Category Archives: Tours
Home Tours: ‘House At Otago Bay’ In Tasmania
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Sustainable Home 00:30 – The Architect and The Home Owner 01:00 – The Location 01:19 – A Walkthrough of the Sustainable Home 01:40 – Expanding Spaces Through Shapes 02:27 – A Seamless Connection of Inside and Outside 02:47 – A Home that Sits Quietly and Calmly 03:00 – Using Local Manufacturers 03:21 – Maximising the Benefits of the Natural Elements 04:01 – An Entirely Electric Home 04:13 – Climate Change Impacts and Planning for the Future 04:48 – Minimising Footprints
Sitting atop the land, House at Otago Bay looks out toward the bay and as far as Mount Wellington – offering the owners a home that is flush with the landscape. Modest upon arrival, House at Otago Bay is positioned at the end of the drive with its back towards neighbours and its front facing the opposite bush reserve.
Made of locally sourced bricks, bushfire-resistant timber and glass, the home’s design showcases a passion for building sustainably for the present and future. Entering the home at the main living level, Topology Studio has designed the space to open and focus on unrivalled views of the bay. Though sitting on a narrow site, the insertion of unique architectural and design choices inside a home, such as the continuous curved ceiling, help the home to branch outwards and avoid being marginalised by frames. Stairs that sit off to the side lead down to the lower ground floor, in which a bedroom and ensuite have been partially set into the foundation of the home, offering a distinctive view out across the grass and towards the water’s edge.
With a seamless connection that isn’t often seen inside a home, the external façade blurs the lines between inside and out and adds a layer of connection to the surrounding environment. Sitting quietly and calmly upon the land, the architects have chosen to use tones that reference the rocks, water and greenery of the landscape. Using locally sourced and produced materials inside and out took away the need to import from overseas, avoiding unnecessarily increasing the home’s carbon footprint during construction.
After specifying the Tasmanian brick, Topology Studio positioned the building to maximise sunlight during winter and shield the inside during the summer, while also taking advantage of the expansive views. To cater to the changing temperature inside a home, the masonry and concrete floor provide a high level of thermal mass through the seasons and take away the need for external heating technology.
House at Otago Bay is supplied electricity by the solar panels on the boat house – taking away any need for gas and minimising running costs and impact on the environment. Though inside a home can be thought of as sustainable, Topology Studio has taken the extra step to respect the environment by providing robust materials across both outside and inside – proving that homes can provide longevity for its owners in sustainable and eco-friendly ways
Alaska Tours: Wrangell – St. Elias National Park
Sitting on the edge of Alaska, an 8-hour drive from Anchorage, are the 13.2 million acres that make up Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The park contains an active volcano, nine of the 16 highest peaks in America and countless glaciers, as well as the last community inside a national park. Jeff Glor reports.
Wrangell-St. Elias is a vast national park that rises from the ocean all the way up to 18,008 ft. At 13.2 million acres, the park is the same size as Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined! Within this wild landscape, people continue to live off the land as they have done for centuries. This rugged, beautiful land is filled with opportunities for adventure.
Architecture: A Walking Tour Of New York City’s Rockefeller Center (AD)
From the history behind the towering art deco 30 Rockefeller Plaza to the iconic ice skating rink and smaller details you may not be aware of, come along as Adam explores and explains everything there is to know about Rockefeller Plaza.
Mexican Travel Tours: Mexico City To Sonora
South Of France Views: A Guided Tour Of Antibes
Video timeline: Le Grand Hotel 00:03:06 La Porte De France 00:06:30 Le Ptit Cageot 00:16:41 Socca Bar 00:22:45 Entre 9 Vins Bistrot 00:22:56 The Oldest Neighborhood of the City 00:50:02 Provential Market 00:54:03 Port Vauban 00:58:48 The Nomad Of Antibes 01:04:37 Cap d’Antibes 01:14:31
Meet Cedric, a talented guide who will reveal the secrets of Antibes to you! You will walk along the ancient streets, see the fortress and the magnificent city port. Cedric will tell you many interesting facts and stories about the city and show you the incredible beauty of the Mediterranean coast.
Antibes is a beautiful city on the azure coast of France, located in the middle between Cannes and Nice. The ancient walled city of Antibes is one of the liveliest and most beautiful on the Riviera. It has a relaxed beach vibe all year round, a thriving superyacht port and a gorgeous old town with narrow cobbled streets, markets and cafes. The city is also known as the home of the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.
Melbourne Architecture: Tour of Hawthorn House
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Most Brilliant Architectural Home 00:26 – Playing with Light and Shadow 00:44 – Creating a Family Home 01:47 – Filtering Through the Concrete Shroud 02:00 – Views From Each Living Space 02:24 – The Original Brief 02:59 – A Quick but Complex Build 04:14 – Emulating A Sanctuary with Other Worldly Vibes 04:30 – The Skin of the Building 04:46 – A Balancing Act with The Materials 05:05 – Returning to the Project 05:26 – Proud Moments
Over an 18-month building process, Flux Construction and Edition Office have created a house unlike other modern architectural homes. First seen from the outside, Hawthorn House appears as a monolithic structure yet, on the inside, the family home becomes a private sanctuary for its owners. Similar to other modern architectural homes, Hawthorn House suffered from lack of privacy in its suburban location.
To respond to this need, Edition Office has pushed the skin of the building out from the glass line, which allows for both privacy and the softening of light. Upstairs has been provided more privacy through light volumes, a structural choice between the buildings form and glass line that open up to the sky. Furthermore, the light volumes also provide advantageous views and the experience of seeing the seasons as they change.
Employing unique interior design choices that allow for ease of living, the architect and interior designer have configured downstairs as one singular platform. Offering different experiences, each living area has a differing focus. From the front pavilion, the homing in on the northern light and established lemon gum tree offers the owners a space to connect with their surrounds. Experienced in the more intimate rear pavilion, an inward focus of the home brings a soft and warming essence to the interior. Celebrating the structural form of modern architectural homes, Edition Office and Flux Construction operated with a concise approach when completing the house.
Through the connection of materials, the home is a celebration of concrete, timber and glass, which is observed immediately from the exterior shell. Equally as important as the home, the evolving landscape offers a place of cognitive restoration. With a mixed use of exotic species and natives, the green life helps to provide a comforting space that will continue to grow in place. Over the modern architectural home’s form, Edition Office has provided its clients with complete privacy through a humble material palette and lush landscaping.
Christmas 2022 Views: A Design Tour Of A 17th Century Palazzo In Venice
Video timeline: 00:00 – Inspiration: “It’s imperfect perfection” 02:00 – Living Room: “It’s where the real Christmas moment happens!” 05:20 – Kitchen: “I love the way that food brings people together” 07:50 – Breakfast Room: “It feels like a chocolate box…” 08:53 – Dining Room: “It feels very ramshackle”
Skye McAlpine’s Venetian sanctuary maintains plenty of the palazzo’s original details, such as the 18th-century fresco in the living room and the decorative flowering of rocaille in the breakfast room. As we’re guided into the light and airy kitchen that is set apart by its high-beamed ceilings, Skye McAlpine reveals a staple festive treat… a snowy panettone cake from her cookbook ‘A Table For Friends’. In the grand dining room, Skye’s dinner table is layered with a mixture of small plates over larger plates from her ‘Tavola’ tableware collection, which is inspired by ‘la dolce vita’ or ‘the sweet life’. The snowy panettone takes centre stage as it is served on a cake stand which towers above the rest of the festive treats, to complete her “over-the-top” Christmas table.
“Life is slower here. It’s unchanged, it’s like a time capsule,” McAlpine explains as she contrasts between her life in London and the Venetian way of living. “I think that’s part of the charm, it really is like stepping back into a different era”. Watch the full episode of Design Notes with Skye McAlpine, as we tour her slice of an Italian palace that is expertly decorated for the Christmas holidays.
Tours: Plas Newydd House Snowdonia, North Wales
The gardens, dating back to the 16th century, owe much of their dramatic beauty to landscape designer Humphry Repton who in 1798, who planted trees to make the most of the views. Repton’s legacy influences the way the National Trust cares for the gardens today.
Discover ornate courtyards, a vibrant rhododendron garden and a tree house – features when the 6th Marquess of Anglesey lived at Plas Newydd with his family. You’ll also pick up a gardening tip to help you keep your flower beds happy and healthy over winter. The gardens at Plas Newydd are only open at weekends during the winter.
Art: ‘Making Modernism’ – Royal Academy, London
Watch Royal Academy curators Sarah Lea and Professor Dorothy Price discuss the pioneering work of four women making art on their own terms: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Kӓthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin.
Boomers Daily 