design ramblings

Migration

2011-12-28T16:55:00.002+05:30

The only constant in life is change. Having said that, I have made a small change that will hopefully lead to bigger ones.

After a long hiatus, I have decided to pick up the pen again....Please do follow my ramblings at:

http://designramblings.wordpress.com/

Illustration Friday: Diary

2010-07-14T20:02:00.004+05:30

Diary: A mirror that stands the test of time........

Classic: Eames House

2010-06-30T15:47:00.009+05:30

The seeds of Modernism were sown in the Second World War, with people attempting to interpret their freedom in several ways. The invention of steel and glass also gave way to structures that were lightweight and filled with sunlight- a basic interpretation of freedom.

The Eames house by Charles and Ray Eames is a classic in Modern Architecture. Originally called Case Study No. 8, used prefabricated materials that would not interfere/interrupt with the site, be easy to build and of course be modern.

The Eames house basically consists of two cuboids separated by a court. The court also delineates the function of the two cuboids- namely the residence and the studio of the architects.

Along with the retaining wall of concrete, steel was used for the structure of the house. The framework has an infill of transparent and coloured glass panels that providing visual interest within the built form during the course of the day.

In contrast to the prefabricated exterior, the inside of the house is warm and defined using natural materials that emphasize the ideology of not interrupting the earth.

The house is the unraveling of a Mondrian that uses the artificial to give rise to endless nature- a marriage of the natural and artificial.

Sakura House

2010-03-26T12:53:00.009+05:30

The Sakura House by Japanese firm Mount Fuji Architects is a residence with office hidden behind two 3mm thick stainless steel walls with holes punctured in a pattern depicting Cherry Blossoms reminiscent of the Japanese Country Side. The final effect is that the light filters through the punctures creating foliage like patterns through the interior.

Hybrid Playground

2010-03-17T16:24:00.009+05:30

I have always been immensely interested in products that have been designed with a sense of duality. Hybrid if you will. Things that have morphed beyond their basic function, yet simple and minimal. The Most Simple Chair designed by Grycja Erde definitely defines all that. It moves beyond the concept of a child's meccano set and does so much more. Less is definitely more. Enough said.

Another great project along the same lines would be KONNEX by Florian Gross. This is basically a shelving unit that can be assembled any way the user wants and can be stored away comfortably when not required. Notches along the walls of each piece allow the user to manipulate the shelves and move them around with ease.

Images: Minimallismo, Contemporist

Small Space Inspiration

2010-01-04T13:27:00.027+05:30

inspiration: marie claire maison, apartment therapy

Studio Inspiration

2009-12-04T15:01:00.019+05:30

design sponge , bldgblog , alloverprint

House with Balls

2009-11-30T16:39:00.010+05:30

The House has Balls! The house by Matharoo Associates is located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. Designed for an aquarium owner, it is scooped out of the ground to form large tanks to breed fish. The place is also to serve as a weekend retreat.

The layout of the house provides for differing views of the water body. The long box that serves as the living space divides the site- one side overlooking the water and on the other side overlooking the green meadows.

The long continuous strip window that runs the entire length of the built form manifests as part of the living space within. It morphs from being a window ledge to sit at to a kitchen platform, steps for children to climb and play on, bar counter......

The 'eyes' of the house, namely the windows act are bedecked in chandelier earrings that are handmade concrete baubles that weigh the window down to open or close accordingly. They swing in the wind of dip into the lily pond animating the house and the space. When completely open, they blur the boundaries between inside and outside giving rise to one continuous endless space.

The space is almost surreal, calming and meditative......beautifully sculpted.....

see more here

My To-do list!

2009-10-30T13:06:00.005+05:30

Bubble:
Chandelier:

Candle Fun:

Book Making:

Terrarium:

Jugaad

2009-10-29T13:53:00.010+05:30

"What happens when a thousand oil cans decide to fly?

Jugaad explored this idea through a celebratory and constantly evolving process of re-purposing and redefining the cooking oil can, a ubiquitous feature of Indian life. The project borrows its name from a hindi term which refers to attaining any objective with the available resources at hand. By combining this attitude with an open-source, inclusive process, the project took recycling and reuse beyond a simple utilitarian measure into an exciting adventure of defiance and collective will. "

The Jugaad Pavillion by artist Sanjeev Shankar in New Delhi is an excellent example of adaptive reuse. He males use of 945 old oil cans and the traditional suspension technique- pulleys used in wells to form a pavillion to protect the Rajokri locals from the intense heat. No doubt it also acts as a meeting place. The free standing canopy covers an area of almost 70 square meters.

"The original idea came from my travels in India to document the lives of the people," says Shankar. "I found myself naturally drawn to the oil can, and I actually started stalking it and followed it to all kinds of places in the city."

The form is classic and the light that would stream through with the speckled patterns makes the space surreal. It acts as a beacon at night and is almost magical with the red coloured tin can covers.

What's more it also is a social project that involves the Rajokri locals. As the artists says, it celebrates the practice of jugaad and the spirit of India and its people.

images : Icon magazine, Sanjeev Shankar

Spine Architects

2009-09-17T12:47:00.008+05:30

The interior of Hopfenburg by Spine Architects is both avant garde and at the same time minimal giving it a classic sense of longevity. Being in a historical building, the facade is almost untouched and the only changes that were made were the introduction of a frameless door and a panorama window.

A synthesis between the existing historical shell and the modern interiors was necessary and this is brought about by the pristine white interiors. A ceiling high wall of light guides one as they enter. The doors are detailed to extend the glow of light to the floor...dynamic yet subtle at the same time.

images from: archdaily, spine architects

Urban Courtyard

2009-08-31T15:03:00.021+05:30

The paucity of space has led to innovations and inventions to bring in a little green into our life.

images from: momoy, archdaily, john pawson

Solar Umbrella: Pugh and Scarpa

2009-08-18T13:14:00.007+05:30

Sustainability has been a forerunner for design these days and for me the Umbrella House by Pugh and Scarpa is one such design that exemplifies the sustainable house.

Inspired by Paul Rudolph’s Umbrella House of 1953, the Solar Umbrella provides a contemporary reinvention of the solar canopy—a strategy that provides thermal protection in climates with intense exposures—using photovoltaic panels to provide 100% of the home’s energy needs. In addition to the photovoltaic solar panel array, the home’s green aspects including solar heating panels, a storm-water retention system, and an airy, open design, with environmentally sound materials throughout. Many of the materials finishes are highly unconventional: eco-friendly and cost-effective building materials that are traditionally hidden from view are repositioned here as unusual and aesthetically appealing design elements.

The staircase uses perforated metal treads and risers that allow light to filter right through the house.

Materials were selected for both performance and aesthetic value. We replaced conventional wood framing with metal studs. We used decomposed granite and permeable gravel in most places (including the carport and driveway) rather than non-permeable surface such as concrete or stone. These materials allow the ground to absorb water and in turn, mitigate urban run-off to the ocean. So, this project is a rich and unconventional collage of recycled and sustainable materials. The textures and palette of the building are low maintenance and at the same time provide an aesthetically appealing landscape. (interview: Lawrence Scarpa)

Industrial bristle has been used as a sun screen here.

More here and here

dream baths

2009-08-17T14:35:00.016+05:30

images from desire to inspire, inspiration bubble,archdaily

Inspiration

2009-08-10T15:12:00.009+05:30

images from desire to inspire, inspiration bubble,archdaily

Sankalpa

2009-07-13T16:50:00.008+05:30

David Adjaye whose work I admire very much and Shekhar Kapur a talented director are getting together to create a light show. This is border crossing in the true sense- film and architecture. Together, the filmmaker and the architect take on the search for a new hybrid format, rearranging our conventional parameters in which a film is viewed and architecture is experienced.

They are answering the questions: how might the cinema of the future look? What happens if films are no longer just watched but involve the viewer in events?

In the installation 'Sankalpa', it is not only the pictures which are set in motion, but the visitors too, who follow the course of the short film "Passage" by Shekhar Kapur in an 'art room' exclusively created for this and are invited to devise their own stories in their heads. The title 'Sankalpa', taken from Indian yoga meditation, refers to the fantasy and powers of imagination of every individual.

Serpentine Pavillion

2009-07-13T12:04:00.008+05:30

The Serpentine Pavillion be Japanese architecture group SANAA opened recently. The pavillion as described by the architects :

" the pavilion is floating aluminum, drifting freely between the trees like smoke. the reflective canopy undulates across the site, expanding the park and sky. its appearance changes according to the weather, allowing it to melt into the surroundings. it works as a field of activity with no walls, allowing uninterrupted view across the park and encouraging access from all sides. it is a sheltered extension of the park where people can read, relax and enjoy lovely summer days. "

The '09 gallery pavillion by SANAA seems to embody the ideology of a pavillion with greater sense of a relationship between the indoors and outdoors in comparison to its previous counterparts of the same series.

The work of Sanaa (kazuyo sejima & ryue nishizawa) are minimalist, well propprotioned subtle works of architecture that stress largely on the relationship of the outside to the inside.

Gang War

2009-06-25T16:14:00.011+05:30

Studio Gang is a firm located in Chicago,USA. The studio acts as a lab that tests ideas. Their process begins with research and exploration.

The Marble curtain designed by Studio Gang explores the structural capacity of stone. The entire curtain is standing in tension without any external struts to prop it up.

Another project by Studio Gang is the Brick Weave House. This explore the space governed by the materiality of the skin. The walled garden for the house is created by means of subtraction. This is done by removal of a floor and roof. A more ambient environment is produced with the 'woven wall'.

Picture Perfect

2009-06-24T12:21:00.006+05:30

The Photography of Clare Arni has an eye for space, colour and culture. She was born in the UK, but has spent most of her life in Bangalore, travelling and photographing exotic and far flung places like Peru, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

Her architectural photography optimises the beauty of the space and subtly enhances the inherent characteristics of light and shadow. Her travel and documentary images bring out the culture in a melange of colour, life and art. She takes the mundane and makes it special.

Solid Poetry

2009-06-23T13:42:00.013+05:30

Structural Engineer Cecil Balmond recently created an installation at the Graham Foundation’s Madlener House in Chicago. The installation Solid Void is in two parts: the ground floor consists of 6000 identical aluminium plates suspended on delicate chains- Balmond says this can support a small building.

The upper floor 'Danzer' consists of four tetrahedral shaped made of faceted wood that crack open to reveal a mirrored heart. Balmond explains that it is made up of ‘four tetrahedral shapes. As the scale reduces, each shape is packed by a replica of itself, as well as the other three.’ Space implodes into a measured, metaphysical beauty – the surprising result of engineering released from structural functionality.

Serenity

2009-06-23T11:54:00.012+05:30

To be creative is to be inspired. And that is what I am. Inspired. By the works of Bijoy Jain. His works at Studio Mumbai display a sense of restraint with a sensitivity that is not often seen. The work tectonic is contextual and the spatial quality is textural and almost surreal. The usage of conventional building methods aids the fabric of the space. There is a certain ambiguity that each space embodies as the outdoors stream inside and the barrier within the two is blurred. Subtle. Sublime.

More images here.

Nandgaon, Maharashtra, India
2007

Located outside of Mumbai on the Arabian Sea, Palmyra House was built as a refuge. The house consists of two wooden volumes set inside of a functioning coconut plantation. (courtesy:Studio Mumbai)

Have feet, will design.

2009-06-22T12:26:00.007+05:30

“The design expression behind the collaboration with Lacoste footwear allows the evolution of dynamic fluid grids. When wrapped around the shape of a foot, these expand and contract to negotiate and adapt to the body ergonomically. In doing so a landscape emerges, undulating and radiating as it merges seamlessly with the body."
Zaha Hadid

I am so excited about the different pies the creative profession allows one to put their fingers in. Zaha Hadid's foray into footwear design is both avant garde and cutting edge design. Footwear of the future.

Lace

2009-06-17T15:45:00.003+05:30

Is it cloth? Is it lace? It's PAPER!!!! Japanese Artist Aoyama Hina's work makes me look at my own fingers and wonder if I can ever attempt to do something like this!!

Delicate

2009-06-17T15:41:00.004+05:30

This is the beautiful art of paper cutting by artist Peter Callesen. The intricacy, detail and delicacy of the work is astounding!

Art that provokes

2009-06-17T14:12:00.006+05:30

Escher is one of the first artists that really opened my eyes to creative talent and the mind boggling extremes that the human brain can percieve and conceive...How does he think these things? Does he visualize them? Or does he talk himself through the amazing maze he produces!! Keeps me wondering every single time!

I finally publish!

2009-06-16T13:04:00.005+05:30

June 14th 2009 : Bangalore Mirror: The first article I have written that was published in a local newspaper!!