Videographer: Lance Milbrand.
Category Archives: Views
Sustainability: ‘Immersion House’ Tour In Melbourne
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Breathtaking Sustainable Home 00:52 – An Inner-City Location 01:07 – Taking Inspiration from A Family Sanctuary 01:32 – The Seamless Indoor Outdoor Connection 01:54 – A Rich and Natural Material Palette 02:18 – Utilising the Versatile Tongue & Groove Boards 03:47 – Satisfying Aspects of the Design 04:18 – Proud Moments
Matsouri Architects defy the conditions of the corner block location through a series of unique and enveloping experiences. Located on a corner site that slopes gradually towards the back and in a quiet residential area in the inner-western suburb of Melbourne, Australia, Immersion House is a direct response to the client’s very strong brief to have a private sanctuary while retaining aspects of the original heritage home.
This brief was the inspiration behind Matsouri Architects’s architectural approach – creating experiences and spaces so the occupants could have a sanctuary to raise their family and live in the house they always envisaged. Inside the breathtaking sustainable home, the integration of interiors with the surrounding nature is key to the home’s immersive effect. On the first floor, one feels a sense of being perched above the street, implanting an almost subterranean feel. The connection between the indoors and the outdoors feels seamless and natural; there is a view towards nature from every part of the house and a strong sense of a singular indoor and outdoor space in the way that one almost doesn’t detect what is inside and what is outside when all the doors are folded back.
Similarly, a rich and natural materiality inside the breathtaking sustainable home becomes fundamental to creating this sense of sanctuary and immersion. The use of natural and textural materials such as concrete, timber and steel feel elementally connected to the surroundings. This minimal decor and palette have a quality that ties it all together and imbues the home with a sense of harmony and creates a space that feels all-enveloping. A key aspect of this raw materiality is the use of rich timber as a key material inside the breathtaking sustainable home.
Hiking In Italy: Vajolet Towers In The Dolomites
The gently rising Via delle leggende (legend’s trail) takes us to the hamlet of Gardeccia at almost 2,000 m asl. The route takes us deeper into the Valle di Vajolet, across the rocks of the Dolomites, up to the Rifugio Vajolet and the nearby Preuss mountain hut (2,210 m). Now we are directly at the famous Vajolet pinnacles, the rock towers that make up the striking shilouette of the Catinaccio mountain range. From here you can walk to the Rifugio Re Alberto or the Rifugio Passo Principe mountain huts.
Due to the changing weather situation we decide to do a shorter tour, the panoramic trail, stretching at the foot of the Larsec pinnacles on the east side of the valley, ending at Gardeccia. There are some slippery and steep point along this trail, but in general it is rather easy for those who are experienced mountianeers. The view ranges to the southern Catinaccio mountain range, from the Vajolet pinncales to the Croda di Vaél. After the way down to Gardeccia via the Via delle Leggende, we take the chairlift that takes us back to the Val di Fassa.
The New York Times — Sunday, October 8, 2023
‘We Are at War,’ Netanyahu Says After Hamas Attacks Israel
Palestinian militants from Gaza launched an early-morning assault on southern Israel, invading towns and firing thousands of rockets. Israel retaliated with huge strikes on Gazan cities.
An Attack From Gaza and an Israeli Declaration of War. Now What?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being pressured to launch a full-scale invasion that Israeli leaders have been scrupulously avoiding since 2005.
‘The Children Were Terrified.’ Fear Grips Israel and Gaza
As Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, Israelis huddled in shelters and Gazans flocked to supermarkets, fearing the Israeli military response.
Migrant Crisis Tests New Yorkers Who Thought They Supported Immigration
As the city’s resources strain under the influx of thousands of migrants, New Yorkers are still resolutely in favor of welcoming newcomers. But for how long?
Museum Exhibition Tour: ‘Manet/Degas’ At The Met
Manet/Degas
September 24, 2023–January 7, 2024
Born only two years apart, Manet (1832–1883) and Degas (1834–1917) were friends, rivals, and, at times, antagonists who worked to define modern painting in France. By examining their careers in parallel and presenting their work side by side, this exhibition investigates how their artistic objectives and approaches both overlapped and diverged. Through more than 160 paintings and works on paper, Manet/Degas takes a fresh look at the interactions of these two artists in the context of the family relationships, friendships, and intellectual circles that influenced their artistic and professional choices, deepening our understanding of a key moment in nineteenth-century French painting. On view: September 24, 2023–January 7, 2024
Travel Tour: The Cyclades Island Of Milos In Greece
Plaka is the chief town in Milos. It is perched on the top of large rock, overlooking the gulf of Milos. No cars can enter the village because of the narrow spaces between walls and buildings. Motorbikes, mopeds and the like are the only usable vehicles.
The New York Times — Saturday, October 7, 2023
Strong U.S. Job Growth Shows Economy Is Defying Challenges
Employers added 336,000 jobs in September, almost double what experts had forecast and the biggest gain since January. Markets welcomed the report.
How Biden’s Promises to Reverse Trump’s Immigration Policies Crumbled
President Biden has tried to contain a surge of migration by embracing, or at least tolerating, some of his predecessor’s approaches.
How Do Americans Feel About Politics? ‘Disgust Isn’t a Strong Enough Word’
Voters’ broad discontent with disarray in Washington transcends political parties, race, age and geography.
The N.Y.C. Subway Is No Longer Broke. Can It Buy Rider Happiness?
For as long as many New Yorkers can remember, the M.T.A. has needed more money. Now its budget is finally whole, and the pressure for good service is on.
Travel: A Tour Of Donji Stoliv In Montenegro
Small fisherman’s settlement from XIV century remained preserved over the centuries. It is located at the very sea shore. The pebble road will take you to Gornji Stoliv through the woods and olive groves.
A fantastic view over the entire Boka Kotorska will burst before you up there. Gornji and Donji Stoliv have around 500 inhabitants. The first camellia from Japan was brought by the Stoliv seamen in XVIII century. “Days of Cammellia” have been organized in the springtime ever since.
Mid-Century Modern: Merricks House Tour
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Mid-Century Modern House 00:45 – The Perks of Building Your Own Home 01:29 – A Rural Area 01:53 – A Simple Family Focused Brief 02:30 – A Walkthrough of the Home and the Elements 03:32 – Bringing the Outside In 04:04 – Compromising on Light 05:04 – Simple and Well-Thought Out Details 05:47 – Caring for the Landscape 06:39 – A Successful Outcome
Sitting on the edge of a forest, Aktis Architects works alongside the challenges presented by the site and a linear arrangement of spaces, creating an equally robust yet elegant farm home that connects and contrasts the quintessential Australian landscape it sits within. Built for the Director of Lexicon Constructions, the brief called for a mid-century modern family house that was linear in form and worked to encapsulate a strong sense of togetherness.
Approaching the mid-century modern home, one is met with a modest elevation composed of two raking roofs, each perched above a masonry box. A gravel driveway meanders through dense planting to arrive at a porte cochère lined with vertical timber cladding. The house tour reveals a linear arrangement of spaces inside, so the need for circulation areas and corridors is redundant. The concrete frame structure is defined by a geometric architecture, whilst circular windows contrast the geometry of the home and add a sense of playfulness.
The New York Times — Friday, October 5, 2023
Opposition to Ukraine Aid Becomes a Litmus Test for the Right
The drama that has played out among House Republicans over the past week has highlighted a sharp decline in the party’s willingness to back continued aid for Kyiv’s fight against Russia.
Gathering to Mourn the Dead, and Dying Themselves in an Explosion in Ukraine
Ukrainian officials said a Russian strike had killed at least 51 people in a tiny village with no obvious military or industrial targets nearby.
From a Capitol Hill Basement, Bannon Stokes the Republican Party Meltdown
The former Trump adviser has helped create the spectacle of G.O.P. dysfunction, using it to build his own following and those of the right-wing House rebels who took down Kevin McCarthy.
U.S. Will Build Stretch of Border Wall and Begin Deportations to Venezuela
The decisions underscore the challenges facing the Biden administration as humanitarian crises around the world drive more migrants to the U.S. border.
Boomers Daily 