Modern Terraced House, Spain

Posted on: May 31st, 2012 by ModShop

05 AM Arquitectura a Girona-based design studio has completed the Terraced House in Casavells project. This split-level terraced property sits on a narrow plot in a quaint village on the outskirts of Girona, Spain.

According to the architects: “The house has a contrast with both open sides, to the north the old village with narrow stoned streets. And to the south the garden, pool, sun and the landscape.

“Access is gained through the two facades at different levels, but the main entrance is through the garage.

“The contemporary Spanish property has a sunken level in the middles of the ground floor to have a better relation with the garden and the landscape, and the roof is fragmented to let the natural light pass through the different levels of the ground and the ceiling, we clearly identify the individual character and volume of each space with a different use, with an open space always luminous and linked to the landscape.

“On the lower ground floor we wanted to resolve the usual access to housing with the car, so we proposed to have a space with more attributes than a garage with a dark background. It is a transitional space between inside and outside of the house, a threshold where they can develop alternative uses for the space.

“With the aim to allow a good relation between different spaces, we placed in the middle space on an intermediate level between the basement and the main floor. This space can be used for leisure and study, as a common space where the library, a desk, and bleachers with the purpose of being a playground area for children, a meeting space or a home cinema.

“The main floor is a unique space, with a large opening at its southern end. From this level we can see the multifunctional space of the entrance and the garden through the studio located at an intermediate level. On the first floor we have the main living space, kitchen, living room and the terrace. And in the north side we have the entry from the village street.

“On the first floor there are the bedrooms, a slab breaks it into three, leaving two open gaps between them that allow the passage of the overhead light to the ground floor. These three slabs are placed at different heights to qualify and define spatially the different uses that are located on the lower floor.

“The contemporary Spanish home provides solutions to the conditions and takes full advantage of the benefits of its location, creating a pleasant indoor space with many possibilities of use, and ways to connect and qualify the spaces.”

Contemporary House V, Spain

Posted on: May 31st, 2012 by ModShop

Barcelona-based design studio Magma Arquitectura has completed the House V project. This contemporary property can be found in Girona, Spain.

According to the architects: “The House in Roses is a building designed with the intensity of a single-family house, with a joint and individual conception which provides the special comfort of a small villa, and in turn meets the demanding multi-family housing legislation standards since it can be divided into three independent homes.

“The site, which is very steep, is like a watchtower over the Bay of Roses. The contemporary Spanish property is configured as a large stone base, on which stands a large horizontal platform. The permeable cut of the staircase subdivides the platform into two independent bodies. Part of the platform receives the most public and spacious interior areas and the exterior terrace and pool that flies over the Mediterranean garden below. The large exterior terrace is lateral and runs the length of the public area, so it receives the southern sun at one end and captures the view of the horizon between the sea and the sky. Several porches constructed of wood, which also control the sun and privacy, complete the visual prism of this contemporary Spanish home.”

Contemporary Casa Do Lago, Portugal

Posted on: May 31st, 2012 by ModShop

Frederico Valsassina Architects a Lisbon-based design studio has completed the Casa Do Lago project. The contemporary home is located in Aroeira, Portugal.

According to the architects: “The house is located on Aroeira’s estate, near the main lake of the Golf Course. The placing and the volume’s disposition of the ‘Lake House’ result from the conjugation between the distance to the adjacent lots and the existing grove. The contemporary Portuguese house comprises of different spaces – social/private, day/night – with the creation of a big terrace near the pool.

“Taking part of the lot’s location conditions, whether in terms of topographic settings as from its limits, the position of the house emphasises the creation of dominant visual alignments in the direction of the surrounding lake area. In fact, the service areas protect, strategically, the social spaces, occupying the less favourable spots of the placement.

“A distribution space, by the entrance, articulates the relation between the private areas and the social space of the house, underlining the interaction between the land’s configuration and the definition of the dwelling’s programmatic scheme.

“The terrace assumes itself as a natural extension of the living area, promoting the constant dialogue with its surroundings and the flexibility in the appropriation of the different proposed spaces. On the other hand, the choice of the materials, proper from the region, emphasises once more the search for the integration of the contemporary Portuguese house.

Modern Malibu Residence, USA

Posted on: May 31st, 2012 by ModShop

Sao Paulo-based design studio Fernanda Marques Arquitetos Associados has completed the Malibu Residence project. This luxury duplex apartment can be found in Malibu, California, USA.

According to OpenBuildings: “On the lower floor the emphasis was placed on enhancing the living areas so as to provide full integration between the areas. The gourmet kitchen was opened onto the dining-room, the staircase and the lift shaft casing were built of clear glass, to integrate the living area and the home-theatre and the outside area, where a bold swimming pool, made also of clear glass, can be seen. The idea was to provide the terrace view with as much transparency as possible.

“On the upper floor of this luxury Malibu property you have the master suite and the others, plus a family home-theater and a gym. The master suite was privileged in its location, to ensure a view of the pool and became a spa-like room.”

This luxury Malibu home comes with its own glass wall enclosed swimming pool and Persiano limestone flooring.