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ALEMANYS 5 by Anna Noguera

July 26th, 2011 § Leave a Comment

I’ve always been in love with new architecture that interjects with old architecture to create another being. In these buildings the charm and history of the past still remain while the appearances of modern design make the old relevant and fresh through it’s new interpretation.

Barcelona based architect, Anna Noguera converted this 16th century house in Girona into two holiday apartments. In the dining seen in the photo above the thin steel casing framing the opening and the contemporary furniture beyond is a perfect example of this harmonious marriage. Below, the beauty of the placid rectilinear pond next to the ancient stone wall is so simple but elegant. The project is an exercise of balance between time and materiality.

Photos from Article @ Dezeen Mag

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ARCHITECTURE: The Case Study Houses

June 25th, 2011 § Leave a Comment

In post-war Southern California the residential housing boom inspired a group of prominent architects sponsored by Arts and Architecture Magazine to tackle what they saw as the current issues in the typical American home. Each architect was to deal with one of these problems and resolve it in the best way they saw fit using materials and methods that would be readily available and easily duplicated. The program that was to be known as the Case Study Houses ran from 1945 up until 1966.

The group of architects included many of the big names of Mid-Century Modern architecture and design. These included Richard Neutra, Pierre Koenig, Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen, Rodney Walker, and JR Davidson. Many of the Houses (such as #22 on the left) were shot for the magazine by the now infamous architectural photographer, Julias Shulman.

The Case Study Homes changed the way Americans lived and built their homes. These West Coast models were soon transported throughout the country. The Stahl residence (#22), probably the most well-known of the Case Study homes, became an icon of American architecture and the new optimistic “Modern” way of life.

The homes generally sought to blur the lines between inside and outside by using innovative curtain wall building technologies that would allow for wide spans of glass. By placing load-bearing steel columns on a grid on the interior of the home, the facades would be free of structural responsibilities. The floor plan of the American home was Modernized by opening up walls and blending functions into large spaces; thus the marriage of the living, dining and kitchen to create the Great Room. The architects also extended the living space to the exterior by incorporating elements such as pools, large overhangs and paved decks that would further encourage the use of the outdoor room.