CONTEMPORIST

CONTEMPORIST

Eagle Ridge Residence by Gary Gladwish Architecture

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 06:32 AM PDT

Gary Gladwish Architecture have designed the Eagle Ridge residence on Orcas Island in Washington State.

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Description from the architect:

54 years ago she visited Orcas Island for the first time and decided that one day she would live there. 40 years passed before she saw it again and purchased a forested piece of land on a hillside populated with madrone trees, firs, beech, thistle, moss and rocks with magnificent views to the west. Throughout her life rocks, nature and landscape played an important role in her artwork. It was this attraction that convinced her that this was the perfect site for her.

She requested an open, simple, low maintenance design which works with the site in such a way that her views of the island, forest and ledges were always present within the house. Each part of the house was to be designed to accommodate the inevitable bad hips, knees and back. The program consists of a combined kitchen-dining-living area, study, master suite, art studio and storage area.

The solution utilizes some of her favorite materials; old barn wood, rusty steel, moss and rocks. Large doors slide away to open the house to the expansive views, creating a living room in the woods. The entry garden bisects the house creating two zones while it carries the site and the eye out to the view. The 800 s.f. art studio and storage area are left raw to facilitate converting them to additional bedrooms at a later date.

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Visit the website of Gary Gladwish Architecture – here.

Photography by Will Austin

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Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama by BFLS

Posted: 26 Oct 2011 03:53 AM PDT

BFLS have designed the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales.

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Description from the architect:

The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is Wales' national conservatoire. The winning design of an international design competition, the project includes three performance and rehearsal spaces, teaching rooms, studios and library facilities and is set in a Grade I listed Royal Park.

The design focuses on the core needs of the school community, namely an acoustically magnificent collection of performance and learning spaces which encourage and motivate the buildings' occupants.

Designed from the outside in, each performance space is conceived as a separate building. The drama building forms a new façade and the recital hall sits amongst the woods adjacent to the existing building. These elements are unified by a single floating roof. The new entrance to the college opens out on to stunning views over Bute Park and an arcade forms a new spine linking the whole functioning as exhibition space for the Design & Costume Department, whilst doubling as the 'lungs' for the scheme as its natural stack effect ventilates the public spaces.

The building will achieve BREEAM 'Excellent' by incorporating sustainable solutions; a green roof, natural ventilation and ground source heating and cooling.

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Visit the BFLS website – here.

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