An Unconventional ‘Folded House’, Japan

Kyoto-based design studio Alphaville have completed the Folded House project. The three-storey, contemporary property can be found in Osaka, Japan.

According to the architects: This contemporary Japanese home belongs to a couple and their pet cats. The typical method for designing a house would assign rectangular rooms with specific functions and lay out them. Such a design produces a series of rooms of similar size and causes monotonous spatial experiences. Our approach was to avoid the conventional design practice and to create a structurally rational but spatially heterogeneous contemporary Japanese house.

“On the assumption that there is a human being within the optimal spatial coordinates resulted from the site and living requirements, we used Voronoi line segments that divide equally the shortest distance to create spaces.The actual trial and error involved the full use of 3D-CAD. First, the building’s shape was squashed in a parallelogram in order to keep an adequate distance from the site’s borders. Second, the center wall was folded to divide the space into two, diagonal to the site on the first floor and parallel to the site on the third floor. Next, the floors were skipped, and. The final step was to slope the roof. In this way, various spaces came to be created so that continuous changes can be experienced as one moves along or through the bent wall (the way of folding diagram).

“The slits on east elevation that run from first to third floor introduces direct light into the space reflecting the folded wall beautifully through the highly rational structure with minimum wall girders. At the same time, the slit on west elevation bring indirect light through the openings from behind the folded wall. Therefore while the space along the folded wall is an interior space filled with direct light, it also has an outdoor- space-like feeling facing folded walls with shining openings reflected by indirect light (light distribution diagram).

“We imagined a life in a building situated in a medium-density city where multiple buildings are connected via exterior in a loose relationship among man, building and nature, unlike in a city where each building is confined to each specific site. In that sense, although what we proposed here is a contemporary Japanese house for a single family, this design model is also applicable to larger buildings such as collective housings, offices, or multi-use complexes in a rational and versatile way.”

Contemporary Hijauan House, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur-based design studio Twenty-Nine Design has completed the Hijauan House. This beautiful two-storey contemporary property can be found in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

According to the architects: “Situated on a small plot in a mature residential development, we took the Malay term ‘Hijau’ meaning ‘green’ as our design directive.  Our aim was to avoid chopping a single tree on site.  As such, the contemporary Malaysian house notches its way around the existing greenery, especially the two majestic 50 year old mango trees along the side boundary.

“The ground floor of this contemporary Malaysian house is all glass, and can be opened up to the tropical elements. The 1st floor bedrooms are shielded from the sun with timber screens as well as the tree foliage all around.  The massing of the house has been carved out all around with courtyards that bring in light, air, and green, making for tropical spaces that breather.”

The Luxurious Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives

The Maldives is paradise, where the view shifts as easily as the sands between the toes and where the sounds of aquatic bliss carry on the trade winds. It is not just the magic of sight and sound. The Maldives is about touch too, like the gentle caress of warm waves, the pleasant tickle of exotic fish and the embrace of warm evening breezes.

The brightest gem in the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean, Villingili Island is a haven for those seeking their own Shangri-La.

The luxury island of Maldives, like sapphire and emerald earrings off the colourful face of South Asia, is heaven, and a luxury resort has evolved in a special corner of this island paradise.

Located south of the equator on Villingili Island, on the southernmost tip of Addu Atoll, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives offers guests a stylish and luxurious experience in a spacious and boutique-style environment. As one of the best-equipped luxury resorts in the Maldives, guests can enjoy a range of spa and leisure activities and an array of exciting dining and entertainment facilities. There are over six kilometres of picturesque coastline to enjoy, with nearly two kilometres of beautiful white sandy beach. There are lagoon beaches on the western shore of the island and a surf beach on the eastern side.

From private ocean retreats to tropical tree house villas – unique to the Maldives – with panoramic views, accommodation is available in seven distinct styles, each equipped with an iPod docking station and other luxurious amenities.

The sensory pleasures of eating and drinking are well catered for on the luxury Maldivian resort. Dr. Ali’s leads the restaurant selection with three distinctive living rooms that focus on fine cuisine from the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea and the Arabian Gulf. Those seeking an experience with a difference are invited to take a cruise on a luxury yacht for lunch on the equator.

The luxury Maldivian resort and spa, is a 70-minute flight from Malé, which has around-the-clock flights from the domestic airport and is an eight-minute boat ride from Gan International Airport on Addu Atoll.

Revel in the Serenity of Sublime Samana, Dominican Republic

Caressing the crystal-clear waters of the Samana Peninsula, Sublime Samana Hotel & Residence, is the newest addition to Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s exclusive portfolio of boutique hotels in the Caribbean. The exquisitely designed property opened in early March 2012 and offers guests access to a collection of 20 private suites and casitas nestled on the Dominican Republic’s most dazzling and remote beaches.

The Samana province of the island’s northeastern coast remains one of the most undiscovered, unspoiled natural habitats of the Dominican Republic, and notably the Caribbean as a whole. In a setting surrounded by a backdrop of lush, tropical mountains, guests can enjoy unparalleled seclusion, while swimming through sparkling turquoise waters and relaxing in luxurious shaded sunbeds that virtually hover above the property’s serene pools.

The stunning casitas and main residential building seamlessly mesh a brilliantly modern architectural scheme with the natural landscape, serving as the perfect frame for the spectacular interconnected pools that flow only steps from villa doors. The spacious architect-designed private suites and casitas offer unwavering luxury with open floor plans that allow for a peaceful immersion with the wondrous sights and sounds of the magically exotic, mountainous ocean setting.

The luxury Caribbean hotel is an isolated property that allows guests to revel in the warm Caribbean breeze with access to six-miles of pristine, sandy palm-fringed beach.

For parents and couples seeking an afternoon of romance and relaxation, the rustic, Robinson Crusoe inspired, natural beach Spa will offer an array of indigenous treatments right on the fine sand of the luxury Caribbean hotel’s magnificent shore.  After treatments, guests can feel the sand sift between their toes as they sip chilled coconut milk directly from the coconut itself.

The Long and Narrow L7 House, Thailand

OFFICE [AT] a Bangkok-based design studio has designed the L71 house. This two-storey single family contemporary property can be found in Bangkok, Thailand.

According to the architects: “The site the property sits on is long and narrow. All of the interior rooms of the contemporary Bangkok properties such as four bedrooms, dining room, and family room are north facing. As the owners like to have the occasional party, the public areas, such as living room and parking, are in the front of the house, and the private areas are at the back along with a swimming pool.

“The living room mass was extended to create private space for the swimming pool and the second floor mass was extended to create shading for the swimming pool and terrace. If the contemporary Bangkok house was designed as one big mass it would have blocked ventilation and natural light, so in this house each room is split to maximise ventilation and natural light.

“The roof of the main house is a double-roof to protect the property from the elements. The lower roof is reinforced concrete slab, and the upper roof is metal sheet roof. A space between the two layers of roof acts as an air buffer, natural ventilation and allow for easy maintenance. Main materials used in the contemporary Bangkok property are painted plastered brick walls and tinted glass. Where the masses are splitted, the material of the splitted masses is wood.”