Balconies

The project involves the redevelopment of an entire urban block of social housing built in the 1950s. The degradation was irrecoverable, so it was decided to completely demolish it. It consisted of three four-story buildings oriented on the heliocentric axis and placed about 12 meters apart from each other. There was no urban design, only compliance with building hygiene requirements. Fabio Mantovani The project aimed to reconstitute a community of residents who could identify with belonging to a recognizable place beyond ethnic origins. The new buildings protect a large central space on which all the living rooms of the apartments face, creating a continuous interplay between private enclosed space and public open space, mediated by... More

Living with a sustainable appeal On the edge of Houtwijk, along the bustling Escamplaan, stands the Escampstaete. A beautiful blend of wood, light facade panels, and spacious balconies. The layered apartment building is one half of a twin block. The complex is oriented towards the sun, and each of the 12 apartments has its own small garden at the rear. Image Courtesy B-too Image Courtesy B-too Many options The 6-story building is structurally designed in horizontal manner. Floors are chosen as discs on columns, detached from the facade, and a stabilizing core with stabilizing discs. This allowed for a flexible facade layout and open floor plans. As a result, there were 99 options for the 12 apartments, all meeting the spec... More

This residence is built on the waterfront in Seabrook, Texas, and is designed to evoke the feel of a cruise liner. It is a four story, 7,000 square foot, modern, stucco house which emphasizes views of the bay. The upper floor of the house is an observatory deck, and each floor has its own exterior deck. More

The structure was designed as a freestanding, five-story multifamily residential building, supplementing the buildings along the main street of the city. Architects' goal was to create a project with a different approach to the aesthetics of buildings commonly constructed throughout the city. The Client's wish of providing maximum surface of balconies was achieved by surrounding core of the structure with terraces wrapping around the entire building. White balconies were chosen to contrast with the dark core of the building. Railings of balconies are open to allow as much natural light as possible into the building's living areas.Client: IngeniumLocation: PoznanDesign Architect: Neostudio ArchitekciPartners: Bartosz Jarosz, Pawel Świerkowsk... More

Located on a small site nestled in the jungle of Trunk Bay on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, the size and topography of the site was inappropriate for a traditional house. For this reason, we looked at the archetypal bungalow and village configuration, and applied those concepts to this single family residence. Given the climate of the Caribbean is amenable to outdoor living, rather than one large traditional home, the functions of the house are broken up and dispersed across the site. Taking cues from Italian hill towns, a large deck acts as a sort of communal piazza, serving as the focal point and basis of organization for the other structures. The main living room and kitchen are housed in a stru... More

This project is set at the transition point between a settlement area with perimeter block development and an open development in a well-established residential area of Graz.The aim was to provide high quality living spaces that would emphasize communication among tenants and provide a variety of floor plans, which encourage and facilitate different generations of people living there. The design also leverages the existing beauty of the Art Nouveau building and a courtyard pavilion. In regards to urban development, the new L-shaped building and the existing building create a courtyard, which offers free spaces and greenery and blends common spaces inside the protected yard with the surrounding landscape. The nearly fully-glazed faç... More

A striking profile and an out-of-this-world interior rounded off by GROHE products make the Emporio in Poole a luxury property in a class of its own A dynamic silhouette, contrasting colours and appointments that are reminiscent of high-class hotels - the Emporio mansion in Poole clearly demonstrates a passion for luxury. Located in a bay of the English Channel near Southampton in southern England, the coastal town is a centre of attraction for both tourists and people living in the region. The narrow Sandbanks peninsula boasts the fourth highest real estate prices in the world, making it much sought-after by buyers and architects. This is where the planners from Tiger Eye Architecture have created an especially exclusive domicile on a... More

Every year stars and starlets from the world of moviemaking and popular culture converge on the Côte d'Azur for the Cannes film festival. The highest levels of quality are expected not only from the festival organisers but also from the local hospitality sector. Charm, character and perfect appointments are a must for every hotelier. This commitment to refined luxury is nowhere better illustrated than at the Hotel Majestic Barrière. This 5-star hotel, a member of the “Leading Hotels of the World”, sits right on the edge of the Côte d’Azur not far from the Palais de Festival and affords a spectacular view over the city. The building is designed in the unmistakeable art déco style of the 1920s, with numerous arches and protruding balconies... More

As much sculpture as structure, Chicago’s newest jewel in its breathtaking skyline is the Aqua tower, located on the 200 block of North Columbus Drive. A mixed-use skyscraper that boasts 215 hotel rooms, 475 rental units and 263 condos and penthouses, the 82-story building was designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects and developed by Magellan Development. Despite its prime location, Aqua was not built for the super-wealthy; and in spite of its great height, it is not an iconic attention-grabber. With almost 750 residential units and nearly 2 million square feet, the challenge of Aqua was to house a large number of people at a reasonable cost, while enhancing its environment with an elegant design, according to architect Gang.... More

Text: Giampiero Sanguigni Photography: Photostudio Francesco Dell'Isola The Milanofiori Nord area is a part of the Milanofiori 2000 project, located in the municipality of Assago, southwest of Milan, and bordered by the A7 motorway which connects Milan to Liguria. In 2003, the Dutch architect studio EEA (Erick van Egeraat Associated Architects) started to draft a master plan that envisaged the construction of a system of heterogeneous buildings containing services and offices, a large commercial area, and a division set aside for residential units. The Genoese studio OBR’s residential units attempt to ‘carve’ a more intimate space with a human dimension out of an area of a commercial nature, proposing a synthesis between architectur... More