More Light and Better Views

A Mountain Chalet in the French Alps
by Chevallier Architectes, France

Chamonix-based practice Chevallier Architectes has completed the renovation and extension of a self-built mountain guide’s house in the French Alps.

After the residence was acquired by new owners, the dwelling was required to provide its occupants with more light and better views. Surrounded by natural rock faces, "Chalet Solelyâ" appears as a fortress, nestled into the rugged terrain.

The site’s new addition is an open-plan living room consistent with the scale of the entire building. The space, a volume made of glass and polished black aluminum, deliberately contrasts with the original timber construction. This visual juxtaposition is continued programmatically, with the existing structure housing private spaces and bedrooms, and the new wing containing communal areas designed for socializing.

From an environmental perspective, significant work went into optimizing the use of solar energy. South facing façades oriented towards the sun have been opened up, while the building has no north-facing openings. The existing structure was insulated and renovated with high-performance solutions. The project is is the first home in the region with a green roof deck.

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Arched Windows and Doors - Church-like Effect

A Delightful Family Abode
by Nauta Architecture & Research, Avetrana, Italy

Offering privacy towards the street and opening upon an interior garden, the house was lacking in light, so the architects installed a, sometimes unconventional, series of arches throughout the dwelling. The arches serve as external windows, letting in natural light, but also as internal windows that connect entire rooms. The effect is almost church-like: vaulted, open and restrained.

According to the architects, a local mix of hydraulic mortar and terracotta grit (‘coccio pesto’) was used for the floors, while the walls are covered in masonry and stucco, and travertine is used for the other surfaces.

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Optimum Views and Benificial Solar Orientation

Optimum Views and Benificial Solar Orientation
House In Costa Brava, Spain
by Garcés - De Seta - Bonet Arquitects


Barcelona-based architect Jordi Garces of Garces-de Seta-Bonet Arquitects has completed the ‘casa costa brava’ on a steep inclining site parallel to the coastline with optimum views of the ocean and a beneficial solar orientation.

The residence is organized in a linear fashion to take advantage of natural light in all rooms due to huge windows and doors. The subterranean level containing the gym and other recreational functions spills out to a rectangular infinity pool extending into the landscape and covered by a wooden pergola.

The verticality of the property breaks the dwelling into four separate floors each with different programmatical elements, all of which look towards the sea.

Small gardens and mini-courtyards are created between and on top of the clustering of masses making a structure that can be lived in and lived on, plastered in white stucco to maintain a mediterranean aesthetic that acts as a sort of blank canvas allowing the resident to appreciate the contrasting beauty around them.

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A Subtle and Hidden Marvel in Spain

M HOUSE BY MDBA & GUALLART ARCHITECTS
La Nou de Gaià,Tarragona, Spain

A Subtle and Hidden Marvel in Spain

Building a modern house in La Nou de Gaià, a small Mediterranean village, untouched for centuries, can be really tricky. But when you think about it, it only comes with two constraints: blend in and maximize the geographical context. A quick look at the M House, and it’s easy to see MDBA & Guallart Architects did just that.

On one side, the M House faces the village plaza, the church and other houses and therefore needs to blend in while still hinting at modern architectural lines and textures. The shape of the door and the balconies are reminiscent of classic Spanish houses, while the purity of the house’s shape pushes it into the modern era. However, on the courtyard side, the house has straight, cutting lines and decks, as well as huge windows that capture all the sunlight you can possibly get and give a stunning view of the valley. Inside, the philosophy is exactly the same: rough, old stones contrasting smooth wooden floors and open stairs, mixing textures and eras in a beautiful way.

via © archiexpo

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Optimizing Privacy and Contact with Nature

CASA GARCIAS BY WARM ARCHITECTS
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Optimizing Privacy and Contact with Nature

Optimizing privacy and contact with nature is a central theme of the majority of current residential projects. A direct reaction to growing population and limited space, we are frequently seeking a haven of our own. The Casa Garcias by Warm Architects is one such project.

Located in Cancún, Mexico, the house is bordered on two sides by residential lots, one side by the road and on the remaining side by public green space. In creating a courtyard on the garden-facing side, the architects better integrated the house with the adjacent nature. The principle living areas were then oriented around the interior courtyard to optimize the views and privacy.

Concrete dominates the structure of the project in its various forms. From external stucco to polished concrete, varied shades and styles of the material were used throughout. Different tones were achieved by mixing regional additives. Even the stairs are made from concrete and seem suspended in space.

Since the clients had no children, the house was designed to be open and visually accessible. Double height atriums and mezzanines create interior views that keep the space bright and airy. Overall, the combination of materials, low density walls and the design strategy ensured an affordable house for the clients.

via © archiexpo

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A Modern Reinterpretation of a Traditional Portuguese Architecture

CASA NO PRÍNCIPE REAL BY CAMARIM ARQUITECTOS
Lisbon, Portugal

A Modern Reinterpretation of a Traditional Portuguese Architecture

Limited space is a ubiquitous challenge in urban settings. On the bright side, cramped conditions often lead to unexpected ingenuity. For the Casa no Príncipe Real in Lisbon, Portuguese architecture firm Camarim Arquitectos turned a tiny plot of only 41 square meters into a roomy, five-storey, single family home.

That architects circumvented the spatial confinements by assigning each floor a separate function and organizing the different spaces around a vertical atrium. Thanks to the openness of the atrium, natural light fills the space and air circulates easily, turning the atrium into a thermal chimney that encourages passive cooling in the warmer months. Angular stairways cut through the atrium and provide a continuous path from bottom to top.

The exterior of the home reinterprets the celebrated azulejo. A melange of flat tiles, bas-relief tiles and a perforated steel screen on the top floor recall the traditional blue ceramic decorations that define Lisbon.

The home is the first of its kind in Lisbon to made with a light steel construction system (LSF). The system was chosen for its superior thermal and acoustic properties and its adaptability to the small construction space.

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A Modern Extension with a Modular Courtyard

A Modern Extension with a Modular Courtyard
by CHRISTOPHER MEGOWAN DESIGN,
Melbourne, Australia

Located in Melbourne, Australia, the Convertible Courtyards House was conceived to perfectly adapt to the area’s notoriously changeable weather. The house is part of a series of heritage protected cottages, rife with unrealized potential that Christopher Megowan Design was tasked with unveiling. The project saw the addition of a kitchen, living area, dining area, bathroom, master bedroom and more.

To ensure that the newly added living space received enough natural light, the architects also created a central courtyard between the modern extension and the original structure. This central courtyard has a retractable roof that entirely covers the space and allows for the regulation of sun and rain, providing a protected connection to the exterior.

To further blur the boundaries, large double doors were placed on either side of the living room. To complete the perfect picture, the house has a whole host of eco-friendly amenities, including solar panels, sustainable and locally sourced timber and intelligent rainwater collection.

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