See-although Glass Box Property Has Very Best Views Of The Forest

Even though this is not specifically a residential design and style, it really is a fantastic example of how a stunning forest property can be constructed, to be in harmony with nature and to get the most of the forest views. Positioned in a pine tree forest in Ottignies, Belgium, this project is dedicated to men and women with low physical mobility. Belgian firm Artau Architecture conceived this place as a glass box that gets fully lost among the tall trees that it mirrors in its windows. Accessible by a extended and winding wooden bridge, the pavilion sits on stilts, half a meter above the ground. This way there is a minimum influence to the website, and the building integrates into nature rather than dominate it. The shape of the house is a rectangular box, with all the vertical sides in glass on a metallic frame. The two extremities of the box are open, generating symmetrical covered terraces. Inside the space is open, favoring the simple circulation of folks in wheelchairs. Nature can be contemplated through the massive glazed wall from each and every point of the home. The really tall pine trees actually give a quite very good thought of the scale between man and nature, exactly where nature is great and overwhelming and man is small and significantly less important. Inside the glass box there are smaller boxes in red plywood, enclosing the toilets and the educators’; offices.

The vertical structures of the supporting pillars and of the metallic frame have the exact same rhythm like the tall trees, creating harmony in between constructing and nature.

The vegetation is mirrored in the glass walls on all sides, hence camouflaging the house completely.

The structure is fully see-by way of from many angles.

Boxes in a box, the red plywood enclosures separate the couple of spaces that require privacy, such as the toilets and the offices.

This elevation drawing shows how well the developing has been integrated to the internet site.

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Small Forest Cabin Created And Constructed With Environmental Requirements

At only 135m2, the Ex House is a cabin retreat with just the basic needs, but that’;s OK because, although it is located in a secluded section of a dense forest within the Somosierra Mountain Range in Castillejo de Mesleon, Segovia, Spain, the property is only 1km away from the N1 highway for a 1hr supply run to Madrid. The name “Ex House” was coined by the clients of Garciagerman Arquitectos as a reference to the leaving behind of urban routines. The name verbalizes the client’;s wish to embrace nature while they distance themselves from the downtown Madrid lifestyle.

Although Ex House sits within a dense forest, the architects where able to position it to take advantage of views South towards the granite Somosierra and La Pinilla peaks and North to the reddish sediment plains thereby presenting a landscape of geological transition.

The building systems used incorporated high tech construction methods with a focus on sustainability towards both the processes and materials used. The choice of wood as a building material offers isolative qualities, ease of handling and waste reduction via the prefab process, but it is also a cultural and somatic choice. The prefab high strength cross laminated wood panels where modulated to fit within one truck drive from the Austrian factory and the ability to contain the materials to only one vehicle also lowered the construction footprint. Once on site 3 skilled workers where able to assemble the panels on site within a 5-day period. This helped reduce the complete construction time down to 3 months rather then the average 14 months.

The home is built without earthworks and placed in the shade of a group of trees. Facades consist of 16cm wide toothed wooden planks made from local Valsain (Segovia) Pine which is an 16th century building tradition from the Austrian dynasty no longer in use. This combination of high tech prefabrication used in conjunction with ancient materials creates a background story perfect for the young couple to embrace their simpler life of wood heating, vegetable gardens and septic tank. Additional “green” choices the architects and clients adapted where the uses of 18cm mineral wool thermal insulation, triple gas filled anodized aluminum glazing +12+4mm and green roofs with a multiplayer cover.

While the architects and their clients approached this tiny cabin from the view point of low impact and simplicity of lifestyle, the final design of the home still manages to present a facade of contemporary geometric appeal. The simple prefabricated steel entry stairwell powder coated in white is a bold modern choice as is the large void above it. These two features alone state that while the homeowners respect and nurture the land, they also want to do so in a stylish and sophisticated manner.

A second stairwell within the home continues the white steel story, but here it is less of a statement against the white walls and floors of the abode. These expanses of white keep the wood walls from overwhelming the small space.

The living zone of the cabin features a large a 4.5m window glazing creating one of two same sized view locations on opposite sides of the central square plan living area. While the views create a stunning panorama to the North, the double height stovepipe presents its own drama within the space.

With the small size of the cabin and the expansive views, the homeowners chose to locate their dining table against the back of the couch so that whether lounging or eating, the views are always the focal point.

The second of the two 4.5m glazings leads out to a second dining area, only this one is el fresco. Created within a void in the exterior facade, the deck presents a sheltered and protected place to enjoy the natural surroundings of the Pine forest.

The deck leads out to the back garden where a hammock swings lazily amongst the trees. The setting is both peaceful and invigorating but if a more private moment is preferred, a pair of outdoor drapes can be pulled shut.

Back inside the Ex House, the kitchen is a simple design of wood counter and backsplash, a long and low window and black walls. There is also a woven rug boasting one of the few colour splashes used in the cabin and this saturated hue showcases the homeowners fun side.

Beside the counter is a beautiful wood fueled cooking stove. Due to the heat emanating from a wood fuelled stove, there needs to be clearance all around it and so the architect cleverly placed it into its own zone with a wall mounted shelf behind. Adding to the ambiance of this corner is the phrase “La Colombina, Herzlich willkommen bei uns zuhause bienvenidos a nuestra casa” stenciled on the vertical wood cladding behind it. Essentially it means “Welcome to our home”.

The bathroom is as unconventional as the kitchen and features a vintage workbench for the vanity. The rustic appeal of the bench brings a sense of historic charm to the space, but modern convenience is not forgot when it coes to the walk in shower stall.

All but the bedroom are located on the main level of the Ex House and the steel staircase located in the living room is the connector to that private zone. It also leads to a mezzanine with both its own window for outdoor gazing and a viewing station to the living area below.

The cabin is definitely small, but the great outdoors is anything and since it is just a hop skip and jump away, the forest retreat is as big as you want it to be.

Even looking up, the sense of unlimited space is profoundly evident.

With the combination of high tech building processes applied to 16th century building materials in a natural forested retreat only an hours drive from Madrid, the architect’;s clients can be comfortable knowing that Garciagerman Arquitectos creatively combined the old with the new while being respectful of the natural surroundings via sustainable building choices. Well done.

Garciagerman Arquitectos

Photography by Jorge Lopez Conde

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Small Forest Cabin Designed And Built With Environmental Standards

At only 135m2, the Ex House is a cabin retreat with just the basic needs, but that’;s OK because, although it is located in a secluded section of a dense forest within the Somosierra Mountain Range in Castillejo de Mesleon, Segovia, Spain, the property is only 1km away from the N1 highway for a 1hr supply run to Madrid. The name “Ex House” was coined by the clients of Garciagerman Arquitectos as a reference to the leaving behind of urban routines. The name verbalizes the client’;s wish to embrace nature while they distance themselves from the downtown Madrid lifestyle.

Although Ex House sits within a dense forest, the architects where able to position it to take advantage of views South towards the granite Somosierra and La Pinilla peaks and North to the reddish sediment plains thereby presenting a landscape of geological transition.

The building systems used incorporated high tech construction methods with a focus on sustainability towards both the processes and materials used. The choice of wood as a building material offers isolative qualities, ease of handling and waste reduction via the prefab process, but it is also a cultural and somatic choice. The prefab high strength cross laminated wood panels where modulated to fit within one truck drive from the Austrian factory and the ability to contain the materials to only one vehicle also lowered the construction footprint. Once on site 3 skilled workers where able to assemble the panels on site within a 5-day period. This helped reduce the complete construction time down to 3 months rather then the average 14 months.

The home is built without earthworks and placed in the shade of a group of trees. Facades consist of 16cm wide toothed wooden planks made from local Valsain (Segovia) Pine which is an 16th century building tradition from the Austrian dynasty no longer in use. This combination of high tech prefabrication used in conjunction with ancient materials creates a background story perfect for the young couple to embrace their simpler life of wood heating, vegetable gardens and septic tank. Additional “green” choices the architects and clients adapted where the uses of 18cm mineral wool thermal insulation, triple gas filled anodized aluminum glazing +12+4mm and green roofs with a multiplayer cover.

While the architects and their clients approached this tiny cabin from the view point of low impact and simplicity of lifestyle, the final design of the home still manages to present a facade of contemporary geometric appeal. The simple prefabricated steel entry stairwell powder coated in white is a bold modern choice as is the large void above it. These two features alone state that while the homeowners respect and nurture the land, they also want to do so in a stylish and sophisticated manner.

A second stairwell within the home continues the white steel story, but here it is less of a statement against the white walls and floors of the abode. These expanses of white keep the wood walls from overwhelming the small space.

The living zone of the cabin features a large a 4.5m window glazing creating one of two same sized view locations on opposite sides of the central square plan living area. While the views create a stunning panorama to the North, the double height stovepipe presents its own drama within the space.

With the small size of the cabin and the expansive views, the homeowners chose to locate their dining table against the back of the couch so that whether lounging or eating, the views are always the focal point.

The second of the two 4.5m glazings leads out to a second dining area, only this one is el fresco. Created within a void in the exterior facade, the deck presents a sheltered and protected place to enjoy the natural surroundings of the Pine forest.

The deck leads out to the back garden where a hammock swings lazily amongst the trees. The setting is both peaceful and invigorating but if a more private moment is preferred, a pair of outdoor drapes can be pulled shut.

Back inside the Ex House, the kitchen is a simple design of wood counter and backsplash, a long and low window and black walls. There is also a woven rug boasting one of the few colour splashes used in the cabin and this saturated hue showcases the homeowners fun side.

Beside the counter is a beautiful wood fueled cooking stove. Due to the heat emanating from a wood fuelled stove, there needs to be clearance all around it and so the architect cleverly placed it into its own zone with a wall mounted shelf behind. Adding to the ambiance of this corner is the phrase “La Colombina, Herzlich willkommen bei uns zuhause bienvenidos a nuestra casa” stenciled on the vertical wood cladding behind it. Essentially it means “Welcome to our home”.

The bathroom is as unconventional as the kitchen and features a vintage workbench for the vanity. The rustic appeal of the bench brings a sense of historic charm to the space, but modern convenience is not forgot when it coes to the walk in shower stall.

All but the bedroom are located on the main level of the Ex House and the steel staircase located in the living room is the connector to that private zone. It also leads to a mezzanine with both its own window for outdoor gazing and a viewing station to the living area below.

The cabin is definitely small, but the great outdoors is anything and since it is just a hop skip and jump away, the forest retreat is as big as you want it to be.

Even looking up, the sense of unlimited space is profoundly evident.

With the combination of high tech building processes applied to 16th century building materials in a natural forested retreat only an hours drive from Madrid, the architect’;s clients can be comfortable knowing that Garciagerman Arquitectos creatively combined the old with the new while being respectful of the natural surroundings via sustainable building choices. Well done.

Garciagerman Arquitectos

Photography by Jorge Lopez Conde

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Concrete And Steel Summer Season Residence Tucked Into Pine Forest

Situated in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pedroso Property by BAK Arquitectos is situated in the corner of dense Pine forest on a internet site that changes elevation 2.5m from its highest to its lowest point. The client’;s short to the architects was to produce a summer season property that integrated outside extensions with storage for beach items, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open floor strategy for the social zones and an integrated kitchen – all this with minimal influence on the surrounding landscape.

Due to the topography of the land and the client’;s want to have minimal influence on it, the entry was positioned on a ground level volume that runs parallel with the street. This allowed the architects to displace as small vegetation as possible, keeping the integrity of the forest treeline. With the place of the building web site determined, the next decision was how to maximize the space within the property whilst minimizing the footprint inside the land. The architects chose to elevate the social volume for privacy from the road even though at the identical time placing each and every of the bedrooms a split-level up and down from the social zone.

The home owners enter their house by climbing a tiny flight of 4 concrete stairs and as soon as inside, they can continue up a half level to the upper bedroom and bathroom, they can go down a half flight of stairs to the principal bedroom buried in the surrounding dune, or travel forward into the massive open floor strategy consisting of living, dining and kitchen places.

The social zone of the residence features big quantity of glazings each towards the front and backyards. The front glazings are lengthy and low, producing a sense of privacy although nonetheless enabling the home owners to see all those arriving. The back glazings are massive and expansive and open up to a split level deck. The glazings are framed with a dark bronze anodized aluminum,the walls and ceilings showcase exposed concrete building, even though the internal walls hide hollow brick that is plastered and then painted. The floors are concrete screed cloths divided by plates of aluminum and the heating program is comprised of numerous components. With no organic gas in the locale, the property owners rely on salamander, bottled gas stoves and electric stoves.

The outdoor decks function enclosure beams and pine wood decking. The flat planes of the roof are supported by concrete reversed beams and are not truly flat but are sloped minimally to generate more quickly rainwater runoff. The concrete is mixed with h21 fluidizer, a mixture with low amount of water that when forged has a far more compact composition.

The deck connected to the social volume leads each out to the forest beyond and down to a lower deck just outdoors the Master Bedroom. This reduced deck is beneath grade and delivers outdoor storage situated under the social volume for effortless storage of beach equipment.

The Master Bedroom attributes constructed in concrete shelving on the walls but has a classic queen bed frame, unlike the other bedroom that has poured in place perforated concrete and cantilever slabs for the two beds within it. Most of the furnishings in the Pedroso Home are poured in spot concrete with the exception of the queen bed, armchairs, chairs and a couple of other furnishings.

Even the ensuite functions a poured in location concrete vanity. With the space getting located beneath grade, clerestory windows are used to let the organic daylight to penetrate the room.

Whilst there is an internal staircase to arrive back up at the social zone, the property owners have a far far more fascinating – and possibly shorter – passage via the outside concrete stairwell that connects the two decks. Once on the upper deck access is presented via 4 large sliding glass panels that stack together for a wide open connection or close up allowing just adequate area for a particular person to pass by means of. The homeowner can therefore simply access either the kitchen, dining or living spaces.

The dining region characteristics a poured concrete table with a central pedestal as nicely as a concrete shelf above the table for incidentals. The constructed in shelf continues past the divider wall to become both a serving counter and a bar overhang to the kitchen counter under. The kitchen cabinets quit quick of the wall, allowing the low span of window glazing to continue uninterrupted.

Most of the social zone includes long and linear lines following the length of the residence with the kitchen cabinetry, bar leading and fireplace façade supplying some of the few spans crossing the width of the house.

The kitchen cabinetry runs along the outdoors finish wall of the Pedroso Residence with views towards the highest elevations inside the website program. These views also feature some of the pine trees that other architects or builders might have removed in the process of building and it is only with the careful planning and forethought of BAK Arquitectos that the home owners are fortunate adequate to have this bit of nature in such close proximity.

BAK Arquitectos took their client’;s brief of generating a summer house with minimal disturbance to the surrounding Pine Forest and developed for them a house that snuggles respectfully into the land. There is no sign of construction disturbance, only a hill that hugs the property and trees that preside more than it.

BAK Arquitectos
Photography by Gustavo Sosa Pinills

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