* Residential Architecture: Tower House by Gluck+

Residential Architecture:  Tower House by Gluck+: “..This holiday home in upstate New York, USA, by US firm Gluck+ features an elevated living room that hovers nine metres above the ground..As the weekend retreat for Thomas Gluck – one of the firm’s principals – and his family, Tower House was designed as a four-storey tower with a “treetop aerie”, affording mountain views across the nearby Catskill Park..The house is glazed on every side. In some places Gluck+ has fitted dark green panels behind to camouflage the walls with the surrounding woodland, while other areas remain transparent, revealing a bright yellow staircase that zigzags up behind the southern elevation..Taut vertical cables form the balustrade for this staircase and are interspersed with small lights, intended to look like fireflies after dark..One of the main aims of the design was to minimise the impact on the landscape. The architects achieved this by lifting the large living areas off the ground and stacking bedrooms and bathrooms on the three floors beneath, creating a base footprint of just 40 square metres..This arrangement also allows all of the wet rooms to be arranged in an insulated central core. When the house isn’t is use, this core isolates the heating systems, helping to reduce energy consumption..The three bedrooms are positioned on the north side of the house, where they can benefit from the most consistent daylight, and contain yellow furniture to match the colour of the staircase..The living room above is divided up into four different zones by the arrangement of furniture and features a 12-metre-long window seat that spans the entire space. There’s also a secluded roof terrace on the next level up..New York-based Gluck+ was known until recently as Peter Gluck and Partners. The firm is now run by Peter, his son Thomas, and three other principals..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, views; interesting cantilevered form, fenestration, furnishings.. Interesting photos and slideshow..

See our posts on two other home by Gluck+:

• Residential Architecture: Urban Townhouse by GLUCK+
• Residential Architecture: Rado Redux by Peter Gluck and Partners

image: © Paul Warchol; article: Dezeen

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* Design: Milan Design Week 2013 Map

Design: Milan Design Week 2013 Map: “..Milan 2013: the design world descends on Milan next week. To help you navigate the hundreds of events around the city we’ve compiled a map with our pick of the best exhibitions, parties and talks..”  Once again the excellent Dezeen helps guide us through the events of, perhaps, the most important design event of the year..

image: Dezeen, Google; article: Dezeen

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* Residential Architecture: House at Punta Chilen by dRN Architects

Residential Architecture:  House at Punta Chilen by dRN Architects: “..A Corten steel roof folds over the upper storey and terrace of this house on the Chilean Island of Chiloé by dRN Architects..Wooden columns and glazed strips form the ground floor facade overlooking the water, with a more open structure enclosing the lounge and kitchen on the upper floor..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, sea and mountain views; interesting form, materiality, interior volumes; extraordinary site..

image: Felipe Camus of Chilean architecture database Barqo; article: Dezeen

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* Residential Architecture: Omnibus House by Gubbins Arquitectos

Residential Architecture:  Omnibus House by Gubbins Arquitectos: “..Chilean architect Pedro Gubbins designed this concrete residence as a rural retreat for himself and his family and has balanced it on top of a dry-stone wall..Named Omnibus House, the long and narrow residence is constructed on the side of a hill and the wall beneath it functions as a retainer against the sloping landscape..Gubbins wanted the house to be visually linked to the outdoor spaces of its woodland location, so he designed the concrete volume with lengths of glazing stretching across its longest facades, allowing views right through the building..”All the issues with privacy are solved because of the slope of the location,” said Jose Quintana Cabezas, an architect at Gubbins Arquitectos. “There are neighbours, but they are far away enough to not to have visual contact, plus all the tree trunks help.”..One of the most prominent features of the house is a concrete staircase that cuts through its centre, connecting the rooms on the main floor with an entrance on the storey below and a terrace on the rooftop..Corridors run along both sides of the building, while rooms are arranged in sequence between. Glazed partitions divide the living and dining rooms, either side of the staircase, while wooden boards separate the bedrooms at the western end..The concrete walls are exposed inside the building, plus polished concrete floors run through each room..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, forest views; interesting interior volumes with glass walls; interesting materiality, contextuality, details; visual sensibility; indoor / outdoor sensibility; lovely dry stone wall; 18-image slideshow in original article..

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image + article: Dezeen