linear house: patkau architects

i've been waiting to hear something more about this patkau project. i first was exposed to the linear house during good ol' boy - kenneth frampton's 80th birthday party at GSAPP. the north american anthology. that was a great day! terrific firms presenting a broad range of work from all over the upper american continent.

so the linear house. ran across it again on archdaily (big surprise there right?). it's this very clean form - a line - nestled in the threshold between old growth douglas firs and a canadian prairie. the house almost disappears into the landscape. i wish the diagram they showed during their lecture would've made it to the web. it captures the essence of the project in such a clear and straightforward manner.

the shadowy palette of the exterior of the fibre-cement panels are contrasted with the luminous acrylic panels on the interior and sky lights. nice touch... and it's pretty bad ass that the whole house can open up via folding panels create a dialog with the surrounding environment; an open air pavilion of sorts.

one thing i admire about these architects is their ability to capture and highlight the essence of site. and, amplify the contextual highlights (orchard, prairie, views between the trees) through clean, simple, well-detailed designs. their sensitivity regarding materiality is always refreshing. in this case, the design reminds me of todd williams and billie tsien's work. the lexicon wood glass, wood and stone is a combination i will always love.

© James Dow

back to nature; constructed ruin

fantastic! urban reclamation project in tokyo.

a 'haunted' house is magically transformed through the power of design. once covered in ivy, the designer stripped the over-growth revealing the structural elements long left to the passage of time.

i admire the restraint - not to completely gut and start anew. the old structure and new surfaces are well-balanced; it helps to tell the story of the dwelling, not simply masking it behind clean white walls.

a quick overview and stream of consciousness ramble, but check out the whole story.

photos courtesy of takeshi yamagishi

tolo house_ alvaro siza

álvaro leite siza vieira's tolo house (son of architect alvaro siza) is based in lugar das carvalhinhas, portugal. it’s a great work manipulating the hillside slope. the result is a superb layering of space based on rigorous, modular abstraction of cubic geometries. organized along a long linear spine the interconnected volumes reveal a unique elevation on each of its four sides.

the project include three bedrooms, a social bathroom, a living room, a dinning room, a small kitchen with a support washbasin, pantry, and even a small outdoor swimming pool. the outdoor patios, corresponding to the roofs of various levels, are connected through a pedestrian path bordering the lot.

the pragmatics of the site [steep topography] in concert with the economic constraints produced a partially buried house. enclosed with concrete provides high thermal barrier, while the revealing some cubes references the surrounding cliff faces. the plan layout attempts to preserve the pre-existing trees; hence the rotations in plan adapting to the natural morphology of the terrain…

you’d never even notice this house as you approach from car at the highest part on the north end of the project. a stone footpath provides access from the south, at the bottom of the hill: a more rustic option. additionally, the concrete spaces take advantage of the site’s southern exposure: receiving optimal southern exposure.

visual tension is created through the manipulation of concrete and wood. carving reveals light adding drama to the sculpted cubes cascading down the hillside. the material palette is simple, clean, and reserved: concrete, wood, white surfaces.

“the roof functions simultaneously as pavement support for the gardens: similar to the traditional threshing floors and patios in the northern regions of the country with hilly terrain.” its fragmentation only adds to its allure.

photos found @: fernando guerra

vals [redux]

here's a clever little project that has found a place at the feet peter zumthor's thermal baths....



the dutch architect's[SeARCH] ask;
"shouldn’t it be possible to conceal a house in an alpine slope while still exploiting the wonderful views and allowing light to enter?"



the steep topography of the site provided opportunities for expansive views across the valley while views from the bath house remained unspoiled.


true to form [as we all learned in architectural history] the swiss required a timber frame model of the residence to be constructed at the site for neighbors and authorities to critique. the residence is a great example of pragmatic, unobtrusive development; neighbors were delighted.




photos © iwan baan