Homes

Doldam House Architects: one-aftr Area: 88 m² Year: 2023 Photographs:Jang Mi City: Sokcho-si Country: South Korea Track: "Ice Maiden" Music provided by https://slip.stream Free Download / Stream: https://get.slip.stream/3ZvKGJ Track: "White Rose", HUKU Music provided by https://slip.stream Free Download / Stream: https://get.slip.stream/9nTS9V In the heart of South Korea's enchanting Mt. Seorak National Park lies Doldam, a private residence that seamlessly blends with the park's natural beauty. This contemporary architectural wonder, designed by the New York and Seoul-based one-aftr studio, draws inspiration from the park's fall foliage and magnificent boulder formations, creating a harmonious relationship between architecture and nature. The architects behind Doldam were meticulous in ensuring that the house melded seamlessly with its surroundings. They took rocks excavated during construction and thoughtfully repurposed them to craft a front yard adorned with stones and gravel. This innovative approach not only enhances the aesthetics but also fosters controlled plant growth, blurring the lines between the building and its environment. Doldam's front wall serves a dual purpose – protecting its occupants and offering a gateway to the front yard. With its slightly sheared design, this feature plays with perspective, creating a dynamic visual experience as one navigates the building. This interplay between angles and lines forms a captivating bond between the architecture and the natural landscape, intensifying the sense of connection and wonder. An eye-catching orange door welcomes residents into Doldam's courtyard, serving as both a visual delight and a practical element. This vibrant door allows tenants to regulate the amount of daylight and visual exposure, providing a personalized level of comfort and privacy. The courtyard, thoughtfully positioned within the layout, blurs the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Two compartments on the southeast side – the courtyard and an outdoor deck – invite light, wind, and the soothing sight of the surrounding trees, fostering a sense of tranquility and unity with nature. The floor plan of one-aftr's Doldam house showcases meticulous design and functionality. Comprising two rows of three four-meter-wide spaces, totaling six interconnected areas, the layout ensures that all necessary living amenities are conveniently included. The open configuration encourages a seamless flow from one space to the next, promoting a sense of unity and continuity. This design approach allows residents to immerse themselves in the captivating beauty of the surroundings from every corner of the house, deepening their connection with the natural environment. The architects at one-aftr have taken great care to embrace and enhance natural elements within the Doldam residence. Ample windows throughout the building flood the interior spaces with natural light, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. These strategically placed windows also facilitate cross-ventilation, promoting a healthy and refreshing airflow throughout the house. By harnessing the power of natural light and air, Doldam not only enhances the well-being of its occupants but also exemplifies sustainable living principles. Incorporating furniture by Post Standards that mirrors the vibrant hues of the interior walls and utilizing rough, raw surfaces that echo the textures of the natural boulders scattered across the area, Doldam is a testament to the harmonious fusion of architecture and nature. It stands as a captivating and environmentally conscious dwelling within the breathtaking Mt. Seorak National Park, offering its residents a unique and immersive experience.

Hai Phong House - This long-term house is easy to maintain and copy!

The right way to renovate a hillside home - Dolores Heights Residence

Dolores Heights Residence Architects: jones | haydu Area: 295 m² Year: 2021 Photographs:Matthew Millman City: San Francisco Country: United States In the vibrant neighborhood of Dolores Heights in San Francisco, a remarkable transformation took place. This captivating home became a reality through the collaborative efforts of Kevin Sawyers of Sawyers Design, who also happens to be one of the residence's proud owners. Kevin and his husband embarked on a mission to remodel and expand their existing earthquake cottage. Over the years, this cottage had seen various piecemeal additions, resulting in a somewhat awkward and disconnected layout. Their vision was clear: to turn these disparate spaces into an open and harmonious living environment. However, there was a challenge to overcome - much of the lot had already been occupied by the existing structure. But where there's a will, there's a way, and the aim was to maximize the house's connection with this unique site. As you approach the residence, you'll notice a distinct architectural feature - a straight axis that guides your journey. This axis is more than just a path; it interacts gracefully with the building's forms as they ascend towards the main entrance. Step inside, and you'll find that your experience along this axis is carefully curated. Your gaze is always drawn to the downhill end, where the iconic Sutro Tower stands tall, a constant presence. At the opposite end, the uphill view is dominated by a magnificent Monterey cypress tree. These natural landmarks serve as anchor points, connecting the interior spaces with the surrounding landscape. The house's forms are a sight to behold, seamlessly intertwining with one another. The choice of materials, including cedar, standing seam metal, and cementitious panels, accentuates these forms, creating distinct rooms within an expansive and open floor plan. As you venture further, you'll notice a crescendo of forms that pay homage to the quintessential San Francisco vernacular architecture. At the front, an "inverted" Bay window box boldly cantilevers eight feet from the facade. This architectural marvel serves as a gateway to three unique experiences within what's referred to as the "urban forest." Beneath this striking feature, an exterior fire pit welcomes you to the forest floor. Inside, the window box frames a captivating view of the "trunk" level, immersing you in the lush greenery. And if you ascend to the roof deck, an entirely different experience awaits, allowing you to reach the "canopy" level. Here, against the backdrop of a gable, you can appreciate the almost child-like expression of home. This residence, nestled on a west-sloping site, offers sweeping panoramic views of the city and the nearby Sutro Tower. It's a testament to thoughtful design and a deep connection with the natural surroundings. This is a place where architectural innovation meets the beauty of nature, and where Kevin Sawyers and his husband have turned their dream into a stunning reality.

Mit Chit House (Close together) Architects: Looklen Architects Area: 350 m² Year: 2020 Photographs: Varp Studio Location: Thailand Track: "Lightness" Music provided by https://slip.stream Free Download / Stream: https://get.slip.stream/GIRQW8 Sitting in a tropical region of Thailand, Mit Chit House is the resulting expansion of a house originally located off to the right of the property. Designed and constructed to provide both additional living quarters and a larger common area for a growing family’s needs, the new expanse spans 350 sq m of the 420 sq m property. Mit Chit House stands inside a well-established compound, surrounded by flourishing fruit gardens that, while beautiful, add to the housing estate’s aging aesthetic. Often almost too peaceful and quiet at the day’s odd hours, these elements combine to create an air of seclusion that inspired the name "Mit Chit". Though it literally means "close together", the owners found another meaning to its name: "close friendship." This is because of the double meaning found in the Thai words Mit (both pronounced "Mit"), thus it is close to the existing house and also bonds the family closer together. Designed to preserve the surrounding greenery while prioritizing safety, Mit Chit House is built with four miniature courtyards in its center that measure 3x3 meters and 3x5 meters. Open spaces, wide halls, and numerous windows take advantage of the natural source of light and inspire feelings of freedom and closeness to nature. No matter where you stand, a gorgeous view of greenery and the house’s interior keep family members connected to the outside world as well as the inside. Architecturally, Mit Chit House was designed with geometric manipulation at its core to precisely create a pleasing, modern exterior. Its founding shape stems from a square split into planes on an axis before being turned on themselves into L-shaped pieces that modularly combine into stellar, complex art. Inside, however, simplicity is key, with wide open spaces trimmed only by a few select materials to evoke engaging familiarity. The contrast in interior and exterior design choices means every angle from which the house is viewed offers a unique and exciting perspective. Walls built around the concept of passive design keep Mit Chit House’s interior cool while framing views from within with understated elegance. Not only do they provide much-needed insulation from the constant light shining through the southern side of the property, but they also beautifully complement the surrounding lush shrubbery. Mit Chit House is situated along the left side of the property, leaving room on the right for a large garden that serves to connect the original and new houses. On the ground floor, a large common area consisting of the living and dining rooms is designed as an open plan to foster continuity from the front of the house to its back. The vertical space between the ground-floor living room is also entirely open, connecting seamlessly with the second-floor den. This way, even distant family members still feel close. In keeping with the notion of togetherness, the den acts as an intersection between the old and new houses, allowing the parents of the family to easily make their way to their children. An open space of its own, the den also boasts great scenic views. Topping everything off is the third most private floor, comprised of the two siblings’ bedrooms, complete with views of the property’s private gardens on either side.