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

Architecture: ‘Round House’ In San Francisco

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The Local Project – (April 14, 2023) – Working within the existing footprint of a round home, Feldman Architecture reimagines a disjointed circular structure into an innovative futuristic house. By connecting the residence to its lush surroundings and opening up spaces, the possibilities of an ocular form are realised.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Innovative Futuristic House 00:23 – The Original Home and the Vision 01:07 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:36 – Blurring the Lines between Inside and Outside 01:58 – The Original Story of the Home 02:21 – Functioning like a Sun Dial 02:42 – Curves All Around 03:00 – Creating the Curves with a Compass 03:31 – The Materials and the Shape 04:29 – A Unique Experience for the Client and the Architects

Nestled within the picturesque San Francisco hills, Feldman Architecture renovates an introverted round structure into an innovative futuristic house that thrives in its distinctive shape, location and views. Integral to the building’s remodelling is reworking the internal spaces to make them more functional and connected to the outdoors. The edge of the house wings out towards views of the landscape and it is also anchored to the land on the west side.

To make the most of its unique position, the garage was expanded to act as a base for the house and the stairwell was moved so that it takes you directly to the upper level. Upon entering, you see a framed view of the kitchen and then immediately turn into the open plan living. Here, there is a living and dining with tall ceilings, which open out to cascading views. Suddenly, there is a blurring of the indoors and outdoors, typical of Californian architecture. The rooms within the home follow an organic theme reminiscent of the structure’s circular shape.

The rigid flow of the old house has been transformed – the innovative futuristic house welcomes a nice sense of symmetry in the redesign of the kitchen and skylight as an oculus hub in the centre of the home. This skylight functions like a sundial and moves about at different points in time, reflecting a constant interplay with light. A thoughtful selection of materials are chosen to soften the powerful geometry of the home. In terms of finishes and materiality, the residence is very minimalist.

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

Design: Brunswick House Remodel Tour, Melbourne

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The Local Project – (April 12, 2023) – Located in Brunswick, Victoria, Brunswick House by Placement is a showcase of how a narrow home can contain a lot of graceful design aspects within its walls. Sitting on a small block, the house offers a north-to-south-facing layout, with neighbours flanking on either side.

Tasked to rectify a defunct terrace typology that is common to the area, the architect has employed a refined sense of detail from entrance to the back courtyard. To retain certain aspects of the original home, Placement has chosen to maintain the main bedroom with its original fireplace. While the house tour continues on, small design elements help to reignite the home’s historical character through a modern lens.

Placement has a sense of release and decompression to unveil the house by designing a double-height ceiling that leads into the dining area. When responding to the home’s narrow site, the architect had to find a way to welcome light into the centre of the building. This crucial design element was answered by the use of a central courtyard, which has been finished with large glass windows to allow for light to flood the living spaces. Moving from the dining area, two hallways are revealed, one which accesses the bathroom and another that works as a galley kitchen, and at the end of both hallways sits the living room and rear garden.

An additional mezzanine level is built above the hallways, designed to be used as a multipurpose room, second bedroom or office space. However, the space ultimately helps to zone out the separate dining and living areas. Employing bricks as the main material element within the narrow home, they are laid in a stack bond to accentuate the verticality in the space. Selecting the Nubrik artisan by Brickworks for its tactility and textural quality, the architect has used brick to help define the interior detailing and works alongside the timber joinery. In doing so, the timber is employed to do the heavy lifting of the interior spaces as the joinery creates a seamless transition between living, dining and the mezzanine level by creating overlapping lines.

Architecture, Design, Home Design, Homes, Magazines, Previews

Previews: Architectural Digest – May 2023 Issue

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Architectural Digest Magazine (May 2023) – “We were inspired by Venice—the architecture, the history, the monumentality,” says AD100 designer Vincenzo De Cotiis over Zoom, swinging open the shutters of the Palazzo Giustinian Lolin, a Baroque-style palace in the city where he has recently taken up residence on the piano nobile. It’s a misty afternoon in February and a few small boats are traveling along the waterway that has facilitated trade, transit, and cultural exchange for centuries. “When you’re here, you understand what happened in the 15th century,” continues the designer’s wife, Claudia Rose De Cotiis. “How Venice became a world market.”

This palazzo watched it all unfold. Likely constructed around the 15th century by the Miani family, it was bought by the Lolins in the early 17th century. Following plans by the Venetian architect Baldassare Longhena, it was rebuilt around 1630, then willed to one of their relatives, Giovanni Giustinian. The design featured a striking, rather classical façade defined by three bands of pilasters (festooned curtains above the Corinthian columns lend a dash of baroque flair), but Longhena left some traces of the medieval structure intact, like narrow peaked windows and the original floor plan.

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

Architecture Tour: Leschi Inventor’s House, Seattle

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The Local Project – (April 6, 2023) – Located in Seattle, Washington, Leschi Inventors House by Olson Kundig is an inventors dream house with room for the owner to live and experiment.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Inventors Dream House 00:23 – The Pacific North-West 00:37 – Liquid Light 00:48 – An Inventors Brief 01:36 – The Caterpillar Yellow 01:58 – A Walkthrough of the Home and the Experimental Spaces 02:25 – The View 02:56 – A Cantilevered Home 03:09 – The Mechanical Room 03:41 – Blurring the Boundaries Between Living and Experimenting 04:16 – The Materials 05:27 – Little Surprises at the Hands of the Craftsmen 06:14 – It’s About ‘How Things Work’

Following a brief that asked for a representation of the client’s characteristics, the architect has focused on supplying a home that allows the owner to create, workshop and experiment on different levels. Additionally, the architect responds to the home’s location, climate and consistent rain by employing materials that become one with the land as well as work with the wet weather Seattle is known for.

At the start of the inventor’s dream house tour, a big yellow front door has been created to greet visitors. Specifically chosen to be the exact same colour as Caterpillar’s heavy machinery, the door opens to reveal the unique interior of steel and concrete. On the front door, the owner’s experimental characteristics can be appreciated with a lock usually seen and used within a bank vault. As one continues through the inventors dream home and passes by the staircase made of industrial level steel, the welcoming of a double-height living space showcases the union between domains for experimentation and living.

As such, the use of black granite counters with an inbuilt Bunsen burner on the island table allows for the owner to do their own research within the comfort of their home with views over Lake Washington. To connect to the surrounds, giant glass panel doors have been installed across one wall of the living space – once opened, the living room becomes a deck space in which the owner can enjoy all year round. The main living quarters cantilever off a thick steel pipe, which also services the living room’s fireplace.

Upstairs, a loft has been stationed to be a think space for the inventor, while located on the ground floor is the mechanical room. Seen as the most important room within the inventors dream house, the undercroft of the home showcases an expression of all the mechanics and systems to the home, while also becoming celebration of everyone involved in the process. In the materiality palette of the inventors dream house, the architect uses weathered steel on the exterior as well as the interior – the cladded elements within the home have been waxed to allow for the steel to remain in its natural finish as it came out of the factory.

Additionally, concrete covers the floor to further allow for the owner to experiment with ease. Matched with the light and dark walls is the cabinetry, which is created from a dense particle board that has been stained and finished with a flat clear lacquer over the top. Designed to be a union between an assembly of pieces, the inventors dream house is finished and made to evolve in the wet weather so to become one with its surrounds.

Home Design, Homes, Interior Design, Profiles, Tours, Videos

Interior Design: A Tour Of Berdoulat, Bath, England

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House & Garden (April 7, 2023) – Patrick & Neri Williams welcome us into their shop & home, Berdoulat, based in the World Heritage Site of Bath, England. The interior design duo have transformed a truly unique space in the heart of Bath, which sees Georgian, Regency and Victorian architecture converge.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Shop: “Originally in the 18th-century, the shop would have a completely different format” 02:51 – Kitchen & Living Room: “The kitchen is the real heart of the home” 05:24 – Internal Courtyard: “This is the room where we relax and also come up with ideas” 07:54 – Bedroom: “We colour-matched the original Georgian green” 10:30 – Shop Vaults: “This is the original kitchen from the 18th-century servants’ quarters”

With a deep respect for the history and soul of the building, they have sensitively renovated the Grade II-listed space. “In 1890, three very eccentric Victorians joined forces,” explains Patrick as he stands in the front-of-house shop.

“What they did with the building was to completely reformat the space. All of the internal walls at ground and first-floor were removed, as was the ceiling to create this fantastic double-heighted space.” Watch the full episode of Design Notes with Patrick & Neri Williams and tour Berdoulat in Bath.

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

Concrete Design: Dilkera House, Brisbane, Australia

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The Local Project – (April 4, 2023) – Fulfilling the client’s desire to build their concrete dream house, Shaun Lockyer Architects considers the tactile and environmental benefits of building with concrete. Located in an inner-city suburb of Brisbane,

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Concrete Dream House 00:32 – The Home and The Area 01:05 – Views from the Home 01:31 – A Modernist Theme on Approach 02:02 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:22 – A Canvas for Life and Personality 02:40 – Less is More 02:59 – The Materials 03:41 – Controlling and Curating the Light 04:29 – Engaging with the Landscape 05:16 – Client and Architect Relationships

Dilkera embodies responsive design in how it reacts to both its climate as well as its location. Dilkera’s striking concrete façade and distinctive form are largely informed by the subtropical climate. The residence is a direct expression of how a home’s design can manage a rapidly changing mix of rain, heat and humidity – typical conditions of Brisbane and south-east Queensland where the home resides.

So that the inhabitants are not constantly moving between the inside and the outside to avoid the weather, there are deep thresholds, lovely wide eaves and protected edges so there’s a constant sense of being able to live throughout the entire concrete dream house, despite the season. Shaun Lockyer Architects also explores what elements make up a concrete dream house. The home offers vestiges to surrounding scenery, including views of bushland on the eastern side, an expansive river looking across to New Farm Park and The Powerhouse on the western side, and views of the city to the southwest.

Through a bold approach to materiality, Shaun Lockyer Architects designs a robust yet welcoming home. The structure’s materiality is kept minimal and, while concrete dominates, it is complemented by a beautiful stone that forms the base of the house along with black and blond timbers throughout. Concrete floor finishes from the inside to outside are consistent, creating a seamlessness between indoor and outdoor spaces as the concrete transitions to oak cabinetry and extends through to the furniture.

An incremental revealing of what lies beyond this concrete dream house expresses a deliberate modernist theme. As soon as one enters the home there is an opening of space, with a double-height room that becomes the centre of gravity in both the form and architecture of the house. Walking around the home, views through to the landscape and garden reveal themselves, which nurtures a connection to the outside and a sense of the residence’s transparency.

Dilkera expresses the tangible reality of what was once a mere vision of a concrete dream house. To achieve this, Shaun Lockyer Architects prioritised the relationship with the client and in turn created a home that is distinctly different, resulting in a deliberate attempt for the home to engage with the landscape rather than be a dialogue about the building in itself.

Architecture, Buildings, Home Design, Previews, Reviews

Preview: Architectural Record – April 2023

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Architectural Record (April 2023) – Record Houses showcases eight exceptional residential projects across the United States and farther afield.

Rodolfo Machado and Jorge Silvetti Pay Tribute to the Late Rafael Viñoly

The Viñoly-designed Carrasco International Airport

The founders of Boston-based Machado Silvetti look back on their decades-spanning friendship with the celebrated Uruguayan architect.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Videos, Views

Architecture: Hepburn’s Road House, New Zealand

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The Local Project (March 31, 2023) – Bordered by the Southern Alps on one side and the sea on the other, Hepburn’s Road House by Warren and Mahoney and Detail by Davinia Sutton is a country home that responds to the New Zealand landscape.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Ultimate Country Home 01:08 – A Symmetrical Home 01:27 – Using Durable Materials 01:52 – An Anecdote to a Town House 02:11 – The transition Between Inside and Outside 02:29 – The Theme of Longevity 02:55 – An Honest and Tailored Approach to Detailing 04:01 – Meeting the Needs of Entertaining 04:18 – Proud Moments 04:35 – Favourite Aspects of the Home 04:45 – Elegant Spaces of Good Proportions

Using a range of trees, orchards, a tennis court and walls, the architects slowly reveal the country home, creating an air of suspense as nothing is immediately available upon arrival. With its symmetrical layout, the home begins with a long gallery at the front entrance with bedrooms on either side and a large living space that is placed behind. To deal with a tough site and the New Zealand climate, Warren and Mahoney employed materials that directly respond to these challenges while also providing durability. Such materials used include concrete, timber weatherboard, profiled metal roof and cladding, timber shutters and flooring, and stone.

Designed to be an antidote to the townhouse, the employed materials of the country home also respond to the difference between the types of homes and, in turn, the difference between city and country living. As such, the approach towards relaxation, level of formality and materials used allows the country home to become a place that the owners can find shelter and freedom. Used to break down the transition between inside and outside, moving timber shutters are placed over the operable glass doors and walls to help create versatile uses for the spaces.

Additionally, the themes of longevity, proportions, symmetry, and the juxtaposition between the interiors and the exterior façade, helped to lead the design choices by Detail by Davinia Sutton. Embracing New Zealand design throughout the build, with an honest and tailored approach, the interior designer offers a sincere tactic delivered with a contained palette. Seen through the bedrooms, the calming palette is a union of travertine stone alongside honed and soft finishes that add a wholeness to the private spaces. Addressing the needs and requirements of the home’s landscape, the interior design incorporates elements that answer these needs directly.

Experienced within the laundry, the room has been turned into a mud room that allows the owners to freshen up before entering the home. Furthermore, extra storage has been introduced with appliances such as a wine fridge and cool and dry fridges, which offer a prolonged ability to store produce. Finished with Fisher & Paykel appliances, the country home integrates a refined ease of living for the owners and responds to their love for entertaining. Deepening the connection and celebration of landscape and entertainment, Warren and Mahoney’s work seamlessly unites with Detail by Davinia Sutton’s interior design so that the owners can easily transition from inside to outside living.

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

Modernist Architecture: John Lautner 1962 Garcia House Tour, Los Angeles

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Architectural Digest (March 30, 2023) – Today Architectural Digest takes you up into the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles to visit Garcia House on Mulholland Drive, a legendary mansion designed by architect John Lautner that was recently on the market for $16 million.

For John McIlwee, living in John Lautner’s Garcia House has been nothing short of life-altering. “It’s been empowering and substantial,” he tells AD. An entertainment business manager, McIlwee and his partner, Bill Damaschke, bought the 1962 modernist masterpiece from Vincent Gallo in 2002, who told them the property would change their lives. McIlwee says it did. “John Lautner has kind of a cult following with people from all walks of life, so it’s been an amazing way to be part of a bigger collective world of art and architecture,” he says. Now, it’s time to pass the torch—or, better phrased, the keys—to a new owner. 

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

Cabin Tours: Marra Marra Shack In Sydney, Australia

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The Local Project – (March 21, 2023) – Only reachable by boat, Marra Marra Shack by Leopold Banchini Architects is a hidden eco-friendly timber cabin that embraces a quiet lifestyle removed from the bustle of city living.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Eco-Friendly Timber Cabin 00:46 – The Site and its Location 01:06 – The Brief: Simplicity and Discovery 01:30 – Working with a Remote Construction Site 01:59 – Hand Built and Off-Grid 02:32 – A Walkthrough of the Cabin 03:06 – The Feature Window 03:57 – A Timber Structure 04:29 – Custom Made Furniture 05:00 – The Materials 05:36 – Hidden in Plain Sight

As Leopold Banchini Architects’s first Australian project, the hidden eco-friendly timber cabin required only two bedrooms, easy living spaces and a connection to landscape. Using the occasion to discover the Australian landscape, the Swiss architect has used the unique crafts only available in this country. The entire building has been completed by two carpenters and using materials that required no heavy machinery.

Additionally, each chosen material responds directly to the complexity of weather, tides and floods experienced in the unique riverside location. Sitting on a slope, the hidden eco-friendly timber cabin welcomes guests with an awe-inspiring reveal upon arrival at the renovated jetty. After walking up the stairs the house tour begins at the entrance to the main living spaces, which includes the living room, dining area and kitchen. Located to the rear of the shack are two smaller bedrooms with bathrooms, both of which have been designed to offer solitude where the owners can enjoy their own space.

Finished with a large window that overlooks the river, the living room gives the impression that the home sits upon the water instead of above. By using counterweights, the opened window turns the living space into an inside and outside deck, allowing a deeper connection to the wider surrounds. The interior of the hidden eco-friendly timber cabin has been imbued with locally sourced timbers, including iron bark that is used for the pillars that hold the home together. Other elements within the home, including the stairs and flooring, are made from turpentine wood from the old jetty, while spotted gum forms the structural beams along the roof of the cabin.

Additionally, the furniture of the home has been designed specifically for Marra Marra Shack by using leftover wood from the construction. Other elements in the home, including the fireplace, sink and all steel elements, have been custom made to resolve the few needs of the owners while staying in the house. Being in the middle of an Australian national park, the architect had to respond to certain elemental outcomes including floods, fire and tide heights. Built up on a slope to respond to the conditions, the exterior of the home has also been covered in fibre cement and plaster board to address fire safety in the warmer months.

While the exterior of the hidden eco-friendly timber cabin appears to be made of other materials, it is evident when entering the home that the interior is entirely made of timber. Elevated and surrounded by trees, Marra Marra Shack does not transform the landscape but becomes one with it.