everyday scenes of singapore become 1980s-inspired visuals through nicolas damiens’ lens

The Music Box Residence was designed around the intimate and communal qualities of music and family. The steep lot, with views towards Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier dictated a multi-level structure. On the lowest level, surrounded by concrete walls, resides the timpani rehearsal room. The husband, a member of the Oregon Symphony, required space and acoustic separation for practice. On the main level sits the piano studio where the wife’s students come to learn and play. Her studio opens onto the main living room and covered outdoor living area for recitals and parties. The upper level houses the couple’s children, parents, and guests. Continue up and an electronic roof hatch pivots open, revealing a rooftop deck, complete with commanding views of forest park, the city and mountains beyond. The “U” shaped plan has large volumes on both sides with a glassy two-story entry space in the middle. A long bridge, with a bamboo forest below, leads from the sidewalk to the main entry. The exterior, clad in black stained siding; reminiscent of “shosugi ban,” or charred wood, pays homage to their Japanese ancestry.

Designed for a young couple, the 5,000 sf home and 1,700 sf back house sit on a flat 21,000 sf lot in a 1920’s Palo Alto neighborhood (a few blocks away from Steve Jobs’ residence). The architecture is a study in strong simple composition and is museum-like with its highly refined materiality and emphasis on craft. The massing defines solid and void, captures natural light, and connects the indoors with the landscape, seeking to ‘experience the outdoors from within.’ The ground floor volumes wrapped in an elongated hand-fired brick from Denmark, emphasizing the horizontality of the architecture that lays solidly on the land. Bronze-trimmed ceiling planes slide between the brick masses, and floor-to-ceiling glazed openings are captured by thin-profiled bronze frames. In contrast to the grounded brick volumes, the second floor is clad in stainless steel panels and oversized aluminum-framed windows. The lightness and openness of the second floor is nestled among the oak-tree canopies of the site. At the basement level, a wine cellar and tasting room open to a sunken landscaped courtyard. A 30ft by 10ft continuous pane of glass runs alongside the grand stairwell of floating stone steps, connecting the three levels of the house. Due to the unprecedented size of this glass in residential design, it was custom manufactured in Germany and shipped to California. This dramatic moment in the sequence of progressing through the house helps visitors feel connected to the lush landscape outside. Inside the house, materials such as a custom leather door and bronze anodized details were selected for their unique craftsman-style quality. Another custom-designed element is the steel mesh screen that wraps around to enclose the kitchen for privacy, separating this from the more public “guest hosting” areas adjacent. The steel screen slides along a track embedded into the teak slatted ceiling and disappears into the pantry when retracted. A freestanding structure set deep back into the site is a zen-like fitness/yoga studio as well as a guesthouse with a kitchenette. This dramatic stone mass opens up completely in the center to give the impression of exercising outdoors. The landscape integrates California native plant species, grasses and trees to compliment the materiality of the architecture.

One room that has become more and more central to smart homes across the globe in the last decade or two is the home office. It is technology and changing lifestyles that have allowed us to bring more and more work home with each passing day. The home office is now more than just a […]

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The Ball-Paylore House by architect Arthur T. Brown is captivating – offering guests a true Tucson midcentury modern experience. A stay in the Ball-Paylore House lets you step back in time. Widely published, the 1200 sq. ft, two bedroom architectural landmark has been named one of the most significant examples of Modern Architecture in Arizona. Centrally located within the Historic Catalina Vista neighborhood, the property is close to the UofA and major attractions, entertainment and shopping.