Glass envelope

This single-family house is located in Ekali, a suburban area of Athens. The property is surrounded by high pine trees that shade the lot, which let to the decision to create a continuous openable glass envelope around the south and east sides of the ground floor. The sliding glass walls allow daylight to enter into the deep plan while defining a large open living area, transparent towards the fenced garden. The scheme shapes the main open area on the south-east corner of the site, where the pool is placed attached to the building. Bedrooms are located on the upper floor, and towards south they hover above the living area as autonomous private units. They are carefully placed to create a generous semi-open space as well as double-heigh... More

The idea of remodelling this house in the Dolomite mountains at the border between Italy and Austria started because of an uncomfortable living situation. The existing building presented a very large and high entry hall with the rooms arranged around it, and it was always necessary to walk through it to move around the house. On the ground floor, the kitchen, dining room, living room and the stube were not proportioned to the size of the house and they couldn’t get enough light. For this reason the entire ground floor has been demolished, and a new interior clear glass envelope with a gyp wall inserted is now the only separation among the different spaces. Few new volumes have been added around the house to extend the entry hall and the... More

Structures of contemporary high-rise buildings, though often limited by material capacities, dynamic lateral forces, and legal constraints, have recently undergone a renaissance of investigation. The list of known structural types such as moment frames, braced frames, trussed tubes, and shear wall systems has been expanded to include new morphologies and materials including non-metric cellular formations, exoskeletal lattices, and next-generation carbon fiber composite networks. Experimentation in the realm of mechanical systems, however, is far behind. Most high-rise buildings are still outfitted with a hidden and expensive network of metal ducts which are run through structural cores or between structural beams in an ineffectual and of... More

Franić’s project generates “its own city-planning” within the borders of the site forms an ample square that slowly rises towards the large “hovering” mass of the Museum which covers the open public space. The monumental dimension of the colonnade is in logical proportion with the scale of the building, but also with the wider context, while the mass covering the porch contributes to dramatic impression. The entire ground floor of the Museum is open to movement, conceived as an extension of the square with the main entrance, restaurant and library, each with a separate access. The glass envelope of the ground floor is not unified, but diversified, which indicates different amenities. It is obvious that the ground floor is the place of tran... More

The project stands along the Bologna-Taranto highway, in an area near the entrance of the city of Imola, with hills on one side, and a plain on the other side. The building, a tower of 14 floors above ground level realized for business use, is characterized by an external bi-colour glass envelope: one dull black part allowing natural ventilation and one transparent part allowing natural light into the inner spaces. A peculiarity of the building is the irregular alternating of dull surfaces and transparent ones. International Award “Europe 40 Under 40”, August 2008, European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. International Award “International Architecture Awards”, September 2008, The Chicago Athenaeum Museum... More

Eldridge Smerin was recommended by Wallpaper* magazine and Wink Media to Sheikh Majed Al-Sabah, the dynamic fashion entrepreneur who was planning to develop a new department store for luxury brands on the waterfront of Kuwait City. His vision was for a state-of-the-art retail experience. Eldridge Smerin was responsible for the design of Villa Moda’s main entrance area and lounge, public spaces and staircases, two levels of multi-brand fashion space, restaurant and café managed by the Caprice group, as well as the landscaping around the building. Eldridge Smerin’s design captures the spirit of the Gulf region while creating a totally contemporary and leisurely shopping environment fused with a unique graphic identity by Wink Media. The gl... More