The architects accepted the challenge and soon discovered the hidden beauty of the sloped ceilings, converting them into a row of skylights for the seamless flow of natural light into the three-decade-old living space that opens into a balcony terrace. Using their creativity, the architectural team found out a way to reveal the spectacular yet concealed view of the city that once lay hidden behind the slopped ceiling.

Deliberately choosing to create a space that provided a home-like ambience in a hotel setting, the G Architects Studio team exposed the unique character of the bare concrete apartment and added an oomph factor by introducing typical hotel features and achieving harmony between the old and the new. The marriage of raw industrial finishes with modern day amenities has helped make it a more welcoming space for people who seek home comforts in an apartment rental, exposing guests to the “real culture of Tokyo.” The magnificently decked bare concrete space now boasts an inviting bar area and a cozy freestanding bathtub.

Making the best use of the industrial attic interior, the architects used soft painting techniques on the raw concrete walls to create a panoramic effect of the traditional Japanese Washi paper, uniquely lifting the aesthetics and adding to the beauty of the interiors. The astounding effect of spray painting A4 sheets of resin and then removing them is clearly imminent in the form of a spiral-like texture, beautifully blending the old and the new walls and adding to the overall appeal of the setting.

Other forms of aesthetically beautiful introduction to the otherwise boring bare concrete space are the wooden floorboards and the exposed plumbing features and electrical wires in dark orange hues, designed to perfection to enhance the industrial look.

As the first model for similar projects involving bare concrete loft, the G Architects Studio project offers architectural hope for rejuvenating other disused “pencil buildings” in Tokyo. Built in the 1980s during Japan’s economic growth, these uniquely constructed buildings stand tall on a land disproportionate to their altitude.

Time makes us grow and mature, but we have to always keep our souls playful, no matter how old we are

claim the talents behind tAMINN Design studio. Proving their point, in July 2015, they completed the “Fun House”, a redesign of a 165-square-metre apartment in a brand new residential building, in Zhubei, Taiwan. The interior designers carefully abided by the client’s request that the final result hint at industrial style, albeit infused with colour.

The most important guideline though set by the clients, a young couple who now live in the apartment with their child, was that their names, somehow, appeared in their home. As a result, the main feature of the flat became “Mike & Isa”, a big light box that has become the centrepiece of this strange mix of styles, including French, industrial and country seen in the bistro-like dining area, a big barn door that is cleverly split between a storage room and the master bedroom, tough concrete walls and soft wooden doors which all fall playfully into place.

The designers’ ingenuity also brought together a large variety of materials, endowing the house with a unique character: iron accessories, titanium plating, brass, vintage wood, coloured plywood, handmade and metallic tiles, wallpaper, all seem to have been used in harmonious excess. As the designers claim: “We tried to divide the flat’s central, open space by using the diversity of various materials, especially on the floor. Wood and rugs were placed in the living room, black metal tiles at the entrance and concrete was used for the kitchen and the dining room”.

At the same time, the space remains connected through the dialogue encouraged between its different parts: the floor tiles at the entrance extend to the living area, while the kitchen island imposes itself on the dining table. In a similar vein, the desk shares its presence between the living room and the dining hall, while the bookcase is placed behind the dining table with its metal plated finishing clearly reflecting the TV area, thus blending one part of the room into the other.

The harshness of the strong materials used is lightened up by little details that have given a homey feel to the place, such as the brass, wood, iron and concrete “hello” carved on the floor, the metal coffee table that resembles a suitcase and an old railway clock placed strategically between the windows offering a breathtaking view of the city below, a big frame that looks like traditional Asian art is actually a magnetic blackboard that invites the young family to leave each other loving memos on the wall.

Exposed pipelines, exposed-concrete room dividers and unrefined woodwork create a half-done, “in progress” feel. Begging the question as to what this may have to do with maturity, the answer perhaps lies in maturity not as seriousness, but as something full of life, and when one us fully aware of the importance of fun and surprise in our lives.

The loft is called ‘recall house’ in Taiwan; the client intentionally requested for the dwelling to instill a vintage ambience. Balancing an industrial and rustic aesthetic, this is highlighted in the open plan arrangement consisting of the living, dining and kitchen, all three spaces have been unified and simultaneously, scaffolding-influenced and wooden features have been chosen for the shelves and dining table.

The residents have three pet cats whom they have requested the designers to specially create an individual nook next to the dining space as well as miniature arched doors for them to freely roam about. The unique character has been further enhanced by the materials used, shown in the careful combination of exposed brick, timber and metal, allowing the home to feel industrial but not cold. From the punctuated iron panel to the the vintage and collective pieces adorned around the house, the project achieves the harmony between comfort and contemporary.

The location of the house as well as the personality, way of living and needs of the client were the main parameters in the design of this project.  Karakoy had always been the heart of the commerce in Istanbul.  Nowadays the old neighborhood is getting more hip and active with many new art galleries, boutiques, restaurants and hotels all around.  The house is situated right in the middle of this hustle and bustle.  Meanwhile the client’s outdoor personality was of course our main drive when choosing materials and creating space.  Natural, neutral, comfortable, practical are the keywords to describe.

The structural approach of the house was to open up to get more light and view. The previous small window openings on the front façade were enlarged and the new folding window frames slide the width of the building to transform the living room into a balcony, since the apartment is missing one.  And a large rectangular skylight was inserted just below the peak of the pitch to provide light and view to the mezzanine.

The design approach of the house however was ‘not to have too many ideas’.  We evaluated the entire house as a whole and single space since its layout was to be designed for a single person’s use, and all the spaces was planned to be entwined together.  There was no need for dividing the space into many small rooms.  Therefore, we didn’t need different design ideas for different rooms.  We came up with a few design approaches and used it all around the house;

– One of the longitudinal walls was resolved as storage. A very simple system was designed with iron rods climbing two floors and running the length of the house, without categorizing as living room, kitchen, library or bedroom. 12mm iron rods coming out of the wall and 16mm rods connected to them creating a 60x60cm grid over the wall surface. Various shelving units and accessories were designed to fit this system, such as a single shelf, double or triple story shelves, vertical separators or hanging units. The user may arrange and utilize this storing system however he likes; as a library, a woodshed, kitchen storage, or a wardrobe.

The other longitudinal wall facing this busy storage system was designed with least movement as possible to create a serene side and was covered with natural stone in varied sizes. This wall starts in the living room and continues all the way up and through the bedroom.

All through out the mezzanine, the surfaces were covered with a cement-based material, uninterrupted, for a pleasant feeling for the naked feet. This surface created the floor all around, including the shower and also the block, which nestles the bed and the bathtub.

Apart from practicality, the warmness that the house needed was achieved with a continuous ceiling of iroko wood, that rise from the wall to the ceiling, creating also a wide seating unit in front of the window for crowded gatherings.

Finally, the cast-concrete block surface which was created to form the kitchen counter framed in an iron structure, steps down and forms itself into a cantilevering dining table and ends up as a short plinth as the hearth, which also allows extra seating around the table.

This two-story penthouse apartment embodies many of PMK’s ideas about integration between space, architecture, urban living, and spirituality into everyday life. Designed for a young couple with a recent newborn daughter, this residence is centered on a common area on the lower floor that supports a wide range of activities, from cooking and dining, family entertainment and music, as well as coming together as a family by its visually seamless transitions from inside to outside to merge the house into its’ cityscape. The large two-story volume of the living area keeps the second floor connected containing a semi-private master bedroom, walk-in closet and master bath, plus a separate private study.

The integrity of the home’s materials was also an important factor in the design—solid woods, concrete, and raw metal were selected because they stand up to day to day needs of a family’s use yet look even better with age. Brick wall surfaces are carefully placed for the display of art and objects, so that these elements are integrated into the architectural fabric of the space.

This scenic site is a part of the residential area developed in the natural greenery area of the mountain gwanggyo and that is located at the entrance area to trail to mountain.

From agony about the direction to which major living space see, the plan of this house started. After all, the direction to the opposite mountain that will be preserved in the natural green space forever was selected. But this charming selection that introduce the permanent natural landscape brought the problem, bad solar condition, that the major living space is faced to northwest sunlight. And so, we must make the solution to absorb the southern and eastern sunlight into the inside of the house.

“Glass box of light” that will absorb the useful sunlight was introduced to inside space of the various level and these boxes which are planted with flower and fruit are functioned as “Floating glass garden”. Actually, we solved the problem and we own both the two conditions that are the introduction of landscape and ecological environment and naturally, we have been reached to the complex solution that all the rooms have their own garden.
The dynamic, unrealistic interior space which are produced with several floating glass boxes over the major living space that is opened to the vertical height of 3 floors, will be the symbolic impression of this house.

We expect that this landscape architecture will coexist with the surrounding context for a long time, as if a small purple hill….

Designed by Kokai Studios, the penthouse apartment occupying the 48th and 49th floors of a high-rise building displays a splendid residential structure spreading over 616 square meters. A planted tree thrones in the middle of this high interior space, creating a dreamy connection between the outdoors and the light-flooded residential space. The design of these dynamic interiors were possible after tearing down walls and reorganizing the space. Created from two separate apartments, this dream space combines public and private functions in a glamorous suite of spaces culminating with an outdoor terrace pierced by a swimming pool.

In this amazing loft, the main expressive effect is created by the very interesting contrast between the classical and modernist elements against the background of concrete walls.
Empty frame on a wall and the empty concrete walls themselves are symbols of the present while the classic and the modernist furnitures and objects (the lamp, a picture, a sofa or a carpet) representing the past and the future.