I always dreamt of living in a mid-century home, which is probably why I enjoy so much the Home Sweet Home series by Jenn Ski. Several weeks ago, renowned photographer Bob O’Connor took pictures of her interior. She put a couple of her blog but you will see more on the blog of Real Simple on a post written by Holly Becker.

+ photos by Bob O’Connor

This project illustrates the versatility of stickers. Out of necessity emerged an awesome way to add character to a two-story house extension. Rules regarding overlooking dictates a 75% opacity for second-story spaces. The gorgeous UV stable stickers simulate a grouping of mature trees. The stickers cost way less than any curtains or screens.

I love it when somebody find an artistic and efficient solution to an every day problem. I am not alone who appreciated their clever solution since they won the Master Builders national award 2008, the Master Builders Victorian award 2008, the best renovations of 2007 of The AGE and made Mocoloco’s top 5 for 2007.

+ photo by Peter Bennetts for Maynard Architects
+ via 2Modern Design Talk and  Acquitectura Arkinetia

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I like the curly lines of this modern architecture house designed by Johnston Marklee. I am not convinced about the practicality of a house that denies the traditional front, side, and rear yard designations but we have to admire the play on geometric forms. I wonder about the wisdom of needing instructions to find out on which door you need to knock when you come to visit. Many a proper landscaping could direct guests.

A totally round house is impractical when it comes to furnishing. For this project, the architect has taken into account the need for square angles, a must for any kitchen. Have a look, the portfolio of Johnston Marlee is filled with innovative design.

MORE:
+ via CoolBoom

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In case you missed it, the November 2009 issue of Wallpaper showcased forty of the best things from ten of their favorite global destinations. You will find the best from USA, Canada, UK, Scandinavia, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Brazil and Japan.

From Canada, I discover a few names that I did not know. On the architecture front, I love the work by Süperkul in Toronto. I am fond of the cottage they designed on an island in Georgian Bay. This is my type of cottage by the lake.

The best of the SHIFT cottage by Süperkul?

The SHIFT cottage has a must have feature for a summer place. It is a bridge to link the private and public areas. One volume contains the living spaces while a second section is dedicated to sleeping and washing areas. This allows you to have friends over for the weekend but keep your privacy when you feel like it.

Another good luxury is the wood deck terraces that fold into the island on three sides. Who would not want to read a book in this living room?

I am sure that I will present you more fabulous designers from their listing over the next few weeks.

MORE:
+ SHIFT cottage by süperkul architect
+ Fab 40: Canada on Wallpaper

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I love the sight of no boundary between inside and outside. It makes sense in Singapore to build an awesome continuous terrace like this. I would gladly take my morning coffee sitting in the front bamboo garden. And have a look at their modern gallery kitchen. We would never guess that this is the interior of an Art deco terrace house.

The renovation of 31 Blair Road was completed in 2008 by Ong & Ong, a design studio specialized in architecture, interior design and landscape design.

+ Photos are by Tim Nolan for Ong & Ong
+ via Dezeen

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I love this sight. I imagine hours of pleasures swimming on this rooftop pool in Mexico designed by Tatiano Bilbao. This beach house is unique. It is build to not disturb the coastal scenery. We can see that countries have different rules regarding safety since they are not railing.

The floor plan is quite unique. This beach house designed for the artist Gabriel Orozco’s family is out of the ordinary. The house is organized around the concept of camping. Like a tent, you must exit each room to the exterior in order to get to another room, such as the toilet or kitchen.

Plus it is not the first time that Tatiano Bilbao plays with multilevel spaces and strategically block and uncover views along the way. We can see it in the exhibition pavilion for the 2006 Jinhua Architecture Park in China.

Tatiano Bilbao has an impressive portfolio. Many of their buildings are innovative and very creative. They do residential, commercial and institutional buildings. Architecture Record did a nice interview with her.

MORE:
+ Tatiano Bilbao
+ Via Top Design News
+ Thanks to my friend Gabrielle Chalifoux for tweeting me this fabulous summer home

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Now a part of Dwell Homes Collection, the Skyline Series designed by Marmol Radziner is a mix and match system of four floor plans. Overall, it creates six unique homes suitable for typical urban lots. You can choose one story home with two bedrooms up to a two story home with six bedrooms.

About the Plan

The floor plans are designed to fit the width of typical urban lots. The house runs to the back of your lot. The outdoor living spaces are located on the sides. Tree edges and fencing can preserve your privacy. The indoor/outdoor living experience is well thought. The great room next to the terrace calls for having guests over for a dinner party. It should be great to relax there.

I am telling you right away. This prefab modern houses with green elements are not cheap. It falls into the sustainable, good design, high end market. The smaller house is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house that starts at $550,000 ($313 per square feet). The sustainable design elements include responsible woods, recycled materials, low VOC paint, insulated glass, optional grid-connected solar panels, and energy efficient appliances.

Will it sell?

Besides the typical advantages of prefab construction over on-site construction, modern prefab construction solve typical problems when it comes to modern architecture housing. In many cities, you will have a hard time finding many architects with a huge portfolio of modern architecture houses. Moreover, finding a construction crew with hand-on experience building modern architecture houses is probably harder. The craftsmanship on a modern architecture house is more demanding. It is about straight lines with no ornamentation to hide the imperfections. This is why I think it is easier to get the required level of precision on a manufacturing line.

But to succeed, the prefab movement will have to go over the stigma of low housing. These are high end prefab construction. I welcome them but I am not convinced that the market is ready for it. I hope the buyers will welcome them.

+ Skyline Series by Marmol Radziner

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Since we are celebrating Canada Day and the Fourth of July this week, let’s talks about preserving our cultural heritage. Our history is also expressed through residential architecture. After all, how we imagined and designed our neighborhoods and the houses we are living in is linked to what is going in our society. They reflect our values.

The Story of Crestwood Hills in West LA.

As you can see, those were affordable housing with a modern architecture. They were part of a community initiated by the Mutual Housing Association. The community is better known as Crestwood Hills in West LA. Out of the 150 houses that were built, a lit bit more than 30 houses still exist today.

There is hope to protect that era since so far 16 homes in Crestwood Hills are currently declared Historic-Cultural Monuments by the City of Los Angeles thanks to the initiative of architect and Crestwood Hills Association board member Cory Buckner. This post-war II modern housing community was designed by architect A. Quincy Jones and Whitney R. Smith.

Cory Buckner worked as an architect of several restorations and alterations of these houses to bring them back to their original glory. She also published a book about the work of A. Quincy Jones. Buckner lives with her husband in one of the original houses. She worked hard since 1996 so that Los Angeles recognized the historical value of the mid-century houses in Crestwood Hills. I am glad that she succeed. I would love to live in one of these houses.

I invite you to read an old article on Dwell about the story of this community and the efforts of Cory Buckner. The photos by Darcy Hemley come from the article on Dwell.

MORE:
+ Blog of Crestwood Hills
+ Cory Buckner
+ A. Quincy Jones by Cory Buckner $22.76 USD at Amazon.com

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When it comes to a second house I feel that small is beautiful. You often own this place to relax. The best way to do it is with a low maintenance house. A smaller house means less time is passed on regular cleaning.

It should not be too small. Make sure to analyze correctly your needs and their frequencies. Challenges your preconceptions. Not having the right furniture for a place or not maximizing the usage with double-duty furniture is one reason a small house may feel crowded. Look at you can nicely entertain for a cocktail in a 16 x 24 feet house plan.

As a fan of the prefabricated modern house movement, these pictures speak to me. The modules can measure between 12 to 24 feet with the size growing  by 4 feet increment. You can put modules side by side or one module over another to suit your lot.

The V2 flat house was featured on a previous Dwell On Design Conference in Los Angeles. I wish I could go to Dwell on Design this year but we elected to go to San Francisco a few days before instead. There are too many conferences. It will be for another time. If you are interested in assisting the Dwell On Design Conference, read this to see all the ticket options.

MORE:
+ V2 World – July 8th, 2009 update: there is a problem with the link

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The Maison en U (U-house) is not the typical residential project that you imagine in Montreal. This is the perfect example of how you can adapt modern architecture to our colder climate. The architect Natalie Dionne took into account the 25-foot width of her neighbors’ houses. Using black bricks and the long narrow window for the addition convey a modern character to the house.

The U-shaped plan seemly integrates interior and exterior spaces with a garage door on the living room and a long wall door on the dining room. This is family house. The architect, her partner and their 5-year old daughter live comfortably in the space. I know that at the time they started the construction her partner worked in the movies industry. We can spot the influence in the various art pieces displayed across the house.

I learned about this house last January when Harry selected it for his Best MoCo Architecture This Week column. When I saw that we could visit it in the program of Design Montreal, I immediately add it to my must-see itinerary.

Let me tell you that I was not disappointed. Originally it was exiting small industrial building next to a rare vacant lot. By merging the lots and building an addition at both extremities, Natalie Dionne created a u-shaped plan. The back addition serves as her architect studio. The front addition became the dining room on the first floor. On the second floor, the front addition hosts the master bathroom and bedroom.

Ingenuity mixed with chance solves a space problem in the master bathroom suite. There was not enough space for proper door clearance. A specialty hinge holds the key. That hinge enables the two doors of the bathroom cabinets (1) to act as the bathroom doors (2 and 3). When you are inside the bathroom, the cabinets become open shelving units (2). As a bonus, this elegant double-duty solution saves on materials.

The open spaces could fit a large crowd for a party. The flow between rooms is well thought. It may not have a pool as the Moine Urbain’s house but the backyard is still a place where you will like to hang on.

Now that I know it, I recognized her style at Le Cartet, a restaurant Natalie Dionne designed in 2008. Le Cartet is reputed for its excellent brunch menu. I had delicious lunches there too.

The U-house (Maison en U) is in nomination for the 2009 competition by L’Ordre des Architectes du Quebec. You can vote for the Maison en U here. I did because we do not see enough of this type of project done in the city of Montreal.

MORE:
+ NDA, Natalie Dionne Architecture
+ Get directions to Le Cartet (514) 871-8887
106 McGill Street, Montreal, QC, Canada, H2Y 2E5

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I could not decide the winner between number 1 and 2 for the places I visited last Sunday during the Open Door event of Design Montreal. Since it is time for my eco-friendly column, I will talk about Moine Urbain. It is fun to take pictures when the subject is so amazing. Enjoy the views!

Founded by the multidisciplinary artist and artisan Mario Lafrenais, Moine Urbain works with rock, wood, steel and glass. They specialize in making minimalist but very functional kitchen and bathrooms. Mario created an awesome collection of bathtubs, sinks and kitchen island top surface made with Saint-Marc rock. Moine Urbain’s collection is organic and the Saint-Rock rock feels so soft to the touch. You can also hire them for custom made pieces. A man offered his wife a custom-made bath to make sure that she will be comfortable in it. How romantic!

Mario rethinks the function of the objects. He favors minimalist design. He works on every details making sure the soap holder and the holder fits into the design both aesthetically and functionally.

A Glimpse at His Green House

Like many designers, his studio is attached to his residence. We had a glimpse of his house by going his stunning backyard. He talked to us about the many green features of his house from solar panels to using combustion stove as an added heat source during the winter to his salt-water pool in the heart in the city. He lives in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal borough in Montreal. I do not recalled the details of his heating system but it done in an environmentally manner.

I love his outdoor dining room furniture. It is a great place for outdoor entertaining.

MORE:
+ Moine Urbain – site in French only
+ If you did not read it, check out the 3rd place: my take on Loft Encadrex

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For the third year in a row, Montreal designers opened their doors to let us discover their latest creations and chatted with them. On this sunny Sunday afternoon, my husband and I went to see a few architecture and interior design projects in the heart of Montreal. I will show you my three “coups de coeur”, meaning favorite, of what I have seen in a series of posts.

The third place goes to the superb Loft perched on top of Encadrex, an artisan framing studio with a gallery. The architects at Smith Vigeant imagined this new construction done on the roof of an existing building. Glass walls, an impressive view and a daring design characterized the interior design. The terrace on the roof is awesome.

The minimal kitchen looks great but lack some practicalities to be a cook kitchen. Wrought iron is used in unusual places: as a wall covering in the living room and as a kitchen hood box. The glass shower with a skylight sits in the middle of the room. The interior design of this modern loft would fit the lifestyle of a bachelor and a couple without children.

Stay tuned for two more posts to see the runner up and the top place of my Sunday visit.

MORE:
+ 2009 Design Montreal Open Doors event

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