Containers of Hope: More container designs

You will probably have noticed by now that I have a love for small spaces, preferably using containers. I believe that as the world expands in people and diseases fail to curb the growing mass, that the value of space will continue to increase. And, majority of people in my age group and less prefer smaller - we are essentially not live on a farm in the middle of no-where people and if I have space I wanna share it with my stylish wardrobe people. Hence why I think Social Housing should realistically focus on providing high quality space at a low cost for the rich and wasteful as well as the have-nots and have not. When I was studying most of the Social Housing Architecture projects where concentrated either in South Africa or Brazil, Argentina etc. formerly first world, currently third world countries essentially. At present I think South Africa is less inclined towards Social Housing with a decline in notable projects in this country, but Latin America is still going strong, if not better.

This project below is by Benjamin Garcia Saxe Architecture  and is located on the outskirts of San Jose, Costa Rica. Costa Rica happens to be the greenest country in the world.  It has been dubbed 'Containers of Hope' and the design proves that just because something is low costs, does not mean one loses out on quality. I would live in this, if the architect was willing to doll out his construction details, I would buy me some land and live in this. The total cost of the building project was 40000 USD (R340 000). Not only is this lower than the average cost of social housing in Costa Rica, but it is about one forth cheaper, than the current cost of a house in South Africa in an upmarket surburb, which goes for about R1, 200 000 and is the current cost of a subsidised house in a township.

The roof between the two containers not only provides additional light but also adequate ventilation to cool the space during summer. The insulation of the walls, controls heat loss through the building skin, during winter. What about the glass you may ask; do you know that thick curtains can reduce heat loss in winter by up to 68%. That is the only reason why I have summer and winter curtains. Mine are dark victorian red, in velvet. Well they will be the minute I buy material to make them.

The Architects design philosophy is his commitment to explore 'The particularities of technology, resources, and materials as they relate to time and location, and how these may begin to propose new ways to understand space and design.' This is clearly evident because the orientation of the unit not only maximises on views, but natural light either in summer or winter.



Natural Architecture: Maruyama House, Atelier Sano

The wooden house designed by the Japanese Architectural firm, Atelier Sano. The house has made me decide that floor to ceiling windows are the new balconies. Now I just need someone to design a balcony within a house then I never have to get cold because I am standing on a balcony, but it is too hot inside, so freeze I must. Climate controlled balconies essentially. The pictures give me the impression that I am purched on a mountain. Restrained only by the spaces of wall that hold up the roof essesntially. I also enjoy uncluttered spaces with everything in it there for a purpose and easily accessible. I'm only good with useless things that are going to cover a wall.

Im not a purist but....

I am not a purist. I love colour. I love colour so much that I see people in colour and being called colourless by me is not a complement. But this house, got me because of the little images,....everywhere, and the little pictures that fool you into thinking you are looking at a picture of a reflection in water, or the X-ray shower door. And yes I am cheating on my natural architecture series, but I could not contain my excitement.

Too clean for me

Is there anything more beautiful than this basin. contours!

I see little people and little animals

The horizon

The waters edge

The X-ray shower door

Alright I will be honest the house did not impress me much, but its the little touches that made me like it. Ill stop saying little now.....

Natural Architecture 1: wNw cafe

I have decided to do a feature on great buildings built with natural materials. I would like your input on their aesthetic, their longevity, functionality and anything else you can think off. I will start off with the vietnamese Architect Vo Trong Nghia and I will try not to do more than three posts on him throughout this series. Seriously I will, if i fail, o' well at lease I tried...This is cafe wNw near Hanoi in Vietnam, constructed predominantly of bamboo and very little steel. The roof is made of little pieces of bamboo. 

What I enjoy most about this project in my post 'tree hugger, save the planet lets recycle anything' is the fact that it's a very good representation for me of indigenous architecture. Because (yes I start sentences with because) of the material used very little energy was used to construct the building, therefore it is truly a green building, according to the Green Star Rating system. Let me explain what I mean; bamboo grows fast as a result material costs are low and material manufacturing process' do not harm the environment. The highest skills required to use it is semi-skilled labour therefore it promotes the use of local labour. Traditional means of treatment have been used, therefore again less harm for the environment; I hardly think that in the olden days they had JIK, the bleach follow my thought pattern. Its a traditional building that fits into the modern architectural fabric of a city and as for longevity,....i do not know enough about the longevity of bamboo to comment, but should deconstruction be requried, its a plant! It will go right back into nature, without harming it.

 

Photographs: Vo Trong Nghia website and other sources

Hariri and Hariri Architects

Sternbrauerei Salzburg

Kryptonite Jewelry



Wilton Poolhouse

It is very rare that one finds successful female architects. I would like to introduce you to the New York based Hariri and Hariri. They have won numerous awards, have had been selected as part of the Guggenheim's 'Contemplating the Void', exhibition a 50th celebration of Sir Frank Lloyd Wright's Museum. I could go on about their accolades, but I would much rather give you home work.

I must say I enjoy their residential projects  and their jewelry a lot more than I do the commercial architecture, product design and urban design. However, I think it has more to do with their brand of Modernism, which disturbs me because its not square. But there is always an angled wall or angled something hiding waiting for me to discover it and be uncomfortable with looking at it. Squares, I understand, circles and curves I'm at home with, distorted squares...something else.

Sometimes architects get all the fun.

This bridge was designed by dutch architectural company Ro&Ad Architects in Fort de Roovere in Halsteren, The Netherlands. The bridge was designed to address the need to allow visitors to cross the moat at this historical site without the design having the visual impact, that a traditional bridge woudl have had. The solution was a channel bridge, that is not visible. I really like how the architects treated the water as a solid surface that could also be cut away, like a block of marble is to a sculpture. I am curious to know whether the water levels flactuate though.

Office Spaces, What design studios should be like!

Hello, Yellow!

You could not trick me into working in this environment. I could not even pretend for you.

What cross nighting?

For the designers I hope the picture is clear.

Spanish architects Jose Selgas and Lucia Cano of Selgascano have designed an office for their own practice, located in the woods near their Madrid Office, in Spain. What first attracted me to this project was the colour, size and location. What can I say I have an affinity for brightly coloured interiors even though you would not believe it if you currently walked into my white and silver flat…

The location; I would probably spend most of the time dreaming about the work I should be getting done in the office. Right now the only beauty I see in my current office is a carport. Yes they put the designer on the leward side of the building, next to a carpark. I dont even open my blinds.

source: www.dezeen.com

Life in a Box: Artisits Studio

Every once in a while I remember why I enjoy architecture. This project just reminded me why. Its easy to design when you have space and the site restriction is services, slope etc. It is something else if the restriction is, a parking space. Yes I mean it, the site is restricted to a parking bay and the maximum above height is 3m. The glowing box as it is known is designed by Australian architects Edwards Moore and it is an art studio.

Located in a residential car park outside a Melbourne apartment, the studio accommodates storage, a shower room, a toilet and kitchen facilities. The front of the studio is clad in translucent fibreglass, causing the lights inside to illuminate the surrounding car park.

Photography is by Peter Bennetts. This for me is a universal solution to an age old problem in space limited countries or just the upgrade of countries ridden with slums. I would live in this box. With extreme minimalist furniture of course, and im not one for completely minimalist furnished houses but I would do it.

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Architects Descrption: Artist car park studio
An artist’s studio adjacent to an existing first floor art deco apartment situated in Elwood, Melbourne.

The site occupies a former parking space & ownership was restricted to a maximum above ground height of 3m.

The studio has been designed to accommodate a shower/wet area, canoe storage, kitchenette & WC.

The external skin is a combination of a white render finish and semi-translucent fibre glass sheeting to allow light to the interior whilst also relating to the adjoining building.

Internally the timber structure is expressed and partly lined with plywood.

Operable porthole windows (made from inspection hatches) provide ventilation and additional natural light.

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