BlogBloghttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2012-03-09T09:53:54ZSquarespaceLouis LeRoy - endless work in time and spacehttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2012/3/9/louis-leroy-endless-work-in-time-and-space.htmlEric Guibert2012-03-09T09:47:20Z2012-03-09T09:47:20ZHere is a documentary about Louis LeRoy who is building from recycled rubble an ecocathedral himself, by hand and without cement. Sadly, this is in dutch but here is a link of part of it with subtitles from x!mage, the company who produced the documentary.
]]>Lecture by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawahttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2012/2/27/lecture-by-kazuyo-sejima-and-ryue-nishizawa.htmlEric Guibert2012-02-27T13:17:55Z2012-02-27T13:17:55Z]]>Lecture by Junya Ishigamihttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2012/2/27/lecture-by-junya-ishigami.htmlEric Guibert2012-02-27T12:19:39Z2012-02-27T12:19:39ZOf particular interest are the videos of the paper thin 9.5m table that waves like water (14minutes in), the movement of users in the workshop building (around 36minutes) and the baloon installation (1hrand5minutes). It is remarkable, that the poetry of these projects is only revealed in time.
Another video of the Kait Workshop
]]>A house in the foresthttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2012/2/27/a-house-in-the-forest.htmlEric Guibert2012-02-27T11:59:15Z2012-02-27T11:59:15Z]]>Various houses by BowWow architectshttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2012/2/22/various-houses-by-bowwow-architects.htmlEric Guibert2012-02-22T16:54:38Z2012-02-22T16:54:38Z
]]>Bow Wow Lab Designhttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2012/2/22/bow-wow-lab-design.htmlEric Guibert2012-02-22T16:49:39Z2012-02-22T16:49:39Z]]>Dreaming of a tree househttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2012/2/22/dreaming-of-a-tree-house.htmlEric Guibert2012-02-22T15:05:45Z2012-02-22T15:05:45ZThis documentary presents the Ökohaus, an experimental collective housing project in Berlin by the German architect/engineer Frei Otto.
It is one of the first examples of participatory co-design.
Strangely little known, it is one of Frei Otto's masterpieces.
There will be a projection of the full documentary at The Building Center on 8 March (link)
]]>House Melnikovhttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2011/1/19/house-melnikov.htmlEric Guibert2011-01-19T08:55:14Z2011-01-19T08:55:14ZThe House of Konstantin Melnikov, a Russian architect with a meteorite career that sadly finished early, in the 30's when he was in his 40's, the taste of the USSR veering towards pastiche. The house was one of his last build project and was completed in 1929. More info on his life and the house here.
As for the villa Malaparte, it is a case of a simple geometry, the cylindrical tower, done with straightforward technology - rendered brick walls and timber floors. It is more complex to build as it is curved but the windows themselves are remarkably simple. The brick create corbel arches to form the windows. This is what impresses me the most, the ingenuity of using almost archaic technology to produce such an exceptional building.
The resulting rooms have a quality of being bright and yet private. Light flows in from all directions but without being seen from - or seeing - the outside. This is particularly good in such an inner city situation.
Designed by Adilberto Libera in 1937, on the crest of a peninsula in Capri (more here). The legend has it that Curzio Malaparte, the client with a lively if at times questionable politics, didn't like the architect's design and that he build it himself with Adolfo Amitrano, a local stone mason. It is difficult however to imagine a non architect coming out with such a bold and challenging - especially at the time - design. You can see plans and sections here.
It is most famous for its roof that forms a giant staircase leading to a platform that seem surrounded by the sea. It is particularly successful as otherwise the design couldn't be simpler from the outside, it is a simple box in red render with windows and a flat roof (as is not unusual in this part of the world). In other words the success comes from a simple shape that allows you to comfortably walk on the roof. The detailing is straightforward, almost traditional. The concept demonstrates that a powerful informal idea can be hugely powerful when done simply.
The other groundbreaking aspect of the design are the windows which are framed like paintings on the wall of the sea scape beyond. This is the only out of the ordinary detail as within the outer - painting - like surround no frame interrupts the view that thus looks like a giant postcard. As far as I know, this is one of the first example of a picture window; there had been glass walls before, some house by Mies van Den Rohe in Germany for example - but these are not adapted to such hot climates as they overheat. The window as a picture gives the same powerful connection to the outside but with a limited heat gain (or loss). In this way, it is a great example for our times where we need to reduce glazing to avoid wasting energy.
The best way to see it - as it is usually closed - is to watch Jean Luc Godard's film Le Mépris starring Brigitte Bardot & Michel Piccoli.
More views of the inside on Andrea Jemolo website.
]]>Architectural behaviorologyhttp://www.sens.co.uk/blog/2010/12/22/architectural-behaviorology.htmlEric Guibert2010-12-22T14:04:31Z2010-12-22T14:04:31ZA fantastic lecture by Yoshiharu Tsukamoto from Atelier Bow Wow.
The House of Konstantin Melnikov, a Russian architect with a meteorite career that sadly finished early, in the 30's when he was in his 40's, the taste of the USSR veering towards pastiche. The house was one of his last build project and was completed in 1929. More info on his life and the house here.
