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a tapestry-like facade weaves across paperfarm’s veil house
CategoriesArchitecture

a tapestry-like facade weaves across paperfarm’s veil house

By Zarkon Group,

veil house: challenging public/private of compact urban living 

 

Situated near the historic ‘Taiwan-Renga’ (台灣煉瓦) brick kiln from 1899 that prospered in this working-class district in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the Veil House by Paperfarm revisits this history by weaving a modern, tapestry-like facade using floating clay bricks. In such an area with very narrow streets, and a hyperactive social fabric, privacy is often compromised. To maintain boundaries, windows are often shaded throughout the day; outdoor spaces, such as balconies and terraces, are left largely unused. The project challenges this public/private dynamic of compact urban living, creating a peaceful retreat that redefines this neighborhood’s typical house character: a perforated brick facade liberates the need for window treatments, still allowing filtered light into all the living spaces and bedrooms.

a tapestry-like facade made of clay bricks weaves across paperfarm's veil house in taiwan
all images © Daniel Yao

 

 

using clay bricks to create a breathable, permeable facade 

 

‘The impetus for security and privacy reimagines the home as a body with a breathable, permeable skin. Like skin’s pores, perforation density is devised according to the functional needs behind the enclosures. With cored bricks secured by rebars, shelf angles, and steel channels, the brick veil is designed to withstand the local challenges of earthquakes and typhoons. There are also three emergency exits, engineered with saw-tooth pivots, seamlessly inserted onto the facade,’ explains Paperfarm (see more here).

 

On the street level, automobile storage is provided without visually distracting pedestrian entry. The powder-coated stainless-steel door is 12 ft by 7 ft (366 cm by 214 cm) in size and is two inches thick. The door and its mechanical track are hung from above, installed behind five courses of veneer bricks with a guide rail below. The entry, through an interior garden, helps quiet the transition from the bustling city streets and provides a deep threshold into the heart of the Veil House, thus acting as a type of perforation

a tapestry-like facade made of clay bricks weaves across paperfarm's veil house in taiwan
challenging the public/private dynamic of compact urban living

 

 

paperfarm defines veil house around an atrium + rich materials

 

The residents circle an open atrium clad with 2×6 vertical aluminum louvers to enter the main living area on the second floor. This materiality pays homage to another Taiwanese vernacular of protected fenestrations while enhancing the home’s verticality. Programmatically, this atrium is the engine of the house: an urban garden on the ground floor; a light well introducing natural illuminance into the rooms on the bedroom’s balconies; an airshaft for cross-ventilation with the brick veil at the front facade; and a connector that ties circulation and program together across multiple floors. Behind the veil, this shifting perspective and the vertical stratification of the program accentuate public versus private relationships. This forms the central discourse on the introverted approach to the Veil House by Paperfarm.

a tapestry-like facade made of clay bricks weaves across paperfarm's veil house in taiwan
using floating clay bricks to create a breathable facade

 

 

Throughout the Veil House interior, custom-designed terrazzo flooring defines spaces within the larger, open-plan living floors, while full-length, custom white-oak millwork conceals the kitchen and the entertainment and storage spaces. The reductive use of materials enhances the focus on the brick veil and the respite gained in the quiet, minimal interior. ‘Ultimately, the defining characteristic of the Veil House is the desire to build a cozy, airy lifestyle behind an urban façade that successfully withdraws from the frenetic street life,’ concludes Daniel Yao from Paperfarm. 

a tapestry-like facade made of clay bricks weaves across paperfarm's veil house in taiwan
entrance to the Veil House by Paperfarm

Reference

GRAAM Architecture wraps Burgundy office building in timber exoskeleton and “glass veil”
CategoriesArchitecture

GRAAM Architecture wraps Burgundy office building in timber exoskeleton and “glass veil”

By Zarkon Group,

A glazed skin hangs from a timber exoskeleton at this office building in France by French studio GRAAM Architecture, which has been shortlisted in the business building category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

Completed for banking group Caisse d’Epargne in Dijon, Burgundy, the seven-storey building was designed to provide airy, flexible and naturally-lit workspaces that meet the Passivhaus requirements of using no more than 15 kWh/m2 per year.

Raised above its sloping site on a concrete podium containing garage space, GRAAM Architecture‘s design was informed by a desire to use materials and companies local to the area.

Exterior image of the Caisse d'Epargne Bourgogne Franche Comté Headquarters
The Burgundy office building was designed by GRAAM Architecture

“Located on the heights of Dijon in Burgundy, a few metres from the tramway stop, the building is built of seven levels, allowing it to be seen from a distance from the city’s expressway,” said the practice.

“Its wooden structure echoes the local resources of the Burgundy region, whose reputation for hardwood and softwood forests is well known,” it continued.

The timber structure of the building prioritises the use of traditional beam and joist techniques, only using concrete and cross-laminated timber (CLT) where necessary, such as for the floors and stair and lift cores.

Exterior detail image of the street facing entrances at Caisse d'Epargne Bourgogne Franche Comté Headquarters
The building incorporates a timber exoskeleton

Helping to free up the interiors, the structure is supported by an exoskeleton of timber bracing, the upper beams of which are used to hang the external “glass veil” envelope, supported by secondary steel elements.

The choice of materials means the structure could be entirely dry-process built, with the concrete elements prefabricated before being brought to the site.

“The project responds to a desire for exemplarity, modularity and intelligence,” said the practice.

“[It is] designed with a wooden structural skeleton, prefabricated concrete floors, and a wooden exo-structure covered with a glass double skin,” it continued.

“The building allows the bank to play a part in environmental issues, displaying its exemplary and unique nature without ostentation.”

Exterior image of Caisse d'Epargne Bourgogne Franche Comté Headquarters glass facade
The exterior is clad in a double glass skin

At the base of the structure, thin white steel columns support the building’s outer structure, creating a small sheltered area around the building’s perimeter that extends onto a terrace created by the concrete base and lined by a metal balustrade.

Inside, thin, almost full-height windows on each floor flood the office spaces with natural light, and the spacing of wooden columns allows for the easy addition of partition walls.

Interior image of a timber column-lined space at the office in France
The interior was developed to be divided and organised to best suit its users

“The space can be subdivided to create working areas for specific departments, or rented out to another firm if needed,” said the practice.

Among the other buildings shortlisted in the business building category of Dezeen awards 2022 is the Sanand Factory in India by Studio Saar, which aims to elevate otherwise typical factory structures with thoughtful details.

Photography is by Nicolas Waltefaugle.

Reference