Tag Archives: Homes

Homebuilding Trends: Japanese Prefab “Yō no Ie (Sun House)” By MUJI Is Durable And Efficient

From an Interactiongreen.com online release:

MUJI-House-yo-no-ie-inside image from Ryochin Keikaku 2019the Yō no Ie re-imagines a life in suburban-rural areas, rather than urban-suburban. This reflects quiet yet significant social changes – or rather, shifts in life priorities of people and how they define happiness. In the 20th century, when society was excited about economic growth, everyone dreamed of living in cities, working at big companies by navigating a world of fierce competition, either spending an eye-popping amount of money on a small urban condo that quickly became a norm, or traveling hours to commute from a more affordable home in rapidly sprawling suburbs.

MUJI House released the “陽の家 (Yō no Ie, or Sun House)” in September, 2019, its 4th product since it debuted the “木の家 (Ki no ie, or Wood House) in 2004. Upon the release, they opened its model house at a glamping site called “Forest Living” in Isumi-City, Chiba which is about a 2-hour drive from Tokyo.

To read more: https://www.interactiongreen.com/muji-house-yo-no-ie-model-home/

Housing Trends: “Empty-Nester” Boomers Are Now Downsizing To Luxury “Jewel-Box Homes” (WSJ)

From a Wall Street Journal online article:

The single-level home has high windows and travertine floors throughout. Photo by Amy MIKLER FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The single-level home has high windows and travertine floors throughout. PHOTO: AMY MIKLER FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

The jewel-box home—small, but loaded with amenities and costly finishes—is luring more home buyers. An analysis by Home Innovation Research Labs, a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders, found that the number of new-construction luxury homes at 3,000 square feet or less has increased nearly 20% since 2013—with a corresponding decline in larger-size, high-price homes.

Changing demographics might be driving the trend. More than half of all households now consist of single people or couples, U.S. Census Bureau data shows—with traditional nuclear families accounting for just 20%.

“Empty-nesters want to downsize, but they want luxury homes not starter homes—luxury kitchens, marble surfaces, all the latest and greatest,” said Tim Costello, CEO of Builder Homesite, a consortium whose New Home Source website—an online clearing house for new-construction homes—tracks home buyers’ preferences.

To read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/luxury-homeowners-put-a-ring-on-jewel-box-homes-11576081060

Housing: Los Angeles Approves Movable Tiny Homes As Legal “Accessory Dwelling Units” (ADU’s)

From the Tiny Home Industry Association (Dec 11, 2019):

Tiny House as Accessory Dwelling UnitThe City of Los Angeles has given the Green Light to Movable Tiny Homes as ADUs!
The Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance has been APPROVED today by the LA City Council. This ordinance permits Movable Tiny Houses as permissible and permanently habitable accessory dwelling units (ADU). The ordinance becomes law in time for Christmas!

Suffice it to say that, now that the nation’s 2nd largest city recognizes Movable Tiny Homes as habitable ADU’s, it will go a long way in providing a model for other cities around the country.

To read more: http://www.tinyhomeindustryassociation.org/la-gives-green-light-to-moveable-tiny-homes-as-adus

Remodels: 90-Year Old Taiwan Home Wins “2019 World Interior Of The Year” (WAF Amsterdam)

From an InsideFestival.com online release:

World Festival of Interiors Amsterdam 2019“The jury was unanimous in celebrating this inventive solution to reconfiguring a dilapidated Japanese colonial house.

A dynamic whole in constant flux, the house in unusually in tune with the differing and sometimes contradictory needs of a young family. Every space can be negotiated and adapted, encouraging the house to be an incubator for positive difference in the family unit.

World Festival of Interiors Amsterdam Taiwan Home 2019

Sensitivity abounds, both in the design process and the outcome. Local craftspeople were drafted in when needed; recycled elements were mixed freely with new. The result has a uniquely sloppy fit for its inhabitants, a fit that can evolve freely over time.

Ladders to the roof level encourage ongoing hide and seek. Internal space leaks into a garden, itself an outdoor room. Light penetrates in unexpected ways, and occasional views of the sky offset the otherwise congested urban setting.

Against the background of rapid development in Taipei, this project has the potential to be a ‘prototype’ that may help reevaluate the existing stock of Japanese houses.”

Website: https://www.insidefestival.com/interior-of-the-year-2019

Surveys: 54% Of Baby Boomers Now Own Pets; Dogs & Cats Nearly Equal

From a Yahoo online article:

PetsThe percentage of boomers who own a pet grew from 50% to 54% between 2008 and 2018. Among the oldest boomers — those between 70 and 74 — the percentage of pet owners rose from 41% to 45%. In contrast, the percentage of pet owners between the ages of 18 to 39 dropped from 63% to 61% during that time frame. Among consumers 40-54, the percentage of pet owners held steady at 64%.

So what type of pet reigns supreme among boomers and seniors? Those over 55 appear to see the value in all types of pets, as the percentage of dog owners grew from 27% to 32% and the percentage of cat owners grew from 27% to 33% between 2008 and 2018. The percentage of owners of pets other than dogs and cats also increased going from 16% to 24% in the 10-year period.

Among boomers specifically, the percentage of dog owners has risen from 34% to 38% in the last decade, and the research showed that boomers are more likely to own dogs than other pets. Boomers are also getting new pets as opposed to simply aging with the pets they already owned. In fact, the data show that 1.4 million boomers own dogs that are less than one year old and another 5.2 million have dogs between the ages of 1 and 3.

To read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/baby-boomers-helping-fuel-pet-153954968.html

New Architecture Books: “Lair – Radical Homes And Hideouts Of Movie Villains” (Tra Publishing)

From Atlantis in The Spy Who Loved Me to Nathan Bateman’s ultra-modern abode in Ex Machina, big-screen villains tend to live in architectural splendor. The villain’s lair, as popularized in many of our favorite movies, is much more than where the megalomaniac goes to get some rest.

Lair Radical Home and Hideouts of Movie VillainsInstead, the homes of the villains are places where evil is plotted and where, often, the hero is tested and must prove him/herself. Like evil itself, the abodes of movie villains are frequently compelling and seductive. From a design standpoint, they tend to be stunning, sophisticated, envy-inducing expressions of the warped drives and desires of their occupants.

Lair, the first title in Tra Publishing’s Design + Film series, celebrates and considers several iconic villain’s lairs from recent film history. The book, strikingly designed in silver ink on black paper, explores the architectural design of these structures through architectural illustrations and renderings, photographs, essays, film analyses, interviews, and more.

To read more and purchase: https://trapublishing.com/products/lair

Innovative Homes: Faye Toogood’s “Beguiling” Design For Cube Haus Architects, London

From the Cube Haus Architects website:

Faye Toogood Design for Cube Haus ArchitectsMost notable is Toogood’s sensitive approach to materials. She offers two different, equally alluring solutions to the exterior cladding and the internal finishes. Both external cladding options, raw galvanised steel and dark charred timber, are suggestive of industrial or agricultural structures, making it something of a thrill to see them in a domestic setting. The building clad in raw galvanised steel will have a refined, cream-coloured interior, whilst the structure clad in dark charred timber will have an exposed plywood interior finish.

Faye Toogood’s beguiling design for Cube Haus Commissions proposes a sanctuary that suits both rural and urban contexts. With a simple pitched-roof, single-storey form, it evokes the sort of ordinary, often-ignored buildings that have been built across Britain for centuries. But this being the work of Toogood, a revered designer across multiple disciplines, the scheme that she has created is far from being artless.

Website: https://www.cube-haus.co.uk/project/faye-toogood

Future Of Housing: Two-Bedroom “Kingfisher Tiny House” From “Build Tiny”

Build Tiny New ZealandThis model is going to be completely off-grid in its seaside location. On the roof are 6 x Trina 270w Honey Poly Module panels. A storage box over the tow bar stores the inverter and 4 x C&D 12V 192Ah c20 FT Lead Carbon Cyclic Batteries that will power the home. A new feature in this home (requested by the client) was a folding shelf in the bathroom above the toilet.

This can be lifted up to store clean clothes etc while showering. The bookshelves and lift-up cubby storage in the loft are super practical, as is the tall wardrobe, and walking platform which allows you to stand comfortably in the loft. 

Kingfisher Tiny House interior diagram

Website: https://www.buildtiny.co.nz/kingfisher-tiny-house

Top Architecture Books: “Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses” By Dominic Bradbury (2019)

From an Architectural Digest online review:

Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses 2019“If one imagines a list of the greatest, most influential houses of the twentieth century, it seems highly likely that the mid-century period will dominate,” writes Bradbury in the book’s introduction, going on to name such famous edifices as the three famous glass houses by Philip Johnson, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Lino Bo Bardi, respectively; Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House; and Luis Barragán’s Cuadra San Cristóbal. “One could, of course, go on.…” he writes.

In the design world, is there any style that’s having more of a Renaissance moment than midcentury modern? It’s everywhere, from luxury hotels to high-end residential interiors to mainstream furniture lines from the likes of CB2 and Anthropologie, and it’s showing little sign of slowing down. In the midst of this revival, writer Dominic Bradbury, who has contributed to Architectural Digest, has compiled what might just be one of the most comprehensive books ever to be published on the subject.

To read more: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/atlas-of-mid-century-modern-houses

 

Household Innovations: “SwitchBot” Curtain Robot Wirelessly Motorizes Your Drapes

From a Yanko Design online review:

Yanko DesignDesigned to universally retrofit onto most curtain rods, the SwitchBot comes with two hooks that hold it in place and a wheel that moves the bot left or right. Place the SwitchBot between the first and second loops of your curtain or blind, and the bot can now, on command, run up and down the curtain rod, maneuvering your curtains open or closed. SwitchBot runs on an app, but even supports voice commands via your phone or smart speaker, effectively allowing you to have your own “Let there be light” moment by commanding the curtains to open at will. IFTTT and shortcuts support even lets you sync SwitchBot with your alarm, or with the time of the day, thanks to the bot’s in-built light sensor. 

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To read more: https://www.yankodesign.com/2019/11/29/what-if-you-could-make-your-curtains-open-with-your-voice-or-better-with-your-alarm/