Art and Architecture

Artists express their art through a wide variety of mediums. In my previous post, I covered several artists who use unique mediums for their artwork. There are a few artists who can make art from unconventional materials. Some choose these unusual mediums for experimentation, while some use these materials because of the availability. I found a documentary about a talented Filipino artist a few years ago. He creates art using a technique called Pyrography, which is the art of decorating wood by controlled burning, creating beautiful patterns or portraits. What makes his technique unique is he harnesses the heat of the sun, using a magnifying lens, unto a piece of wood to create beautiful masterpieces.

Huawei P30 vs Olympus E30 + Zuiko 14-54mm & 9-18mm Smartphone cameras have seen dramatic improvements over the last few years, with image quality and low light performance way ahead of what cameras offered a few years ago. The image quality of current smartphones is adequate for casual photographers, and even entry-level phones have decent image quality. Capable of taking high image quality in low light, I decided to replace my phone with a Huawei P30 last year. Since the bulk of my shots are taken indoors or in low light, the low light performance of a camera is essential to me. I also needed a backup camera in case I left my camera at home and needed to take a photo. Since I purchased my phone back in December, I noticed that I seldom use my camera anymore, the quality of the photos I take from my phone is decent enough that I no longer need to use my camera. The only time I bring out my camera is when I need a shot that requires a shallow depth of field.  The LCD of my main came

Writing great articles is a skill that was never one of my strengths. Even though I love to share my ideas, I always struggle to convey my thoughts. Although I have a fundamental understanding of English, I find it difficult to arrange my thoughts. I find it hard to arrange words and sentences, and I have a limited background when it comes to making complex sentences. I also tend to have grammatical errors, and despite knowing my weaknesses, I hardly read my articles. That's why I've been using online tools to help me with my work and blog posts. These tools have greatly improved the way I create and structure my writing. I've been reviewing my past articles since the beginning of the quarantine. Now, I appreciate the importance of creating readable articles. It's a challenge to get your message across if readers don't understand what you're saying.  My articles may not be equivalent to that of a skilled writer, but it is an improvement compared to my previous o

Location: Tisa, Cebu City Year: 2008 Floor Area: 230 sqm. Lot Area: 246 sqm. The project is for a renovation of an existing single-story residential building. The client wanted to retain the existing structure and build an extension on the second floor. The exterior walls of the ground floor remained the same, but we removed some of the interior partitions to accommodate the stairs. To make the ground floor spacious, we opted for an open floor plan and sliding glass doors that opens to the garage. The garage also serves as an extension of the dining and living room area. To maximize usable space, we laid out the second-floor rooms around the family room.  A shared bathroom serves the three bedrooms on the upper ground while the master bedroom has a separate master bathroom.

  Designed By Sebastian ErraZuriz The interior design of a building is only as good as the furniture that fills it. Placing unique and interesting furniture in an area enhances the interior. These unique furniture sometimes becomes the focal point of a space. Designed By Robert Van Embricqs I have always been fond of one of a kind furniture pieces. I like furniture that is simple, sleek, and multifunctional. I also like furniture that is space-saving or can be tucked away and remain unobtrusive.

Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the architects who got me interested in architecture. My interest in architecture began when I saw the Solomon Guggenheim Museum from a chase scene in Men in Black. After watching the movie, I did some research on the house. I found out that Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the building in the late fifties. Given the fact that the building was 24 years older than me, it looked like it was only newly built. In fact, it looked new compared to most of the buildings in Cebu back then.

The stairs are an integral part of a multi-story building. It gives access to the different levels of the building. The downside of the stairs is that they occupy a lot of space. The stairs are only used to cross from one floor to another. Most of the time, the area is not used for any other purpose. 1m2 Stairs Eastairs The area occupied by the stairs could have been used for other purposes. This is especially important when you have limited space. Efficient stairs are used in most tiny homes to maximize usable space. Stairs that provide the same function but have a minimal footprint. Zoku's Retractable Stair Design There are a lot of new stair designs to maximize space. I've compiled a variety of efficient stair designs. Check out the videos below for inspiration on how to optimize your stairs for your small space.

Location: Banilad, Mandaue City, Cebu Year: 2011 Floor Area: 540 sqm. Lot Area: 585 sqm. House MKA11 is a renovation for a two storey residential building. The site had an area of 585 square meters. Only half of the area was occupied by the building.  I was initially hired to design the interior of the building. The original plan by the client was to use the ground floor as his residence and utilize the second floor as an office for his  outsourcing company.

Tadao Ando is a Japanese self-taught architect. He won the Pritzker Prize in 1995. Tadao Ando creates beautiful structures using exposed precast concrete. He highlights the beauty of this material in most of his projects. He uses complex circulation spaces yet most of his projects are sleek and simple.  The use of natural light through skylights and light wells are common among his works. Tadao Ando uses natural light to enhance the interior space. He uses it to create dramatic transitions and contrast in his spaces.  His works complement the site. He uses well designed landscaped spaces to complement the structures he designs. Tadao Ando has designed several museums and each one of them is unique.   His museums are exceptionally designed. People visit his museums not just for the art but for the building itself.  Below is the compilation of several of Tadao Ando's museum projects.  Kumamoto Prefectural Ancient Burial Mound Museum, Kumamoto, Japan (1992) A museum of decorated k

There is something about watching looping videos that relaxes our mind. It can be videos of mundane things repeated several times or weird surreal looped videos. Looped videos have this unique effect on our minds. It makes our minds want to watch more and see something different might happen. Andrea Wannerstedt