The hotel is called “private” because they only accept one guest booking at a time for the five bedroom Richard Neutra-inspired beachfront house.

Full description after the photos….

Torres de Hercules by Rafael de La-Hoz

Architect Rafael de la Hoz completes the “Torres de Hercules” in Cadiz. They are a symbol of the legendary Pillars of Hercules and the tallest buildings in Andalusia.

Two cylindrical, white towers rising from a flat pool of water. On the façade-a giant lattice-appears the mythical motto from the legend of the Pillars of Hercules, “Non Plus Ultra” (nothing further beyond), warning sailors in the Mediterranean of the edge of the known world.

At a height of 126 meters, the “Torres de Hercules” rise up from the Bay of Algeciras, as a new benchmark in the Campo de Gibraltar and the transition of the Straight, as their uniqueness changes the area’s landscape.

Located in the Bay of Algeciras (Cadiz) , the new construction, which is surrounded by a man-made lake, is comprised of two identical 20-storey cylindrical towers, joined by a crystalline prism which houses the hallways connecting the two buildings.

Its outer appearance is configured by the structure of the building, a gigantic lattice which completely surrounds the perimeter. They contain the giant letters of the legend “Non Plus Ultra”. Their job is to protect the inside of the building from excess solar radiation while providing panoramic views of the Bay of Algeciras, the Rock of Gibraltar, and the Serrania. This grid extends past the building’s limits, as a “unique element” protecting the terrace roof-top deck, while at the same time acting as a base for possible energy collecting and telecommunications systems.

The project, with a total surface area of 19,000 square meters, was contracted by the Valcruz company of Cordoba. They will use the majority of the building for office space, although some of the floors will have commercial space and services, such as: coffee shops, bank branches, a travel agency, a messenger service, etc.

On the top floor, 80 meters up, will be a lookout restaurant. Above this, a panoramic roof-top deck will boast unique views over the Straight of Gibraltar, Mount Musa and the Alcornocales Natural Park.

The building has a main entrance for pedestrians and cars which provides a clear view of the towers. The 200-spot ground-level parking lot is located on the other side of the towers and is organized around a landscaped area.

The complex has a strategic location, which utilizes all of the region’s potential while at the same time being easily accessible. The objective is to take advantage of all of the possibilities offered by the Bay of Algeciras and the accessibility by the major motorways from Seville, Gibraltar, the Costa del Sol, and the Jerez de la Frontera airport.

Visit the website of Rafael de La-Hoz – here.

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Stool #9 (also known as “Movement”) almost appears to be walking as it is pulled from one side to the other. It’s made from sucupira wood, a heavy, strong, durable wood from the Brazillian rainforest.

Visit Rodrigo Silveira’s website – here.

The designer – Rodrigo Silveira:

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Full description after the photos….

The Laidley Street Residence by LSarc

Completed in 2002, this new home in San Francisco is conceived as a series of interlocking forms, stepping up the hill and out of the earth to become a transparent glass form bound by the planar structure. This linear language informs the details throughout, appearing in the plan, elevations and custom furniture design.  The street level entry opens to a sculpture court where an open, steel and concrete stairway leads to a terrace and the formal front door.  All three living levels enjoy panoramic views of the city from the front and the serenity of a Japanese inspired garden to the rear.

In collaboration with Tom John, Interiors.
Ken Gutmaker, Photography

Visit the LSarc website – here.

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From the manufacturer:

A good symbol of an authentic and harmonious domestic universe, Tiki is a modern review of a totemic shape without time. The heating body deviates from the wall in order to conquer new spaces creative. It loads innovative expresses in a cylindrical, slender shape and fluctuating, that heat attracts the looks diffusing.

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Full description after the photos….

Sebastopol Residence by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects

Designed for two graphic designers, this house bridges between two stands of redwood trees, with the northern window wall facing out to the expansive view. Decks located at either end of the house open onto paths that lead to the pool on one side and the studio/garage on the other. The southern elevation screens the interior from the driveway and road above, but allows southern light in through the clerestory windows. As you enter, a dormer rises up over the dining area to frame the view. The main house is modest in size, only 1,700 square feet, but feels spacious due to an open floor plan. The clients’ wonderful art objects are housed in the long southern wall bookcase. The exterior is clad in cedar siding with a metal roof and the interior features a Douglas fir ceiling and decking, sheetrock walls and Ipe flooring.

Location: Sebastopol, California
Year completed:    2008

Architect:
Turnbull Griffin Haesloop
Eric Haesloop, FAIA and Mary Griffin, FAIA, Jerome Christensen, Juliet Hsu
1660 Bush Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 441-2300
www.tgharchitects.com

Landscape Architect: Jennifer Brooke, Landscape Office, Ltd.
Interior Design: John and Loreta Hornall
Engineer: Mike Forbes, Fratessa Forbes Wong
General Contractor: Ken Sawyer, Micah Sawyer, Sawyer Construction
Photographer: David Wakely, David Wakely Photography

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The work consists in a game of combinations. Instead of drawing shapes, designs are born from a combination of existing elements. A leg is fixed to a new tray, one material is inserted into an other one, a back part becomes a seat, a broken piece offers a new part for a leg…

Beyond the aspect of giving a second life to rubbish furniture and transformation of your grandmother’s table in an original design, the idea is to question the shape of standard furniture. It is a work on the mutation of common objects in a new one carrying traces of ordinary typologies. It is more a spontaneous collage, close from photoshop manipulations in the real world than a classic formal design process with sketches and computer renderings. Random Resurrection is a ‘cut&glue’ process assigned to generate an unique design.

Meeting table:
Three e-bay tables have been assembled in one piece in order to create a hybrid object. Woods, legs, shapes and style are combined to generate an original composition. The heavy decorated central part maintains two aerial extensions supported by a thin leg. A second wood veneering and tray a blue one are inserted into the central part to constitute a 10 person table.

Chairs :
A batch of archetypal, cheap wood chairs have been bought. The original chairs have been unscrewed, dismantled and cut, then re-assembled and painted in different ways. Back parts, seats, legs are, each time, re-organized to offer new functions and create various typologies of chairs.

From the designer:

Edda is a functional family of lights which stand out through contrasting materials. Their big, conical shades made of painted steel house most commercially available CFL bulbs invisibly. The concrete base provides stability and creates an optically and tactilely unfamiliar character in the working or living space.

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Full description after the photos….

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The Torres House by GLR Arquitectos / Gilberto L. Rodríguez

Built Area:
5,942 sq ft

Project Team:
Bernardo Chapa
Joaquín Jenis
Tomas Güereña
Diana Guerra
Eduardo Fuentes

Photography:
Jorge Taboada

Description:

Set high in the Sierra Madre mountain range, the Torres House seeks to establish an intimate contact with the natural environment in which it is located. Discreetly open towards the street, the house is accessed by crossing over a fountain from which a huge oak tree emerges, impressive both for its size and its beauty. Once on the porch, a grand mural-like door -constructed of marble, wood and steel- welcomes the visitor.

Inside, the entry hall merges into an area of contrasting materials consisting of Santo Tomas marble and volcanic stone walls. From this area there is a visual continuity with the rest of the house and with the garden that was left in its natural state as a small oak forest.

In the living room, conceived almost as a glass box, one can experience the view to the Sierra Madre peaks in the distance and the garden near by. Owing to its location within the mountain, where winters can get really cold, there is a fireplace for the family to gather around in the evenings.

From the dining room and the media room, one can access the roof terrace and enjoy the splendid views of the Sierra Madre as well as of the city of Monterrey. Here the musical background of the sounds of nature is in sharp contrast to the roar of the city below.

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Hand made in Germany by Bretz.

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Full description after the photos….

House in Dalkey by De Blacam and Meagher Architects

This street is situated 5 minutes walk above Dalkey village and is made up of two storey-detached houses on the higher southern side, while the northern lower side has a collection of dormer bungalows with various additions to the rear. Our site is set on the lower side of the street and slopes steeply down to the north providing views over Dublin bay.

The old house, like many on the street, took no advantage of the view or aspect. The living room, dining and kitchen had no access to the outside so there was virtually no connection with either front or rear garden.  The very rigid [cellular] floor plan mitigated against re-planning and as the house needed significant improvements we decided to remove it from the site.

The new house was designed to maximize the qualities of the site and accommodation in the brief while retaining the single storey street frontage. We raised the ground floor by 1.2m to exploit panoramic views over Dublin Bay from the upper level. Kitchen and dining are to the south with a loggia for shelter and privacy. To the rear a large living room and roof terrace look north towards Howth.

On the lower level to the south [street façade] we cut out a sunken court so that the 6 cell bedrooms, based on Le Corbusiers monastery at La Tourette, have privacy, light and fresh air. Although these bedrooms are small, the user has a variety of spatial environments elsewhere in the house to rest and play.

This level stretches back to meet the slope of the site and holds the master bedroom and den on the north side. A main bathroom, plant and utility as well as a top lit TV room sit in the centre of the lower level.

Visit the website of De Blacam and Meagher Architects – here.

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Måns says:

In my project before this one, I made a stool that could move 3-dimensionaly (http://salomonsen.se/playful.html), I worked with a twisted shape/form in that one and wanted do develop that form language in the bar table. I was experimenting with different ideas on how to include a foot rest in the same construction. I found the material in the tabletop, aluminium foam, on a material fair about 2 years ago and found that interesting. Now was the first time I got an idea on what I could use that material for. So I got some material samples from KG Fridman, a company in Sweden who sell that material and ordered Araldit plastic that i coloured black. The idea was to use the pattern created from the bubbles in the aluminium. So the surface is filled with plastic that harden and then grinded down so I got the contrast between the shiny aluminium and the black palstic. The tabletop has a stainles steel edge as protection.

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From the designers:

It’s  a project of office furniture design. It proposes various complementary typologies of seats, and heights of work-top. In this particular case for the students of the new building of the school of Arts and design of Saint-étienne in the Cité du design (citedudesign.com); but it could be imagine in lots of design studios or actually in every studio looking for office furnitures as modular as possible.

Photo credits : “Johan Meallier” except the last one “Cité du Design”

Full description after the photos….

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The Vine Hotel in Madeira, Portugal

Generous space and pared-down sophistication are the trademarks of this 5 star property, which takes its name and inspiration from the island’s world-famous Madeira wine. With its unique location in the South of Madeira, in the heart of the historic centre of Funchal and close to the cathedral Sé, The Vine is an ideal starting point for a city tour or an island sightseeing trip.

The Design

Upon entering the hotel, guests will be captured by the all-encompassing design theme of the hotel: The Madeira wine. This is reflected in every little detail of the hotel – starting at Terra lounge featuring woods taken from vineyards, over to the Vinotherapy Spa with treatments based on the philosophy of the Vinotherapy and the gourmet restaurant UVA, serving delicious French fusion cuisine and excellent wines from Madeira. Contemporary elegant design with a warm touch and comfort designed for guest needs characterize The Vine. Grey, green, purple and brown are the dominating colours of the hotel, representing the four different seasons and the maturation of a grape throughout the year. The interior design reflects the vision of award-winning Portuguese designer Nini Andrade Silva, the architecture is led by Ricardo Bofill. Each floor is designed in a different colour: The 2nd floor is green for spring, the 3rd floor is purple for summer, the 4th floor is grey for winter and the 5th floor is held in brown colours, representing autumn. Next to the lift on each floor is an illuminated cube with a seating area which resembles vineyards, giving The Vine a simplicity which also characterises the hotel.

Visit the Vine Hotel’s website – here.

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Stefano says:

NONO’ means No chair, No stool
NONO’ is an ischiatic seat with 3 legs. A support for the body 70cm high from the floor.
NONO’ is a new seating concept. Light, dynamic, stacking, versatile.
NONO’ is a seat for a quick downtime. Bring comfort to a quick support, which usually isn’t.

This scale model is a prototype made of wood.

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From the designer:

Cartesia stands for the “Cartesian coordinate system”, that is translated into a structure of drawers that have the capacity to open in two directions. This special quality makes it especially suitable for room corners. The new type of system that can open the different cases at the same time, is a fundamental shift from the traditional modus operandi. The characteristic form of Cartesia, an inverted trapezium, is related on a rationally based design that implies handles.