tables+chairs

conversations about architecture, globalization + consumerism

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Split View Mountain Lodge / Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter  (via ArchDaily)

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House at Cortez Daily Diagram 003

One of the ideas that emerged from conversations with the client was to phase the construction of the house so that part could be constructed first and lived in while the rest of the house was being built. This idea works with the primary program elements diagrammed previously by locating the guest suite over the garage to be used as a studio loft in Phase 1. In Phase 2, the loft would be converted into the guest suite and the rest of the construction would follow. 

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Precedent Study 002.

Discussions with the client made very clear the primary desire for the House at Cortez: an open living area raised off the earth with views across the beautiful landscape.  

I've looked through the collection of architectural images I've accumulated over the last few years and found many that seem to express this same desire. The shape and articulation of the roofs and windows can create very different relationships with the surrounding views. 

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Precedent Study 001.

House Re by Sono Arhitekti and House in Villa Cielo by Estudio M+N. In looking through the precedents we've selected, one dichotomy seems to be houses in northern climates, typically clad in wood, and houses in southern, more arid climates, typically clad in stone or brick.  Since Cortez is in a desert (12.95in avg. annual precipitation), but also receives an average of 33.3in snowfall annually, it will be interesting to settle on an appropriate aesthetic expression, possibly taking these broad regional styles into account.

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House at Cortez Daily Diagram 002

First pass at a program relationship diagram based on conversations with the client. The house can be divided into these four distinct elements - Master Suite (bedroom, master bath, walk in closet), Guest Suite (bedroom/office, guest bedroom, guest bathroom), Great Room (living room, exterior deck/dining, kitchen, dining area, walk in pantry), and Garage (mudroom, powder room, work space, 2 car garage). 

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House at Cortez Daily Diagram 001

Aerial perspective view of the lot and adjacent homes, showing the view of Totten Lake and Ute Peak to the southwest.  I suspect that a position to the rear of the site, combined with a raised structure, might allow views of the landmarks without  including views of the neighboring houses.

This diagram is an experiment to refine a method of exporting 3D linework from Sketchup to Illustrator, as well as importing photographs into sketchup to simulate a "view arc."

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In my interview with Bruce Mau — an outsider, importantly — he argues that architects “spent so much time policing the fence that you forgot to open the door.” In other words, we constructed such an exclusive professional fortress of accreditation, institutes, awards and even our own discourse, that we lost touch with other people and adjacent disciplines and what we could learn from them.

From an interview with Rory Hyde, author of Future Practice: Conversations from the Edge of Architecture, on Failed Architecture.

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Casa Murray by DISEÑO ESPACIAL. I love the sharp relief created by the overhead sun. A wall and skylight combination like this seems to create an interior sundial, cuing the occupants in to time of day and the gradual shift of the seasons.

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Some Brick Screens

Here are a few projects that have caught my eye for their use of brick patterning that evokes weaving or textile patterns.

Casa Umbráculo by Laboratorio de Arquitectura. Photo Credit Leonardo Finotti:

    Beyond the Screen Residential Complex by OBBA. Photo Credit Kyungsub Shin:

    Three Courtyard Community Center by AZL Architects. Photo Credit Iwan Baan:

    Brick-Weave House by Studio Gang Architects. Photo Credit Steve Hall - © Hedrich Blessing:

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"A fragile and humble replacement for one of the old trees, the ramp behind has not yet openend, explanations as to what it is, differes over time, some say it was meant to be a audience ramp others for skating. The unfinished nature of it for a year sends a message that no one really cares."

Some thoughts on the shortcomings of BIG's Superkilen Urban Park. Lars Barfred paints a stark contrast between the enthusiastic, award-winning promise of urban vitality and the reality of the underutilized urban space, suffering from lack of maintenance and/or foresight. 

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HDR night shot above the San Antonio Riverwalk, though I've carefully cropped out all the River and all the Walk.

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Xbox Kinnect used as a 3D scanner to create an augmented urban model. 

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A few  words from/on prominent architects from the 20th and 21st centuries regarding the role of drawing in architecture and its importance in thought and communication.

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Panorama mode on a Droid Razr HD. Exposure settings for the first of multiple merged frames carry across the whole image, resulting in extremely dark shadows in a scene with strong unidirectional lighting. This sort of staged or studio-lit, chiaroscuro feel was an interesting surprise.

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