Casa Q by asensio_mah and J.M. Aguirre Aldaz
Casa Q sits perched on a hillside on Spain’s north coast, a dark, angular abode overlooking the town below. The dramatic modernist home, composed of several skewed rectangular volumes, is clad with black metal panels punctuated by large, sunken windows. A walkway bordered by concrete retaining walls rises gradually from the street to reach the main entry and a sizeable deck with an integrated pool. Adjacent to the walkway, a driveway is carved into the hillside to provide access to a ground level garage. Concrete retaining walls are used across the property to create an overall terraced effect.
Inside the home, neutral materials and colors await the personal touch of future residents. Naturally finished wood floors and clean white surfaces abound. Skylights in the main living spaces accompany the windows to provide ample natural light.
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Interiors & Exteriors by Leder+Ragnarsdottir+OEI
In Lörrach, Germany, architecture firm Lederer+Ragnarsdottir+OEI completed a project at the University of Education that included a renovation of existing campus buildings, exterior space planning, and construction of new educational facilities. Originally built in the 1960’s, the school was designed around a central courtyard using modern theory and ideals. Transparency, views of the landscape, and social hubs were all important determining factors in the original design. To modernize the campus while still honoring the existing structures and ideology, LRO created a layout “based on the conviction that a considerable part of studying happens outside of classrooms.” Consequently, a second, larger courtyard was created to act as a hub for the new construction. A series of lecture pavilions extend out from the courtyard and an outdoor auditorium lies at the junction of the old and new structures.
LRO is committed to “learn from the long tradition of building without falling into historicism,” and the project in Lörrach is a perfect example. The essence of the original campus remains, but in a thoroughly modernized form.
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Minimalist Home by Takao Akiyama
A stark, minimalist carport radiates out from the main living space of this home by Takao Akiyama, drastically differentiating it from neighbors. The carport includes an integrated covered walkway that leads to the rectilinear, glass-walled volumes of the home, creating an exterior courtyard. The interior spaces reflect the aesthetic style of the exterior, with minimally furnished rooms and bright white surfaces. A few select furnishings in bright primary colors provide occasional divergence from the white. Spaces progress from public functions near the street to private functions with opaque glass at the rear of the property
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Ed Peden’s Missile Silo Home
In the mid 80’s, Bruce Townsley decided to move from his Chicago home in exchange for a decidedly less conventional abode. After an exhaustive search, Townsley finally located an abandoned missile silo in Abilene, Texas. At ground level, the property gives little indication of the underground lair. A few corrugated metal sheds, solar panels, and concrete slabs are the only man-built structures dotting the barren landscape. Unbeknownst to casual observers, the concrete slabs are actually hydraulically operated doors that open to reveal the cavernous 185 foot deep underground silo and attached 2200 square foot living space.
Townsley purchased the property in 1997, and moved in after two years of extensive renovation. Inside, two identical circular levels are suspended around a central concrete column. The silo, living spaces, and above ground structures are connected by a series of stairways and several 6600 pound blast doors. The décor is simple and clean, with white walls and exposed concrete ceilings and columns. The plan is open and bright, despite its subterranean nature. See the rest at Wired.
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Casa View, Rosario – Argentina by Johnston Marklee + Diego Arraigada Arquitecto
Argentine architecture firm Diego Arraigada Arquitecto worked in cooperation with American firm Johnston MarkLee to design and build this home in Rosario, Argentina. The curvaceous concrete structure derives its shape from a desire to reconcile a view of the landscape with privacy from neighbors. Consequently, the two architecture firms decided to forego a traditional façade hierarchy, instead creating a shape with no front, rear, or side designations, and “a surface that continuously modulates the relationship of interior to exterior.” Desirable landscape features are carefully framed with windows, while views into the home are blocked. The concrete exterior was constructed using traditional local techniques, and its marred, rough surface honestly reflects its origins and construction methods. Inside, however, smooth, curved white walls and dark wood floors provide marked contrast.
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Canoe Reach House by Steendyk Architects
Approached from the street, the Canoe Reach House presents itself as a low slung, single story abode cut partially into a hillside. A front lawn slopes up to meet the upper level and a garage and lower level access are sunken into the yard. Viewed from the rear, however, the Steendyk Architects designed home in Brisbane reveals its sizeable interior volumes and integrated exterior spaces. The house implements a u-shaped plan, which surrounds a soaring central courtyard. The courtyard anchors all of the living spaces in the house, and serves as a flexible indoor/outdoor gathering area with a focus on the river running along the rear edge of the property. The outdoor space also incorporates a steel framed, cantilevered glass living space that shades a pool and additional patio space.
At the courtyard level, most living spaces incorporate sliding glass panels and uninterrupted planes of stone flooring to merge interior with exterior. Various species of wood and several types of stone throughout the home add warmth to the modern décor. Bedrooms are isolated on the upper level of the home.
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Swizz Style Viktor Air Purifier
If you have an indoor fireplace, more often than not the fuel does not burn as odorless as it was declared. Fortunately, for these conditions and similar, an air purifier is a true domestic bliss. The company Swizz Style caters modern interiors with a visually appealing purifier that eagerly waits to purify your interior air with its potent three stage air filtration system – an initial preliminary filter followed by the patent pending HPP particle filter system that is capable of even catching soot and viruses, and a carbon filter to eliminate unwanted odors. The whisper-quiet Viktor air purifier further features a night mode and a fragrance dispenser to append an intended scent. Avilable now at Swizz Style.
Cole Valley San Fransisco Home by Mork-Unles Design
In San Francisco, a Victorian renovation by Mork-Ulnes Design drew considerable attention as part of the recent AIA Home Tours. Originally constructed in 1896, the home’s previous uses included a women’s boarding house and hippie commune. Mork-Ulnes’ renovation sought to retain the character of the various phases while modernizing and tailoring the home to its current tenants. To achieve this balance, salvaged materials were used throughout the home, and select features were either revealed or left unrestored. Douglas fir floorboards from the attic were used to construct the glass-railed butcher-block stairway, and on the upper levels, a stained glass window from the 1960’s and exposed brick walls serve as reminders of the past. Mork-Ulnes also made a dedicated effort to make the renovation environmentally friendly. They used recycled denim insulation, zero VOC finishes, and utilized local cabinet makers. Mid century and Scandinavian furniture are combined with modern hardware and several new skylights to create an interior where new inhabitants can add to the storied past of the home.
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Villa in Miami by Max Strang Architects
This home in Miami, Florida started as an outdated contemporary residence built in the 1980’s, but emerged as a modern masterpiece after a total overhaul by Max Strang Architecture. Located in Coconut Grove, Miami’s oldest neighborhood, the home is enveloped by lush tropical gardens that played a central role in the redesign. Though initially plagued by 80’s design trends such as glass block and popcorn ceilings, Strang recognized a basic modern appeal underlying the home. After stripping away the remnants of two prior remodels, new larger windows were added and arranged to create a cohesive exterior design and allow uninhibited views of the tropical foliage. The aging infrastructure was also completely revamped.
Stark, white planar surfaces prevail inside, where the homeowner displays a formidable collection of large-format photography. To further complement the collection, only northern light is allowed to enter the main living gallery. A gallery-like atmosphere pervades throughout the rest of the home with double height volumes, gray tiled floors, and glass rails on the second floor.
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North House South by formodesign
The North House South is a conceptual home design from Polish design firm formodesign that intersects a traditional gabled roof form with a modern rectangular volume. The dark shingled traditional portion houses the kitchen and living and dining areas while the white, flat-roofed sections contain bedrooms. The bedrooms are raised above the site and harbor a sunken parking area below. Part of the challenge that formodesign faced in producing this model was the primarily north-south orientation of the site. To avoid a dark interior, the main living areas are virtually transparent and flanked by terraces. The few east or west facing windows are shaded naturally by existing trees on the site.
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