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CategoriesArchitecture

“Yposkafo”: Have You Heard of Greece’s Underrated and Undercut Residential Typology?

By Zarkon Group,

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For the past decade, Greek architects have had to tap into the tourist industry, Greece’s most prosperous sector, in order to deal with the country’s financial crisis. Suddenly, the bare landscapes in rural Greece went “under construction,” and a new typology of residential architecture emerged.

The term “yposkafo” stands for a building that exists partially into the ground and is also known as undercut architecture. These seven residential projects explore the different techniques, processes and morphologies of houses that blend in with a site’s topography. Spanning through multiple levels, these residences include both extraordinary underground spaces as well as limitless country and seaside views.

Xerolithi

By Sinas Architects, Serifos, Greece

Jury Winner 2021, A+Awards, Architecture + Stone
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Photos by Yiorgos Kordakis

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Topography and landscape are the two essential ingredients of Xerolithi. Breaking the preconceptions of a typical Cycladic house, Sinas Architects have exaggerated the island’s topographical contours, designing a house that seamlessly integrates with its surroundings. With walls built from the island’s stone and a roof that is covered with local plants and vegetation, the house is gradually emerging from the Mediterranean hill. Finally, a long, singular façade arranges the house’s functions in a linear order, successfully orienting it towards the sea.

Aloni

By Deca Architecture, Antiparos, Greece

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Photos by Erieta Attali

<alt=Aloni is also a house that trails the landscape. Still, in this case, the land is not raw or uninhabited, but rather a product of rural conversion practices. Following the agricultural motifs of the past, Deca Architecture employs a series of techniques such as carving, sinking and the use of existing retaining walls. They create a semi-artificial landscape that blurrs the edges between the natural and artificial ground morphology.

Ring House

By Deca Architecture, Crete, Greece

Jury Winner 2018, A+Awards, Private House (L 3000-5000 sq ft)
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Photos by George Messaritakis

In addition to being a refined addition to Crete’s natural setting, the Ring House fulfills a wider agenda. After countless random interventions to the hill’s topography, Deca Architecture approached the house’s design as an opportunity to regenerate the surrounding landscape. Pursuing a reduce-waste approach, they used the excavated material to reconstruct the hill’s original morphology. At the same time, the Ring House itself acts as an exemplar for sustainable design. Its careful insertion into the landscape, results in the formation of a temperate microclimate fit for Crete’s desert-like environment.

Sheltered Villas

By A&M Architects, Karpathos, Greece

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Sheltered but not concealed, A&M Architects designed three distinct villas in the island of Karpathos. However, instead of employing the classic “yposkafo” typology, they added a bit of a twist, treating the opposing facades of each house in the most contradictory way. On the one hand, a series of white retaining walls cut through the ground, clearly marking the back wall of each villa. On the front end of the house however, a single transparent façade creates a threshold between the inside spaces and the outside scenery.

KHI House & Art Space

By LASSA Architects, Methoni, Greece

<alt= <alt= <alt=Located in a shallow Peloponnesian slope, KHI is a house full of contradictions. Playing with height as well as enclosure, LASSA Architects have merged courtyards, unrestricted roofs, underground gallery spaces, and sunbathed rooms all within a single rippling wall. The wall gradually sinks into the ground, continuously reframing the two functions of the house: the residence and the art space. It becomes an animating apparatus that shifts the landscape conditions around KHI House, gently integrating it with the immediate terrain.

House 6 °

By Mado Samiou Architecture, Lagonisi, Greece

<alt= <alt=Built only a couple of miles away from Athens’s dense urban setting, House 6 ° celebrates the unspoiled nature of its setting. Emerging from the ground, the white solid structure compliments the incline of the adjacent hill. House 6 °separates its functional spaces into underground private areas, illuminated by a series of skylights, and common areas above the ground, strategically positioned towards the surrounding countryside views.

Villa Ypsilon

By LASSA Architects, Foinikounta, Greece

<alt= <alt=Villa Ypsilon is one of the most radical “yposkafo” residences, found inside a Peloponnesian olive grove. Instead of digging into the landscape, its design manipulates the ground’s surface, shifting it to a higher level. The roof of the villa becomes an integral part of the hill as well as a natural cooling mechanism for the entire space.

“Yposkafo” typology is predominantly established in rural areas in order to sustain Greece’s natural landscape. Greatly encouraged by Greek building regulations, it has become an intermediary solution for promoting international tourism without sacrificing its physical beauty.

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South facade of the building, featuring grey stucco
CategoriesInterior Design

Formation Association transforms series of buildings for Phillips LA

By Zarkon Group,

Los Angeles architecture studio Formation Association has turned an assemblage of buildings in West Hollywood into a new home for London-based auction house Phillips.

The West Coast headquarters for Phillips opened in October 2022 and includes three showrooms, a patio and offices created from a set of disparate structures on Santa Monica Boulevard.

South facade of the building, featuring grey stucco
The new Phillips Los Angeles combines several different structures, including a historic doorway that was preserved

Formation Association preserved many of the existing architectural elements of the eclectic collection of buildings, ensuring that each section retained its identity.

“We started with idiosyncratic conditions and buildings layered with history,” said studio co-founder John K Chan, who led the project. “We wanted to keep that sensibility. The building is a varied palimpsest, with traces of the past appearing within the new facade.”

Entrance to gallery with oculus overhead
An oculus punctures the curved overhang above the main entrance

The entrance to the 3,182-square-foot (296-square-metre) showroom is on an acute street corner, beneath a curved canopy clad in grey stucco.

“This rounded marquee, punctuated by an overhead oculus, evokes the automobile-oriented Streamline Moderne era,” said Formation Association.

View from Showroom B to Showroom A, showing a curved cutout in the ceiling
Another circular cutout was created in the first gallery, exposing wooden beams that were painted silver

The textured stucco is contrasted by smooth trowelled plaster that covers adjacent surfaces, intended to add a Southern California identity to the building.

On the east elevation, the team retained the sheet metal siding and an old doorway of a historic facade.

View from Showroom C through the openings to Showroom A
Oak floors throughout the building match those found in Phillips’ other international locations

This side of the building also includes a tall, narrow window through which Phillips can move large artworks in and out.

Along the south facade, the architects added recessed windows cut at angles into the thickened perimeter wall, which allow more light into the galleries.

Showroom C
The tallest space in the building, Showroom C, will be used to showcase larger artworks and sculpture

Inside, the three gallery spaces are laid out in sequence. Upon entry is Showroom A, which features a soffit ceiling and wide baseboards to evoke a residential space.

A second oculus punctures the ceiling, exposing wooden beams painted silver as a nod to the work of Californian architect Richard Neutra.

Steps up to an office space
Steps and a ramp lead up to an office space that’s also used for client meetings

The smallest gallery, Showroom B, is accessed through an open portal, and Showroom C is reached through a similar threshold.

With a ceiling over 15 feet (4.5 metres) tall, this gallery is used for displaying larger artworks and sculptures.

All three spaces feature oak floors that match those found in all of Phillips’ international locations.

“With the interplay of light and oak wood floors across the three subsequent showrooms, we were thinking about the cadence of an irregular enfilade,” said Chan. “Each of the three galleries has a distinct proportion that we wanted to leverage.”

Enclosed patio with grey-stained plywood walls
At the back of the building is a patio enclosed by grey-stained plywood walls

From Showroom C, a couple of steps and a ramp lead up to a small office used for client meetings.

At the back of the building is the covered patio, enclosed by walls made from plywood that was stained grey to match the exterior stucco.

Phillips LA entrance at night
Phillips Los Angeles opened in October 2022

The opening of Phillips Los Angeles follows over a decade of continual growth for the city’s arts scene, which has seen galleries like Hauser & Wirth and The Future Perfect set up shop, and an annual edition of the Frieze Art Fair introduced.

Formation Association is led by Chan and partner Grace U Oh. As well as completing a variety of institutional, residential and commercial projects, the studio has contributed several times to a program organised by the Architects for Animals charity that asks LA-based architects to design shelters for the city’s homeless cats.

The photography is by Eric Staudenmaier.

Project credits:

Design team: John K Chan, Nick Miuccio, Carlo ‘CJ’ Guzman, Jay Lee, Colin Jacobs
Structural engineer: Nous Engineering
MEP engineer: Engineous Group
Lighting designer: Fisher Marantz Stone
Landscape designer: Ochre

Reference

Yasmeen Lari RIBA Gold Medal winner 2023
CategoriesSustainable News

Dezeen In Depth features exclusive interview with Yasmeen Lari

By Zarkon Group,
Yasmeen Lari RIBA Gold Medal winner 2023

This month’s Dezeen In Depth newsletter features an exclusive interview with the 2023 RIBA Royal Gold Medal winner and reflections from Max Fraser on Milan design week. Subscribe to Dezeen In Depth now.

Architects must stop waiting for commissions from wealthy clients and prioritise designing for the planet, says RIBA Royal Gold Medal winner Yasmeen Lari in this exclusive interview.

Speaking to Dezeen from her home in Pakistan, Lari said she hopes her Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Royal Gold Medal win can encourage other architects to use their skills to alleviate crises such as climate change.

“I feel that an architect’s role should be more of an activist now,” Lari told Dezeen.

“If you want to change the world, then you’ve got to fight it out. Otherwise, you are just driven by what other people want,” she continued.

Read the full interview ›

Aerial view of a bamboo pavilion in Makli by Lari, who specialises in creating low-cost and low-carbon buildings for disadvantaged communities

April’s Dezeen in Depth also features an opinion piece from Fraser, Dezeen’s new editorial director, reflecting on Milan design week 2023 and an exploration of how different architecture and design studios with famous founders are handling the sensitive issue of succession.

The photography is courtesy of Yasmeen Lari.

Dezeen In Depth

Dezeen In Depth is sent on the last Friday of every month and delves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design. Each edition includes an original feature article on a key topic or trend, an interview with a prominent industry figure and an opinion piece from a leading critic. Read the latest edition of Dezeen In Depth or subscribe here.

You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Agenda is sent every Tuesday containing a selection of the most important news highlights from the week, Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday featuring a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories and Dezeen Daily is our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours on Dezeen.

Reference

Creating a future-proofed cotton supply chain
CategoriesSustainable News

Creating a future-proofed cotton supply chain

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), cotton is the most widespread non-food crop in the world. Its production employs almost seven per cent of all labour in developing countries, with around half of all textiles being made from cotton. Yet, while the global reach of cotton is wide, current cotton production methods are environmentally unsustainable — involving high water use and contamination, soil degradation, and pesticide pollution.

To solve these issues, Materra has developed a pioneering method for growing cotton in climate-controlled greenhouse environments. Its method can produce up to four times more yield per surface area compared to conventional outdoor cotton farming. It also uses around 80 per cent less water, no pesticides, and produces around 30 per cent less carbon dioxide than chemically intensive cotton farming.

Materra’s approach is designed to ‘future-proof’ the cotton industry – which around 250 million people rely on for income. By using resources more efficiently, Materra’s system also acts as a form of climate change mitigation – transforming brownfield land into productive agricultural land. By using land more effectively, the company will be able to join forces with other impactful schemes that support biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Materra also highlights that one big advantage of their system as its flexibility, and ability to adjust the different parameters to produce the best outcome.

The fashion industry is one of the most wasteful on the planet. Every aspect of the fashion supply and consumption chain produces huge amounts of waste — 87 per cent of the materials and fibres used to make clothing will end up in either incinerators or landfills. Luckily, innovators the world over and now working to change this. Springwise has recently spotted improvements that range from creating clothing from a mycelium-based material to non-toxic, low-energy dyeing processes.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

H&P architects' latest clay tile structure unfolds as a nature-infused dwelling in vietnam
CategoriesArchitecture

’tile nest’ unveiled as a nature-infused porous dwelling in vietnam

By Zarkon Group,

’tile nest’ house by H&P architects 

 

Following its eye-grabbing ‘Ngói Space’ building outside Hanoi, H&P Architects returns with another exploration into using clay tiles as a porous architectural skin. Dubbed ‘Tile Nest’, the studio’s latest project takes shape as a private residence cocooned in a newly developing urban area of Phu Ly in Vienam’s Ha Nam province. ‘The house communicates the idea of creating a space, a blend of the Nest with many nooks and crannies finding all their way up to the ground and the Ancient Pit House partially hidden underground. This combination gives the house’s architecture a distinct corrugated appearance, with the shell felt like porous/ perforated on the outside and large space on the inside,’ shares the team. 

H&P architects' latest clay tile structure unfolds as a nature-infused dwelling in vietnam
all images © Le Minh Hoang

 

 

nooks and crannies of sunshine, porosity, wind, and foliage 

 

The outer shell of ‘Tile Nest’ features endless clay tiles suspended and arranged in various patterns to evoke a stacked roof and brise-soleils as found in traditional dwellings. Complementing the porous skin is a middle layer characterized by transitional green balconies at different heights, framing captivating views and helping regulate the indoor microclimate. ‘For a long time, tile has become a familiar and popular material with Vietnamese people. Yet, it is applied to this house in an unusual way to make its presence felt by seeing through, touching, and sensing properties, thereby creating different but close experiences in the space of flower-like patterns from sunshine reflection, wind, and the scent of plants – an architecture immersed in nature,’ writes H&P Architects (see more here). 

H&P architects' latest clay tile structure unfolds as a nature-infused dwelling in vietnam
‘Tile Nest’ house in the Ha Nam province

 

 

Concluding its approach, the studio reflects on the dwelling’s unique construction process: ‘Lastly, since this area is supposed to have graves deep underground, due to its proximity to a former cemetery, it is, therefore, necessary to excavate the old soil layer before construction so as to clear the assumption mentioned above. This perspective then helps develop the concept of using the excavated site as part of the house (after the old soil layer is removed) so that not only distinguishable spatial features are created but also the possibility to harness geothermal energy is made.’

H&P architects' latest clay tile structure unfolds as a nature-infused dwelling in vietnam
using clay tiles as architectural façades

H&P architects' latest clay tile structure unfolds as a nature-infused dwelling in vietnam
stacking and organizing the tiles in different patterns to create sunshades and a stacked roof

Reference

Wooden display cabinets in boutique in Paris by Halleroed
CategoriesInterior Design

Halleroed mixes French and Japandi influences inside L/Uniform boutique

By Zarkon Group,

In the arty Paris district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Stockholm design studio Halleroed has designed a new boutique for French bag and luggage brand L/Uniform.

Taking cues from the brand’s simple, rational approach to design, Halleroed design lead Ruxandra Halleröd created a series of backdrops that allow the products to “pop out in a beautiful way”.

Wooden display cabinets in boutique in Paris by Halleroed
Halleroed has designed a boutique for L/Uniform in Paris

The boutique is comprised of two rooms that drawing on L/Uniform‘s French heritage alongside a mixture of Japanese and Scandinavian design traditions – also known as Japandi.

The first room was designed to nod to the vernacular of the traditional French marketplace, with stepped display furniture and rustic materials, such as walls papered in woven raffia.

Bags hand on walls in L/Uniform boutique
In the first room, bags are hung from integrated wooden hooks

“It reminds us of L/Uniform’s use of French canvas on its more functional bags, but on a bigger scale,” Halleröd told Dezeen.

“We used a Shaker-inspired approach where bags are hung from hooks. There’s an association with everyday market life because some of these bags are specifically made for bringing to the market.”

To create a striking visual contrast with the natural textures of this space, Halleroed added a monolithic display table in deep burgundy with a high-gloss finish.

Mint green display cabinets in boutique in Paris by Halleroed
Glossy red details feature throughout the store in finishes and furnishings

The second room is more “elegant and eclectic”, according to Halleröd. Here, L/Uniform’s leather handbags are displayed against a palette of soft pink and green, featuring an olive-coloured velvet sofa and pistachio display cabinet alongside tactile elements like the handwoven jute-and-wool carpet.

The same glossy red finish from the first room is also reprised – in this case applied to two exposed pipes, around which Halleroed has constructed a low timber cabinet.

Mint green display cabinet in L/Uniform boutique
Pistachio display cabinets provide additional storage

“We worked with colour, texture and material as one entity, creating contrast and also unity,” said Halleröd.

Around the counter, Halleroed added cedar cladding “for a Japanese look and feel”.

This is mirrored across the shop with details such as a rice-paper pendant light by Isamu Noguchi and chairs by George Nakashima, as well as cedar table lamps with rice-paper shades created by a Japanese cabinetmaker.

Gallic influences are reflected in the lighting by Pierre Chareau and Charlotte Perriand and the bush-hammered limestone floor, which according to Halleröd has a “calm, vintage touch that for us is very French”.

Hallway of boutique in Paris by Halleroed
Travertine floors and stone counters bring a sense of refinement to the space

Halleroed also brought Swedish elements into the mix, reflecting the studio’s own approach.

“With our minimalist Scandinavian mindset, we prefer to work with fewer elements and materials but in a conscious and precise way,” said Halleröd.

“Working with wood and craft is something that I think is common for both Japan and Sweden, while we think of the warm tones here as being both French and Japanese.”

Wooden storage cabinets in L/Uniform boutique
Timber joinery nods to Japanese and Scandinavian craft traditions

“Many of the items in the store were handmade specifically for the space, which was important for us since we believe that this reflects the L/Uniform mentality and approach,” she added.

Since it was founded in 1998, Halleroed has completed a number of high-end boutiques around the world.

Among them are an Acne Studios store in Chengdu and various outposts for Swedish streetwear brand Axel Arigato in Berlin, Paris, Copenhagen and London.

The photography is by Ludovic Balay

Reference

Spotlight on microbes, our bacterial buddies
CategoriesSustainable News

Spotlight on microbes, our bacterial buddies

By Zarkon Group,

Microbes often get a bad rep. Yes, some viruses, bacteria, and fungi do cause illness, but only one per cent of all microbial species are pathogenic to humans. In fact, life as we know it would be impossible without them – from the fungi that decompose animal and plant debris to the bacteria that fix nitrogen in the soil. Even viruses do us good as a key part of our microbiome. The Finding Nemo dictum ‘fish are friends not food’ could therefore be adapted to ‘bacteria are buddies not baddies.’

Given this appreciation of our microbial neighbours, it’s saddening to read in a recent New Scientist article (paywall) that there is mounting evidence of a collapse in microbial biodiversity. Until the turn of the last decade, scientists assumed that microscopic creatures were largely immune to the human-induced carnage being wreaked upon large animals and plants. But this, it seems, is not the case. Worrying portents of a collapse in the earth’s microbiome are cropping up around the world. For example, as ancient natural forests are replaced by manicured forestry plantations, fungi that previously thrived on dead wood and leaf litter are declining.

Given that microbes power our planet’s most important natural recycling systems (think of the carbon and nitrogen cycles in GCSE textbooks), this decline is deeply worrying. But all is not lost.

Photo source Funga

The New Scientist piece highlighted social benefit corporation Funga, who we featured on Springwise back in February. Funga is helping to refresh microbial diversity by restoring forest fungal networks. The organisation plans to use DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence (AI) to generate profiles for a healthy fungal microbiome in around 1,000 different forests. These ideal fungal recipes can then be transplanted to new forestry projects, improving the health of the soil while also bolstering carbon sequestration. Find out more

Photo source CDC on Unsplash

There is some good news on the microbial horizon. Brazilian company Symbiomics, is collecting microbes from different environments around the world. Its goal is to isolate stretches of microbial DNA that can be used to promote growth and tolerance to environmental stresses in plants, including crops. Find out more

Photo source PunaBio

PunaBio is focused on how the most hardcore bacteria can improve agricultural yields. The company has scoured locations including Utah’s Great Salt Lake and South America’s high desert for organisms that thrive in harsh environments like active volcanoes, saline wetlands, and desert soils. These extremophiles have evolved to live with very little access to nutrients, which has made them very efficient at absorbing those that are available. Studying the genetic characteristics of these extremophiles has allowed scientists to understand the specific processes that allow plants to overcome stress conditions. And these learnings can then be applied to crops. Find out more

Given that microbes have so much to offer, it is vital that scientists and innovators like Funga are given the backing they need to help keep our planet’s microbiome healthy.

Written by: Matthew Hempstead

For more innovations, head to the Springwise Innovation Library.

Reference

Purple two-storey cuboid house with sun lounges and palm trees
CategoriesArchitecture

Workshop Architects renovates and expands purple Mérida home

By Zarkon Group,

Local architecture studio Workshop Architects has renovated a Spanish colonial house in Mérida, Mexico, and added two concrete buildings in its garden.

Named Casa Pulpo, the 235-square-metre residential project is characterised by lilac-hued exterior walls and traditional pasta floor mosaic tiling in the interiors.

Purple two-storey cuboid house with sun lounges and palm trees
Casa Pulpo has three purple-coloured buildings

“The traditional architecture of Mérida uses pasta tile for the floors, and usually, each room has a different pattern,” said Workshop Architects co-founder Francisco Bernés.

“That is why in this project, every room has a unique design on the floors and a similar tone colour for the base of the walls.”

Front exterior of the existing house at Casa Pulpo by Workshop Architects
The studio renovated the existing Spanish colonial house

The studio renovated the existing house, preserving the high ceilings and exposed white metal beams with wooden joists in the bedroom and living room at the front of the property.

An archway in the living room leads to the kitchen, which features a wood and white quartz island and a corner breakfast area to add a sense of cosiness.

A one-storey purple building with glass sliding doors revealing a dining room and swimming pool beyond
Glass sliding doors in the central building connect the living space and swimming pool

Each space in the house features a different colour applied to the pasta floor tiles and painted on the lower sections of the walls.

Workshop Architects united the rooms by using a neutral colour on the upper part of the walls and adding white border tiles on the perimeter of the floors.

Interior of a living room with mosaic floor tiles, exposed ceiling joists and a blue sofa
Traditional Mexican pasta tiles decorate the floors

Large sliding glass doors connect the kitchen and outdoor space, letting natural light and ventilation into the interior.

A breakfast nook was also added to generate a “warm and cosy feeling”.

The studio added two separate concrete buildings to the site, using door proportions and wall heights and thickness that reference the original house.

One of the buildings is a one-storey structure in the middle of the site, accommodating a bedroom and dining and TV room with glass sliding doors open out to a swimming pool.

“This area, being independent of the rest of the house, allows, through the use of two sliding glass doors, to have visuals that flow towards the gardens and towards the pool area, giving the sensation of spaciousness and freshness,” said Workshop Architects.

Exterior of a purple two-storey building with an arch entryway and swimming pool
Workshop Architects added an arched entryway to the building at the rear of the property

At the end of the garden is a two-storey structure containing a bedroom and ensuite on the ground floor, accessed by an arched entryway. An outdoor staircase leads to an additional bedroom and ensuite above.

“The third and last nucleus of the house has a more modern and purposeful volumetry with respect to the previous two, which are presented in a more conservative way,” said Workshop Architects.

Purple rectangular one-storey building with a swimming pool and palm trees
Chukum was used for the swimming pool walls

Adjacent to the two-storey structure is a small terrace with a bajareque wooden roof that filters natural light and “projects an extraordinary play of light and shadow on the walls and floors”.

The swimming pool walls were made from the material chukum, which is created by boiling chukum tree bark and mixing it with concrete.

Interior of a kitchen with mosaic floor tiles, a corner breakfast area and archway leading to a living room
Different colours were used on the lower parts of the walls in each room

“Casa Pulpo seeks to create perfect atmospheres for the full enjoyment of each of its spaces through the use of different materials and textures throughout the property,” said Workshop Architects.

In 2020, the studio transformed a colonial house in Mérida into an art centre and workshop for the city’s annual festival of lights.

The photography is by Tamara Uribe.

Reference

Ground floor divided by pale blue storage volumes
CategoriesInterior Design

Studio Vaaro reconfigures House M using built-in storage volumes

By Zarkon Group,

For the renovation of a house in Toronto’s West End, local firm Studio Vaaro added minimally detailed millwork to form kitchen cabinetry, the staircase and a feature bookcase in the living room.

Studio Vaaro‘s overhaul of House M, a three-storey detached property that had been renovated and extended multiple times over the years, involved reconfiguring the layout to remove the awkward subdivided spaces.

Ground floor divided by pale blue storage volumes
The ground floor of House M is partitioned by storage volumes laid out in a diamond formation

“Our clients were a professional couple with two young children, who were looking for flexible and resilient spaces that could accommodate their home offices, overnight guests, and the changing needs of their growing children,” said the studio.

“We, therefore, developed a spatial concept based on ‘functional volumes’, in which well-proportioned spaces are partitioned by blocks of storage and service functions.”

Kitchen separated from dining room by pale blue partition
The pale blue-grey volumes provide additional storage space for the kitchen

These built-in storage blocks partially partition four rooms on the ground floor while keeping an open flow between them.

Laid out in a diamond formation, all are coloured pale blue-grey to highlight their function against the otherwise white walls.

Kitchen with oak cabinetry and marble countertops
In the kitchen, oak cabinetry contrasts with the marble countertops

“The large amount of built-in storage ensures the rooms themselves are free of clutter and ready for use,” said Studio Vaaro. “In line with the family’s personalities, colour and playful details abound.”

In the entryway is a coat closet that hides the view of the living room behind, where an oak bookcase sat atop a teal powder-coated fireplace covers almost an entire wall.

Oak staircase with built-in bleachers and white guardrails
Bleachers are built into the oak staircase, offering a display area or extra seating

A powder room is placed between this space and the kitchen, also forming additional cabinet and counter space within its volume.

Further kitchen storage sits in front of the dining room, and another closet is tucked under the doglegging staircase.

Bedrooms viewed through deep portal doorways coloured dusty pink
On the first floor, the bedrooms are accessed through deep portal doorways

“A ‘mixing bowl’ at the centre of the plan, at the base of the stairs, visually and physically connects all four spaces,” the studio said.

Both the entry and the dining room volumes are pulled away from the home’s exterior walls, allowing additional views between rooms.

Kid's room with patterned wallpaper and writing on a closet door
The portals are coloured dusty pink and the kids rooms are also colourful

The remaining built-in furniture is oak to match the flooring that runs throughout, including kitchen millwork and the staircase, which incorporates oversized bleachers for displaying kids’ artwork or creating extra seating during a party.

A white metal “picket” guardrail, softened with rounded details, allows light to pass down from the upper levels.

On the first floor, two parallel volumes separate the children’s rooms at the front of the house and the primary suite at the back from the central corridor.

These create both storage for the rooms, and deep doorway portals that are highlighted in dusty pink.

Bathroom vanity with an angled skylight above
Skylights in the stepped angled roofs bring extra light into rooms at the rear, including the primary bathroom

Carefully considered details include recesses for the door handles, allowing the doors to open the full 90 degrees without banging into the wall.

Work and study spaces in the attic are minimally furnished, though feature built-in desks that step up to form shelves behind.

Study area with built-in oak desk
Study spaces in the attic also feature built-in furniture

Skylights in the stepped, angled roof planes on all three floors bring extra light into the dining room, primary bathroom, and the stairwell.

Other Toronto homes that have undergone extensive renovations to make them better suited for their occupants include a 14-foot-wide house where pale woodwork forms storage to make more space, and another “disguised as a gallery” – both designed by StudioAC.

The photography is by Scott Norsworthy.

Project credits:

Team: Aleris Rodgers, Francesco Valente-Gorjup, Shengjie Qiu.

Reference

Using biotech to purify water and recover valuable waterborne materials
CategoriesSustainable News

Using biotech to purify water and recover valuable waterborne materials

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene are essential for health and well-being. Yet billions of people still lack access to these basic needs. On top of this, demand for water is rising due to population growth, urbanisation, and increasing water demands from sources such as agriculture, industry, and energy. But water purification and recovery can be expensive, requiring a great deal of energy, which can, in turn, lead to carbon emissions.

Now, Swedish company Retein has developed a new technology for energy-efficient and high-purity water separation. This has the potential to reduce the cost of recovering clean water while having a lower impact on the environment than traditional methods. The method was initially developed as a PhD project at Chalmers University of Technology.

The technology utilises a channel protein called aquaporin. Channel proteins provide gateways across the cell membrane, allowing water, nutrients, and other resources to move in and out. Retein has developed a new class of aquaporin capsules that are purified and stabilised by silica. These capsules are then incorporated into conventional polymer membranes to allow water to move rapidly across the separation membrane, with very little input of energy.

Not only could Retein’s aquaporins be used to filter water, but also to filter out other materials, potentially allowing the recovery of substances such as lithium from water. Because the aquaporins have been stabilised, they could easily be used as an additive to various kinds of filters on a wide range of scales.

Climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events – including drought and flooding. This is making the need for sustainable water purification more urgent than ever. Luckily, Springwise is spotting a number of innovations in this space. These include a membrane coating that could make filtration cheaper and greener, and a modular wastewater treatment system driven by sunlight and water movement.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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