Kind of torn when it comes to blogging about uber-mod architecture since I heart Unhappy Hipsters so much, but the work from the Komada studio is just too solid to ignore. Check out their site to take in the depth and breadth of their work, but it’s the image above that really pulled me in. It’s an understatement to say that most Modern/Post Modern spaces tend to look far too sterile, so seeing contrasting space carved out for meditation/concentration that strikes me as inviting is an awesome change of pace. Via whatwedoissecret.
http://www.vimeo.com/10774063
Beware anything comprised of 60,000 fiber optic cables….and movies with terribly long load times. Worth the wait by the way, since most people (like myself) have seen pictures, which are impressive but don’t quite do the structure justice.
Sagan Piechota Architecture pushes ‘Form over Function’ almost as far as residential housing can go with the Division Knoll Residence in Big Sur, California. Use of simple materials (glass, stone, wood, copper) in unusually dramatic proportions help to put the focus on the environment more than the house itself. Can’t wait to see how that copper ages and stains those nice blue-tinted windows….
“It’s not really about the architecture itself, but more about the architecture as a vessel for looking at the view,” is a bit of an understatement, but what about the lack of privacy? Turns out there is ample structure below grade since the building is cut into the hill it sits on. At least I hope that’s the case, regardless this does have more personality than today’s post-post modern boxy boxes that I heart so much. Via Dezeen.
I hate it when something like this rolls out in Europe and I’m not able to get my hands on anything state-side. In this case it’s as simple as cable jackets, but since the connector types and US standards are different it’s hopeless. In the old days of electrical service ‘Rod and Tube‘ were the only option, as there was no plastic outermold for wiring. Which, by the way is a much safer option. The previous approach was to place a textile jacket, a woven material over the outside of the wires to insulate them.
From an aesthetic standpoint this is much more friendly than the sterile white, beige, or black cables we have now grown accostomed to. It would seem that this is seeing a resurgence within the design community in an effort to take something mundane/obtrusive and make it a decorative element. If you can’t hide it then flaunt it? Three patterns in 37 colors is a nice start to show versatility. Perfect solution if you ask me, but I want it nowish. Check out the NUD site for more details. Via FrogDesign’s blog.
As if Austin needed an excuse to seem cooler, this house definitely brings to light the fact that people there have some decidedly non-Texan taste. I heart the clean lines although the proportions could be a bit slimmer; seems a bit chunky as-is. Also a bit too much glass which allows for little/no privacy, but my favorite element is the use of indigenous wood siding.
I have some in my house and I can tell you that Cypress is going to be hell for maintenance but that grain makes it worth it. Wasn’t sure what to expect from a firm named ‘Dick Clark Architecture,’ but am impressed nonetheless. Via Contemporist.
For when you want your house to have that ‘Alice in Wonderland’ look and feel. I heart it how furniture designers tend to take things in either a Refined Modern or Fine Arts direction since you can’t really combine the two. Regardless, a pretty interesting approach to making a mirror something more. By Front Design, Via Mocoloco.
When I see things like this I immediately wonder if someone has the ol’ Bauhaus archives handy in order to verify that it hasn’t been done before. It’s so simple in terms of design yet offers up so much flexibility in terms of set-up that I find it difficult to think someone else hadn’t designed it first. I heart the black edge detail and contrast with the white shelving, which kicks it up a notch. Too bad it would be cost-prohibitive in order to apply this treatment to the surface notches as well. Best part is all you need is a table saw to build it yourself. Via contemporist
Tadao Ando is someone who produces stunning yet polarizing work. Even if you don’t understand architecture you have to appreciate what he brings to the equation in terms of balance and focus on proportion by the ubiquity of his material of choice; concrete. This is a coffee table book worth paying around $100 based on the juxtapositions of interior/exterior spaces and landscape integration for if you ask me. Taschen just can’t fail in this space and really doesn’t waste it’s time on artists that don’t deserve their attention–the perfect business model. Via Curated.
Usually I bitch and moan about spaces in misalignment between interior and exterior or ‘heart it’ when someone nails architectural detailing. In this case I have to backtrack a bit and say that this is a structure deserving of a separation between ‘church and state’ so to speak. In this case I wouldn’t like it any other way, since if the interior echoed the exterior (or vice versa) the structure would be pedestrian at best.
From the outside it first seems notable that the logs run perpendicular to their surroundings. Cool, but not exactly blogworthy. Then I took in the detailing on the shutters, done in an almost camouflage manner, which creates a seamless effect. Not easy to pull off from a manufacturing perspective either, requiring a truly custom build. At this point we have something worth appreciation–but wait, there’s more.
Yup. Uber-mod interior. Clean, glossy finish, tidy with a crisp linear feel. Perfect for a studio space since inspiration is right outside. Plus i’ts on wheels so you can cart it anywhere. I really appreciate the shift from urban to rural by simply shutting a door. It’s perfect since it was designed by Dutch architect Piet Hein Eek for a musician to simply rock out to. Via IfItsHip.
