Great use of wood

Really like this building - the Norwegians have a way with wood, and a great tradition of modern architecture.

http://snohetta.com/project/2-tverrfjellhytta-norwegian-wild-reindeer-pavilion

Natural Pools

I've been fairly obsessed with this concept lately - it just seems such a good idea. No chemicals, no heating, no energy use....a natural ecosystem that you can relax in and enjoy.

Here is a great example of a natural pool (Germany, of course)....

http://www.homedsgn.com/2013/09/04/natural-pool-by-balena-gmbh/

House in Merida

Thought I would add some pics of the finished house. We are still designing a new water feature for the pool, and some changes to the small garden area by the stairs. Otherwise, it might actually be complete....for now.

Coffee with an Architect

The more of read of this, either here or through facebook, I think there is plenty of well-founded humour about the profession that can only be appreciated with experience. Students, read carefully, as it will become  your reality some day....

http://www.coffeewithanarchitect.com/

House of the week

Little bit different this week - like the material palette. It doesn't claim to be environmentally sensitive, so the wood and rock walls can simply be appreciated for what they add to the space.

And as always (students).... look at the drawings !

http://www.homedsgn.com/2011/08/22/stone-creek-camp-by-andersson-wise/

House of the week

Completely lost touch with this (again) - right, back to the weekly house posts....a lot of good Chilean architecture out there recently. Love to visit someday.

http://01arq.cl/casa-w/

House in Merida

Getting close to completion now. Made a design change to the garden to include a narrow stair to the roof, at the expense of a planting bed next to the pergola.

It had to be done. I really enjoyed sitting on the roof of the neighbours house in the morning and evening. It might be the only sunny space on the property as well, which is important for those who want to soak up the sun.

and a few recent construction photos....

Loonie embedded into pool - not looking so good

Patio bench

add water

Great tile in bathroom

Light fixture looks amazing - I was worried about the scale

new stair to roof

Designers and books

An interesting list of architects and designers and their favorite books....

http://www.designersandbooks.com/designers/name/discipline/all/country/all/photos

House of the week

Really nice restoration of a mid-century steel house....

http://www.homedsgn.com/2013/01/28/chiles-residence-by-tonic-design-construction/

How to make a building disappear (without explosives)

Article from ArchDaily....

 http://www.archdaily.com/317019/how-to-pleasantly-demolish-a-high-rise/

As the Atlantic Cities best describes, “Leave it to Japan to turn one of the dirtiest and noisiest processes of the urban lifecycle – the demolition of highrises – into a neat, quiet and almost cute affair.”

Japanese construction company Taisei Corporation has discovered a new, more efficient way to disassemble, rather than demolish, a tall building over 100 meters. The process, known as Taisei’s Ecological Reproduction System or Tecorep, begins by transforming the structure’s top floors into an enclosed cap which is then supported by temporary columns and powerful jacks. As demolition workers begin to disassemble the building from within, they use interior cranes to lower materials. After dismantling an entire floor, the jacks quietly lower the “cap” and the process is repeated.

“It’s kind of like having a disassembly factory on top of the building and putting a big hat there, and then the building shrinks,” says one Taisei engineer, according to this report in the Japan Times.


Not only does the Tecorep satisfy the neighbors, but it presents an environmentally safer and more efficient way to retire a building. This process reduces noise levels by 17 to 23 decibels, cuts dust levels by as much as 90 percent, and eliminates the inconvenient weather factor, thus allowing quicker completion times. Also, much like how hybrid cars generate energy when their brakes are applied, the cranes do the same when lowering debris inside the building. The power they make is then used to run lights and other equipment.

House in Merida

 Updated constructions photos from our visit over Christmas - looks like it will still be another month or so, but work is moving along fast.

Great view from roof is making me reconsider roof terrace/stairs

Orange tree

Floors look good

Bathroom tiling

Kitchen from first bedroom/study

Kitchen looking to front room

Master bedroom from patio

Master bedroom to back pergola/patio

Master bed/bath (floor removed in about four hours)

From pool

Good view of side patio area

In pool