Vo Trong Nghia Architects

Ola,

For quite some time, I have been coming across work by Vo Trong Nghia Architects in Viet-Nam.  Each time I see one of their projects, the first word that comes to mind is the word - ORGANIC.

EXTERIOR SON LA RESTAURANT

Recently, I came across an article on Vo Trong Nghia Archchitect's Son La Restaurant.

The restaurant is located 7 hours away from Hanoi.  The architects wanted to design a building which could adapt to the tropical monsoon climate - a wet season that is hot with high humidity and strong rains and a more temperate but still hot dry season.

DINING HALL SON LA RESTAURANT

The restaurant is made up of several separate buildings and an open-air dining hall.  A local bamboo - luong - can grow to a height of 8m (8.75yds) and was used to create 'A Bamboo Forest'.

PROTOTYPE - LOW INCOME HOUSING MEKONG RIVER DELTA

The above photo is a prototype for low-income housing in the Mekong River Delta designed by Vo Trong Nghia Architects. In 2012, a pair of these houses were built for a total of $4,800. The lightweight steel frame with roof-truss beams, translucent polycarbonate wall panels  and bamboo louvers on the inside were easy to assemble and all materials are readily available in Viet-Nam.

INTERIOR - LOW INCOME HOUSING MEKONG RIVER DELTA

The first project I saw by Vo Trong Nghia Architects was the dwelling - STACKING GREEN.

STACKING GREEN

This house was designed by Vo Trong Nghia Architects taking into account the increasing density in Ho Chi Minh City.  This house is 13-foot wide private house with cantilevered planters on the front and back.

DINING AREA - STACKING GREEN

A pair of skylights and light wells give the reinforced concrete structure the feeling of a traditional courtyard house, while tightly stacked courses of granite add texture to the interior spaces.

STAIRWELL - STACKING GREEN

I am enamored with the way Vo Trong Nghia Architects are able to connect each structure they design with nature.  Both the Son La Restaurant and the Low Income Housing Prototype use bamboo, a natural renewable material.  In the house, Stacking Green, they have incorporated nature into their design by creating cantilevered planters on the front and back of the house.

In all of their designs, not only do they incorporate nature, but there is always space.  This use of space is a natural way to cool the interior of the structures as well as creating a sense of calm.

My dream is to work with Vo Trong Nghia Architects either during or after I obtain my degree in Interior Design.

How GREAT would that be!!!!

- Eduardo

Ross Lovegrove designs first wooden chair to mark Bernhardt Design's 125th Anniversary

Olá!
Recently, I came across an article on DEZEEN.COM entitled Ross Lovegrove Designs first wooden chair to mark Bernhardt's 125 Anniversary.

To celebrate Bernhardt Design's 125 Anniversary, the company commissioned designers - 
Ross Lovegrove, Noé Duchaufour-Lawrence and Jephson Robb to create new furniture pieces for the brand.

These designs were to "honor the company's heritage of fine wood-working and upholstery craftsmanship".  The designers were asked redesign a piece of furniture to show their interpretation of American design.

ANNE CHAIR BY ROSS LOVEGROVE

Ross Lovegrove based his design on a typical courthouse chair.  The chair's arms arc around the sitter to form a continuous curved backrest, while its legs splay outward towards the floor.

"These chairs were such a visible part of the American landscape because of their very powerful presence," said Lovegrove. "Using this historical reference, I wanted to create a chair that is contemporary and a reflection of my design vocabulary."

The chair is named after Anne Harper Berhnardt, one of the company's founders.

"As in all my work, the Anne chair is about sculpting a material: creating something that has a human dimension and looks interesting from any view," Lovegrove said.

HARPER CHAIR BY NOE DUCHAUFOUR-LAWRENCE

The chair designed by Paris-based designer, Noé Buchaufour-Lawrence, is based on the Windsor chair, which is not an American design.  Noé Buchaufour-Lawrence chose this chair because he saw this chair on the verandas of houses in Hollywood films.

"In the collective French memory, one vision of America is the view of a rocking chair sitting on an open porch," Duchaufour-Lawrance said. "It might be influenced by the movies, but the picture of a man sitting in a rocking chair on a front porch with his feet up on the balustrade, is quintessentially American."

Noé Buchaufour-Lawrence deconstructed the Windsor chair and rearranged the components, so the spindly elements in the back become struts that span between the top and bottom of the curved frame. The leather-upholstered seat is supported by four pieces of timber that extend seamlessly from the outer frame.

ALEX SOFA BY JEPHSON ROBB

Scottish designer Jephson Robb used the Chesterfield sofa as his starting point for the Alex sofa as Americans were credited with popularising its name.

"When I was growing up, the first piece of furniture that actually made an impression on me was a Chesterfield sofa," said Jephson Robb. "I was fascinated by all the buttons, and amazed that my head and feet didn't touch the arms when lying down. It seemed larger than life to me."

To update the design, Robb removed all but five of the buttons traditionally used all over the couch and used a horizontal strip along the back to tuft the fabric.

"The biggest design challenge for me was how to communicate quality and comfort without the repetition of buttons and tufting," Robb said. "I decided to go with a single uninterrupted belt that creates one continuous tuft as it traces the interior."

While taking my Materials Course, I had to source furniture as one of my exams.  I came across BERNHARDT and immediately fell in love with their furniture.

I am looking forward to incorporating their furniture into my future projects.

- Eddy

Skinny Houses

Imai House by Katsutoshi Sasaki

Ola!

As you all have probably realized, I am in love with structures that have a small footprint.

Recently, I wrote about a flat in Melborne CBD - A 75sqm Apartment Reimagined.  The space was inspired by Traditional Japanese Houses.

Recently, I came across an article in DEZEEN - 10 Super Skinny Houses.

In their article, they showcase 10 Skinny Houses that they thought were pretty cool.

Here the ones I am crazy for:

Stacking Green by Vo Trong Nghia

This house is in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet-nam and was designed by Vietnamese architects Vo Trong Nghia.  The structure is 20 metres (65.62ft) deep but just four metres (13.12ft) wide.  The long, thin "tube house" shape is very common in Vietnam.

Stacking Green - Courtyard/Foyer

Slim House extension by Alma-nac

This terraced house in London terraced house is among the slimmest in the city.  It occupies a former stable in a 2.3 metre (7.55ft)gap between larger buildings. Instead of adding a solid block to the back of the house, the architects at Alma-mac decided to stagger the floors of the extension.  The slopping roof for the extention is spotted with windows to bring in more sunlight.

Slim House - Dining Room

Promenade House by FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects

This house, located in Shiga, Japan, is 27 metres deep, 2.7 metres wide (88.58ft x 8.86ft).  The rooms are connected by long, thin corridors.

Promenade House - Interior

Garden and House by Ryue Nishizawa

Of the skinny houses I wrote about in today's blog, Garden and House is my favorite.  The Japanese architect, Ryue Nishizawa, wanted to create a "house without walls" insuring that the narrow width of this four metre wide (13.13ft) plot in Tokyo didn't feel any smaller.  He used floor to ceiling glass between each slab of this 4 story structure.

Garden House - Interior

I strongly feel that we should only use land that we need.  We are not the only creatures living on this planet.  There should be room enough for all.

- Eddy

Rare Frank Lloyd Wright Gas Station

BUFFALO FILLING STATION - FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

Like many artists, architects have portfolios with so many ideas that never see the light of day.

The Buffalo Pierce-Arrow Museum in New York has brought one of Frank Lloyd Wright's imaginative conceptual projects to life.

The museum debuted the Buffalo Filling Station. This work was unrealized and originally designed in 1927.  Patrons of this striking station would have waited to have their cars serviced in comfort.

The salmon-colored concrete structure boasts a second-level viewing platform, restrooms and even a fireplace.  The copper roof is pierced by two 45-foot-tall poles which Wright referred to as "totems".

This design is pure WRIGHT.  Its shifting floorplates, precise ornamentation, elongate shape and subdued color palette.

Wright's interest in the automobile's role in architecture was well known and if he had had his way, we all would have been traveling and filling up in style.

- Eddy

A 75sqm Apartment Reimagined

Reimagined Apartment - Bedroom #2

Ola,

This morning I came across an interesting article on ArchDaily - Flinders Lane Apartment / Clare Cousins Architects.

This project was to 'reimagine' a 75m² (807.293 sq.ft) apartment for a young family.  The apartment is located in a heritage-listed building in Melborne CBD (Central Business District).  The clients were expecting their first child and wanted to convert the existing one bedroom apartment into a space suited to their needs.

Reimagined Apartment - Building in Melbourne CBD

The two bedrooms were inspired by traditional Japanese houses. The first bedroom was based on the length of a single bed and just 2m wide (6.56 ft).  In the second bedroom, the mattress only bed is supported by a raised platform.  Sliding screens allow the room to be open visually and provides additional seating to the living space.  It can be transformed to a private zone by sliding the screens closed.

Reimagined Apartment - Bedroom #1

With a footprint of 25m² (269 sq. ft) per person, this design minimizes the sleeping areas and maximizes the living and social spaces to be enjoyed by the young family.

Reimagined Apartment - Bathroom

The young family's small space and modest budget has been maximized by efficient spatial planning and the creative composition of commonly available materials.

Reimagined Apartment - Living Area

The use of plywood enhances the perception of space, as well as providing dual cost benefits; plywood is affordable and readily available and most of the joinery was designed to be constructed by a carpenter, further minimizing construction costs.

I am a serious advocate of living spaces with a small footprint.  BRAVO to the architects on this project!

- Eddy

Salvaged Ring Coffee House

Salvaged Ring - Coffee Shop - Nha Trang, Vietnam

Olá,

I was reading Dezeen.com the other day when I came across an article about a coffee house in
Nha Trang, Vietnam that was made of scrap wood.

As you all already know, I am a staunch advocate of eco-friendly building.  I immediately fell in love with this structure.

The Salvaged Ring is a coffee shop located along side a highway in the countryside of Nha Trang, Vietnam.  After years working, the owner, which is a local carpenter, had a big stock of scrap wood that he wished to have another life. a21studio brought these pieces of wood came to life.

Upper Level of Coffee House

The timber skeleton supports a thatched roof that spirals down from an entrance near the road to cover a lower level with seating scattered about a central garden.

Stairs leading to lower level

Lower Level and Central Garden

"The advantages of using the salvaged wood are that it saves the owner money and it gives the wood another life instead of being left useless in the warehouse." 

- Toan Nghiem, Architect

I immediately fell in love with this Coffee House, because it took me back to my time in Thailand.  It would be great to sit there having a great cup of coffee, enjoying being close to the river and having a great view of the garden.

View of Wood Frames

Traditional carpentry techniques including mortise and tenon joints were used to connect the variously sized sections of wood needed to build the frame, meaning no additional timber had to be sourced.

The palette of natural materials also included coconut leaves, used to form the thatched roof, and stones that were used to make low walls next to the entrance.

Street View - Coffee House

It is great seeing that recycling of materials to be used in construction is taking off all over the world!

- Eddy

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

Happy Birthday - Frank Lloyd Wright

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

Olá!

This morning I learned that today is the birthday of one of my all time favorite creative persons - FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT.

But he wasn’t just an architect – he was also an interior designer, writer, and educator.  He would have turned 147 years old today.

"Wright’s designs were driven by the desire to nurture the lives of their occupants. He referred to his architecture as ‘organic’ – in complete harmony with itself and its surroundings, as if it had developed as naturally as a tree."  - ArchDaily                                            

I fell in love with Wright's work when I visited the Ennis House in 2004.  I was in awe of this beautiful, modern house that was built in 1924.  It is timeless and definitely in harmony with its surroundings as it sits on top of a hill in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles.  It was also used in the movie BLADERUNNER. 

ENNIS HOUSE FAÇADE

ENNIS HOUSE - DINING ROOM

His most famous house is Fallingwater which is located in southwest Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands and 90 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh.

FALLING WATER

One of my favorite museums in the world is the Guggenheim Museum in New York City designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM - EXTERIOR

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM - ROTUNDA

Wright completed over 500 projects. The timelessness of his designs continues to reveal just how strong that vision was. 

Thank you for being my inspiration!

- Eddy

Level® - Sustainability Certification for Furniture

Atlantic Collection - Bernhardt

Olá!

Earlier this year, I attended a CEU Seminar on BIFMA Level Standard Furniture.

Level is the sustainability certification program for furniture.

Level^® is the multi-attribute, sustainability standard and third-party certification program for the furniture industry. It has been created to deliver the most open and transparent means of evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of furniture products in the built environment. 

During the lecture, it was noted that after a building has gone through the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification Process it could all be nullified due to the fact the furniture used in the Interior Design of the building could contain emit harmful toxins or it may not be of a sustainable origin.

This makes so much sense!

AllSteel Office - Gather Collection

I was so happy that I attended this seminar because it gave me one more tool for my design arsenal.

The images of furniture in today's blog have been identified by Level and has been vetted by an independent third party certifier and its numeric marking 1, 2, or 3 indicates what threshold of certification it has achieved.  

Radius Meeting Series - Davis Furniture

- Eddy

British Furniture Brand - Another Country

Olá!

Recently, I was reading my latest issue DEZEEN MAGAZINE where I came across the British Furniture Company - Another Country.

Another Country's designs are archetypal, summoning the forms of British Country Kitchen, Shaker (one of my favorites), traditional Scandinavian and Japanese woodwork.

One of the things that drew me to Another Country is that the company is sustainable and all of their wooden products are made from certified solid woods in the UK, European and US suppliers.  Every piece is hand assembled and hand finished.

They truly believe that you cannot make furniture in a better way that this!

- Eddy

Literally Green Buildings

PARK ROYAL PICKERING

Recently, I have noticed a trend where greenery is now becoming apart of a building's façade.

The Park Royal Pickering in Singapore is designed as a hotel and office in a garden, the project at Upper Pickering Street is a study of how we can not only conserve our greenery in a built-up high-rise city centre but multiply it in a manner that is architecturally striking, integrated and sustainable.

PARK ROYAL PICKERING - FAÇADE

Another great example of this trend is Stefano Boeri's Vertical Forest

Stefano Boeri's Vertical Forest

The studio led by Italian architect Stefano Boeri came up with the concept of Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, as a way to combine high-density residential development with tree planting in city centres.  The first project born from this concept is now nearing completion in the Isola area of Milan's fast-developing Porta Nuova district. Two towers, measuring 80 and 112 metres, are set to open later this year and are already home to 900 trees.

BOSCO VERTICALE

As urban areas become more and more dense, incorporating greenery is such a great idea. We all need greenery which helps us feel better and at the same time greenery absorbs carbon dioxide and gives us fresh air!

As I start developing my 'Style' in Interior Design, I will be sure to incorporate greenery in my designs.

- Eddy