Residential Architecture in Los Angeles...

If you missed the March AIA Los Angeles Home Tour, here is our preliminary overview of the event and some of our own images of the four featured homes in Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Brentwood, designed by such well-known architects and design firms as SPF:a, Assembledge and Cory Buckner Architects.

The tour started with the Latimer Residence by Rick Leslie, Rick Leslie Architects is the home and office of the architect, a 4,700 SF structure located in a beautiful eclectic neighborhood in Santa Monica. 

Encompassing seven levels, the dynamic spaces incorporated movement through the layering of wall planes, unique and differentiated ceiling treatments, and varying floor, wall, and soffit heights.  This dynamism was reflected at the interior detailing and selection of finishes and materials, which included bamboo, quartz composite, resin counters, and more.  

  

The design features this eclectic approach at the exterior of the home, with the use of a variety of materials, including burnished cmu block, board-formed concrete, metal panels at the exterior walls and roof, and angled windows at unexpected locations and clerestory glazing systems.  

The second home, Brentwood Residence by Cory Buckner, of Cory Buckner Architects was one of the favorites on this tour...  From an architectural standpoint, we loved the clean lines and critical attention to detail, especially in terms of material transitions, terminations, and connections.  This approach is evident in both the interior spaces, as well as the exterior.  As exemplified in the images below, the cedar siding's bleached tone is a material choice providing an aesthetic counter to balance the other exterior materials in terms of texture, appearance,and application.

Located on a steep, sloping site, the home follows the natural topography, with a cantilevered pool overlooking the incredible view of Santa Monica.  As one enters the home, it appears to have a very low-profile from the street, in order to relate to this architecturally-rich community of Crestwood Hills.  The project also features a beautiful detached art studio at the base of the site, where skylights create a connection to the landscape and natural light for this inspired workspace. 

We'll take a look at the last two homes in an upcoming post- so make sure to come back and check out some of the most unique contemporary residential design Los Angeles has to offer!

In the meanwhile, visit AIA | LA's website for more on these projects.

A Contemporary Cottage in Rural Japan

We've been keeping our thoughts with the people of Japan and celebrating Japanese culture by revisiting some of our favorite architects from the country, and highlighting the art and architecture of emerging artists and designers, whose work is reflective of the culture of old and new, the relationship between tradition and technology, and the beauty of a landscape reflected in architects' interpretations of the vernacular.

So, today, we'd like to wrap up the week with a few images of a building we love and hope to one day visit.  The Tsumari Cottage, by Daigo Ishii + Future-scape Architects, is located in the same region as the Echigo Tsumari Arts Triennial, an international festival conceived to revitalize the rural community through public art.  Read more on this celebration of culture, art, and identity here.

Completed in 2000, the modest 560 square foot structure utilizes local construction techniques and materials to create an aesthetic that fits within the regional context, a concept that resonates with much of our favorite Japanese architecture.  However, the plan is distinctly contemporary, as conveyed through the massing, detailing, and layering of interior spaces.

 

  

Responsive to the site and the region's extreme climatic conditions, the exterior of the building reflects traditional and time-proven methods of protecting occupants from heat in the summer and snow in the winter.  At the interior, the architects utilized a different language to articulate space, defined by cedar board slat walls, plywood ceilings, and cork flooring.  The linear organization of living spaces provides for optimal function, while framed views of the landscape beyond create a meaningful dialogue between the home and its environment.

           

Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy our take on this unique project, a beautiful example of environmental, social, and cultural sustainability.

Photo credits:  Koji Fujii

Residential Solar + Real Results

A few weeks back, we wrote about the preliminary stages of MYD's photovoltaic installation in Laguna Beach with Revco Solar;  read the introduction to the process and project here.  It has since been inspected and approved by the City, and last week we received the go-ahead from Southern California Edison to turn on the system and saw results almost instantaneously.

Take a look at the 'Before' and 'After' videos below and watch for the black section of the meter's rotating wheel; it's spinning counter-clockwise in the first shot and reverses direction after the system is up and running.   
Translation:  the home is consuming energy at a relatively high rate before being retrofitted with the solar PV system, and doing just the opposite after the installation.

     
       

It was pretty incredible to watch the electrical meter immediately slow down to a near-stop and even run backwards, and we're looking forward to a long-term analysis, comparing the home's energy consumption now, relative to the amount of electricity delivered by the grid prior to the installation of the system.

We'll be posting a complete project summary and more photos later this week, so keep an eye out for it, and thanks for reading!

Off to a bright start...

As we officially head into spring (as of yesterday, the first day of the season), we thought we'd share one of the few glimpses of Saturday evening's 'Super Moon', hidden behind the dense cloud cover that led to today's spring showers... 

For those wondering, a super moon, or perigee moon, is a phenomenon occuring about every eighteen years, when the moon is closest to the Earth, causing it to appear about fifteen percent larger and thirty percent brighter than it typically does.
More on the 'Super Full Moon' can be found at NASA's site. 

Have a great week (and season)!

Cheers,
MYD

Inspired By... Japan

MYD is guest blogging at Inspired Design Daily today, and to follow up with our post from earlier this week on the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial in Japan, we're taking a closer look at one of the permanent art installations, Potemkin, a 'park for post-industrial meditation' by Finnish architecture firm Casagrande & Rintala. 

This space was designed and built to celebrate traditional knowledge and encourage a connection with the environment and was created of all recycled and repurposed materials.  Visit Inspired Design Daily for more images and information on this beautiful interpretation of traditional Japan.

A Different Picture of Japan

With news of the tragic events in Japan on the forefront of global consciousness, there seems to be an endless influx of footage, stories, and images of the unimaginable devastation resulting from the natural disasters still besieging large parts of this beautiful country. 

Potemkin by Casagrande + Rintala

It's created an opportunity to take a step back, put things in perspective, and determine how we, as a society, can address crises, whether it be in terms of logistics and communications, preparedness and planning, or regulations and life safety.  In fact, numerous articles have already been published discussing the effectiveness of Japan's seismic building standards and comprehensive evacuation and public alert systems that likely saved thousands of lives on Friday.

Indeed, there are countless lessons to be learned from the Sendai earthquake and tsunami, and the international dialogue has already begun among researchers, scientists, and policy-makers.  However, instead of discussing infrastructure, building codes, or alternative energy sources today, I thought it might be worthwhile to look at the natural and built environment from another perspective, and take a cue from Japan with regard to sustainability in a social and cultural context. 

The Rice Field

 When news of the devastation arrived, the gravity of the situation struck with force, and many of us watched as this highly developed and advanced society confronted its worst disaster in modern history.  In addition to the tangible losses, there are also implications for this culturally-rich island country whose support for the arts, tradition, and social initiatives have been of less immediate concern.  One program in particular that  that came to mind was the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, the world's largest public art festival, occuring every three years in the Niigata Prefecture. 

Stone Forest by Kees Ouwens

The event consists of hundreds of artworks installed in public fields, abandoned buildings and forests, aimed at reviving local and international interest and tourism, as well as promoting public art in this otherwise economically depressed, rural region with an aging demographic.  The convergence of public art, economic revitalization, and social equity issues reflects a critical component of the Triple Bottom Line, as valued cultural institutions are essential for a truly sustainable future.  This festival, which engages visitors with the natural environment in new and innovative ways, does just that, in addition to providing a venue for emerging contemporary artistic talent.

minna-no-kusamura by Takeshi Saito + Kiyotaka Kurosa

Artists collaborate with local communities to address environment, context and placemaking through artistic interpretation.  Works include both permanent and temporary outdoor installations, transformations of abandoned homes and schools, and the creation of context-specific gathering spaces that celebrate the beauty of the natural landscape throughout the 760 square km site.

Song of Wind by Yasuyuki Wantanabe

Snow in Snow by Takenori Miyamoto + Hiromi Seno

So, as we continue to follow this news story and consider Japan's future, it's also worthwhile to celebrate the social and cultural legacy of this beautiful country and remember its value in creating a sustainable future from all perspectives:  environmental, economic and cultural...

For Lots of Lost Windows by Utsumi Akiko

Energy, Education + Backyard Skills

The other day, we picked up The Ecology Center's recently published book Backyard Skills: A D.I.Y. Handbook, a collection of projects, infographics, and practices inspired by last year's popular Basic Needs lecture series.  

Divided into five key topics- energy, shelter, waste, food and water- the book is aimed at getting readers engaged in sustainability, and it does so effectively, with visually compelling graphics and well-composed text that make the prospect of green living accessible and engaging. 

This hands-on approach to education conveys ideas, concepts, and strategies well, and it's a great resource to inspire individuals and communities to get involved in the movement towards a more environmentally friendly and ecologically-sound future.  Check out Fast Company's review by Glenn Crosten for more details and a sampling of the workshops and projects shared in the book.

 At MYD studio, we focus on sustainable design practices, as well as fostering relationships with like-minded organizations and non-profits, such as The Ecology Center.  Its initiatives are in alignment with these values, and we applaud efforts to bring knowledge, skills and awareness to the local community and beyond.

That said, we were pretty enthusiastic to come across several beautiful images of one of our favorite projects completed last year, the Energy Lab/Solar Structure, as we thumbed through the colorful pages of Backyard Skills.  Many thanks to Jimmy Cheng Photography for the great Energy Lab images used in this publication, and  stay tuned for an upcoming post that will feature more of his photos of this project.

Backyard Skills: A D.I.Y. Handbook is available online through The Ecology Center or at a number of bookstores in the area.