* Residential Architecture: Casa HS by Studio Arthur Casas

Residential Architecture: Casa HS by Studio Arthur Casas: “..são paulo-based architecture practice studio arthur casas has sent us images of ‘casa HS’, a private residence built in the countryside one hour from são paulo city. the 1000 square meter house is separated into two volumes, one for the children and guests; and the other for the couple and the common spaces. situated on a golf course, open to the natural surroundings, the dichotomy between the two programs are generated in a horizontal plane for the visitors which is contrasted by a cube that hosts the parents.. landscaped with tall trees and bushes, the long facade is constructed out of perforated metal panels to provide privacy from the street level..these pieces can be opened to reveal the interior bedrooms. large glass sliding doors are integrated into the corridor of the space transforming the volume into a pavilion completely exposed to nature. the other levels of the building sit on a stone base which is terraced into the playing grounds..in order to not lose the domestic scale of the dwelling, the ground floor contains the living room, dining and kitchen with a home theater and master bedroom on the upper level. the patio creates the boundary between the pavilion and guesthouse which extends to the swimming pool. a retractable roof allows the sun and wind to permeate the residence with a vertical garden and water basin. the common area has a double height ceiling with six meter high glass doors which slide to the side integrating the space with the terrace and patio. beneath the house a private gym, sauna and technical areas form the base of the residence which are carved into the high inclination of the terrain..”  Truly extensive glazing, abundant natural light, views; interesting form, interior volumes and details; indoor / outdoor sensibility..article includes a short video..

image: © fernando guerra; article: Designboom

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* Residential Architecture: Guesthouse by HHF architects + Ai Weiwei

Residential Architecture: Guesthouse by HHF architects + Ai Weiwei: “..Three years after completion of the main house, the owners of the Tsai Residence approached the HHF team and Ai Weiwei to commission a guesthouse..The Tsai Residence is a country house built for two art collectors on a forested slope in upstate New York, about two hours by car from Manhattan. The guesthouse brief posited three main elements: a bedroom, a workroom and a gallery for the two collectors’ art. One simple and highly effective gesture – a Y-shaped ground plan – served to link these elements at isolated points and to define the overall appearance of the guesthouse. The small bathroom, kitchenette and walk-in closet – the latter of which conceals the staircase to the basement and garage – consist of compact, freestanding boxes that simultaneously constitute the rear walls of the bedroom and workroom..In contrast to the galvanized corrugated metal façade of the main house, the guesthouse is a timber structure clad in corrugated corten steel, which rusts over time and so merges unobtrusively with the landscape – particularly in fall, when the foliage of the trees turns into a riot of red and gold. The landscape also plays a major role in the interior design of the guesthouse, for each of the three main rooms offers a different perspective of the extensive grounds: the view is exalted at these points, and thus becomes a part of the house..The relationship of the Tsai Residence to the guesthouse reflects HHF’s philosophy, namely to use what already exists at a site as a source of inspiration. HHF sees every commission as an opportunity to innovate, and to deliver concrete answers to concrete problems in its signature architectural idiom..”  Distinctive form and interior volumes; materials and contextual sensibility; extensive interior wood: wood flooring, ceilings and walls..(article includes photos by the excellent architectural photographer Iwan Baan..)

See some of our other posts on work by Ai Weiwei:

• Architecture: Slideshow: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012 by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei
• Architecture: Video: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London by Herzog & de Meuron + Ai Weiwei
• Architecture: 2012 Serpentine Pavilion Complete by Herzog & de Meuron + Ai Weiwei

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image: © Iwan Baan; article: “Guesthouse / HHF architects + Ai Weiwei” 30 Aug 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/267635&gt;

* Residential Architecture: B8 House by 56.02

Residential Architecture: B8 House by 56.02: “..The B8 House is located 270km north of Santiago, Chile, in an area characterized for strong winds that run through the Pacific coast..The original scheme was a house of about 50m2, with a flexible floor plan capable of reconfiguring itself to different uses and conditions. These are the basic premises for the design..All the “wet” areas and the BBQ are condensed in a one wall/volume that runs through the entire south facade, this decision helped to create more flexible spaces..One of the main goals was to expand the constructed area, without increasing the original budget assigned to the house, to the related activities and situations that would be developed considering the owners life style. In order to achieve this, an articulating interior patio was proposed with the same dimensions of the standard module that is used in the house entry. This operation allowed the formation of an open outdoors space, protected from the wind and also a terrace, located with the same orientation as the mentioned outdoors space, towards the exterior. The compilation of all things transforms a 50m2 house into a 91m2 total..As a third decision, to divide the different spaces, the boundary material selected was sliding glass panels. These elements have the possibility to move, generating an interior-exterior limit that can be controlled by the user as he wishes to. This sliding operation allows to create different spaces, in addition to that, the onsite furniture plus the non existence of partition walls, results in a house where the divisions and subdivisions are only applied trough these glass panels and furniture.. What is achieved is flexibility without compromising the use and performance of the overall space..”  Extensive interior and exterior glazing, natural light, views; interesting interior volumes and flexibility; indoor / outdoor sensibility; vertical wood cladding..article includes video..

image: © Alejandro Gandarillas; article: “B8 House / 56.02” 07 Aug 2010. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/72155&gt;

* Residential Architecture: Video: Daeyang Gallery and House by Steven Holl Architects

Residential Architecture: Video: Daeyang Gallery and House by Steven Holl Architects: “Spaces include a gallery and recital room beneath a pool of water and two copper-clad pavilions that rise above the surface…a walk through the Steven Holl-designed Daeyang Gallery and House in South Korea in this second movie by architectural filmmakers Spirit of Space..[in another video] Steven Holl gives a guided tour of the building..” (2 videos in article)..

See our post on Daeyang Gallery and House by Steven Holl Architects: Residential Architecture: Daeyang Gallery and House by Steven Holl Architects.

And see other posts on work by Steven Holl Architects:

• Architecture: Maggie’s Barts by Steven Holl Architects
• Architecture: Institute for Contemporary Art by Steven Holl Architects
• Architecture: Knut Hamsun Centre by Steven Holl Architects
• Residential Architecture: Sun Slice House by Steven Holl Architects
• Architecture: Hangzhou Music Museum by Steven Holl Architects
• Architecture: Museum of Ocean and Surf by Steven Holl Architects in collaboration with Solange Fabiao
• Architecture: In China: Linked Hybrid by Steven Holl Architects
• Architecture: In China: Sliced Porosity Block by Steven Holl Architects
• Architecture: Sustainable Architecture: Vanke Center by Steven Holl Architects
• Architecture & Civic Engagement – Steven Holl & Chris McVoy

image: Iwan Baan; article: Dezeen

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