Intriguing Play of Volumes Exhibited by The Urbane House in Gujarat, India

Intriguing Play of Volumes Exhibited by The Urbane House in Gujarat, India
Industrial-Eclectic Restaurant and Events Venue in Craiova, Romania: Smart Pub
How Architects Minimize Urban Stress

Posted: 24 Oct 2014 05:54 AM PDT

Hiren Patel Architects completed the design and development of The Urbane House, a private contemporary home located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. According to the project developers, the project pays tribute to the concept “form follows function”, heavily reflected in the sharp lines that defines the language of the residence. An interesting play of volumes ensures diversity throughout, every interior offering a unique living experience. Nature was subtly blended in the design, resulting in a less rigid contemporary look.
Here is a virtual tour of the house, as presented by the architects: “The entrance porch faces north which leads into a double height foyer, that is further connected to the family living and formal drawing room. The bedrooms, multipurpose room, dining room and kitchen open into a central space which is the family living room. A veranda visually connects the family living to the drawing room and serves as a transept between the private space of the family living and the surrounding lawns.” An excellent indoor-outdoor connection is achieved through extensive use of glass. The rooms are individualized and highly welcoming, with plenty of art works spread throughout.

The post Intriguing Play of Volumes Exhibited by The Urbane House in Gujarat, India appeared first on Freshome.com.

Industrial-Eclectic Restaurant and Events Venue in Craiova, Romania: Smart Pub

Posted: 24 Oct 2014 01:32 AM PDT

Bucharest-based studio Yellow Office completed the design and development of a high quality restaurant and events venue near Preajba lake in Craiova, Romania. The place is filled with a vibrant personality and offers beautiful surrounding views. According to the architects, the design is based on a contemporary eclectic-industrial style. On this two storeys building the main theme was to create a major "object and material contrast". Warm materials such as wood and recovered brick are highlighted by white metal and ceramics. Glossy elements are also contrasted by rough natural wood flooring.

Retro light bulbs were employed in order to create an inviting ambiance throughout. One other important characteristic is the disposing of the two bars, one on each floor. The furniture features classical design Thonet chairs, and comfortable sofas-both of which have two finishes, textile and leather enclosed with brushed wood. The major attraction of the place is the visual connection between the floors and the 2-meter-diameter chandelier. Enjoy the virtual tour and feel free to share your opinions! [Information provided via e-mail by Vladimir Mindru; Images @ Yellow Office architecture]

The post Industrial-Eclectic Restaurant and Events Venue in Craiova, Romania: Smart Pub appeared first on Freshome.com.

How Architects Minimize Urban Stress

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 11:21 AM PDT

Is urban stress real? If it is, how can architects minimize its effects with their designs? Image Source: Grossman Photo

Experts are saying that we need to ready ourselves for a more urbanized, and therefore, a more depressed world. It seems that architects not only have to design homes that are modern, functional and green, but they now need to worry about the world’s mental health, as well.

So how does urban living reflect upon ones mental health? Some may love living the big city life, while others may dream of escaping to a slower suburban pace. With the world’s population growing at alarming rates, we are undoubtedly packing ourselves into much tighter neighborhoods than ever before. Builders are erecting houses side by side, with small postage stamp yards and no privacy—this certainly cannot be ideal living and is one of the leading causes of urban stress.

Humans naturally feel threatened and closed-in when they perceive that space is lacking—resulting in urban stress. What can architects do to minimize the strain that occurs from crowded urbanization? How can they alter their designs to make high-density living feel like open, airy dwellings?

Let’s look into some of the key ways that architects minimize urban stress:

loft How Architects Minimize Urban Stress

Architects can employ some key tricks to make an environment feel less crowded. Image Source: Tahar Decor

Better Planning and Density Management

An article by LSE Cities, points out that there is a difference between density and crowding. The study theorizes that it is crowding that leads to urban stress rather than density. They feel that even the most dense areas can be designed in a manner that makes them feel uncrowded.

High-density is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, there are advantages to high-density living such as accessibility to facilities and more efficient land use. With proper planning architects can design urban areas in a manner that may be dense but does not feel overcrowded, therefore minimizing urban stress.

Let’s look a little further into the many ways that architects design individual communities/buildings in order to minimize the feeling of crowdedness.

high rise How Architects Minimize Urban Stress

With better planning and density management, communities can minimize urban stress. Image Source: Two Column

Communities With Open Spaces

One of the main negative effects of density is the feeling of over crowdedness. City planners and architects can minimize this sensation by designing communities with open spaces and park systems intermingled amongst busy city life.

Take New York Cities Central Park for example. Among the hectic, fast-paced city life of New York sits one of the most beautiful park systems. Central park offers a mental refuge with its vast, open, green spaces, giving city-dwellers a place to unwind and feel at peace in an uncrowded, natural environment.

Essentially, green cities equal good health. Green areas provide space for exercise; space to experience nature; space to restore the body, mind and soul; and space for calm social interaction— green spaces are a must and should be included in every architect and city planners blueprints.

central park apartment How Architects Minimize Urban Stress

This home overlooks New York Cities Central Park, offering green space and a place to reduce urban stress. Image Source: Robert Granoff

Using Roof Tops For Relief

Some cities do not not have established areas for green space, and it seems there is no room left to create these park systems or recreational areas. This has lead architects to become inventive with already-existing spaces such as roof tops, turning them into green spaces, gardens, and recreational areas.

Roof top farming seems to be a popular choice amongst some eco-conscious designers/architects. It is easy to see why when one looks at all the positive benefits of roof gardens— provision of green space; provision of locally-grown organic food; provision of healthy exercise; and provision of temperature and hydrological controls for the building.

Also, gardening has been shown to significantly reduce stress and depression. Indeed, the trend of using roof tops as open, green-living spaces certainly has a role in reducing urban stress.

roof top garden How Architects Minimize Urban Stress

Roof top gardens re-invent un-utlilized space and reduce urban stress by providing a get-away. Image Source: Amber Freda

Buildings Designed to Feel Vast and Open

Architects have gotten quite inventive when it comes to designing buildings that make a visitor feel relaxed and at ease. Many architects realize the secret to successfully reducing urban stress—buildings shape the human experience.

It seems obvious, but it is often forgotten in design—people react to their environment. Designing a building where people feel a sense of belonging; where they feel comfortable; and where they have an overall sense of place, is imperative to the reduction of urban stress.

Architects can incorporate this welcome feeling in their designs by adding green spaces and vistas; by improving building flow and function through escalators and modes of better traffic flow; by incorporating large windows, high ceilings and natural light; and by creating multi-functional areas where people can access numerous activities. People spend most of their days working and living in large office buildings and high rise apartments, so mental well-being always should be considered in the design.

high rise apartment How Architects Minimize Urban Stress

Architects can reduce urban stress by incorporating open spaces with large windows and lots of natural lighting. Image Source: High Rises

Urban Acupuncture

This is something that is probably a new term for most—Urban Acupuncture. Essentially, urban acupuncture is a theory that combines urban design with Chinese acupuncture. Followers of this theory look at urban design as a living organism.

The main goal is to reduce stress in the urban environment through small remedial interactions, just like acupuncture does to a human who is suffering certain ailments. Essentially, urban areas that are in need of repair receive certain building projects that are meant to heal the stress or malfunction.

Architect and Urbanist, Manual Sola DeMorales, coined this term, and it seems to be something worthwhile for other architects to take hold of—especially since it does not require massive urban renewal, rather focuses on smaller projects that help to heal the larger whole.

modern urban loft How Architects Minimize Urban Stress

Urban acupuncture may help reduce urban stress by healing small dis-functional urban areas. Image Source: Zack Devito

The population of the world is growing rapidly, forcing many to live in over-crowded urban environments—this leads to urban stress. We have seen that architects have a key role in the reduction of urban stress, and that their designs can actually help people feel at ease, even the most crowded of living situations.

By designing communities with open green spaces, re-inventing spaces such as rooftops into usable areas, and by designing buildings that shape a positive human experience—urban stress can be greatly reduced. There is also something to be said about urban acupuncture and its possible role in repairing malfunctioning communities.

Do you live in a busy urban area? How do you feel about urban stress—is it a real thing?

The post How Architects Minimize Urban Stress appeared first on Freshome.com.