SZ House is a small family house located in Ibaraki (Japan), is primarily an original project in its approach, without frills or luxuries, resolved with sobriety, for many may be too much. The property occupies an area of 105m2 and basically consists of four parallel walls that enclose three main areas: one private, one public, and a third elongated and narrow is the connection between the two.

As expected, the private area of the SZ House was occupied by the bedroom, bathroom, patio and a room for leisure. The public area consists of the garage, patio, and the piece that has the living room and kitchen. Besides the important functions of ventilation and lighting, every yard is adapted to the privacy of every part of the house: the kitchen, the patio has a broad view of the street, while from the bedroom is the leisure room. We would like to know how to control for the bath, which is fully glazed.

The corridor that connects all the rooms comes to be seen as an area of overwhelming proportions, something that could have been improved with a good skylight. The flue from the kitchen seems to be crying out for a ride vertically to the roof, and not understand why the floor of the corridor lined with the same tile in the garage. Still, a home has earned for quality analysis. Read the rest of this entry »

The building is located on the northwest coast of the island of Madeira, Portugal, in a wide valley, near the center of a small rural village on the coast, between the natural landscape of the region. The program design of this public service center houses an office, file area and a private office, meeting room and a reception for the public. Built on an underground parking garage, the new translucent building lets in natural light and stunning views of the surrounding green mountains. It is a wood and glass structure, with several rectangular concrete boxes, previously used as retail outlets in the city park, arranged on top. Instead of demolishing the existing small buildings, it was decided to use some of them as part of the new building, and so maintain the original staircase and an elevator giving access to parking.

Situated on the northwest coast of the island of Madeira, Portugal, in an Extensive river valley, it is near the center of a small rural coastal village, nestled Between the region’s natural landscape, Which extends Towards the building is Where the area located.

Standing on top of an underground car park, the new translucent building allows natural light of an influx and the impressive view of the surrounding high mountains and rugged green. It is a wooden and glass structure arranged on top of rectangular shaped concrete Various boxes, kiosks Previously Used as in the urban park. Instead of demolishing the buildings to make Existing small room for the new one, It Was Decided to use as part of Them Some of the new building, and the original staircase Also keep and lift Which Gives Access to the car park Located below.

The design program of This public services’ building is a simple one. It houses an office and workspace open space for the register office personnel, an archive area and a private main office, at meetings and a reception room for the general public counter. Read the rest of this entry »

A-cero architecture studio, directed by Joaquin Torres, presents a project to rehabilitate a downtown building where work will be carried out refurbishment of the front facade and side of the apartment building located on a busy street in the Madrid Community. This is a four-story building + basement and cover is not practicable.

The plot takes the form of a regular polygon with four sides, with a rounded corner and covers an area of 553.45 m2. Bordered houses building adjoining on the north and Calle San Marcos on the south, Barquillo Street on the east, and west by a residential building. As for access, with roads that allow motor vehicles to transport people.

At the request of the property will be made timely preparation work on the two facades above to deal with it. Cleanup will occur, protection and sealing of the various component parts of the facade.

It was intended to review the enclosure in order to detect problems anchoring and sealing of the facade and to solve the humidity detected. There will be review and grouting of carpentry repair and replacement if necessary, exterior trim and cons.

It is the cleansing of the area’s stony facade, to dispose dry areas with biological attacks by removing lichen and moss bristle brushes and wire, to finally start treating wet cleaning, with water sprayed and brushed. During this phase will be purified cracks and sores. Read the rest of this entry »

Any intervention in a historic building, however small, is always subject to a balancing act between respecting the old and daring work with those new parts that should be added. The restoration of the Tower of Huércal-Overa is one example.

The structure is a watchtower that was part of a defensive belt of the border of the Kingdom of Granada ( 13rd Century), is located atop a hill overlooking a wide horizon, which only retained the core elements. The project was to create access to the tower and restore the original state of the same. To achieve this, the place has changed minimally, relying at all times in the topography. The car park has been conducted in an open space exists, the customer service office is a single volume: a box of rusted steel.

This contemporary material causes a categorical distinction between new and old (built with brick walls), especially in the cylindrical body surrounding the spiral staircase which recovers the original entrance of the tower via a walkway of steel and glass . The contrast is brutal and beautiful.

The architects Luis Castillo and Mercedes Miras (Castillo Miras Architects) designed this intervention. Read the rest of this entry »

This Shimogamo house (Kyoto, Japan) has two faces very different, because the composition of the facade has nothing to do with the relaxing interior, designed with many nods to traditional Japanese architecture.

The images (day and night) of the false front corner, with frosted glass, appear to belong to another building, and are far from the delicate balance that inhaled into the source of inspiration for all lovers of simple spaces, the sliding panels, bamboo and wood.

In addition, call attention to the screens high on the edge, to preserve the privacy of the courtyard from neighboring homes, not forgetting that bathroom with stonewall.

Shimogamo House is a project of Edward Suzuki Associates. For more information, visit at www.contemporist.com.