A Story of Love and Modern Architecture: Unconventional Casa Redux Tour [Video]

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• A Story of Love and Modern Architecture: Unconventional Casa Redux Tour [Video]
• Amsterdam Garage Transformed into Light-Filled Spacious Home by i29 Interior Architects
• Expressive Brazilian Architecture to Inspire Your Next Home Makeover
• How Architects Take Advantage of The Golden Ratio
• Dynamic Floor Design Blending Colorful Hexagonal Tiles and Concrete

A Story of Love and Modern Architecture: Unconventional Casa Redux Tour [Video] Posted: 30 Oct 2014 05:22 AM PDT Instead of opting for a conventional house-tour video, the architects at Studio MK27 chose an intriguing story as a proper way to “describe” Casa Redux in Brazil. Produced by Pedro Kok and Gabriel Kogan, the video below is entitled “That was not my dream” and strangely enough, it narrates the “disadvantages” of living in an ultramodern home: "Who would want that kind of house – cold, dull, lifeless? I was in search for what I had always imagined, a beautiful neoclassical project, the symbol of permanence, something with history. A home how we always dreamt… with pediments, ornamental columns… it will be impressive, beautiful, classical, a home as it should be." Have a look at the movie and  feel the irony in every sentence. Casa Redux is a massive single-floor holiday residence in the exclusive Quinta da Baroneza neighborhood, north of São Paulo.  As you can probably imagine, the story behind this movie is entirely fictional, yet we considered it an interesting approach to presenting a modern residence. “The idea was to intersect architecture with a narrative, making the space itself the central character. The human relationships here take place according to the architecture – they are transformed by it and they transform it,” architect Gabriel Kogan explained. We would love to know your thoughts on this artistic short film and the house it unconventionally depicts! The post A Story of Love and Modern Architecture: Unconventional Casa Redux Tour [Video] appeared first on Freshome.com.

Amsterdam Garage Transformed into Light-Filled Spacious Home by i29 Interior Architects Posted: 30 Oct 2014 02:32 AM PDT A former garage space in Amsterdam's area de Pijp was turned into a spacious home by i29 Interior Architects. Naturally lit by large roofs, the interior with a generous 230 square-meter surface on one floor level is finished in a simple material palette. The repetition of rectangular rough oak wooden finishes is in great contrast with the stark white walls, black surfaces and grey cast flooring. One of the highlights of this project by i29 is the custom-design kitchen, which includes a large wooden sliding door to cover integrated storage areas, with a contrasting black cooking island in front. Built-in cabinets and a fireplace have the same characteristics and contrast in materials. Wooden walls from top to bottom with built-in doors are marking the entrance to the more private areas such as the bedrooms and bathrooms. In order to create a better indoor-outdoor connection, i29 interior architects designed a 20 square-meter hand-knotted carpet with a natural mossy pattern. The excess of natural light in combination with the soft layer of green and beige resembles the outdoor experience while being inside. [Photos and information provided via e-mail by i29 Interior Architects] The post Amsterdam Garage Transformed into Light-Filled Spacious Home by i29 Interior Architects appeared first on Freshome.com.

Expressive Brazilian Architecture to Inspire Your Next Home Makeover Posted: 29 Oct 2014 01:25 PM PDT Designed by Ney Lima Architects in Brasilia – Distrito Federal, Brazil, this 570 square meter home spreads over space as well as time. Emerging from the architecture of the 60s, this home combines contemporary appeal with tradition and openness into an exemplary piece of modern Brazilian architecture. Known as Casa Capital, the home showcases straight design lines softened by the color palette and all the light flooding the inspiring interiors. Large sliding doors keep the interiors closely connected to the outdoors, creating a relaxing atmosphere inducing freedom. Casa Capital references Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer with a series of concrete columns lining and decorating the interiors. Within this geometric volume, a modern social lifestyle unravels under high ceilings. The living space boasts double-height ceilings allowing natural light to infuse this space and create an exemplary play of light and shadow. The functional floor plan provides spaciousness and enough room to make the textures chosen sparkle under carefully placed lights. Casa Capital showcases modern Brazilian architecture while foraying deep into your memory to anchor itself with a bright red glass mosaic coated pool. What else could you need to live a happy life? The post Expressive Brazilian Architecture to Inspire Your Next Home Makeover appeared first on Freshome.com.

How Architects Take Advantage of The Golden Ratio Posted: 29 Oct 2014 10:09 AM PDT Check out why architects love the golden ratio. Image Via: Priester’s Custom Contracting, LLC When you really think about it, one of the coolest facets of architecture is the ability to have buildings be so different – so varied in terms of size, shape, and style – and yet so similar at their core. No matter who designs the building, it is constructed from a blueprint. No matter what a structure looks like once it's finished, it's still is assembled from a collection of natural materials. No matter what the building's eventual purpose is, the golden ratio was most likely used to determine its proportions. This ratio – 1:1.61, for those are wondering – occurs over and over again in nature. It is found in everything from the shape of our universe, the structure of clouds, and the even the proportions of the human body. Humans have incorporated it into everything from mathematics, to artwork, and music. With such varied applications, it should come as little surprise that this ratio is rooted in architecture's fundamental principles. Continue on to find out how architects take advantage of the golden ratio in their work. You may find yourself looking at your surroundings in a way that you never have before. Every style of home shares some of the Golden Ratio’s basic conventions. Image Via: Lake Country Builders It's Rooted In History As with any industry, architecture would not be what it is today without relying on the architectural lessons of the past.  Phi, which is another term for the ratio,  is just one of those concepts that inform the way in which we look at buildings today. While there is some controversy over the exact origins, many people believe that use of the ratio dates all the way back to the Great Pyramids in Egypt. It can also be found in many of the world's other most famous buildings including: the Parthenon, the Notre-Dame of Laon cathedral, and he Taj Mahal. Every time you view a building with evenly spaced columns, that's a nod to the ratio and it’s tenure with the ancient greeks. Every time you look at a home with a peaked and sloped roof that allows for winter snows to easily fall off, that’s also thanks to the ratios calculations. Next time you take a walk around your neighborhood, see how many examples of phi you can see. We think you’ll be surprised how many there are. It’s not hard to see the inspiration taken from the Parthenon. Image Via: Dennison and Dampier Interior Design It Brings Balance and Height As a general rule, we gravitate toward buildings that appear balanced. Though "modern" marvels of construction may be fun to look at, we tend to write them off for day-to-day use because they the space is perceived as less functional than their more conventionally structured counterparts. One of the simplest ways to impart a sense of balance to a structure is to base it off the principles of the golden rectangle. To explain it simply, a golden rectangle signifies any shape that can be wholly divided into up into a square and a rectangle that, when combined, establish a ratio of 1:1.61. Since both the lengths and widths of these shapes correspond to the ration, the theory states that you should be able to continue dividing the resulting rectangles into smaller and smaller segments while still maintaining the ratio's proportions. The inverse is also true. If an architect wants to make a structure larger or smaller to accommodate their clients' needs, as long as they follow the principles laid out by the ratio, they have the ability to correctly alter a building's proportions with just a few simple calculations. Notice how even the rectangles appear. Image via: Rinox Inc  It Allows For Varying Shapes Of course, not all buildings are going to be perfectly rectangular. Whether the natural landscape, existing lot boundaries, or personal style dictates that the structure take on a different formation, architects need to be a way to accommodate an array of shapes. Luckily, with just a few extra amendments to the golden rectangle, architects can easily apply the ratio to any shape that they can dream up. Other than the golden rectangle, here are are a few of the basic tenants that architects keep in mind: Golden Triangle: Connotes an isosceles triangle in which the smaller side is in golden ratio with its adjacent side. Logarithmic Spiral: Can be created by taking an existing golden triangle and bisecting the angles to make another golden triangle and continuing indefinitely. By utilizing a combination of the golden rectangle, golden triangle, and logarithmic spiral, architects can create a variety of shapes that range from pentagrams to icosahedron, which have 30 points, and beyond. However it's important to note that these measurements are often used as approximations or rules of thumb rather than hard and fast figures. Practical limitations on materials, work sites, and human calculation often make it difficult to fit within the ratio exactly. The ratio can be applied to achieve a variety of shapes. Image Via: Bernard Andre Photography It Makes Buildings Aesthetically Pleasing Architecture isn't just about form and function. It's also about physical appearance. Just as the design elements you include in your interior design set a tone for the rooms within your home, the way that a building looks has an impact on its surrounding area. Add to that the personal satisfaction that an architect must feel when their work is well received and it's no surprise that the ratio plays a role. Studies have shown that, when it comes to conventional attractiveness, we subconsciously gravitate towards others whose proportions most closely conform to the golden ratio. With that in mind, it is such a stretch to believe that we would gravitate towards buildings whose proportions match that ratio as well? Architects keep the golden ratio in mind when it comes time to decide how a building’s  floor plan will flow. It's used when determining features such as how to properly determine a buildings layout, space out windows, and determine where a door should be placed in a room. While these proportions are considered of secondary importance to the building's structural integrity, adherence to the ratio increases chances that people will find the building aesthetically pleasing. Architects also use the ratio to determine factors like window and door placement. Image Via: Phinney Design Group The golden ratios applications stretch far and wide. It's found in nature, incorporated into great artworks, and even used in marketing campaigns to influence our buying choices. It's no surprise that architects also jump at the chance to subconsciously influence our opinions of their work. They use it to give buildings balance and height, create obscure shapes, and design beautiful layouts. Take a look at the buildings in your hometown. You'll undoubtedly be able to pick out a few examples of your own. What are your thoughts on the use of the ratio in architecture? Do you think it really has an effect on our perceptions? Tell us in the comments. The post How Architects Take Advantage of The Golden Ratio appeared first on Freshome.com.

Dynamic Floor Design Blending Colorful Hexagonal Tiles and Concrete Posted: 29 Oct 2014 08:15 AM PDT Achieving a sense of dynamics in  a room can be done in a variety of unexpected ways. Take today’s project for example, a minimalist kitchen design, part of G-Roc, a residential project completed by Nook Architects and located in Barcelona, Spain. In this apartment, the designers managed to create a Spartan environment with an industrial flair, added a touch of cheerfulness through blue and yellow hues. What captured our attention however are the hexagonal tiles in the kitchen, which we understood were a surplus from other works in the same building the architects had completed a while back.  This mix of hexagonal floor tiles in gray, blue and black goes great with the color scheme employed throughout the apartment. Concrete and high gloss Polyurethane coating were the materials used for more than half of the kitchen flooring, dynamically completing the look. The floor tiles also stand out in relationship with their corresponded back-splash tiles in light blue, even though their shape is different. Which makes us applaud the ability of the designers to make the place feel harmonious and tasteful, despite its heavy mix of colors, shapes and textures. How would you comment on this flooring design approach?  [Photos by: Nieve | Productora Audiovisual] The post Dynamic Floor Design Blending Colorful Hexagonal Tiles and Concrete appeared first on Freshome.com.

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