* Residential Architecture: Casa Alta by AS/D Asociación de Diseño

Residential Architecture:  Casa Alta by AS/D Asociación de Diseño: “..Hundreds of perforations are dotted across the monolithic facade of this weekend house outside Mexico City by AS/D Asociación de Diseño..The architects were inspired by the shapes of surrounding trees to create the patterns, which provide a simple relief across walls clad with Trespa rainscreen panels..Named Casa Alta, the three-storey building has a tower-like form that is set into the sloping landscape of its valley setting..“The building became an observation tower house and this allowed the perforated tree image to be better read from the facade,”..The building’s entrance leads into a living room on the middle floor, while the kitchen and dining area is located below and the bedroom and bathroom can be found upstairs..Stairs also lead up from the bedroom to a wooden deck on the roof. “We had to come up with a sliding deck which could open and close, but also have a minimum impact on the overall volume, said Velasco.  The deck slides closed over the bedroom to complete the wooden floor, resulting in a larger surface to enjoy the view.”..”  Interesting  perforated dark cladding and interior volumes..

image: Rafael Gamo; article: Dezeen

designalog : contact

* Residential Architecture: Splitters Creek House by Nest Architects

Residential Architecture: Splitters Creek House by Nest Architects: “..This house is located just north of the Victorian border about 30 minutes west of  Albury in  rural New South Wales, Australia. In the tiny town of Splitters Creek, the site is approximately 3.6 hectares of grassed and woodland.  On a very steep block the house is nestled into the hillside, in the location of the clients’ favourite picnic spot..The clients wanted a family home with overlapping spaces, where multiple activities could occur simultaneously but in connection with each other.  This strategy assisted with the response to the sloping site, and generated a floor plan of four interlocking split-levels. The house responds directly to the views around the site with large expansive views from the meals and living areas and more private intimate views from the bedrooms..The lower level features a main bedroom with ensuite and a guest room with a tiny bathroom behind the timber bedhead. The layout of which is somewhat similar to a hotel room. The ensuite similar to a hotel suite..The next level up is home to the main living area. A large open plan room which comprises a kitchen, a dining space with a built in banquette seat. To the side of the banquette is a smallish area for the TV which itself opens out onto a north east facing deck and the pool beyond. A large timber platform brings these spaces together and gives the 4 children a place to play..The entry level is lined to the living and kitchen space via a timber stair with a copper balustrade. The change of level between these spaces (approx. 1.2m) is mediated by a timber and white acrylic storage compartments that are fixed to tall timber posts. This level is connected to a large internal courtyard from the kids play room. The courtyard provides a sheltered outdoor dining and play area from the harsh summer sun or freezing winter winds..The upper level houses 3 bedrooms which all have a private and somewhat sheltered outlook onto the slope of the hill. Services areas and a large garage are also found on this level..”  Abundant glazing, natural light; extensive wood use; interesting interior volumes..

designalog : contact

image: © Nic Granleese; article: Gaete , Javier . “Splitters Creek House / Nest Architects” 02 Nov 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/289006&gt;

* Residential Architecture: Casa nel Bosco di Ulivi by Luca Zanaroli

Residential Architecture: Casa nel Bosco di Ulivi by Luca Zanaroli: “..Luca Zanaroli designed a house in an olive grove in Morciano di Leuca, Italy..The land on which it should have been made the new building was and still is full of beautiful olive trees. The intention of the designer was to maintain the integrity of the perception of the place without changing the natural look with explants or movement and not to alter the color effect of the whole..To achieve this it was therefore necessary to obtain a proper landscaping of the building: the choice of its location was important (it was explanted or moving a single tree to build the new building), but not crucial to a harmonious relationship with the environment ..To reduce the impact of the new building, the designer also spoke volumes and materials. On the one hand working to decomposition and subtraction by disassembling the volume into several blocks corresponding also to the functional spaces of the house (both internal and external) then re-assembled so as to obtain both their optimal use that the overall ratio between the masses..On the other characterizing the individual parts of the building with traditional materials and local (literally found at the site) as the stones obtained from the excavations to build the swimming pool then used to coat the exterior walls of the building, with white lime plaster to define simple volumes and minimal living spaces both internally and externally..A sort of box in the box where the outer shell which also serves as the link between the context (the stones were deliberately left “dirty” the land from which they were extracted) encloses a volume and the contemporary language which, however, does not close itself but seeks dialogue with its surroundings through large windows and views of the countryside enhancing the specific character of the landscape through the full integration and fusion of the interior with the exterior..The stone walls laid dry as the local tradition of the walls that surround the fields also play a thermo-regulatory function of the building. The mass and the air gap between the stones are in fact a good layer of insulation for the sunny parts of the building facing south and west influencing effectively in the gradient temperature and humidity and environmental comfort of living spaces..The materials used are all natural and locally sourced as the stone of Cursi for external flooring wood for the solarium pool cement mortars based on lime plaster for interior floors and walls of the bathrooms..”  Extensive glazing, natural light; interesting fenestration, materiality; indoor / outdoor sensibility..

See our post on another home by Luca Zanaroli: Residential Architecture: Saracen Trullo House in Ostuni by Luca Zanaroli.

image: Chiara Cadeddu; article: Contemporist

designalog : contact

* Residential Architecture: Blairgowrie House by Intermode

Residential Architecture: Blairgowrie House by Intermode: “..This residence is the latest modular housing project by Intermode. The house is located in the beachside town of Blairgowrie, 100km south of Melbourne. The site for the house is a narrow, sloping site, surrounded by native vegetation including Moonah trees and tea trees. This modular design is has a predominantly solid spine wall facing the south, while the long glazed elevation is orientated towards the northern views..The design brief for the Blairgowrie Residence was based on three key zones: 1. a kitchen, living and dining area located at the entrance of the house; 2. a separate bedroom and bathroom zone; 3. a central external entertainment zone bridging these other to areas with a glazed walkway..The owner of the Blairgowrie home is a Melbourne based retiree who already had a holiday house in the area but was keen to build a new home on a new block that would offer him a more modern and peaceful lifestyle. He approached Intermode seeking a home that would allow his family to engage with the local natural environment yet afford them privacy. They wanted to feel a sense of separation from the outside world..Intermode responded to the client brief by providing a solid entry into the home and positioning glazing in strategic areas to maximise views to private vistas. The home is ideally suited to its coastal location. Polished concrete floors keep the house cool in the hotter months and are easy to clean of sand and dirt brought in from the surroundings. Expansive decks support outside entertaining – an essential part of a coastal Australian lifestyle. The home is Intermode’s most successful home at maximising passive energy efficiency achieving a 7 star energy rating..”  Extensive glazing, natural light; passive energy efficiency; modular design..

See our posts on other modular homes by Intermode and Carr Design Group:

• Residential Architecture: Kyneton Residence by Intermode
• Residential Architecture: Country Victoria Modular House by Carr Design Group

designalog : contact

image: © Derek Swalwell; article: Alarcon , Jonathan . “Blairgowrie House / Intermode” 30 Oct 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/283801&gt;