Atelier A+D

Paintless Coke Cans

2009-11-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Not only do these paintless coke cans look fantastic, but they could help save the world! OK, so maybe that's exaggerating a little... but only a little. Traditional coke cans have to be painted in the factory and then the paint has to be removed before they can be recycled. This design would eliminate both of those steps. It may not sound like much, but we're talking about 24,773,757,785 cans a year. Yeah... almost 25 Billion.
Good design and good for the environment? Sounds good to me.
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Via Gizmodo.
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Peregrine Winery

2009-11-24T20:09:00.001-08:00

When I was in school, 2 of our 5 years were spent focusing on particular materials during our studio work.. one semester masonry, wood, concrete, and steel. This winery by Architecture Workshop looks a lot like the kinds of projects that would come out of the steel semester...

Home Sweet Home

2009-11-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

Last month, my photographer friend Jennifer Richard came over to shoot our finally finished house! The interior is finally done, which means next summer we can focus on the exterior! Landscape here we come!

Its pretty hard to photograph our extremely tiny home... as you can see, most of the photos are of our living/kitchen/dining/office open area. To make it even tighter, my office doubles as our guest room, when needed. The last two shots are of our bathroom (enlarged to meet code!) and laundry area (as viewed from our bedroom). The laundry area might not seem that exciting to you, but we've got a washer/dryer, on-demand water heater, and tons of storage crammed into a space that's about 3'x3'. You can also see some of the storage we added to the "master bedroom", with a dropped ceiling above the entry and adjacent shower - providing us with additional storage above.

I'm so glad to finally be done with the interior so that we can finally enjoy the house. It is almost impossible to remember what it used to look like...

Thanks again to Jennifer! Be sure to check out her website and blog!

monoSpace

2009-11-18T19:26:00.000-08:00

I was recently sent this project...

The space was create by Lazor Office, for the home of Mono, a Minneapolis based advertising agency (they always have the best offices). The simple, but repetitive use blue helps to tie the project together...

The pods, which act as an alternative to typical office cubicles are an interesting insertion in the space. They are lovely as objects within the space, but I have to wonder what the employees actually think of them - after all, they still provide the same isolation of cubicles, but none of the benefits (walls, you can actually post things on...).

Still, its a nice looking project...

Minneapolis really has some great work going on right now...

I Wish...

2009-11-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

I wish Illinois Tech had a design build program when I was there...

A few of my old professors (and one professor's wife) got together to arrange this design/build project. I think its a great project, a chapel designed in Chicago and built in Germany with the help of local craftsmen.
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The project started when a Reverend approached Ecker Architekten asking for help in designing a chapel, even though he had no land and no money. Ecker thought of working together with a design team from IIT and so this new design/build studio was born.

The project itself is interesting, because the students designed it to be constructed by people with little construction experience (themselves), utilizing salvaged and donated materials, and advanced technology (all pieces were cut on a CNC machine before being shipped to the site).

Its a great little chapel... and seems so German to me! I can't imagine coming across this in Seattle...

Via Daily Tonic

Map Cuts

2009-11-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Very cool cut map artwork by Karen O'Leary...

Via The Best Part

Minimal Tomb

2009-10-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've spent an inordinate amount of time in cemeteries... Growing up in Massachusetts, we'd often make field trips to Boston cemeteries along the freedom trail. What kid doesn't want to see where John Hancock is buried? Then while studying in Chicago, we'd often make field trips to the famous Graceland Cemetery, using the architect designed tombs as sketching assignments. And this isn't even taking into consideration all of the cemeteries my history buff father took me to while checking out battlefields and forts!

But, I have to say that this is the coolest tomb I have ever seen. The minimal concrete structure was designed by Roland Poppenseiker for photographer F.C. Gundlach. The structure is built of pre-cast concrete panels, with Gundlach's photographs etched into the concrete.

For more info, check out Plus Mood
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at the Flower Market

2009-10-19T21:11:00.001-07:00

Barcelona has a new flower market... and its lovely. Designed by Willy Muller Architects, its a colorful solution for a colorful problem... where to put all those flowers!

Via Below the Clouds

Up High

2009-10-16T10:53:00.001-07:00

Nomiya is part temporary art installation, part parasitic architecture, and part experimental restaurant. Perched up high above the Palais de Tokyo, Laurent and Pascal Grasso have designed a truly lovely dining experience. The views alone would make the meal an event to remember, but add in the minimal interiors and the fantastic food... sign me up!

Via The Beat That My Heart Skipped and David Leibovitz

Dining Chairs

2009-10-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

While there is nothing really wrong with the IKEA dining chairs I've currently got, I'd love to replace them with a lovely set of mid-century chairs. I like more modern chairs, too... but the great thing about mid-century design is that it tends to be more compact, which we really need in our teeny home.
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All chairs via reside
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Polka Dots

2009-10-14T14:25:00.001-07:00

Love this image by Tim Walker for Vogue Italia

Via the beat that my heart skipped.

WoZoCo Inspired?

2009-10-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

Its really impressive how many apartment projects have been influenced by MVRDV's WoZoCo... The Lanserhofwiese Residential Project by Wimmer Zaic Architects is an interesting project, almost looking fake the way its perched atop those spindly legs. Intended as a high density housing solution, providing interest and interaction with its neighbors, it seems somewhat, although not entirely successful. Obviously, the neighbors will be intrigued by the project (and its bright colors!), but the building actually seems somewhat isolated to me. It could be plopped down on any flat lot anywhere in the world... It doesn't seem to me as if its interacting with the neighborhood at all.

What do you all think?

Via Best House Design

A Glass Conservatory

2009-10-09T14:13:00.001-07:00

This conservatory by Helen & Hard is a very interesting structure. Built to replace an outbuilding that had previously stood in that location 120 years ago, this glass structure is adjacent to an existing log structure. Colored glass beams support the glass roof above, while hinged stone walls open the view to the park beyond. I think what makes this project really lovely are the surprises... glass unexpectedly being the solid support system, and the movable stone acting as a system of transparency...

Lovely.

Folds

2009-10-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Thomas Feichtner has a wide range of work, all with a very similar folded style. There are some really lovely pieces in his collection, but I'd love to see him expand his aesthetic. But, you've got to admit it... he's got a clearly defined style!

Restrictive?

2009-09-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

According to Design Crave, the architects (Tamizo Architects) for this project in Poland were restricted by local zoning laws that insisted only 3 outdoor materials were to be allowed... The result is lovely, although I only see 2 materials, unless they count glass as one. But, I don't think the rule of 3 is all that prohibitive... any more than that and projects can often appear overly decorated.

Which One of These Things Just Doesn't Belong Here

2009-09-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Design Futures Council Fellows were just announced:

The DFC Senior Fellows for 2009 are:
• Carrie Byles, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLC

• Wing T. Chao, Walt Disney Imagineering

• Daniel P. Coffey, Daniel P. Coffey & Associates Ltd.

• Maj. Gen. Del Eulberg, United States Air Force

• Michael Graves, Michael Graves & Associates

• Robert C. Grupe, USG Corp.

• Craig W. Hartman, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLC

• Brad Pitt, actor and environmental advocate

• Jane Poynter, Paragon Space Development Corp.

• Renzo Piano, Renzo Piano Building Workshop

• Stephen J. Senkowski, Armstrong World Industries

• Alan Webber, Fast Company

How nice for Brad Pitt that he can buy himself into design leadership positions. I mean, the rest of us who have studied and labored in design, yet don't have millions to show for it can only hope for his architectural success.

{far 4}

2009-09-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Map Tote Bags
Ceramic tableware made with colored clays, not paint

Glass case/candle holder/centerpiece

All pieces found at far 4, a shop with russian roots, located in Seattle I've just found out about... looks like I'll be making a visit soon!

Good Intentions

2009-09-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

I've got a lot of strong opinions about LEED, not all positive. But, still if the Obama administration truly intends to upgrade the White House and apply for LEED status, then I'd be all for it... While LEED has its problems, it would be a great symbol for sustainable architecture if the symbol of our democracy was a bit more green. It can only help encourage others to make similar improvements...

Art at the Armory

2009-09-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

Very cool installation by Ernesto Neto at the Park Avenue Armory.

Edificio de departamentos Galileo

2009-09-07T19:12:00.001-07:00

By Pascal Arquitectos via arkinetia

Foster Sketches

2009-08-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

I love checking out other architects' sketches...
via Gizmodo
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Hand-painted Geometric Wallpaper

2009-08-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

Loving Scott Engler's home... via Design Sponge.

A White Forest In a Grey Field

2009-08-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

“I wanted to make a space with very ambiguous borderlines, which has a fluctuation between local spaces and the overall space, rather than a universal space like that of Mies,”

Junya Ishigami designed this lovely university studio... the thin columns look like a neverending forest of white trees, especially with the frameless glass perimeter.

Via Archide

More by Ryuji Nakamura

2009-08-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

C thinks this is what life inside a pillow would be like...

schubLaden Love

2009-08-11T19:11:00.001-07:00

I love these pieces by schubLaden... they are combing two of my favorite things - clean minimal design, and adaptive reuse. schubLaden finds old drawers and puts them together in a way that highlights their individuality.

Lovely.