Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter

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• Imposing Sustainable 28-Storey Tower in Hong Kong: 18 Kowloon East
• Modern and Versatile Home Office Storage Unit [Video]
• Simple Shapes Helping Build Spectacular Architecture: Puristische Villa
• Dream Big Rubik’s Cubes Portrait of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Inpiring Mix of Traditional and Modern in a Refreshing Scandinavian Flat
• Freshome Is Now on Google+
• House in Maryland Showcasing a Diverse Modern Architecture
• Sumptuous Villa in Thailand Displaying a Tasteful Interior Design
• Dependable Manipulation of a Well-Known Design: Flat Bulb
• Unique Decameron Retail Store Made From Shipping Containers

Imposing Sustainable 28-Storey Tower in Hong Kong: 18 Kowloon East Posted: 08 Nov 2011 05:24 AM PST 18 Kowloon East is a massive tower integrated in the skyline of Hong Kong, designed by Aedas and serving various space and living purposes. According to the architects, “the project is a 28-storey mixed-use building with offices, retail spaces and a car-park. With the building located in a community with dense industrial blocks, instead of providing another office tower entirely wrapped in a coolly glazed skin, the design investigates the possibility of providing an environmentally sustainable design in such an industrial area. A design with efficient office floor plates and a rational box were requested by the client. With 'green' as the theme, the final design introduces extensive planting at the car-park floors located at the lower portion of the tower. In addition to the visually greening effect to the neighborhood, the planting also filters the air and improves the air quality within the car-park. Hopefully, the suspended particulates in the air can be reduced and the design is able to provide car-park users a more pleasant experience“. How would you comment on this building’s design, considering its context?

Modern and Versatile Home Office Storage Unit [Video] Posted: 08 Nov 2011 04:24 AM PST Smith Storage Unit is the perfect storing solution for home offices. Although the modern storage space can hold books, folders, magazines or any other items, it best suites a working person’s need for mobility. Awarded the 2011 Compasso d'Oro, this multi purpose storage unit was designed by JODR (Jonathan Olivares Design Research). Fueled by the passion of understanding human needs in different situations, JODR designed the Smith Storage Unit “for the overlapping interests of the home and office.” The versatile storage space can easily turn into a furniture piece – a stool or even a side table – helping you do your job and enjoying a well-designed object at the same time. The designer explains his product’s details: “Attaching itself to tables, Smith helps convert a dining room into a temporary workspace. The design can also be used as a stool or side table, and its tapered proportion allows it to be stacked and placed out of the way. Smith is a flexible hybrid that allows its user to define its end purpose.” Scroll down to see a short video of this intelligent storing solution and don’t forget to let us know what you think about it.

Simple Shapes Helping Build Spectacular Architecture: Puristische Villa Posted: 08 Nov 2011 03:17 AM PST Here is a home that confirms the power of simple shapes. Puristische Villa was developed by the architects over at Netzwerkarchitekten and is located in a suburb of Darmstadt, Germany. The stylish villa has a total surface of 378 square meters and was built on a plot of 1,150 square meters, taking advantage of the best part of the site. Structured on two levels, the residence maximizes its connection to the outdoors, with the help of generous windows and floor to ceiling glass doors that open up towards the terrace. A large pool seems to logically continue the simple geometry of the house and becomes the most striking elements of this home’s elegant design. The interiors reflects the owner’s wish for a minimalist living space. Glass is the main element employed for a residence that impresses due to its immaculate atmosphere. Do you find this crib’s furniture arrangements engaging, or do you feel that there is something missing? [Photos: Jörg Hempel]

Dream Big Rubik’s Cubes Portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. Posted: 08 Nov 2011 01:58 AM PST Designer Pete Fecteau constructed a huge Martin Luther King Jr. portrait called “Dream Big“using 4,242 officially licensed Rubik's Cubes. Measuring 5.8m x 2.6m x 5.7cm and weighing 454kg, this artistic endeavor was possible due to Kickstarter.com, where the artist raised the necessary money for this project. A series of fortunate events led to the creation of this interesting portrait. The designer was volunteering for ArtPrize and wanted to come up with a creative project to enlist. He literally dreamed this project and participated in the competition, being placed in the top 50 out of 1,700+ pieces entered. On display during the 2010 ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the large portrait took 40 hours to create and an additional five and a half hours and 6 volunteers to install. It took $9,000 to make and the artist had an unsuccessful attempt to sell it. After seeing the photos, would you have bought the piece?

Inpiring Mix of Traditional and Modern in a Refreshing Scandinavian Flat Posted: 08 Nov 2011 12:47 AM PST We challenge you to find something wrong with this Scandinavian apartment! Located in Gothenburg, Sweden, this beautiful flat occupies an area of 87 square meters and is composed of three rooms, plus kitchen, bathroom and terrace. Its atmosphere is youthful and friendly, perfect for socializing, but also for relaxation. The core of the flat is a spacious living room, with a very captivating look. The first elements a potential visitor observes when entering this interior, are the two large black and white painting on the wall, in tune with the colors of the bike, a perfect decorating piece as well. There is plenty of seating space available for having guests over, and large windows ensure good natural illumination. The balcony is an extension of the social and dining room and has space for outdoor furniture and flowers. Found on Alvhem, the loft features plenty of inspiring design elements, which we invite you to discover in every single photo of this post.

Freshome Is Now on Google+ Posted: 07 Nov 2011 03:14 PM PST Google has finally unveiled brand pages for Google+, allowing businesses and brands to join Google's social network. Google+ now allows Brand Pages- and so here we are! If you are on G+ please take a minute to +1 us —-> Freshome on Google+

House in Maryland Showcasing a Diverse Modern Architecture Posted: 07 Nov 2011 12:39 PM PST The Glenbrook Residence was designed by Architect David Jameson and is located in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. The building is composed of three volumes that vary in function. According to the architects, “two stone structures surround a glass pavilion within a wooded landscape in Bethesda. The concept for the Glenbrook residence was to create three distinct structures: one for the most public programs (entry space, garage and guest bedrooms), one for the most private living programs and one where "public" and private can co-exist. Each space has an outdoor terrace or some special connection to the site while the roof of the glass pavilion folds beyond one's cone of vision to create the feeling of being outside. The building is made of all natural materials with a 100-year lifespan and features an underground spring-fed water furnace HVAC system“. Do you find this new residence appealing or too intruding for the natural space it is integrated in? [Photography by Paul Warchol]

Sumptuous Villa in Thailand Displaying a Tasteful Interior Design Posted: 07 Nov 2011 10:11 AM PST Thailand is currently a very sought after destination for both holidays and residential projects. This seven-bedroom villa has a remarkable design and is located in Cape Yamu, Phuket, only one-minute away from an incredible-looking private beach. Designed by architect Jean-Michel Gathy, the project occupies an area of 2.005 square meters, on a lot of 15 000 square meters. The property is situated in a very privileged region and is flanked by extensive landscaping and various water features. The interior design is minimalist and elegant, with a simple black and white color palette and tall windows, allowing natural light inside. This way, the arrangements, envisioned by designer Debbie Oppenheimer, are complemented by the views across Phang Nga Bay. There are many interesting decorations to be observed in this home, including sculptures and other works of art. Some of the amenities of this villa include a large swimming pool, jacuzzi, a gym, a home theater and a sauna. Intrigued?

Dependable Manipulation of a Well-Known Design: Flat Bulb Posted: 07 Nov 2011 08:56 AM PST Have you ever noticed how easy it is for an object to transform from a well-known design into a thing that make you go “wow”? In this case, I’m talking about the Flat Bulb we found on Wired by Korean designer Joonhuyn Kim. Displaying 1/3 volume of a normal light bulb, this pretty thing has captured my attention with the manipulation of a recognizable design. The flat shaped light bulb not only looks cool, but it is easy to package and has the same properties as a normal bulb. You don’t have to worry anymore about the bulb rolling on a surface, falling and breaking, because this one stays put and can be stacked one on top of another. Taking up less space both in storage and transportation, the Flat Bulbs are a modern interpretation of the classic incandescent bulb that everyone has become dependent on, even with the growing industry of alternative lighting solutions. Do you see yourself using this interesting light bulb?

Unique Decameron Retail Store Made From Shipping Containers Posted: 07 Nov 2011 07:14 AM PST Architects Marcio Kogan and Mariana Simas of Studio Mk27 designed a 250 square meter retail store in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Awarded the world’s best shopping building at the World Architecture Festival, the Decameron encompasses a low budget building solution for a rented space. The Decameron consists of a double height hangar and several colorful shipping containers arranged to open up to the street and to a pebble garden with palm trees adorning it. Two rows of shipping containers stacked on top of each other and painted in flamboyant colors make up the shell of the store. Placed perpendicular to the main street, the containers were designed to fit the space without interfering with the natural arrangement of trees. Translucent polycarbonate sliding doors open up to the interiors during open hours only to reveal a bold and distinguished interior design.  Studio MK27 created the interior spaces as a sequence of hallways displaying the company’s products, with a large showroom and office spaces. Unique and bold, this project is sure to draw many clients.

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