MUJI’s Thonet Desks
Finding a reasonable, good, modern laptop desk–essentially a small, well-designed table–can be a surprisingly difficult task, as this writer has experienced. The search generally leads to tables that are too large, too ornate, or too cheaply constructed. Japanese retailer Muji, premier purveyor of design minimalism, ends that search, carrying two sets by German furniture manufacturer Thonet that makes being a connoisseur of modern a much easier enterprise. The two sets–one a soft modernism of beech bentwood and the other a tubular steel beauty– are available in-store only.
See Muji’s laptop desk sets after the jump.
Bridge House by Max Pritchard Architect
Just outside of Adelaide, Australia, a bridge house by architect Max Pritchard spans a rocky river creek dotted with red river gum trees. The home uses widely available industrial building materials and passive heating and cooling techniques to stay financially and ecologically prudent. Its primary structural elements are a pair of massive trusses that span the ravine, anchored by concrete piers. Pritchard asserts that he aimed to design a home that “touched the earth lightly.” The home lies between the trusses and implements a concrete slab floor, large glass panels, and corrugated steel on both the roof and walls. The long, narrow floor plan makes the house conducive to natural cross-ventilation, which combines with louvered window overhangs that allow sun to enter in the winter and block it during the summer. Photovoltaic cells and solar water heaters are mounted on the roof, further reinforcing the sustainable nature of the home.
See more images of the Bridge House after the jump.
Half Buried House in Chihuahua, Mexico
Protruding from a hillside in Chihuahua, Mexico, this home by architecture firm PRODUCTURA is a dramatic deviation from its traditional neighbors. Located in a prestigious golf course community, the owners and architects creatively interpreted local zoning laws to build a decidedly modern structure. The dynamic roof lines mimic the surrounding hilly terrain and create opportunities for outdoor terraces and windows with views of the sprawling adjacent golf course. The desert climate in Chihuahua was the driving force behind the sunken design of the home. With temperatures varying by 80 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of a day, cutting into the earth was the most effective method to keep the home comfortable at all times. The thermal mass of the earth, in collaboration with the white exterior, minimize heat gain during the day. At night, the heat absorbed by the hillside during the day is released into the home’s interior.
See more images after the jump.
Contemporary Australian Home
In the inner city suburb of South Yarra, in Melbourne, RT Edgar Estate recently closed on this spacious three bedroom modern home. Built upon a tight lot among more traditional homes, the blocky stucco façade leaves a lasting impression with its numerous sliding glass doors and black steel columns. Moving into the home’s interior, large primary spaces span the length of the house, and at the rear, sliding glass panels can be pushed aside to create a single, uninterrupted space between interior and exterior. The interior design scheme relies upon high contrast black and white fixtures and furniture set against a heavily grained wood floor. The exterior space at the rear of the house continues the color scheme with a dark wood deck and white stucco privacy walls. A pool borders one side of the yard while a driveway leading to a five car underground garage borders the other. Additional outdoor lounging space can be found on a rooftop deck, accessed by the third level loft, where residents can enjoy views of the city’s botanical gardens.
See more images of this Australian home after the jump.
Haus Bold by Thomas Bendel
German architect Thomas Bendel designed and oversaw the construction of Haus Bold, a sculptural concrete residence on a sparse seaside site. The shell of the home is composed of prefabricated concrete elements, arranged in a manner reminiscent of a half-pipe. The voids created by the concrete formwork are occupied by black anodized aluminum frames and glass panels. Haus Bold exudes an overt industrial aesthetic, especially when viewed in its natural context. The interior maintains the exterior theme, with concrete walls and ceilings complemented by black stone flooring. A few select classic modern furnishings adorn the interior, allowing the distinctive architecture to take center stage.
More images after the jump.
Audi Design Grand Piano
This modern concert grand piano, a collaboration between Audi Design Studio and Vienna-based piano manufacturer Bösendorfer, is stunning enough to make the most novice of ivory ticklers at least appear like a pro. The piano, to be unveiled July 16, celebrates the brand’s centenary, with a stunning design, produced with the utmost detail, out of a combination of two exceptional—albeit different–studios. Bösendorfer which began creating acoustic pianos in 1828, generally has a somewhat baroque approach to design. Audi, for its part, obviously did not want to limit the instrument’s natural wonder and ability to create specific sounds, but was looking for a more streamlined aesthetic, and had to account for precision craft skills with tolerances down to one five-hundredth of a millimetre.
“Generous surface areas ensure formal clarity; there are no decorative applications, the edges and lines are sharply drawn, the joints logically positioned. All these are important aspects of the Audi design,” says Designer Philip Schlesinger, who implemented the project at the Concept Design Studio in Munich. The lid, which slopes seamlessly to the base, in a one-piece innovation implemented by Audi. A hidden handle opens the lid, and hinges are concealed. While retaining the classic black piano finish, typical Audi brand colors were used for the interior—for example, a grey cast frame, and white felt damper strips.
See more images after the jump.
Casa 45 Faber Park by Ong & Ong
During construction of the home at 45 Faber Park, architecture firm Ong & Ong were faced with the challenge of keeping as much of the surrounding environment intact as possible. Despite the preservationist preferences of the client, the house borne from the design process stands out dramatically against its natural backdrop. The most prominent design element is the upper volume of the home, cantilevered past a natural stone base, clad in black metal paneling. Windows are cut into the paneling, visually lightening what is otherwise a dominant element. Natural materials such as teak decking and marble abound throughout, countering the more modern elements. The lower level employs sliding glass panels that allow interior livings spaces to merge seamlessly with outdoor living spaces and provide pool access.
Check out more of the Casa 45 Faber Park after the jump.
Altec Lansing Expressionist Plus Speakers
Because sometimes floor to ceiling, wall-recessed, $200,000 speakers may be a bit inappropriate, Altec Lansing introduces the sleek Expressionist Plus. The set includes a pair of 2-inch, 4-watt speakers with adjustable bases for directing sound, plus a 5.25-inch, 20-watt subwoofer–and retails for only $100. With a simple auxiliary jack that makes it a snap to connect to computers, MP3, CD and DVD players, the speakers not only save space on your desktop, but also in your wallet.
See more of the Altec Lansing Expressionist Plus Speakers after the jump.
Chalkidos Street Residence by Armon Architects
Introversion was the driving force behind the striking design of the Chalkidos Street Residence. Designed by Armon Choros Architektonikis for a reticent art collector, the Cyprus residence utilizes an immense curved concrete wall to shield an interior courtyard and most of the home’s exterior windows. The wall is fenestrated by openings high along its west side which cast patterns of daylight into the exterior and interior spaces. A lap pool in the courtyard also pierces through the wall’s south side at the street level, allowing the public a brief glimpse into the home. The interior is composed of vertical planes, placed specifically to showcase the owner’s extensive art collection.
See more after the jump.
Glass Roof House by Sambuichi Architects
The Base Valley House, designed by Japanese architect Hiroshi Sambuichi, was constructed with its natural context acting as a guiding principle. Sambuichi strives to extensively analyze the site of his projects, ensuring that they respond as sensitively as possible to their environment. Consequently, the Base Valley House is located primarily underground, where the existing mass of a hillside provides passive climate control. Augmenting the thermal qualities of the earth, a “wind street” is cut through the center of the hill to provide natural ventilation. The most visible portion of the house is its angular glass roof, which allows generous amounts of daylight into the interior and covers an outdoor deck, where the family that inhabits the home can enjoy views of the adjacent river and mountains.
See more of the Glass Roof House after the jump.
