To incorporate that sense of bonding with the beyond, Duy and his team at Duy Le Architects decided to use lots of glass and mirrors to create duplicating illusions throughout the space.

“At some specific angles, an infinite view can be seen within the house,” he says. “Some details in the house are only half-designed and once reflected by the mirror, they will reveal the complete pattern.”

The top floor hosts a Catholic altar for linkage with ancestors, and an extra bedroom upstairs further hints at the Coco theme with a solitary guitar positioned in the corner.

exterior

The entire exterior facade is composed of curved glass bricks in a nod to the eternal waves of the ubiquitous waterways intersecting the Sóc Trăng region. They also provide an open and airy feel, allowing the indoor spaces to flow seamlessly into outdoors.

The residents also wanted to be able to run their medical business out of the house, and enjoy their hobbies of gardening and koi fish ponds. The architect maximized the small space (only 15 feet wide) by removing as many walls as possible and creating clear sightlines across both levels.

The bottom floor includes a parking area, a clinic work space, the primary bedroom, bathroom, and an open concept kitchen and living area. The kitchen island was designed to expand between six and 18 seats, according to the daily family or business needs of the residents. The lounge area in this space feels like a tropical getaway, with a giant hammock opposite the island and seating inside a boat floating in a koi pond.

To accommodate the clients’ passion for gardening, the Duy Le team created five separate gardens spanning both floors of the Coco House, with marbled pebble skylights and glass block walls providing abundant natural light for both the vegetation and koi fish.

In fact, the architects created an entire microclimate for the home by strategically placing vented glass blocks in the walls. “The design utilizes ventilation bricks to ensure protection from rainy weather. It also allows air circulation from the facade to every nook and cranny. The selection and arrangement of the ventilation bricks, which have been under thorough consideration from the architect, are set up in different directions for aesthetic aspects as well as functioning as drainage and ventilators,” says Duy Le, who adds that the pond also helps regulate the temperature within the tropical abode.

The Coco House fits in perfectly with Duy Le Architects’ mission. “Our two main design influences are sculpture and climate,” the company website says. “It all starts with being sensitive to the local climate and mitigating the effects of climate change by using readily available, cost-effective, energy efficient, sustainable materials.”

The founder adds, “I always want to create impressive and different architectural works, sustainable with time, expressing the creativity and personality of Vietnamese people, not only for Vietnamese customers but also…all over the world.”

The post Vietnam’s Zen Coco House Connects to Family and Nature first appeared on Dornob.

Going for a dip in the pool can be a fantastically relaxing activity, but most of us have to at least traverse a few hallways to get there. The residents of this incredible five-story townhouse in Chelsea have only to go as far as their living room to enjoy the benefits of a swim.

You would never know it to look at the outside of this townhouse, but contained inside its conventional walls are some truly amazing features.

The living room contains a massive 30,000 gallon, eight-feet-deep swimming pool equipped with a swing. Today, of course, the inclusion of an indoor pool in a living room would never be approved. But since this pool was built in 1975 it has been “grandfathered in” and allowed to stay.

The rest of the home is no less magnificent. With a massive library, a beautiful atrium filled with green plants and a small garden with a second, smaller pool for turtles, it is a memorable piece of New York property, to say the least.

The townhouse has been divided into three parts: the owner’s main living space on the lower levels and two smaller apartments upstairs. The quirky architecture and decadent decorating make this residence the kind of home most of us can only dream of.

From The Wall Street Journal:

“The pool level has a brick wall and is surrounded by granite flooring and living-room furnishings. Ms. McMurray Van-Zeller said the artwork, antiques, medieval weaponry and plantings in the adjoining atrium give the space a ‘cave-like, medieval, Moroccan look.'”

“But achieving the look was no easy task. In order to hang the artwork and weaponry on the brick wall, Ms. McMurray Van-Zeller had to get a 25-foot ladder and place it in the pool; in order to reach the ladder without getting wet, she employed a small pink raft, rowed it to the ladder, and climbed up to affix the decorations to the wall.”

“‘Improvisation is very important when you have a house like this,’ she said. “The good news is that if you fall off, you fall into the pool.'”

The post NYC Townhouse with Living Room Pool first appeared on Dornob.

Classic collides with contemporary and historic meets modern under the roof of one unbelievably cool townhouse property – part infill project, part retrofit, part adaptive reuse, this is a dream space filled with secret rooms for people who love cozy remodeled lofts and private luxury interiors all at the same time.

Looking at it from the outside, you’d never guess what this unassuming exterior holds. This unusual remodel project proves you should never judge a book by its cover.

Beneath peeling paint and crumbling red bricks on the front of this historic row-house facade lies an incredible residence, reinforced with stunning steel supports and remodeled inside and out with modern materials, furniture and fixtures.

Along the roof, a movable glass enclosure creates a pleasantly-ambiguous indoor-and-outdoor area that bridges the open gap in the (elongated and narrow) plan from front to back, resulting in something that works as an exterior garden or interior greenhouse.

New wood shelving stretches from wall to wall in the renovated structure, while industrial metal bookcases and staircases line the spaces and pierce from one room to the next.

Exposed wood beams and rafters, worn red brick and metal pipe railings manage to combine a sense of coziness and warmth with an overall mixed industrial, somewhat harsh and cold aesthetic.

The bedroom, bathroom and kitchen all contain a strange combination of old and new – raw and rustic furnishings and bare-bone fixtures alongside the latest appliances and clean contemporary additions to otherwise retro areas.

Photographed by Dujardin Filip, House 43 by the firm OWI / Office for Word and Image may be have one of the most impressive interiors ever created within an unassuming and humble townhouse shell – a series of rooms that mix old and new in ways that are both clever and classy, appealing to architecture lovers of all kinds.

The post Surprising Condo Remodel Full of Secret Rooms first appeared on Dornob.

The post Terraced Townhouse with an Indoor Pond first appeared on Dornob.

When a teacher with a love for old buildings purchased a vintage middle-class residential dwelling in Taiwan, he hoped to counteract that trend. He hired Soar Design Studio to renovate the townhouse on Zhongzheng Road into a space that would belong not just to him, but the community at large — all while preserving the characteristics that proudly put the building’s age and history on display.

From the outset of the project, the architects had to contend with a common problem in subtropical climates: the musty dampness that comes with enclosed interior spaces. They began by opening the slab of the second floor to create a double-height entry and a mini skywalk, with an open grille design offering access to the rooms above. An abundance of new windows and glass doors let natural light and fresh air stream in throughout the day.

The addition of a large rainforest-type tree stretching from the first floor to the second helps the space feel fresh and connected to nature despite its urban location. The architects call it a “vertical light and wind atrium between the floors.”

Inside, Soar Design Studio focused on “converting the programmatic and physical shortcomings of the floor plan of such an elongated building into a modern dwelling of new and enriched living possibilities,” creating an open plan with a series of staggered platforms that encourage social interaction.

In addition to being a private residence for its owner, the townhouse now offers a series of educational labs for students, a café on its ground floor, and a  that extends out into the entryway to create a “social corner” for visitors and passersby.

Outside, the building looks the same as it always has, other than the addition of a little glass here and there. The original tiles and decorative metal grille are still in place, allowing the home to remain in continuity with its neighbors and show its age.

Sensitive renovation projects like this one help protect and celebrate the history of urban structures even as they evolve to meet the needs of contemporary residents. The space is more valuable to the community than it ever has been, but it also feels warmly familiar. Considering how quickly cities are physically changing these days, that’s no small achievement. “Corner 60’s,” as it’s known, was nominated for Learning Space of the Year at the 2018 Frame Awards.

All photos by Hey! Cheese

The post Soar Design Studio Transforms a Residence into an Experimental Space for Students first appeared on Dornob.

Readymade space-saving designs are almost always created with the modern urbanite in mind, but not everyone wants their home to look like they just looted their local IKEA. When your style isn’t quite minimalist enough to coexist with those kinds of streamlined transforming pull-down elements, you have to get a little more creative about hiding your clutter.

Architecture firm Pursley Dixon pulled off a laudable feat with this small Southern home. The space may be smaller than average, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way. They’ve sacrificed virtually none of the elements you’d expect to find in a larger unit while somehow finding a home for everything. The design is cohesive, and the rooms avoid reading as visually busy. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, the firm is well known for designing elegant traditional-style homes that are rooted in history but present a fresh perspective. Check out some of the tricks they utilized to make this small living space feel surprisingly grand.

Camouflaged TV

Televisions, whether we like it or not, have become the center of virtually every living room. Some people may tout their authentically TV-free lifestyles by showing off living spaces with sitting areas that feel more conversational, but those of us who actually like streaming Netflix and watching sports can simply fake it with little bit of clever camouflage. Pursley Dixon’s solution was to employ two bifold doors that fold flat against the wall on demand, resembling nothing more than a pleasant landscape painting (complete with gallery-style lighting) when closed up.

Tiny Kitchen Misdirection

The kitchen of this townhouse is so small — and so seamlessly blended into the rest of the room — that it barely registers as a kitchen at all, at least from the dining area. But walk around the other side of that dove gray panel, and you’ll find all the usual necessities: sink, appliances, and dishes, to name a few. Acting as both a room divider and a backsplash, this panel rises higher than the countertop, effectively concealing everything behind it.

Hidden Spice Cabinet

Speaking of seamlessness, did you look at the kitchen and wonder where the heck they put all their small stuff, like the many tiny bottles and jars any cook worth their salt always needs on-hand to make a meal? Surprise — those are also hidden behind a painting. This spice cabinet is set into the wall, which means there’s virtually no trace of it when the door is closed. Guests must be impressed when they see it in action.

Plastic-Free Pet-Proofing

Many of the removable gates designed to keep dogs (or babies, for that matter) out of certain rooms are frustrating to use and all too easy to break — not to mention ugly. Even the least offensive designs usually have to fold against the wall, taking up valuable walking space. In this case, the architects have built a dog gate right into the home, and it retracts into the wall when not in use.

Home Bar On Demand

When square footage is limited, how do you fit in a “luxury” like a bar? Easy. You hinge the door of a cabinet so it pulls down and transforms into a usable surface. Then, when the party’s over, poof — it’s gone.

All photos by Annie Schlechter via House Beautiful

The post No Storage Space? Get Inspired by This Home’s 5 Hidden Solutions first appeared on Dornob.

Eco Townhouse

Aptly called “Eco Townhouse,” the multi-level structure in Brompton, near London, was furnished by Skagerak and Montana, both of whom are considered world leaders in eco-friendly brand furnishings. The venture makes up a key component of the Brompton Design District, which collectively chose “Material Consequences” as its theme for 2018.
In keeping with that theme, the townhouse only features brands that have demonstrated an outstanding level of dedication to sustainability, social accountability, and the use of responsibly-sourced materials.

Montana provided the indoor furniture for the project, while Skagerak supplied all the components for the garden. Every piece of furniture in the Eco Townhouse is made from locally-sourced wood that was reforested immediately upon being torn down, and they’re all lightweight, too, so they can easily be moved around to create fresh configurations. A few other notable pieces on site include the Overlap table and bench by Taf (a Swedish architecture studio), the archetypal Lise Sunchair that Isbrand designed 25 years ago, and Louise Hederstrëm’s Reform table and bench.
Skandium, a London-based Scandinavian design brand that was also prominently featured in the project, stated: “Scandinavian suppliers stand head and shoulders above the rest of the world when it comes to mitigating the environmental and even social impact of their products, and as such, Skandium is already populated with superlative examples of sustainable, responsible design.”

Philosophically Speaking

Montana and Skagerak feel that the term “sustainability” has been overused and reduced to little more than a cliché buzzword. Instead, they’ve embraced the concept of “consequences” to stress the fact that quality eco-friendly products also need to be able to withstand generations worth of time, both physically and spiritually.
Skagerak CEO Jesper Panduro explains: “Our principles as a company are based on simple lessons my mother taught me. Always be a decent person, always take responsibility, always be respectful. It’s not the most profitable way of thinking, but it is the only way to think if you are a business.”

Annette Spanggaard from Montana adds: “We create modular systems so that people can make room for personality in their homes. The Montana system has 36 modules, four depths, and 42 colors — so you can imagine the different combinations.”

Townhouse Highlights

Everything in the Eco Townhouse is unique and offers at least a little flexibility to always keep the design feeling fresh. For instance, the Reykjavik Daybed by Included Middle design can easily be flipped over to alter the balance of color. The shelving is similarly adaptable, boasting a variety of assorted sizes and colors. Other notable pieces of interest include the CH88 Chair, a Hans J Wegner design made from Danish forest hardwood, and the Noguchi Coffee Table, Anton Björsing’s design for Vitra.

The post Scandinavian Townhouse Makes Eco-Friendly Design Choices Easy first appeared on Dornob.

Instead of waiting for government officials to jump on the green space trend, some city dwellers are taking matters into their own hands by turning their homes into lush oases of living plants. When you have access to a yard, creating your own private paradise is a lot easier — but what if you live in an apartment tower? For Bangkok-based architecture studio Apostrophy’s, the answer was building a 25-foot-tall vertical garden stretching up to a spacious skylight, making use of the full height of the condominium.

Created for use by the firm’s director in his private residence, “Feature House” transforms the interior of a unit that looks ordinary and unassuming from the outside. The designers opened up a void in the roof, which they call the “moon door,” to transmit daylight all the way through to the ground floor. A smart home system allows the residents to control how much light is getting in and even the direction in which it shines into the home. The vertical garden is located on the back side of the house.

The garden was designed to fill the gap between busy urban lifestyles and nature, says Apostrophy’s. The designers wanted a solution that was tailored to the limited space of a townhouse yet dramatic and effective. They placed carefully selected plants on a series of vertical shelves, adding UV lamps and a watering/fertilizing system in so that the residents wouldn’t have to constantly climb ladders to keep the greenery alive.

Deliberately oversized furniture, such as an extra-long dining table, complements the stark black-and-white color scheme, which is in turn accented by gold vertical shelving. Each floor has its own theme, with the bottom level representing the earth and the origins of life, the second representing terrestrial animals, and the third representing air, wind, and insects.

The designers mixed the owner’s eclectic personal collection of furnishings and decorative objects from global travels with their modern twist on classic Asian aesthetics. High-end modern furniture from the West contrasts with chinoiserie, which the designers define as “the reinterpretation of oriental ornament into Western tradition.”

“Thus, the overall space would be elegant as the Western style but still keep the soul of the East,” they say.

It might not be a replacement for parks, but you have to admit, sitting in that acrylic bubble chair gazing up at the sky through the leaves of hundreds of plants isn’t a bad way to adjust to city living.

The post Vertical Garden Apartment in Thailand first appeared on Dornob.

This strangely central bed in an old London townhome occupies an interstitial space in an open-plan loft, hovering between floor and ceiling, connecting interior rooms and outdoor areas. The hanging loft bed isn’t just a practical way to solve the problem of too little floor space; it’s an eye-catching design feature in its own right that makes the apartment much more memorable than it would be otherwise.

A private home discovered by JJLocations, the apartment features a bedroom (if you can call a bed in the middle of a room such) with a view of most of the interior, but is also the platform from which the occupants can move via two staircases from the main flat to the bed then onto the spacious 500-square-foot rooftop deck above. That makes it a brilliant interstitial space taking the place of a boring old staircase on its own.

A sliding skylight separates the interior and exterior, providing a bright wake-up when left uncovered, but also a nice and easy way to step out into fresh air first thing in the morning if that is your inclination.

The steel frame structure supporting the bed blends with the black I-beams around it, becoming an extension of the existing structural supports both physically and visually. The result is a feeling that the bed was ‘pulled down’ from above to reveal a void leading back outside to the roof.

About JJLocations

“JJ Media is made up of a vibrant group of people who aren’t afraid to make noise, work hard and have fun. We’re a dynamic brand with an experienced team of innovative thinkers, and a hunger for the future. Using our many talents, vast knowledge and expertise we can offer seamless services to aid the creation and completion of your unique project. We have staff ready to help you select the right equipment and services for your project.”

The post Hanging Loft Bed Saves Space in a London Apartment first appeared on Dornob.

At once bold and contextual, this series of slope-side urban dwellings manages to look modern and yet related to the historic civic buildings located on the street above.

Designed by Lischer Partner Architekten Planer in Lucerne, Switzerland, each two-story dwelling is tucked into the hillside to create more private rooms in the rear and forward spaces that thrust out into the southern sunlight and surrounding views.

The limestone found on the exterior makes each element feel more monolithic, but also relates to the similarly light-stone structures found in the surrounding area. This elemental minimalism is carried into the interior as well.

The back area of the second story is also illuminated via skylights, helping (along with significant frontal fenestration) to offset the lack of side or back windows.

Despite being adjacent and structurally similar to one another, each home ultimately feels detached and private thanks to its forward-facing orientation and enclosed sides.

“The four townhouses are located on the right bank of the city of Lucerne, a prime location in a residential district. The southern site receives an ideal amount of sunlight and an excellent view of the nearby lake, the city and the Alps. The plot is on a slope bounded by the Adligenswilerstrasse and a wall, where the continuation of the Rigistrasse was planned but never realized. A pending redevelopment of the neoclassical townhouse on the Adligenswilerstrasse 18 (a separate project) and the neighboring property to the east created space for four new townhouses and a two-story, underground garage.”

“The four townhouses’ uniform material and volume respond to the surrounding small-scale development. They follow the orientation of the seaward slope and the adjacent streets and buildings. Despite the proximity of the townhouses, the volumes are placed at different positions and heights to each other, creating a greater sense of privacy for the inhabitants.”

“The townhouses are within walking distance of the Adligenswilerstrasse garden. The design of the area on the slopes and the open meadow, bordered by dense bushes and strategically placed shrubs, is based on the original villa’s garden. One network of paths with concrete stairs and walkways opens up to the individual houses. The surrounding concrete walls are made from a special water-gravel mixture with a smooth surface.”

The post Urban Concrete Villas on Sloping Hillside first appeared on Dornob.

Little was left of this small traditional abode in Portugal when it came time to convert this shell of a home into a workable residence once again – only the crumbling facade, some wooden beams and stone were intact, leaving much to be filled back in. The result is a beautiful study in contrast of modern and traditional elements, updating the old house with respect and sensitivity.

The architects of Ezzo preserved and refurbished what was left, then fleshed out the rest in clearly-contrasting modern simplicity – white walls, bright wood and simple geometries on upper floors. The striking before and after images show just how much this modern home renovation benefitted the original structure while retaining some beautiful traditional details.

On lower floors, granite masonry ties the building to its neighbors physically and visually, also reinforcing a sense of these being below grade (which they are, with respect to the raised level behind the house that starts a story up).

“Another important aspect of the project was the distinct nature that each area possesses; thes stand out not only because of their different views, but also because of the various textures and colors that have been selected,” say the architects. “On the ground floor, a coarse-sand plaster was used, along with the same brown color used for the exterior, so as to create an intimate ambiance that is evocative of the shelter provided by a cave. The stairwell, in brilliant white, leads into the house, two pink panels pop up along the way, hiding the guest bathroom and the storeroom from sight.”

“The first floor was found to have large blocks of yellow granite masonry which was perfectly fitted and then maintained in it’s entirely, giving this floor a yellowish colour somewhere between brown and white. On the more recently built two upper floors, the walls are smooth and white. The kitchen, which acts as a central element, epitomizes a unique area which brings together the living and dining rooms, designed as an area for socializing, where everyone plays a part in the ritual of cooking. On arriving at the outdoor terrace we find, once again, brown in the wood and pink in the flowers, and this takes us back to the start of our journey through the house.”

The post Crumbling Townhouse Gets Modern Makeover first appeared on Dornob.

This home extension is all about the outdoors, from bringing natural light and ventilation to the interior to pushing its occupants out into a big backyard or up onto a stunning rooftop deck, but the giant hangar door is the star of the show.

From their time in England, the owners wanted the familiar feel of an open conservatory in their Chicago home addition – and got their wish in spades from dSpace Studio.

In front, the original 1880s Italianate facade can be found intact, sharply solid against thin steel and light planes of glass behind.

Meanwhile, the operable six-meter, garage-like hangar door makes an open-feeling space actually open up out into the yard on demand as well. Not many homes can boast their very own hangar door, but this is clearly not an ordinary residence (as much as it may look like one from the front.)

More info on the “Escape Pod” home from architecture firm dSPACE Studio:

“The owners of this 1880s Italianate two-flat wanted to convert the property to a single-family home. The design intent was to preserve the facade in accordance with landmark regulations, renovate the interior, and add contemporary steel and glass space at the back to offer an escape from daily life. The addition is a two-story space evoking the typology of an orangery—a glass-enclosed conservatory common in England where the owners have lived.”

​”The structure was unified by a three-story atrium with a steel and wood staircase connecting all floors. With large skylights, the atrium functions as a light well for lower floors. Steel catwalks bridge the front and rear of the home at the second and third levels. “

​”A unique element is an operable 17ft glass hangar door at the rear of the addition that can be opened to unify interior with exterior. A fire orb suspended in the double-height space rotates to the patio. On the roof, a landscaped terrace clad in ipe wood has city views and a private spa.”

The post 18-Foot Glass Hangar Door Opens Stunning Steel Addition first appeared on Dornob.

Gingerbread homes are just so 20th Century, don’t you think? Here are a few quirky variants on this timeless classic for the more adventurous cook-turned-constructor.

From Instrucables user KitchenTableScraps, with both a pastry chef and architecture background, comes a more urban solution inspired by Brooklyn – the gingerbread townhouse, technically edible but too beautiful to destroy.

DomesticEngineer takes a similarly hybrid approach, combining an unusual type of domicile- the igloo – with the appropriately winter-season, gingerbread-building activity.

Finally, from TringsThings there is a more fanciful gingerbread castle fusing elements of edible construction with fairy-tale architecture. A slightly easier and less-picky project, too, for kids or those without model-building educations from architecture schools.

The post Townhomes to Igloos: Unusual Gingerbread Housing Ideas first appeared on Dornob.

After laying a layer of paint, almost ‘resetting the canvass’ if you will, Studio Rolf (images by Frank Hanswijk) inserted a set of extremely contemporary box-shaped windows that do not align in the least with the original plan, but suit the needs of current users instead.

Unlike many modern refabs, the decisions were not based on black-and-white ground rules about preserving the existing structure. What starts on the outside moves inside, with select brick and stone surfaces being painted (surprise!) black or white as it suits the room in question.

That is not to suggest that there is no rhyme nor reason to the changes and choices made, but they are more subjective than one might expect to find – artistic moves rather than rigorous, function-driven design decisions.

One could argue that the design is taken too far – that it does not reflect its residential neighborhood and sticks out like a sore thumb. That argument, however, works both ways: after all, an architecture-and-design studio should, perhaps, stand out from the crowd … not just to advertise its services, but also to make a clear visual distinction between itself and the non-similar functions of surrounding building.

Fittingly, Zecc Architecten and Studio Rolf.fr call this project in Rotterdam “The Black Pearl.”

“This house takes part of a program of the congregation Rotterdam who wanted to revitalize disadvantaged neighborhoods by selling metier houses to private persons. These homes have in common that they are neglected the last few years and have to be refreshed. The buildings usually consist of several small apartments, one per layer. The purpose of the municipality by selling the buildings is to attract inhabitants with more carrying-capacity. Condition of sale is that the property will be restored within a specified period and will transformed into one house. This causes less, but larger houses. This is the opposite trend to what happens in many inner cities where larger houses are divided into several small apartments.”

“The renovation of the Rotterdam ‘metier house’ is turned into an architectural spectacle, where was experimented with time and space. The 100 years old facade of a dwelling in a closed housing unit, is totally painted black. Both masonry, frames and “windows” are covered with a shiny black oil. This creates a kind of ‘shadow’ of the original facade. In some places the new transparent windows pierce through the historical facade. The new windows announce a time with a very different way of living. This creates a relationship between the original facade and the new interpretation which become readable. All floors and small rooms behind the old windows run into one spatially contiguous entity.”

The post The Black Pearl: Dramatic Paint Job for Rotterdam Townhouse first appeared on Dornob.

Close the front entry door and raise the drawbridge-style bedroom window and the whole frontage fades into the nighttime darkness, giving no hint that anyone may be dwelling within.

Its architects did not (sorry to disappoint) design it against undead intruders, however, but instead to ward off termites (via metal and glass) and blend unobtrusively between a green-walled neighbor on one side and concrete-block facade on the other.

Muir Mendes were their own clients in this case, working weekends outside of firm hours to complete their urban dream home. As enclosed and uninviting as it looks from the front, it is open to daylight and an outdoor deck to the rear.

Inside, too, the residence is lit from above via a second-story-ceiling skylight, open all the way to the first floor via a continuous, house-long, double-height corridor.

“Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, one study, open plan living and storage have been carefully crafted into the 115m2. The house is divided into two living zones with the Level 1 gallery study forming the in-between space.”

“Steel construction was adopted to combat the tight site and aggressive termites. Windows, doors, stairs and joinery have been fabricated from steel puncturing the white interior. Tallow wood flooring was selected given that it does not suit the selective pallet of the termite. The flooring folds through the space and up the walls providing a robust skirting.”

The post Zombie-Proof Facade: Black Steel House + Flip-Up Windows first appeared on Dornob.

Driving through downtown Vancouver at night, one might be tempted to call the police upon seeing this old townhouse building ablaze. ‘Fire with Fire’ is an apt enough name for this installation art piece by Isabelle Hayeur – the faux flames are meant to conjure images of destruction in this district of decay.

Despite the derelict nature of the neighborhood, there is a beauty in these old buildings being overlooked by developers who continue to tear them down in the name of progress. The Olympic events expedited their destruction like never before.

Historic preservation efforts often come too late, and amount to too little, which is what this project aims to change … by catching the eye, drawing attention to the problem before everything is wiped clean and rebuilt.

But one still has to wonder: can art go too far? It is hard to imagine there weren’t at least a few false positives when it came to the the fake fires seen on each floor of the structure – they were make realistic on purpose, but perhaps too much so.

Galleries West has an interesting perspective by Michael Harris, too; read the rest over there.

“I remember the first time I saw Isabelle Hayeur’s Fire with Fire video installation. A four story building seemingly ablaze, with projected flames filling the windows of the top three floors, best viewed from the derelict end of Vancouver’s East Hastings Street. At five p.m. each day, as dusk settled over a city overrun with Olympic boosterism, Hayeur’s work was switched on; staff waited 30 seconds between igniting the second floor projector, the third, and the fourth, to heighten the sense of inexorable consumption.”

“In a few minutes, the fire builds to a mute roar, filling 20-foot expanses of glass (backed by opaque paper for the projection to play on). The effect from street level was thrilling and, each evening, homeless folk paused alongside international media and wayward tourists to collectively indulge in Hayeur’s mediated shadenfreude (enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others).”

The post Realistic Light Art Fights Fire with Fake Flames first appeared on Dornob.