The problem? The property’s location, though lovely, was on a somewhat busy street that faced the late afternoon sun and fell victim to the punishing winds from the southwest.

Enter Heliotrope Architects: A Seattle-based firm that, according to co-founder and principal Joseph Herrin, is “[known for their] west-facing, Puget Sound and Olympic Mountain-view, house on a hill” aesthetics. One need only look at their portfolio rife with projects like the “Cascade Residence” to see that the group was up to the task.

The key was creating a home that was private enough to be secluded from street view, but open enough to enjoy the Pacific Northwest scenery. A house that blurred the lines between indoor and outdoor living without being too exposed, and a contemporary, stylish space that was still cozy enough to act as a family home.

Heliotrope met these challenges and then some. Through the use of more layered design, they managed to overcome the paradox of protecting the home from the elements while also welcoming them in with open arms. An open, water-facing dining and living area is tempered by deep overhangs, while “smaller, ‘punched’ windows provide more of a feeling of protection,” according to Herrin. As a result, the afternoon sun peeps in the windows just enough to reflect off the Sound for a “here comes the sun” feel that’s a welcome balm to those ever-cloudy Washington days.

The clients also wanted to enhance the “Fauntleroy” home’s sense of privacy without making it feel too sheltered. To address this, the firm built a sturdy cedar fence that’s virtually indistinguishable from its surroundings. The result is a quasi-courtyard formed from a clever combination of the fence, juxtaposed walls, hedges, and a water feature that not only creates a private space, but the perfect outdoor lounge.

Inside, the home’s theme of indoor/outdoor living is continued through ocean-facing rooms dominated by warm tones that make the perfect backdrop for the stunning views. White oak floors, floating wood benches, and a connecting garden/porch/side window further enhance the feeling of letting the outside in.

As for the outdoors, Heliotrope wanted to maximize the location’s beach proximity, so they created the perfect haven for going from porch to ocean and vice versa — an unfussy space exposed to the elements, yet elevated with creature comforts like an outdoor shower, fire pit, sauna, and wine bar. Best of all, the space sprouts organically from the main structure, a natural addition that also blends seamlessly with the scenery.

As Herrin says, “While there is a natural desire to open up to [the weather from the southwest], there is also a need to protect oneself from it.” Thanks to the Fauntleroy home’s thoughtful design, the occupants will undoubtedly be able to weather any storm for years to come.

The post This Puget Sound Home by Heliotrope Architects Effortlessly Blends In and Outdoor Living first appeared on Dornob.

Made of waterproof and fire-resistant fabric in bright white, the tent is made to stand out. During the day, it looks like a small cabin vividly visible against a backdrop of dark woods. At night, when it’s illuminated from the inside, it glows like a lantern. So whether you’re heading off on a hike or just trying to pee at 3 a.m., you’ll always be able to find your way back to your cozy nest. Yibei describes it as a “cloud,” as if you pulled a wisp of a shelter down from the sky and set it down in your ideal camping spot.

The inflatable tent boasts a simple shape with a triangular roof and rectangular body. Made of 210D Oxford polyester with polyurethane coating on the fabric and seams, it’s durable enough to use in most weather conditions, including rain. Instead of unwieldy and annoying poles, the tent is held up by its airframe made of flexible, flat-pack TPU pipes that expand to 120 millimeters when inflated. The frame is designed to mimic the columns and beams of an actual stick-framed house. The tent also expands to an impressive 8 feet by 7 feet with a much higher ceiling than you’d normally get in a traditional tent, making it feel even more like a hut or cabin.

The best part of all might just be the tent’s many generously-sized windows. One giant window on each side can be opened to the fresh air, with insect screens to protect you from bugs, of course. The tent even has two huge skylights for stargazing after dark. The result is a space that feels fully connected to your outdoor setting while maintaining protection from the elements. The large size also means you can stand up to change in private, or set up a table and chairs to dine indoors in inclement weather.

Yibei explains that “when you enter the cozy white space, the ceiling is high and the room wrapped in white fabric is very bright. Opening windows on all sides connects the inside and outside, blurring the boundaries. In the forest, you can just hear the trees blowing in the wind, the chirping of birds, and the smell of wood and earth. The sound of the waves and the scent of the tide create a pleasant time on the beach. When it gets dark, close the windows and turn on the lights, and you’ll be able to relax in the comfort of your own warm home.”

The Air Architecture inflatable tent comes in a portable carry bag and can be inflated with any standard battery-powered air pump. The one downside may be that it takes a full eight minutes to fully inflate, which could drain the battery quickly. It’s also likely that the tent will slowly start to sag after a while if you set it up for a long trip, but if that happens, all it takes is a quick top-off of air through the tent’s valve.

Alas, if you’re chomping at the bit to hit “add to cart,” the tent is currently only available in Japan at Tsutaya Home Appliances+, so it might be a little hard to get your hands on in other countries.

The post Air Architecture’s House-Shaped Inflatable Tent is a Perfect Home Away from Home first appeared on Dornob.

Usually, opening an enclosed space to the fresh air means your window panel or door needs somewhere to go. Traditional windows might slide or pivot the movable pane out of the way, but that usually means there’s still a visual barrier. To open up the space completely, disappearing panes are the way to go. With the new Air-Lux descending window, you can open the whole entire width of the window, with the pane lowering into a slot in the ground.

No fixed elements are needed for the window to slide in front of, and when they’re open, no threshold is visible. Whatever your floor material, the company can disguise the top of the window so it’s barely noticeable at all. Another benefit to this system is you can have a maximum open area of up to 25 square meters (or 269 square feet), a very generous size.

These countersunk windows are both completely retractible and 100-percent leak-proof thanks to a unique air sealing system incorporating a circumferential inflatable ring. Seals adapt to the moving sash element and close the gap between the sash and the fixed element to make sure no rain, wind, or noise can penetrate the space when it’s closed. A concealed gutter drains rainwater through a drainage opening. The opening and closing process is smooth and silent, too, according to Air-Lux. The lowered window rests on a supporting structure connected to a counterweight and operates with an electric drive. You just push a button to operate it.

Is there a catch — aside from the price? Kind of. Installation requires a technical room beneath the space where the descending window is installed. This space will house the control unit, motor, drive shaft, and counterweight and needs to be accessible for maintenance work. This is also how you manually access the descended window if the power goes out and you need to close it.

If your home already has a basement, that part will be easy. Otherwise, adding this system will be an even more expensive undertaking. Prices, by the way, are only available by contacting the company, which you can do at their website. Or maybe just add this product to your fantasy home accoutrements list alongside that glass-bottom infinity pool and a secret car elevator that descends below your driveway.

To complement the descending window, you might want to check out the Air-Lux pivoting door. It uses the same inflatable ring seal to protect against the weather and can be as large as 16 feet high and 10 feet wide. Both the Air-Lux pivoting door and descending window won the German Design Award 2020 for Excellent Product Design — Building and Elements.

The post Air-Lux Descending Window Disappears into the Ground on Demand first appeared on Dornob.

As Portelli’s evolving artistic style morphed from Impressionism to Cubism to Constructivism, he infused such Maltese hot spots as the Whisky a Go-go, La Stella Band Club, the Dragut and Piali restaurants, and the sanctuary of St. Therese of Lisieux with his love for moody color palettes, clean lines, and blocky shapes.

The post-war modernist also designed his own live-work space in Attard, an ancient city nestled within the center of Malta’s main island. Architecture firm Valentino Architects just completed a retrofit of this space, which they call “La Serenissima,” aiming to preserve “the intentions of the artist’s design as a contemporary living space.” The result is an artist’s dream, bright and modern with high ceilings and plenty of windows to let all-important sunlight deep within the living quarters.

Preserving a Sense of History

The original studio is defined by tall geometric windows and strong southwestern light, and Valentino Architects decided to focus on these elements in their new design. The reworked interiors follow the same north-south axis, placing private living spaces at the south and north with a small home office and conservatory at the intersection. At the south end, which gets the most light, they integrated 45-degree skylights and high windows.

Sliding glass doors lead from the kitchen to a covered outdoor space with a raised timber deck and new glass perimeter. The angled skylights above this deck were removed to give the space more exposure to the elements, allowing it to become an external terrace that’s shaded from the summer heat but still capable of being opened to cooling breezes. The deck steps down into the living room to double as interior seating.

This cleverly converted outdoor space also acts as one big sunlight collector. The light bounces off the new brushed concrete flooring, pale countertops, and white walls and ceilings, further transmitted into the apartment by interior windows and glazing. Additional new elements like angular floor mosaics, sharply arched entryways, and a sculptural staircase recall the strong dynamic lines of Portelli’s paintings.

“Throughout the apartment, Portelli’s collection of midcentury furniture and lighting have been restored and integrated into the decor, his original plywood pinup board kept hung in the kitchen,” say the architects. “At the northernmost end of the plan, a bedroom and bathroom flank a central, floor-to-ceiling triangular window. A sliding door provides the option for closing off these rooms for privacy, whilst allowing the central sight-line to remain uninterrupted while open.”

About Valentino Architects

Based in Valetta, Malta, Valentino Architects is a design-led architecture studio with projects spanning residential, retail, and commercial sectors, with an emphasis on tailored solutions. “Our work is a study in form, proportion, detailing, and texture, characterized by an economy of scale, color, and material,” they say. “We have built a design approach that prioritizes collaboration and is driven by social, environmental, and urban impact.”

The post Valentino Architects Transform a Live-Work Artist Studio in Malta first appeared on Dornob.

The Red Cave is a luxurious, wellness-oriented residence that truly finds the best of both worlds: access to plenty of spacious, tranquil green spaces and all the conveniences of the city. The architects wanted to honor the traditional Vietnamese architectural form of “Đình,” a type of communal house found in rural villages, but update it for 21st-century urban living. Intimate indoor spaces are interspersed with layers of outdoor areas on multiple levels, always considering both views and privacy in relation to surrounding structures. Terraces are strategically set to peer between neighbors instead of right at them, and courtyards are tucked into walled gardens that almost feel like different worlds than the busy streets outside.

The layers are divided into three major zones: fitness and exercise on the ground floor, yoga on the second floor and a “chill” terrace on the third floor. Pillars at ground level separate indoors from out in a porous, “ambiguous” way. Tropical foliage pokes up from a ring of reflecting pools on all four sides, separated from the street by a garden. Circular concrete islands offer places to lounge and enjoy the dappled light shimmering on the surface. Workout equipment is set adjacent to large mirrors to amplify the sense of fluidity.

On the second floor, a large yoga room with a herringbone wood floor looks out onto yet another reflecting pool. Here, the architects inserted what they call a “vague” box with glass walls and perforated wooden screens that let in light and air. “The corridor around the box was extended out into the garden, able to step on several rocks,” they say. “We focused more on harnessing the light at the main seat (terrazzo circle-slab), surrounded by the structural slope roof, creating a dark space to absorb the focused light. Trees, [the] water surface, [and] light are combined to create a tranquil garden atmosphere.”

The third floor houses the living areas, envisioned as a retreat for the hosts. These spaces include a kitchen and tea room leading out to an open terrace with views of the Saigon River. A perimeter garden of tall greenery adds to the illusion that the occupants and their guests are somewhere in the jungle instead of a highly populated city. Of course, the fact that this is a private luxury project gives it an exclusivity that’s less than egalitarian, but imagine the mental health boost we could all enjoy if more public spaces and apartment buildings were designed like this.

“The overall structure of the project is the mix, combining architectural and natural elements, creating a special, impressive building from the external structure to the experience space inside,” the architects explain. “We are calling the structure of convergence, the unity between people and architecture and nature. Homogeneous materials inside and outside, erasing boundaries, only the subject and the atmosphere surrounding the subject establish the characteristics of the space according to the purpose of use and each activity that takes place.”

The post Red Cave House Turns an Ordinary City Block into a Lush Jungle first appeared on Dornob.

Built as a summer home in the Chilean coastal city of Puertecillo, the beach bungalow was organized to fit the spatial needs of the client’s five family members plus guests. A complementary design imperative was to create a place where the energizing sea air could flow freely on nice days.

Accordingly, Estudio Valdés used the bulk of the 1820-square-foot dwelling for living space, separating the house into “transparent” and “opaque” sections. The transparent common rooms include an enclosed kitchen and family room, a connected open air sitting room, and a dining area with a covered pavilion. Large wall-to-ceiling windows line most rooms, with wide sliding glass doors allowing them to become one with the outside when the weather allows. That same glass can protect against the elements when shut. An indoor fireplace and an outdoor firepit further accommodate inclement heating needs.

The opaque segment is visibly divided from the rest of the house by an entry courtyard and compact hallway. The three bedrooms are economical but comfortable, with the primary bedroom tucked at the very back for the greatest privacy and the two others fitted with built-in double and triple bunkbeds to accommodate various combinations of kids and friends. Bathrooms between the sleeping chambers add a layer of noise insulation between the spaces.

The firm says the shape of the house is that of “an elongated shed, which occupies its height according to its uses.” Skylights along the entire ridge of the A-frame roof harness the power of the abundant sunrays to provide daytime light for the occupants.

The architects focused on locally sourced resources for the interior, lining the walls with planks of lenga beech wood. The light color provides brightness while the natural grain continues the pattern of “blurring the boundaries between inside and outside.”

The exterior is covered in dark-stained pine boards, a tree also native to the region. The pine slates are interspersed with sections of more organically shaped eucalyptus branches, creating privacy screens around the bedrooms and exterior gathering areas. The combination of branches and planks helps the retreat blend effortlessly with the surrounding forest.

The entire house rests on stilts to achieve a “clear view of the sea above the treetops,” and every enclosure is directed toward vistas of the Pacific Ocean. A collection of loose native plant species makes up the perimeter garden that also acts to hide the home’s structural supports, further adding to the camouflage effect.

Estudio Valdés was founded in Chile in 2003 as a “modern response to the needs of the new times.” In addition to concentrating on a more efficient architectural process, the studio also pledges a “greater commitment to art and aesthetics.” Although they have a strong emphasis on urban design, the M House, completed in 2020, fits their M.O. of “passionate work in the search of different architectural expressions, with original and expressive materials.”

The post Chilean Summer House Seamlessly Blends into Its Coastal Surroundings first appeared on Dornob.

Japanese architecture firm Tomohiro Hata takes every opportunity to do something unexpected without sacrificing practicality. With “House in Shimogamo,” the firm displays a brilliant approach to designing a spacious and dynamic home that makes the most of its corner plot in a dense neighborhood.

Tomohiro Hata sees every space they design as a setting for exploration and movement. Their buildings aren’t simple boxes with floors, ceilings, and walls in all the conventional places – they’re typically stacked and layered spaces with interconnected circulation zones, making use of staggered planes to maximize space and visual interest. In this case, several different volumes are arranged to interplay with each other at various heights, all topped by a cantilevered structure that juts out over a courtyard like a telescope.

Located to the west of the Kamo River in Shimogamo, Kyoto, the home overlooks Mt. Hiei to the east and is surrounded by a combination of deteriorating old-fashioned townhouses and new mansions that have sprouted up in available lots. “I am very impressed with the scenery of this place, where roofs of various ages and sizes are piled up and blend into the mountains in the background,” says Tomohiro Hata, the firm’s founder and lead architect. “Therefore, I wanted to find a way of architecture that would connect and amplify the landscape of these diverse roofs.”

Instead of placing an array of rooms under a single roof, Hata made each room its own unique space. On the ground floor, the tea room and children’s bedroom are connected to the garden, the dining room, and a second-floor terrace. On the second and third floors, the dining room, living room, and terrace lead up to the cantilevered observation room. “I tried to design the grain of the living space and its relationship, such as expanding the air volume and spending it individually or integrally,” Hata says. “In this way, the grains of the space characterized by the roof collide, melt, and overlap, aiming for a dwelling that has multiple individual spaces that relate comfortably to each other.”

A diagram shows how these spaces fit together around open-air terraces, staircases, and ladders. The spaces beneath mezzanine levels are often filled in with glass, providing glimpses of other rooms and the greenery outside. The line between “inside” and “outside” is blurred, allowing for a better dialogue with the scenery. All the various spaces are united by a simple material palette of wood and white-painted walls.

The home achieves a balance of connectedness and separateness, privacy and conviviality. Who wouldn’t want to sit in that observation room, the terrace below it, or any of the other overlooks and patio spaces created by this design and gaze out at the mountains?

The post Cantilevered Wooden House Livens Up a Corner in Shimogamo, Japan first appeared on Dornob.

Because there are strict regulations regarding the separation of food preparation spaces and animals, the architectural duo had to get creative, answering the call in their typical cool style.

Though the project, dubbed “Together Apart,” was completed pre-pandemic, its opening was effected by lockdown and all the ensuing guidelines, and its layout proved to be essential to its success. The space’s design allowed it to function as an animal shelter and cat adoption facility as well as a café, supporting each other and coexisting beneficially for both the local community and its inhabitants.

This is ultimately the goal for the space and its surrounding areas, with Buckminster’s Together Apart Cat Café being only the first stage in construction on the surrounding lot (itself an area zoned by the city to encourage mixed-use communal spaces). The café, despite its necessary divisions, makes use of its space in creative and unexpected ways that could also accommodate other activities. As Davidson Rafaildis co-principal Stephanie Davidson explains, “We are interested in connecting activities that are otherwise problematic to come together.” In this case, cats and caffeine.

To accomplish this, the pair made the space accessible from either end, allowing for the two halves to operate independently while still adhering to local health code regulations. Of course, the two are still connected via “many sliced, mismatched, misaligned, and mirrored elements in the space,” according to Davidson.

The spaces meet in the center with an overlap area that’s cleverly integrated into the overarching design scheme. Transparent partitions and a full-fledged glass wall encourage connectivity and the chance to encounter the café’s feline residents, while the “human” space is lined with benches for visitors who want to enjoy a hot cup of joe.

Though the color palette here is neutral, it serves as the perfect backdrop for all the zigs and zags of the partitions and clever architectural details. The whole effect encourages a sense of continuity within the space despite its physical separations; though distinct halves of the same whole, one never feels that far away from a furry friend or two. The café’a rear area, where the “catio” is located, contains a nine-foot-tall masonry wall ideal for supporting a possible second floor in the future, if necessary.

Thanks to the city’s new zoning ordinances, lots of projects that creatively fulfill multi-use spatial needs are now on the horizon — and Davidson Rafailidis will almost certainly have a hand in developing them. With their eye for blurring the line between the indoors and outdoors and creating community-driven spaces, the possibilities are endless. As Davidson says, “The richness in how spaces might be shared, and how different programs could co-exist with a lot of density and visibility, is really exciting to us.” Until then, residents will have to be content with the Together Apart Cat Café: great news for feline fans and coffee connoisseurs in this historic Buffalo neighborhood.

The post The Perfect Combo: How Davidson Rafailidis Created a Stylish Cat Café in Buffalo first appeared on Dornob.

A Lifestyle of Outdoor Adventure

Though most people outside Scandinavia have never heard of it, Friluftsliv is far from new. Loosely translating to “open-air living,” the term was first coined in 1859 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Whereas the Danish term “Hygge” refers to surrounding oneself with cozy, comforting, and indulgent pleasures, especially in the home, Friluftsliv is a kick in the pants to go out adventuring for the benefit of your mental and physical health. In fact, Friluftsliv has even inspired its own law in Norway, called Friluftsloven, which includes the right to roam nearly anywhere you want. You can even major in Friluftsliv in college.

“Friluftsliv is not connected to a specific activity,” says Bene Lier, secretary-general of Norsk Friluftsliv, an umbrella organization of 18 Norwegian outdoor organizations. “For Norwegians, the word has a deeper meaning, like ‘disconnecting from daily stress’ and being part of the cultural ‘we,’ which binds us together as human beings as a part of nature.”

Blurring the Edges of Indoors and Out

A glance at the #friluftsliv hashtag on Instagram provides a great sense of what this trend is all about. Amidst all the scenic landscape shots are painstakingly curated outdoor ensembles, lantern-lit cabins, camper vans bursting with gear, campfire meals, and artfully flung woolen blankets. When it comes to fashion, Friluftsliv is all about practicality, like raincoats, sturdy leather boots, and wide-brimmed hats. But the concept applies to home decor, too.

A big part of Friluftsliv is inviting the outdoors into your living spaces. Bring in the textures, colors, materials, and scents of your favorite landscapes to make your home feel more cheerful even in the darkest months. Houseplants, dried greenery, framed nature scenes, rustic wooden objects, and even scented candles can help set the mood, infusing the spirit of the Friluftsliv lifestyle in every corner of your home. These visuals and sensory triggers can help us feel connected to “kos,” the Norwegian word that means “having a good time.”

Creating transitional spaces between your home and the outdoors can also help enhance a sense of Friluftsliv in your life. Give your patio, balcony, or backyard a cool-season makeover with a fire pit, some soft throw blankets, and an abundance of candles and lanterns.

Decorating with Outdoor Gear

To really nail Friluftsliv as a design aesthetic, create little vignettes that suggest you’re always in the process of leaving for another adventure. Hang items like sleds, snowshoes, and oars on the walls as decor, and set up a rack with all your outdoor layers like coats, gloves, and boots near the door. But even more importantly, actually use all that stuff.

Having these items visible in your home can help remind you of how good it feels to get outside in the fresh air, stretch your legs and challenge yourself physically, or just find a dry place to sit and relax. The 21st century essence of Friluftsliv is disconnection from the digital world, for however long you can get away with it. So wrap up, stay warm, and get ready to look on the bright side of wintertime.

The post Friluftsliv: The Adventurous Outdoor Counterpart to Hygge Design Style first appeared on Dornob.

“The goal of the project was to build a resilient, sustainable residence that responded to the needs of the environment but didn’t sacrifice the comforts of modern living,” says principal architect and owner Adam Wiesehan. “Building and living on water has been an incredible experience. Architecture on water has a more immediate need to be in tune with natural surroundings, and I’m grateful that this project has put me in closer touch with the local environment.”

Wiesehan, an architect with Rekstur, and his wife Margaret Day, a librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, both grew up coastside (in Texas and Massachusetts, respectively). After they met and married five years ago, they decided to build a home that would bring them back to the sea. “The [coastal] culture is fairly infectious. We wanted to do something ourselves that mixed in my background of architecture with our shared love of the water,” said Wisehan in an interview with Architectural Digest.

The resulting two-story “Kairu House” was constructed from two 40-foot-tall cube containers that were sliced in half diagonally and stacked on top of each other. The structure rests atop a welded-together platform of two 11-foot by 30-foot steel sectional barges. The couple describes the 470-square-foot dwelling as an “upside-down house,” with the bedroom, bathroom, and living space on the first floor, and the kitchen, dining room, and two decks on the second.

In lieu of traditional windows, the couple recycled old doors into fold-out awning-style ones. They also hired a local metalworker to provide a custom oversized front door.

“Unlike a lot of New York residences, it’s very much an indoor-outdoor home,” Day notes. “We have these big awning windows that we open up, the big front door, the big patio doors on the second floor, and in the warm weather, which is when we’re here the most, it so fits our love of nature and our desire to be outside.”

All that easy access to the outside also eliminates the need for an HVAC system. The couple stresses that they “don’t use air conditioners. We have no need for that in the summer because we get such a wonderful breeze through the house.”

The freight boxes inside were transformed into a fully-fledged home with the help of sapele hardwood floors and maple walls. Special accents include a kitchen backsplash of handmade turquoise tiles and a distinctive stone sink in the bathroom.

“We selected fixtures and finishes that reference our bohemian inspiration,” explains Wiesehan. To be extra sustainable, the design also features a composting toilet and plans to expand the existing DC power with solar panels.

Perhaps most exciting of all is the Kairu House’s potential for adapting to global warming. With its ability to move with rising sea levels along the coast, the design could mark the start of an affordable and resilient trend for future living.

The post Couple Turns Reclaimed Shipping Containers Into Floating NYC Summer House first appeared on Dornob.

Australian firm Koichi Takada Architects uses biomimicry as the guiding principle in all its designs, including its new Solar Trees Marketplace in the Minhang district southwest of Shanghai, China. The complex takes one of Chinese culture’s most revered and ancient public spaces and modernizes it without compromising the characteristics that make it special. The firm wanted to retain the feeling of discovery and connection to the country’s historic open-air markets with a design that was friendly to both humans and the environment, taking cues from Mother Nature’s own creations.

The result is nothing short of stunning. Currently in the late stages of construction, the three-story mixed-use development features 32 architectural “trees” rising from the ground to form an artificial canopy above hundreds of modular market stalls. Visitors will wind through indoor and outdoor spaces, the timber “branches” above providing shade, shelter from the rain, and a surface for solar panels to power the facility.

50 living camphor trees planted outside signal the beginning of a green corridor that will run down the length of the new Shanghai Tian An Caobao Road Area Residential Masterplan. Ultimately, pedestrians will enjoy a boulevard lined with 3,000 trees and shrubs indigenous to Shanghai, with the color coding of different plantings identifying various neighborhoods and guiding residents home.

“The inclusion of modular market stalls will bring a sense of authenticity to the contemporary development, referencing their history as social and cultural gathering spaces and allowing a new generation to gather at its heart,” says the firm. “Reflecting the Chinese tradition of making guests feel at home — bīn zhì rú guī — the marketplace will generate a powerful sense of community and integrate the private and public domains.”

For the shape of the facility, the Koichi Takada team turned to Shanghai’s nearby forests. The marketplace is a symbolic visual bridge between nature and the city, softening the edges and contributing to a healthier, more livable urban environment in what has long been one of the world’s most polluted cities. It’s due to be completed by the end of 2021.

“We want to humanize buildings in the district, to be more engaging to the public and contribute to the regeneration of communities and their neighborhoods,” says principal architect Koichi Takada. “We want architecture to celebrate cultural identity, along with encouraging pedestrian activities and a more walkable and livable city.

Last year, Koichi Takada Architects showed off a similar approach with Sunflower House, a series of single-family dwellings designed specifically for Italy’s sunny Tuscan climate. Those homes utilize a rotating design and solar roof to maximize sun exposure for energy production and minimize heat gain inside.

The post Tree-Inspired Solar Powered Shopping Center Offers a Twist on Traditional Chinese Markets first appeared on Dornob.

The biggest draw of the off-grid Gaia house is its price tag, which Pin-Up Houses estimates at $21,000. It’s also easy for novices to build in as little as three months. It’s definitely diminutive at a mere 20 x 8 feet, but it’s packed with just about everything the average person needs, including a bathroom with a shower and compost toilet, a kitchen with a refrigerator and propane-powered stove, a wood-burning stove for warmth, and plenty of storage space.

The light-colored plywood interior features a plethora of drawers and cabinets, with a sofa that folds down into a bed after dark. You can open both the double sliding glass doors and the huge side doors to open the interiors to fresh air and sunlight, and the outdoor terrace folds up and down using a winch to extend your living space in nice weather or protect the giant glass wall while on the road. Unlike a tiny house on wheels, you can’t just hook it up to a truck and motor down the highway to move it, but like all shipping containers, it can be transported on the back of a truck.

Since steel conducts a lot of heat and cold, one of the biggest issues with converting a shipping container to a home is insulation. The Gaia features spray insulation between the outer steel walls, wooden studs, and spruce plywood interior walls to create a cozy envelope. A 264-gallon water tank on the side of the unit services the home’s two sinks and shower, with a filter for potable water. The three 165-watt rooftop solar panels and 400W wind turbine supply plenty of power to the home’s battery system, which can be monitored using a dedicated app.

“It’s necessary to look for alternative forms of housing that will have a less negative impact on the environment, as well as complement traditional approaches to housing,” the company explains. “We have decided to repurpose a discarded shipping container and fit it out with the most available building materials and latest technology to design a unique independent housing unit.”

You really have to be a fan of the industrial aesthetic to enjoy the Gaia house, since there’s no disguising the look of the shipping container on the outside. But if you’re into the look and willing to put in the work to make it livable, it can offer an accessible way to gain a vacation house, income-generating rental, or backyard office, and it might work for some full-time off-gridders, too.

Pin-Up Houses has already built a prototype of the Gaia, and if the design generates enough interest from the public, they might consider manufacturing and selling more of them. In the meantime, you can buy a complete set of plans along with material lists, tool lists, and an eBook about building tiny houses for just $190 from the Pin-Up Houses website.

The post The Gaia Off-Grid Container House Costs Just $21,000 to Build first appeared on Dornob.

What if we approached urban life from a different perspective? Architectural firm Framlab has envisioned a way to make cities much friendlier to live in with “Open House,” a concept they hope will serve as a prototype for housing that “foregrounds social inclusion, connection, and well-being.” First and foremost, the design addresses what they call the hidden epidemic of social disconnection.

“The home is arguably the most important indoor environment in our lives,” they say. “A home is more than a shelter from the elements, and plays an important role for our social, developmental, and cognitive processes. This space is closely related to our senses of trust, safety, and belonging. However, in most cities today, housing is less treated as a human habitat as it is a financial instrument. While cities around the world are struggling to provide enough housing for their rapidly growing populations, quantity is not the only factor of this housing crisis. We also need adequate housing that can support, nourish, and enrich our social and cultural identity and diversity.”

Arguing that the pursuit of endless growth and the order of consumerism has shifted our focus from relationships to material pursuits, with technology worsening the situation instead of alleviating it, the architects propose adding a generous transition space between the housing environment and the street to maximize potential for social encounters between neighbors. A modular system that could be added onto existing buildings or used to build new developments, the setup creates a “soft edge” that blurs the boundaries between these two spaces, offering seating, planters, bike storage, and social areas that are open to the air but protected from the elements. Private areas outside each residence open onto the shared space, which also features vertical aeroponic gardens automatically misted with collected rainwater.

“These spaces have been accentuated with seating, reading nooks, shelving, and art, and have been given favorable views and lighting conditions to encourage social engagement between neighbors. Studies have found casual encounters to be just as important in fostering a sense of belonging and trust as contact with family and close friends. The apartment entrance area has been given extra attention. Here, the ‘soft edge’ strategy is applied again to create a gradual transition between the common space and the individual units. This also allows each apartment to ‘spill’ into the shared space and express the individual and cultural character of the household. The partition is made up of a retractable wall, enabling the resident to regulate the ‘softness’ of the boundary.”

The result is a “soft extension” of each private unit. Crucially, there’s no forced interaction while performing basic domestic tasks like cooking, as you’d find in communal housing. Residents can choose when and how much to open their own spaces to the semi-private “in-between zone” and make themselves available for socializing. In the end, the modular multi-story semi-outdoor addition offers far more opportunities to meet new people — not to mention a lot more access to nature — compared to the average apartment building.

That’s music to a lot of urban residents’ ears right about now. The pandemic forced many of us into our individual apartments, which lack adequate access to spaces that are safe for socializing. And the additional multi-purpose spaces offered by “Open House” would be beneficial long after our coronavirus vaccines allow us to go back to normal life.

The post Framlab’s “Open House” Fights Loneliness in the City with Pandemic-Safe Building Additions first appeared on Dornob.

“I was looking for a design that had extreme flexibility. A design that could reflect the ease with which we change clothes,” said Schols in an interview with The Mansionist.

The prefabricated, modern-yet-rustic cabin essentially has four configurations. First, the wood and glass walls can be fully pushed together, keeping out the cold and other unfriendly elements. Second, the glass walls can also be pushed out at the ends of the edifice, fashioning sunrooms on each side to enjoy the view. Third, the wooden encasements can be pushed apart, leaving a glass solarium in the center. And finally, both sets of walls can be pushed open to reveal an open-air patio for enjoying the most beautiful of days.

The versatility of the cottage brings the magnificence of the outside in, even allowing residents to sleep under the stars in the comfort of their own bed. Fresh air makes up a third room in the cabin when the sun is shining, while the wonders of the surrounding environment are still visible whenever rain or snow falls.

In the winter, the cabin is kept contentedly cozy by both a wooden stove and an electric heating unit, along with five centimeters of sawdust insulation in the walls. In the summer, the heat is held at bay by opening the rectangular windows situated under the roof eaves.

“The windows also give a panoramic view, but only when seated in a chair, or after waking up and experiencing the view from the bed,” Schols explains. “This way, when the wood shells are closed, there is a warm, cozy, indoor atmosphere…This contrasts highly with the exposure, freedom, and openness that is experienced when only the glass shell is closed or everything is open.”

To construct this moving, layered home, Schols inserted two sets of rails into the foundation. The glass walls fit into the inner rails, while the thicker exterior slides along the outer set. He also used untreated and sustainably grown larch lumber to produce the shifting shells. “The structure is completely built in wood. I used it in the way they build traditional train stations. It’s a structure that cannot get its stability from its side walls… The trusses guarantee lateral stability,” the architect explains, adding that “wood is durable, easy to work with, smells great, looks great, and is environmentally friendly.”

Named in honor of his mother to thank her for all her support and trust, Schols says ANNA’s palindrome arrangement is also metaphorical. “It fits the house perfectly; it is a sort of code for the design. You can imagine the two wooden sliding bits to be the N’s and the two glass sliding bits to be the A’s.”

After graduating in physics from the University of Amsterdam, Schols erected a sliding garden house for his nature-loving mother. The unique shed soon generated fans around the world, earning him multiple design awards. He then went on to study at the Architectural Association of London before commercially producing the ANNA cabin.

Available in three models, the ANNA Stay is devised for all kinds of living, whether it be year-round or in seasonal intervals. Equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, and ladder-accessible loft large enough to fit a king-size bed, it can comfortably accommodate a family of four. By contrast, the ANNA Meet is a blank canvas of walls. The website says this model is ideal for yoga, meetings, and educational or creative settings.

The third iteration is the customizable ANNA Me. Based on customer preference and intention, Schols’ company will “design, build, and deliver complete turnkey concepts” in this version.

Priced starting at €83,000 (about $98,600, not including taxed or transportation), the ANNA cabin is delivered in a one-piece flat-pack and can be assembled almost anywhere on Earth. A fully-functional model is currently available for viewing in the Netherlands’ Maashorst wildlife reserve. It can also be inspected with a scheduled virtual tour.

The post Sliding Cabin Lets in as Much (or as Little) Nature as You Want first appeared on Dornob.

As you can see, adding that second level onto the home is what really makes it stand out, especially since the builders highlighted the use of shipping containers in the design. More specifically, the renovation added two 53-foot containers sourced from Chicago, one of which still has its hinged steel doors thrown dramatically open to reveal a picture window.

The owners also incorporated reclaimed barn wood into the project, giving both levels the same distressed exterior siding to tie them together. The leftover barn wood was used for the interior ceilings of the main living space. Altogether, this weathered wood, the exposed steel of the shipping crates, the concrete floors, and pops of bright color give the home a lot of personality.

Shipping crates can be hard to transform into livable houses because they’re so narrow, but there’s no shortage of space in this four bedroom, four bathroom abode. Generous use of glass allows natural light to penetrate every square inch, and the rooms are laid out to take advantage of views in every direction, including the surrounding Red Rocks, Flatirons, and foothills. On the main floor, a garage-style door opens the living room up to a large patio.

The lucky buyer got the home fully furnished with all the ingenious little touches the unnamed sellers incorporated into the design, like a vintage dresser repurposed as a bathroom vanity, a commercial refrigerator with glass doors, diner-style stools in the kitchen, a striking industrial metal staircase, and botanical wallpaper.

“Both he and his partner are extremely creative,” says listing agent Zach Zeldner of the sellers. “Technically, it was a remodel, but little remains [of the original 1954 single-family home]. The lines in the design are modern, but a lot of the materials are rustic.”

Zeldner, an agent with Compass Realty, notes that the home has had an astronomical amount of interest since it was listed, and it sold almost as soon as it became available.

Here’s the description from the property’s listing:

“A work of art inside and out. Meticulously handcrafted using shipping containers, reclaimed wood, and steel, this outstanding 4,000+-square-foot residence is a marvel in design, functionality, and energy efficiency. Sited on an elevated 9,375 square-foot lot, the home frames breathtaking views in every direction, including huge iconic Flatirons views to the south, unobstructed Red Rocks and Foothills views to the north, and eastern vistas over Downtown Boulder. Flooded with abundant natural light and featuring multiple indoor and outdoor living spaces, this home is designed to take advantage of all that Boulder has to offer.”

This unique upcycled home is a great example of how shipping container architecture can go right, versus when it’s less than livable or downright dangerous.

The post Modern Handcrafted Shipping Container House for Sale in Colorado first appeared on Dornob.

Architects Studio WNA designed “Hideout Horizon” with adventurous visitors in mind. Made almost entirely of natural materials, this open-air structure provides a luxurious “glamping” home base divided into different zones for sleeping, lounging, swinging, swimming, and other activities emphasizing relaxation and playfulness.

The wing-shaped roof and large overhang offer a shaded indoor/outdoor space protected from tropical rainstorms, with one side completely open to a private grassy space encircled with palm trees and other plants. The pool serves as a transitional point between indoors and out, while a robust multi-person hammock built as a mezzanine hovers above it.

Inside, a rich palette of natural tones gives the bamboo flooring, structural elements, and roofing both texture and pattern. The rusticity of the materials contrasts beautifully with modern LED lighting. A walkway, doubling as a roof for the couch below, leads from the ground floor up to the nest-like bed surrounded with a canopy of mosquito netting.

“The upper levels cascade into unique sleeping and relaxation spaces for guests,” the architects say. “A large round bed perches on a platform like a nest in the middle of the space, with a secret loft area tucked away at the highest level of the bamboo house. The building is completely open to the serene jungle surroundings. The heated pool is sheltered under the large roof, which provides a safe and comfortable place to relax even when the tropical weather gets wild.”

“The space was purposefully designed to create a fun experience for travelers of all ages. Instead of stairs, a ramp winds through the structure; where some prefer to walk, others prefer to slide. A hanging net above the pool and a bamboo swing downstairs add to the playfulness of Hideout Horizon’s creative yet comfortable character. Guests have an array of spots to relax in after hiking through the surrounding landscape. The bespoke interior design and the bamboo furniture were designed specifically for Hideout Horizon space by the Hideout team in collaboration with Putri Wiwoho.”

With all of Bali’s charms beckoning, including stellar water-based activities and a smorgasbord of delicious cuisine, most guests will just have to find a good balance between their “hideout” and the outside world. But anyone could be forgiven for arriving and deciding not to leave for the duration of their stay.

“Hideout Horizon” is just one of the resort’s all-bamboo homes. “Hideout Falcon” is a larger, fully enclosed guest space, if that’s your preference, while “Hideout Beehive” is a two-level hexagonal structure with some of the resort’s highest vantage points. “Hideout Lightroom” keeps it small and simple (but still luxurious) and has its own spacious soaking tub. You can check out more photos and get info about the Hideout Network on Instagram.

The post All-Bamboo “Hideout Horizon” Offers Tropical Luxury in Bali first appeared on Dornob.