Tag Archives: Modern Homes

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

Tours: Shakespeare Grove Residence In Australia

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The Local Project (November 24, 2023) – Located in a leafy pocket of Hawthorn is Shakespeare Grove by B.E. Architecture, a dream house designed as a family home and devised by a memorable palette of materials.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Dark and Moody Dream House 01:12 – Designed as Two Halves 01:40 – The Decorative and Private Sector 02:00 – Incorporating A Sense of Scale and Sculpture 02:38 – The Casual and Family Sector 03:01 – A Reduced Material Palette and Light Quality 03:53 – Incorporating Custom Made Personal Items 05:12 – Enjoyable Aspects of the Design

B.E. Architecture’s overarching responsibility was to create a residence that responded to the area and catered to the council, town planners, heritage planners, neighbours and, ultimately, its clients. Designed as two halves, the dream house features a distinct façade that hides the intimate and warm interior. Furthermore, when looking to simplify the expression of the building, the team used consistent materials across both the interior and exterior. Moving the house tour inside, the front half of the home holds the master bedroom, ensuite and study, as well as the formal dining and living areas.

Though facing the street, the front half of Shakespeare Grove is kept private and offers an inward-facing inner experience. The interior design is typified by the inlaid timber ceilings and cocooning walls of felt, and the first half of the dream house is designed to be more decorative than the second. Also shown through the house tour is a generous architectural scale, as seen in the details of the staircase. Moreover, a vaulted hallway leads from the formal part of the dream house to the casual spaces. The rear of the dream house holds the social areas such as the kitchen, lounge and dining space – all of which are open to the natural surrounds and flow to the outdoor entertaining zones.

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Australian Design Tour: Macmasters Beach House

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The Local Project (November 22, 2023) – Inside a magical home complemented by the ever-changing backdrop of the ocean, it is evident that Macmasters Beach House is a family residence that allows its owners to live peacefully alongside nature.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Magical Home 00:45 – The Beautiful Coastal Site and Its Core Principles 01:25 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:59 – Focusing on Indoor-Outdoor Connection 03:25 – Perfecting the Build and its Finishings 04:14 – Protecting the Surrounding Bushland 04:45 – Proud Moments

Nestled into the headland, there is a certain wild, Australian characteristic that is hinted at throughout the home’s design. Embracing the idea of barefoot luxury inside a magical home, Polly Harbison Design has imbued the coastal dwelling with principles of simplicity while offering the owners a home where they can experience unparalleled views. Featuring off-form and broad-form concrete as well as exposed eaves, the design and architecture of the beachside house allows the materials to speak for themselves.

Moreover, the remnant pocket of bush that surrounds the home is enhanced and carefully considered by keeping the footprint of the home as small as possible while still providing plenty of space for the family within. Polly Harbison Design has also retained much of the landscape to encourage the existing vegetation on site to regenerate. Once inside a magical home, the house tour reveals a deep connection between the natural and built elements.

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

Architecture: Brooklyn Mass Timber House Tour

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The Local Project (November 19, 2023) – In a stark juxtaposition from the materiality and pace of New York City, Brooklyn Mass Timber is an architects own home that steps away from the steel and concrete that dominates the architecture of the area.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architect’s Own Home 01:03 – The Original Property and its History 01:31 – A Specific Type of Building 02:00 – The Layout and Walkthrough of the Home 02:57 – Making An Example of Utilising Timber 03:40 – Designed to Be Dissassembled with Zero Waste 03:52 – Pursuing Passive House Principles 04:18 – A Curated and Integrated Approach 06:07 – Focusing on Connecting to Context 06:58 – Favourite Aspects of the Home

Schiller Projects creates an oasis made of timber, contained within one of the city’s coveted 1800s carriage houses. Not only does it test the bounds of adaptive re-use, but it sets an important precedence for housing in urban environments. The project is an architects own home – the residence of Aaron Schiller, Founder of Schiller Projects, his wife Anna and their two young children.

Located in Brooklyn just ten minutes from downtown Manhattan, it feels secluded while still being within easy reach of the city. As one enters an architects own home, they are met with a view directly to the backyard, a three-storey wood staircase with a garden at its foot and the kitchen. As one ascends the stairs, the second level holds two bedrooms and a laundry room, bathroom and living room that looks out towards the cathedral, and the top level contains the main suite.

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

Architecture: Six Square House In The Hamptons, NY

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The Local Project (November 17, 2023) – When an architect designs a breathtaking home connected to nature, the results can be mesmerising. Six Square House by Young Projects is one such example, and this house tour, which takes viewers inside and documents how an architect designs a breathtaking home, captures the contemporary home and surrounding landscape in all its glory.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Breathtaking Home 00:55 – A Rural Hamptons Location 01:48 – A Family and Landscape Centred Brief 02:24 – The Organisation of The Home 03:25 – Experiencing The Landscape Surrounding the Home 05:03 – The Exterior Material Palette 05:47 – A Neutral and Art Focused Interior 06:37 – The Brazilian Furniture Design 07:00 – Proud Moments

Nestled deep into the large property, this house is defined by half a dozen cubes, which tesselate from a centre point, resulting in a dynamic piece of architecture set amid a lush garden. As architect Bryan Young says, “the gabled modules are arranged to align roof ridges and create continuity from one module to the next.” The contemporary form is connected to nature in a myriad of ways – the cubic volumes feature openings, which act as conduits to the garden; apertures from within frame the landscape; and the internal courtyard captured in the house tour features a garden bed beneath a timber pavilion.

It is holistic and intentional – the type of effect achieved when an architect designs a breathtaking home. The house tour takes viewers inside where the interiors are bright and connected to nature. The living area unfurls to the east and the kitchen sits to the west along the home’s central spine. Up above, the lines of the hybrid roofscape can be traced across the ceiling. Lofty and bright, the sense of openness is unexpected in comparison to the strict, geometric exterior. Bryan speaks to this, saying, “if each of the six volumes can be read as autonomous elements from the outside, from the inside, you begin to realise that in fact they’re conjoined in a very interesting way.”

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Design: A Secret Cabin In Nova Scotia, Canada

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The Local Project (November 14, 2023) – White Rock is a secret cabin hidden in the woods in the Gaspereau Valley, an agricultural community in Nova Scotia, Canada. Designed by architect Omar Gandhi as a retreat for his family, a close friend’s family and their circle of friends and colleagues,

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architect’s Own Secret Cabin 00:55 – A Shared Childhood Dream 01:26 – A Walkthrough and the Layout of the Cabin 02:39 – A Sparse and Simple Material Palette 04:01 – The Modern Kitchen Design 05:33 – Evolving The Design Elements 05:56 – Favourite Aspects of the Project

it is a deeply personal project that adds a dynamic layer to his studio’s portfolio. It is possible to visualise this secret cabin hidden in the woods in other forest settings, yet the architectural nuances bring a specificity to the design that belong only to this place. From a distance, the cabin is but a small disruption amid the ever-changing colours of the forest, yet up close, its architectural presence is monumental. The steel form is a confident expression of simple geometries and a bold reinterpretation of a typical secret cabin hidden in the woods.

A house tour reveals an aesthetic that is elemental and layered, from the bedrooms to the kitchen. The interior design, which is defined by smoked oak, raw steel shelving and wall-mounted industrial light fixtures, complements the architecture of this secret cabin hidden in the woods. As the lead architect, designer and homeowner, Omar embraced the opportunity to inject his personality into the design. He saw this project as an opportunity to experiment within the framework of his practice, thus, several pieces of furniture created in collaboration with local artisans and makers dot the interiors.

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Design: Rooftop Garden House, Hampton Bays, NY

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The Local Project (November 10, 2023) – Emerging out of the meadow is Peconic House by Mapos Studio, a family home with a rooftop garden located on a narrow stretch of landscape in Hampton Bays, New York.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architectural Family House 00:53 – Not the Typical Hamptons House 01:29 – Emerging from the Landscape 02:09 – A Noble Material Palette 03:26 – A Walkthrough of the Home 04:32 – Incorporating A Bit of Fun 05:35 – The Star of the Exterior 05:54 – Respecting the Site 06:18 – Proud Moments

Designed to be the opposite of a typical Hamptons home, Peconic House has been built out of materials that help it become part of the landscape. Emphasising red cedar – due to the clients’ love for the material – Mapos Studio employs the wood in both the interior design and exterior architectural elements. Throughout the house, the red cedar is used for cabinetry, walls and floorboards and also gives the interior a unique aroma.

Additionally, as shown in the house tour, the cedar over the exterior architecture will weather over time due to the salt air, humidity and seasons, allowing for the clients to watch their house slowly age. As the house tour travels into the main living space of the home, there is an expansive view of Peconic Bay that immediately grabs attention. Sunken behind a bookshelf is the main living area that doubles as the family’s band room and television room, separated only by a two-sided fireplace.

To the right of the family room is the dining room and kitchen, which has become the heart of the home. Though the residence sprawls over 3,800 square metres, Mapos Studio has broken it up into smaller spaces to encourage more intimate family gatherings and connections. Moreover, there is a green roof with an overhanging sycamore tree that allows the children to climb up it and play in the rooftop garden. Designed for a New York family of five, the house encourages social connection.

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Australia Architecture: Casa Piva’s Italian Roots

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The Local Project (November 7, 2023) – Casa Piva is a small yet layered architects own home defined by a slow revealing of spaces and experiences. Andrew Piva, Project Architect and Director at B.E. Architecture, refers to his home as a labour of love – it is simultaneously warm, inviting and highly functional thanks to the use of Tuscan Oak as a surface material.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architects Own Home 01:11 – Behind the Design of the Home 02:12 – Enveloped in Warm Materials 03:18 – Including A Bit of Fun 04:44 – A Compact And Generous Brief 06:18 – Focusing on A Minimal Selection of Materials 06:32 – A Rational, Balanced and Calm Design

From the street, the family home doesn’t reveal too much of itself. However, upon entry, one is met with an intriguing and experiential journey through spaces that are designed around a series of small courtyards. The foremost entry into the architects own home takes place through a modest-sized door from the laneway, where one is greeted by a large and intricate brick courtyard with trees coming up through apertures in the roof – a scene reminiscent of an Italian villa. As well as providing a generous space for the dwelling, it also serves as a functional space to park cars.

Once inside, Casa Piva reveals a compressed, dark and moody ambience. This slowly transitions as you journey through the architects own home. The first glimpse of the kitchen, which is adorned with Tuscan Oak joinery, reveals the warmth and comfort the casa brings forth. The home is compact but features generously sized rooms. Within the residence are three bedrooms as well as a study, which doubles as a TV room and guest bedroom and reveals the residence’s flexibility. The master bedroom is larger and cocooned in timber.

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New Zealand Design: A South Island ‘Eco-Cabin’

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The Local Project (October 31, 2023) – The Cabin by Johnstone Callaghan Architects is a tiny eco home located in Abel Tasman National Park, on the South Island of New Zealand.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Tiny Eco Home 00:34 – The Remote South Island Location 01:38 – The Layout of the Tiny Eco Home 02:41 – The Cabin Structure and Features 03:17 – A Unique Outdoor Shower 03:37 – Bespoke Design Elements 04:48 – A Sensory Experience

Connected to nature and surrounded by wildlife, the tiny eco home is one of four privately held properties that is reachable only by boat or a walking track. As The Cabin is positioned among the trees, the architects limited tree cutting as much as possible so the owners could help regenerate the land. Additionally, due to the remote nature of the property, the owners have been given the rare opportunity to live amid nature itself. When arriving at the site of the tiny eco home, the house tour begins at the bottom of the property.

The house tour then takes you up a winding staircase that bypasses nature, so one is continuously connected to the natural surrounds. In the main living space of the tiny eco home, there is a kitchen with warm timber tones that complements the interior design, which is then contrasted by the dark timber tones found in the main bedroom. The remainder of the home leads out to the deck area, where a concrete bunker houses a sunken outdoor toilet.

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Tours: Italianate ‘Maison Bodega’ In Minneapolis

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The Local Project (October 27, 2023) – Liz Gardner of creative studio Bodega Ltd. buys and renovates this heritage house as she had aspired to, having admired it from afar for many years.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Dream House 00:27 – A Hybrid Building In A Historic Location 01:08 – A Walkthrough of the Space 02:03 – The Process of Obtaining the Space 02:35 – The Original Live Work Space Brief 03:40 – Specific Requirements and Constraints 05:22 – An Interesting Material Palette 06:39 – A Focus on Lighting 07:34 – Creating an Accomodation Space

Perched on a hill in a leafy neighbourhood near downtown Minneapolis, the home illustrated a unique style of architecture and boundless potential to renovate. Liz had always felt a long-term draw to the property after witnessing it having been on the market and taken off years prior to her and her partner acquiring it. She describes the building as being dreamlike and perfectly contrasting the hustle and bustle of the city. To her, the dwelling is an anomaly – its style cannot be easily identified.

Exuding notes of Italian-style architecture and a twist of contemporary features, this physical state of the building mirrors the way in which her and her team inhabit it. Amid a location known for its historical heritage homes, Maison Bodega reflects both the past and the present. Looking to the future she, and partner Josef Harris, buys and renovates the house, transforming it into a home and creative space known as Maison Bodega. Taking various design cues from the existing architecture, the hybrid live-work space is a thoughtful blend of heritage and modern interior design sensibilities that caters to parties, workshops, family life for Liz, Josef and their dogs and, most recently, a house tour with The Local Project. Downstairs, the kitchen is undoubtedly a social space.

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California Architecture: Modern ‘Moon Retreat’

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The Local Project (October 24, 2023) – Believing that architecture is about creating something permanent, Butler Armsden Architects built Valley of the Moon Retreat as a beautiful modern home that is everlasting.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Beautiful Modern Home 00:48 – A Countryside Location 01:35 – Belonging to the Landscape 02:32 – The Layout of the Beautiful Modern Home 04:39 – The Exterior Material Palette 05:22 – Preserving The Surrounding Landscape 05:36 – Designing For Climate Changes

After remodelling the client’s city dwelling, the architect was tasked with creating a family holiday residence in Glen Ellen, a place the clients could retreat to and escape city living. As one turns onto the narrow driveway, the house tour begins with a picturesque trip to the modern abode. The architecture and interior design enables the family to create lasting memories whilst being connected to nature, which completely surrounds the beautiful modern home.

Nestled between the trees, the residence blends seamlessly into the landscape. However, as the house tour reveals, the façade of the beautiful modern home is relatively closed off until the breezeway is opened up to expose the valley beyond. As one walks through the breezeway, the large courtyard opens up to expansive vistas of the valley beyond, with a pool that offers an additional reflection of the natural surrounds. The architect ensures the family can either entertain and find moments of respite by introducing separate cabin-like pavilions that can be opened up or closed.