The project consists in the restoration of the old house, which was really deteriorated. The house had several failed previous interventions, but there was a lot to rescue. It begins with the demolition of some of the adjacent areas, maintaining almost all the original flooring on the ground floor, mainly because of all the new installations. It´s all about precise work demanded by these particular clients: a young family with a unique way of living and perceiving architecture.

More info visit Elías Rizo Arquitectos. Photo © Marcos García.

Each floor is designed to have its own separate program, on the garden level we find the nanny / guest apartment, and the library / office space with doors to the garden. On the parlor floor we find the living room and kitchen/ dining area, with stairs to the garden below. On the 2nd floor we find the master bedroom suite with the large terrace overlooking the green courtyard. The top floor has 2 bedrooms, which share a large bathroom and a tv lounge.

For more info visit Archi-Tectonics. Photo by Richard Powers.

Found at Archilovers.

For more info visit Alvhem.

First, let us start with vinyl flooring. This kind of flooring is known for being long-lasting, waterproof, resistant to scratches and generally tough. As a bonus, it is one of the more cost-effective kinds of flooring. Vinyl flooring is well-suited to the bathroom and kitchen because it is waterproof; it is also available in many different styles and designs that can even mimic the look of other floor types. Visit UK Flooring Direct to see vinyl flooring options.

Besides vinyl flooring, there is also cork flooring, which is probably a little bit less known and less popular. Cork flooring is obtained through the bark of the cork tree instead of being obtained by felling. As such, this is an eco-friendly type of flooring option that is actually soundproof, soft to your feet and even resistant to fire. However, people with cork flooring have to ensure that they keep their flooring both clean and dry so that it can keep its attractive appearance.

Cork Flooring

Of course, there is also always solid wood flooring. Such a flooring option can actually be a thing of real beauty that is offered to customers in lots of various varieties, finishes, styles, materials and even patterns. As such, you will be able to find a good selection among this type of flooring option. Oak flooring is actually one of the more popular kinds of flooring choices due to its natural beauty and durability.

Wood Flooring

Not a lot of people have probably heard of engineered wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring is actually made out of three pieces of wood. This includes a layer of hardwood right at the very top; the three pieces of wood are also glued together. The layer on top is normally up to 6 millimetres in thickness and is accountable for the look of this floor type’s surface. The middle layer is responsible for incorporating strength, while the layer on the bottom is used to balance the whole thing out.

Finally, we come to laminate flooring, the thing with laminate flooring is that it is not real flooring; it just looks like real flooring, making it something of a very realistic-looking copy. Laminate flooring looks like real wood because of the usage of photographic images of wood on the surface. Said images of wood are put on the core board’s top; the core board is constructed out of compressed fibres, and the whole thing is then covered with a melamine wear layer. This melamine wear layer is what provides the well-known toughness to laminate flooring.

Laminate Flooring

As you can see, there many different flooring choices that customers have to contend with when they are looking at installing new floor options in their home. Each and every one of the aforementioned types of flooring options comes with its own set of pros and cons, which a sound customer is going to have to evaluate in order to make the best possible selection which suits their needs and budget.

Space as we sense it in western culture is typically about how space is ultimately arranged. We have been conditioned to view man at the centre of all things and therefore arrange our spaces accordingly. However I subscribe to the oriental view of space, which is that space, expands outward in a series of circles until it merges with the space of nature. By Vancouver-based studio David Tyrell Architecture. Images by David Tyrell.

For more info visit Touzet Studio.

The outcome is a 5 star Luxury Resort ,planned around a contemporary beach experience with a central piazza as the focus point. The decision to abandon the ubiquitous main building approach, creates a luxury Beach Village, which more honestly follows the concept of the Genus Loci . The architectural language explores tropical interpretations of contemporary urban homes, softened by natural forms, local detailing and materials. Buildings integrate seamlessly with the resorts extensive lush tropical gardens. Guest Rooms are located along the beachfront, positioned in crescent clusters to achieve maximum sea views from all terraces. Single-storey rooms closer to the beachfront with elevated double-storeys behind allowing un-obscured sea views each and every guest room.

Numerous sustainable principles in construction, materiality and operations, position this development at the leading edge of Commercial Hotel offerings across the globe. Long Beach Resort was completed in 2011, and has already been listed in the top 100 hotels in the world.

For more info visit Stauch Vorster Architects.

For more info visit BAK Architects. Photos by: Gustavo Sosa Pinilla.

Advances in technology mean that it’s possible to be more connected than ever with gadgets like wireless speakers and iPad remotes, although it’s important not to forget let old home office stalwarts like storage and organization fall by the wayside. Here are our top 5 picks for home office essentials.

PRACTICAL DÉCOR
The first thing to remember is that your home office is still part of your home, and you don’t want it to look like a cubicle. A map, a fabric-backed pin board or a stylish wall clock brings character to what could easily turn into a drab room. The Karlsson Worldwide Wall Clock has a sleek Mad Men look that is perfect for workers who need to keep an eye on the time around the world.

STORAGE
The curse of the messy office is one we are all familiar with, so get those papers under control with a smart storage system. Tailor the solution to the space – if you have plenty of room, a modular bookshelf or cabinet offers plenty of space for papers, journals, documents and the occasional framed photo, and use colourful folders or boxes for filing and supplies. For smaller rooms, think vertical: wall-mounted shelving frees up floor space and still allows plenty of storage.

Image from Red Glasses Blog

CLEAN CABLES
Keep that unsightly tangle out of sight – there are a number of creative DIY fixes for the madness-inducing heap of cables that gets shoved behind the desk. Use binder clips to separate cables at the side of your desk, or use coloured electrical tape to label them at each end – no more unplugging the light when you’re fishing for the phone charger. For wires that aren’t in use, prevent them from tangling by winding each cable up and tucking it inside a toilet paper tube. It’s also worth investing in a charging station that can fill up your phone, MP3 player, camera, and other gadgets while keeping the cables under control.

SMART TECHNOLOGY
Wireless appliances eliminate the visual clutter in a room and offer more flexibility for arrangement. If your office desk is small, wireless speakers can be placed on a shelf or windowsill, and there are smartphone apps that allow your iPhone, iPad or Android to function as a remote control. This way, if you are reading important documents on the sofa, you can change the music without having to get up and disrupt your work.

BRING IT HOME
Most importantly, you need to be comfortable in the space; invest in a good light for reading, curtains to prevent screen glare, and decorative touches to make it feel like home. Whether that means a minimalist monochrome approach or a cosy and colourful scheme, try adding a rug, a framed artwork or photograph, or a few family photos to remind you what you’re working for.

Image number 1 is from Smart Home Architecture

More info visit Federico Delrosso Architects. Photo by Adrian Wilson.