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Keiji Ashizawa adds “residential calm” to Aloop clinic in Ginza

By Zarkon Group,26/01/2024

Japanese architect Keiji Ashizawa has created the interior for a skincare clinic in Tokyo, using textiles and custom-made furniture to make it feel more residential than medical.

The Aloop Clinic & Lab, which provides “skin cure and care”, is located in the city’s upscale Ginza area and run by Japanese beauty company POLA. Ashizawa wanted to give it an interior that would feel peaceful, while also representing the brand.

White Aloop clinic reception — The Aloop clinic has a calm minimalist interior

“As a clinic that uses medical technology to deal with beauty, we thought that the space should have sincerity, calmness, and beauty in order to create a comfortable time for customers to feel at ease,” Ashizawa told Dezeen.

“In addition, considering that this is a completely new business for the POLA beauty brand, we felt that it was necessary to create a space that would enhance the brand.”

Wooden panelling inside Aloop clinic — Wood was used throughout the space

To do so, Ashizawa looked at the design of the 210-square-metre clinic like he would if he were designing a residential space, giving it a calm, minimalist interior.

“Although it is a clinic, I considered the space to be similar to a hotel or a living space,” he said. “Therefore, I used materials that I use in designing living spaces and hotels.”

“The walls are plaster and the floor is a wool rug from Hotta Carpet,” he added. “The sofa and furniture at the characteristic entrance are made of Kvadrat wool textile to create a pleasant texture.”

Treatment room in Japanese skincare clinic — Treatment rooms were designed to have a residential feel

The architect used a clean, simple colour palette throughout the space, with white-painted walls contrasting against wooden panelling and wooden doors.

“Wood was used for doors, furniture and details because we wanted to create a residential calm rather than a clinic,” Ashizawa said. “We felt that a bright and healthy atmosphere was necessary.”

“The extensive use of wood was to create a residential atmosphere, and we wanted the space to be as far away from a typical clinic as possible,” he added.

Sofas by Karimoku — Keiji Ashizawa created custom-made sofas with furniture brand Karimoku

His studio worked together with wooden furniture brand Karimoku to design the custom-made sofas for the space, which welcome customers as they enter the clinic.

“Of particular importance to this project were the custom sofas,” Ashizawa said.

“We asked Karimoku, with whom we communicate on a daily basis for furniture development and wood projects, to work with us on the development of the furniture.”

He compared his collaboration with the brand to that of mid-century modern Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and furniture brand Artek.

“For me, Karimoku has become an indispensable partner in thinking about space, just as Aalto is for Artek,” he explained.

Calm treatment room in Tokyo — Neutral colours contrast against pale wood

By creating the sofas with rounded edges, Ashizawa aimed for them to “gently envelop” customers after their treatments.

“The mere fact that something looks hard or painful makes the body tense, so we thought it would be desirable to eliminate such things,” he said.

“However, in order to maintain a comfortable sense of tension in the room, delicate details of metal and wood were used to achieve a balance.”

Sculptures in Aloop clinic — Small sculptures decorate the space

Small sculptures were dotted throughout the Aloop clinic, including in the treatment rooms.

Ashizawa has previously designed an interior with a similar colour palette for the Hiroo Residence in Tokyo, and also used plenty of wood for his and Norm Architects minimalist Trunk Hotel design.

The photography is by Tomooki Kengaku.

Juan Alberto Andrade adds workspace to multifamily housing in Ecuador

By Zarkon Group,20/01/2024

Ecuadorian architect Juan Alberto Andrade has completed an extension to a multifamily housing complex with rammed earth walls in Guayaquil.

Known as El Retiro, the nine-square metre (97-square foot) addition doubles the common space of a 305-square metre (3,282-square foot) residential complex, protruding into the front setback along the street and blurring the line between the private housing and urban realm.

El Retiro residential extension — El Retiro is a residential extension to an Ecuadorian home

Following Mexica architect Lucía Martín López’s idea of “the growing house,” Juan Alberto Andrade utilised a strategy for adapting housing López calls “crystallographic growth”: intervening within the limits of the property and following the area and height limits of the neighbourhood.

“Architecture is a response to the continuous need for the reinvention of a habitat,” the team told Dezeen. “Housing is an activity, a built process.”

Rammed earth residential extension — Rammed earth clads the external walls

Completed in 2022, the simple square addition is composed of a load-bearing, 30-centimetre-thick rammed earth wall – set on top of a limestone rock base – and bahareque masonry, which is a combination of a bamboo frame and clay plaster.

Despite being a different colour than the existing structure, the shape and materiality of the addition works to blend it with the house and the neighbourhood, as does the leafy landscaping along the street.

Communal workspace — Juan Alberto Andrade added a workspace to the house

A lightweight pine roof structure slopes from the existing exterior wall to the edge of the addition and is topped by a green metal roof.

Inside, the resin floor serves as a smooth contrast to the raw wooden ceiling and built-in millwork.

Resin flooring — Resin floors serve as a smooth contrast to the raw wooden ceiling

A sliding iron door opens to the compact interior, which houses a social space, library, and storage along the street and steps up to a common workspace within the existing floor plan.

A freestanding metal core was inserted into the centre of the plan, joining the addition to the existing room with a kitchenette and bathroom.

Tree within the centre of the extension plan — A planted atrium allows a tree to rise in the centre of the plan

A small planted atrium allows a 25-year-old tree to rise in the centre of the plan and light to filter into the building.

A square wooden window – protected by sliding metal shutters – looks across the street to a community park. The pivoting window frame can be opened and the deep structural wall becomes a secondary desk space.

“El Retiro is a project of extension and attachment from an independent body to a multifamily housing, that serves and transforms preexistence into a productive habitat,” the team said.

It was an opportunity to “build specific, viable and productive solutions that attend the progressive growth of housing, and to take advantage of the residual spaces generated by Ecuador’s policies”.

Window with sliding metal shutters — A square wooden window is protected by sliding metal shutters

Maximizing small spaces is a pillar of Andrade’s practice. He previously designed a flexible installation for a micro apartment in Quito and converted a 1993 Chevy van into a plywood “house-on-wheels” with María José Váscones.

The photography is by JAG Studio.

Project credits:

Architect: Juan Alberto Andrade
Team: Cuqui Rodríguez, María José Váscones, Melissa Toasa, Victoria Peralta, Duda Rodriguez
Suppliers: Baldosas del Ecuador, Acesco, Megakywi

Eight homes where mid-century modern furniture adds a stylish touch

By Zarkon Group,10/01/2024

Pieces by designers Charles and Ray Eames and Isamu Noguchi are on show in this lookbook, which features homes with eye-catching mid-century modern furniture.

Mid-century furniture, which often has simple lines and a sculptural feel, adds a modernist touch to these homes, which range from period properties to newly built and renovated houses.

Among the interiors showcased in this lookbook are iconic architect Le Corbusier’s own home and a residence in London’s upmarket Mayfair area that has been filled with mid-century modern and art deco details.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring perforated brick-walls, budget home interiors and immersive saunas in peaceful settings.

Mid-century modern home — Photo by Mariell Lind Hansen

Zero House, UK, by Ben Garrett and Rae Morris

Owners Ben Garrett and Rae Morris updated Zero House, which was informed by Californian Case Study Houses, themselves in a way that would honour its mid-century roots.

The living room features a striking floor-to-ceiling fireplace clad in tiles, as well as a number of furniture pieces in warm colours. Among them is a classic Eames office chair in a dark-brown leather colour that matches the wooden panelling that decorates the room.

Find out more about Zero House ›

Hudson Woods house by Magdalena Keck — Photo by Jeff Cate

Hudson Woods home, US, by Magdalena Keck

Located in upstate New York, this holiday home has an interior that fuses Danish and Japanese design. A dinner table and chairs by designer Finn Juhl are among the Danish pieces used in the house, where they look both functional and elegant.

A simple lamp with a gold-coloured shade above the table adds a decorative touch and matches the brass fastenings at the backs of the chairs.

Find out more about the Hudson Woods home ›

Interior of Madrid apartment — Photo by Polina Parcevskya and Julie Smorodkina

Radikal Klassisk, Spain, by Puntofilipino

The interior of this Spanish apartment in a former bank building has a moody, interesting colour palette and features richly textured materials including terrazzo, clay-rendered walls and marble tiles.

In contrast, the furniture is streamlined and unfussy, including a sculptural lounge chair by Danish designer Hans J Wegner in the living room.

Find out more about the Radikal Klassisk ›

City Beach residence in Perth by Design Theory — Photo by Jack Lovel

City Beach House, Australia, by Design Theory

American artist and designer Noguchi’s iconic coffee table, made from a heavy glass tabletop that rests on two undulating wooden legs, has pride of place in the living room of City Beach House.

The interior, created by Australian studio Design Theory, responds to the design and natural material palette of the house itself, which is from the 1960s.

Find out more about City Beach House ›

White home in Sweden by Asa Hjort Architects — Photo by Jim Stephenson

Hallen, Sweden, by Åsa Hjort Architects

This newly built home in the southern Swedish region of Österlen has a blocky geometric design and large windows that provide views out across the Baltic Sea.

An Eames lounge chair adds a comfortable resting space in one of the rooms, where its dark hues contrast against sheer white curtains and pale wood flooring.

Find out more about Hallen ›

Moore House, US, by Woods + Dangaran

A pair of vintage globe-shaped pendants by Dutch designer Frank Ligtelijn light up the bathroom in this 1960s California home designed by architect Craig Ellwood.

The bathroom also features a dark Emperador marble countertop and a wall clad in Japanese porcelain tiles.

Find out more about Moore House ›

Mid-century modern interior by Child Studio — Photo by Felix Speller and Child Studio

Mayfair residence, UK, by Child Studio

The “Pernilla” lounge chair by Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson is among the many mid-century modern furniture pieces on show in this London apartment.

Local practice Child Studio told Dezeen that the spacious lounge that houses the chair was informed by the grand salon in fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris home.

Find out more about the Mayfair residence ›

Studio apartment, France, by Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier’s apartment in his Immeuble Molitor apartment building in Paris, where he lived for more than three decades, reopened to the public in 2018.

Visitors to the modernist flat can admire mid-century modern furniture pieces including a black leather edition of the designer’s signature LC2 lounge chair, which sits next to a cowhide rug at the entrance of the apartment.

Find out more about Le Corbusier’s apartment ›

Eight interiors where chequerboard flooring adds a sense of nostalgia

By Zarkon Group,15/10/2023

A cannabis dispensary, a hotel gym and an office in a converted 1930s military warehouse feature in this lookbook, proving that chequered floors aren’t just for kitchens.

Alternating squares of colour, a style hearkening back to the nostalgia of 1950s American diners and Victorian entryways, can provide a graphic backdrop to any room.

The examples below were realised using a range of materials, from tiles and stone slabs to wood parquet and paint, providing a clever way of bringing colour, pattern and texture into interiors.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring autumnal bedrooms, loft conversions and kitchen islands with sleek waterfall edges.

Chequered yellow floor with chequerboard flooring — Photo by Mikael Lundblad

Cafe Banacado, Sweden, by ASKA

The sun-drenched bars of Cuba and the symmetry of Wes Anderson films informed the design of this all-day breakfast cafe in Stockholm.

This is reflected in its butter-yellow colour palette and the tonal squares painted onto the concrete floor, complemented by vintage touches including a vinyl player and a wall of Polaroid pictures.

Find out more about Cafe Banacado ›

Il Capri Hotel, Italy, by Graziella Buontempo and Arnaud Lacombe

When renovating this hotel in a 19th-century Venetian-style palazzo, husband-and-wife duo Graziella Buontempo and Arnaud Lacombe aimed to balance the building’s old-school grandeur with a more pared-back contemporary elegance.

A classic black-and-white checked floor runs through all of the hotel’s communal spaces and was paired with a mix of new and antique furniture pieces to create a homely, lived-in feel.

Find out more about Il Capri Hotel ›

Bonne Vie patisserie with chequerboard flooring — Photo by Brian W Ferry

Bonne Vie patisserie, USA, by Home Studios

Alternating slabs of red and white marble pave the Bonne Vie patisseries at The Grand America Hotel, which was designed to bring European cafe culture to Salt Lake City.

Matching crushed velvet chairs create a small seating area and are offset against duck-egg blue millwork and art deco-style opal globe lights mounted on brass fixtures.

Find out more about Laurel Brasserie and Bar ›

022 Rodrigo da Fonseca by Aboim Inglez Arquitectos residential interiors — Photo by Ricardo Gonçalves

Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca apartment, Portugal, by Aboim Inglez Arquitectos

Portuguese studio Aboim Inglez Arquitectos stripped back the interior of this 1930s apartment in Lisbon to reveal its original parquet floors during a renovation.

Fulfilling much the same function as area rugs, the carefully restored patterns feature timber in different shades, laid into a subtle chequerboard pattern bordered by strips of light wood.

“We believe it was used to stress the independence of the rooms and circulation areas and at the same time acting as the element that unifies the whole house,” architects Maria Ana and Ricardo Aboim Inglez told Dezeen.

Find out more about Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca apartment ›

Clay Warsaw offices designed by Mateusz Baumiller with chequerboard flooring — Photo by Ernest Wińczyk

Clay.Warsaw office, Poland, by Mateusz Baumiller

Tiled chequerboard floors are original to this former 1930s military warehouse in Warsaw, which now houses the joint offices of production companies Menu, Analog/Digital and Photoby.

To soften the building’s industrial shell, architect Mateusz Baumiller furnished the office much like a residential interior, bringing in modern Polish art and a mix of contemporary and vintage design pieces from local brands and artisans.

Find out more about the Clay.Warsaw office ›

A greent store with cannabis products — Photo by Alex Lysakowski

The Annex, Canada, by Superette

This cannabis dispensary in Toronto was modelled on an Italian delicatessen, complete with a deli counter that contains an array of pre-rolled joints and different strains and strengths of marijuana.

The kitschy nostalgic atmosphere was rounded off with green-and-white chequered flooring, while contrasting splashes of tomato red was used across stools and pendant lights.

Find out more about The Annex ›

Casa Cabanyal in Valencia by Viruta Lab with chequerboard flooring — Photo by David Zarzoso

Casa Cabanyal, Spain, by Viruta Lab

A mosaic of small navy blue and white tiles brings a subtle nautical feel to this home in Valencia’s traditional fishing neighbourhood El Cabanyal.

Featured throughout all the rooms, from the bathroom to the sleeping quarters, they nod to the traditional azulejo tiled facades found across the city, which has been a prolific exporter of ceramics since the 15th century.

Find out more about Casa Cabanyal ›

Gym inside Hotel Les Deux Gares in Paris — Photo by Benoit Linero

Hotel Les Deux Gares, France, by Luke Edward Hall

Colours and patterns clash merrily inside this renovated hotel, designed by British designer Luke Edward Hall to have an “anti-modern” feel that hearkens back to the Paris of the past.

Even its gym has been reimagined with wooden equipment, graphic red-and-white flooring and mismatched floral wallpaper designed by Austrian architect Josef Frank.

“I really wanted this space to feel above all joyful and welcoming and alive, classic but a little bonkers at the same time,” Hall told Dezeen.

Find out more about Hotel Les Deux Gares ›

Eight interiors where Barbiecore pink adds a playful touch of colour

By Zarkon Group,18/07/2023

As the upcoming Barbie film has created a shortage of pink colour and launched a real-life dollhouse in Malibu, we gathered eight pink interiors to exemplify the Barbiecore aesthetic for this lookbook.

The pink hues that are usually associated with Barbie, a children’s toy first launched by manufacturer Mattel in 1959, are influencing both clothes and interiors ahead of Great Gerwig’s live-action Barbie film.

The style, which has become known as Barbiecore, can add a joyful touch of colour to otherwise pared-back interiors, or be used as a hyper-bright nod to 1980s opulence.

Here, we have gathered eight interiors where pink was used to give interiors additional warmth and a touch of whimsy.

This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring rustic interiors, Wes Anderson-style interiors and welcoming wood-panelled dining rooms.

Living room of Minimal Fantasy, a pink apartment in Madrid — Photo by JC de Marcos

Minimal Fantasy, Spain, by Patricia Bustos Studio

The Minimal Fantasy apartment is anything but minimalist – instead, Patricia Bustos Studio aimed to create an “aesthetic madness” for the interior of this Madrid rental in a 1950s residential building.

The holiday home features 12 different shades of pink, with the entire living room covered in a pastel bubblegum pink.

“Pink vindicates the fall of stereotypes – everything is possible, nothing is planned or established and that’s the beauty of it,” the studio told Dezeen.

Find out more about Minimal Fantasy ›

San Francisco Residence by Jamie Bush — Photo by Matthew Millman

San Francisco house, US, by Jamie Bush

A more discrete take on adding pink to an interior can be found in this San Francisco house by architect Jamie Bush, who gave it an overhaul using an eclectic array of furniture.

Bush added pink walls to the dining room, where they contrast against dark-wood vintage furniture and white details including a lamp and sheer curtains to create a playful, yet elegant atmosphere.

Find out more about San Francisco House ›

Pink bedroom in Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse — Photo by Hogwash Studios

Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse, US, by Ken

The most Barbiecore interior of them all can naturally be found in the Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse, which is being rented out by the doll’s boyfriend Ken on Airbnb.

Inside the California mansion, located beachside in Malibu, guests can enjoy pink rooms including the bright-fuchsia bedroom that has been decorated with cowboy hats, boots and cowhide rugs to add more “Kenergy”.

Find out more about Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse ›

Mixtape Apartment by Azab — Photo by Luis Díaz Díaz

Mixtape apartment, Spain, by Azab

A dusky baby-pink kitchen decorates the Mixtape apartment in Bilbao, which was designed by architecture studio Azab.

The white and pink cupboards are boarded by light timber strips, and the appliances in the room have also been painted pink. A multicoloured floor with pale green and yellow as well as darker red herringbone tiles give the space a vibrant feel.

Find out more about Mixtape apartment ›

13 Square Metre House By Studiomama — Photo by Rei Moon of Moon Ray Studio

130-square-metre-house, UK, by Studiomama

“London’s smallest house”, a conceptual design by Studiomama, features an abundance of pink details throughout, including in its plywood-clad kitchen.

Here, the clever fold-out seating has been decorated with blush-pink cushions and pillows, with a pink cushion also forming a cosy backrest.

Find out more about 130-square-metre house ›

Pink interior of Moco shop in Barcelona, designed by Isern Serra and Six N. Five — Photo by Salva Lopez

Moco Barcelona, Spain, by Isern Serra

A computer-generated image was transformed into a real-life interior for the Moco Barcelona store, a rose-coloured shop inside the city’s Moco Museum.

Designer Isern Serra used pink micro-cement to achieve the same uniform, ultra-smooth surfaces as those of the computer-generated image, creating a dream-like interior filled with rounded corners and arches.

Find out more about Moco Barcelona ›

Interior of Pigment House by Unknown Works — Photo by Lorenzo Zandri

Pigment House, UK, by Unknown Works

London studio Unknown Works went all in on the pink for Pigment House, a Hampstead home that was renovated to add a pink-toned patio area.

While not technically part of the interior, it adds a splash of colour to the ground floor area, and is used for indoor-outdoor living in the summer months. The choice of pink was a reference to the colourful buildings of Mexican architect Luiz Barragán.

Find out more about Pigment House ›

Cats' Pink House by KC Design Studio — Photo by Hey! Cheese

Cats’ Pink House, Taiwan, by KC Design Studio

This holiday home in Taiwan got its name, Cats’ Pink House, as it includes cat ladders, a rotating carousel-shaped climbing frame and a fluffy pink cat swing.

KC Design Studio used a mineral-based paint to create the pink walls throughout the home, which also features a pink bathroom – with a pink cat litter box.

Find out more about Cats’ Pink House ›

Sukchulmok adds curved brick forms to rooftop of Parconido Bakery Cafe

By Zarkon Group,21/05/2023

Curved forms and arched openings feature in this cafe, which Seoul studio Sukchulmok has added to an existing building in South Korea’s Gyeonggi-do province.

Named Parconido Bakery Cafe, the cafe is made from red bricks and features playful curved shapes and rounded walls designed to create an illusion-like effect.

Photo of Parconido Bakery Cafe — Parconido Bakery Cafe was designed by Sukchulmok

“The space, created through one rule, was designed to give a sense of expansion and the experience of an optical illusion image,” lead architect Park Hyunhee told Dezeen.

Arranged across three floors including a rooftop level, the cafe was designed by architecture studio Sukchulmok to resemble European public squares in reference to the client’s time spent in Italy.

Photo of the rooftop at Parconido Bakery Cafe — The studio topped the roof with curving brick volumes

“The client who spent his youth living in Italy is a clothing businessman, opening the cafe as a business expansion to provide people with a space for peaceful rest,” said Park.

“These two aspects naturally reminded me of the image of the European square, where people are huddled together talking on a sunny day between red brick buildings and stone pillars.”

On the rooftop level and terrace, the outdoor dining spaces are punctuated by clay brick columns with arched connections and walls with U-shaped openings.

Built around steel frames that extend into curved forms above the brick walls, the curved elements are coated in bricks cut to two-thirds of their original thickness to lighten their weight.

Interior photo of the Seoul cafe — The walls and floors have curved edges

A long stainless steel table with a curved underside, along with circular stools and planting, is shaded by a removable canopy made from green, orange and white fabrics.

Curved walls lined with white tiles join with the tiled floor and ceiling to create rooms with rounded forms on the interior levels of the cafe.

The rooms are covered in small tiles of travertine limestone, selected for its use in the fountains of European squares.

Kitchens are built into recesses in the curved walls, while wooden elements, including wall panels and pipes that line a portion of the ceiling, add a feeling of warmth to the interior.

Throughout the spaces, uniquely designed seating areas and bespoke circular furnishings provide spaces for dining.

Photo of the interior of the cafe — The interior was covered in different textural materials

Comprising twelve different designs, the cafe’s set of furniture was designed to exhibit a variety of shapes, textures, and materials, including leftover finishing materials, wood, overlapping pipes, and concrete castings.

“Although they have slightly different shapes and textures, the pieces of furniture are all in harmony with the space and show good synergy with space as an object,” said Park.

Photo of a kitchen — The cafe’s curved edges all have a radius of 600 millimetres

To maintain a sense of uniformity, the studio based the design of each element, including the walls, columns and furniture, around a circle with a constant radius of 600 millimetres.

“A radius of 600 millimetres was used as an act of connecting spaces that were not monotonous,” said Park. “It was simply based on the idea that the distance from the height of the door and window to the ceiling finish is 600 millimetres.”

Other South Korean cafes recently featured on Dezeen include a bakery with a curved courtyard designed to act as an “artificial valley” and a Seoul cafe with a vertical farm.

The photography is by Hong Seokgyu.

Matt Gibson adds sculptural extension to Victorian Melbourne home

By Zarkon Group,15/04/2023

Australian studio Matt Gibson Architecture + Design has transformed a Victorian home in Melbourne’s suburbs with a faceted extension clad in black metal.

Located in the suburb of South Yarra, the house on St Martins Lane has been expanded with a three-storey rear extension to better accommodate the needs of the family living there.

Exterior of Victorian house in Melbourne — Matt Gibson Architecture + Design has extended a Victorian home in Melbourne

The house occupies a long, thin site at the end of a row of Victorian terraces that are surrounded by low-rise warehouses and townhouses.

To preserve the heritage of the home, Matt Gibson Architecture + Design has retained several of its original elements including its street-facing Victorian facade.

Exterior of St Martins Lane extension in Melbourne by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design — It has a faceted form clad in black metal

“[The house is] a case study in vertical family living on a confined site,” explained the studio.

“[It addresses] issues of densification and growing population demand whilst adaptively reusing and retaining key heritage fabric.”

Faceted black extension to white-brick house — A new entrance has been created on the adjacent lane

As part of the project, Matt Gibson Architecture + Design shifted the home’s main entrance from the street edge to a cobbled lane that runs down the side of the plot.

This new entry point sits towards the centre of the site and is marked internally with a glazed stair that bridges the existing house to the sculptural extension.

Monochrome kitchen by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design — The old part of the house has been updated with a new kitchen

“The stair has full view of the laneway, activating it and providing a level of security and community connection,” said Matt Gibson Architecture + Design.

The placement of this staircase also divides the home into two wings – one old and one new.

Inside, the old part of the house has been updated with a new kitchen and a main bedroom suite, while the extension contains a living space, two bedrooms, a study and cascading terraces.

The two wings are distinguished externally by their contrasting material finishes, including white-painted brick and intricate wooden filigree on the old Victorian house, and the faceted black laser-cut metal facade of the extension.

Interior of St Martins Lane extension in Melbourne by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design — The extension contains the living space

Perforations in the metal make reference to the original architecture of the house and allow light and ventilation into the bedrooms while providing privacy.

A sliding gate reveals a path of mossy stones that lead from the cobbled lane to an enclosed porch of black metal and marble. The porch gives views through to the living space and garden beyond and contains a monolithic door that opens into a tiled hallway featuring the main staircase.

Enclosed garden — There are a series of outdoor spaces

The ground floor is given over to generous communal spaces. This includes a kitchen of blackened wood and dark marble in the old part of the house and a bright living room in the new wing with a sculptural concrete stair leading to a basement library.

Both the kitchen and living room are bookended by enclosed outdoor spaces with green borders.

Roof terrace in Melbourne — A rooftop deck crowns the home

On the upper floors of the home are the family’s bedrooms and the outdoor terraces overlooking the trees beyond the site. A warm wood-panelled stair from the second floor leads to a roof deck that crowns the extension.

“Through arranging the building vertically there is an increase in outdoor space coverage to now over 50 per cent of the site area,” said Gibson. “Previously [it was] 10 per cent.”

Matt Gibson Architecture + Design was founded in 2003. The studio has completed several other refurbishments and extensions across Melbourne, including a home with courtyards and glazed bridge and a redbrick extension with glazed undercroft.

The photography is by Shannon McGrath.

Earthscape Studio adds sweeping vaulted farmhouse to Kerala forest

By Zarkon Group,04/04/2023

Locally produced bricks and recycled materials feature in this vaulted residence in Kerala, India, named The Wendy House.

Designed by Bangalore practice Earthscape Studio, the home is located within eight acres of dense forest and was designed to stand among the trees without disrupting the existing nature.

Exterior photo of The Wendy House — The Wendy House was designed by Earthscape Studio

“Our main aim was to not harm nature by cutting down the trees and other existing natural features on the site,” lead architect Petchimuthu Kennedy told Dezeen.

“When we visited the site, there were lots of trees such as mango, coconut, nutmeg, and teak. Since we didn’t want to disturb them, we made a grid on site and determined the shape of the house according to the placement of existing trees.”

Photo of The Wendy House — It was constructed using recycled materials

Aiming to draw from the surrounding nature, Earthscape Studio used locally sourced materials throughout the building, including recycled rods, broken tiles and earth from the site.

The studio also used traditional sithu kal bricks – small bricks constructed of three layers – sourced from within 50 kilometres of the site and joined by local workers to create the building’s vaulted form.

“The bricks that we used are small sithu kal bricks, which were previously used along the south side of Tamil Nadu for the famous technique called Madras terrace roof,” said Kennedy, referring to an Indian roofing system that involves creating a series of sloping roofs to encourage rainwater drainage.

“Nowadays, the technique is no longer used and the community members who produce these bricks have become unemployed,” he continued. “We wanted to bring them back by engaging the local community with work.”

The Wendy House is split across two separate vaulted volumes each comprising three layers of bricks along with a fourth recycled waterproofing layer made from broken tiles from factories.

“We wanted no steel or concrete to be on our building structure and we don’t want to cut down any trees,” said Kennedy. “This timbrel vault technique is a catenary-based vault that requires no steel or concrete.”

“The catenary form is self-stabilising since the forces of the vault are transferred directly to the footing.”

Interior photo of The Wendy House — There is a courtyard at the centre

The vaulted forms were topped with a sweeping roof made from locally sourced, recycled mudga tiles.

Inside, the home has an open plan with a bedroom, bathroom and storage space in one wing, along with a living room, dining space, and pantry in the other.

Photo of the interior of the home — The home has an open-plan design

A courtyard with a small pond in its centre runs between the two blocks, punctuated on either end by curved rammed earth walls.

Framed with recycled rods, glass walls on the inner facing walls of the vaulted buildings offer views from the interior into the central courtyard.

Photo of a living space — It has built-in furniture

The recycled rods were also used alongside waste wood to create the frames for built-in furniture, including a bed, sofa, and kitchen counter.

Other Indian homes recently featured on Dezeen include a cylindrical house designed to collect rainwater and a home with large terraces sheltered by a jagged metal canopy.

The photography is by Syam Sreesylam.

Ryan Leidner adds bridge to geometric San Francisco house

By Zarkon Group,23/02/2023

Local studio Ryan Leidner Architecture renovated a 1940s home in the Bernal Heights neighbourhood of San Francisco, resolving entry access with a bridge over the front garden.

Ryan Leidner Architecture completed the 2,500-square-foot (230-square metre) Hosono House in 2021, cladding the house in charcoal-stained cedar siding with a copper, standing seam roof.

Bridge over garden at Hosono House in San Francisco — Hosno House features a statement bridge

The original structure was built at the rear of a steeply sloped 2750-square-foot (255-square-metre) lot, “giving the home a unique sense of privacy and a feeling of being a true retreat,” the studio said.

However, the setback challenged the home’s circulation, causing people to cross the yard, descend a long staircase, and climb back up three flights to access the primary living space.

Ryan Leidner Architecture house in San Francisco — The bridge is arranged over the front garden

During an initial walkthrough with the clients, founding principal Ryan Leidner threw out a “crazy idea” – to redirect access from the street to a new front door with a bridge.

The bridge would span the lush front garden and connect to the house between the top and middle stories.

“The front entrance sequence was totally reimagined,” Leidner told Dezeen.

Blackened facade featuring a circular pivot window — A circular pivot window marks the front facade

The studio rebuilt the front facade – now marked by a circular pivot window that replaced a leaking solarium – gutted the interior and rearranged spaces.

“Wanting to preserve the historic character of the house, the existing wood beams and ceiling were refinished and left exposed while all of the original windows, floors and finishes were replaced, creating a greater sense of material continuity throughout the house,” Leidner said.

Wood-toned interior within Hosono House with skylights — Natural wood tones and white surfaces characterise the interior

The subtle palette of natural wood tones and white surfaces allows the interior spaces to serve as a canvas for the owners’ affinity for design.

“The interior spaces are filled with a mix of vintage Italian furnishings and custom pieces, while the overall sensibility of the space was inspired by trips to Norway and Japan, and the ethos of Californian hippie modernism,” Leidner noted.

Nobuto Suga dining table within Hosono House by Ryan Leidner — A custom Nobuto Suga dining table is framed by statement chairs

The top-floor kitchen, living and dining areas enjoy sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline through a variety of window shapes.

Plant-filled niches that reference 1960s and 70s Italian projects surround a space that holds accent furniture including a custom Nobuto Suga dining table, vintage Guido Faleschini chairs and a Gae Aulenti armchair.

Bedroom by Ryan Leidner — Two bedrooms are on the second floor

The second floor contains two bedrooms, a Venetian-plastered primary bathroom and a lounge space inspired by a Tokyo whiskey bar with warm wide-plank white oak and a custom velvet daybed.

A large opening in the lounge leads to the lower courtyard, which was reimagined by landscape architect Stephen Design Studio.

The lowest level boasts one of the home’s most unique spaces: the guest bedroom.

“A textured hemp-plaster was used on the walls and ceiling, and a custom tiled bed frame and furnishings give a nod to the history of Italian modernism,” the studio said.

Ryan Leidner interiors — Ryan Leidner added luxurious touches throughout the home

Throughout the home, custom fabricated brass details – like countertops, sinks and CNC Dieter Rams-inspired exhaust covers – add a luxurious touch that will patina over time.

Ryan Leidner Architecture had previously collaborated with Stephen Design Studio to remodel a midcentury Eichler home, complete with twin gables and a lush central courtyard.

The photography is by Joe Fletcher.

Project credits:

Architects: Ryan Leidner Architecture
Landscape Design: Stephens Design Studio
General Contractor: DKG Construction
Landscape Contractor: Ground Cover Landscaping