Expressive

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KoningEizenberg lines secluded island house with expressive columns
CategoriesArchitecture

KoningEizenberg lines secluded island house with expressive columns

By Zarkon Group,

Cedar siding wraps the exterior of the Shelter Island House, which was designed by KoningEizenberg Architecture to exhibit a sense of “deliberate informality”.

Los Angeles studio KoningEizenberg Architecture designed the beach house for a couple that architect Julie Eizenberg has known for years, and for whom she designed an apartment in New York City in 2009.

Shelter Island House by Koning Eizenberg Architecture
Shelter Island House looks toward the water and an abandoned, overgrown boathouse

The home is located on Shelter Island, which sits between the North and South Forks of the Long Island peninsula. The island has a year-round population of 2,300 and is only accessible by boat.

For the secluded site – which formerly held a caretaker’s cottage – KoningEizenberg Architecture conceived a “modern cabin” that is meant to complement the landscape.

KoningEizenberg Architecture conceived a “modern cabin”

The Shelter Island project was envisioned as a casual retreat for the parents – one is an academic, the other is a psychoanalyst – and their two children.

“The clients’ must-have list included ample shade, as well as an outdoor shower, big fireplaces and good ventilation,” the team said.

Wood-lined interior of house by KoningEizenberg Architecture
Inside, there is a clear division between public and private areas

“The architecture has a deliberate informality,” the architects said.

The 2,500-square-foot (232-square-metre) building consists of a single-storey volume attached to a slightly taller box, with the main entrance placed between them.

Cedar-clad rectilinear home on Long Island
Facades are wrapped in cedar siding

Facades are wrapped in cedar siding that will weather over time.

“The cedar rain-screen siding is quickly turning gray, and it will continue to gather more character as it ages,” the team said.

The home is approached from the north, where trees and a mostly solid facade “create an edge to the property to increase privacy without adding fences”.

The home opens up on the south, where it looks toward the water and an abandoned, overgrown boathouse.

Long, covered porch by KoningEizenberg Architecture
Stretching across the home’s southern elevation is a long, covered porch

Stretching across the home’s southern elevation is a long, covered porch that recalls a similar feature in the former cottage.

The porch offers a comfortable spot to engage in family activities and enjoy the scenery. A row of columns was incorporated for practical and aesthetic purposes.

“Columns create a bold visual effect and add a sense of rhythm and texture while protecting the house from the elements and bringing light into the interior,” the team said.

Within the home, there is a clear division between public and private areas. The communal space occupies the lower portion of the house, while the sleeping zone is found in the taller volume.

Glazed-brick blue backsplash in wood-lined kitchen
A glazed-brick backsplash features in the kitchen

The interior features ample use of wood, including cedar wall slats and Douglas fir structural beams and columns.

In the kitchen, the team incorporated a glazed-brick backsplash, birch plywood cabinetry and concrete countertops. A clerestory brings in soft daylight.

Wood-lined bedroom by KoningEizenberg Architecture
Slatted wood on the facade creates dramatic shadows inside

Sustainability was a concern for the team. Photovoltaic panels were placed on the roof to generate energy and reduce the use of fossil fuels. On the south wall, wooden vent flaps supplement airflow.

To improve drainage and protect from flooding, the ground was raised up and graded in a way that directs water away from the house.

Wood-lined bathroom interior
The interior features ample use of wood

Other projects on Shelter Island include a General Assembly-designed pool house that has blackened timber cladding and a central pergola, and a concrete dwelling with a micro vineyard that architect Vibeke Lichten created for her family.

The photography is by Michael Moran.

Reference

Lovers Unite wraps Bar Chelou in Pasadena with expressive drapery
CategoriesInterior Design

Lovers Unite wraps Bar Chelou in Pasadena with expressive drapery

By Zarkon Group,

Late artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude influenced the dramatic drapery around this restaurant in Pasadena, California, designed by Los Angeles studio Lovers Unite.

Conceived by chef-owner Douglas Rankin as a take on a Parisian bistro, Bar Chelou opened earlier this year in a building in a Spanish Colonial Revival plaza next to the Pasadena Playhouse.

Curtain pulled back to reveal a mirror
Natural muslin is draped around Bar Chelou, emulating the works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Lovers Unite had just a few weeks to transform the space into an operational dining room, so looked to ways it could make maximum impact with minimal time.

The studio found inspiration in the legacy of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who famously wrapped some of the world’s most recognisable monuments in giant swaths of fabric – most recently the Arc du Triomphe in Paris, which was realised a year after Christo’s death.

The duo’s seemingly effortless but meticulously planned drapery is echoed on a much smaller scale around the Bar Chelou space, which was formerly a Baroque-themed restaurant called Saso.

Dining room with copper tables and green floor
The restaurant in Pasadena features copper-topped tables that reflect light from an amber glass chandelier

“We felt the spirit of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work was a good conceptual fit for a project, which is supposed to evolve over time, but we’re able to be referential while being playful with our approach,” Lovers Unite told Dezeen.

“Translating the gesture of the wrap to a human scale and a hospitality context changes the meaning and impact of the gesture — it’s not necessarily an artwork but it’s evocative and surprising.”

Patrons enter via an arched doorway, and are immediately met with the sight of natural muslin fabric hung around the walls and above the bar.

Curtains surrounding dining room
Curtains surround the dining room and offer glimpses of the kitchen in places

“Upon entering, one might feel as if they are visiting an expansive and uncluttered artist’s studio in a transitory state; hints abound that change is coming,” said the Bar Chelou team.

Lifts and pleats in the curtains created by thick ropes reveal the chefs at work in the kitchen, as well as framing views of the arched windows seen in mirrored panels.

A dark shade of green was chosen to contrast the natural muslin and is used across the dining room floor and built-in leather banquettes.

Similarly coloured tiles clad the front of the walnut-topped bar counter at the front, which is slightly lower that the main dining area and offers additional seating.

Bar clad in glossy green tiles
A dark shade of green chosen to contrast the fabric covers the front of the bar counter

Thonet-style bistro chairs accompany polished copper cafe tables, which reflect the light from a custom, amber glass chandelier that spans the length of the room.

Walls were painted to match the hue of the curtain fabric, and the window frames are bright green.

Bar area illuminated by green-framed arched windows
Light pours into the bar area through arched windows with frames painted bright green

Pasadena located is northeast of Los Angeles, where many new restaurants with notable interiors have opened over the past few months.

Among them are the retro-futurist 19 Town designed by Jialun Xiong, and Great White Melrose, which offers outdoor dining on a pink-plaster patio.

The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

Reference

6 Expressive Projects Flaunting Their Structural Frames
CategoriesArchitecture

6 Expressive Projects Flaunting Their Structural Frames

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer is thrilled to announce that the 11th Annual A+Awards is open for entries! With an Early Entry Deadline of November 4th, 2022, the clock is ticking — get started on your submission today.

With the plethora of materials available today, architectural frames have become increasingly complex, moving further and further away from the simple cast iron and concrete examples of the past. A confluence of factors influences the design of a frame, which in turn shapes the building’s height, shape and interior spaces. As architects push the limits of creative possibility, the skeletons of some of the world’s most beautiful buildings have evolved into evermore intricate and visually exciting structures. Using modern building techniques and innovative materials, building frames have become webs of beams, posts, knuckles and joints that, in the past, may have been hidden behind stone and drywall.

There’s a widely known expression that suggests a magician never shares his secrets; however, when it comes to architects and the craft of structural design, this seems to be less and less the case. Gazing through the gallery of the 10th Annual A+Awards-winners, we noticed an increased number of buildings expressively flaunting their structures for all to see. Could a renewed appreciation for the masterful art of structural design be why we are seeing more projects with exposed frames? Or are there other reasons — including transparency about sustainable material choices or even representing the program within — motivating architectural firms to reveal their buildings’ skeletons?

Caisse d’Epargne Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Headquarter

By GRAAM , Dijon, France

Jury Winner, 10th Annual A+Awards, Mid Rise (5-15 Floors)

Banking group Caisse d’Epargne has a new head office designed by GRAAM. An intelligent seven-story modular building, the headquarters is designed with a prefabricated concrete floor and exo-wooden structure covered with a glazed double skin. The goal was to design a building that reached Passivhaus standards while providing a flexible work environment. Local materials were expertly implemented to create the stunning structure whose timber frame and glazed façade assist in heating and cooling, while the cleverly placed timber columns are ideal for partitioning work areas.

Casa Malandra

By TAC, Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Popular Winner, 10th Annual A+Awards, Private House (XS <1000 sq ft)

Photographs by Onnis Luque

Casa Malandra was conceived by the Mexican firm Taller Alberto Calleja amid the lush fields of Puerto Escondido in Mexico. The design creates many juxtapositions. While the concrete frame that forms the private domain of the dwelling emerges as a contemporary cuboid structure, it contrasts to the open wooden build that borders (next to the private pool), which draws inspiration from the Mexican Palapa — a traditional shelter roofed by palm leaves or branches whose timber frame is in keeping with the uncultivated surroundings. The exposed structure in both instances aim to increase the volume of space throughout while simultaneously connecting the various vernacular voids and implementing visual appeal.

IKEA – the good neighbour

By querkraft architekten zt gmbh, Vienna, Austria

Jury Winner, 10th Annual A+Awards, Retail

Photographs by Christina Häusler – Querkraft Architekten

In Austria’s capital, Vienna, Querkraft Architekten constructed the first IKEA store unsuitable for cars and parking. Designed to be “a good neighbor,” the community conscious building is the essence of its origin. The exposed framework of the no-frills building showcases how the structure is assembled, much like the renowned furniture pieces within. By exposing the infrastructure, the perceptible height of the spaces is increased dramatically, and the continuous void in the interior of the building allows visual contact between the different floors.

Additionally, the prefabricated reinforced concrete columns are set on a grid of around ten by ten meters, which guarantees considerable flexibility in the design and use of the spaces within. To ensure the efficient conditioning of the building, all of the services are based on a simple principle: short distances and direct access, which is helped by the lack of internal cladding. Like the beloved Kallax for apartments worldwide, Querkraft Architekten’s The Good Neighbor could well be a city center staple of the future.

Ghost Hangar

By John Grable Architects, TX, United States

Popular Winner, 10th Annual A+Awards, Showroom

Photographs by John Grable Architects

Ghost Hangar was designed exclusively to house a living collection of Vintage WWII-era aircraft. The 32,000-square-foot structure sits on a remote site in Texas Hill Country, Texas. With their traditionally inspired design proposal, John Grable Architects aspired to ensure a minimal visual impact on the surrounding landscape. Drawing inspiration from the historical shape and form of the Quonset hut developed during WWII, a rigid frame was selected using a triangulated wide-flange barrel-vault structural system connected through a series of knuckles. This composition enables the building to achieve longer spans suited to aircraft housing. The unconventional steel roof structure and board-formed concrete buttresses provide unquestioned durability. At the same time, reclaimed barn wood siding was specified pre-weathered to tolerate the surrounding climate while blending harmoniously with the territory.

The passive light shelves, deep roof overhangs and cupola openings work in conjunction with the Thermasteel envelope to render the hangar volume a shaded refuge throughout the warm summers. The building is not only aesthetically era-appropriate but it also achieves sustainable properties through the use of age-old principles.

Cycling and Pedestrian Bridge in Bohinj Slovenia

By Atelje Ostan Pavlin, Municipality of Bohinj, Radovljica, Slovenia

Jury Winner, 10th Annual A+Awards, Transportation Infrastructure  

Photographs by Mirian Kambič

The intricate footbridge on the Bohinj Cycle Route connects the upper and lower banks of the Sava Bohinjka River. The central volume of the bridge is supported at three points, and the load-bearing structure consists of four steel beams running the length of the bridge. The intermediate ellipsoid concrete pillar rests on the river bed and carries steel “branches” to support the beams. The architects aimed to evoke the sense of a “rural wooden temple” with their bridge reflecting the form of a traditional hayrack. The main construction, pillar rhythms, wooden details, ties, eaves and roof are all built from local larch wood to ensure harmonious integration with the natural landscape.

Nantong Urban Agricultural Park Exhibition Center

By Z-ONE Tech, Nantong, China

Jury Winner, 10th Annual A+Awards, Gallery & Exhibition Spaces

Photographs by LINBIAN

Experimental architectural practice Z-ONE Tech has designed several distinct buildings for Nontong Urban Agricultural Park. The Rural Living Room Exhibition Centre is a contemporary building in form and construction. The white tent-like structure has a membrane segmented by the structural lines that shape its two ovoid figures with their sky-lights while vertical columns hold the perimeter glazing that captures the raw vistas beyond.

Architizer is thrilled to announce that the 11th Annual A+Awards is open for entries! With an Early Entry Deadline of November 4th, 2022, the clock is ticking — get started on your submission today.

Reference