Imposing Zero-Energy Family House in Oregon, USA: Skyline Residence

Imposing Zero-Energy Family House in Oregon, USA: Skyline Residence
Flat-bike-lift Or How to Park Your Bicycle On The Ceiling [Video]
Shaping The Office Of The Future: Workspace Design Trends [Infographic]
Unassuming Family Residence Revealing An Architectural Surprise: Subiaco Oval Courtyard

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 05:25 AM PDT

Engineered to generate as much solar-electric energy on-site as the home consumes annually, Skyline Residence is an example of modern sustainable architecture. The imposing family house was envisioned and implemented by Nathan Good Architects on a generous 1.7 acre site in Portland, Oregon, USA, for a middle-age couple with an active life and their three children. According to the developing team, the building was positioned at the far north side of the lot to reduce the impact of noise from the Skyline Boulevard, optimize the daylighting of the sun's path, and facilitate views from the interior of the home to the yard.

The 4,200 square foot residence is distributed over three stories, with the first floor accommodating public areas (entry hall, great room, utility room, garage) and the upper level hosting three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The game room, exercise room, mechanical and storage spaces are located on the lower level. Sustainable features of the residence include materials salvaged from the previous home on the site, abundant use of natural lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, efficient storm-water management and green roofs. [ Landscape Designer: Cynthia Woodyard; Photography by Jeremy Bittermann]

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Flat-bike-lift Or How to Park Your Bicycle On The Ceiling [Video]

Posted: 02 Sep 2014 01:01 AM PDT

The flat-bike-lift is a new ceiling hydro-pneumatic overhead bike rack to be used in the house garage or in place where we park our bike. Once the bike is loaded and securely attached in a simple and quick way, a slight upward hand push activates the lifting system of the flat-bike-lift that takes it safely and automatically into the horizontal position against the ceiling to get more free space on the floor for cars and other necessities.

By a simple downward hand traction, flat-bike-lift takes it back to the vertical position, ready to be unloaded and used again. The idle upstroke is automatic and low-speed driven. Designed for all kind of bikes, the flat-bike-lift includes several useful optionals that make it suited for different ceiling heights and weights to lift. Moreover, it can be equipped with a helmet holder, a second handler to make its use even simpler and an optional tray to load two kid bikes. Have a look at the video below to better understand how the system works and tell us what you think! [Photos and information provided via e-mail by Flat-bike-lift]

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Shaping The Office Of The Future: Workspace Design Trends [Infographic]

Posted: 01 Sep 2014 12:05 PM PDT

Over the last decades, we have been witnessing major transformations in the corporate mentality regarding workspace design. According to this infographic from Alliance Interiors, more changes are yet to come, as the office of the future will be less business-focused and more employee-oriented. As a result of switching from closed offices to open offices- one of the most visible upgrade in workspace layout- we find out that the speed and accuracy of work has increased with 440%. This is mostly why open offices will continue to shape working environments in the years to come.

Mobility and ergonomics should continue to be major concerns of corporate leaders worldwide, as 77% of employees in the study believe that they are key elements to delivering efficient work. Another important aspect to consider is merging the indoors with the outdoors. Plants are said to increase productivity in the office and decrease stress by 12%. And did you know that proper placement of plants can decrease heating and cooling costs by 20%? You will find all these information and other interesting facts in the infographic below. As usual, feel free to leave a comment and let us know what other design trends for office spaces you’ve monitored!

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Unassuming Family Residence Revealing An Architectural Surprise: Subiaco Oval Courtyard

Posted: 01 Sep 2014 09:24 AM PDT

Subiaco Oval Courtyard is the official name of a highly original residential project developed and implemented by Luigi Rosselli Architects in Subiaco, Australia. Seen from the street level, this family home is visually in tune with the character of the early 1900s federation era Subiaco architecture style, displaying pitched roofs, a locally-inspired criss-cross brick-wood pattern and a traditional veranda. However, entering the main building reveals a secret: the house is in fact a cluster of pavilions centered around an oval courtyard.

According to the architects, the elliptical courtyard, which runs diagonally through heart of the house from the front door to the back gate, is the focal point of the home in terms of both design and use: “The courtyard divides the bedrooms from the living space with the entrance hall in the center. From the entry one can view the whole courtyard with the living and bedroom wings flanking it, it is a very intimate and private space, minimally landscaped with a lawn, enhanced by a couple of mature growth trees existing on the block. ” The shape of the courtyard is also borrowed by the surrounding buildings and you can see it in the curves of the connecting corridors and partition glass paneling. [Photography: Edward Birch]

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