Maroubra Residence by Those Architects

December 27, 2015

Originally owned by the client’s grandmother, the residence in the quiet Sydney beach side suburb of Maroubra has been re-designed by those architects to facilitate the lifestyle of the young family who resides today. The architects discussed with the clients about how they wanted to use the house and they came to a conclusion. The property needed to be flexible, robust and light. It had to be suitable for a young family, and remain adaptable as their family grows, while also providing them the ability to entertain family and friends. Being surrounded by natural light and fresh air was another key component of the brief.

To facilitate the requirements, strategies such as having the living areas brought down to be at the same level with the outdoors, a new courtyard between the existing house and a new addition for more sunlight, and the addition of a galley style kitchen that connects into the rear of the old house and looks into the courtyard outside. The kitchen is linked to the living and dining areas of the home through a concrete bench that extends the full length of the living space. The bench provides out-of-sight storage for AV equipment, books, toys and firewood below as well as providing additional seating for the living area.

Glitch Star by Jun Ong

November 27, 2015

Within the Malaysian town of Butterworth, Kuala Lumpur-based architect and artist Jun Ong has embedded a five-story lighting installation within the core of an unfinished concrete building. Spanning the full height of the architectural skeleton, ‘star’ pierces through several floors of the disused structure to form a 12-sided, three-dimensional object.

Cella Bar by FCC Arquitectura

November 15, 2015

Based by the western coast of the island of Pico, in the Portuguese Azores, FFC Arquitectura were charged with the transformation and expansion of the ‘Cella Bar’. While preserving the distinct features of the existing building, the extension saw a contemporary addition being merged with the original building. This juxtaposition has introduced a sculptural language into the local context. The organic and orthogonal form uses basalt (volcanic rock of the region), concrete and the exterior presents a woven timber texture. As well as sourcing local materials, the design of the scheme references the outline of the island, the rocks, whales and wine casks.

Linear Friction Welding of Wood

November 15, 2015

Linear friction welding is something people already use to turn two pieces of metal into one piece of metal. But for reasons unbeknownst, it works with lumber too.

Naman Conference Hall by Vo Trong Nghia

November 1, 2015

Located 16km away from the Vietnamese city of Da Nang is the bamboo crafted conference hall by Vo Trong Nghia. Being one of the first buildings to greet visitors into the resort, its prominent location is combined with a fully glass facade- emphasizing the eminent use of bamboo techniques.

How to Write about Architecture from Architizer

November 1, 2015

It is a debate that has raged for decades among architects and architectural journalists alike: how can words encapsulate the intricacies of the built environment without becoming stuck in a quagmire of esoteric sound bites and pretentious clichés?

Here are ten pointers, in no particular order, for your consideration.

Haven Pavilion by NAS architecture

October 17, 2015

Built by NAS architecture and intended as a place for contemplation, the ‘haven pavilion’ has been nested on the ramparts of the Aigues Mortes, a castle located in the south of France. The construction hangs on the existing walls, with the appearance of a sectioned wooden structure that outgrows from the stone fort. The ten pieces of wood marry the rock mineral materiality of the place, like a reminiscence of ancient installations.

‘Haven’ is visible by all from the outside, but offers a more intimate and sensory experience when inside.

Seattle Central Library by OMA

October 17, 2015

The Seattle Central Library redefines ‘ library’ as an institution no longer exclusively dedicated to books, but as an information store where all forms of media—new and old—are presented equally and legibly. In an age where information can be accessed anywhere, it is the simultaneity of all media and, more importantly, the curatorship of their content that will make the library vital.

Fairyland Guorui Villas by UNStudio

September 26, 2015

The Fairyland Guorui Villa complex is situated on a plot where two rivers converge, surrounded by natural scenery and mountain views. Essential to the design approach for the villa development is the combination of individuality with a distinct quality of community.

The facades of the villas are designed to create a strong inside/outside condition. In order to achieve this different ‘sets’ of integrated features, including balconies, bay windows, canopies or terraces and roof-top gardens are used. The facade cladding is made from recycled stone produced from powdered stone applied to the facade in contemporary fashion.

The Architecture of Burning Man 2015

September 13, 2015

With the unofficial end of summer also comes the close of Burning Man, a radical annual festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert drawing together artsy folk, techies, celebrities, and this year, even a plague of insects. Each year from the last week of August to Labor Day, festival goers erect a temporary city of sorts filled with fantastical installations and a giant wooden effigy that would be set aflame. Call it fun, profound, or insufferably hipster, but this year, drawing some 70,000 attendees overall, the event sure gave rise to some incredible design and architecture—a few gorgeous snaps from Bjarke Ingels are just the start.

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