11 posts tagged “materials”

Passive solar design meets pointillist pincushion in this stunning porcupine-inspired office recently cleared for construction in Prestons, England. Designed by UK-based Moxon Architects, the building features a bristling brise-soleil composed of andonized aluminum fins suspended from tensile rods. This striking facade acts as a rain screen while filtering sunlight and contributing to the building’s energy-efficient profile.

SPAN has been shortlisted at the Swarovski, Crystal Vision competition. Over 4000 entries were received by Designboom for this competition! A description of the contribution: The game Chex, invented by Edelbert Wiedmann, comprises of a hexagonal board bearing 37 hexagons that form the playfield of...

Ja diese Container die man modifiziert und weiterdenkt die sind ganz schoen praktisch. Das Haus reist mit. Der moderne Nomade, der angetrieben vom ungebaendigten Kapitalismus dem Arbeitsplatz nach und dem Herzinfarkt entgegen reist kann sich freuen!Lot-ek haben zusammen mit der ucsb dieses coole Teil names Mobile dwelling unit (mdu) entworfen!

Humlegård House is the stark-looking, year-round residence of a former Finnish TV documentary producer. He moved to this house, located in the town of Fiskars, 78 kilometers west of Helsinki, from a central-Helsinki heritage apartment. Many aspects of Humlegård, especially its placement to respond to the forces of nature, resemble the owner’s childhood  home, a large country manor in central Finland.Designed by Kimmo Friman of Friman Laaksonen Architects of Helsinki, Humlegård House is situated on a small, flat hill so that the north-south line runs diagonally through the building. This is the traditional way of placing a building so that it functions optimally as an energy efficient and comfortable dwelling in the harsh, Finnish climate. Protection from the wind and maximum use of sunlight are primary considerations, and the placement of rooms is as much dependent on how much the room needs heat and daylight as it is on how the residents use each space.The floor plan resembles the layout of a traditional peasant farmhouse, split lengthwise into two. The house consists of three multi-function areas: two large living rooms linked by a loft with a bathroom and walk-in closet below.In a typically Finnish fashion, the building appears simple, stark and utilitarian yet exudes a harmonious and stylish form & function sensibility. The owner and architect selected each building material carefully, opting for traditional, natural materials. “I did not want materials of which we did not have decades of experience,” said the owner. Horizontal spruce board – left untreated for maximum structure breathability -- is the main feature of the interior.The spruce-clad outer facade weathers into a beautiful gray color that matches the stark surroundings. The east-facing facade is clad with galvanized corrugated-steel that protects the wall from rain and sun and also reflects excessive sun away in the summer. The placement of windows was determined by the requirements of the interio...

This is a Flatpak house in Aspen, Colorado. I stumbled upon these shots in Flickr, so I don't have much background on the project. But we've featured modern Flatpak homes before in the Goodwin-Wise Flatpak and Lazor's Flatpak. Flatpak houses each have their own particular and interesting features, but the Flatpak system is the same. It's a menu of components for living that includes walls, cabinets, bathrooms, kitchen, and various built-ins. The components are pre fabricated and designed to meet the needs of a various owner and/or site.

Ak Malten said: "This, my Friends, is not new to me. This technique has been used for thousands of years to make coal from wood, by heating is to high temp..." [read]Michael Maloney, IBM Media Relations said: "Thank you for posting this article. I just want to point out that the link mentioned above for the IBM Mastering Carbon Management paper points to..." [read]kat said: "the best thing you can do for the environment transportation-wise does not have to do with what kind of car you buy, but with moving closer to work..." [read]Brian said: "I went to battle with the wife several years ago about buying a Kymco People 150. It took a bit of work to convince her it was a good idea - and g..." [read] said: "I've been involved with this project - so can answer a few of the questions. This story is really exciting because this trial paper shows t..." [read]

Well worth a visit to this site. The abandoned facade does not do justice to the jewel of a design on the interior.

It's an all-too-common complaint that modern prefabricated homes don't fit the utilitarian or economical requirements of the average Joe. Fortunately, these Joes have a sympathetic ear with Rocio Romero. The Missouri-based architect built her first prototype in 2000 as a Chilean vacation home for her parents, and in the last few years has seen a boom in construction of her efficient, inexpensive kit homes, with projects popping up across America.

It's not quite a glass-domed city yet, but St. Petersberg has taken the first steps towards that goal. British architecture firm Wilkinson Eyre, best known for the design of the Gateshead Millenium Bridge in Newcastle, unveiled a bold new plan to revamp the old market of St. Petersburg, Russia by putting it entirely under glass. Over the next few years they'll be putting a giant sheet of reinforced glass over Aprasin Dvor, a shopping district. A matching glass bridge will span the river. We've got some interesting facts about the project.

The Pixel House is an interesting project designed by Mass Studies and has an innovative design and a curve like geometry. It just looks like each pixel of stone jelled together to create this astonishing building, which apparently gives you an effect similar to that of a 3-dimensional picture.