August 2010 Blog Posts (68)

This is a very fun design by Drost + van Veen Architecten. The Day Care Centre de Kleine Kikker mixes traditional building types with a material quality that is something that would be seen through the eyes of a child. In architecture it is important to remember that each design can and should embody all phases and facets of life. Having said that, these ideas need not be separate. The playful can be…

Original post from Coffee with an Architect

Last year, a bomb went off. I was laid off from my job in January, along with 90 other people. Trust me, that bomb had been ticking for a few years before it blew. So, it seemed like as good a time as any to start my own firm. I’m not the type of person who always wanted his own company. I’ve been perfectly content to work with others for my whole…

#8 - The Catcher in the Rye

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This house was designed by Humberto Hermeto Arquitetura. This architecture takes advantage of the beautiful Brazilian countryside and existing site topography. The house is also impressive because of the continuous concrete roof that spreads across the length of the structure. While I think this house was beautifully designed, it does seem more like a museum than a home. That's not…

This last tip is the one that I know will receive the most eye-rolls yet it is the most effective career building tool. Informational Find a way to exercise leadership skills by spearheading activity in your office; it can be directly related to your business or totally goofy. Find a way to organize a team of people, whether they be peers or supervisors, around a common goal. In…

This is a great little house. I don't really have anything profound to say about this architecture, it's just a good house. I think, though, that this is a good time to point out the obvious. That is to say, you don't have to do something earth-shattering to be a good architect. It doesn't take a limitless budget or a sympathetic owner, it just takes time, effort and will. Don't worry about what…

Artreehouse by Della Valle Bernheimer is a wonderful example of how architecture can arise from observations of nature and existing urbanism. The design for this house in Connecticut was derived from both local typologies of architecture and the rich wooded areas budding up against the water. The home provides canopies that both protect one from the elements while offering a new way to…

A co-finalist in a competition for the BLC Headquarters in Beirut. This building is pure enjoyment. It's a play on scale. Think of any type of toy building block you played with as a child and imagine you could do the same thing in real life. Too often the constraints of society prohibit such architectural playfulness, but this competition by Nadim Karam & Atelier Hapsitus really shows how…

#9 - Ender's Game

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An interesting house designed by Eastern Design Office that resides on an elevated topographical surface. This architecture takes advantage of scenic views provided by its elevated plane. The horizon seems to extend indefinitely and offers a visual connection to the urban landscape below.…

In the countryside of Portugal you'll find a unique house built between two large boulders on a hill. I'm not sure who designed it. It probably wasn't a "licensed architect", whatever that means. I imagine that it was the product of an ordinary person or family that saw these two stones and realized an opportunity. It makes me wonder what our buildings would be like if they didn't have to be next to other buildings. I…