Three to One.

Ok, from the list of houses from lecture 1 DAB310 I have chosen to investigate:

House: Balaam Residence

Architect:Shaun Lockyer[Arkhefield]

Location:Brisbane, Australia

House: Bark Studio

Architect: Bark Design

Location: Noosa Heads, Australia

House: Casa Tolo

Architect: Alvaro Siza Vieira

Location: Lugar Das Carvalihinhas, Potugal

After Doing research on these houses I had to narrow my research down to focus on my exemplar house. Having read and looked through what I could find I was still undecided, so I mind mapped:

A house is a cause for delight.

A house is an environmental filter.

A house is a container of human activity.

(I have also added the dot points underneath as I don't think that the maps will be particularly legible once uploaded).

Bark Studio:

• Floating the building above the natural ground level.(Contemporist, 2009)
• Between two mature Eucalyptus.
• Shopfront, showcasing works.
• Variety of facades.
• Lightness.
• Transparency.
• Glass juxtaposed with aluminum.
• 'solidarity of it's form is punctured by glass slots'.(Bark Design, 2010)
• 'Clear, honest expression of materials and a clear legibility of structure'.(Contemporist, 2009)

• Mezzanine = to ventilate working space +cropped views framed.
• Works around the two Eucalyptus root systems.
• landscape integration.
• Plywood facade give protection from the western sun and the road.
• Maximized cross ventilation.
• Framing view of the coastline.
• Operable blinds.
• Opening, and sealed glazing.

• Public/private space (work/home, street/client).
• Alternate to the urban office. ((Contemporist, 2009)
• Studio and workplace in one.
• Flexible spaces (5-6 design team, or just 2).
• 'simplicity and flexibility'.(Contemporist, 2009)
• Plywood box to road - provides privacy.
• 'Mezzanine serves as a retreat'. (Bark Design, 2009)
• 72m square internal.(Atkins & Guthrie, 2006)
• 28m square external.(Atkins & Guthrie, 2006)

Balaam Residence:

• Built upwards in layers. (RAIA, 2007)
• Limited materials play multiple roles = thematic unity. (RAIA,2007)
• Riverside.
• East wall spine.
• 'A picture window into a counter-levered, bright red swimming pool'.(Arkhefield, 2007)
• Defined spaces = comfort, knowing where everything belongs/takes place.

• Layering allows response to views, privacy, sun... (Specifier, 2010)
• 'Simplify the use of the house through use of technology, rather than complicate it.'(Australian Institute of Architects, 2007)
• Hugs east and south to allow for preferable western garden.
• Western garden for children = light after school.
• Private house built in a public realm.(Specified, 2010)
• Orientations and view to suit privacy.

• Swimming pool is the centre for life in the house.
• Stacked children's rooms. (RAIA, 2007)
• Living/ shared spaces all on one floor.
• Built to allow for a growing family. (Lariviere, 2010)
• Different areas = different materials.
• Indoor/outdoor.
• Separation. (Parents rooms - north. Children's - south).
• 'highly permeable from the inside out, but highly protected from the outside in.' (Thomson, 2007)

Casa Tolo:

• Makes games of the stairs.
• Inter-connection between indoor/outdoor.
• Influences from Esher and Piranesi as a child. As a result - like living in an artwork.(Pearson, 2006, p. 2)
• Suspense. It only reveals itself a little at a time.
• Different experiences eg. occupation of the roof.
• Small number of materials = unity.
• 'The choice of exposed concrete creates an idea like that of massive stones appearing naturally on the site.'(Yoshida(Ed.), 2006, 12)
• Limits the internal natural sunlight - Therefore it is more interesting/ delightful when it is there.

• From the street you can only see a concrete platform. It is withdrawn from the streetscape/ neighborhood - created own little world.
• Does not filter out gradient, but does make it accessible.
• Frames views, decides what can/ can't be seen.
• Partially buried = thermal advantage.
• (Pedestrian pathway).

• The house as 'a pedestrian link between the upper and lower levels that border this lot'.(Yoshida(Ed.), 2006, 12)
• Inside/outside living - When portugal is in it's wet season this must effect the activity more than it might in a regular house.
• Personal space. ie. The bedrooms are small, whilst the shared living areas are larger - possibly promotes family activity.
• Modules: The whole house is separate from itself, being broken by either levels or stairs. It would be quite easy to find alone time.

Chosing:

I really liked Bark Studio because of the rural studio idea, and I really liked Balaam Residence because of the layering and seperation of different people's space, but I have chosen Casa Tolo as my Exemplar!

(so bare with some of my links being to sites in portuguese - here is a link to Google translator http://translate.google.com/# so enjoy!)

I chose Casa Tolo because I am interested in layers. Considering this is essentially a house that is a staircase-turned-holliday-home I thought it would probably be of interest.

I also have previously had trouble with stairs in my designs and in understanding them in plans/sections. I have chosen Casa Tolo as a challenge!

Luv El.

References:

Arkhefield. (2007) Balaam. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from http://arkhefield.com.au/pdf.php?id=109&table=projects&field=pdf

Atkins, L., & Guthrie, S. (2006). Bark Design: studio house, Sunshine coast, Queensland, Australia. Ume. (20), 2-7.

Australian Institute of Architects. (2007) Balaam Residence: In the Architects Words. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://www.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entryno=2007040378

Bark Design. (2010). Bark Studio. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from http://www.barkdesign.com.au/

Contemporist. (2009). The studio of Bark Design. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from http://www.contemporist.com/2009/10/24/the-studio-of-bark-design-architects/

Lariviere, M. (2010). Vue comme une ouevre d'art. Prestige Design Magazine, 7(2), Retrieved March 2, 2010 from http://www.arkhefield.com.au/pdf.php?id=000011&table=news&field=pdf

Pearson, C. A. (2006)In northern Portugal, Alvaro Leite Siza Vieira cascades CASA TOLO down a steep slope through terraced gardens[Abstract].Architectural Record, 194(4), 2.

RAIA. (2007). RAIA Brisbane Regional Comendations: Residential Architecture - houses. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from http://www.architecture.com.au/i-cms_file?page=9148%2FBrisbane_Citations.pdf

Specifier. (2010). Balaam Residence. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://www.specifier.com.au/projects/residential/34917/Balaam-Residence.html

Thomson, S. (2007). Learning Curves. Houses [Interview], (58), 107-118. Retrieved from Australian/New Zealand Reference Centre Database.

Yoshida, N. (Ed.) (2006). Living with nature.Architecture and

Urbanism, 426, 16.