Fábio Galeazzo has designed the ‘Urban Cabin’ in São Paulo, Brazil.

Description from the designer:

“In an old abandoned house were used retrofit construction techniques. The existing structure couldn’t handle the heavy load and was complemented by a sustainable framework of giant bamboo beams and columns treated in autoclaves, the roof received green thermal tiles.

On the floor it was used certificated management timber and some exotic brown granite as well as some walls and ceiling. In order to counter the whole structure and highlight the house amid the dense vegetation the interior and exterior walls were treated as a state of art and received several irregular shapes in different colors inspired in the universe of the modernist painter Tarsila do Amaral.

Outside, a stretch nautical fabric shades the area of the car and a great counter with tiles of different patterns glad the barbecue area which has communication with the swivel kitchen, allowing several combinations between internal and external area.

Inside, with the aim of enhance the view and increase communication between internal and external area a large shelf built in a circular shape frames the landscape. In the decoration design furniture as the giant bed-shaped nest, the “Chifruda” chair from the designer Sergio Rodrigues, the dinner table,”2 in 1″ from the designers Campana brothers and Scandinavian furniture fit perfect on the rustic structure.

The Shack is a contemporary version of housing that brings back the idea of one space living, matching technology and design proposing a new young way of living.”

The award-winning duo of Doherty Lynch designs residential, corporate, and retail interiors with a modern edge while still remaining comfortable.

The ‘Sydney Residence’ was designed with a young family in mind, where the inspiration came from yellow penny round tile. Pops of yellow show up throughout the house giving it a playful and cheery vibe.

On the walls, bright white and yellow paint, and fun wallpaper were inspired by the homeowners’ vast art collection. There is a simplicity and thoughtfulness in the details that brings about a cohesive theme to the Australian home.

Here is some further information from the designers:

“Unpretentious, relaxed and playful – this Sydney project has a very Australian feel about it. The client brief was for a family home filled with colour, energy and life. The interior was to reflect the hustle and bustle of family life and stimulate young minds, but to also feel harmonious and calm. And it was a yellow penny round tile that the owners brought in that evolved the design and provided the inspiration for the interior resolution.

Doherty Lynch used reclaimed timber flooring, oak veneer, bright paint colours and details, such as pendant light fittings, to ensure a fresh and youthful feel for this project. Joinery materials are in a restrained palette of oak veneer and white and charcoal finishes, while splashes of colour are in feature walls, pendant lights and patterned wallpapers to create layers within this interior. These colours and finishes were inspired by the clients’ extensive art collection to bring some personality and context to the interior.

Doherty Lynch kept details simple to emphasise material junctions.”

2010 Australian Interior Design Awards, Colour in Residential Design – Winner

Photos by Dieu Tan.

A recently-opened building that stunningly combines modern architecture and sustainable design has been turning heads in Vancouver, Canada, and among designers around the world. Officially opened late last year, the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre provides a beautiful and unique entry point to one of Western Canada’s most highly-regarded botanical gardens. The 1,765 square meter building was designed by Perkins+Will and is pursuing certification from the Living Building Challenge – a recognition applied to select structures that can exceed the LEED Platinum status.

The VanDusen Visitor Centre functions on both an organic and modernist level. To the visitor approaching the building from the park’s entranceway, it is a soaring glassy structure with a front roof overhang that shoots up towards the sky. This feature allows for maximum sun exposure and displays the interior’s curved features, faded wood tones, and stark metal poles to the outside spectator. Gently curving concrete walls at the visitor center’s periphery help the building blend seamlessly with the surrounding walkways.

The building blends just as seamlessly, albeit on a slightly different level, when approached from the park side of the structure. From this angle, grassy green slopes that cover a raised section of the park transition subtly into the visitor center’s roof, which has been built into the slope. In the middle of this green roof, the angular glass skylight of the structure’s central atrium pokes through and is delicately silhouetted against a backdrop of pine and native trees. The curving and sloping roof with the skylight center was strongly inspired by organic forms, specifically the natural systems of an orchid plant.

The green roof further helps make the building sustainable by reducing its heating and cooling needs. Other sustainable features include a photovoltaic system to generate electricity, a biomass boiler fed by wood waste to heat water, and a bio-reactor to treat blackwater on site. The building seeks to achieve net zero energy and carbon neutrality.

While the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre has received some criticism as a public structure built at a time when regular people are struggling to find employment and having trouble refinancing a mortgage, it will likely bring more people to an already-beautiful park and confer energy savings for years to come. On that note alone it is an impressive achievement.

‘Luxembourg Apartment’ by Metaform Atelier d’Architecture is a multi-storey residential building in Luxembourg. Exploring the relationship between architecture and art as well as the evolution of the urban landscape in response to the ‘post-graffiti’ era, the project incorporates the work of local artist SUMO to create a sculptural piece that reveals the visual art in a subtle but highlighted fashion.

Situated on an asymmetrical site next to a street, the overall form of the apartment building is stacked in its composition, shifting in size and form on each level. The box-like volumes are finished in a shiny black metal cladding, contrasting with the material palette of neighbouring structures in the area. Seeking to create a dynamic exterior which responds to its immediate conditions, the glossy skin changes in its shade throughout the day. Overhanging portions of cantilevering edges showcase SUMO’s bright creation, putting it on display during the night with artificial light.

Accommodating four individual units of different sizes and composition, the project makes most of its slim plot by expanding in its volume as the floors are stacked. The ground floor takes up a small footprint, stepping back to generate parking and garages off the street. The second floor houses a two-bedroom apartment for a family of three with sleeping quarters placed to the back of the building to ensure privacy. Two studios measuring 47 m2 and 48 m2 are situated on the third level while the top floor serves as a duplex apartment. All units are arranged to free up the three facades of the building from the circulation spaces and feature folding panels that can visually open up the interior to the site.

Images by Steve Troes Fotodesign.