Category Archives: Videos

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Architecture: A Modern Home In Pacific Palisades

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (September 26, 2023) – On the hills of Pacific Palisades, in Los Angeles, is Palisades Residence by Abramson Architects, a breathtaking modern home with sweeping views of the canyon backdrop. As the house tour begins from street level, the house opens onto a one-storey main level before descending to the second floor.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Breathtaking Modern Home 00:59 – The Riviera Neighbourhood 01:12 – The Layout of the House 01:35 – A Walkthrough of the Home 04:03 – Designing For A Dynamic Climate 04:53 – A Simple Material Palette 05:09 – A Collaborative Process

Journeying further, the main level opens to reveal the living space with dropped ceilings that at first obscure the top of the canyon. However, as the house tour moves further into the living area, the interior design opens up with the ceiling, lifting to gift the occupants breathtaking views of the canyon. From the entry way, the architects have designed a tall space with concrete walls and split skylights, which have been designed specifically to allow light to reflect and bounce into the breathtaking modern home.

The upper level contains the primary suite, which has its own his and hers bathrooms and dressing rooms. Additionally, this level contains the kitchen, dining room, living room and the covered outdoor space that leads to the outdoor entertaining areas. From here, the house tour leads down to the second level where additional living spaces are placed – these three secondary suites complement the interior design of the breathtaking modern home.

Cities, Travel, Videos, Views

Travel: Walking Tour Of Zurich, Switzerland (4K)

Leave a comment

Tourist Car (September 28, 2023) – The city of Zurich, a global center for banking and finance, lies at the north end of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland. The picturesque lanes of the central Altstadt (Old Town), on either side of the Limmat River, reflect its pre-medieval history. Waterfront promenades like the Limmatquai follow the river toward the 17th-century Rathaus (town hall).

Culture, Tours, Traditions, Travel, Videos, Views

Travel: The ‘Treasures Of The Mekong River’ In Laos

Video Leave a comment

DW Documentary (September 28, 2023) – With its rich biological diversity, the region around the Mekong River is a jewel of Asia. The river is also known as “the mother of waters.

” It’s a transport route, water supply and food source for millions of people. The film sets out in a journey to the former royal city of Luang Prabang in Laos. It’s regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in southeast Asia and to this day, religion determines everyday life: Every morning, hundreds of monks walk through the city’s ancient center to collect their alms.

In the isolated villages, some of which are only accessible by boat, most Laotians live off the land. There are huge rice paddies on the fertile banks on the Mekong; rice is the Laotians’ main staple, eaten three times a day here. The river also provides some welcome dietary variation in the form of fish. Locals – and the odd tourist boat – also use the Mekong as a main transit route; even today, the quickest way to reach the country’s larger cities is still by river.

At some point, several hundred kilometers downstream, we reach the capital Vientiane, the economic heart of Laos and a trading center for the famous Laotian woven textiles, exported from here all over the world.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #laos #mekong

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Architecture: A Concrete Home Tour In Melbourne

Video Leave a comment
A

The Local Project (September 26, 2023) – Narrow sites and smaller residences tend to provide architects with an opportunity – one that inspires creativity and innovation. This is true of Concrete Curtain, an architect’s own home in inner-city Melbourne, where FGR Architects evocatively draws on materiality and natural light, imbuing the architecture of the family home with a sense of elegance and spaciousness.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architect’s Own Home 01:29 – Designed for a Growing Family 01:39 – A Walkthrough of the Home 03:13 – Playful Additions 03:49 – The Use of Stone Throughout the Home 05:27 – The Calming Materials 05:46 – Proud Moments

Upon entering the architect’s own home, one is met with a garage that is flanked by an ensuite, study and laundry. The house tour then leads into the central foyer area – a core part of the dwelling that allows light to enter from the east and west. The lower part of the residence contains the kitchen, living and dining area that then naturally flows out towards the al fresco dining area.

The spiral staircase leads to the second level, which is split into two segments. On the northern side is the master suite, and on the southern end is the childrens’ bedrooms. This floor also features a playful, blue carpet, which adds vibrancy to the upstairs level. Perhaps the most prominent feature of the architect’s own home is the concrete curtain, which reveals FGR Architects’s intention to illuminate areas with natural light.

Wanting to create a sense of space, the architect leveraged the idea of a sheer curtain to allow for both privacy and openness. As such, the concrete ‘cylinders’ are spaced out in a way that emulates the fold of a curtain. The result is a remarkable feature with a gentle, pleated style that softens the residence and lets light pass through seamlessly. The interior design and materiality of the architect’s own home is vital to its overall effect.

Travel, Videos, Views

Travel: An Aerial Tour Of Trollstigen In Norway

Leave a comment

QuantumScape Films (September 23, 2023) – Trollstigen is an impressive mountain pass that twists through eleven hairpin bends up the steep mountain sides in Romsdalen valley. The Trollstigen road connects Åndalsnes with the village of Valldal in Sunnmøre.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Australia Design: Winter Creek House In Victoria

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (September 22, 2023) – In a nuanced response to landscape, Winter Creek is a modern house in a hidden forest – a seamless reflection of the expansive farm in which the home resides.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Modern House 00:52 – The Location of the Home 01:11 – The Design Approach 01:44 – Rewarding Aspects of the Design 02:00 – History of the Land 02:25 – Format of the Home 02:45 – A Clean and Modern Design 03:28 – Creating A Mood with Materials 03:50 – The Laminex Process 04:08 – Favourite Aspects

SOS Architects draws on modernist design principles combined with subdued interiors by Studio Tom to create a dwelling that is clean, modern and considered so that it doesn’t compete with the site but, instead, harmonises with it. Located in Trentham, Victoria, Winter Creek is a single-storey, contemporary home that nestles into the site. SOS Architects deeply considered the placement of the house to ensure it both complemented and responded to the site.

The architectural approach used for the modern house in a hidden forest was grounded in a contemporary, sleek design. The form of Winter Creek consists of two distinct volumes – a floating roof that connects to the landscape, which encompasses the main living zones, and the ‘flat box’ section that is more private and introspective, housing the bedrooms and bathrooms. A key feature of the design is also the transparency of the dwelling. At many intersections, one can see through the house, further connecting the home to the landscape.

The interior design approach was very much an extension of the architectural design, with Studio Tom collaborating with SOS Architects to create a modern house in a hidden forest that feels seamless and cohesive. The palette is subdued, dominated by charcoal, neutral and grey tones, and furnishings are minimalist and refined. These choices mean the interior continues the theme of blending into the misty, grey, wintery scenes typical of the landscape beyond. Continuing the seamless aesthetic that defines this modern house in a hidden forest, the AbsoluteMatte range from Laminex was used throughout the interior.

Adventure, Cycling, Food, Tourism, Tours, Travel, Videos, Views

Travel: A Food & Cycling Tour Of Northern Ireland

Leave a comment

The Times and The Sunday Times (September 22, 2023) – Embark on a captivating 150-mile cycling journey with Simon Parker as he pedals through the scenic landscapes of Northern Ireland. From the rain-soaked back roads of County Down to the lush orchards of County Armagh, this adventure offers more than just picturesque views.

Discover why Armagh is dubbed the ‘Orchard of Ireland,’ and learn about its unique Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, putting it on par with renowned products like Parma ham and champagne. Experience the tranquility of Strangford Lough, the British Isles’ largest sea inlet, and delve into its rich marine life that supplies some of the UK’s finest restaurants.

At Scopers in Dundrum, feast on fast food reimagined with locally-sourced, sustainable produce. This journey is not just a feast for the eyes but also for the palate, showcasing Northern Ireland’s burgeoning food tourism scene.

Arts & Literature, Books, Previews, Reviews, Videos

Books: The Booker Prize 2023 Shortlist Revealed

Video Leave a comment

The Booker Prize (September 20, 2023) – The shortlist has been announced! It features six books by authors never previously shortlisted, including two debuts.

The Shortlist

The Bee Sting

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023. A patch of ice on the road, a casual favour to a charming stranger, a bee caught beneath a bridal veil – can a single moment of bad luck change the direction of a life?

By Paul Murray

Western Lane

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023. Chetna Maroo’s tender and moving debut novel about grief, sisterhood, a teenage girl’s struggle to transcend herself – and squash

By Chetna Maroo

Prophet Song

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023. A mother faces a terrible choice, in Paul Lynch’s exhilarating, propulsive and confrontational portrait of a society on the brink

By Paul Lynch

This Other Eden

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023. Full of lyricism and power, Paul Harding’s spellbinding novel celebrates the hopes, dreams and resilience of those deemed not to fit in a world brutally intolerant of difference

By Paul Harding

If I Survive You

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023. An exhilarating novel-in-stories that pulses with style, heart and barbed humour, while unravelling what it means to carve out an existence between cultures, homes and pay cheques

By Jonathan Escoffery

Study for Obedience

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023. In her accomplished and unsettling second novel, Sarah Bernstein explores themes of prejudice, abuse and guilt through the eyes of a singularly unreliable narrator

By Sarah Bernstein

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Brazilian Design: M House In Avalon Beach, Sydney

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (September 19, 2023) – An inspired super house leveraging its unique site nestled between the calm waters of Pittwater, the surf beach of Avalon and bushland in Clareville on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, M House envelopes the landscape in its very structure in an alluring and profound way.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Brazilian Inspired Super House 00:56 – Behind the Modernist Idea of Form Follows Function 01:26 – The Beachside Location 01:47 – Brazilian Modernist Inspiration 02:14 – A Walkthrough of the Home 04:24 – An Emphasis on Privacy 05:11 – The Rich Green Landscaping 05:30 – Connecting the Masculine and Feminine Materials

Rama Architects creates a home that viscerally connects inhabitants to the surrounding landscape while maintaining a sense of privacy and tranquillity. Grounded in the idea that form follows function, this inspired super house is functional first, then focuses on layout and flow. As such, Rama Architects responded to the client’s brief to create a Brazilian modernist-style home. This style is based on creating a sense of transparency and connection to surrounding waterways while maintaining a feeling of sanctuary.

With a tangible indoor-outdoor connection, there is an immediate sense of tranquillity as the plantings engulf the architecture of the home’s structure. Upon entering the inspired super house, one is greeted with a courtyard that welcomes filtered light through the above tree canopy. The home is delineated by floor-to-ceiling glass doors and leans heavily into subtropical design principles and Brazilian modernist philosophies surrounding the prioritisation of natural light and ventilation. Plants cascade down from the rooftop and are visible from every room, once again reiterating an appreciation of the beachside locale.

Similarly, the main living area releases with ease to the water and western horizon beyond, while a sunken lounge is incorporated to align with the Brazilian modernist typology of the inspired super house and ensures no couches or furniture distract from the view. The M House is grounded in a connection between masculine and feminine materials, which creates a juxtaposition of feeling safe but also vulnerable within the home. For example, privacy is created through the dominant brutal front façade and greenery engulfing the building.

#SuperHouse #Architect #TheLocalProject