A practice does "team building" - planting and constructing structures along the coastal edge on Bruny Island

 
Love this idea - develop your practical skills, whilst working with your fellow team of architects OUTSIDE THE OFFICE.




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A new housing development in Walthamstow, east London by Stitch Architects

   
The existing estate will be transformed from a deprived backwater into an integrated neighbourhood with traditional streets and squares. 


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Mobile Transit Lounge by Jasmax

 
Winner of the 'Open Work In Progress' by the Auckland Architecture Association, the judges said: 

“The Mobile Transit Lounge is a welcome addition to the urban fabric of the city, with its distinctive folded form that has the potential to play out at different scales. It also offers a fresh identity to the changing face of transport in Auckland.”

The structure, which is made of a pleated box of structural cross-laminated timber planes that unfold acts as both a viewing platform, lounge, cafe and bike hire pavilion.

Additionally an interactive multimedia noticeboard is included inviting engagement from it's users.



The proposed design encourages people to explore the city through public transport, whilst providing a space of engagement.

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Is ego compatible with trusted advisor status?

   
Here is an article by John Held, which reflects on deskilling and reskilling in the profession. Have architects lost the role of ‘trusted advisor’? What do low registration rates mean and what skills do we need to be effective in the future?

Glossary - Scriber

   

Scribing is the woodworking technique of shaping the end of a moulding or frame component to neatly fit the contours of an abutting member.

In weatherboard:

Refer here for method.

New Zealand's first passive house designed by Darren Jessop in Glendowie

 
Darren Jessop designed New Zealand's first passive house based on principles prevalent in Germany in the 1980's. For more...Read the  blog (describing the construction) here. Read the Building Design article here. See a newspaper article with video on the house here, and an article in Architecture Now.

Below is a video summarising the "passive" home principles:


Passive House Explained in 90 Seconds from Hans-Jörn Eich on Vimeo.

From this experience, Jessop has now created Cool House, a collection of "modern" or contemporary factory-built or modular home kitsets. But obviously still giving the option for a fully customised "architectural" home also. See Jessop's "cool house" collection below:


Via Jessop Architects and Cool House.

And here is a great podcast at Homestyle Green with Elron Burrell from Architype (expat NZ'er) about "passivehausing" and the importance on investing in quality construction from the outset.

House wrapped i a translucent polycarbonate cladding

    

This house in Spain uses concrete slabs and a double layer of cellular polycarbonate panelling – a type of corrugated plastic with strong insulating properties.

The panelling, supported by a white metal framework, gives the house a soft white colouring that blends with the rendered facades of neighbouring properties.

In places the corrugated sheeting runs across windows, while in others expanses of glass are left unshaded giving a layering effect.

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House in Donvale (Australia) by Wilson Architects

   

House alteration - uses sustainable spotted gum and bamboo to complement the existing exposed timber throughout, and factory painted cabinetry.

Seamless stairs accentuated by the white wall.

The dining room cabinet doubles as a storage unit, balustrade, seat and structural display unit all in one.

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Boat shed has walls that turn into a platform

    

This boat house designed by Werkstatt for a client in the Netherlands has walls that fold down via a pulley to create a bridge or platform over the water, allowing it to go from a boathouse to a barbecue space.

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From the BRANZ Seminar yesterday called “From She’ll be right TO Build it Right”

 
The main topic was the Building Amendment Act 2013

The aim of these changes is to encourage a professional, transparent relationship between consumers and building practitioners, based on good information and written contracts for building work. This will reduce the potential for misunderstanding and ensure each party is aware of their rights and responsibilities.

From 1st January 2015, the new consumer protection measures will include the following:

• Written contracts for building work over a certain value ($30,000 incl. GST) will be mandatory. This will help to protect the interest of both parties.
• Practitioners will be required to disclose certain information to consumers, for example information about skills, qualifications and licensing status. Providing good information to consumers will give them confidence in the practitioner they are dealing with. 
• Building practitioners who don’t supply contracts or give a consumer false information could be fined.
• There are new general remedies for breaches of implied warranties e.g. if the breach is substantial the consumer can cancel the contract immediately.
• A new 12 month “defect repair period” during which the onus is on the building contractor to remedy any defects notified by the consumer without question. 

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (Previously, Department of Building and Housing) will issue a document called “Acceptable Levels of Workmanship” to set some benchmarks around the quality of workmanship.

Shutter House

    

Australian studio Philip Stejskal Architecture has equipped a white timber extension to a 1890s duplex with shutters and sliding panels that camouflage with the walls when closed.

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Once a chicory kiln now an island holiday retreat.

The kiln was in disrepair before Andrew Simpson Architects gave it new life. Keeping with the original character, whilst adding in the "new" respectively (i.e. natural timbers, industrial metals and in keeping with the original footprint and proportions).

The ply ceiling uses the owners' own re-purposed artwork of etched patterns. Love the kitchen island and stairs on wheels - offering flexibility to the small space.

Upstairs the old kiln is tranformed into the master bedroom, the apex containing a skylight or "thermal chimney" offering natural ventilation for the rising heat.

It is a clever and respectful renovation to the island's rich history.

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Koro House ("Passing of Time")

   

This (irregular hexagon shaped) house in Japan designed by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates features sculptural wooden slats suspended from the ceiling.

The architects maintain this is to diffuse light into the interior from the clerestory windows that wrap around the house - due to it's close proximity to the surrounding buildings.

The beautiful form does create a circadian effect on the structure's surrounding walls - creating a space that is alive.




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A reno of a villa uses an internal cast-in-place textural concrete wall

 

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Stilted house in Japan by Takeru Shoji Architects

A white timber roof masks the upper storey of this Japanese house by Takeru Shoji Architects, raised on wooden stilts the pale vertical timber facade is revealed underneath.

The bedrooms are situated downstairs, and the living up.

The angled white canopy overhangs the pebbled garden with irregularly spaced pavers. Love the concrete bench seat attached to the base of the house.

A staircase with white treads planted into the wall of the white hallway wall leads to an entrance hall fronted by two large glazed doors with timber frames.

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Salter Point House by Mountford Architects

   

A renovation of a 1960s home... A open gabled roof with large stone infill walls delineate informal and formal spaces. Large overhanging eaves (using a post-tensioned beam) create generous front and back porches.

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The Napa Valley House by Eliot Lee and Eun Lee

   

This house in the Napa Valley of the United States sits within the topography, the landscape driving the design. The “house” is actually a compound of four buildings that sit in a row between two hills. One is a living/dining space, one is a master bedroom and bath, one is a guest house, and one is a spa with a sauna.

The separate buildings are united by a series of orthogonal intersection paths and rammed earth walls, which also extend into the landscape and incorporate other elements, such as the pool, into the property.

A small amount of stone was excavated, though none was actually removed from the property; it was either used for the walls or crushed for the paths.

Most of the original flora was preserved; larger trees were temporarily moved elsewhere on the site and then replanted. Additional plantings were added, though all the plants are native species such as tanoaks, madrones, and manzanitas.

The overall philosophy of both the construction process and the final design was to step lightly on the existing landscape.

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A farmhouse on Banks Peninsula by Pattersons

 
Mark Palmer, who grew up in NZ and lived in the US for 25 years has bought Annandale Farm in Christchurch. He has renovated the original farmhouse and constructed two new, one of which is this house set in a private bay (which incidentally you can rent here). He has also planted thousands of native trees.



The farmhouse’s walls and roof are clad in cedar.

Sliding cedar panels provide shelter in bad weather.

The main living space is anchored by a fireplace and chimney made from stone from the farm’s quarry, and features furniture by Roche Bobois and a rug made from wool from the farm’s sheep (left). Each of the home’s three main bedrooms (there is also a bunkroom) features a bath with a view (right)

The living room opens onto a large north-facing deck with a view of the ocean.

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South London house by Ian McChesney

   

This house is constructed from a sustainable timber frame and clad in flush glazed black opaque glass panels.

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A home in the hills of Tasmania, Australia by Room 11

 

Designed by and for architects Thomas Bailey and Megan Baynes’ of Room 11, the box-like home is a special place. “It was a good opportunity for us to clarify our architectural values and have them manifested directly,” says Thomas, Architect + Director of Room 11.

The architects (and owners) took the environment into consideration: In order to combat the “cold, damp and claustrophobic” environment, due to low cloud and mist, creating an interior that was “generous, warm, and spacious” was crucial. “While this is a beautiful area, it is challenging for long term occupation,” says Thomas.

Polycarbonate cladding on the eastern and western facades "render luminous shadow walls " and with the considered placement of windows brings an overall high quality of light while framing views to the exterior.

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