* Residential Architecture: Burton Residence by Marmol Radziner

Residential Architecture: Burton Residence by Marmol Radziner: “..This vacation home is set on the crest of a grassy knoll on a 160-acre site in Mendocino County, California, USA. The goal was to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the property by siting the retreat in a careful, simple, and unobtrusive manner. The 10-module home forms an L-shaped plan, framing views of a canopy of mature oak trees to the south and east..The road leading to the house climbs the hill and ends at the carport at the home’s west end. A set of concrete stairs lead up a gentle grade from the carport to the entry deck, which runs along the north side of the home. The main volume is oriented east to west and arranged in an open plan. The living room, kitchen, and dining room collectively open southward onto a covered patio with an outdoor fireplace and pool area. From the main volume, the master bedroom extends to the north, following the edge of the hilltop and ending in a private deck that takes in the morning light from the east..Long Valley Ranch utilizes a number of sustainable strategies and materials. Passive solar heating and cooling are achieved through use of concrete flooring, covered decks, and natural through breezes. A 17-kW solar array offsets the electricity usage of the house, and a tankless hot water heater provides on-demand water heating. Sustainable materials are used throughout, including recycled denim insulation and low-VOC paint..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, views; contextuality; sustainability..

See our posts on other homes by Marmol Radziner:

• Residential Architecture: Altamira Residence by Marmol Radziner
• Residential Architecture: Palms Residence by Marmol Radziner
• Residential Architecture: Desert House by Marmol Radziner
• Residential Architecture: Hawkesbury Residence by Marmol Radziner

designalog : contact

image: © Joe Fletcher; article: “Burton Residence / Marmol Radziner” 27 May 2013. ArchDaily

* Residential Architecture: Tred Avon River House by Robert M. Gurney Architect

Residential Architecture: Tred Avon River House by Robert M. Gurney Architect: “..Easton, Maryland (USA), located in Talbot County on Maryland’s eastern shore, was established in 1710. Easton remains largely agrarian, with numerous farms interspersed among the area’s many waterways..Diverging from several acres of cornfields, a one-quarter mile road lined with pine trees terminates at a diamond-shaped tract of land with breathtaking views of the Tred Avon River. Arising from the gravel drive and hedge-lined parking court, this new house is unveiled as three solid volumes, linked together with glass bridges, suspended above the landscape. The central, 36-foot high volume is mostly devoid of fenestration, punctuated only by the recessed 10-foot high entry door and narrow sidelights. The contrasting 12-foot high western volume contains a garage and additional service space, while the eastern volume, floating above grade, contains the primary living spaces..After entering the house and passing through one of the glass bridges, the transformation begins. Initially presented as solid and austere, the house unfolds into a 124-foot long living volume, light-filled and wrapped in glass with panoramic views of the river. A grid of steel columns modulates the space. Covered terraces extend the interior spaces, providing an abundance of outdoor living space with varying exposures and views. A screened porch provides an additional forum to experience views of the river, overlooking a swimming pool, located on axis to the main seating group..Along with a geothermal mechanical system, solar tubes, hydronic floor heating and a concrete floor slab to provide thermal mass, large overhangs above the terraces prevent heat gain and minimize dependence on fossil fuel. The entire house is elevated four feet above grade to protect against anticipated future flooding..The house is crisply detailed and minimally furnished to allow views of the picturesque site to provide the primary sensory experience. The house was designed as a vehicle to experience and enjoy the incredibly beautiful landscape, known as Diamond Point, seamlessly blending the river’s expansive vista with the space..”  Lovely site; extensive glazing, natural light, river views; interesting fenestration and framing, materiality (as always with Robert M. Gurney Architect), contextuality, volume sensibility, detailing..

See our posts on other residential work by award-winning Robert M. Gurney Architect:

• Residential Architecture: Nevis Pool and Garden Pavilion by Robert M. Gurney Architect
• Residential Architecture: Buisson Residence by Robert Gurney Architect
• Residential Architecture: Wissioming Residence by Robert Gurney Architect
• Residential Architecture: Wissioming2 House by Robert M. Gurney Architect
• Residential Architecture: Crab Creek House by Robert Gurney Architect
• Residential Architecture: Harkavy Residence by Robert Gurney Architect
• Residential Architecture: Lujan House by Robert Gurney Architect
• Residential Architecture: Hampden Lane House by Robert Gurney Architect
• Residential Architecture: Becherer House by Robert M. Gurney Architect
• Residential Architecture: 2012 AIA Housing Awards

designalog : contact

image: © Maxwell MacKenzie; article: “Tred Avon River House / Robert M. Gurney Architect” 29 May 2013. ArchDaily

* Residential Architecture: Off-grid itHouse by Taalman Koch

Residential Architecture: Off-grid itHouse by Taalman Koch: “..The itHouse is a design system developed by Taalman Koch that utilizes a series of components prefabricated off-site to better control the construction waste, labor, and quality of the finished product. Conceived as a small house with glass walls and open floor plan, the itHouse maximizes the relationship of the occupant to the surrounding landscape while minimizing the building’s impact on delicate site conditions..Energy efficiency is achieved in the itHouse through passive heating and cooling, utilizing site orientation and cross ventilation, radiant floor heating, hi-efficacy appliances & equipment and the use of solar photovoltaic & thermal panels..To further enhance the experience of living in a glass house, a graphic design is mapped to discreet areas of the glass walls, creating framed views, sun-shading screen patterns and privacy zones. Artists Sarah Morris and Liam Gillick custom designed the graphic outfit for the off-grid itHouse..”  Extensive glazing (as one may expect in a glass house, after all), natural light, views; lovely site; interesting interior visual textures, graphism; commendable contextual sensibility..

designalog : contact

image: © Art Gray; article: “Off-grid itHouse / Taalman Koch” 01 Apr 2013. ArchDaily

* Architecture: Park 1 Stockholm by White Arkitektur

Architecture: Park 1 Stockholm by White Arkitektur: “..white arkitectur’s ‘park 1’ is a new typology for a civic structure, one that contributes to the greenery of the urban environment while dutifully performing the functions of an infrastructural complex. designed to house a traffic and emergency management center in addition to a fire station, the building serves kungsholmen, an island district of a historical province in stockholm city, Sweden. in a bid won with associates at AG arkitekter, the pragmatic program of 1200 new workplaces is bolstered by the dynamic inclusion of a restaurant, cafe, conference facilities and exhibition areas, all open to the public. the active spaces are arranged in five layers, with the fire station at the bottom level and the civic services center and office at the top, sandwiching the public floors. the architecture inclines back from the busy street of lindhagensgatan and cantilevers over the essingeleden highway– a poetic gesture that expresses a self-conscious sense of aestheticism. the building transcends purely functional geometry with a generous green roof, affording views from an impressive 50 meter height and acting as a foliage-filled oasis of rest and recreation. the structure complies with the eco-certification BREEAM and sweden’s own sustainability policy miljöbyggnad; the public rooftop park acting as a particular contributor to the biodiversity of the site and significant producer of solar energy. developed with london-based engineers at AKT, a double-skinned facade is informed by the intricate shapes of a circuit board, itself characterized by myriad nodes and synapses individually simple but infinitely combinable. the conceptual pattern describes the coordination center’s round-the-clock functions and connects the building activities of coordination, management and infrastructure with the architectonics of the exterior..”

image: © white arkitektur; article: Designboom

designalog : contact