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Sunday 3 October 2021

EBBA Architects builds Construction Skills School using only reusable components

Wooden screens on Construction Skills School by EBBA Architects

EBBA Architects has used hundreds of pieces of timber to give identity to a set of repurposed cabins, creating a temporary education centre that can be easily recycled in the future.

Located on London's Olympic Park, the Construction Skills School will occupy its site for a minimum of five years, providing building skills training to local people.

To keep costs down and reduce waste, the project repurposes three modular buildings that were previously used as classrooms by a local primary school.

The challenge for EBBA Architects founder Benni Allan was to design a facade that could give these buildings a distinct identity, but also be achieved on a tight budget.

Exterior of Construction Skills School by EBBA Architects — Lengths of wood create a new facade for the blocks

Allan was also keen to create something that could be easily recycled at the end of Construction Skills School's five-year tenure.

It was this that led him to design a facade screen system using off-the-shelf timber, namely two-by-twos and two-by-fours made out of larch wood.

Plants in front of Construction Skills School by EBBA Architects — The facade is designed to give the building a distinct identity

"The primary intention was to activate the frontage and make a building that could generate interest in the area," Allan told Dezeen.

"But as it is a temporary building, we also wanted to consider the life cycle," he said, "so that at the end of the building's life, we can imagine the screens as something new. It's an idea that we are continually trying to push within the practice."

Wooden framework of Construction Skills School by EBBA Architects — The design differs between the exterior facades and the inward-facing elevations

Allan designed the system to be flexible so that it can be applied to any modular cabin.

The beams are arranged in a grid system that lines up with the positions of the windows. The idea was to give a sense of a structural framework, which ties in with the building's intended use.

Joints of Construction Skills School by EBBA Architects — The construction joints are expressed as a design feature

"We tried to make the assembly as straightforward as possible while also aiming to create something that celebrated the idea of making," said Allan.

"We enjoyed the idea of trying to assimilate the construction to a way of stacking elements and a system of layers, so that vertical elements support horizontals, which then support verticals and provide places for the screens to be fixed between."

Wooden exterior of Construction Skills School by EBBA Architects — The wood gives additional height to the street elevations, creating space for signage

The concept specifies different treatments for the exterior facades and the inward-facing elevations. Externally, the timbers are positioned close together to create a more dense screen, while the inward walls are more simple and open.

"This helped to save dramatically on the cost of the project, yet still managed to create a very considered scheme that feels cohesive," added Allan.

Entrance to Construction Skills School by EBBA Architects — Both the cabins and the wood can be recycled in the future

Construction Skills School is among a handful of projects that EBBA Architects has completed since Allan founded the studio in 2018, although it is not his first project to feature a clever cladding design.

Allan previously used colourfully painted panels to brighten up his former school in Alicante, Spain.

He was commissioned on this project after winning a design competition hosted by the London Legacy Development Corporation and Transport For London (TFL).

The building will be run by the Construction Industry Training Board and The Skills Centre, providing hands-on experience for those interested in a career in the building industry.

Approach view of Construction Skills School by EBBA Architects — The facility will remain in place for at least five years

Allan hopes the design will inspire people in "the art of construction".

"Often temporary buildings don't get the same care as others that will be there for much longer, yet temporary buildings can have a dramatic impact on the way an area develops," he added.

Photography is by James Retief.

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Saturday 2 October 2021

Tumu Studio opens up Flatirons Residence to mountain views

Living room in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio

Chicago-based Tumu Studio has added a window wall to a home in Boulder, Colorado, so that residents can enjoy unobstructed views of the Rocky Mountain Foothills.

Measuring nine metres, or 30 feet, this panoramic glazing allows residents to open up their living space to the elements.

Tumu Studio created the new addition as part of a full renovation of the house, known as Flatirons Residence.

The architecture and design studio, led by Huili Feng and Ross Barney, were asked to adapt the living spaces to better suit its residents, a family of five, and to take better advantage of the scenic setting.

Window wall in Living room in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio — The new folding window wall allows the room to connect with the garden

"The family bought the house when they relocated to Colorado from Illinois," said Feng.

"The family loves nature and being active outdoors, which is the main reason they choose to move," she told Dezeen.

Breakfast bar in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio — Banquette seating creates a new breakfast table opposite the kitchen

The low-rise building is characterised by a pitched, timber-framed roof, which creates a ski chalet feel. The interior is organised over two storeys, which align with the levels of the sloping landscape.

The renovation sees a few changes made to the building's layout, designed to suit the family's daily routines.

Dining room in Living room in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio — There is also a larger dining room where the family have dinner together

While most of the family rooms are located on the upper-ground floor, a new media room is created on the lower level. As the only room in the house with a screen, it is designed to be a social space.

"The family doesn't watch TV every day," explained Feng, "however they do enjoy watching documentaries, having family movie nights, entertaining during sports games, and of course, the kids love to play video games with their friends."

Media room in Living room in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio — A media room is located on the lower level

"The space was there and we thought it was perfect for a home theatre," she said.

Another new addition is the boot room that connects the garage on the lower level with the main stairwell. As the family use this entrance more than they do the front door, this room creates more of a sense of arrival.

Boot room in Living room in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio — A new boot room features custom-made cubbies for each resident

As well as making some changes to the layout of Flatirons Residence, Tumu Studio created a series of built-in furniture elements that bring additional functionality to the hallway spaces.

A banquette seating area opposite the kitchen provides the family with a breakfast space, while a built-in desk and bookshelf creates an extra workspace in addition to the home office.

Staircase nooks in Living room in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio — Curved nooks create play spaces below the staircase

The most characterful of these additions is a trio of curved seating nooks built into the recess below the staircase. Created from fibreglass and coated with Venetian plaster, these cushion-filled openings offer spaces for relaxation or play.

"We took inspiration from the ball chair designed by Eero Aarnio," said Feng.

Desk and bookshelf in Living room in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio — A study space slots into a wall recess

"We thought it would be fun to have three 'ball seats' inserted into the wall for the three boys. Two of the ball seats are connected and can be used as a slide."

"It's the boys' favourite feature of the whole house, if you ask them," she added. "They spend time in there reading, playing games and sometimes even napping."

Entrance to Living room in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio — A large moss wall flanks the main entrance

Throughout the house, furniture has been chosen to offer a relaxed and comfortable feel. For instance, the media room features lounge seats rather than traditional cinema chairs, while the living room and main bedroom both feature plush rugs.

Other highlights include a moss wall at the entrance and the custom-made cubbies in the boot room.

Bedroom in Flatirons Residence by Tumu Studio — A commissioned artwork by Wendy Chan hangs in the main bedroom

Tumu Studio also commissioned three artworks: paintings by artists Kristof Kosmowski and Jackie Battenfield, and a rope artwork by Wendy Chan.

"The design focused on creating a soft, comfortable feel within the home that reflected our clients' desire for a serene and intimate retreat," added Feng.

Photography is by David Lauer.

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Moriya and Partners designs geometric villa overlooking the sea in Japan

A steep, timber-framed roof shelters this triangular home by Japanese practice Moriya and Partners, located on a cliff edge overlooking the sea in Yawatano, Japan.

Responding to the client's request for "a view of the sea from the living room", the home, called Setoyama, has been shortlisted in the rural house category of Dezeen Awards 2021.

The wood-clad upper level of the home houses a large, triangular living area and terrace, raised to create a vantage point for looking out at a nearby forest and the sea.

A narrow kitchen sits alongside this space, and below a small bedroom sits within a long, thin concrete base that supports the home.

A deck surrounded by rocks is located beneath the overhang at Setoyama — The building has a large overhang that is supported by steel rods

The distinctive form of the building is designed to blend in with the surroundings, with its steeply sloping, asymmetric pitched roof informed by the precipitous drop of the cliff-edge.

"One of the factors that greatly influenced the form of the building was the steep slope of the river that runs beside the site," practice founder Takahiro Moriya told Dezeen.

A triangular bar in the kitchen opens out to the living space — Full-height windows provide views across the sea

A timber truss structure supports this geometric roof form, extending from steel columns on the concrete base to create a large overhang. Thin steel supports in one corner minimise the impact on the ground.

"We tried to avoid modifying the land itself or touching the boundaries of the forest...by building a certain distance from this natural territory, the villa lightly blends into the surrounding environment, becoming buried in the forest," said the practice.

The upper level's overhang creates a covered external seating area at the southern end of the home, finished with wooden decking and hugged by an informal stone wall.

Inside, the framework of the roof has been left exposed, combined with dark timber planks to create a dramatic ceiling above the main living space. This area is illuminated by a triangular run of windows that gradually increases in height along the edge of the home.

Dark timber planks create a dramatic atmosphere in the living area

Built into the wall of the living space are the kitchen's storage areas and countertops, opposite a large, triangular bar and dining area that extends out into the lounge.

Two steps lead to the external terrace at the southern end of the home, sitting alongside a glazed bathroom block designed to give the feeling of bathing in the forest.

The bathroom is enveloped by windows — A built-in bathtub occupies the end of the bathroom

Below, the more private and enclosed bedroom is accessed via a small staircase, and has its own direct access out onto the covered ground-floor terrace.

Other projects shortlisted in the rural house category of Dezeen Awards 2021 include Mt Coot-Tha house in Brisbane by Nielsen Jenkins, a forest retreat that has been designed to withstand bushfires.

The post Moriya and Partners designs geometric villa overlooking the sea in Japan appeared first on Dezeen.

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Ten stylish plywood interiors that give the material a luxurious upgrade

dezeen-awards-2021-shortlisted-wood-ribbon-apartment-in-paris

For our latest lookbook, we've collected ten projects from the Dezeen archive that make innovative use of plywood, turning the humble material into a stylish interior design feature.

Plywood, an engineered material made from layers of thin wood veneers that have been glued together, is often used in structural applications.

In these ten projects, the plywood was left exposed or even added to the designs to create surprisingly luxurious examples of how the material can be used to create warm, welcoming interiors.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series that provides visual inspiration for designers and design enthusiasts. Previous lookbooks include marble bathrooms, Japandi interiors, cosy cabin bedrooms and mid-century modern interiors.

Wood Ribbon Apartment, France, by Toledano + Architects

The Wood Ribbon Apartment in Paris, set within a classic Hausmann residential building, features a sinuous statement wall made from plywood that winds through the flat.

The wall, which was made by a carpenter off-site and assembled in situ, divides the apartment into three zones: a living area, main bedroom, and sleeping quarters for the child. In the sitting room and kitchen, in-built shelves provide space for the owners' belongings.

Find out more about Wood Ribbon Apartment ›

Villa Vassdal, Sweden, by Studio Holmberg

In this pine-clad Swedish summer house, set on the country's west coast, the minimalist plywood interior adds to a feeling of relaxation – and helps to highlight the dramatic surrounding landscape.

Both the walls and ceilings inside the house were lined with birch plywood, which studio founder Mathias Holmberg told Dezeen "provides a warmth to the interior that both contrasts and connects with the raw cliffs outside."

Find out more about Villa Vassdal ›

Pocket House, UK, by Tikari Works

Pocket House was squeezed into a space that previously contained a garage in south London, with all available space needing to be used. In its kitchen, a compact yet beautiful plywood kitchen sits against one wall.

This was made by furniture manufacturer Uncommon Projects, which specialises in bespoke plywood kitchens and furniture, and features clever space-shaving sliding doors and cut-outs rather than handles for a striking streamlined design.

Find out more about Pocket House ›

The Queen of Catford, UK, by Tsuruta Architects

Cats cover many of the surfaces in the Queen of Catford house in Catford, south London. In the plywood kitchen, a motif of cats' heads with pointy ears decorates the kitchen cabinets.

CNC-cut plywood was used for the kitchen cabinets, closets, furniture, lighting fixtures and staircases, giving the home an unusual design character. Upstairs, a plywood bed sits in front of large windows with a view of the brutalist Catford Centre.

Find out more about The Queen of Catford ›

Seattle apartment, US, by GoCStudio

A dark box houses the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom in this Seattle apartment that also functions as a photography studio. Clad in stained plywood, the box also has a loft level that can be accessed from a side door and used for storage and utilities.

The dark colour creates a more elegant interior than raw plywood would have done and has been matched with dark wood furniture.

Find out more about Seattle apartment ›

Stained plywood kitchen

Peak District kitchen, UK, by From Works

The unusual colour of this green-stained plywood kitchen was chosen to evoke a moss-coloured rock found in the nearby Peak District in northern England and shows how stained plywood can be used to create decorative interiors with a finished feel.

The handmade kitchen consists of a beechwood kitchen island and a series of green-stained plywood wall units, as well as worktops made from local limestone.

Find out more about Peak District kitchen ›

Rock Creek House, US, by NADAAA

Laminated plywood layers make up much of the interior of Rock Creek House, which NADAAA designed in Washington DC. The studio oriented the grain of the plywood layers in a north-south direction, which it said allows more light to permeate the spaces from the south without interruption.

In the staircase, open plywood bannisters create a sculptural intervention in the space while also allowing the light to travel between the floors of the multi-storey house.

Find out more about Rock Creek House ›

Barbican Dancer's Studio by Intervention Architecture bed

Barbican Dancer's Studio, UK, by Intervention Architecture

This adaptable apartment in London's iconic brutalist Barbican building was designed to be able to transform into a dance studio.

Its tenant can adjust the multi-purpose pieces of plywood furniture in the middle of the room to create multiple configurations, including using it as a bed or a seating area. A flat-pack table can also be slotted in, and pieces can be removed when the space is needed for dance practice.

Find out more about Rock Creek House ›

Brexit Bunker, UK, by Rise Design Studio

Built in 2019 as "a sanctuary from the UK's Brexit-dominated political climate," the Brexit Bunker in London is a weathered-steel-clad extension that functions as a small studio.

Rise Design Studio used plywood throughout the interior of the small space to create a warm, light-filled room.

Find out more about Brexit Bunker ›

U-Shape Room, China, by Atelier Tao + C

Atelier Tao + C added a plywood box that holds the sleep, study and bathing spaces of this unusually shaped Shanghai apartment.

The multifunctional wooden volume is made from maple plywood and spans two levels, with the bedroom and a study on the second floor. Downstairs, the studio also added a curved nook for reading or watching the view from the bay windows, as well as built-in storage.

Find out more about U-Shape Room ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing home libraries, Shaker-style interiors and marble bathrooms.

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Friday 1 October 2021

This week Dubai Expo 2020 opened

Santiago Calatrava Dubai Expo pavilion for UAE

This week on Dezeen, we showcased architecture from Dubai Expo 2020, including the Qatar pavilion and the UAE pavilion, both designed by Santiago Calatrava.

The Dubai Expo 2020, which is currently ongoing in the United Arab Emirates after being postponed from last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, also features the UK pavilion designed by Es Devlin.

UK Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 by Es Devlin — Es Devlin creates UK Pavilion to represent "culturally diverse Britain" at Dubai Expo

The first UK pavilion designed by a female designer has a circular facade made from protruding slats on which poems are displayed using LED lights.

Also unveiled at the expo were the colourful translucent solar panels made by Marjan van Aubel for the Netherlands pavilion, designed to create the feel of stained-glass windows.

World Trade Center church by Santiago Calatrava — Santiago Calatrava's World Trade Center church illuminated for first time

Another Santiago Calatrava design, the St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, was illuminated in New York this week as it nears completion. It is being built as part of the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Also in New York, American studio Gensler unveiled its redesign for the lobby of Philip Johnson's AT&T building at 550 Madison.

Volvo latest car brand to reveal flat logo

In design news, Swedish car brand Volvo revealed a redesigned flat logo, making it the latest car brand to do so. The minimalist design is a "modern reinterpretation" of its longstanding Iron Mark logo, the company said.

Recently Nissan, MINI and Toyota have all abandoned 3D-logos in favour of flat designs.

Aerial view of Fuse Valley — BIG and Castro Group plan "urban fashion village" with hill-like roof

Danish studio BIG announced its plans to build Fuse Valley, a new development in Portugal that will house luxury fashion platform Farfetch as well as a number of tech companies.

Buildings will have walkable green roofs to echo the surrounding hillside and be oriented around landscaped parks, courtyards, gardens and plazas.

Adjaye, Khan, Kamara and Gates win Canning Dock competition — Asif Khan, Mariam Kamara, David Adjaye and Theaster Gates to redevelop Liverpool waterfront

In the UK, a team comprising artist Theaster Gates and architects Asif Khan, Mariam Kamara and David Adjaye was announced as the winner of a competition to transform Liverpool's Canning Dock.

The project will revitalise the site, which was used in the 18th century to serve and repair ships including those used in the transatlantic slave trade, and aims to bring the history of the slave trade into the public realm.

Cloud House by Bauen — Steel house by Bauen was assembled in seven days on remote mountain site in Paraguay

Popular projects this week included a steel house in Paraguay, a co-working space by Snøhetta and a minimalist Shantou restaurant.

Our lookbook this week featured ten marble-clad bathrooms.

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week's top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don't miss anything.

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