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Whether your home needs some curb appeal or you just want to level up your game, you’re going to need some inspiration, and landscape architect Sarita Jaccard has that in spades.

Born in Argentina, Jaccard got a degree in environmental studies from New York University while also studying graphic design, a potent combination of skills that led her to where she is today. She moved to Los Angeles and worked for LA landscape artist Art Luna in 2017, starting her own office two years later. Her time with Luna gave her experience transforming some of LA’s most beautiful high-end properties, including the West Adams home of artist Henry Taylor and the grounds of a Paul R. Williams house in Hollywood.

Jaccard’s projects reveal a keen eye for exactly the right plants and design elements to complement the exterior of a client’s home. Each one has a particular mood. “Edgecliffe,” for instance, has the feel of a modernized cottage garden, with café tables tucked among towering wildflowers adjacent to textural brick facades. “West Adams” accents a Spanish-style home with banana plants, spiraling agave rosettes, trumpet flowers, and striped hammocks. As a certified California native plant landscaper, Jaccard always incorporates appropriate species for the local climate, especially for friendly pollinators.

Other projects by Jaccard are every bit as mesmerizing. “Sunkist” celebrates the expansiveness of the Joshua Tree landscape. Squares of wooden decking interspersed with circular hot tubs and tables slices through the desert floor, accented by drought-resistant native plants. “Oneonta” translates similar motifs to a wholly different landscape, a forested plot occupied by a stark black modern cabin. Here, the hardscape elements contrast with an abundance of lush dark greenery in pleasing spikes and cascades.

Sometimes, Jaccard manages to convince the clients to alter the exterior of their home to suit their collective vision for the landscape design. That was the case with a recent project in Los Angeles, which started with “a lot of broken brick and half-dead grass.” The clients wanted a kid-friendly garden full of drought-tolerant plants that would enhance their view of the surrounding Mount Washington hills. Jaccard convinced them to paint their home black as a dramatic backdrop, then oriented everything from the entrance walkway to the furniture toward the view.

Swaths of small pebbles provide relatively soft yet xeriscape-friendly surfaces throughout the front and rear yards alongside redwood decks, custom-made furniture by Blue Pocket Studio, and pockets of native plants. But the best part is the sunken cedar hot tub, which creates the illusion of an infinity edge and reflects an adjacent oak tree.

Jaccard feels a strong connection to the natural world, and tells Issue Magazine, “I’m inspired by movies, animals, plants, my Argentinean roots, places and things that have a story behind them, perseverance through adversity, cultures outside of my own, and the people close to me.”

There’s lots more inspiration to be found on Jaccard’s website and Instagram @sarita.jaccard.

The post Landscape Architect Sarita Jaccard Has All the Inspiration You Need for Your Dream Yard first appeared on Dornob.

Permanent or Portable?

Image via Pottery Barn

If you own your home and you’re ready to invest some cash into an outdoor entertaining area, you have a lot of options for installing permanent features, including a patio or deck surface, overhead protection, counters, and utilities. If you’re renting (or otherwise need your outdoor kitchen setup to be temporary), don’t despair. A gas or charcoal grill, a few weatherproof portable carts, an outdoor dining set, and an umbrella or two can serve you well, and most of the tips on this list will still apply.

Pick the Best Spot

Consider where you’d like people to gather in your yard, perhaps in a spot pointed toward the nicest view. You’ll also want to make sure you’ll have plenty of space for every outdoor kitchen element you desire. Choose a location that’s not too windy or fully exposed to the sun (unless you plan to cover it). It should also be close to the house, both for convenience while carrying food and other items back and forth, and for ease of running utility lines for electricity, water, and gas, if applicable.

Build Your Kitchen Around Your Grill

Image via Aquaterra

The grill is the center of attention, whether you go with a simple and inexpensive charcoal grill or an all-in-one outdoor kitchen setup complete with extra burners, a smoker, and a pizza oven. Just make sure its location is at least ten feet from combustible materials like wood siding, deck rails, and trees.

Set Up Four Main Zones: Cooking, Prep, Serving, and Entertainment

Your cooking zone, of course, is the area around your grill and other cooking appliances. The prep zone should include plenty of counter space for chopping and other tasks. The serving area is the spot where you’ll have plates, serving dishes, and other tableware waiting to be filled. Finally, your entertainment zone is where guests hang out while you cook. You can arrange these zones as an island with a separate dining table, an L-shape with a bar for guest seating, or a U-shape. However it’s laid out, make sure it’s clear where guests should sit or stand and where the cook can have a space free of obstacles to move around and handle hot objects.

Make It Weatherproof

Image via Mom’s Design Build

Choose tough materials that can withstand changes in temperatures and exposure to sun, rain, and wind. If you’re designing a built-in outdoor kitchen, you’ll start with either a metal, wood, or cement block frame, cover it in cement board backing, and add a cladding material like stucco, tile, stone, or brick.

Make Sure It’s Easy to Clean

You want your work surface to be smooth and non-porous so it doesn’t stain easily; experts recommend natural stone, cultured granite with UV stabilizers, or durable composite materials. Tile is cheap, but it can crack in climates with harsh winter weather, and cleaning the grout can get annoying. Quartz looks nice, but can yellow in the sun, and stainless steel gets very hot. If you choose concrete, it should be polished smooth on top and/or sealed.

Light It for Tasks and Ambiance

Image via Artistic Landscapes

Choose bright overhead lighting for work areas like above the grill and countertops, and softer, warmer lighting in gathering spaces. String lights, path lights, and perhaps even a chandelier can add a nice touch.

Design Your Outdoor Kitchen for Comfort

Cover cooking and seating areas to protect them from the rain and sun. A pavilion-style roof or lean-to roof off the side of your house offer the best coverage along with the ability to add gutters so you can enjoy the space in virtually all weather. Awnings and umbrellas are lightweight, affordable, and easy to move out of the way if you prefer to enjoy the sun. A pergola can also be a nice decorative choice, especially if it’s made of wood and serves as a sturdy structure for climbing greenery like grapevines, wisteria, or clematis. And of course, an outdoor fireplace or portable patio heater will give people something to gravitate toward in cooler temperatures.

Make It Fun

Image via Azuro Concepts

Before you finalize your design, think about whether you want to work a television or a sound system into the mix. You may also want to include custom niches or shelving to support them.

Don’t Forget Storage

Cabinets under your work surfaces are a great place to stash items like grilling tools, pots, pans, and outdoor tableware. You can also use storage benches, carts, or other detached, temporary storage furniture. Make sure there’s a pest-proof spot for your trash and recycling, too.

The post Design Your Own Customized Outdoor Kitchen with These 10 Tips first appeared on Dornob.

Hot tip: if trick or treating the usual way doesn’t feel quite right this year, consider putting a bell in your yard and shooting pre-bagged candy out to tiny goblins, ghouls, and witches through a painted PVC pipe or slide of some sort. You’ll still get the pleasure of seeing all the costumes while remaining 12 or more feet away.

Vintage Metal Luminaries at Oriental Trading

Love the look of luminaries but afraid of truly terrifying fire hazards? Oriental Trading has a set of three flameless metal luminaries with cut-outs that read “ENTER IF YOU DARE” when placed side-by-side. Just add your own battery-powered flameless candles for a safe but spooky flickering effect that’s perfect for the yard.

AtmosFX Ghostly Apparitions Digital Decor

Connect this AtmosFX “Ghostly Apparitions” DVD to your projector and aim it at your front windows to create a ghostly display of awesomely realistic-looking specters. If you’re a fan of Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” ride, this will give you a similar effect, albeit a bit scarier. If you don’t feel like spending money on the DVD, there are also some free loop-able options on YouTube.

Witchy Decor at World Market

Going for a witchy effect? This affordable trio from World Market would look great on a black lace-covered table on your porch. The items include a set of two “Mystic Halloween Hands,” an iridescent light-up LED crystal ball, and a black and natural spider web coir doormat.

Vintage Paper Decor by Beistle

If vintage-style Halloween is more your speed, check out the Beistle Vintage Halloween store on Amazon, which is stocked with adorable classic designs of black cats, witches, moons, jack o’lanterns, and more. Everything is highly affordable, ranging from $6 to $18, and since they’re all flat-packed paper, they’re super easy to store. Best of all, since a lot of them have Amazon’s Prime shipping, even procrastinators can get them in time for the holiday.

Dragon-Themed Yard Displays from Grandin Road

If you’re a Halloween overachiever looking for some dramatic outdoor decorations and still aren’t over Game of Thrones, Grandin Road has some pretty cool yard displays. The six-foot-tall “Animated Dark Night Dragon” turns its head, flaps its wings, and roars when motion-activated, while its eyes glow a steady yellow. The dragon tail, which comes in three pieces, will achieve an especially cool effect in a shallow pool of water or on fluffy cloud-like snow.

Spine-Tingling Styrofoam Tombstones at Spirit Halloween

Head to your nearest hair-raising abandoned big-box store (aka Spirit Halloween) for all the last-minute decorations you can handle, including loads of lightweight styrofoam tombstones perfect for digging your own personal front yard cemetery. These ones include the grave of Michael Myers, a light-up ghost, a classic R.I.P. cross, and a 3.5-foot-tall gargoyle.

Cool Creepy Lighting from Amazon

No Halloween decor is complete without some spooky atmospheric lighting. Try a shimmering “water wave” style light projector on the red or green setting for an animated effect, or replace some of your indoor and outdoor light bulbs with candle-like LED flame bulbs.

The post Make Halloween 2020 Splendidly Scary With These Decor Ideas first appeared on Dornob.

Freestanding offices, studios, guest quarters, playrooms, and other structures can add a lot of functionality to your property with a surprisingly small amount of work. Prefabricated options are almost instantaneous, especially if they aren’t hooked up to utilities. If you’re really handy, backyard additions are often small enough to DIY, or you can hire an architect to come up with something a little more robust. But the best part about designing these small structures is the chance to think outside the box.

With “Herald Garden Studio,” a multipurpose backyard addition in Wellington, New Zealand, Parsonson Architects demonstrates how fun it can be to experiment a little bit with visuals and materials. And hey, as long as you aren’t violating any local ordinances, why not break out beyond conventional aesthetics and bring in some elements that contrast with your existing home?

The architects began with the small two bedroom Victorian cottage house occupied by the clients: a couple and their two young sons. They knew immediately that trying to add onto this compact home would run the risk of dwarfing it, and that it was already feeling a bit cramped by close neighbors on either side. What the property did have going for it, however, was a long and narrow backyard. The property measures 243 square meters (2,616 square feet), with just enough room to leave a small outdoor space between the home and an addition.

The new garden studio feels fresh and contemporary without creating too much visual tension with its surroundings, thanks in large part to the materials chosen to build it. A shed-style roof creates an interesting angle for the front, as amplified by the frame of its covered porch. Using transparent corrugated plastic roof panels, the architects created a protected space that still lets in plenty of light. Two oversized glass doors swing out to welcome guests, facilitating an easy transition between indoors and out. Multiple complementary tones of warm wood add to the studio’s cozy feel.

The design team explains that “the new studio is designed to provide flexible additional space such as catering for children’s play, as a place for a peaceful retreat, study, or overflow accommodation. Whilst it is separate from the house at the end of the rear yard, it is visually connected and linked by sheltered outdoor space. The main space of the studio faces north, with a bathroom and storage area at the rear and a mezzanine sleeping/play/storage area above. The studio sits above the ground on timber piles, with a deck extending northwards back towards the house. The deck is cut around an existing olive tree on the Westside.”

“Both the deck, pergola, and the main interior space have been conceived as one triangulated structure, stitching together the spaces and reinforcing the interior-exterior connection, while relating to the delicacy of the surrounding vegetation. Materials are unadorned and raw but carefully assembled.”

While the budget isn’t specified, it’s not hard to imagine pulling something like this off at a modest expense, especially if you reclaim materials like windows and doors at a local building supply resale shop.

The post Angular Backyard Office Adds Space to a Victorian Cottage House first appeared on Dornob.

Growing gardens full of bee-friendly plants is one great way to do that. Another is engaging in some small-scale urban beekeeping. Starting a honeybee hive can be a daunting prospect for beginners, especially if the only space they have is a small backyard or balcony. Now, a new kit called the B-Box aims to make it as easy and compact as can be.

Designed to be safe, simple, interactive, and city-friendly, the B-Box is an innovative hive design featuring patent-pending technology that lets you monitor your bees and harvest honey without disturbing the hive. The only entrance and exit for them is at the top of a long chimney about 7.2 feet above the ground, keeping them safe and well away from any people that might be around. That means no protective clothing is needed to approach the hive.

It works using a special lever you pull when you want to access the honey. Bees can then exit the honeycomb chamber, but can’t enter. After a few hours, the chamber will be completely empty of bees, so you can pull out just one of the 16 mini-frames full of honey at a time, which are just the right size for use by an average household. Plus, this modular system also makes sure there’s enough honey left for the bees themselves to use. You can also collect beeswax, nutrient-dense bee pollen, and royal jelly from the frames.

The whole setup is small enough that it requires no more than a square meter of space, so as long as you have even the smallest of outdoor areas, you’ll be able to use the B-Box, too.

The product’s Indiegogo page reads: “B-box is, at its core, a bee hive. We aren’t pretending otherwise! But the traditional beehive we all think of today was invented over 150 years ago for professional use. It’s time that home beekeeping caught up with modern technology! That’s why we’ve re-engineered the traditional beehive to be more people and bee friendly — not to mention better adapted for domestic use.”

“In traditional hives, you have to disrupt your bees to check on their health. Imagine if a giant suddenly took the roof off your house! With B-Box, regularly agitating (and sometimes squishing) your bees is no longer necessary. Polycarbonate walls (the same material as shatterproof windows and eyeglass lenses) are hidden below the warm and cozy wood exterior panels of B-Box, allowing you to observe your hive anytime you like! See them at work, storing honey, and building honeycomb as you please. This also means you can monitor your bees’ health without disturbing the hive.”

The B-Box just completed a successful round of crowdfunding, raising over $200,000. Pre-orders have closed, but the unit will likely be available to the general public by early 2020.

The post B-Box Compact Hive Made for Backyard and Balcony Beekeeping first appeared on Dornob.

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Now in its ninth year, the New London Architecture-organized competition called Don’t Move, Improve! celebrates London’s most impressive home extension projects, highlighting clever designs that expand the amount of usable indoor space within condensed footprints.

This year, a record 200 firms submitted projects for consideration, though they’ve since been narrowed down to a shortlist of 37 exemplary designs to be judged by a panel of both architects and journalists. Winners will be announced at New London Architecture on January 22nd, 2019 at the launch of a three-month exhibition in central London. The event will also offer three public “Design Surgeries,” demonstrating different ways for London homeowners to extend and improve their own homes.

The projects selected for the shortlist are so striking, it’s hard to imagine how the judges will choose the winners. All completed between 2016 and 2018, they strive to simultaneously contrast and complement London’s historic architecture, ultimately making it more functional for contemporary residents.

Perfect for the owner of a more traditional home who craves a bit of ultramodern flair, the extensions find unexpected ways to expand living spaces into backyards, alleys, and even rooftops, often featuring lots of glass to brighten up older, darker interiors. The additions also serve as inspiration for new construction projects all over the city, as London pushes to make use of as much available space as possible to accommodate its growing population.

Standouts on the shortlist include the graphic and angular black addition at Algiers Road by Gruff Limited, which features a spacious terrace and outdoor fireplace; intriguingly zig-zagged extensions at Crouch End by Knott Architects; a warm and playful wooden extension by Neil Dusheiko Architects; a sculptural backyard dining room and kitchen at 16 Ewelme Road by Uvarchitects; a new wing wedged into a side yard by Russel Hunt Architects; a mysterious glass-topped subterranean space at Highbury New Park by Appleton Weiner, and the vertical Shad Thames Water Tower space by FORMstudio.

“There is a wealth of talent among architectural practices in London delivering very beautiful additions to existing homes,” says Peter Murray, Chairman of NLA. “There is also a real incentive for owners to create additional space instead of moving…from the wider perspective of development in London these improvements make better use of existing housing stock and help to deliver additional living space in our crowded city.”

“It’s good to see a trend of gentle experimentation with sustainable natural substances, particularly brick and wood, and of homes being extended in ways that revolve around their owners’ lives, resulting in something both idiosyncratic and full of character,” says judge Philippa Stockley of the Evening Standard. “To make this happen, architects are really listening to and responding to their clients’ wishes.”

The post Don’t Move, Improve! Competition Celebrates Innovative Modern Home Additions first appeared on Dornob.

Architects and clients alike are having to get creative when it comes to building in the “City by the Bay,” especially since the Silicon Valley tech boom has caused the price of rental properties to skyrocket to some of the highest in the United States. Such insanely high prices mean that it could make more sense to buy or build in areas like this rather than throw so much money away, so it’s no surprise that dwellings are beginning to pop up in some unlikely places, such as, for example, in people’s backyards.

People have been building properties in the backyards of other homes for years now, but it is still strange to find architectural gems gracing the gardens of existing houses. This is what the San Francisco-based construction firm Thomas Building Group pulled off upon being given the challenge of constructing a modern family home in the leftover space behind a house in the Bay Area.

The narrow site, coupled with the presence of the existing house on it, presented a unique set of obstacles for the contractors, but they were more than willing to meet them head-on. By doing so, they created a spacious, light-filled home that takes full advantage of its privileged setting in the northern Californian metropolis.

The architects explain, “A unique project, the property was in the backyard of the home, which gave us some new challenges and exciting options. Vertical siding added to the overall height and varied level structure of the home. The project has an open floor plan with incredible views of San Francisco. The main features of the project are extra large windows that provide stunning views of San Francisco, as well as hand-picked vertical exterior siding that wraps into the home and all around.”

This overview encapsulates the main features of the house, and from the photos of it, you can see that the split-level volumes break up the massing (it could be a little problematic if the house looked like a single oppressive volume). Glazing on the roof over the dining area brings light into the home’s interiors, and its facade also makes use of large sections of fenestration.

The exterior timber cladding is echoed internally via the use of wooden boards on the ceiling and floors, creating warm and inviting spaces that are offset by clean white walls for a fresh and modern environment. Circulation has been pared back thanks to the incorporation of metal ladders in place of built-in staircases, which allows for a lighter feeling inside and unobstructed views of the surrounding cityscapes. The kitchen is fitted with white linear units that complement the walls and fit perfectly into the open-plan living space.

The post Beautiful Backyard San Francisco Home Capes for Urban Density first appeared on Dornob.

WudWerx Bee House and Insect Home

To make these intricate little homes, Wudwerx combined sections of natural bamboo with a traditional wooden frame. Designed for both bees and ladybugs, the houses provide insects with an insulated shelter during the cooler months. Each house also comes with a convenient hanger, so you’ll be able to position yours in a sheltered spot that catches some sun but protects your tenants when the rain comes. If you like, the designers will even engrave a name, address, or welcoming message onto the roof for you!

Wooden Ladybug Nesting Home

If you prefer a more rustic look, then this wooden home is the habitat for you. This house is also made from untreated bamboo but has been covered in an outer layer of durable pine, making it the perfect nesting and hibernation retreat for ladybugs. Hang it up near the flowers in your garden to attract the beneficial beetles, and they’ll keep your plants aphid-free in lieu of rent.

Round Ladybug House

This round home’s handcrafted cedar exterior makes it a great focal point for any garden. Ladybug-sized holes have been drilled into its sides for easy access. “A fun ladybug border adorns the top and bottom,” explains the carpenter who makes them, “and the bottom unscrews so you can add twigs.”

Eco-Ladybug House

Unlike the habitats we’ve covered so far, this cute house is made from recycled plastic instead of wood. The home’s description on Etsy includes a useful tip on enticing ladybugs into moving in:”Ladybugs are attracted to nectar and certain aromatic plants and herbs. To encourage them to use your house, you can soak a small piece of clean sponge in sugar-water to put inside the house. Or you can put in some leaves of aromatic plants such as yarrow, dill, coriander or dandelion flowers.”
Now that’s good advice — no matter which house you choose!

The post Gorgeous Ladybug Habitats for Your Garden first appeared on Dornob.

Crystal clear, dotted with floating lily pads and free of chlorine and lurking creepy creatures, natural swimming pools have the feel of a tropical swimming hole right in your own backyard. You can build decks right up to the edge and add waterfalls, stepping stones and rocky beaches to create your own private paradise resembling a natural environment, whether your preferred look is that of a crystalline aquamarine spring or a lake full of boulders and swaying cattails. A company called BIOTOP works with customers to build custom designs full of whatever features your heart desires, and they can convert existing chlorine pools, too.

Instead of using chemicals to keep the water clean and bright, a biological system of plants keeps good bacteria and microorganisms in balance, while a secondary filter keeps sediments from building up in the swimming area. A ‘regeneration area’ full of these plants sits adjacent to the main swimming area to create a system that finds and maintains its own balance, just like a natural self-cleansing body of water. Supporting equipment like additional filters, skimmers and pumps are hidden away to maintain the illusion that you were lucky enough to build your house on the edge of a swimming hole.

Are there going to be some frogs, salamanders, dragonflies and other critters hopping and flying around? Sure – with a natural swimming pool, you’re creating a backyard habitat that supports all sorts of wildlife, and that’s part of what keeps it healthy. But at least you’ll never have to worry about brushing your leg against a monstrous fish. Chances are, frogs will lay their eggs in the regeneration area, hidden among the plants, so you’ll hear them – and get their mosquito-eating benefits – more than you’ll see them.

Like the idea of going chemical-free, but prefer a more conventional swimming pool experience? A ‘living pool’ gives you the appearance of a traditional pool while actually being a full-fledged biological swimming pond, using a special phosphate filter instead of plants and microorganisms to keep the water clean. BIOTOP and similar companies can easily convert chlorine pools into living pools with the addition of a converter chamber containing the biological filter.

They might seem like a luxury, but surprisingly, natural swimming pools cost about the same as traditional swimming pools at about $50 per square foot, and yearly maintenance costs are far lower. Natural pools don’t have to be covered in the winter, and the most you’ll have to do to take care of them is skimming leaves and thinning plants. In fact, because they’re so shallow, they might just freeze all the way over depending on where you live, creating a private ice skating rink!

It’s pretty cool the way these pools create brand new aquatic settings that encourage plants and wildlife to flourish while also eliminating the itchy skin and red eyes that can come with swimming in chlorine. Between the low maintenance factor and these gorgeous photos, it’s not hard to see why natural swimming pools are becoming so popular. Don’t be surprised if your brain continually revisits these images throughout the upcoming long, hot summer.

The post Your Own Private Paradise: Natural Swimming Pools by Biotop first appeared on Dornob.

Human habitations know no limits. These days it’s perfectly normal to find a yurt in your neighbor’s backyard or a teepee in your friend’s living room. An igloo? That would require polar temperatures. Well, not so fast!

The Garden Igloo by the eponymous Berlin-based company thrives in any kind of weather, especially balmy breezes. The multi-purpose, pop-up geodesic dome can function as greenhouse, lounge space for reading and relaxing, winter garden, kids’ play room or as a Jacuzzi cover. We love the way it looks all lit up at night, almost like a landed UFO. It’s the perfect chill out space. All you need is some good tunes.

The lightweight igloo comes with easy, step-by-step instructions and is up in a cinch, without any tools necessary. The base is 10 square meters with a height of 2.2 meters. Extras include a mosquito net and canopy cover. It has excellent ventilation and air flow, and its geodesic shape allows for temperatures inside to stay even and not heat up or drop too much, so one need not worry about steaming or freezing inside this fancy little tent.

Bonus: All materials of this eco-friendly, storm- and waterproof marvel are 100 percent recyclable. They are also rust- and rot-resistant. The igloo will cost you 900 euros with the canopy cover an extra 350 euros.

“With its new improved entrance, Gardenigloo is both weather-proof and rust resistant, 100% recyclable, can be used all year round and is set up without tools in two hours. You will have everything needed to fully assemble a Gardenigloo with the Gardenigloo V2 kit. This included the structural pieces, the transparent cover and the anchorage kit.”

“With its two optional covers, it provides shade when it’s too hot and keeps out the cold while you’re waiting for summer to arrive – as a conservatory, play area for children, storage area, garden shelter, greenhouse, jacuzzi cover or pavilion.”

There’s also a commercial version of the Gardenigloo available, and you might have already seen it around your city in the form of pandemic-safe outdoor dining pods.

For more information on “comfortable environments for all year round outdoor living,” visit gardenigloo.com

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(via: Dezeen)

The post Working (It) From Home: Stylish, Sustainable Home Office first appeared on Dornob.

The suburbs, with their narrow definition of what constitutes a ‘house,’ can be an uninspiring place for poets to live. New York-based firm Para-Project decided to flout arbitrary conventions of suburban architecture with a rectilinear white writing studio squeezed between two typical homes, an unexpected visual for the Syracuse neighborhood. The poet’s studio literally glows at night, transcending its much more traditional setting.

Designed for two poets who own one of those homes, Haffenden House takes its visual inspiration from Ice House II, a 1972 installation by artist Gianni Pettena that achieved a similar effect by coating an abandoned home in water in the middle of the freezing Minnesota winter.

The clients wanted an airy, light-filled space with minimal distractions that could function as an escape from the bland surroundings of their residence. Para-Project covered the structure in a translucent silicon-impregnated fabric skin and created a bowl-shaped division between the second and third levels to let in natural light and provide a curved reading room.

The writing studio includes a garage and breezeway on the ground level and a library and writing space on the second level. An in-ground tub looks out onto the backyard through a large glazed wall for the ultimate relaxing reading experience.

More from the architects

“The project finds itself within the suburban realm, referencing Gianni Pettena’s Ice House from 1972, like a blank spot within the repetitive image of ‘house.'”

“The poet’s studio uses a translucent silicon-impregnated fabric skin for a light-filled writing room without the visual distraction of the suburbs. Inside the blank box, between the second and third levels, the section uses a bowl-shaped division, maximizing indirect light for the second level and avoiding any association with the landscape on the third.”

About Para-Project

“PARA Project is an office for architecture based in New York City. We see each project as a collaborative effort between a wide range of constituents, guided by the specific needs and curiosities of diverse clientele. PARA works on projects of varying scales and media: from commercial, institutional, and residential work, to events and international competitions.”

The post A Modern Poet’s Studio Glows in a Suburban Setting first appeared on Dornob.

When homeowners in Savannah, Georgia needed some additional space to add an office to their home, they knew they couldn’t alter their historic house. Rather than renovating their home to add a room, they called ASUL to create a one-of-a-kind modular backyard addition.

This 320 square foot structure sits in an otherwise-unused corner of the couple’s yard. It’s composed of a 16′ X 20′ interior and an 8′ X 20′ cantilevered, covered deck.

Huge glazed windows on the north and south sides let in plenty of natural light to create a work environment that is at once stimulating and comfortable.

The little structure’s arrangement on stilts makes it cute, but the higher elevation wasn’t a conscious design choice. When conducting a feasibility study for the structure, ASUL found that the yard was within a FEMA-regulated flood zone.

Thanks to the modular nature of ASUL’s structures, they were easily able to elevate the small home office. The elevation works well for the structure, giving it a fun, backyard-fort type feeling. It’s in keeping with the rest of the firm’s work, which is all focused on simple shapes and waste-saving manufacturing processes.

“To allow ASUL homes to be built anywhere, they must be custom engineered based on the design, location, and site. ASUL’s internal engineer sizes the steel members to the minimum requirements while making certain the calculations are sufficient. This means that the structure of the home is the most efficient and economical design possible.”

“Another advantage of the site-built process adopted by ASUL, is the reduction of material redundancies of the factory-built process. When modules are built in a factory and transported to the site, they must be structurally sound to meet the demands of transportation and craning into place. Once connected, there is significant material redundancy that is avoided by a more efficient structure. This is not only cheaper, but it is environmentally respectful.”

The post Cute Home Office is a Peaceful Backyard Working Retreat first appeared on Dornob.

A green-roofed backyard workshop is virtually invisible from three sides, tucked partially into the earth and made with materials that mimic those of the hillside and the adjacent home. Seen from the bottom of the hill, the two buildings together seem to flow downward as one mass, both enveloped in timber slats and surrounded by leafy greenery.

L’escaut created the backyard office workshop for a graphic design duo in Uccle, France. From neighboring residences, its low walls appear to be no more than the border of a raised garden bed. Concrete steps lead to a small terrace, a sliding glass door offering access to the plywood-lined interior.

The clients wanted to feel like they were working in the garden, gaining a detached space for their business without losing the privacy and preserve-like feel of the backyard. The minimalist interior includes a large work table, a wood stove and shelving, all of which blends with the exposed wood grain of the plywood.

“In between a smooth green slope and the cuboid shape workshop building, there comes an element, which you can imagine to be a small English type courtyard with the stairs, comfortable to sit on. The end of the building towards this court fully opens, providing an access point and opportunity for generous light and garden views.”

“Seen from the house, the workshop is not anything else than a small part of the garden that would have been extruded, with a green roof snatched from the ground grass. The plants constituting the latter were chosen precisely in this sense among some varieties of herbaceous and grasses to resemble as closely as possible to the prairie grass and thus reinforce this perception of nature.”

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