The Role of Used Brick Arrangements in The Bismarck House's Design Concept
Own a house with a concept of openness, connected to the environment, and flexible for a variety of activities was William Dangar's dream. In addition, as a landscape architect, Will also wants his house to be a 'stage' for his gardens.
Bismarck House is covered by a used brick wall.
To make his dream home come true, Will then collaborated with Andrew Burges Architects, David Harrison & Karen McCartney (interior), and Robert Plumb Build. As a result, a house with a 'continuous' concept was created and had the title The Bismarck House. Located in Bondi Rd, Sydney, Australia, The Bismarck House occupies an elongated area and adjoins a not-so-wide road. This position seems to turn off the social interaction between Will’s home and the surrounding environment.
The atmosphere when there is an interaction between The Bismarck House and the surrounding community.
So, the designers tried to get around that condition through the worn brick walls of the demolition of existing buildings. It is the wall that can then restore the relationship between Will's house and the surrounding environment, without having to appear different from his community. Obviously, the big hole in the wall then became a link between the inside of the house and the outer side.
View of the inside of the house from the street.
View of the outdoor conditions of the house from the kitchen.
For people passing by on the street, the large window seemed to frame the cooking activities of the residents of Will's house, because it was located right in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the experience of cooking has also become increasing because you can chat with people outside or just watch the children who are playing. Such conditions were desired by Will as if there was no distance between his home and the outside. Of course, in-depth again, the concept also accommodates Will's desire as a landscape architect.
Implementation of the concept of openness in the design of The Bismarck House.
The connection of people, both inside and outside the house, through the 'openness' of the worn brick wall.
Reminded again, Will wanted to make his house a showcase of his work. Will was obsessed not only with passing the cool scent of his garden into the house but also with pushing it to the outside. Therefore, the use of natural colored materials such as used bricks is the right choice. That way, the plants that Will had beautifully arranged could propagate smoothly, both inside and outside the house.
View of a garden designed by Will in one corner of his house.
One of the trees, namely Bismarck Palm, has not only succeeded in blending with the face of the house but is also able to support the ventilation on the upper floor. An outsider who caught a glimpse of it would also be able to sense the interconnectedness of every element of Will's house. In the end, The Bismarck House can indeed be the answer to Will's every wish about the house.
A house that its inside and outside remain in an unbroken line. A house that can be in harmony with the surrounding environment. Also, a house that is able to bridge communication between its residents and their social community.
The Bismarck House floor plan.
Diagram of The Bismarck House’s continuous concept, which distribution of vegetation along with the house.
Peggy’s Cove | Omar Gandhi Architect
Infrastructure improvements at Peggy's Cove, Canada uphold respect as a basic design theme. Honoring the forces of nature in a barren landscape. Respect the character of the village and local people. Respect the balance between artificial and natural landscapes. It also honors the ability to share in the atmosphere and passion embedded in Canada's iconic landmark, Peggy's Cove.
That respect required Omar Gandhi Architect to continue his designs with a touch of sensitivity. They seek to address many of the old problems that exist around the site and help the community plan infrastructure designs that are sustainable, resilient, but also environmentally friendly in the future. To do so, the project needed to adapt and integrate itself into a variety of contexts, from ancient fishermen's huts in the bay to barren rocky landscapes.
With diverse landscape conditions, building structures in this environment certainly have their challenges. The risk of damage to the built infrastructure is also greater if it is not planned properly. To minimize this, extensive wave modeling was carried out to ensure that the main component is located at a height that can protect from strong waves hitting the shoreline. The placement of the main components at altitude is also useful for dealing with sea-level rise.
The main material used in this design was chosen based on the availability and how familiar the material is with the public. The construction of this project is expected to blend with existing building principles and material culture. Because of this, the new structure was carefully tucked in and etched into the landscape to minimize any other possible impacts and change the traditional view of the use of this area. The new road surface connects the two main access points to the site, providing new connections and opportunities for people to engage in the community, and reinforcing the need for further facilities to support and disperse the crowds of visitors that come each year.
The current that flows through all of this is the impetus to make this new infrastructure fully accessible, the model of accessibility in Nova Scotia. The viewing platform provides a level surface from the drop zone to the parking area, occupying the site of a former ring road which presents accessibility and safety challenges. The viewing platform presents the opportunity for everyone to experience the lighthouse and the unique topography of the elevated and protected zone, opening the use of the site to a much wider audience.
Shiroiya Hotel | Sou Fujimoto
Hotel Shiroiya is located in Maebashi, the Capital of Gunma Province, Japan. The hotel is a living room for local tourists to relax and enjoy art, food, and greenery. As the cultural axis of Maebashi, Hotel Shiroiya also serves as a cultural heritage as the building is a witness to the city's growth and development.
Since the '70s, this hotel building has been standing. This building consists of two main components, namely the 'Heritage Tower' and the 'Green Tower'.
Sou Fujimoto is an architect who has completed the renovation of this hotel by creating an atrium. He lowered the floor to reveal a rough concrete surface, where the stairs interacted with Leandro Erlich's 'Lighting Pipe' reminiscent of the trail of water pipes running through old buildings in the past. This section is referred to as the 'Tower of Inheritance' which is over 300 years old.
In addition, Fujimoto also designed a new building called the 'Green Tower' with a typical view of the area on the banks of the Tone River, which is in the form of small hills.
Upon entering the building, visitors will be greeted by the artworks of Lawrence Weiner and Hiroshi Sugimoto upon entering this place. Each guest room also exhibits unique artwork from local and international artists such as Tatsuo Miyajima and Ryan Gander, so that visitors feel as if they are visiting a museum.
Katamama | Andra Matin
PTT Family has completed its first hotel designed by Andra Matin. This world-famous subsidiary of Potato Head Beach Club provides its parent company with a different and bigger canvas to showcase its creativity and vision. This is a rare project that involves handcrafted custom work on a large scale. Katamama is a truly bespoke masterpiece.
the high and big lobby area
Andra Matin designed and realized the Katamama in collaboration with interior designer Ronald Akili, CEO of PTT Family, PTT Family Team, and Singapore-based design firm Takenouchi Webb.
visitor-friendly contemporary interior design
Katamama adopts a contemporary design that draws on elements of the Balinese lifestyle and lush green gardens that reflect the island's natural beauty. The exterior of Katamama takes cues and the practice of tri angga in Balinese buildings—a concept where the structure of space can reflect the harmony between the building and its occupants.
a green garden area where plants thrive
When entering the building, visitors or guests can see the swimming pool and the surrounding landscape because Katamama has a high lobby. Andra Matin describes the downstairs rooms as an 'introverted' persona, with secluded garden views. The vision of the building itself is to allow guests to see different angles of the landscape from each level of the hotel.
the bed facing the balcony
bar area with elongated tables
“The idea behind Katamama is to represent Bali. It should feel Balinese, but modern at the same time. The main concept is 'modern' architecture; the 60's and 70's. It's very geometric. And these days, almost every hotel in Bali is planned with curved lines. It was very unusual,” said Andra Matin.
the natural brick wall on one side of the hotel room
As one of Indonesia's leading entrepreneurs, Akili is known for his passion for the medieval look on the interior design, fittings, and furnishings of Katamama that reflect this concept-focused hospitality. The raw brickwork of the walls is highlighted in the suite and wide planks of teak are used for the flooring. Other wall cladding includes solid wood slats finished with rough, pale plaster.
the contemporary feel is very thick and comfortable to look at
The main room in the suite is an open-plan design with the bathroom separated by a set of decorative sliding panels that can be opened to make the bathroom part of the main room. Each bedroom overlooks a balcony terrace with a daybed, table, and chairs extending the space, with the same handcrafted bricks extending out from the bedroom walls.
can see directly the view of the beach at sunset
large glass openings to see the view freely and natural light
ground floor plan
building section