Innholdsfortegnelse for January - February 2016 i AZURE

IT’S NO SMALL FEAT to combine a home office, a retreat, and room for hosting up to 10 guests within an 80-square-metre footprint. For a couple that splits their time between Montreal and Lac Jasper, about 100 kilometres to the north, the solution was, ironically, a puzzle-box interior that weaves together bleachers and floating floors to create zones as adaptable as they are intricate. Architecturama, a young Montreal firm run by Sylvain Bilodeau and Nicolas Mathieu-Tremblay, designed the two-storey structure as an empty cube, with a double-height curtain wall facing the lake to the south. Two intersecting planes of wooden bleachers divide the functions, providing circulation, partitions and all of the necessary furniture (three dozen cushions can be spread around for comfort). From above, the inclined bleachers create the effect…

Location Toronto, Canada Established 2000 Selected awards 2012 Canada Council Project Grant 2003 Steam Whistle Arts and Canadian Centre for Contemporary Art, Forward Thinking Award Selected projects Ongoing Dodecadandy, Downsview station, Toronto 2015 The Water Guardians, Canary District, Toronto 2015 SFC Bridge, Southcore Financial Centre, Toronto 2015 Speech Bubble, Cultural Corridor, Toronto 2013 The Collaborationists, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Canada 2013 Pavilion of the Blind, Tierney Gardarin Gallery, New York 2006 In Sit You, Toronto Sculpture Garden, Toronto marmco.com AMID TORONTO’S ONGOING densification, an elbow-shaped overpass has gone up, providing an elevated shortcut 46 metres long between the Metro Convention Centre and the Delta Hotel. For a city in deep-freeze at least four months of the year, it’s surprising that there aren’t more covered routes like it, rising above…

THE XIXI WETLANDS in Hangzhou, China, were shaped into existence over 1,800 years ago. Just over a two-hour drive southeast of Shanghai, the bucolic vegetation and meandering waterways, half natural and half manmade, are matched only by the quaintness of the surrounding villages, tea houses and pagodas. The region’s national park status and its wildly popular dragon boat festival have helped to maintain its touristic appeal, but it is also a desirable place to live. The newest residential project to be completed is a 40-unit neighbourhood surrounded by water. Designed by British firm David Chipperfield Architects, 20 volumes of two- and three-bedroom apartments are lined up in four staggering rows, with canals weaving in and around the entire complex. Each building is clad in dark stone brickwork, with black wooden…

AS THE LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL CELEBRATED ITS 13TH BIRTHDAY in September, it made the leap from fringe event to mainstream concern. Suddenly, everyone came forward as a designer, from small-time stationery retailers to electronics manufacturers and plastic suppliers. More than 300 creatives presented new or improved work, and seeing it all was a full-time job over the nine-day “week.” Pounding the pavement, one could feel the festival’s centre of gravity shifting. Sure, there was still a pull from the Victoria and Albert Museum, West London’s main anchor, and the boutiques that neighbour it – Mint, Cassina and Skandium. But this year, Somerset House, a former Tudor palace converted into an arts hub over the past few decades, offered itself up as the new heart of the festival. Dozens of refurbished…

1 Bison by Cappellini A single piece of folded leather forms the arm- and backrests of this shapely chair by Nendo. The contrasting interior colour peeks through the resulting loop. cappellini.it 2 Vega by Artifort Conceived in 1997 by Jasper Morrison for the contract environment, this seat with a tubular metal frame has been reimagined for a comfortable fit in residences, with fresh colourways and sleek powder coating. artifort.com 3 My Turn by Bensen The wingback gets a profile update with this high-backed model by Niels Bendtsen. It swivels 360 degrees on a metal base, with an optional self-return mech an ism that swings it back into position when it’s not in use. bensen.ca 4 Cara by Rolf Benz A variety of sofa sizes and seat and back heights makes…

Book by Frank Jacobus Laurence King Publishing (softcover, 160 pages) THINKING HOW TO BEST DESCRIBE this playful book, subtitled An Info graphic Look at Architecture, I realized one approach could be a Venn diagram (an infographic about infographics – how meta!). It might work like this: one circle labelled “architecture,” the other “infographics,” and the overlap between them would be this book. Archi-Graphic is an exploration of various ways architects, architecture trends and locations can be organized, timelined, pie charted, word clouded and flow charted. The idiom can be a powerful tool to visualize complex data and make it digestible, and to offer new perspectives that reveal surprising insights or patterns that would otherwise be easily overlooked. And it can express, in a straightforward way, complex ideas that are difficult…

A BUILDING’S ENTRANCE sets the tone, which is key to determining people’s mood and experience once they come inside. Three recent projects, though, have taken the idea to the next level, maximizing the entryway to create a point of arrival worthy of destination status. In Alicante, Spain, the Tomás Amat studio used contoured wooden strips to build a sculptural sheath that ushers guests into a cultural space called Las Cigarreras. According to the architects, the project references the cicada, “an insect adapted to its environment,” divided into three sections representing the head, the body and the tail. Constructed by artist Manolo Garcia, the undulating access makes a playful foil for the project’s citrus-hued metal framework and white sections clad in Corian. Indonesian artist Joko Avianto took inspiration from his homeland’s…

ØIVIND SLAATTO’S aversion to harsh lighting began eight years ago. Shortly after graduating from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, the designer suffered a concussion that took years to recover from and left him unable to cope with bright light. “I get headaches and can be physically sick when I’m exposed to bad lighting,” he says. Turning his disability into a positive, Slaatto started fiddling with laser-cut PVC in cyclical patterns to find a way to block out glare. He studied the Fibonacci spiral, or “golden ratio,” which corresponds to the mathematical sequence 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so on. When he slotted together his material in that order, the resulting spirals resembled those found in such naturally recurring structures as seeding sunflowers and pine…

What excites you most about lighting? It’s really the main focal point of any space; it’s also aesthetic and practical. I like the challenge of creating a new piece. I often design objects that are not lights in their inception but purely sculptures or works of art. Then, at the last moment, I turn them into fixtures. The luminosity adds a whole other dimension. How would you describe your aesthetic? Contemporary, with a traditional twist. I have always looked to the past for inspiration, with an emphasis on modernity. I still play with the same context, though the aesthetic has shifted. For instance, Crystal Bulb, which I created in 2012, brought together two existing items – an incandescent bulb, and a whisky glass with decorative crystal cuts – which I…

SPEC SHEET LOCATION: Granada, Spain SIZE: 240 square metres FIRM: GilBartolomé, Madrid, Spain STRUCTURAL MATERIALS: Steel, glass, stone flooring, zinc roof tiles IT HAS ALREADY BEEN THE SUBJECT of endless conversations, not just among architecture aficionados, but also by anyone who comes across it. There are several reasons why Casa del Acantilado (house on a cliff ) has grabbed so much attention, good and bad. The architects have their own explanation for its unusual form and scale-like cladding. Pablo Gil and Jaime Bartolomé founded their Madrid studio, GilBartolomé, in 2007 after living in London, where they both studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture. They went on to work at two formidable studios: Bartolomé at Zaha Hadid’s office and Gil at Richard Rogers’. Beyond their professional connections, what they learned…

SPEC SHEET LOCATION: Baja California Sur, Mexico LOT SIZE: 932 square metres BUILDING SIZE: 245 square metres FIRM: Campos Leckie Studio, Vancouver STRUCTURAL MATERIALS: Concrete, tile, drywall FLOOR PLAN 1 Dining area 2 Kitchen 3 Pool 4 Living area 5 Bathroom 6 Bedroom 7 Open-air shower AMID THE SPANISH COLONIAL VILLAS of San José del Cabo – a town of nearly 70,000 and less touristy than nearby Cabo San Lucas – a modernist home stands out. Costa Azul is the latest residential project in Mexico by Campos Leckie Studio, a Vancouver firm that recently disbanded to become two separate studios. Over the past decade, though, principals Javier Campos and Michael Leckie built a reputation for their off-grid houses in hot desert climates, particularly in the sun-drenched southernmost tip of Mexico’s…

1 Brook by Moroso Designer Tokujin Yoshioka conceived this set of ottomans for Issey Miyake’s London flagship boutique. Now in production, the faceted pouffes in three sizes can be upholstered in a variety of fabrics. moroso.it 2 Pisa by Tacchini A slight backward angle makes this U-shaped chair easy to get into and out of. Designed for contract spaces by Claesson Koivisto Rune, it has a high back and sides that lend a sense of privacy. tacchini.it 3 Linear by SCP Terence Woodgate sculpted this design using modelling clay and carving tools. The resulting fluid form has a low, gently curved back, sloped arms and slender flanged aluminum feet. scp.co.uk 4 Lounge by Calligaris This flexible system offers numerous modules that seat up to five, with tufted cushions giving the…

THE ARCHITECTS’ BRIEF FOR THE RIVER RETREAT was succinct yet clear, according to Grace Farms Foundation president Sharon Prince: “We wanted the building to disappear into nature.” Nevertheless, there’s no missing it. The designers, SANAA of Tokyo, have a reputation for ethereal forms with expansive glass walls and slimmed-down structural elements. Even with those quiet moves, the River is now the star attraction of the 32-hectare wooded site in New Canaan, Connecticut. Slithering 427 metres down a grassy knoll, with a shimmering anodized aluminum roof, it exerts an irresistible pull. Even up close, the building does an exquisite job of enhancing the personal experience of nature. Linked by an exterior path and sheltered beneath a single roof, five circular glass volumes – a sanctuary, a library, a communal dining area,…

1 Hex London-based Canadian designer Philippe Malouin created this industrial-look lever after finding inspiration in the similarity between a hex wrench, or Allen key, and a door handle. $400, ize.info 2 Pop Gum The bicycle-grip covers of this piece from Enrico Cassina are interchangeable, and available in six bright colours with co ordin at ing doorstops. $90, enricocassina.it 3 Saturn Made up of an outer ring and an inner disc, Manital’s planet-inspired rosette is paired with a simple lever. It comes in several finishes, with leather or Swarovski crystal accents. Price on request, manital.com 4 B. Clear Architect Tom Kundig’s latest door pull, for 12th Avenue Iron, combines blackened steel pipe with a resin grip the colour of root beer. It’s also sold in stainless steel and bronze. $1,850, 12thavenueiron.com…

The products, concepts, projects and technologies that are taking illumination in new directions IT SITS LIKE A BERG afloat in a sea of concrete – icy white, cool and compelling. Ports 1961’s newest location offers the upscale commercial intersection of Changde and Nanjing West Roads in downtown Shanghai a facade unlike any other. Conceived by Toronto design and architecture firm UUfie and engineered by T/E/S/S Atelier d’ingénierie of France, the three-storey structure consists of 8,000 LED-embedded satin glass bricks and scores more custom-made L-shaped blocks. Its angles create a zigzag embrace of the building, enlivened by four show windows with LED screens projecting the Canadian fashion company’s latest looks. The off-centre cantilevered canopy at the entrance seems intended to mesmerize passersby, drawing them into the store’s depths. UUfie principal architect…

SILENZIO BY LUCEPLAN The layer of foam between the polyethylene interior and the wool-nylon ex ter ior makes this pendant an effective sound absorber. Available in five textile colourways by Kvadrat. From $6,145, luceplan.com CURTAIN BY VIBIA Arik Levy’s fabric panels can be lit from above, below or both. Hung from adjustable cables and offered in various widths and lengths, they can be used as office partitions or in a lobby. Available in mid-2016. vibia.com BLOCK BY ZERO LIGHTING These half moon–shaped downcasting lights are 50 millimetres thick and come in four sizes. Made from recycled materials, the Soundfelt cover absorbs low and high frequencies. From $1,160, zerolighting.com SLAB BY ANDLIGHT Vancouver designer Lukas Peet was an early adopter of sound-absorbing fixtures. Launched in 2013, his felt-covered series comes in…

SPEC SHEET LOCATION: Schoorl, The Netherlands SIZE: 400 square metres FIRM: Studio Prototype, Amsterdam STRUCTURAL MATERIALS: Anodized aluminum, western red cedar OTHER FEATURES: Custom shelving, kitchen cabinets and counters by Studio Prototype, manufactured by Soons Interieurbouw NINETEENTH-CENTURY BARNS are everywhere near the coastal town of Schoorl in North Holland. Their monumental roofs and facades, made of blacktarred planks, are inextricably linked to the landscape here. Another barn-like structure has appeared on the horizon, its silhouette clad in aluminum panels and blue steel. The multi-faceted house is the work of Studio Prototype, an Amsterdam firm run by Jeroen Spee and Jeroen Steenvoorden. They’ve made a name for themselves over the past decade with their clever residential renovations and extensions, especially remarkable for the custom elements and details – “prototyping,” as the…

1 ABC by Campeggi The two bench portions of this convertible couch are mounted on casters for easy transformation to a single, twin or double bed. The backs also flip up into headboards. campeggisrl.it 2 Archibald Gran Comfort by Poltrona Frau Ample quilted goose down padding gives this armchair its distinctive full- bodied profile. The latest addition to the popular series has luxe leather upholstery with a textured grain. poltronafrau.com 3 Michel Effe by B&B Italia With 36 modular components and five ottomans, this series by Antonio Citterio updates the Michel collection, which is defined by the contrast between soft cushions and pencil-thin legs. More pared back and linear than its predecessors, it also features a new pewter-painted finish. bebitalia.com 4 Alex by Montauk The arms and backs of this…

CORK AND BAMBOO Rapidly renewable materials 1 TEXTURAL APPEAL Stiletto Strand bamboo, from Plyboo, installs with simple click-lock technology and can be glued down or floated. The five-inch-wide boards meet LEED low emission standards, and their textured surface comes in a range of styles that has recently been expanded. plyboo.ca 2 WOOD EFFECT Hydrocork floating floors are available in 12 wood looks, and the 145-millimetre-wide planks support commercial traffic. wicanders.com 3 RECLAIMED LOOK Practical for rooms that are prone to moisture, Wide+ Inspired Cork from Cali Bamboo incorporates a cork substrate to make it naturally mould- and water-resistant. The planks are printed to mimic reclaimed boards. calibamboo.com 4 ANTIMICROBIAL Torlys’ Florence Designer Cork bevel-edged planks are made with FSC-certified wood and a Microban antimicrobial treatment that inhibits the growth of…

Seemingly simple in form, artist Sarah FitzSimons’s House frames a view of architecture at its most minimal. Built from aluminum poles and joints, it traces the volume of a typical two-storey dwelling, with the outline of a pitched roof making the form immediately recognizable. The installation was part of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial and its presence at the city-wide event had a certain resonance, particularly for an architect like me. Despite the growing number of people living in high-rises, for many the idea of home remains the “architec-typical” gabled roof atop a simple box. As someone who frequently designs homes, I found that the simultaneous clarity and fragility of House freed my imagination to consider the essence of what this form represents – and the power of the interventions…