Conversation Pit

co.arch’s project (Andrea Pezzoli and Giulia Urciuoli) in Cervinia is set within the Giomein complex, designed by Mario Galvagni and completed in 1972 on the homonymous promontory, overlooking the Breuil basin and the profile of the Cervino. Conceived during the peak expansion of Alpine tourism—new ski runs, cableways, infrastructure and holiday residences—Giomein interprets the mountain not as scenery but as a morphological and perceptual system against which architecture chooses to measure itself. Francesca Iovene The intervention concerns a domestic interior on the fourth and fifth floors, commissioned by a couple of art collectors. The apartment preserved a strongly defined decorative universe: jacquard fabrics a... More

Casa BE is home to a unique family; a project that the studio and client materialized after a process of permanent interaction and a very clear program: the kitchen should have a leading role; the room would enjoy independence, far from what happened in the area of fire and food; always social. This premises dictated the form: a body in the form of 'L', with the kitchen in the north, the room in the west and, among them, a garden that imposes its own rules, that steals the attention of those who just enters hall, located at the angle where both sides intersect, topped with a window of three-by-three meters. The garden is opposed to the closed and blunt façade, with a basement and gray painted fence, which closes completely to the we... More

IDM：From the Mansion of A General of the Qing Dynasty to A Resort Hotel As the capital of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, in the southwest of Sichuan Province, China, Xichang is known as the "City of Daylight" and also a famous aerospace base. The IDM project is located in Qionghai Lake International Tourism Resort, which is endowed with unique natural conditions. As a typical residence of a martial general, it used to be the private residence of Liu Xiangzhi, a martial general of the Qing Dynasty. Built in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, it is of a wooden column-tie structure, with a three-entry and two-courtyard layout.IDM conducted the architectural and interior design, transforming the historic building into a resort hotel. The a... More

The Mar Vista house is the renovation of a 1953 bungalow in west Los Angeles. Located two miles inland from the ocean, the property sits at the end of a cul-de-sac within a larger suburban masterplan. Caption The client, owner of a boutique apparel store, wanted a home with a subdued contrast to the color and patterns found in her shops. In response, we explored an “all-white house.” This seemingly simple directive proved to be conceptually challenging given the context of the existing house. While it was almost entirely white to begin with - a trademark of similar homes that are hastily “upgraded” for appeal within the real estate market - it lacked the light, depth, detail, and comfort the owner sought. Na... More

#1_ SITE CJP house is located in a 500m² area in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. The immediate context is characterized by a low population density as the house is located on the periphery of the consolidated urban fabric of the city. The surrounding area is populated by small neighborhoods of single family homes with plots of vineyards and fruit trees. The small number of buildings and the low-rise architecture of the area allow for an imposing view of the Andes mountains.   #2_ PROGRAM & TYPOLOGY The request consisted of the design of a living unit -for two adults and two children- which developed into a L-shaped structure that surrounds a reinforced concrete core and a dry patio. Thus, the ground floor offers... More

Design approach The design has been a collaboration between Marion Regitko Architects and UK based designers Soo Wilkinson & John Grant of Igloo Design. Their holistic approach to the interior and exterior spaces of the villa, along with the continuity of materials and finishes has resulted in a seamless flow throughout.  Fernando Alda Space Villa K is situated high in the hills above Mijas. The house itself is organized around a raised 'viewing platform' which is slightly pushed into the top of a hill. The design of the house is a response to both the plot and the amazing surrounding views. The plot is very steep, oriented to the south and to the west, with views of the sea and the Ronda mountain range. A lovely pine tree wo... More

Joanna Lavén and David Wahlgren Collaborate on Family Home in the Stockholm Archipelago Under the best of circumstances, any couple can find renovating their own home an ordeal. Not so for Swedish stylist and interior designer Joanna Lavén and her partner, David Wahlgren, who collaborated happily on the makeover of their newly acquired family house near Stockholm. It was particularly easy because their ideas were totally in sync, plus they had revamped several previous apartments together before moving here. So harmonious, in fact, that Wahlgren works on all Joanna Lavén Design (http://www.joannalaven.se/) projects. The duo’s only problem was one of time: “You can’t really set aside three months just... More

The main intention of the Maison Ave Courcelette project, located in the Outremont borough, was to improve the relationship of the interior spaces with the large exterior courtyard while highlighting elements dating from the original construction.   The living space has been generously opened to the outside so that the kitchen can be extended under a new canopy on the rear facade facing south. This canopy has a dual function as it reduces solar gain in summer while allowing occupants to enjoy a covered space. The new openings in the existing walls allow natural light to also diffuse into the central space of the house. The fluidity of the ground floor plan is enhanced by this light as well as by the sculptural articulation of the sta... More

New 4 bedroom house with frontline coastal views stretching from Portsea through to Lorne. The design wraps around the site, enclosing an elevated, tiered central courtyard and pool area with views straight through the house to the ocean horizon beyond. To the ocean side, the house presents as two stacked, elongated volumes, one sheathed in a fine skin of concrete, the other in hardwood timber that will weather to a pale silver.   The concrete wraps over and around the house, binding the volumes and opening at various points to reveal the inner workings of the house. Arranged over three levels, the inner layout is interspersed with pocket courtyards and moments of double and triple height space that amplify the feeling of light and a... More

Living under mountains and beside waterThis project is about exploring the boundary between the near and the far, and finding the balance between nature and the bustling city. It's a space that enables people to get close to nature while immersing in artistic interior scenes. Interior | Artistic ambience Outside | NatureONE-CU Interior Design Lab adopted dramatic and artistic expressions to interpret the relationship between the spiritual world and natural environment, intending to guide people to live a cozy life close to nature. Artworks in the space were used as the media to communicate inner languages.  Integration of water and mountainsThe project is situated at a plot which boasts enchanting lake view, isolated from the bustli... More

A new type of office space by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. used by company members for various independent projects. Different office style was required for the design of the new business of the well known Japanese company. The space had to differ from the usual office space, where usual atmosphere would be for the people to work at their desk. In the context of several projects and group of people working together at the same time, the aim was to make people from different teams feel like sharing a single space. The entire office is a large open space with a large sunken sofa area that is positioned in the center, where the workers can spend their time as they like and work as they prefer - either on the large sofa, desk area or corner coffee... More

Entering the courtyard via the driveway, the pool is mostly hidden from view due to a masonry screen wall that doubles as a water feature wall (showcasing fifteen, Randy Angell Designs custom fabricated stainless steel water scuppers) and as a two-way linear fireplace. The fireplace feature is protected from the wind on the driveway side by an acrylic shield, making the fire enjoayble while sitting in the raised, perimeter overflow spa on the opposite side.  Hartstone Tile concrete pavers, wrapped and separated by lush, synthetic turf, lead you around the ledger-stone clad feature wall to the pool area.  Looking across the polished Primerastone finished pool, you'll notice a raised "KnotWood" deck on the opposite side, complete w... More

The house floats in the canopy of a dense oak grove in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains just west of Silicon Valley. The conceptual idea came clearly and quickly—float a glass box in the leaves of the trees on two trunk-like columns, disrupting as few oaks as possible. The dense tree canopy offers the opportunity to build a completely glass walled house, protected from the direct rays of the sun, yet filled with dappled sunlight. Darren Bradley Darren Bradley Darren Bradley A bridge of steel grating connects grade to the rooftop of native grasses. An observation deck sits in the grass field along with a garage/foyer of zinc panels and mirror glass. Sunlight funnels down through the foyer into the living level.... More

Facing the sunset in the countryside plains of the of the state of São Paulo (Brazil) and with a privileged view, the LLP House, signed by lb+mr, evokes integration as the project's main point. Complemented by a land that rises and binds the landscape to the house’s common areas, the office proposed a broad plan where residents could gaze the view at different times of the day. Large openings encourage natural lighting and provide environmental and thermal comfort. This also creating a unique atmosphere linked to the contemplation of nature. Due to the high topography of the terrain, this scenery is created without losing any privacy. With an open outside view, LLP House has large areas planned for gradual landscaping impleme... More