water and the spatial continuity between inside and outside was inspired by asian architecture. the structural transparency of the volumes and the minimalist aspect of the interior was derived from japanese pavilions.
Modern architecture design by CCO
This modern architecture design comes from Danish Christensen & Co Architects (CCO). The architectural design of this small modern residence is based on the idea of a timber clad raft, carried on piles leaving the house to hover just above the grass.
Located in the woodlands between the coastline and the lake of Arresø, this modern design raft was placed among the dense vegetation with a few trees providing shade and a sense of depth.
The raft folds up and around the internal space, forming the back to the North and the ceiling ends in a large cantilevered canopy which stretches out above the terrace. The fold creates a simple and clear frame around the internal space and the terrace which works as one space emphasized with large sliding doors that connects the inside with the outside.
Small houses Bookseat
Made from bent plywood, the Bookseat is a sleek piece of furniture which is also a storage solution; you guessed it, the perfect solution for small houses and compact living spaces.
Available with a felt cushion in customizable colors, the Bookseat is a simple bookcase that playfully curves and becomes a seat; another great example of a multi-functional usage of space in today’s urban living.
Fishbol Design Atelier is a Canadian based workshop studio established by design-duo of elie and mani. This workshop specializes in extremely original, high-impact projects for architecture, interior, event installations, furniture, product and fashion design.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Container homes Zigloo
Zigloo container homes are another great example of how your home can be created by shipping containers, creating an eco-friendly cool container home. An almost clear 20 foot glazed wall is overlooking the view while taking full advantage of the natural light. The ground floor containers all have their steel doors intact so the owner can lock down the building when it is vacant.
The Zigloo container homes main entrance is sheltered by a balcony off the second floor loft. The main floor features the den with a generous storage closet, and a sliding wall that can extend the open concept of the living/dining/kitchen areas.
The upper floor of this container home contains a guest room, a loft overlooking the main floor living room, and the master suite including a generous closet and a bathroom. Both bedrooms have balconies overlooking view.
The roof top deck is easily accessible from the stairwell, offering panoramic views of the surroundings. These container homes include rainwater recycling cisterns, septic field pumps and emergency electrical generation systems.
Unique lamp shades Sparkling
We love Thomas Pedersen’s sense of design. In addition to the StingRay lounge furniture, we also loved his unique lamp shades collection. The unique Sparkling modular lamp system is simple and smart. It consists only of a ring with a mounted socket with a cord, a flexible lamp shade in two layers held together by 4 rivets with 4 small hooks attached.
Bound by two different types of connection links - one with a zipper and one with a transparent link - these unique lamp shades can be connected on either a straight line, in a circle or in a completely different configuration.
Available in many different materials, expressions and prints, the possibilities are endless when it comes to adjusting the lamp to individual needs. The Sparkling collection mounting systems are available as pendant, floor and table lamps.
Lounge furniture PrivateCloud
The Private Cloud lounge furniture has an elliptic design and can accommodate up to 6 people. This sleek piece of furniture can be used as a living room lounge bed or a rocking bed for your bedroom.
This lounge furniture comes with flexible feet, which can lock the bed, making it a normal static bed without the slightest vibration. Marked with an elastic band the feet can be quickly attached and removed keeping the bed safe and stable. The feet enable the lounge bed to be fixed in a slanted position in case you’re reading or watching TV.
Tiny houses Casulo
Small or tiny houses have always been preceded as not providing too much space for your stuff. Although today these houses have various solutions for their tiny lifestyle. So when first I saw the Casulo box, i thought to myself: is this real? A box only 90 cm high that contains an armoire, a desk incl. container, a height adjustable stool, two more stools, a shelf and a bed with a mattress. Wow!
Short term dwellers or simply people who move a lot need to face the ever packing and unpacking part of mobile modern life. The Casulo box is ready to set up without any tools in a few minutes and without leaving any piece over. Ready to move? disassemble your furniture and without additional packaging materials yet keeping perfectly protected- you’re ready to go.
Water carafe by Charlotte Hargreave
This glass water carafe is simple and smart. Designed by Danish glass designer, Charlotte Hargreave, this lidded glass carafe is mouth-blown and the lid features a transparent lip giving a discrete colour-play.
A beautiful and functional object for everyday use, this glass carafe can be also used as a bedside water carafe for the times when you wake up in the middle of the night pleading for a drop of cool water. The lid keeps the water insect-free while doubling up as a glass. Holding half a litre, this water carafe comes with a steel-grey, lime-green or blue lid.
Prefab homes RocioRomero
Rocio Romero modern line of prefab homes is called the LV series. These prefabricated homes provide a modern lifestyle connected to nature. Factory built kit components are provided for the exterior shell which is built on site by a general contractor.
All of the LV series prefab kit homes units have a standard width of 25′-1″, but vary in size because of the difference in the length. There are three standard types of foundations to choose from: crawlspace, basement, and/ or slab on grade, while each unit can be customized, designed to be built individually and/or combined to create a larger home or compound.
Rocio Romero LLC is a multidisciplinary firm. They design, manufacture, build, ship, and sell their prefab kit homes. Committed to simplicity, Rocio Romero LLC employs the principles of minimalism offering comfortable spaces with balanced proportions and clean lines that promote natural air and light.
