Tag Archives: house

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Architectural Spaces For Living And Working On Art

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Outpost by Olson Kundig Architects, Idaho

Architecture and art production have been inextricably linked since primitive humans began to paint in their caves. Artists need large, functional work areas that don’t encumber or restrict their creative endeavors—particularly when they’re creating, sleeping, and living in one space.

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01-390 House by Philippe SAMYN and PARTNERS, architects & engineers, Brussels, Belgium

The prominent minimalist and land artist Walter de Maria’s studio in Manhattan has just hit the market—asking price: $25 million. A former power company substation, it has many of the attributes artists desire in their live/work situations: large ceilings ranging between 13 to 25 feet; a vast open floor plan that can fit monumental sculptures or paintings; large windows that flood the space with natural light. A bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom, while modest, gave De Maria an area of respite from his daily artistic undertakings.

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Hendee-Borg House by William O’Brien Jr. LLC, United States

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The Crowning Achievement Of A Penthouse Addition

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Penthouse auf dem Hochbunker by Amort Architektur, Hamm Westfalen, Germany

Robin Venturi once said that “less is a bore.” Well, in New York City less is plainly not as profitable as more. Developers and architects have taken to pushing against space limits placed on projects by landmark or historical status. One way they do this is by crowning existing buildings with penthouse additions—a trend that has exploded as of late, according to a recent article in The New York Times. penthouse penthouse1

Out Of Sight by Spaced Out Architecture Studio, London, GB

Of course, these additions instantly become the most exclusive and expensive part of the development due to the views and sunlight afforded to the top floor. But they also give architects the chance to make a heroic, dramatic statement. Take Shigeru Ban’s recent proposal for a two-story white-metal glass cantilevered addition to the 132-year-old Cast Iron House in downtown Manhattan, which was unanimously approved by theLandmarks Preservation Commission: penthouse4

A rendering of Shigeru Ban’s penthouse addition to the Cast Iron House. Photo: Hayes Davidson via The New York Times

This practice of placing a building on top of a building takes place all over the world. Sometimes these projects become memes, as was the case for a literal mountain home built on top of an apartment building in China: penthouse5

Image via The Daily Mail.

The story of how a connected Chinese government official built the home over six years bounced around the Internet for a few weeks. And why not? The images are pretty incredible. In fact, the juxtaposition of new and old in these projects is stunning no matter the level of contrast.

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An Exemplary “Model House” In Seoul, Korea

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Xi Gallery by Ken Min Architects, Seoul, Korea

The transitory nature of temporary buildings doesn’t always diminish the attention the architects give to the project’s design. The Xi Gallery by Ken Min Architects is an example of a specific type of building in Korea known as a “Model House.” Real estate developers use the structures to display the amenities of their building projects to potential buyers.

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Xi Gallery by Ken Min Architects, Seoul, Korea

Economically constructed out of reusable steel and modular panels, the buildings are typically torn down in three to five years. Ken Min Architects and their client used the opportunity to center the project on a public garden accessible to the surrounding neighborhood, addressing the area’s need for available green space. The building also incorporated an auditorium and educational rooms for programs open to the public.

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Xi Gallery by Ken Min Architects, Seoul, Korea

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Buildings Of The Social Housing Paradigm

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Housing for the Fishermen of Tyre by Hashim Sarkis Studios, Abbasiyeh, Lebanon

Publicly subsidized housing provides shelter for some of the most vulnerable members of society, giving them a chance at security. Overarching problems such as inequality and poverty aren’t directly addressed, but having suitable, comfortable living spaces adds “bandwidth” to people’s cognitive abilities, allowing them energy to pursue night classes or pay bills on time.

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Les Arcades du Lac by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines, France

Social housing also plays a large role in the general population’s imagination. The narrative of Jay Z—growing up in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn and rising to the level of celebrity, CEO, and part owner/cheerleader of the Barclay Center—is the 21st century’s answer to Horatio Alger. His “escape” from public housing is the triumph of the story, the buildings of Marcy a physical representation of what was holding him back from reaching his full potential.

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Alegria by Agence Bernard Buhler, Bayonne, France

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The Lovely Louvers Of The House In Muko

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House in Muko by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Kyoto, Japan.

Unique building sites call for unique design solutions. This was certainly the case for House in Muko, in Kyoto, whose location included a rather unusual obstacle: a strong curve in the road abutting the property. But instead of fighting this constraint,Fujiwaramuro Architects embraced it, coming up with an elegant design that incorporates both the historical and physical context of the home.

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House in Muko by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Kyoto, Japan.

The architects based their design on the traditional machiya, the “town” or “merchant” homes that partly define the region’s architectural style. Machiya often include wooden louvers and screens for the façade, but instead of using the louver as a singular aspect of the building program, Fujiwaramuro Architects made it the main event. The result is a home with an interior volume sliced by a dramatic repetition of oversized wooden slats.

Read the complete article here.

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House in Muko by Fujiwaramuro Architects. Kyoto, Japan.