Raw concrete

For the project of the Grande Brasserie, I dived into my Parisian experience to initiate the project while trying to give it its own identity. It was about avoiding a pastiche without soul. So the early sketches leaded us to a rather precious place (wooden cladding, plaster reliefs, carrara marble ...) that we gradually put in contrast with "raw" elements such as the imperfect structure in concrete, Terrazzo stairs, very simple black steel railings, industrial suspensions, a collection of naturalized butterflies which gives a cabinet of curiosity aspect .... These two universes (luxury and raw) create an interesting tension who ended up giving the place its own DNA. Alessio Mei Photography Alessio Mei Photography Alessio Mei Ph... More

The 50m2 bungalow is located in Litibu, a small town on the coast of the Mexican Pacific. The bedroom and living space are seperated in two volumes to create an open patio in between. The climate was the main driver of the design, high palapa ceilings cover the main spaces, which in turn can open fully towards the outside. Pigmented stucco was used rather than paint to avoid humidity build-up in the walls. Built in concrete interior elements such as the kitchen counter, shelves or lintels are shown on the facade as a playful break to the symmetry of the project.   Material Used: 1. Raw concrete 2. Green stucco 3. Natural wood More

The project is located in Jalisco, Mexico on the West Coast of the Pacific Ocean. It embraces a full conversion of an existing house of the 1960s.   The site of the house is on a silent road close to the beach on a rectangular plot, surrounded by small and typical 2 storey houses. A little garden at the entrance of the house on the west side creates an open space that can be used for parking as well.   The volume of the two-storey building is cut by three atria in order to let in natural light and a double height ceiling at the entrance of the building. The first floor is mainly for a living and kitchen area as well as guest rooms and two bathrooms. The upper floor has two bedrooms as well as two bathrooms and a big terrace fa... More

The new showroom and demo hall was planned for a company that manufactures healthy cooking appliances, in a healthy and green atmosphere, made by natural materials.Raw concrete, Corten steel, birch plywood and lots of greenery.   The architecture of the space and it’s elements are what define the hall. Built of raw concrete, the hall is divided into two spaces. On the ground floor, the demo hall and on the Corten steel Gallery above - display of the healthy cooking appliances. The floor is covered with birch plywood and on it’s edges we planted herbs and greenery.   Diagonal plywood bleachers were built for the participants and guests of the showroom in order to keep the space as minimal as possible and avoid using... More

Dyer Brown’s reimagining of a 1960’s vintage building located in Boston’s vibrant Allston neighborhood transformed Studio Alston into a hip, boutique hotel. Originally a Ramada Inn, the converted 60,000-square-foot, 117-key hotel reflects the flourishing artist community in the rapidly expanding Allston neighborhood of Boston, Mass. The redesign included complete gut renovations of the first floor and basement, and collaborations with 21 local artists on original works for the lobby, guest rooms, and other spaces.    The desire of Dyer Brown’s development team to embrace the surrounding creative community inspired a design process that would involve local artists directly from the earliest stages. Colorfu... More

A gigantic wall of 7.5 meter height at the front facing west is divided into several strips, various in sizes and thickness levels, parting and overlapping freely from different angles and directions. Covered by brownish-orange terracotta tiles, the wall stands high to support a translucent roofing panel where many small lights strung in rows like waves. These decorative elements on the front of the two-story house in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi not only shade the house from direct sunlight but also intentionally create an interplay between natural sunlight and the light after dark: a lively area of a conversation with light. The 96 sq.w plot is located behind the Sahakon 3 Market in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi. From the desire to expand the residence t... More

HEU & Co. lawoffice is located at Midtown office tower, a new 50-stories high-rise at the center of Tel Aviv's business district. The tower is part of an urban mixed-use development complex that includescommercial, office, and residential spaces, as well as parking lots. To the South, a view of the city’s skyrises and the Ayalon Highway. To the West, abreathtaking panoramic view of the city and the sea.   Given that HEU & Co. law firm has a specific specialization in real estate, representing entrepreneurs and contractors, we incorporated features from the construction practice into the project design. The raw concrete wall with the grid of exposed steel rebars at the back of the front desk and the front desk itself are... More

Located in Metoda, an industrial zone in Rajkot is Gopal Printpack Solutions factory. It is one of the leading companies in Gujarat which excels in delivering customized packaging solutions. This architectural solution proposes the realization of an office building as the most representative element while the factory is kept in the background. The square plan of the office building is tilted at an angle against the rectangular site and the factory, to make it stand out on the site.   The design intention was to develop a language of the complex that showcases the manufacturing process of the factory. The process is such that a blank plastic sheet is dipped sequentially into inks of various colors that amalgamate to form the final Pri... More

Ted Ankara College, giving education to 6000 students per year for 70 years, used to have a strong relation with the city thanks to its location, though with a lack of open spaces. The project aims to increase the amount of open spaces while intensifying the social life-education relation. As a significant design principle, contemporary education is adopted by composing various indoor and outdoor common spaces. The main theme is interpretation and projection of city simulation in a campus plan. City life is considered as the main educational framework by providing numerous common places where education comes into the practice. Cemal Emden Cemal Emden The classrooms are defined as “ateliers” instead of being compartmen... More

The campus of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne was historically created around mechanical engineering. Since the early 2000s, in an effort to promote its top-level teaching, research and innovation activities, the EPFL itself undertook several redevelopment operations. The campus and the buildings were refurbished, including the ME building, built by the Zweifel + Stricker + Associates team in the early 70s, which had gradually become cramped and was rapidly deteriorating.   The new building, covering a total surface area of over 223,000 sq. ft., is spread over four superstructure levels and one infrastructure level. The project, which serves as a large-scale experimental playground and laboratory for resear... More

The Czech branch of MSC, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, has moved to new offices in Smíchov, Prague. The new offices for almost 100 people are dominated by raw concrete, wood, plants and a shipping container. But getting it to the eighth floor was a challenge. The container first had to be cut and welded back to its original form in the offices.   The company's former offices lacked a space where employees could meet. CAPEXUS' architects therefore designed a relaxation area with a kitchenette, including informal seating.   CAPEXUS has created a facility that reflects MSC's identity: the reception and adjacent guest area are dominated by a large model ship. We also managed to place a shipping contain... More

Self-confident solitaire What exactly makes for a good house is not laid down anywhere. The question "How do we want to live?" is too personal, as is the answer. All the more astonishing is the fact that in modern residential areas, single-family houses are as alike as two peas in a pod. In a new residential quarter being built in Neuffen, a town in Württemberg, Stuttgart-based architect Henrik Isermann has implemented an ensemble of two residential buildings for his wife's family that self-confidently demonstrates how to creatively deal with the provisions of a regulatory development plan. In the context of the neighbouring buildings it gives the owners their own architectural expression, and although both buildings share the same de... More