Green magazine offers a fresh and not overly earnest take on sustainability, architecture and landscape design. It gets you thinking about the best ways to reduce your impact, and introduces ingenious ideas you may not have thought about. And it does it in an appealing format that’s stylish as well as accessible. Definitely a favourite on our reading list.
Love the way this idea uses the simple elements of the street to make something extraordinary.
During a recent initial meeting, our clients mentioned to their architect that they really liked the raw, refined style of the local life saving club and suggested they take a look at it together. What My Architect found was a really interesting piece of Australian architecture. Designed by Robert Simeoni, its tea-tree and sand dune setting close to the water offers spectacular views down the coastline and across Port Phillip Bay and a tranquil, soothing atmosphere. It’s truly an architectural gem in the middle of what is, essentially, suburban Melbourne. Definitely worth a visit.
A client of ours introduced this site to us recently. They found it a great place for inspiration about all things to do with design for the home. We couldn’t agree more. Remodelista offers a broad selection of carefully considered options on room fixtures, fittings and accessories, architectural solutions for a range of room types and design styles to suit a variety of different tastes and budgets. Definitely worth a look.
Ahhhhhh…..
That’s the feeling you get when you walk into even the humblest of seaside holiday homes. It may not be the latest thing. It may need a few repairs. But there’s something about it that just makes you feel happy.
Is it nostalgia for childhood Summer holidays? Or that beach houses can’t help but symbolize an escape from the controls and conformity of city life? Or is it simply that they define the feeling of larger spaces, greater freedom and more time to appreciate the sensual aspects of life?
Sure, the feeling may be mostly psychological. But in fact, there are a few common design aspects of beach houses that we should consider incorporating into our city homes to increase our sense of contentment, all year round.
• Go to ground
Beach holidays are often about living ‘closer to the earth’. Shoes become optional. Regular city clothes and full makeup just don’t seem necessary or appealing. Beach living is about paring back to essentials and its architecture often reflects that too. Raw textures, natural light, louvered windows that encourage flow through of breezes, raw timber floorboards, open fireplaces, earthy colours – all of these common beach house features can just as successfully be applied to city homes.
• Let there be light
Never underestimate the power of natural light. Many beach homes have large windows and sliding glass doors to capitalize on the beauty of the surrounding environment. But you don’t need a spectacular view to include them and the benefits of greater natural light (and more fresh air!) are many.
• Say No to neo
Holiday homes are very rarely neo-Georgian, Palladian, Victorian or neo-anything. They are what they are and they’re not trying to be otherwise. There’s an integrity about beach homes that releases us from the desire for pastiche styles and the pseudo grandiose and that’s a welcome soother for the soul.
• Relaaaax
Want to hang your beach towel over the balcony? Fine. Someone’s walked some sand into the house? No big deal. Holiday homes aren’t ever expected to be spotless or ready for their ‘Vogue Living’ close-up – because, well, you’re on holiday! A beautiful home, holiday or otherwise, should be about signs of life and time well spent.
Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for the New Yorker magazine, talks about how architecture ‘is the making of space and the making of memory.’
Love Volkswagon’s thinking on this one. Not only because it persuaded 66% more people to take the stairs rather than use the escalator. But also because it’s about rethinking the everyday and making the most of every moment.
Young Iggy Peck is an architect
and has been since he was two,
when he built a great tower – in only an hour -
with nothing but diapers and glue.
So begins Andrea Beaty’s 2007 children’s classic, ‘Iggy Peck Architect’- the tale of a little boy with big ideas about designing buildings. His architecture-phobic grade 2 teacher, Miss Lila Greer, forbids him to follow his passion. All that changes, of course, when he masterminds a brilliant solution to a problem that leaves his teacher and fellow classmates floored.
David Roberts’ intricate illustrations complement this fun and funny tale that paints architects as problem-solving, humanitarian, out-of-the-box thinkers rather than cravat-wearing egotists! Budding designers of all kinds will love this book.
