A Viewfinder's Home

I love the simplicity of this Cape Town home.  The interior features unusual details, such as an art wall made from canvases with their backs exposed.  The quiet white architecture allows the views to take precedence and the small details to shine.

{Images courtesy of Inside Home Page}

A Bridge Between

Yesterday I stumbled upon this Pedestrian Bridge on Archdaily.  I love how the original bridge has been relocated and repurposed to now literally surround a pedestrian walkway.  The photos of the bridge being relocated make me appreciate its history as well as its new purpose.

The bridge post reminded me of another space I had seen a while ago, also on Archdaily.  But instead of being an actual bridge, Bridge House was inspired by a historic covered bridge located nearby it in Kent Falls State Park, Connecticut. The home features a dining/living room space located within the "bridge" of the home inspired by the natural flow of bedrock and streams.

Fresh Corporate Interior on a Newly Found Site

Jessie discovered Furfin, an architecture and interiors site that houses more than just pretty pictures.  Furfin sorts the interiors by category and serves as an online database for lighting, millwork, and textile manufacturers.  Its a great tool for specifying projects and getting inspired by existing projects.  This office space in San Francisco is just one of the amazing spaces featured on their site.

Designed by Cary Bernstein Architects, One & Co.'s San Francisco office is housed in a renovated brick warehouse.  The interior furnishings and color scheme take a step back to highlight the existing architectural features.  The fairly open floor plan is divided acoustically by transparent glass and visually by pops of color walls and ceiling planes.

Architectural Facade: Wyne Sales Gallery

I discovered this stunning facade on Aubrey Road.  This condominium in Bangkok, Thailand was featured on ArchDaily and designed by Supermachine Studios.  I can't get over the simple geometries and the form's light, almost floating quality.

Brasserie Restaurant in NYC

Located in New York City's Seagram Building, the Brasserie Restaurant combines slight curves with angles.  Designed by architects Diller Scofidio & Renfro, the restaurant has no view to the outside or street.  Instead monitors at the entry and above the bar display video-recorded images of diners as they enter.  A 50' sheet of glass is propped up behind dining tables as an ode to windows.  A slightly bowed form covered in wooden veneer provides a backdrop to more tables, contrasting with the angular lines of the booth seating and tables.

Architectural Facade: Hover House 3

When I stumbled across this home on Contemporist, I immediately noticed the different patterns and rhythms that make up the facade.  X-shaped bracing, horizontal slats, vertical elements, and polka-dot-like lighting create a patchwork effect that keeps your eye traveling to all the different spaces.  

Designed by Glen Irani Architects, this home is the third in their Hover House Series. This series aims to maximize outdoor living on small lots by 'hovering' the building envelope above grade level. The home not only has a reduced footprint but also incorporates sustainable design elements such as roof-mounted photovoltaic panels that offset 80% of its power demands.

The recessed lighting appears to be sporadic, but lights the different areas appropriately.  The concrete walls, slate floors, and metal accents give the interior a clean, contemporary feel.

The courtyard cuts through the interior shell, allowing natural light into all corners of the space.  The X-shaped bracing seen on the facade is echoed on the interior courtyard wall.

Visit Contemporist to read more about this California home.

Blue Pool Road's Travelogues

I have just recently discovered Peggy Wong's photography blog, Blue Pool Road, and my favorite post theme on it is her Travelogue series.  She compiles images from her travels into contemporary, mood-evoking collages that make you feel as if you are traveling right along with her.  Here are just a few of her gorgeous compilations.

Splash of Architecture

The Waterhouse at South Bund is a new hotel in the historic Shiliupu district of Shanghai.  It features 19 rooms, a destination restaurant, rooftop cocktail bar, and a warehouse-style event space.  I love the contrasting industrial elements with the sleek materials and warm woods.  The entrance literally unfolds from rustic wooden beams, and the windows are a series of punch outs with framed wooden openings.  This is a great example of how the architecture and interior of a building work hand and hand with each other and blend seamlessly together.

{Photographs by Pedro Pegenaute via Aubrey Road}

Dallas Center for Performing Arts: Wyly Theater

The Wyly Theater in Dallas is an outstanding example of architecture. I love how the metal facade appears to be trickling down the outside in perfectly vertical streams. The vertical lines seem so light opposed to the heavy metallic form peeking out from underneath. Fieldtrip anyone?

Virginia Tech Lumenhaus

I think it is amazing that our classmates have built something as astonishing as this solar powered home. The video is great-it really gives you a sense of the possibilities of a solar-run house. Visit the Lumen House website to watch the video and for more information.

Like what you see? Vote for Virginia Tech's Lumenhaus for the People's Choice Award by texting HOUSE88 to 99503. (One vote per cell phone.)

Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water

This week I had the pleasure of touring 2 of Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings: Falling Water and Kentuck Knob. I am so glad I had the opportunity to visit these architectural masterpieces. It was so neat seeing how Wright related "parts to the whole", and how geometry played such a big role in his spaces.

The guest house pool at Falling Water
A view of Falling Water as we first approached the house
The famous view of the house
The entry way of Kentuck Knob
Wright's signature on Kentuck Knob