Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 96 i Urbis

MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSES often aren’t highly-considered pieces of architecture. More often than not, they are houses that were originally designed for a stereotypical family unit: Mum, dad, two sprats and a mid-sized pooch. But what could multi-generational architecture look like? Could a home with parts constructed at different times grow to hold an expanding family unit? Could the architecture become emblematic of the different age groups that inhabit its spaces? Perhaps the architecture could strike a balance between separation and connection? Or perhaps it could communicate the different lifestyles of its occupants through its forms and finishes? Henri Cleinge’s design for Chemin Bord du Lac caters for a multi-generational family that crosses two architectural eras and languages. “The house was designed for two doctors, their two children and two grandparents. They…

NEW BATTERY PACK BOOSTS PURE-ELECTRIC PRACTICALITY BMW i3 94Ah The first major upgrade of BMW’s far-sighted city charger sees a big increase in battery capacity, making the adventurous i3 more suitable as a pureelectric runner. The ‘94Ah’ value refers to the new lithium-ion battery pack developed by BMW. It’s no bigger than before but boasts energy density that is 50 per cent greater. This lifts the i3’s realworld range to 200km, a distance that can be achieved in summer with air con constantly in use, or even in the depths of winter. The compact but luxurious four-seater uses plastic construction reinforced with carbon fibre and sits on an aluminium chassis. Passengers sit upright in an airy interior that is not compromised by the need to accommodate traditional mechanical componentry. And…

AT THE HEART of this project is a series of playful balancing acts – between vernacular Brazilian architecture and the inevitable influence of globalisation, between classic design and a contemporary aesthetic, between art, architecture and interior. In the hands of Brazilian architect Guilherme Torres, these seemingly disparate elements meld into a seamless whole. Located in Recife, one of the largest cities in northern Brazil, the original 1980s triplex apartment was all dark surfaces and granite. “It resembled a granite tomb!” Guilherme laughs. “During the process, we demolished all the internal walls and reconfigured all the spaces, the circulation, the layout and the finishes. Once the new shell was ready, we started from scratch with the decor.” The resulting apartment spans three levels, culminating in an almost impossibly picturesque roof deck.…

WHETHER IT’S THE RESULT of great intention or haphazard decisionmaking, apartment interiors reflect our personal tastes and lifestyle preferences, providing a valuable insight into the way that we live and the objects that surround us. Yet the carefully selected artwork, furniture and objet d’art in this 250m2 apartment do not belong to anyone per se. They form part of an intimately crafted show flat on the 22nd floor of a residential building in Dongguan, China. Thessaloniki-based design studio Minas Kosmidis [Architecture in Concept] were briefed by their client, a Chinese real estate company, to design a show flat that would resonate with a very particular local clientele. “We were asked to create a new aesthetic identity for a middleto- upper-class Chinese family with a pro-Western culture and education,” explains studio…

Graphic design’s ghost is very much present in this rising, colourful and everso- vibrant trend. Take for instance Yoni Alter’s collaboration for Nike, in which the graphic maverick distills the basic elements of the iconic sports shoe and pumps up the volume. Described as ‘slightly bonkers’ some of these Jonathan Anderson pieces for Loewe use intricate marquetry techniques of inlaying coloured timbers or leather straps for a slightly mosaic feel. Bold primary colours and exaggerated geometries are grounded by traditional crafts such as intarsia. GET THE LOOK ON YOUR WALLS Colours from The Range fashion colours fandeck, only from www.resene.co.nz 0800 RESENE (737 363) Resene the paint the professionals use…

MICROSOFT SURFACE STUDIO The Microsoft Surface Studio is a genuinely new device – an all-in-one computer that can be used as a desktop or be folded down and used as a large, touch-sensitive digital drafting table. It was launched with a fanfare and a Helvetica-laden appeal to the ‘creative’ audience that left many wondering if Microsoft had out-Appled Apple. As impressive is the companion device – the Surface Dial – a cylindrical wheel that could totally change the way we interact with computers, much like the ol’ mouse did back in the ’80s. The Surface Dial allows you to quickly change the orientation of a project and interact with various menu options, and along with the Surface Pen and the mouse, it represents a third creative input option. Combined with…

What is Parlour Projects and why does it exist? Parlour Projects is a new gallery in Hawke’s Bay that exists to bring influential contemporary art to the region. It is mostly a space for locals and visitors to enjoy contemporary art and learn about its wider purpose. What was the drive to open a gallery in Hastings? Despite its location, the gallery has a national outlook in terms of exhibition programming and audience engagement. In addition, Hawke’s Bay is becoming world-class and younger people are increasingly migrating here. Regardless of these things, I felt that in order for us to keep up to date culturally with the rest of New Zealand and the world, we needed to have a strong contemporary art voice. Did you consider other places before? The…

EL DORADO BEACH in Puerto Rico is an idyllic area with an impressive pedigree. In the ’30s, it was little-known and accessible only to a handful of adventurers (Amelia Earhart spent the night here before her last, ill-fated flight). In the ’50s, one of the Rockefeller kids (Laurence) developed a major luxury hotel here and the venture is said to have paid off when, only a two-hour flight away, Fidel Castro and his fatigue-wearing comrades closed the borders to the party-seeking gringos. The place became a watering hole for American jet-setters like John F Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor. Yet, in the ’80s the enthusiasm faded in part due to government policies and in part due to rising interest in islands further east. Fast-forward to the 2000s and the Stubbe family…

IN LATE SPRING, when poplar fluff drifts like snow in the valley, it’s easy to imagine the sleeping giant of Te Mata peak may sneeze and wake. This home on a small promontory overlooking the laconic Tukituki River offers front-row seats for such an event. Its glazed face that ushers in the wraparound spectacle may for some be the pinnacle of architectural intention here. For designer Andy Coltart, it is not. That accolade belongs to the entrance facade. “It’s the best part of the house,” he says. For its surprise factor and sheer scale, this timber frontage is awesome (in the very essence of the word). Formed of board and rough-sawn battens, it rises white and formidable from a shingle courtyard. At 30 metres long and 4.5 metres high, it’s…

THE SWANKY SUBURB of Casa Loma in Toronto is named after the Gothic-revival style castle that overlooks its tree-lined avenues. Since it was built in 1814, this stately (if slightly ostentatious) castle has attracted wealthy homeowners to the city-side neighbourhood. One such resident is Lawrence Bloomberg, a prominent Canadian businessman and banking expert and a member of the Order of Canada. Bloomberg and his wife Frances, a renowned philanthropist, have lived in Casa Loma (the suburb) for over 35 years and appreciate its pedigree and easy access to downtown Toronto. When they decided to build a new home in Casa Loma, they approached leading Toronto architects Hariri Pontarini. Two existing houses were removed to make space for this modern home and its adjacent gardens, on a site close to a…