House in Aobadai by Satoshi Okada Architects

Location : Aobadai, Tokyo, Japan
Architect : Satoshi Okada
Type : residence
Size : 238.46 sqm.
Structure : RC
Completion : 2004
Project team : Daikichi Honma
Structural designer : Kenta Masaki
General contractor : Fukazawa Construction Co.
Photo credit: Satoshi Okada Architects



















The house is located in the Daikanyama Hill, next to Shibuya district, one of the most fashionable areas in Tokyo, today. On the sloping terrain from north to south, the site figures a trapezoid shape of approx. 9.2m in width by 25.2m in depth upon a narrow front road to the west. The east end boundary is only tilted by 4.19 degree from the right angle.

The client is a young executive person, a car maniac, purchased an expensive lot for his own dwelling as well as for holding a private party with business partners or friends just behind the hot spot. His primary request is to make a garage in order to store 4 cars in the house made of a rigid and safe reinforced concrete structure against fires or earthquakes.























This condition demands, proportionally, a large area only for cars in the limited property; at last, it occupies a half of the whole site. Also, in terms of architectural laws to the cosmopolitan area, tall buildings cannot be realized for maintaining a well-preserved housing environment particularly on the right of light. On the north boundary, a setback regulation in architectural laws restricts the building height less than 5.6meters.

Seifert House by BAU KULTUR

Seifert House by BAU KULTUR

Mrs. Seifert, sixty-three years old and curator of an art gallery, commissioned this house after her previous home, an approximately 150 years old building, burned down. For her new home she demanded a particular requirement - namely, the new house (contrary to her previous one) should fuse with nature in order to give her an immanent feeling of the change of seasons.





















Subsequently, the conception of the house became a deep engagement with Mies, in particular with the Farnswoth House, and the question of how a space should be constituted in order to open itself to the surrounding by simultaneously offering privacy.



























Furthermore, it became an investigation of how much freedom in space effectively determines the way of living in contrast to a few certain spatial determinations that liberate. Whereas the first model refers to Rietveld's attempts to create freedom e.g. by means of sliding doors etc. the later model refers to Mies' structured open plan.

Mrs. Seifert tried to follow and understand the conceptual approach with great interest, and supported final decisions on the construction. She spared no effort to understand Mies' architecture and made educational journeys.






















Architect: Michael Shamiyeh - BAU|KULTUR, Austria
Location: Volkersdorf, Enns, Austria
Structure Engineer: Helmut Schiebel
Contractor: Winfried Orth
Materials: Concrete & Glass
Photographs: Paul Ott

Binder Residence by Syndesis,Inc

This Binder Residence is another residential project of Syndesis,Inc beside the previous one Garell Residence. This Binder Residence is located on a small, 37 foot wide lot on a pedestrian "Walk Street" in Venice, CA. Rather than create one "object building," two buildings attached by an open-air bridge was conceived to create a courtyard space to give the occupant the feeling of being outside or underneath the second floor while maintaining privacy.





















The larger of the structures is use as a residence while the other is use as an art studio and guestroom over a garage. The ground floor extends from the exterior courtyard into the interior and vise versa to blur the definition of interior and exterior space.

Large, sliding doors are concealed so that the ground floor appears to be open to the exterior courtyards. A large exterior 2-story chimney wall frames the terminus of the courtyard while concealing the adjacent 2-story neighboring residence. The exterior fireplace at the second floor flanks an outdoor sleeping porch and seating area off of the perforated breezeway bridge.



























Walls on the first floor are intentionally held from touching the ceiling of the second floor to allow for a clear line of site over neighboring residences and giving the illusion that the second story is floating above the first floor. The mass of the second floor elevations is divided into sections of positive and negative spaces that reinforce the destabilization of the wall plane. Some of the vertical slices are specific to selective views of nearby palm trees. A central floating stair divides the spaces and leads to a usable roof deck framed by high solid parapet walls providing privacy and strategically edited views of the distant landscape.



























A continuous skylight, that opens to serve as a shaft to facilitate stack effect ventilation, frames the stair that will float from the ceiling of the second story. The exterior walls of the second story are covered in a smooth, steel troweled, integrally pigmented stucco and turn inside horizontally to form the interior ceiling of the first floor further emphasizing the weight of the "floating" mass above.

Portable Hot Tubs Collection at Bullfrogspas

Hot Tubs are seen as an item that only wealthy people can really afford. But it is no longer like that, anyone these days can grab themselves a portable hot tub. Yes portable hot tubs now exist in a wide variety of forms and they are just as good as the ones that are fixed into the ground. Another great thing about portable hot tubs is the fact that they are so easy to install, it usually takes around 30 minutes to get one ready and its now becoming a major buy for anyone interested in stress relief or relaxation. The best thing to do would probably be too leave it on a flat surface so that the water can run through easily and not overflow.



Ever hear about the latest technology on hot tubs..? yeah the latest technology has made the best hot tub both affordable and energy efficient. While some maintenance is involved, of course, you might be surprised at the available products that are easy to use and will keep your hottub spic and span. Portable hot tubs can also be moved for you from home to home, making it a good investment for the long term. Simply set the Hottub up again in a level area with access to water and power.



If you are looking for the best place to search and buying the best hot tubs. you can try visit the best place at bullfrogspas.com. Bullfrog Spas are the world's only hot tubs equipped with the patented cutting edge technology JetPak System. JetPak technology is said to deliver incredible power, maximum versatility, and allows you to upgrade your hot tubs jetting with new JetPaks in the present age and in the future as well.

Sebastian Irarrazaval | La Reserva House

Description :
La Reserva House was designesd by Sebastián Irarrázaval and would be built on the outskirts of Santiago and therefore monitoring of the construction could not be very exhaustive. As a result it was decided by a simple cubic matrix.

Moreover, the reduced budget forced us to opt for a constructive economic system and fast. As' we decided to use one, widely developed in the U.S. and Canada and here in Chile is beginning to be use in the georgian houses. which consists of a structure of galvanized iron profiles, chipboard panels OSB siding and sheathing PVC imitation wood.

It is a low-cost housing, 140 m2, to be sold and repeated in many places as concerned people exist. In this regard it relates to the idea of the container since it has no place. With the purpose of reducing construction time, geometry is simple and the construction system is on prefabricated basis. Its arrangement is a cross shaped where, in order to embrace the nearby landscape, public areas are placed in second level in a 4 meters high cube.

This severe volume is covered with steel plates that create a double facade that gets hot and therefore increases ventilation of the space in between , refreshing the inner side of the wall

With regard to materials, the building recognizes the inherent uncertainty and inevitability of weathering as a continuation of the building process rather than as a force antagonistic to it.

Architect: Sebastián Irarrázaval
Associate Architect: Andrea Von Chrismar
Location: La Reserva, Colina, Chile
Constructed Area: 140 m2
Project year: 2005-2006
Photographs: Carlos Eguiguren

Garell Residence by Syndesis, Inc

This Garell Residence was designed for a retiring doctor, who after falling in love with the small town of Yachats, Oregon, decided to relocate to a quiet hillside along its border. The site is characterized by its coastal relationship, both in terms of its beautiful ties to nature as well as in terms of its exposure to severe weather conditions that can take shape in the form of horizontal wind driven rainstorms that can reach speeds up to 140 mph.



















The project is a 3,500 square foot residence located on a south-facing slope above the Yachats River. The area is heavily wooded with spruce, pine, and alder. The house is organized around its scenic views of its surroundings as well as defining a central courtyard that puts the focal point onto the hill above.






















The courtyard was designed following the Japanese garden or "Angawa", which allows for shelter from prevailing winds while still allowing for a connection to the outdoors. Large overhangs also protect the home from the strong winds. The high volume of annual rainfall was considered within the design by incorporating large copper scuppers that divert the water into falling streams above large collection basins.



The entry frames a view onto the central courtyard and allows the residents the convenience of an accessible mudroom to quickly and easily clean themselves after being exposed to the outdoors. The living and dining areas of the home continue to frame views of the courtyard and rock garden while opening up large views on the opposite wall of the canyon and ocean below.

About Syndesis, Inc

Syndesis, Inc. is a design firm which manufactures, fabricates, and installs custom architectural products and surfaces using Syndecrete® as a primary medium. It is committed to innovation, craftsmanship, and integrity. Syndesis is a single source supplier with full services ranging from research and development to design, communication, and coordination through prototyping and mold making from conception to installation.

See the Interior Video of Garell Residence Here : Interior Video1, Interior Video2, Interior Video 3, Eksterior Video

Not-So-weeHouse by Alchemy Architects

A little brief about Alchemy Architects Not-So-weeHouse :
Not-so-weeHouses start with a base weeHouse module, then add additional modules and/or "special use modules" to create a customized modular home. Each project is planned and built individually, allowing for a wide variety of finishes and layouts.


Alchemy Architects Contact :
* Geoffrey Warner - Architect
* 856 Raymond Ave South
* St. Paul, MN 55114
* Tel: 651.647.6650
* Email: info@weehouses.com
* Web site: alchemyarchitects.com



Basic Details of the Not-So-weeHouse by Alchemy Architects :

* basic "kit" price: varies
* sq ft: varies
* kit price/sq ft: varies
* est. finished price/sq ft: $150 - 175
* bedrooms: varies
* baths: vaires
* garage: no
* decks: optional



Base Price Includes:

* all windows/patio doors
* painted interior walls/ceilings
* fiber cement board exterior siding
* EPDM membrane roof
* Insulation - wallsR19/floorR35/ceilingR45

* prefinished bamboo flooring
* IKEA cabinets/sinks | Kohler® toilets | Moen® fixtures
* design costs / site layout / approval drawings
* ductwork for heating/cooling | electrical/lighting
* rough-in for appliances, hot water heater



Also worth mentioning: basic weeHouse pricing for any region in the country is now available. Kudos to the weeHouse folks for making that information so accessible!

model: 2x4 weeHouse
designer: Alchemy Architects
price: from $319,000 (~$150/sf)
size: 2,150 sf
br: 3
style: modern
how: complete modules

model: 4x4 weeHouse
designer: Alchemy Architects
price: from $319,000 (~$150/sf)
size: 2,090 sf
br: 3
style: modern
how: complete modules