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Posts Tagged ‘Apartment’

No More Ugly Apartment Buildings: 13 Designs Refreshing the Paradigm

25 Jul

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

Apartment buildings are typically so hideous, it’s kind of exhausting. A structure with some measure of character gets knocked down in a prominent spot and before locals dare to dream that something cool might go up in its place, there’s another boring old block of apartments (or worse yet, condos) adding to the dull architectural noise of the city. Of course, it’s all subjective. You could argue, fairly enough, that pretty much all new apartment buildings are ugly, and that trying to make them ‘cool’ results in an even more irritating visual offense. What do you think – are these 13 designs switching up the same-old same-old in a positive way?

Lots of Light: 9 Units at the Apartment in Kamitakada

Developers looking to squeeze big bucks out of a project by creating high-end luxury housing are a lot more motivated to build structures that are more interesting than usual, but every now and then, there’s the rare project that gives some aesthetic consideration to a building that’s actually affordable to the average city resident. Takeshi Yamagata Architects designed this 9-unit building in Tokyo as a cluster of four buildings connected by open-air pathways, integrating gardens, curving walls and lots of windows for the feel of an urban refuge minus the multi-million-dollar price tag.

325 Kent by SHoP Architects

Currently under construction on the site of an old Domino sugar factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the 325 Kent project by SHoP Architects is part of a redevelopment masterplan transforming the refinery into a 380,000-square-foot complex with a waterfront park and four residential buildings containing 2,800 rental units. SHoP’s building will house 522 of those apartments in a 16-story structure, arranged around a dramatic elevated courtyard. The units at the top will be stepped to create a series of spacious outdoor terraces. Nope – this one isn’t going to be cheap.

Pixelated Concrete: 222 Jackson by ODA

Over in Queens, the 11-story 2222 Jackson building by ODA features a pixelated concrete facade creating voids and projections for shade, privacy and outdoor spaces. Located just steps away from MoMA PS1, the building is conceived as a modular grid, giving it about 30% more outdoor space than the same-sized building with the same number of units arranged in a more typical shape.

Parasitic Growth: Plug-In City 75 by Stephane Malka

Commissioned to update and expand a 1970s-era building in Paris, architect Stéphane Malka proposes a system of parasitic wooden cubes that would attach to the facade, extending the living space and reducing the structure’s energy consumption by 75 percent. The unusual design would help mitigate problems with poor insulation and permeable windows while adhering to the city’s restrictive building laws, which don’t allow architects to build vertically.

Contemporary and Complimentary: p17 Housing in Milan

How do you sensitively design a new apartment complex that will blend in with a historic neighborhood while reflecting the era in which it’s being built? For P17, a residential housing complex in Milan, Italian architectural firm Modourbano harmonizes with surrounding buildings while retaining a contemporary feel, thanks to the beautiful natural hues in its sandstone facade.

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No More Ugly Apartment Buildings 13 Designs Refreshing The Paradigm

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[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Red Cross & IKEA Install Replica of Real Syrian Apartment in Flagship Store

16 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

ikea-mockup

Amidst the colorfully furnished spaces mocked up in IKEA’s flagship store sits a place of jarring contrast, a replicated version of an actual 260-square-foot house that is home to a family of nine in Syria.

IKEA has done installations before and worked on flat-pack refugee shelters, but this piece really brings the problem home, putting it in front of consumers as they shop. In collaboration with the Red Cross, the displays also feature tags that offer people ways to help by donating to relief efforts.

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The original house in Damascus, Syria after which this one in Slependen, Norway was modeled houses Rana and eight of her family members. Both the real and replica versions feature hard cinder block walls — the latter relays stories of the residents, how they live and what they lack in terms of food, medicine and clean water.

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“We had been working with the Red Cross for months, so we had a lot of footage from Syria,” said the agency behind the idea. “But no matter how emotional it was, nothing got close to the experience of visiting people in a war zone. We realised we could give Norwegians that experience at IKEA. At the one place where you think of and plan the future — the apartment served as a physical reminder of how lucky we are.”

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Amazing Apartment Makeovers: 15 Brilliant & Beautiful Remodels

07 Mar

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Sometimes it’s hard to see the potential hidden behind a mess of drop ceilings, darkening partition walls and hideously dated kitchens, but the bones of a residential space can be more beautiful than you would have imagined. These 15 bright, spacious, modern apartment renovations open up cramped interiors, make use of vertical space and reveal long-forgotten historic features that add lots of character.

Amazing Transformation in Istanbul
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Looking at the dim, depressing, highly ordinary ‘before’ photos of this apartment in Istanbul, would you ever have guessed at the potential it contained behind all of that plaster? SEA Architects saw the beautiful historical bones in brick and timber, tearing out most of the walls and ceilings to reveal what has been hidden for decades. The results are fresh, creative and highly unexpected.

Formerly Frightening Basement in Barcelona

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Dark and dirty with stained walls and floors, this basement in Barcelona was legitimately scary before RAS architecture got their hands on it. ‘Apartment Tibbaut’ has a single entrance from above, one of three sources of natural light to the space, but octagonal stone pillars and a domed ceiling made it seem promising. These original elements were restored while new partition walls of laminated pine help define the new private areas.

Maximizing a Tiny Parisian Apartment
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How can you live in an ‘apartment’ that’s the size of a closet? Make the best possible use of every inch of space, like Kitoko Studio has done here with a maid room in Paris. A built-in inspired by swiss army knives takes up an entire wall, with the various components pulling out or folding down to reveal a bed, storage, a table, a wardrobe, a staircase, a kitchenette and more.

Multifunctional Addition to Fashion Designer’s Apartment
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A young fashion designer gets a bold and fun new apartment in a historic space within Paris’ Montmartre district courtesy of SABO project. A white built-in storage partition with alternating tread stairs leads to a sleeping loft and separates the living room and kitchen. The latter features a small green wall and vibrant flooring comprised of 25 natural rubber strips in 14 colors.

Two-Level Play Frame in a Moscow Apartment
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The formerly uninhabitable attic of a Moscow apartment has become a fun two-story play space for the client’s children. Ruetemple added the timber structure with a nook for the kids, connecting the lower level to a playroom.

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Amazing Apartment Makeovers 15 Brilliant Beautiful Remodels

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Origami Apartment: Instantly Shape-Shifting Micro Interiors

17 Dec

[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

origami apartment 1

Origami-inspired folding screens stretch and retract in many different ways to transform one 312-square-foot micro apartment for a variety of uses, separating the spaces for different functions or opening to create one big room. The Biombombastic project by Madrid’s Elli Architects offers an innovative and affordable solution to customizing existing apartments so they’re more livable despite their small size.

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In a mission to renew an aging flat in the center of Madrid, the architects combined two strategies: knocking down the existing walls to create an open space that can be divided as desired, and creating an L-shaped arrangement of built-ins holding a complete kitchen, fold-down table, fold-down bed, washing machine and access to the bathroom.

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The system revolves around a three-paneled folding door reminiscent of a shoji screen, with diagonal timber supports and a translucent upper portion for the transmission of air and light. The door is designed to work in conjunction with other hinged and foldable elements in the space, hooking onto wooden rails in a variety of configurations.

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Even the lighting is strategically positioned to work with the system, illuminating the various ‘domestic stages’ even when the partitions are closed. Create a cozy bedroom with the screen pulled tight around the bed or a larger sleeping and lounging space, and pack it all away to transform the apartment into a social space for hosting parties.

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New Spin: Rotating & Sliding Walls Turn 1-BR Apartment into 3

02 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

modular rotating wall home

A combination of walls on wheels and sliding wall panels make this modular home infinitely adaptable, able to transform from a spacious single-family abode to a series of divisible spaces for guests on demand.

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PKMN Architectures deployed this solution as part of their ongoing Little Big Houses initiative (Pequeñas Grandes Casas), a series of designs addressing usability in small spaces.

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rotating bedroom demand

This particular home in Mexico serves a couple but is also made to accommodate visits from extended family, able to support three bedrooms that can be added in less than a minute.

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While there are intended ways of using the modular components, the real beauty of the system is in its versatility – hanging partitions and thicker structural-and-storage walls can be combined in all kinds of configurations.

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From the architects: “María José y Enrique viven en México pero viajan mucho a Europa. Querían una segunda casa en Asturias que pudiera ser un apartamento para la pareja y para toda la familia al mismo tiempo. A través de unos muebles giratorios los dos dormitorios de la casa pueden aparecer y desaparecer en un minuto. La casa tiene así tres posiciones, una casa con dos dormitorios, con un dormitorio o sin ninguno de ellos. Así la vivienda se convierte en un lugar para celebrar una gran fiesta para los más pequeños o un espacio tipo loft cuando María José y Enrique están solos. Es el lujo de tener un salón de casi 50m2 en una casa de 70m2.”

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Like a Ninja: Tokyo Apartment is Only for the Nimble

12 Jun

[ By Delana in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

1 ninja house

A tiny 750 square foot apartment is definitely not a lot of space for two people, but this couple was lucky enough to find an exceptionally creative architect. This Tokyo home had a lot of room to grow vertically, so Hiroyuka Shinozaki Architects used floating floors and a series of stairs and ladders to create a spacious living area and studio.

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The interior of the home is virtually free of walls and even features huge cutout areas in some of the floors. The architects named it House T, but the owners call it a “ninja house.” Their reasoning behind the name? The couple feels that they have to be as nimble as ninjas to navigate the innovative interior.

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Large hanging lights and the wide-open space fill the combination home/studio with bright, cozy light. Part of the space is largely unfinished, with plywood floors and very little furniture. It contributes to the austere yet homey feel of the apartment.

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In addition to the absence of walls, many of the home’s functions and features were built into the walls to maximize available floor space. A decent amount of storage is built into the home’s central set of stairs. While walking along ledges and tiptoeing around holes in the floor might not be for everyone, the pair who live in the apartment say that the unique layout – and the unusual way in which they have to navigate it – has made them healthier.

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[ By Delana in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Off the Block: 13 Out-There Apartment Designs in Japan

14 May

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Japanese architects have come up with some of the world’s most extreme, clever and off-the-wall solutions for spatial challenges, manipulating the shapes and interior layouts of apartment buildings in unexpected ways. These creative designs make the most of small, irregular lots, combine communal and private spaces, prioritize access to the outdoors and even attempt to outsmart the aging process.

Mini Village

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How can you fit three generations of a single family under one roof, while making sure everyone has their own private space? Y+M Design Office placed five individual house-shaped volumes under one giant roof for a family complex that feels like a miniature village. ‘Rain Shelter House.’ Each family member gets an enclosed, private room with access to the central communal spaces. Open-air on one side and extending all the way to the ground on the other, the roof keeps the courtyard cool and dry while maintaining air flow.

Undulating Inner Courtyard

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Curving shapes cut into the main concrete volume of the Okurayama Apartment in Yokohama, creating a flowing courtyard on the ground level and terraces on the second floor.

Spiral House: A Series of Staircases

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If you could stretch your living space either vertically or horizontally, which would you choose? Many people who don’t want to walk up and down staircases all the time would prefer the latter, but Spiral House by Be Fun Design takes the former approach. Four individual apartments are placed side-by-side in a rectangular structure, each occupying four levels. Spiral staircases lead from one floor to the next within each narrow and deep unit.

Asymmetric Plywood Interiors

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Kochi Architect Studio cut a large geometric void into an existing two-story apartment building to create a vaulted common space connecting eight interior rooms. Each of the plywood planes is painted a different color to play up the angles.

Reversible Destiny Lofts

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The looks of this apartment building lead to a lot of passersby murmuring “what the hell is that?” and the story behind the Reversible Destiny Lofts is even more unusual than its appearance. Japanese designer Shusaku Arakawa and his partner Madeline Gins sought to cheat death by creating a house with undulating floors and otherwise disorienting interiors that force residents to use their bodies in unexpected ways, keeping them young. They built the first version as their own home in New York, and then created a similar apartment complex in Tokyo.

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Off The Block 13 Out There Apartment Designs In Japan

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Tiny Apartment Tricks: 13 Ideas for Ultra-Compact Spaces

16 Apr

[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

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If you want to live in a tiny apartment without murdering your significant other or feeling like your home is a jail cell, you might want to employ a few of these clever small-space tricks, like roll-away closets, double-duty room dividers and multi-level built-ins. These organization ideas include everything from IKEA hacks to full-on remodels and even a hammock that takes up the entire second level of a studio space.

How to Fit An Apartment Into 182 Square Feet
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How do you cram an entire apartment worth of stuff, including two bicycles, into a 182-square-foot basement – making it comfortable enough for a 6’2” occupant? Engineer Steve Sauer took inspiration from boats when he designed the layout for his personal space, noting that the most important aspect of making it work is ensuring that everything has its place. Sauer split the space vertically in thirds to create a seated lounge area, an office and a lofted bedroom.

Studio with a Crawl-In Library

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Think you don’t have room for a library in your apartment? This imaginative remodel shows that pretty much anything is possible, even when you’re living in 240 square feet. Inspired by the cabinetry of furniture maker George Nakashima, the wood-paneled addition is built over the kitchen and includes a crawl-in, cubby-like library beside the bed.

Bed Nooks, Built-Ins and a Second-Floor Hammock

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Two students designed this 33-square-meter apartment to be as functional as possible with a few fun and unexpected tricks: a series of rolling modules in the living space that can be rolled together or apart to create custom couches, lounge areas or beds, and a hammock stretching across the space leading to the awkwardly shaped upper level. The slanted ceiling didn’t leave much room for furniture, so the hammock makes the space usable.

Lego-Like Tetran Cubes

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Put your living space together like a set of Lego blocks, assembling just the right shapes to fit your home and lifestyle, with modules by Tetran. These storage cubes can be stacked and assembled in all sorts of ways to form the basis of couches, beds, side tables, desks, bookcases and practically any other kind of furniture you need.

Bed Stows Away Under the Kitchen Floor

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Architects Marc Baillargeon and Julie Nabucet collaborated to convert what was once the master bedroom of a larger living space into a micro-apartment measuring just 130 square feet. The kitchen is elevated onto a platform that hides a roll-away bed, which can be partially pulled out for use as a couch. A coffee table hides under a counter when not in use, and the steps double as storage.

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Tiny Apartment Tricks 13 Ideas For Ultra Compact Spaces

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Megablock Microclimate: Urban Treehouse Apartment Complex

13 Mar

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

urban treehouse forest plants

Shrouded in 150 trees that absorb 200,000 liters of carbon dioxide per hour, this massive five-story, block-spanning residential building occupies its own protected inner-city ecosystem.

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Located in Torino, Italy, 25 Verde was designed by Luciano Pia (images by Beppe Giardino) to serve both the residents of the complex as well as the surrounding urban environment. Its living facade forms light, sight and sound barrier on all sides but also regulates pollution and temperatures in and around the structure.

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Rich foliage provides shade during the summer and lets more sunlight in during the winter. Situated on the ground and in planters above, each species was carefully selected for its growth needs, colors and other attributes relative to the project’s goals. At ground level, a raised-earth effect provides privacy for residents and a sense that the entire complex is growing right out of the soil.

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Steel tree-shaped supports reinforce the appearance of an urban forest while a series of wooden platforms, trellises and towers make the entire complex feel all the more like a treehouse in the heart of the city. Paths and courtyards provide residents and visitors a great series of moments that combine elements of nature and urban design.

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Made in China: World’s First 3D-Printed Apartment Complex

21 Jan

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

3d printed apartment complex

The same company known for printing 10 home in less than 24 hours is back with a new record-breaking construction project: a multistory apartment structure built using recycled building materials and fast-hardening cement, paired with an ornate villa assembled using the same technologies.

3d printed villa exterior

Construction waste forms the aggregate base of WinSun‘s quick-drying concrete, while a huge 3D printer array is responsible for building the large prefabricated parts that are then built on site with steel reinforcement and regulation insulation.

3d printing extrusion interior

In a twist that will able to those who enjoy truth in architecture, much of the extrusion process is evident on the interior and exterior walls of the villa component as well.

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Drawing on CAD files, the printer lays out the pattern like a cake decorator squeezes out frosting, creating space-frame gaps for insulating materials, plumbing and electrical – a high-tech process to quickly create a pair of low- and mid-rise buildings.

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According to WinSun, “This process saves between 30 and 60 percent of construction waste, and can decrease production times by between 50 and 70 percent, and labour costs by between 50 and 80 percent. In all, the villa costs around $ 161,000 to build.”

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While the company has yet to reveal just how big of a structure they can build using their existing equipment, their future goals include larger buildings, perhaps even prefab skyscrapers, and possibly bridges or other infrastructure. From 3Ders, “Today’s press conference attracted more than 300 building industry experts, investment bankers as well as media reporters. Ma Yi He, CEO of WinSun explained: the company’s success is due to their unique and leading techniques. First is their exclusive 3D printing ‘ink,’ which is a mixture of recycled construction waste, glass fiber, steel, cement and special additives. According to Ma, waste from recycling construction and mine rest produces a lot of carbon emissions, but with 3D printing, the company has turned that waste into brand new building materials. This process also means that construction workers are at less risk of coming into contact with hazardous materials or work environments.”

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