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Monday 31 January 2022

Transformable flying AirCar awarded airworthiness certificate

A flying car capable of converting from a road to an air vehicle has been granted an airworthiness certification in Slovakia, as its makers eye mass manufacturing.

The Slovak Transport Authority awarded the AirCar by Klein Vision a Certificate of Airworthiness earlier this week, after the vehicle completed more than 70 hours of successful flight testing.

The AirCar is a dual-mode vehicle with a petrol engine that can convert from a car to an aircraft at the push of a button.

White AirCar vehicle in sportscar mode drives on a highway — The AirCar is capable of driving on the roads like an ordinary car

In its testing it has performed steep 45 degree turns, reached maximum speeds of 190 kilometres per hour and flown a 35-minute inter-city journey between airports in Nitra and Bratislava.

Slovak company Klein Vision said its flight testing was in line with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, and that the certification aids its plans to introduce a version of the AirCar onto the market for commercial travel.

"AirCar certification opens the door for mass production of very efficient flying cars," said Klein Vision founder and CEO Stefan Klein. "It is official and the final confirmation of our ability to change mid-distance travel forever."

AirCar sits on the tarmac while its wings deploy from the sides of the vehicle — Wings deploy to turn the car into an aircraft

A representative of the Transport Authority of Slovakia, Civil Aviation Division director René Molnár, described the AirCar as defining "a new category of a sports car and a reliable aircraft".

"Its certification was both a challenging and fascinating task," said Molnár.

Klein Vision flew a 1,000-kilogram two-seat prototype with a fixed propeller and a 1.6-litre BMW engine for the airworthiness certification. It has wings and a tail that deploy and retract on demand.

AirCar takes off from an airport runway — The AirCar takes off in the same way as a conventional aeroplane

The company is now working on a production model, which will be equipped with an ADEPT Airmotive engine and a variable pitch propeller.

Klein Vision says it will be capable of speeds of 300 kilometres an hour and have a range of 1,000 kilometres. It expects it to be certified in 12 months.

Unlike many of its competitors in the urban air mobility space, it does not have an electric engine or vertical take-off and landing – technologies known as EVTOL.

It would need to takeoff and land at conventional airstrips and could not use helipads or ports.

AirCar flies over fields in Slovakia — The AirCar has completed more than 70 hours of successful test flights

Among the companies developing vehicles in the EVTOL space is Hyundai, whose European chief executive has said he expects flying cars to be in cities by 2030.

Other companies at the forefront in this space include Lilium, which has said that its seven-seater Lilium Jet is "on the path to certification" with the EASA and its US equivalent, the Federal Aviation Administration.

American company Kitty Hawk has previously been granted airworthiness approval by the US Air Force in order to conduct flight testing under its auspices, and is now working on a commercial air taxi model.

The photography is courtesy of Klein Vision.

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Architecture for London uses natural materials to renovate studio founder's home

Kitchen inside Low Energy House designed by Architecture for London

Wood, stone and lime plaster pervade the minimal interior of this energy-saving home in Muswell Hill that Architecture for London has created for its founder, Ben Ridley.

Architecture for London renovated and extended the three-floor Edwardian home that had gone untouched for close to 40 years and was in a less than favourable condition when purchased by Ridley.

"It was very tired, with bright floral carpets and textured wallpaper," he told Dezeen.

"There were some severe issues with damp where non breathable renders and plasters had been used in the past," he continued. "It was also quite dark as the orientation of the property isn't ideal – the rear reception room in particular had very little natural light."

Although Ridley and his team at Architecture for London carried out extensive renovation work they aimed to using natural materials and only make sustainably minded interventions.

For example, in the ground floor kitchen, the studio preserved a couple of structural masonry walls to evade having to replace them with supportive frames made from energy-intensive resources such as steel.

Living room inside Low Energy House designed by Architecture for London — The house's original timber roof has been preserved

Walls here, and throughout the rest of the home, have been coated with lime plaster to form an airtight layer, mitigating any heat loss.

The cabinetry is lined with oak wood, while the floor, worktops, prep counter and chunky window seat are crafted from pale grey limestone, which the studio preferred to use instead of cement-based products.

In celebration of the house's "modest beauty", the studio has also left the original timber roof exposed.

Garden of Low Energy House designed by Architecture for London — A rear extension offers views of the garden

A short flight of stairs leads up to the living room, where wood fibre insulation has been added behind the walls; fitting the insulation internally meant the studio was able to leave the house's Edwardian facade completely undisturbed.

The space otherwise features a couple of muted-pastel chairs, oak storage cupboards and a handful of potted plants.

At the back of the house, the studio has constructed an extension from structural insulated panels (SIPS).

The rectilinear volume accommodates a dining area and is fronted by a full height, triple-glazed window, to give views through to the lush foliage of the garden.

More wood fibre insulation has been incorporated here, and in the house's peripheral walls.

Bedroom inside Low Energy House designed by Architecture for London — A Douglas fir bed frame has been included in the master bedroom

Natural materials go on to appear upstairs in the master bedroom, where the flooring and furnishings – including the bed frame – are made from Douglas fir wood.

Oak has then been used to fashion the bathroom's vanity unit, which backs onto a fluted limestone wall.

Bathroom inside Low Energy House designed by Architecture for London — Fluted walls add textural interest in the bathroom

Ben Ridley set up Architecture for London in 2009.

The studio has since gone on to complete a number of projects around the British capital – this includes Tower Hamlets Tandem, a pair of extensions made for adjoining residences, and House for a Stationer, which is designed to reflect the occupation of its owner.

Photography is by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian Brailey.

Project credits:

Architects: Architecture for London
Structural engineer: Architecture for London
Services engineer: Green Building Store
Main contractor: Construction Hub

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Sunday 30 January 2022

Conrad Architects completes marble-clad home overlooking Melbourne skyline

A roof terrace and pool with views over Melbourne's skyline feature at the Grange Residence, a marble-clad house by Australian studio Conrad Architects.

Located in the suburb of Toorak, the four-bedroom dwelling was commissioned by interior designer Lauren Tarrant, who also created the home's interiors.

Marble-clad exterior of the Grange Residence — Conrad Architects has completed the Grange Residence in Melbourne

Melbourne-based Conrad Architects described the Grange Residence as a "split form of minimalist stone blocks", which are clad in acid-etched marble.

Its design was informed by local planning regulations that required different elevation heights on each boundary.

Marble-clad entrance to Grange Residence — The house is clad in acid-etched marble

Inside, the living spaces are organised to create an "intuitive and rhythmic journey", with a gradation from private spaces to bright, open areas with outward views via the home's central stair.

This staircase, designed as a "sculpted element suspended within the otherwise rectilinear arrangement of spaces," has been finished in polished plaster and is illuminated by a skylight.

Grange Residence staircase by Conrad Architects — The house is planned around a central stair illuminated by a skylight

"Much of the planning was dictated by the topography, yet we sought to accentuate the experience of entering the house, moving through it, and the view being revealed," explained the studio's founder Paul Conrad.

At the entrance, a small stair leads to the upper ground floor, immediately framing views out across a large living and dining area that opens onto a terrace with an infinity pool.

Sculptural staircase by Conrad Architects — The staircase is designed with a sculptural aesthetic

"The home's entry floor level is intentionally raised to generate a sense of 'stepping up' to a lookout," explained the studio.

Below this is the lower ground floor, which contains the home's bedrooms, and the basement level that comprises a garage, gym and utility room.

"Bedrooms are nestled below the entry level, creating a quiet sanctuary of private spaces, each opening of the landscape," added the studio.

The home's upper floors are given over to large living, dining and office spaces that open onto a pair of stepped roof terraces.

Roof terrace overlooking Melbourne — An infinity pool and roof terrace looks out over Melbourne

Bronze-coloured metal has been used for the frames and shutters of the upper-level openings and is also used to surround the rotating glazed doors that lead out onto the terraces.

Internally, concrete, stone and polished plaster have been used to create sleek and minimal spaces, complemented by pale furnishings and brass hardware.

Pivoting door to a roof terrace — Bronze-coloured metal frames the windows and doors

Conrad Architects is an architecture studio founded by Conrad in Melbourne in 2008. Previous projects by the studio include a Melbourne townhouse that has been divided into distinct living spaces for different times of the day.

Other marble-clad residences on Dezeen include a London house extension by Alexander Owen Architecture and Casa ZTG in Mexico by 1540 Arquitectura.

The photography is by Timothy Kaye and the styling is by Marsha Golemac.

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Wooden slats shroud Córdoba House by Barrionuevo Villanueva Arquitectos

Argentinian architects Nicolás Barrionuevo and Juan Villanueva have completed an isolated home in Luyaba that is wrapped by a terrace with operable wooden screens.

The Obra Luyaba project is located in Traslasierra Valley in Córdoba and occupies a steep and isolated lot. "Getting there requires taking some precautions, and the notion of neighbour is not present," said the architects.

The house has sweeping views of the landscape

Sweeping views of the mountainous surroundings are the greatest asset of the project, and enhancing this experience was the focus for Barrionuevo Villanueva Arquitectos, which is based in Córdoba.

"The value of the site is nature, which has the leading role as soon as the paved road is abandoned," said the architects.

Wooden screen — Operable wooden screens wrap the building's facade

"The work becomes present between the winding road, the mountain topography and the vegetation. Once there, the project takes centre stage for a moment, only to immediately return it."

"You can't compete with that environment," they explained.

Elevating the main living spaces gave the home better views of the landscape while creating a covered terrace at ground level with an outdoor kitchen.

The 270-square-metre home is entered via a concrete staircase that extends from the driveway.

Living spaces in Argentinian house — Barrionuevo Villanueva Arquitectos elevated the house's living spaces

This leads to the main level, which is an L-shaped volume that contains the bedrooms in one leg, and the public areas in the other.

The communal spaces extend out towards the mountainous scenery and are wrapped with full-height wooden shutters. These can be opened or closed to provide shade and prevent overheating through the glass facade.

Barrionuevo Villanueva Arquitectos house — Shelving is formed from warm wooden blocks

An open kitchen and a dining room at the back of the house are visually separated from the main living space by a fireplace. The structural concrete used for the roof is visible throughout the interiors.

"The structure supports the loads, defines the space, the uses and the material expression," said the architects. "In collaboration with the wooden sieves, [the concrete structure] conditions and influences the sunlight and the views."

Perpendicular to the communal spaces are the home's three bedrooms, which are laid out along a corridor.

The intersection of both volumes contains a terrace, with an additional staircase that leads to a pool uphill from the main residence.

Concrete geometric house — Exposed concrete defines the project

In addition to the exposed concrete, light-coloured tiles serve as an interior and exterior floor finish, lending some continuity between both areas.

These creamy tones are offset by warm wooden accents used for furniture, shelving, and the battens that shroud the living spaces.

Córdoba House by Barrionuevo Villanueva Arquitectos — Light glows through the wooden screens at night

Other projects recently completed in Argentina's Córdoba province include a home designed to resemble an ancient medieval village by Nanzer + Vitas and a stone-and-concrete residence that lets north light into all living spaces.

The photography is by Gonzalo Viramonte.

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Stella van Beers converts grain silo into micro home

Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Stella van Beers has created a watchtower-style house inside a grain silo.

In a project called Silo Living, Van Beers transformed the disused agricultural structure into a two-level living space, which she believes could function as a short-term home.

While silos are not ideally proportioned for living, they offer some unique benefits. They can often be installed in rural locations without planning permission.

They are also readily available in the Netherlands as a country-wide reduction in livestock has resulted in lower demand for grain, leaving many of these structures redundant.

Construction process for Silo Living by Stella van Beers — The designer had to add doors, windows and floors

Van Beers hopes to inspire new uses for these disused silos, which are otherwise costly to dispose of and impossible to recycle.

"You always see them in rural areas," she told Dezeen. "I always really wanted to go inside one, so thought it could be a nice place for a temporary stay."

Converted silo in Silo Living by Stella van Beers — Van Beers created two storeys inside the silo

To test her concept, the designer found a seven-metre-high silo for sale online. "I thought, if I want to do something with a silo then I have to just buy one and see what's possible," she said.

After explaining her plans to the owner, he let her take it away for free.

Staircase of converted silo in Silo Living by Stella van Beers — A spiral staircase and deck provides access

Originally there was no way for a person to enter the silo, so Van Beers started by changing that.

She installed a set of double doors, then added a spiral staircase and access deck.

To make the most of the space inside, she installed two floors, connected by a mini staircase and ladder.

The lower level is a living space, with a ledge that functions as a space to eat or work.

Entrance to converted silo in Silo Living by Stella van Beers — A mini staircase and ladder connects the levels inside

The mezzanine above is a sleep space, so is entirely taken up by a mattress.

Both storeys now have projecting windows and there's also a skylight that functions as a lookout point.

Window of converted silo in Silo Living by Stella van Beers — Windows were added to both floors

"A cylindrical house is not something you see very often, so it was a bit of a challenge," said Van Beers.

Most of the adaptations use standard components, so could be easily replicated on a variety of silos. The designer hopes to inspire silo owners to get creative.

"There are a lot of things I would change if I made another," she said, "but I'm really happy with this as a first prototype. A few people have slept in it already."

"If you have a bigger silo, you could use it as a living space for a longe amount of time," she suggested.

Skylight of converted silo in Silo Living by Stella van Beers — A porthole in the top creates a lookout point.

Van Beers created the project for her bachelors degree at Design Academy Eindhoven. She presented it at the graduation show, which took place during Dutch Design Week in October.

Other projects on show included glass blown inside bread and "trauma-healing" garments.

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