Walking In Here Doesn’t Mean Arriving… It Means Slowing Down

Every house demands something different when it comes to design and decorating choices that bring out its very best. In case of the 6House that was completely renovated and given a modern, new interior by Zooco Estudio, it is a double-height living area with bookshelves that reach the top floor that make the biggest impact […]

You’re reading Double-Height Living Area with Awesome Bookshelves Reinvigorates this Madrid Home, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

This is a 150㎡apartment in Taiwan with a strip of horizontal window looking out to the city. The new owner is a three-generation family. The elder favors grandeur, lush marble and rich wood grain; the young couple prefers bright space, light color and relaxing atmosphere. The only common they have is that they need storage and wish to have as much space as possible for children to move freely. We create a neutral background with white ceiling and light wooden floor in which stone and wood-veneer blocks are placed. These blocks are positioned to define space without separate it and serve as storage unit. Sliding-doors and movable-walls convert the space, and hide away secret balcony or chamber in each room. Light flows through the space in between these blocks, and so do the owner’s children. One sees not only the texture of the natural materials, but the spread of light and the panoramic view of the city beyond.

The design strategy of this house is based on a commitment to artisanal constructive honesty, the respect towards natural context in an urban area, and the constant search for a way of inhabiting where material austerity provides spatial quality. The main body of the house is located in the southern boundary of the land, respecting the 3 preexisting fruit trees on the north side and taking advantage of the best ventilation and natural light possible. The program, which includes 2 bedrooms, social area, a family room and services, is condensed in a monolithic block to reduce its footprint. As a main strategy, the upper roof tilts 21 degrees, prioritizing the northern bedroom spaces and reducing the southern service spaces. The subtraction and rotation of a middle segment generates a shift in between the upper floor bedrooms, allowing cross ventilation, as well as the accommodation of rooftop equipment and the plumbing and electrical ducting. In section, the composition allows the circulation of north-south winds, cooling the kitchen by the hot air escape achieved through height differences. The constructive solution contemplates material honesty in all the elements. The concrete walls on ground floor, pured with recycled formwork, give an imperfect finish consistent with the roof’s austerity, but contrasted with the cleanliness and volumetric continuity of the upper floor finish. To reduce economic impact, ceiling and floor finishings and tilings were completely eliminated using bare concrete floors and, in order to express the constructive and structural performance, the roofs use a system of bare concrete joists in combination with vaulted pieces, designed and manufactured using a mold made with local artisan blacksmithing.

The last time we at Decoist explored the terrazzo trend, it was definitely gaining popularity. Yet terrazzo decor was mostly offered by artists and design houses. Now that more time has passed, the look has gone mainstream, which has its pros and cons. One definite pro: affordable terrazzo finds at retailers such as Target and […]

You’re reading Exploring the Terrazzo Trend, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.