Swiveling Rings Hiding Function and a Creative Concept: Orbit Sink

Swiveling Rings Hiding Function and a Creative Concept: Orbit Sink
Contemporary Slate House Generously Engaging Its Historic Landscape
Simple Volumes and Natural Materials Defining House in the Landscape by Kropka Studio

Posted: 27 Nov 2014 05:07 AM PST

Pivoting around a metal point, Corian rings shape a wonderful modern sink called the Orbit Sink. Imagined by industrial designer Alessandro Isola as a contemporary design alternative that brightens up spaces with its sleek elegance, this exciting sink design draws inspiration from the simplicity of a cylinder. Using slices of Corian to shape three swiveling circles beneath the sink, the designer imagined a chrome ring at the top that acts like a towel rail. The swiveling spine hides drainage, allowing the sink to be installed anywhere and still look exceptional.

This is what its designer had to say about it: “An opposing disorderly aesthetic is soon created as you swivel each circular compartment around a metal pivot point. This invisible metal spine also cleverly conceals the sinks drainage, enabling positioning away from a wall. Beneath the top sink circle sits a contrasting chrome ring that functions as a towel rail and soap tray surface. The 3 swiveling circles beneath, each serve as storage compartments. The option to display pure cylindrical uniformity, or stacking circles that swivel beyond a natural balancing point, makes the Orbit Sink an interestingly irregular bathroom focal point.”

An artistic design piece and functional sink at the same time, the contemporary sink raises the bar on independent modern sink design, don’t you think?

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Contemporary Slate House Generously Engaging Its Historic Landscape

Posted: 27 Nov 2014 01:10 AM PST

Located in Laval, a suburb of Montreal, Slate House by Affleck de la Riva Architects was conceived as an in-situ installation that reveals a pre-existing landscape. Orchestrating a progressive discovery from suburban street to interior courtyard to forest and stream, the house is a sheltered oasis in a unique pastoral setting. Two orthogonal volumes frame the courtyard and the natural change in grade from street to stream is used to slide a lower storey under the main level. Both floors open laterally to the courtyard, the stream, and the southwest sun.

The program called for unique living accommodations that include a spacious garage and workshop for the owner's collection of vintage automobiles and a full guest apartment. Located on the lower level, the guest apartment opens directly on the courtyard while the main living area above is connected to a wood gallery and a swimming pool.

The building exterior combines natural slate shingles installed using traditional methods of assembly with sheet glass and factory-made aluminum windows. Commonly found in traditional religious architecture, the artisanal slate finds expression here as a resolutely contemporary material. Slate House integrates such sustainable features as geothermal and passive solar heating, natural water collection, local species of vegetation, and low-energy electrical fittings. By generously engaging its found landscape, the house initiates a fundamental connection between the inhabitant and the history and culture of a specific place. [Photos and information provided via e-mail by Affleck de la Riva Architects]

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Simple Volumes and Natural Materials Defining House in the Landscape by Kropka Studio

Posted: 26 Nov 2014 12:07 PM PST

Kropka Studio completed the design and development of “House in the Landscape”, a private residence in southern Poland. The project is situated close to the city of Zawiercie, on a spectacular sloping site, in the buffer zone of the Eagles' Nests natural landscape park. One of the main goals of the design was to visually integrate the structure in its environment, by using natural materials and simple volumes. Gabion baskets filled with local limestone are used as part of the outer skin, while the bedroom cube and the triangle bay are made of wooden slats.

“House in the Landscape” consists of two main volumes (the residential zones) and a two-car garage. In between, there is a partially-covered courtyard, where the children like to spend their time. The L-shape ground floor accommodates the double-height living space, an open kitchen and the master bedroom with bathroom and wardrobe. On the top floor there are two bedrooms and a smaller bathroom. All interiors are spacious and welcoming, with massive windows framing views of the peaceful surrounding landscape. [Photography: Maciej Lulko]

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