Prado House

PRADO HOUSE

Olá!

This morning while reading my daily newsletter from ArchDaily, I came across an article on PRADO HOUSE.

What immediately drew me to this house is the use of concrete slabs in its construction.  For some reason, I am very attracted to homes built of concrete.  I always get the feeling that these homes would be nice and cool inside, especially when it is very hot outside.

PRADO HOUSE  - FAÇADE

Prado House is located in Zapopan, JAL, Mexico and the architects are CoA arquitectura and Estudio Macias Peredo.

The guideline of the architectural Project is established by the walls, a system of independent vertical elements that support structure and create a vestibule for spaces that compose a route in which exterior and interior relationships are consolidated.

PRADO HOUSE - EXTERIOR

The geometry generated allows the gradual unveiling of different views, creating different atmospheres around the architectural heat of the project: the central courtyard, which feeds inner spaces of the house.

PRADO HOUSE - INTERIOR

Crystal and ironwork façade closures underline the independence of wall components by means of introducing a different material palette.  The slabs on floor, mezzanine and terrace tuck into the wall coat and dress a different tone to create a contrast.

PRADO HOUSE - MEXICAN GARDEN

The house, separated from any restrictions imposed by the terrain, can be encircled almost entirely.  It welcomes the wind, speaks to us about patios and mexican gardens in its own words, from its own materials, its own creations, its own colors.

In other words, I LOVE THIS HOUSE!

- Eddy

Giorgio Caporaso Ecodesign Collection

Olá!

Recently, I came across a new eco-sustainable furniture collection for the Hotel and Catering industry in my recent email from Archiproducts.

The Giorgio Caporaso Ecodesign Collection of high-performance innovative products, which are stylish and can be customized to meet an endless array of tastes and requirements. Modular systems and convertible objects that can be repaired, are easy to assemble and disassemble and designed to accommodate the multifarious needs of hotels, restaurants and public houses and bars of the third millennium. 

The pieces that caught my attention are cardboard.

MORE LIGHT Ecodesign Bookshelf

X2CHAIR - Cardboard armchair / lounge chair

X2CHAIR - Wood armchair / lounge chair

When I saw the X2CHAIR in wood, it reminded of the movement in the artwork of my friend João Galrão.  I LOVE his series entitled 'Moments in Pleasure'.  Click on his name to see more of his impressive work.

LARGE JET - Series, Moments of pleasure

Tchau,

Eddy

Eco-Friendly Upholstery

Olá!

Recently, I finished my first Interior Design course - MATERIALS.  I learned so much and you should see the back of my SUV - FULL OF SAMPLES!!!!

I have decided to share some of the things that I learned in my MATERIAL class.

Eco-Friendly Upholstery

One of the topics in my course was UPHOLSTERY.  One of my main goals of becoming an Interior Designer is to incorporate as many materials that are ECO-FRIENDLY/SUSTAINABLE in my designs.

The Upholstered Sofa I Designed for my course

I fell in love with upholstery from BRENTANO FABRICS. 

"At Brentano, we have developed green criteria for our fabrics that reflect the diverse and interconnected nature of sustainability. Our eco-fabrics include our high performance and high quality eco-friendly faux leathers, as well as beautiful upholstery patterns and contract textiles -- overall displaying an uncommon variety of design and versatility available in environmentally-conscious textiles. The Brentano Green fabric label demonstrates our commitment to pursuing green mindfulness while designing textiles with beauty + performance in mind.

In order to qualify for the Brentano Green label, our fabrics must comply with green standards in at least two of the following three categories: raw material, process, and facility and social responsibility."

Brentano Fabrics

Here is the Brentano Fabrics Sample Board I created for my class.

I fell in love with this pattern as soon as I saw it! 

I will be sharing more from my Materials Course soon!

- Eddy

Office Furniture - Sustainable and Eco-Friendly

Ola!!!!

As I prepare to start my Interior Design Diploma Program, I am starting to source
ECO-FRIENDLY/SUSTAINABLE FURNITURE.

My goal is to have a specialization in Commercial Spaces, which includes office environments.  I started looking at office furniture and learned that it should possess the following qualities:

• Healthy
• Eco-functional
• Affordable
• Refurbished
• Recycled
• No-VOC [Volatile Organic Compound]
• FSC Certified - [Forest Stewardship Council - FSC is a global forestry certification system established for forests and forest products.]

These caught my eye:

HERMAN MILLER MIRRA CHAIR

Herman Miller's Mirra chair is designed to give great back support without fussy adjustments. The innovative design also gives good ventilation, making sitters more comfortable.  Mirra comes in an assortment of appealing colors, and is certified to MBDC Cradle to Cradle Gold and Silver, depending on configuration, as well as Greenguard. Mirra can help your organization earn points for LEED certification. The chair is made to be easily disassembled for recycling at the end of use.

HAG by izzydesign

HAG's Sideways conference chair (pictured) just won a Gold Award from NeoCon World's Trade Fair 2008. The innovative chair, which allows 180-degree movement, is made from 72% recycled content (in the four-star base model) or 51% recycled content (stackable model). The components of both models are 98% recyclable.

KNOLL OFFICE DESIGN

Knoll Office Design moves beyond the boring, ordinary cube with Knoll's flexible office systems. There are many styles, colors, finishes and configurations available, all made with Knoll's cleaner manufacturing.  The company uses water-based adhesives and UV-cured wood coating, and its products are virtually volatile organic compound (VOC)-free. Many are available in FSC-certified composite wood, as well as Greenguard certified.

I strongly feel that the more we do to protect the environment, it will be better for future generations.

Tile Collection Combines Metals and Concrete - Beautiful

Ola,

Recently, I was reading my daily email from FRESH HOME and I came across an item that I thought was so BEAUTIFUL - THE FIRST TILE COLLECTION TO COMBINE METAL AND CONCREATE BY DECOTAL.

Decotal is the brainchild of its founder and creative director Adi Fainer, an award-winning industrial designer who envisioned the first collection of tiles to combine concrete and metals. The metals are laser cut into beautifully designed patterns that are cast in the engineered concrete making a seamless tile. Metal platings include chrome-nickel, silver, gold up to 24K gold and anodized in aluminum and titanium. The contrast between the metal cold shiny look and feel and the warm roughed concrete surface creates a special effect.

The tiles are hand made from engineered polymer concrete (EPC), require no maintenance and can be ordered in a large variety of colors. Metal graphics are unlimited and can be custom ordered to fit any required shape opening the way for unique designs and art works. 

I thought this would look as the bottom of a pool

EPC characteristics:

• Up to 3 times stronger than equivalent concrete surface.

• Outstanding durability and superb scratch resistance.

• Highly resistant to chemicals with anti-bacterial properties.

• Thermal and shock resistant. Excellent resistance to abrasion, impact and cracking.

• Seamless and impermeable. No need for sealers or any other protection systems.

• Highly resistant to UV light, weathering and temperatures up to 80°C .Color stable, can be installed outside, ideal for almost any environment.

• Anti-slip properties.

• Resistant to alkalies, acids, greases, oils, salts and other aggressive media.

• Easy maintenance, Easy to clean, hygienic.

• Bespoke installations and colors.

• Environmentally friendly.

How and where would you use these tiles? 





http://freshome.com/2013/06/12/first-tile-colelction-to-combine-metals-and-concrete-by-dental/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FreshInspirationForYourHome+%28Freshome.com%29

Furniture Designers | Cisco Brothers

Ola,

I have decided to write about sustainable | eco-friendly furniture designers in my blog.

In today's blog, I would like to spot light John Derian's furniture line manufactured by the Cisco Brothers.

Cisco Brothers is an eco-friendly, family-run, California-based company. They use soy and petroleum-based foam, non-toxic glues and FSC certified domestic maple wood. 

Here are some of the pieces from the line that I liked:

TETE-A-TETE CHAIRS

The first item that caught my eye was the TETE-A-TETE CHAIRS.  They are a reproduction of a 19th century piece.  It would be a great to have a very good conversation in these. 

Thorntail Wingback Chair

This chair was inspired by an American piece dating back to 1870. The enormous proportions, indulging depth and large "wings" seem to envelop the sitter. I would love to sit in this chair with a good book and read for hours!!

Dromedary Loveseat

The Dromedary loveseat seems to be a timeless piece as far as style and period. I loved it because it just looks so comfortable.  Guests would love to sit on it for hours. For me, it would be another great place to curl up and read a good book (You can tell that I LOVE TO READ BOOKS!!!)

This line of furniture is very conservative and very different from my personal taste. Being that I am studying to become an Interior Designer, I feel it is very important to be knowledgable about different styles to help create pleasing designs for my clients.

To learn more about the Cisco Brothers, please go to the Cisco Brothers site.