COBE designs a tiny light-filled “village” for children in Copenhagen

  

   

   If you enjoyed playing “house” as a kid, your inner child will love COBE Architects’ latest design. The Danish architecture firm completed the Frederiksvej Kindergarten, which is designed to look like a tiny playful village for children. Located in Copenhagen, the innovative design breaks away from the traditional daycare environment and comprises 11 small houses with outdoor play spaces.

Tucked-away Norwegian island house on stilts is only accessible by boat

 

 This charming cabin on stilts perched over an uneven rocky site in Norway is a holiday home for an interior architect, an artist and their two children. Oslo-based studio Lund Hagem designed Cabin Lille Arøya to be an extension of the majestic landscape.

Live off the grid and rent-free in the charming Wohnwagon mobile caravan

   Is your dream to travel the world in an off-grid caravan? 

The Austrian manufacturers behind WOHNWAGON (Living Wagon) could help make your fantasy into reality. Wrapped in a rounded, larch-clad shell, this charming mobile home is an eco-friendly and energy-efficient gem built with locally sourced natural and recycled materials, a green roof, and solar panels. The solar-powered WOHNWAGON can be towed to just about anywhere in the world and fits within the footprint of a parking spot.

Golden Le Toison d’Or complex “floats” on balloon-like frames in Brussels

   UN Studio recently completed their first project in Belgium-a mixed use complex wrapped in a curving golden envelope. Le Toison d'Or is a hybrid of a traditional building-block typology and mixed use development with a retail podium. Its dynamic form breaks up the monolithic volume and creates an interesting variation in texture, depth and rhythm.

Solar-powered retro-modern Happier Camper HC1 features a LEGO-like interior.

   Dreaming of a summer road trip adventure? You’ll love the Happier Camper HC1, a retro-modern tiny trailer with a LEGO-like modular interior. Designed for off-grid use, this solar-powered camper features an adorable round-edged vintage shell reminiscent of the two-tone VW vans. Reconfiguring the tiny camper interior is a snap with “Adaptiv,” a modular system that allows users to swap out furniture components and create a variety of living spaces—from a five-person bedroom to a kitchen—in a matter of minutes.

   Weighing in at just 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms), the ultra-lightweight HC1 travel trailer can be easily pulled by small cars. Its 100% high-quality fiberglass shell comes in a colored gel coat of your choice and is outfitted with a roomy rear hatch, side entry door, beveled wheel flares, and three large panoramic windows that bring in plenty of natural light. The compact camper measures 13 feet (4 meters) in length and approximately 7 feet (2.1 meters) in width, and can fit in a standard single parking space.

   The versatile “Adaptiv” interior and modular furniture are also made of lightweight fiberglass. Its six base components—a bench, kitchenette, table, cushion, floor panel, and lid—can be moved into different configurations and clicked into place like LEGO blocks. The interior’s walkable floor space measures 42 square feet and there is a little over 6 feet of headroom. The HC1 also comes equipped with a 100 W solar panel, heated shower, awning, Bose sound system, built-in USB and AC power sockets, and a tablet docking station.

   Designed over the span of five years, the Happier Camper HC1 will soon enter the production stage—the campers are designed and built in California—following the final design tweaks. The camper’s base model will cost $13,950 USD and the company has plans to expand to European and Asian markets next year. Can’t wait to get one of your own? Head over to the Happier Camper website to place a pre-order or to join their mailing list.

Timber-clad Linnebo House is built into the hillside overlooking Oslo.

   The timber-clad House Linnebo by Schjelderup Trondahl Arkitekter’s overlooks the crisp Norwegian landscape just outside of Oslo. Perched on the top of a hill at the city edge, the three story home nestles into the hillside, with the earth acting as an insulator and supporter. With a myriad of various sized windows on the home’s façade, House Linnebo was designed to give a variety of experiences and views within the home.

   Halfway between the urban Norwegian capital and miles of forest, House Linnebo stands out with its darkened wood façade, which was treated with oil and charred to accentuate the natural knots and grain of the timber. Both the front and back of the house have a similar facades, with a mix of chartreuse and yellow-framed windows to give each side a different feel, while giving residents specific unobstructed views of the city and forest. The home, larger than its neighbors, was designed to stand out but also reflect the pitched roof style of the region.

   Since the area is densely built with neighboring houses, Schjelderup Trondahl situated the main living areas on the upper two floors of the home, to give the family more privacy. Each room was uniquely defined by the view it provides, from close up views to distant scenes. The rooms are unified with interior treated plywood flooring and ceilings, and an abundance of natural light through strategic windows.

   The embedded first floor contains extras; a guest bedroom, utility room and another living room which opens onto the yard.

New FBI Florida Headquarters will be completely self-sustaining by 2030.

   The new FBI South Florida Headquarters has recently been constructed and is an impressive combination of both striking design and sustainable engineering. Architects Krueck + Sexton, along with Design-Build contractor Hensel Phelps, with Architect of Record Gensler, designed the building through the GSA Design Excellence Program, which has three objectives: reducing energy and resource consumption, high performance weather, thermal, and air barriers, and access to on-site renewable resources. And it seems they’ve succeeded in all three.

   “This building expresses the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the United States government, while the landscape connects to the native environment by restoring wetlands and vegetation typical of the Everglades,” states Mark Sexton of Krueck + Sexton. The restored wetlands are located on the western courtyard and not open to the public while the eastern courtyard contains a reflecting pool and more traditional landscaping. The building spans over 20 acres of greenery.

   The 375,000 foot structure’s exterior is built entirely of insulated window units which can withstand both hurricane and blast impacts. Not only does this feature provide excellent daylighting, the various glass coatings and metal sunscreens prevent excess glare for workers inside. The roof is adorned with photovoltaic solar panels, which contribute to 20% of the building’s overall energy use and will likely allow the construction to achieve a LEED Platinum Core & Shell certification. These elements, as well as plans for future sustainable additions to the facility, all add up toward to goal of being completely zero-energy by the year 2030.

   The interior lobby captures the awe of visitors with its towering 23-foot sculpture made from cedar wood. The piece, designed by Ursula von Rydingsvard, found its home at the headquarters via the GSA Art-in-Architecture program. Climbing the staircase allows for an intimate look at the details of the sculpture, both inspiring and striking.

   Federal employees in the new FBI South Florida Headquarters can rest assured that they are not only safe in their environment, but that their workplace is doing its part to join the future by using more sustainable and renewable energy resources.

Zaha Hadid unveils sinuous skyscrapers for Australia’s Gold Coast.

   Zaha Hadid Architects just unveiled designs for a pair of proposed sculptural skyscrapers for Mariner’s Cove on Australia’s Gold Coast. Designed with Hadid’s signature sinuous forms, the eye-catching mixed-use towers are tapered at the bottom to minimize the building footprint. The Queensland towers share a striking resemblance to Hadid’s trio of “blossoming” Brisbane towers that were commissioned by Sunland Group—the same developer for the Mariner’s Cove project.

   The two 44-story-tall mixed-use towers will include 370 apartments, ground floor retail, a 69-suite boutique hotel, underground aquarium, art gallery, museum, and outdoor sculpture gardens. Set atop a curved podium, the sculptural skyscrapers are clad in curved glass. The AU$600 million project is Hadid’s second Australian skyscraper design.

   “Each residential tower is designed as if it were an organic, living form, with sinuous lines interlacing upwards from the tapered base, creating a sense of flow and movement. This vibrancy is further brought to life by the reflection and interaction of the glass facade with its stunning Broadwater setting,” said Sunland Managing Director, Sahba Abedian. “The museum’s sweeping organic forms reflect the landscape of its unique location, symbolic of the dunal shapes distinctive to the Broadwater.”

   The project was created for the redevelopment of Mariner’s Cove and is currently awaiting planning approval.

SoNo Architects’ Mountain-View House boasts stunning views of the Austrian Alps.

   SoNo Architects recently completed the Mountain-View House, a beautiful modern home that boasts panoramic views of the Austrian Alps. With its clean lines and minimalist palette, the Mountain-View House is unmistakably contemporary in design; however it also references traditional rural architecture with its gabled roofs. The single-family home is built into a slope and split into three levels, with the middle floor cantilevered out to make the most of the stunning landscape views.



   Located over 880 meters above sea level, the Mountain-View House is situated in a small Austrian village connected with Kitzbuehel, a region famous for skiing. SoNo Architects created the stepped house design to mitigate the site’s steep slope and follow the natural terrain. The house mimics the shapes of the surrounding mountains with its stacked form and angular rooflines.

   Natural materials clad the exterior and interiors. In contrast to the facade’s dark stained wood, the interiors are covered with warm-toned wood surfaces that give the rooms a welcoming atmosphere. The occupants enter the home on the street side from the top-most level. The second floor, located below, is divided into an open-plan kitchen and dining room to the left, and a large private bedroom to the right. Both rooms are faced with large glazed end walls that overlook views of the Alps.



   The lowest level has a darker color palette and is designed as a traditional ‘Zilberstube,’ a room dedicated to celebrations and gatherings. The floor also contains a wine cellar, guest bedrooms, fitness center, and access to an outside terrace. Outdoor living spaces include garden spaces and leisure areas with a sauna and jacuzzi that are carefully placed to follow the natural topography, maximize views of the Alps, and maintain privacy.

Architectkidd’s Blue Bird Hut saves injured birds in Thailand.

   Did you know that nearly 10,000 birds are smuggled in and out of Thailand every year? Design studio ArchitectKidd wants to combat that problem with their brilliant Blue Bird Hut, a small bird shelter made of recycled materials that doubles as an educational display. The bird hut was recently awarded the Holcim Gold prize for sustainable construction for the structure’s use of recycled oil palm fibers—a commonly found agricultural waste in Thailand—and focus on political activism. The design was created as part of Architectkidd’s ongoing research for their Bird Sanctuary project.

   

   Although the Blue Bird Hut was built primarily as a bird sanctuary prototype, its 2.45-meter-tall (8-foot-tall) conic form is large enough to provide shelter for people as well. A metal structure supports the natural palm fiber surface, which not only has thermal and acoustic insulation benefits, but can also serves as a food source and habitat for birds. The fibers were naturally dyed a rich indigo blue. Visitors to the bird hut can use the structure as a bird watch tower by prying apart the fibers to create a viewing window.

   “The intricate construction of the Bird Hut aims to provide an intimate architecture for both human and animal habitat,” writes Architectkidd. “The aim is to create something that can express this co-existence: to see architecture as a form of protection, a method of disguise, and as an expressive body.”