Alison Brooks designs Windward House to intensify the "joy of living with art"

Alison Brooks Architects has built an art-filled black house alongside a Georgian farmhouse in Gloucestershire that has been converted into a dedicated gallery space.

The studio, led by Canadian architect Alison Brooks, designed Windward House to be a place for the clients to enjoy living with their art collection within the Wye Valley in Gloucestershire.

"The core design intention of Windward House is to intensify the owner's connection to this incredible landscape and the joy of living with art," Brooks told Dezeen.

Windward House comprises of two clearly defined masses, the original 18th-century farm house and the two-storey West Wing extension that has been spun out from it.

The black extension, which contains all of the home's main living spaces, has been designed to be clearly differentiated from the original building.

"The project can be understood as a journey between the 18th century and the 21st century, conceptually and literally," explained Brooks.

"The house was conceived as a dialogue between old and new; between the formality and informality, between an architecture of mass and one of weightlessness."

A double-height gallery has been built in the original farm house as well as an office, with a ramp connecting the building to the West Wing extension.

The modern addition has a largely open-plan ground floor containing a kitchen, dining area and double-height living space.

"The existing thick-walled farmhouse was originally a series of small, cellular rooms with limited window openings. It's a kind of architecture that separates," said Brooks.

"I wanted to contrast this with an open architecture that embraces the landscape. So the West Wing is informal, non-orthogonal, open-plan."

"It's made of continuous planar elements that fold in three dimensions to create specific spatial and light conditions – from the sky or from windows," she continued. "I see the West Wing as a kind of active architecture and the old house as static, point and counterpoint. You can wander between the two and enjoy their different atmospheres."

Brooks likens the extension to an atrium house, with the kitchen island and the first floor gallery above designed to be the heart of the house.

"For me the essence of the atrium house is its central gathering place lit from the sky," she said. "It's a functional space visible from many rooms and circulation spaces that revolve around it.

"We placed the kitchen in the centre of the West Wing washed with light from the sky and ringed by a gallery," she continued. "It echoes the archetypal qualities of an atrium house."

Throughout the project the owner's extensive art collection is displayed in numerous different spaces to take advantage of the varied light conditions within the house.

"The best art galleries offer spatial drama and a variety of light conditions, animating the journey," said Brooks. "Natural light and side-light is also having a comeback."

"Moments to pause and glimpse a distant view allows you to re-calibrate. I wanted to create these moments in Windward House."

The collection is displayed on the home's walks and numerous interventions design to hold specific pieces.

"Niches, benches and recesses are part of the architecture," said Brooks. "Large wall areas are reserved for the ancient doors, shields and carved panels."

"Most of the artefacts are carved from tropical hardwoods, so we worked with walnut, along with steel and concrete, to amplify that warm beauty," she continued.

The home's main staircase has been designed as a mini gallery to display works of art. The aptly named Stair for 100 Objects contains a vertical steel grillage that has 100 cells for the owner's small pieces.

Two bedrooms are located on additions's first floor, with two further bedrooms on the upper stories of the original house. The West Wing's upper floor also contains an office and a terrace.

Brooks aimed to minimise the impact of the extension, which is built within an existing walled garden, on the surrounding landscape through its massing and dark colour.

"The West Wing, like a lot of my private house commissions, attempts a kind of disappearing act," she explained. "The eaves height of the existing building couldn't be exceeded due to conservation guidelines. So it had to be low and long."

"The darkness of its cladding makes it more recessive, more connected to the ground and the darkness of local pine forests," she continued.

At the far end of the walled garden the studio has built a pool house clad in stone, which is designed to blend into the surrounding walls. This single-storey pool building contains a changing room and toilet as well as a living room.

"The West Wing is sort of lying in wait, in the shadows of the farmhouse," said Brooks. "The pool gallery disappears completely, into a stone wall."

Alison Brooks Architects was founded by Brooks in 1996. The studio has previously won the Stirling Prize for its Accordia housing project in Cambridge, and is currently building a housing development in London covered in brick arches.

Photography is by Paul Riddle.

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Project credits:

Client: David and Jenny Clifford
Architect: Alison Brooks Architects – Alison Brooks, Wanja Wechselberger, Wei Shan Chia, Sophie Bates, Christopher Smaill, Sara Yabsley, Alex Nicholls, Christopher Curran, Antonio Callejon
Structural engineer: Akera Engineers
Environmental / M&E engineers: Peter Deer & Associates
Environmental consultant: Bearwood Associates
Garden designer: Stoney & Janson
Quantity surveyor: Measur Construction Consultants
West Wing and Windward House gallery contractor: E G Carter & Co
Landscape & pool house contractor: Barker & Barker
Landscape contractor: Trunkarb Tree Surgery
Environmental co-ordinator: Helena Ronicle

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NASA selects Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos to design moon landers for 2024 mission

NASA has named Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Alabama-based Dynetics as the three teams that will develop vehicles for its planned moon landing in 2024.

Each of the three teams will spend the next 10 months designing and developing their human landing systems (HLS) to be used for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to place the first woman and next man on the moon in four years time.

"With these contract awards, America is moving forward with the final step needed to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024, including the incredible moment when we will see the first woman set foot on the lunar surface," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine.

"This is the first time since the Apollo era that NASA has direct funding for a human landing system, and now we have companies on contract to do the work for the Artemis program."

SpaceX is one of three companies chosen by NASA to develop a moon lander

At the end of the 10-month period the moon landers being designed by Blue Origin, SpaceX and Dynetics will be evaluated by NASA, with the preferred designs being chosen to perform initial demonstration missions.

A final decision on the company and design that will be used to make the moon landing will be made after the initial demonstrations take place.

Each of the three companies has taken a significantly different approach to the design of their moon-landing vehicle.

Elon Musk's company SpaceX has designed a lander called Starship. It is a is a fully reusable launch and landing system that will be carried from the earth on SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket booster.

Blue Origin is designing a three-stage landing vehicle

Blue Origin, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, is developing a three-stage Integrated Lander Vehicle (ILV), which has decent, ascent and transfer modules. It will be launched on either its New Glenn rocket system or the ULA Vulcan.

The Dynetics Human Landing System is Alabama-based technology company Dynetics' offering. This single structure has a low-slung crew module to allow for easier boarding from the craft. It will also be launched on the ULA Vulcan launch system.

Dynetics is the third company developing a moon lander for NASA

"I am confident in NASA's partnership with these companies to help achieve the Artemis mission and develop the human landing system returning us to the Moon," said Lisa Watson-Morgan, human landing systems program manager for NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center.

"We have a history of proven lunar technical expertise and capabilities at Marshall and across NASA that will pave the way for our efforts to quickly and safely land humans on the Moon in 2024."

NASA is using the 2024 moon landing mission as preparation for a future mission to land on Mars. Architect and designers have been working with NASA to envision how people could live on the Red planet.

Other designs for Mars include architect Stefano Boeri proposal for a dome-covered Mars colony with "vertical forests" and Malaysian designers Warith Zaki and Amir Amzar settlement made from locally grown bamboo.

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Bizzarri-Rodriguez on its design for Jonas Mekas’ monumental last project before his death

The Paris-based design studio had the pleasure of working the legendary filmmaker on his last project before his death at the beginning of 2019. Here, they discuss the significance of his work and their design further.

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Massimo Iosa Ghini designs conceptual face mask while Paul Priestman creates egg-box phone stand

A series of children's architecture activities created by the AIA, a conceptual face mask and Paul Priestman's DIY phone stand feature in today's round of design-related coronavirus stories.

Center for Architecture creates Architecture at Home activities for children in lockdown

The Center for Architecture, which is operated by the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), has made a series of task to keep children in lockdown entertained.

The activities include how to make a blueprint drawing, making a pop-up building from a paper bag and reading an ABC of building parts (via Center for Architecture).

MINI's A/D/O creative space in Brooklyn closes permanently due to pandemic

Car brand MINI is closing A/D/O, its creative hub in Brooklyn, blaming the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic (via Dezeen).

Massimo Iosa Ghini designs conceptual face mask

Italian architect Massimo Iosa Ghini has design a concept for a protective mask that encloses the whole face and is fully transparent.

"Design has to give his contribution and designer's responsibility is to share tangible solutions," said Iosa Ghini. "I thought to design a new mask, aesthetically pleasant, easily to use, and above all it can be used repeatedly" (via Massimo Iosa Ghini).

Paul Priestman makes DIY smartphone stand from an egg box for video calls

Transportation designer Paul Priestman has shared his hack for making a smartphone stand from an egg box to avoid "bad angles" and painful "phone arm" when video calling during the pandemic (via Dezeen).

NYT architecture critic leading virtual tours of Manhattan's skyscrapers

New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman is taking readers on what he describes as "diversionary walks around town". The first tour was with architect Annabelle Selldorf, while the latest was with engineer and Princeton University professor Guy Nordenson (via New York Times).

Swedish city dumping manure in park to keep visitors away

The city of Lund in southern Sweden has decided to dump a ton of chicken manure in its central park to stop people using it during lockdown (via Guardian).

UIA launches coronavirus information hub

The International Union of Architects (UIA) has launched an online resource to provide guidance for architects aiming to help their local communities and give business advice on the impact of coronavirus (via UIA).

Squire and Partners making scrubs and 3D printed visors for the NHS

UK architecture practice Squire and Partners has joined the numerous studios 3D printing visors to donate to the NHS. The studio and in-house clothing and textile designer Isabel Fletcher is also hand making scrubs that with customised pocket details.

Squire and Partners' One Love NHS project provides essential PPE with an extra dose of love and appreciation for NHS frontline workers through the joy of design and making," said Tim Gledstone, partner at Squire and Partners . "It goes beyond the necessary and the uniform to create warmth and appreciation of human care at a time when we're all physically far apart" (via Squire & Partners).

Keep up with developments by following Dezeen's coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. For news of impacted events, check Dezeen Events Guide's dedicated coronavirus page.

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Filmmaker Gary Hustwit shares Dieter Rams documentary plus previously unseen photos of the legendary designer

Today VDF teams up with filmmaker Gary Hustwit, who is offering Dezeen readers a free screening of his feature-length documentary about Dieter Rams and sharing photos taken while filming the influential German designer ahead of a live interview at 2pm UK time.

The 70-minute documentary, called Rams, is available on Hustwit's website today and all weekend as part of his collaboration with VDF.

Visit Hustwit's website to watch the full Rams movie for free until 3 May >

In addition, Hustwit has exclusively shared previously unseen photos of Rams, taken between 2015 and 2018 when Rams was being shot. The photos are published in the carousel above for the first time.

"The best thing about filming with Dieter is that he's exactly the same when the cameras are on or off. He always speaks his mind, he's not concerned that he's being recorded," Hustwit told Dezeen. "That's very different than most designers I've filmed with."

Rams reading at the Vitsoe office in London

Released in 2018, Rams is the first full-length film about the life and work of the 87-year-old designer, whose work for German electronics brand Braun, where he was head of design from 1961 to 1995, has been hugely influential.

Hustwit's photos capture Rams in his daily life, whether at home in Kronberg in the Taunus mountains in Germany or visiting the UK offices of Vitsoe, for which he has designed since 1959.

Hustwit's favourite photo of Rams

"I think my favourite photo of Rams is one I took of him in his backyard with one of his bonsai trees," Hustwit said.

"It's a very quiet image and he looks contemplative, and for me, it sums up the emotional tone of the film. It also underscores his deep connection to nature, which is something most people generally don't associate with Rams."

Hustwit's photos also document circus performers at the Vitsoe building in Royal Leamington Spa.

"Vitsoe had enough room in their new building to sublet to another organisation, and they ended up bringing in a circus company," Hustwit explained.

Motionhouse dance company rehearses in Vitsoe's new building in Royal Leamington Spa

"Motionhouse does very physical, acrobatic performances that need a lot of room to rehearse, so it was a perfect fit," Hustwit said.

"And it's lovely to have music and dance being performed while workers are making chairs or assembling shelving units. There's something very Bauhausian to it," he added.

Previous design-related movies by Hustwit include 2007's Helvetica, which explores the legacy of the iconic typeface; 2009's Objectified, which looks at people's relationships with objects; Urbanized, which examines architecture and urbanism.

All photography is by Gary Hustwit.

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