Copenhagen home on the water, frames incredible views

Lisbeth Juul and Laust Nørgaard are both the dwellers and designers of this dreamy little home, floating on the canals of Copenhagen, a mere 15 minutes from the city centre. Their story is really quite humble and inspiring. After having lived on the canals of the city for 25 years, they had moved back to living in an apartment on land. They survived this on-land move for a short space of 3 years, before the calling of their beloved life by the water had them yearning to be back by the shore.

To fulfill this hunger, Lisbeth Juul and Laust Nørgaard secured a small 80 square-metre floating block on which to build their abode. Being just the two of them, with their daughter having moved out of the family home, they prioritised smart space design, and only living with the essentials required for a healthy balance of comfort and sustainability.

The result is a home that is fabulously simple yet inspiring, composed of clean lines and magnificent views, and thus ultimately, one which allows the mind to de-clutter and the soul to breathe. The location, to begin with, is not one that we typically associate with living in a major developed city, so it instantly makes us want to see and find out more. Furthermore, while Copenhagen is far from the warmest city in the world, the fact that the couple have created a house design that allows so much light in, and frames so many beautiful views of the water, gives this home a breezy, summery feel. 

Source - dwell.com

Images - dwell.com

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Softly interweaving spaces characterise this home in Vietnam

Designed by 23°5 Studio, an architectural studio based in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, BQ17 house is a wonderfully refreshing look into the design and build of a project from scratch. Located within a peaceful and uncrowded neighbourhood of Binh Chanh, BQ17 is the dream home of a couple who spent ten years working and saving hard, in order to be able to realise their dream.

With urban planning laws requiring houses to have a certain unoccupied area around them, the architects were faced with the challenge of needing to provide enough comfortably livable space for a large family, including four separate bedrooms, on what was quite a tight block of land.

The solution that 23°5 Studio came up with was to treat the design as interlocking and interweaving spaces, all built around one central vertical space. This solution created tall voids and interesting, multi-level connections between the rooms, in turn creating unique visual snapshots from different vantage points within the house.

From the outside, the house serves viewers with distinct sharp and simple lines, and creates curiosity through its jutting cubes and misaligned facade features. Furthermore, in the evening, it offers the neighbourhood a beautiful lantern-like sculpture, along with subtle views of the sleek and minimalist interior.

Source - contemporist

Images - 23°5 Studio

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Ethereal ceiling in SND Fashion Store China, by 3GATTI Architects

Located in Chongqing, China, the SND Fashion Store is designed by 3GATTI Architects, with Francesco Gatti as lead architect. At first glance, this space appears to be a museum exhibition, a conceptual space designed with the user in mind, the soul that will weave in and out of the light and shadow created by the thousands of individual fins that hang down from the ceiling.

When 3GATTI embarked on this project they started from the simple and appealing idea of hanging everything from the ceiling, thereby being able to clear the way of furniture and other props, allowing the customer to be free to circulate as they please. This led to them imagining an 'elastic' ceiling, one that was pulled down the by the weight of the various objects that hang from it.

In thinking about where to house the technical equipment needed in such a store; lighting, speakers, sprinklers, cameras, etc., it was a natural progression to then think of this hanging ceiling as a permeable surface. The architect describes it as 'The permeable surface was the origin of the ethereal white ceiling; an ephemeral support for ephemeral objects.'  

The waves of ceiling are created by ten-thousand differently shaped unique pieces, each made of very thin, translucent fiberglass. This material was chosen due to its fire resistance factor, as well as the way it interacted with light reflections, creating an enigmatic landscape that is a spectacular source of play on light and dancing shadows. While the physical panels hang from the ceiling, their presence is felt in reflections on the floor, where it crosses over to the world of the customer...

Source - archdaily.com

Images - archdaily.com
Photography - shen-photo.com

An Ancient Spanish Stable Becomes A Magnificent Country Home, by Abaton

Located in the province of Cáceres, in Spain, the key objective of this renovation, undertaken by Abaton Architecture Studio, was to transform an abandoned stable into a family home, by completely rethinking and redesigning the space in a way that would, nevertheless, still be consistent with and respectful to the surrounding environment.

High on a hill and far from city water or an electrical grid, Abaton quickly implemented the addition of photovoltaic and hydro power to the house, and worked to ensure the home wouldn't use much energy. The building's original orientation also helped with this sustainable approach, as southern exposure allowed for the sun to be the main source of heat during the winter. In terms of the design, a generous eave prevents much sun from entering the home during summer, thus keeping it cool. Large wooden shutters that slide closed, like a second skin, cover the large windows at night to trap in most of the home's daily solar heat gain.

As the building is located far from city water but perfectly located below two streams that flow all year round, the water is pure and can be used for both drinking and bathing, and the swimming pool acts as a holding tank for use in irrigation. Within the interior of the refurbished home, Abaton has worked to capture nature in just about every room in the house; bathrooms sport views of the interior patio with its stone water fountain, and bedrooms with huge picture windows welcome breathtaking views of the countryside...

The façade is composed of a mix of cement and local stone, renewed yet still capturing the essence of what was once the crumbling envelope of the stable. Inside the home, supporting walls have been replaced by light metal pillars, the haylofts in the upper area converted into bedrooms, and the enormous central lounge is a flexible space that can serve different purposes. In short, a mix of modern cement and iron beams coexist with well-worn stone, weather-beaten wood and local stone, to create a warm home that is completely enriched with nature.

Source - abaton.es/en via pinterest.com

Images - abaton.es/en

The Beautifully Colourful Facades of Turkey, by Yener Torun

I'm rather disappointed to say that I have not been to Turkey as yet. Although it is definitely high up there on the list, it has to date eluded me. And while I know that I'll surely make my way there, sooner rather than later, the Turkey I imagine I would visit, and the one that stares back at me from tourist photos, is one of oriental opulence and decadently rich architecture, not withholding on layers of finite details.

So when I came across these fabulously colourful photos of Turkey, on dezeen.com, I absolutely had to share them. What an incredible capture of colour and geometry!! As much as I have a huge appreciation for many different styles, the simple and sophisticated depiction of primary colours and shapes just melts my heart. There is something so poetic in repetition and patterns... it's like beautiful maths... Ok, but I digress.

These crazily inspiring photos were taken by photographer Yeren Tonur, who has spent the last year documenting Turkish architecture on Instagram. His photos feature bold shapes, vibrant hues, and patterned facades, taken both in Istanbul and across other cities in Turkey. His objective is to reveal that there is more to Turkey than the expected opulent mosques and century-old streets.

After coming across Yeren Tonur's 'Photo Essay' on dezeen.com, I immediately went to check out his Instagram page and, I must say, it's nothing short of breathtaking. What I've posted here is merely a small selection of the amazing work to be found on his Instagram page.

 

Source - dezeen.com

Images via - dezeen.com
Photography by - Yeren Tonur