Style of Design

The Greener Gadgets Conference made for an exciting end to the week yesterday, and as you know, Inhabitat live-blogged the whole thing HERE >. The conference was a chance for gadget geeks and electronic companies alike to think about the role of gadgets in our lives and how we can engage in more sustainable solutions for the future. Topics of discussion ranged from personal responsibility for energy consumption to how companies can track their carbon footprint to the role of sustainable design in improving people’s lives. We hope you joined us for our live blogging yesterday, but if you missed it– you can still read it here! The event certainly provided much to think about and we are happy to report that there has been plenty of buzz around the interwebs:

Grist contemplates keynote speaker’s, Saul Griffith, use of the phrase “Planet f&%#ers.”

Cnet reports that gadgets need a green design revolution.

Ecogeek summarizes Saul Griffith’s calculation of how many watts he used in his life and how you can find your own.

Zdnet wonders are the terms green and gadget mutually exclusive?

The model train is officially hip and eco-friendly. No, really! Leaving the realm of your Dad’s garage behind, one geek-ily cute metropolis has found a home at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. The display, called “Golden Gate Express,” features miniature replicas of several major San Francisco landmarks. And the entire set is stunningly fabricated by Figureplant out of recycled materials.

Architects: Saucier + Perrotte architectes
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Principal in Charge: Gilles Saucier
Project Architect: André Perrotte
Project team: Sergio Morales, Anna Bendix, Maxime-Alexis Frappier, Christian Hébert
Structure: Genivar
Mechanical & Electrical engineer: Genivar
Landscape: Williams Asselin Ackaoui et associés inc.
Museum Consultants: Cultura – DES
Garden Area: 10,000 sqm
Constructed Area: 415 sqm
Project year: 2001
Photographs: Marc Cramer

The First Nations Garden is a permanent commemoration of the Great Peace of Montreal of 1701. It is a crossroads of cultures, designed to help visitors discover the culture of the first inhabitants of North America.

It also offers an opportunity for the First Nations to share their traditions, wisdom and knowledge.

The pavilion is a museum within the garden. Sheltering less than 2% of the garden grounds, the pavilion is mostly outdoor space. Built along the garden’s main pathway, the pavilion metaphorically raises the path to reveal the cultural memory of the place. The undulating roof recalls a wisp of smoke through the trees. Outdoor displays sheltered by the roof are framed by two indoor spaces at opposite ends of the pavilion – exhibition and orientation spaces at one end, public washrooms and a meeting space at the other. The pavilion also houses a boutique and offices.

The relationship between building and site, and the environmental sensitivity needed to maintain the spirit of the garden, was critical to the design of the pavilion.

The new building acts as both a filter and a link between two garden environments: an area of spruces and a maple forest. Wherever possible, the pavilion’s exhibition was planned outdoors. These exterior spaces orient the visitor and help to reduce the apparent size of the building by integrating the exhibition with the wider environment.

Vertical surfaces are minimized so as to limit the visual impact of the building on the environment, and half of the built spaces are located underground to further reduce the influence of the new building on the existing setting. The new building was sited to retain all existing trees and maintain a relatively open terrain in an attempt to integrate the building and the site.

Max Wallack, a 12 year old from Natick, have just won WGBH’s Design Squad “Trash to Treasure” design contest with his “Home Dome” invention, which is a shelter for the homeless, built with just plastic, wire and packing peanuts. The structure is in the form of a Mongolian yurt and includes a built-in bed.

For his winning design, Max won $10,000, a Dell laptop and a trip to Boston to see how his design becomes real. The “Home Dome” was selected as the winner innovation out of more than 1,000 contest submissions.

Seen at The Design Blog. Watch a video about the winner, after the break.

For many people, a nice house isn’t complete without a nice patio. So this Friday, we bring you a “Round Up” with our best selection of patio houses previously published on ArchDaily.

Os House / Nolaster
The architecture project is presented under the following conditions. A couple bought one of the few available plots on the Bay of Biscay coastline. After scouting every seaside village from Plentzia to San Vicente de la Barquera for nearly a year, they found the place they where looking for in a residential estate from the 1970’s near Loredo, a summer resort outside of Santander. The plot slopes downwards and is cut by a 30 meter-high cliff against which the waves break. The Northern sea wind is very rough, making it hard for trees to grow by the coastline (read more…)

Ocho al Cubo House / Sebastian Irarrazaval
The house is to be inhabited during weekends; special occasions when persons, on the one hand, inhabit space during long periods of time and on the other hand, inhabit space in an informal and more distracted way. For that reasons the configuration of house focuses on shadows as the main element that qualifies space, making space to change during the day and indeterminacy of physic and programmatic boundaries, making circulation as free as fluid is the relation between different spaces (read more…)

Villa Meindersma / Cie
The Meindersma villa is an introvert house. All the rooms are organized around a patio. The exterior facade has no windows, whereas the patio facade consists of only windows and doors. At the same time, there are frameless strip windows along the floor and the ridge of the roof, and sunlight moves like a corona of skimming light along the curves in the interior. The house and patio have been elevated in relation to the surrounding ground, while, adjoining the garden room in the basement, ground level sinks to form a terrace at breast wall height (read more…)

House N / Sou Fujimoto
A home for two plus a dog. The house itself is comprised of three shells of progressive size nested inside one another. The outermost shell covers the entire premises, creating a covered, semi-indoor garden. Second shell encloses a limited space inside the covered outdoor space. Third shell creates a smaller interior space. Residents build their life inside this gradation of domain. Life in this house resembles to living among the clouds. A distinct boundary is nowhere to be found, except for a gradual change in the domain (read more…)

House 2 / Eduardo Berlin Razmilic
Through an unconventional implantation, House 2 articulates the house’s every-day program in a single level. Opposing the site’s natural slope, the house and garden develop 3,5 meters above street level, via an elemental ground operation that transforms the preexistent rise in two main horizontal plans, above and below. Both realms are gradually articulated by architectural operations. More than a parking lot, the 500 square meter court, porous and transparent, amounts to an access plaza, carefully designed and partially sheltered by the second’s level large volume (read more…)

Architect: Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter Aps + Cebra Arkitekter A/S
Location: Hellerup, Copenhagen, Denmark
Project Year: 2008
Turn Key Contractor: Partnering NCC Construction Danmark / Mangor & Nagel Arkitektfirma A/S
Client: Gentofte Municipality
Engineer: NCC Construction Danmark
Landscape: Peter Holst Landskab
Construction Area: 2,600 sqm
LOutdoor Area: 4,000 sqm
Photographs: Adam Mørk

The building is situated in a residential area in a northern suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark. The area predominately consists of large villas from the turn of the century.

The site is long and narrow- on one side bordering the railroad and on the other a busy road- Gersonsvej – hence there was a noise problem to be solved.

The program was a mixed use complex containing several different institutions both communities and individual users. Cross programming was developed through workshops and games with future users, adults as well as children.

The site is noise polluted in a degree demanding noise reducing walls to protect the outdoor play area. Elements such as a bunker and a transformer box were integrated in the landscape of green noise baffles surrounding the site. An old chestnut tree- characteristic for the site – was preserved and incorporated in the garden.

To express the complexity of the program under one roof, the building is shaped to the area with a form that morph recreation and leisure in 3 connected houses. As interpretations of the surrounding villas, the design of the building basically downscales the large volume of the gym to the scale of the area.

The houses spread out into individual villas:

• Sports villa
• Café villa
• Work shop villa
• Music villa

There is a dynamic synergy between the villas and throughout the house, where sports and leisure are directly intertwined, both physically and mentally. The merge between indoors and outdoors was also in relation to this and an important feature for the users. Ground level activities all have direct access to the garden or court yards.

The terminology of the building recognizes classical domestic spaces such as the entrance hall, dining room, atelier, living room, terrace, garden and attic. Through the use of color, light and surfaces, varying moods are emerging as a series of rooms. Each is done with its own special character, specific technical, acoustic, material and surface related qualities depending on their unique function.

The ambition has been to create a hangout for children, who recall Pippi Long stockings famous “Villa Villakulla” more than just another institution.

Secretary of State for Cultura Media and Sport Andy Burnham, will officially open Alison Brooks Architect’s Quarterhouse Performing Arts and Business Centre in Folkestone, located in the Kent district, England. The ceremony will take place in March 5.

The building is the centrepiece of the city’s arts-led regeneration programme spearheaded by client The Creative Foundation. The 1550 sqm includes a 220 seat, 500 standing multi-purpose auditorium for music, dance, theatre, film performances and conferences; ground floor foyer and exhibition space; first floor café/bar and a top floor business centre for start-ups in the creative industries.

More details and images, after the break.

Stirling Prize-winning architects ABA conceived the building as a beacon that lights up at night to express the animation of the creative life within. It is also an informal urban ‘shopfront’ building that completes the c

urved Georgian streetscape of Tontine Street. The fluted mesh cladding was inspired by both the maritime iconography of Folkestone’s historic architecture and the translucent scallop shells that arrive in Folkestone’s harbour every day.

Construction began in summer 2007 with funding for the project coming from a £3.5M Kent County Council grant with a further £500,000 from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). The project team includes Akera Engineers, Charcoalblue Theatre Consultants, Atelier Ten, GPM Partnership and local contractor DJ Ellis.

To celebrate the opening there will be a performance by Jazz vocalist Ian Shaw and a specially commissioned dance piece by young people involved in the Shepway Find Your Talent Programme. Upcoming events include BBC Kent introducing; SWAY; Sellindge Music Festival Tournament and the Robert Mitchell Trio.

Architects: Hufft Projects, LLC
Location: Springfield, MO, USA
Design Team: Matthew Hufft(principal architect), Kimball Hales(principal architect), Jonathan Tramba
Structural Engineer: Packard Engineering
General Contractor: Howard Bailey
MEP Engineer: Malone, Finkle, Eckhardt, and Collins, Inc.
Civil Engineer: Olsson Associates
Constructed Area: 137 sqm
Photographs: Bob Linder

Andy’s Frozen Custard’s new franchise store, located at Campbell Drive and Camino Alto in Springfield, Missouri, stands out both in its straightforward and honest aesthetic as well as in the manner in which it incorporates a number of innovative and forward thinking sustainable features.

The design is simple, yet bold.  It represents a new identity for the Andy’s Frozen Custard franchise that preserves the spirit of the original stores while embracing a new and progressive design.  A large roof unifies the custard store with site activities and the drive thru lane.  Additionally, it provides the store with a distinct and iconic presence.  Deep overhangs to the south and west minimize heat gain inside the store during the day and a staggered neon array on the roof’s fascia brings the store to life at night.

One of the more unique aspects of the new Andy’s Frozen Custard is a cistern which receives and stores water used to cool the custard machine compressors as well as all roof runoff.  This collected water is utilized for site irrigation and the native plantings located around the store assure that only a minimal amount of water is required.  Interesting enough, the potable water used to cool the compressors is also piped to a dedicated faucet so that it can be utilized for rinsing equipment when needed.  If not required, this water is directed to the cistern.

The new store’s signature aesthetic is also enhanced by the incorporation of gradated red tiled walls.  These walls add a unique dynamic to the interior space of Andy’s Frozen Custard.  Custom site work in the form of benches, screens, and tables also enliven the experience of visiting the new Andy’s Frozen Custard franchise.

Additional sustainable highlights include a white roof membrane to reduce heat loads inside the store and on the adjacent site, the incorporation of recycled materials, in the form of flyash, into site concrete work, a dual flush toilet to optimize water efficiency, high efficiency glass to further reduce heating and cooling loads, and high efficiency T5 fluorescents for ample illumination at night.

Andy’s Frozen Custard’s new franchise marks a fresh direction towards the values of sustainability and architecture which focuses on progressive and innovative design.

Architects: Sander Architects
Location: Culver City, California, USA
Constructed: 353 sqm
Budget: US $500.000
Photographs: Sander Architects

Case Study House for the 21st Century?

Whitney Sander, principal architect and founder of the firm, has developed a way of creating residential buildings that is both very green and extremely efficient in terms of construction costs. He calls this Hybrid House: part prefab, all custom ™ as each house is completely customized to each client.Residence for a Briard is a 3,800sf house that is the first example of Hybrid House, the invention of Sander Architects, LLC.

Its structural frames and exterior walls and roof are all prefabricated off-site by warehouse manufacturers and shipped to the site in pieces on one flat-bed truck. This entire shell cost $22,000. These pieces then bolt together like an erector set in three weeks time. Once the shell is complete all interior walls, systems and finishes are completed in a traditional manner. The resulting Hybrid House is therefore custom designed for the client, the site, and local codes, at a small fraction of standard construction cost. The completed cost of Residence for a Briard is $500,000, or $130/sf. Equally important for a designer: the warehouse frames allow the scale of the interior spaces to be magnificent.

Residence for a Briard has 28′ ceilings in the great room. The system is also very simple to erect – the general contractor had never worked with it before and he became an enthusiastic convert.Designed for the President-Emeritus of the Architectural Foundation of Los Angeles, which promotes excellence in modern architecture in the greater Los Angeles area, this house needed to be of great design quality. One example of this is the dominant southern facade, which evolved during many hours of discussions of the arts and painting. The facade derives from a painting of a violin by Braque (”Aria of Bach,’ 1913).

This was especially appropriate as the client is also a music critic. As such, he requested that the house be a place where string quartets could come and play for an audience. So we provided the house with a great room surrounded by a suspended balcony. The long side of this balcony is a shallow stairway with long treads that are wide enough for two chairs side-by-side facing the performance area below. Beyond this is a flat, large landing where additional chairs can be placed. The handrails for both these areas are transparent glass, with grasses laminated into the glass below eye level. As well, the home makes extensive use of ecological/sustainable materials, systems and strategies, making this one of the greenest residences built in California to date. (See attached notes). We aimed to create an eco-friendly Case Study House for the 21st Century using construction strategies that radically reduce standard construction costs for custom homes. These strategies include the use of prefabricated structural frames and components, which allows for a construction cost far lower than competing fully-prefab modern homes.

GREEN MATERIALS AND STRATEGIES used in Residence for a Briard

• Rental unit creates increased density (less land use per person)
• Proximity to public transportation + all basic amenities within walking distance
• Site orientation maximizes passive heating and cooling
• Extensive glazing maximizes natural day lighting
• Multi-cell acrylic panels (with high R-value) for glazing reduces heat loss/gain
• Super-insulated building minimizes energy requirements to heat/cool.
• Recycled steel framing reduces overall building cost / reduces amount of steel
• Grey water system for landscape irrigation.
• Low-water / xeriscape landscaping and plants
• Bamboo flooring
• Sustainable kitchen / bathroom cabinetry
• Stained concrete floors: original concrete slab (fewer materials used)
• On-demand water heater
• Radiant heat connected to on-demand hot water heater
• Recycled steel framing
• Recycled denim insulation
• Eco-resin panels
• Low-flush toilets
• Linoleum flooring and wall covering in bathrooms
• Low VOC paint
• Energy star appliances
• Fluorescent light fixtures w/ programmable dimmers

The London architecture firm Sarah Wigglesworth Architects have finished a bike store in Bermondsey, London. The structure can store 76 bikes in two levels, using a system designed by bicycle rack producers Josta.

The building is constructed from 13 portal frames, clad externally with triangular, stainless-steel panels and internally with translucent, glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) sheeting. The structure will provide secure shelter for residents and workers in the Bermondsey Square area.

Photos by Mark Hadden Photography. More images, after the break.