* Residential Architecture: BIG & small House by Anonymous Architects

Residential Architecture:  BIG & small House by Anonymous Architects: “..This tiny house in northeast Los Angeles, California, USA, by local studio Anonymous Architects contains only three rooms and is lifted off the hillside on a set of concrete pilotis..Named BIG & small House, the two-storey residence was designed to maximise space, as it occupies a plot around half the size of its neighbours..Rather than squeeze in lots of small rooms, Anonymous Architects chose to add just one large living room, a single bathroom and a mezzanine bedroom. “What the house lacks in square footage it provides in volume,” explains the architect..A single-car parking garage runs along the side of the house, and the mezzanine bedroom stretches out over the top, allowing the combined living and dining room to become a double-height space..To increase natural light inside the house, interior partions don’t meet the ceiling. This was intended to create an “open-lofted feeling”..The shape of the house is defined by the outline of its sloping site. The base of the building barely touches the declining ground, but is held firmly in place by concrete-pile foundations..”The house is a completely isolated object,” (says) architect Simon Storey.. “It’s almost like a industrial shed compared to it’s neighbours, however the undulating roof softens the house just enough that it feels part of the neighborhood.”..Seamed metal sheets clad the entire exterior, while interior walls and floors are lined with timber..Anonymous Architects previously worked on another house on a small plot in Los Angeles and named it Eel’s Nest after the narrow residences found in Japanese cities..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, views; small footprint; interesting details and interior volumes..

See our post on another home by Anonymous Architects: Residential Architecture: Eels Nest House by Anonymous Architects.

image + article: Dezeen

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* Residential Architecture: Shaker Heights House by Dimit Architects

Residential Architecture: Shaker Heights House by Dimit Architects: “..This single-family residence was designed to facilitate the modern lifestyle of an active young family in the leafy Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio. The house plan is arranged as two basic wings— one is more public in function with living, dining, and entertaining spaces— the other is more private, providing bedrooms, home office, exercise room, and support spaces. The two wings meet at the heart of the house- an expansive open kitchen, with views to a protected rear courtyard with swimming and reflecting pools..The various rectilinear masses of the house is clad in either a light cast stone veneer or with ipe wood slats arranged over a rain-screen membrane. Generous walk-out roof decks, also surfaced with ipe wood slats, provide extensions for each of the second floor bedroom spaces, while the remaining flat roof surfaces are planted with green indigenous prairie grasses. Construction by Pistone and Tesauro Builders of Chagrin Falls was completed in the summer of 2012..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, courtyard views; interesting form, interior volumes, details and materiality..

See our post on another residential project by Dimit Architects: Residential Architecture: 27 Coltman Townhouses by Dimit Architects.

image: © Brad Feinknopf; article: Frey , Rodrigo . “Shaker Heights House / Dimit Architects” 19 Nov 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/295305&gt;

* Residential Architecture: Capitol Hill Residence by Balance Associates Architects

Residential Architecture: Capitol Hill Residence by Balance Associates Architects: “..With a compact form and several integrated sustainable systems, the Capitol Hill Residence achieves the client’s goals to maximize the site’s views and resources while responding to its micro climate.  Some of the sustainable systems are architectural in nature. For example, the roof rainwater collects into a steel entry water feature, day light from a typical overcast Seattle sky penetrates deep into the house through a central translucent slot, and exterior mounted mechanical shades prevent excessive heat gain without sacrificing the view.  Hidden systems affect the energy consumption of the house  such as the buried geothermal wells and heat pumps that aid in both heating and cooling, and a 30 panel photovoltaic system mounted on the roof feeds electricity back to the grid..The minimal foundation sits within the footprint of the previous house, while the upper floors cantilever off the foundation as if to float above the front entry water feature and surrounding landscape. The house is divided by a sloped translucent ceiling that contains the main circulation space and stair allowing daylight deep into the core. Acrylic cantilevered treads with glazed guards and railings keep the visual appearance of the stair light and airy allowing the living and dining spaces to flow together..While the footprint and overall form of the Capitol Hill Residence were shaped by the restrictions of the site, the architectural and mechanical systems at work define the aesthetic. Working closely with a team of engineers, landscape architects, and solar designers we were able to arrive at an elegant, environmentally sustainable home that achieves the needs of the clients, and fits within the context of the site and surrounding community..”  Extensive glazing, natural light; interesting interior volumes and materials; sustainability..

See our posts on five other homes by Balance Associates Architects:

• Residential Architecture: Foster Loop House by Balance Associates Architects
• Residential Architecture: Wintergreen Cabin by Balance Associates Architects
• Residential Architecture: Cortes Island Residence by Balance Associates Architects
• Residential Architecture: River Bank House by Balance Associates Architects
• Residential Architecture: Wolf Creek View Cabin by Balance Associates Architects

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image: © Steve Keating Photography; Cifuentes , Fabian . “Capitol Hill Residence / Balance Associates Architects” 15 Oct 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/281447&gt;

 

* Architecture: Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland by Farshid Moussavi

Architecture: Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland by Farshid Moussavi: “..This six-sided building covered in mirrors is the new home for the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland in Ohio, USA by London-based architect Farshid Moussavi..The four-storey building, which opened this weekend, features faceted walls clad in mirrored black stainless steel and replaces the museum’s former address in the loft of an old playhouse complex..Visitors to the museum arrive inside a full-height atrium, where the structure of the walls is left exposed and the surfaces have been painted bright blue..White staircases lead up to galleries on each of the floors, including a large top floor exhibition space where the ceiling is coloured with the same blue paint as the walls to offer an alternative to the standard ‘white-cube’ gallery..Located at the intersection of two major avenues, the museum faces onto a new public square by landscape architects James Corner Field Operations and has entrances on four of its elevations for flexibility between different exhibitions and events..As the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland is a non-collecting museum, it places extra emphasis on public programmes and events, which will take place inside a double-height multi-purpose space on the building’s ground floor..Farshid Moussavi Architecture completed the project in collaboration with architects Westlake Reed Leskosky, who are based in Cleveland..Farshid Moussavi launched her studio just over a year ago..” (slideshow included in article..)..

See our other posts on work by James Corner Field Operations:

• Architecture: James Corner Field Operations Team Wins Navy Pier Competition
• Architecture: High Line at the Rail Yards Design Unveiled
• Architecture: James Corner Field Operations – Fast Company 50 Most Innovative Companies
• Urban Design: PIERSCAPE by James Corner Field Operations
• Architecture: Landscape Architecture: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park by James Corner Field Operations
• Architecture + Urban Design: Section 2 of the High Line (New York City)

image: Dean Kaufman; article: Dezeen

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