With the push to practice sustainable design, old buildings that in the past would have been demolished are being rejuvenated. Decommissioned churches that have fallen to disrepair are popular candidates for renovation and additions. Usually they are also registered historical landmarks which allows interior designers to keep the character and spunk of the traditional structure while merging innovative design and cutting edge technology.
English villages are most commonly where these rejuvenated houses of worship can be found. Because villages acted as their own little communities there are an abundance of churches that are in walking distance of the villagers. Many have fallen to disrepair or boarded up due to structural damage or flood. But there is hope! These structures are valuable to the villages and their heritage, by bringing new life into the building, residents can in turn bring new life into the towns and cities that house them as well.
Below are a few examples of beautifully renovated churches around the world…
We all know how captivating our phones can be, especially when trying to get from point A to point B. As we are told often, the attention span of human kind is rapidly decreasing which has, in turn had us turning to your handheld devices for entertainment on the go. An Australian design firm has come up with an attractive and functional way to keep us all a little bit more aware of the world around us. Smart Tactile Paving™ by Büro North takes the walking man and the red hand down to earth so that the rising number in pedestrian deaths reverses itself.
As you will see in the video below, this genius design firm has brought the pedestrian cues to the place we tend to be looking most, at our feet (or should I say phones?). The tiles currently used to signal to the blind or deaf the start and end of a crosswalk has been reworked to include LED lighting to correspond with the red hand and green walking person. So as a pedestrian looks down at their phone there are additional visual cues to stop them if necessary. As the firm mentions, the technology and wiring is already there so why not take advantage of it?!
The best way to have flexibility in your bedding is to use a duvet cover or have a solid duvet cover and multiple quilts to change it up. We all know wine spills, it’s Murphy’s Law. So! My solution is a duvet comforter with many different duvet covers to switch out as you fancy! Not only is it a blatant challenge to old Murphy, but it is the perfect way to add a little bit of each season to your bedroom.
Whether that means you have a patterned or color heavy print, or a textural white cover - the versatility is the key to the perfect spruce up. With a neutral collection of duvet covers you can add the color and pattern through switching out and rotating decorative pillows. If you’d rather have a set of pillows that stays year-round, the playful and diverse duvet covers are the way to go! Either way, West Elm’s got you “covered”(I know, bad pun...). Above is a roundup of some of my favorite duvet covers and quilts from West Elm to spruce up your bed for summer!
A famous house receives the Historic Designation it deserves...
The well-known architect and designer Richard Meier encountered the challenge that would become the Douglas house in the late 60′s. Today the Douglas House on Lake Michigan in Harbor Springs, Michigan has been deemed a historic landmark by the National Park Service U.S Department of the Interior. More information on the home can be found here and here.
A Well-Designed Day in San Antonio — A Local Design Lover’s City Guide http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/a-local-design-lovers-san-antonio-guide-233655?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr
While reclaiming condemned buildings and lots for park and recreation use has become more common in large cities, New York is once again ahead of the game with prototype underground parks. The Lowline project is an initiative started in 2009 when James Ramsey, the owner of Raad Studio, and Dan Barasch, a creative entrepreneur seeking to incorporate art within NY’s underground subway system, met over a glass of wine. They decided to combine their interests of creating an underground garden via solar transference and public art forms into what has become the Lowline project.
Still in the prototype phase, the Lowline Lab seeks to prove that underground gardens/parks are no longer just a designer's dream, but a New Yorker’s reality. The above-ground discs take the sun’s rays and bring them down to drip down the domes that form the roof of the underground garden. This allows the plants to flourish in the natural sunlight and provides all the nutrients needed for humans and plant life alike.
I am excited to follow the birth and growth of this project as it progresses from Lab to reality in 2021. This is a wonderful new reality for the growth of communities and outreach in the previously un-reachable parts of the city.
Just as any creative person, I can loose focus of why I do what I do. These 5 websites can be key catalysts for sparking that creative spirit once again...
1. Emily Henderson is someone whose work always brings a smile to my face! Her designs are colorful and vibrant, and her attention to detail is inspiring.
2. Lifestyle bogger, Bri Emery, has always been someone who has an eye for style. Her designs are playful and her advice sound. While not all her posts are interiors-centric, her style is infectious.
3. Another favorite is Victoria Smith of sfgirlbybay. I fell in love with her blog when I moved to SF and was looking for local design bloggers. Her style is so unique and I love that she was doing boho modern before it was trending!
4. The interior architecture and design magazine Dwell has an extremely beautiful and educational Instagram account that mirrors the features in their magazine as well as extras.
5. Last but definitely not least, dezeen is a great modern resource for both architecture and interiors with trending topics in design.
Each of these 5 websites bring something special and unique to the table while providing a wealth of information and inspiration! Enjoy!
How are we addressing architecture in the 21st century?
This topic as well as other important ones are addressed and studied at La Biennale Architettura 2016!
With the theme, “Reporting from the Front”, the 15th International Architecture Exhibition is breaking ground in every area of architecture and interior design. The participants and award winners showcase their designs and innovations that are making waves in valuable areas of international architecture. While some focus on designing sustainably, the main focus is on deeper cultural issues such as segregation, inequality, access to sanitation, housing shortage, migration, and community participation. These topics all address architecture in the 21st century and what we can do to improve society through well thought out and thoroughly researched design. Below is an example of what can be found at the Biennale Archetettura.
Original Article
“The project took advantage of every opportunity provided by the need to intervene on the buildings in this neighborhood. the overall strategy was to render new housing blocks more visible by using a more individualized architectural treatment while retaining a more public, open, green, landscaped approach by fashioning new green spaces. this has totally transformed the neighborhood. from residence to housing blocks, from no man’s land to urban parks the buildings have been reconfigured as identifiable entities… this project tries to restore identity and especially a sense of pride. it was conducted while the site was occupied. the génicart neighborhood represents only 10% of the town of lormont’s surface area, but it houses 50% of its population, approximately 10,500 inhabitants. everyone was informed, and everyone had an opportunity in one way or another to participate in this process. the challenge at the outset was to gain their trust and then to mobilize their energies so that they would experience their neighborhood as a special, unique place, not as just another cité.” – LAN architecture
Shortlist Announced - World Architecture Festival 2016
One of the most prestigious and anticipated events in the architecture world is the annual World Architecture Festival.
Their website defines it as an event “...where the world architecture community meets to celebrate, learn, exchange and be inspired.” It is so much more than that though! It is a place for old hats and newbies alike to come together to collaborate and create. Even though I am not able to attend since it is in Berlin, I am sitting on the edge of my seat anticipating the final results of the 32 awards.
There are many sub-categories under the two main categories of Completed Building and Future Projects. The winners of each of these categories are then asked to present their projects to a panel of judges who pick a “best of show” winner in four categories: Completed Buildings, Interiors, Future Projects, and Landscape. The four “best of show” winners are announced during the closing Gala Dinner.
Since the shortlist was announced today I thought I’d highlight a few of my favorites!
The late Zaha Hadid is nominated under the Culture category for her design of the Messner Mountain Museum Corones in Plan de Corones, Italy. The attention to detail and the way in which Hadid gave life to the climbing museum is breathtaking.
Another of Zaha Hadid’s projects is nominated in the Higher Education and Research category which also caught my eye, as it should. The reflective material used as siding on this addition to the University of Oxford bends the surrounding foliage to its slight curvature tricking your eye.
Ross Barney Architects constructed a new and well thought out station for Chicago’s transit system at the Cermak McCormick Place Station. The perforated aluminum panels keep the wind at bay but still allow fresh air and a perfect view of many of Chicago’s districts.This is categorized under Transport in the WFA shortlist.
Kodasema, an Estonian green architecture group, has created a concrete modular home that has oh so many wonderful built-in sustainably designed features. This home and its architects are nominated in the Small Projects category.
These are just a few of the projects that stood out to me, but all of the nominated projects and architects can be found on WAF’s website. I can’t wait to see who takes home the prize in each category come November! It can’t come soon enough!
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