Saturday, 15 June 2013

WALL HOUSE BY FARM











Just stumbled upon this spectacular project via Europaconcorsi - from the office of Farm; a cross disciplinary design practise based in Signapore.   And oh, won't it just be lush to work for a creative and insightful office like theirs .... check them out here.

Back to Wall House:  In essence two separate houses - becoming one connected space through a central courtyard - and that's exactly what the client brief requested.  The use of various materials and textures, shapes and plenty of glass and greenery allows the inhabitants - a retired couple in one house and one of their children in the other, to enjoy inspiring views from almost every angle.

I love the willowy trees placed thoughtfully throughout and around the property, lots of greens and water features all around.  And just imagine cooking dinner in that kitchen!  I totally love this kind of living where the outdoors become part of the indoors, and vice versa.

Images via Farm


BACK FROM GUERNSEY

Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies

Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Photo:  Lindé Davies
Its been a busy couple of weeks on the pretty Channel Isle of Guernsey.  I've been out there for the past two weeks doing some contract work at Sure Cable and Wireless.  Busy busy busy would sum it up nicely.  The thought I had initially to have time to blog in the evenings.... soon went out the backdoor.

With so many beautiful sights and sounds who would not rather be out and about than being tied to a laptop.  The evenings felt really long and time passes at a rather lovely pace.  We had great sunshine most of the time.  The beaches were all picturesque and the sunsets were really out of this world!  Great restaurants and oh the seafood!

Vazon bay,  Cobo beach,  Fermain... and St Peter Port to name a few of wonderful places I visited.

Hopefully this will be the first of many visits to this little hidden gem in the English Channel.  But for now it's back to London, back to reality and back to getting that website of mine up and running and launched!

Thursday, 30 May 2013

2 HOUSES - TOKYO, JAPAN BY CHEUNG VOGL ARCHITECTS









Today I am excited to share with you a project from a new found and new favourite Architecture Studio, Cheung Vogl Architects.

And I quote "Cheungvogl is a multilingual and multicultural international design studio founded by Judy Cheung and Christoph Vogl after their contributions to Lord Norman Foster’s headquarters in London, UK.  The practise's creative team is based in HK with site offices in China and Germany.

Their architecture often encompasses multiple fields of design, ranging from urban scale through to details of interiors and products.   Judy Cheung and Christoph Vogl consistently redefine boundaries between architecture, art and design. Their projects not only experiment with architectural phenomenon, they often express certain sensitivity through reinterpretation of non-material substances. Their passionate engagement with ‘time’ as an integral part of their palette forms a new typology within the limitless context of space and experiences. They interrupt and express time as an extension of life, which is simply engaged in our everyday experiences. Time is not a measurable ‘unit’; its vague existence is undoubtedly beyond the physical parameters of lengths, widths and heights. Quality is not measured by cubic meters; it is the feeling of contentment, the emotions that one remembers. The simultaneous engagement between time, architecture, art and culture is their passion and commitment. 

Cheungvogl: Architecture is the structure of anything."

I am sharing one of their many projects that caught my attention and imagination:  The 2 Houses project, in Tokyo.  They beautifully designed this project according to the client's requirements:
Calm, but not sterile
Humble, and yet unexpected
Economical, nothing extravagant
Open space with flexible floor plans and a space to contemplate.

I love the use of concrete, the courtyard spaces and the lightness and brightness of it all.  What more could one ask for!  Oh and did I mention that this project came in under budget?  Read more about it here.

Images via Cheung Vogl

Sunday, 26 May 2013

DAUPHIN PERILLO AND LITTLE PERILLO DESIGNED BY MARTIN BALLENDAT

   

This past week has been a rather busy and vibrant one in London's EC1 at Clerkenwell Design Week and most showrooms and studios in the area opened its doors wide, put on special events and hosted talks and parties - and all with one theme in common - design.  Be it architecture, furniture and interiors or interesting finishes... it was a feast to all senses!

From today I will blog about what I saw, talks I attended and anything else that caught my attention.  

Today's post is about the beautiful Perillo chair, designed by Martin Ballendat.


"Dauphin is one of the world's leading office seating manufacturers, recognized in more than 50 countries for our proven competence in the field.
Perillo is made of thermo plastic with a high gloss finish.  Crafted from one continuous sheet of material, the seat surface, backrest and armrests offer an uninterrupted line that forms this ultra modern chair.  Its sophisticated design, yet simple sculpted appearance makes it the perfect choice for lobbies, touchdown spaces and more."
Dauphin fitted out the main talks room in the Farmiloe Building with the ZUCO Perillo and little Perillo chairs - and I can confirm they were most certainly a hit with the crowds of design folk and students who attended. There was a competition to win one of these gorgeous Little Perillo's - I wonder who got lucky!
I visited their showroom and was shown around by the delightful Dauphin team;  they know their stuff and are passionate about Dauphin and what they do.   We were treated to a tasty selection of wines from their wine estate - Allee Bleue, in sunny South Africa. 
I guess now all that's left is to start saving up for a Perillo of my very own!
Little Perillo at The Farmiloe Building for CDW

Dauphin:
3rd Floor, 11 Northburgh Street
London
EC1V 0AH

Теl. +44 (207) 253 77 74
www.dauphinuk.com


Images via various sources

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

CLERKENWELL DESIGN WEEK STARTS TODAY


Very excited about the start of Clerkenwell Design Week today.  Had a sneak peak yesterday at the Farmiloe building, and oh I just don't quite know where to start!   There will be lots of very informative and interesting talks, open studios and pop-up venues in and around Clerkenwell.  And plenty of GREAT design all around!  I've spotted MUUTO already, and the reflect sideboard I blogged about a few weeks back is on display, cannot wait to see it up close!

I'll be mostly at the Farmiloe buiding, facilitating some of the talks - today at 2:30pm Kirsten Zumstein chairs an insightful talk on workplace design featuring Linda Morey Smith, Colin MacGadie from BDG and Paul Dunn from RTKL.

And at 6pm an architecturally focused panel discussion, chaird by Tom Dyckhoff bringing together lead thinkers to explore work and ideas involving construction and habitation on water.  This is one I most definitely won't want to miss.

Pop in and say hello!

For more info do visit Clerkenwell Design Week and hope to see you there!








Thursday, 16 May 2013

CASA CERRADA REFORMA 108 BY DCPP ARQUITECTOS


This residential project is located in San Angel in the South of Mexico City.   The plot is rectangular and measures 20 x 10m, with the house constructed on exactly half of the space.   The other half contains an amazing  minimalist courtyard and in such creates 2 specific areas of positive and negative space - both feeding into each other, and from each other.

The black walls and wooden screens with bits of lush greenery is soothing and very calming and almost has a 'boutique hotel' feel.

Images via Dezeen

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

TADELAKT - DREAM BATHROOM



I think I have just found my dream bathroom!  Tadelakt finished from the walls to the basin to the little bath and floors -  in this beautiful white Tierrafino stone Tadelakt.  Just stunning!

Images via Tierrafino