Block Architects Blends Ancient and Modern Style in a Vegan House

Located in the highlands with strong sunlight and stunning landscape views. Casa Abovedada is a dome-shaped house located on the island of Chiloe, Chile. The name Casa Abovedada means “Domed house” which directly explains the shape of its mass. Chiloe Island itself is an island that is famous for its unique wooden building style, which is known as the Chilotan architectural style. This typical Chilean wooden architectural style has also been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Casa Abovedada consists of three domed wooden structures connected by walkways to the exterior. The shape of this building can be understood as a set of modules that have different functions in each barrel dome. The central module is a communal area containing common spaces (living room and kitchen) for families and guests. At the north end this module houses the master bedroom which is also considered a second shell to cover the winter garden, while at the south end houses the children's bedroom. These three modules are interconnected by corridors and terraces. From this terrace you can see expansive views of Chile's Patagonia on the horizon. The module form at Casa Abovedada is built with the main material of wood arranged in traditional structures and technologies. The wooden beams are stretched facing different directions to take advantage of the beautiful setting of the house. The floor of this house is also covered with recycled tile material. The modules are designed to be half a floor high which allows plenary use to accommodate the studio space and parents' library. According to the architect, Edward Rojas, the central area is enriched with stained glass windows and the use of a mezzanine that emphasizes the height and the dome as the protagonist of the house. Although the traditional architectural style can be very strong in this house, the simplified shapes and details such as curved or even circular openings give this project a contemporary touch. This house is also almost entirely made of wood material, be it structure, cladding, exterior, to interior finishing. According to the architect, the use of wood and traditional building materials is the main focus of the design which is also following the context of the area around the building.

The Donut Effect is a familiar thing that often happens in Austrian communities. It is the condition where the traffic slowly draws away from town centers via local suppliers on the periphery, leaving the center to die out. Großweikersdorf Community Center is one of the community centers that is fighting back against the donut effect. This building was developed out of the existing row of houses in the square and served as the heart of the new village. This building was made open as a gesture to invite the surrounding community in a friendly manner. Thus, residents and visitors will not only feel welcome but will also be encouraged to move and make maximum use of the building. The strong symmetry to the main square adds gravitas and meaning to the self-evident meeting place. The rotation of the structure and the resulting opening of the site, together with the orientation of the main entrance to the main square, reveals an extraordinarily welcoming attitude. encouraging visitors to explore and discover. The narrow "Winzergassen" (vineyard lanes) offered by the frequent rhythmic shifts in the building's structure provides a charming inner courtyard environment, as well as a communal area to develop a variety of activities. The community center building is divided into 3 parts according to its functions and structures. It is oriented to the main square which is located at the front and is functions as the town hall. The second part of the building consists of a clubhouse, which gives a flexible space for a variety of traditions and activities. In the third part, the eastern part, is a medical center that provides space for up to 5 doctors within a group practice. The overall masses of the building are segmented into several parts. Each of them is shifted to each other. Not only that but the building is also sliced into bites, making it more compatible with the local scale while making it clear to depict the spatial program and functions. The flexibility of the program provides citizens with a variety of options in using the building for community use. The new community center is proposed to play a central role in village activities. It is the antithesis to a mere administrative building and is interpreted as a built manifestation of a lively and active village center.

OFMA Vineyard is located in the Pirque region, south of the city of Santiago in the Maipo River Valley, Chile. This area is one of the areas that is very famous for its wine production. Especially on the northern slopes at one of the foothills, which are lined with vineyards and olives. At this location, architectural studio MAPAA designed a vaulted barrel-shaped concrete office for a family-run wine business in Pirque, Chile. This office building is desired by the client as an office area for the father and son, with each office being independent but still connected through a central room that also functions as a meeting room. In its design Studio MAPAA used pigmented concrete to create the three arched domes above the office. The three domes are elevated above the frame to allow installation in inclined locations. The building is located perpendicular to the hillside with a spatial program arranged through three naves. The division is in the form of offices and meeting rooms in the north, while the main access, reception, bathroom, basement and kitchen are located in the south. The central area which is a common room is oriented around a large Italian rug. The presence of a large work of art in the center of the building, conditions the configuration of its support, a wall, which in turn must have the spacing, height, and sheathing relationships that allow for its correct appearance. MAPAA designed the surrounding walls and ceilings to accommodate this large-scale work of art. The shape of this office building built for the Viña Harás de Pirque vineyard takes cues from the traditional crypts found in the area. The barrel vaults that make the building so iconic also refer to the ancient cellars that were used as wine storage and have become a characteristic of Chile's wine-making tradition. The image of a curved cellar for storing wine was brought to the surface through a new materiality giving rise to the idea of a dome with a wide span without any intermediate supports, yet still able to firmly cover large areas.

The Laweyan is a residential project located in an area called Kampong Laweyan, which is located in the city of SOLO, Indonesia. SOLO is a city of culture and is also full of history about the kingdoms that once triumphed in Indonesia, one of which was the Majapahit Kingdom. In Laweyan village itself, it is famous as a batik-producing area since the 19th century. The original condition at the location of this project is still original like the conditions of the Kampong Laweyan area in the past, namely the high fence walls that form a typical road corridor in the Kampong Laweyan area and also still standing traditional Javanese houses which became a symbol of the prosperity of a batik trader in Kampong Laweyan at that time. The laweyan residential design begins with an understanding of the history in this laweyan area. The architect decided to maintain the surrounding fence wall that forms the road corridor in the Kampong Laweyan area, and to preserve the traditional Javanese traditional house on the site as a form of appreciation for the history that had been built, then to meet the space needs of the occupants, the architect designed a modern building Contemporary that looks simple but elegant to accompany traditional buildings. An interesting challenge when designing the laweyan house is when categorizing the types of traditional Javanese houses, because there are various types of traditional Javanese houses, both in terms of the roof structure and social level. All the details inherent in this traditional Javanese traditional house are recorded and then identified, this is where the design developed. In form, the traditional house has not changed, it is even more beautified, functionally, it is still used to receive guests. The wooden pillars in this traditional house are rearranged with a grid system. Then this grid is used as a guideline for compiling structural columns in new buildings. Batik motifs that have ever been made, are remade by being carved on wooden boards and used as elements of partition walls The new building with a modern contemporary style maximizes wide openings to enjoy the garden and is also visually connected to traditional house buildings, activities in the living room, kitchen dining are visually connected to traditional Javanese traditional houses. With a modern lifestyle, homeowners can enjoy the elegance of traditional Javanese house buildings without losing their historical value Then, as a supporting building that functions as a car park, butler's kitchen, and also a house for household assistants, a 2-story building is made with the ground floor in the basement. This is the second challenge, which is the construction of a basement that borders the riverbank. So the architect made sure beforehand about the flood data from the data center at the local government. In the implementation of the construction, the basement area was built first, in addition to avoiding the arrival of the rainy season, the construction of the basement area is also related to repairs by repairing the surrounding soil retaining structures.