5 Unique Shape Shifting Furniture

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. This unique furniture sometimes becomes the focal point of a space.

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.

 Some of the fascinating furniture pieces I found are works of art. There is also furniture that involves highly technical skills. These are the furniture that has a lot of highly accurate moving parts.

Due to the skills needed to create these unique pieces, these usually cost higher than regular furniture. If the budget is not a concern, then I would recommend these to my clients. 

 

1. Designed By Sebastian ErraZuriz

2. Designed By Robert Van Embricqs

3. The Ollie Chair Designed by RockPaperRobot

4. Manet Easy Chair Designed by Best Before 2065

5. Kenchikukagu

Documentaries on Frank Lloyd Wright his Life, Works and Legacy

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 that the building was 24 years older than me, it looked like it was only newly built. It looked new compared to most of the buildings in Cebu back then.

Maximize Space with These 7 Efficient Stair Designs

Stairs are an integral part of a multi-level structure. We use it to gain access to different floors of a building. The downside with stairs is that it occupies a lot of space. Space has become scarce in urban areas, and designers are trying to find ways to optimize the use of every inch of space. Below are some of the clever stair design solutions that maximize the use of space.

 1. 1m2 Stairs Eastairs

Designed by Eastairs, it is a metal spiral staircase that occupies 1 square meter. The stairs are prefabricated and assembled on site. It has a sleek design reminiscent of modern sculpture.

2.Zoku's Retractable Stair Design

One of Zoku's key designs is the retractable stairs that tuck away inside the cabinets. This ingenious design hides the stairs away when unused, freeing more valuable space inside the tiny area. 

House HFMA11 - Three Storey Dormitory and Residential Building

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 585 square meters, and the building only occupied half of the lot area. 

The client initially hired me to design the interior of the building. The client's original plan was to use the ground floor as his residence and utilize the second floor as an office for his outsourcing company.

15 Tadao Ando Museum Projects worth Checking

Tadao Ando is a self-taught Japanese architect who won the Pritzker Prize in 1995. He creates beautiful structures using exposed precast concrete and highlights this material's beauty in most of his projects. He uses complex circulation spaces, yet most of his projects are sleek and straightforward. 

The use of natural light through skylights and light wells are typical 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 are 15 of Tadao Ando's museum projects. 

1. Kumamoto Prefectural Ancient Burial Mound Museum, Kumamoto, Japan (1992)

Completed in April 1992, zenpokoenfun was the basis of the design of the museum. Zenpokoenfun is a large keyhole-shaped tomb mount.

Micro Compact Home: An Efficient Use of Space

Tiny living spaces have always been of interest to me. It always astounds me how a well-designed small space can still offer comfort to the user. There is one project that is an excellent example of the quality of tiny homes. The Micro Compact Home (m-ch), designed by Richard Horden, has introduced me to well-designed tiny homes. 

The project led by Architect Richard Horden was a collaboration between student teams at the Technical University, TIT Tokyo, and Haak and Hopfner Architects. The team designed in 2005 for short stay accommodation for students and business use. 

Permeable Concrete a Solution to Flooding Problems in our Cities.

The rainy season is about to start, and with it comes flooding. Flooding is a significant problem in a lot of cities in the Philippines. Trash accumulation in the drainage system is one of the root causes of flooding. 

Another cause for flooding is the growing number of impervious layers in most cities. Most of the ground in developed areas is impervious materials. Runoff increases as we develop more areas of our environment. Lesser water infiltrates the soil.

16 Must Watch Design Shows about Architecture

1. Grand Designs

Grand Designs is a British television series produced by Boundless and broadcast on Channel 4 which features unusual and often elaborate architectural homebuilding projects.

The program has been presented by Kevin McCloud since it first aired in April 1999, and more than 200 episodes have been broadcast in twenty series.

2. Grand Designs New Zealand

Grand Designs New Zealand is a New Zealand television series on TV3. It is based on the British television series Grand Designs, and it is presented by the architect Chris Moller. It began airing in New Zealand on 4 October 2015

Unique Small Apartments

One of the projects that started my interest in small interiors was the Swiss Army Knife. This project was designed by architect Robert Garneau. He introduced a range of clever design solutions that maximizes small interior.

Swiss Army Knife

Architect Robert Garneau used multi-functionality to maximize the available space. The use of an adjustable dining table that doubles as a kitchen counter. A sofa that can be rearranged into a bed. These solutions combined. This design allowed the architect to combine two areas into a single space.

Modular Kitchen Cabinets Contractors in Cebu

A beautiful kitchen will have an impact on the value of a house. Finding a contractor who can meet your budget and expectations can be a difficult task. Below are some of Cebu 's modular kitchen contractors. If you know any kitchen contractors in Cebu, please leave a comment below.

How to Maximize Tiny Spaces

Small interiors are becoming more common in urbanized cities. Making a small interior look huge is one of the challenges facing architects and interior designers. Some designers use optical illusions to make space appear larger, while others use innovative technology to maximize small spaces.

Affordable Alternative Software for Architects

I wanted to buy the best software when I started my architectural firm. The office that I used to worked for invested in software that I consider to be the benchmark in our industry. After careful deliberation on the cost of this software, I chose to seek alternatives to those programs that didn't break the bank. After trying out other apps, these are the ones that I personally like.

Tiny Apartment by Kitoko Studio

Well designed small spaces always attract people's attention. Designing something with limited space requires skill and imagination. The design solution for these small spaces is generally simple and efficient. Maximizing space is the number one priority for such projects. The lack of available space typically results in the development of multi-designed elements. It forces the designer to create three- design solutions.

Building BPACT13 - School Building Exterior Renovation

Renovated Facade

A proposed design for the renovation of the facade of an existing old school building. The client wanted to modernize the school image and decided to use Aluminum Cladding Panels to cover the existing building. The client wanted to retain the existing structure and did not want to disrupt the activities inside the building.

Unique Home Designs: Adaptive Reuse

A lot of creative design solutions come from re-purposed old buildings. The design constraints of the existing structure often result in innovative solutions. Whether it's a freight container, a barn or a silo creative designers come up with inspiring ideas. They design unique structures that meet the needs of their client.

Back when I was still a student, I always wanted to redesign an old warehouse into a modern home. I've had a lot of sketches and concepts to visualize how they're going to come out. I've always wanted to redesign old abandoned buildings and make them useful again.

 Images courtesy of SeARCH

Architect: SeARCH

Farmyard to Residential Building

12 Unique Office Designs that Make the Workplace more Enjoyable

For most of us, the office is where we spend a lot of our waking time. Whatever your line of work, mounting work and approaching deadlines will cause you stress. Working in a typical cubicle office space will not only cause you more pressure, but it will also hinder you from thinking better and reducing your creativity.

Working in a well-designed office will make your office routine more enjoyable, making the employees more productive. Various architects or designers have different approaches in arriving at a design office interiors. Whether they approach it through environmentally friendly design or very dynamic and inspiring design, their goals are the same, to arrive at a more conducive environment for the office users and increase productivity. Below are some great and unique office designs.

1.Selgas Cano Architecture Studio Designed By Selgas Cano Architecture

Unique Shop Designs

Shop designs are essential to attract the right customers. Having an eye-catching interesting design for a store can draw the attention of curious people who may eventually be potential customers. A good shop design attracts attention and highlights the products it sells.

I've explored some remarkable shops with unique designs that will probably make people passing by these stores take a second look. Some of these shops use normal materials in an innovative way and some are just out of the box designs.

Karis

I like the innovative use of paper tubes that resemble stalactites in a cave.
Designed by: Suppose Design Office Architect

Kirk Originals

Designed by: Campaign Design

Modern Tree Houses

Some of the most interesting designs I've seen are the ones that veer away from the norm. They create unique designs by creating unusual solutions. Treehouses are one of the interesting types of buildings we need to explore.

Green architecture is gaining popularity with the public. Building a structure around a tree instead of cutting it down is becoming common. It is one-way architects can help preserve the environment.

Amazing Future Homes

I was browsing through Forbes for some interesting article about investments and found this interesting article about future homes. This was the last place I thought I could find architecture and design related articles but the slides really caught my interest.

Tornado-Proof Home Designed by Ted Givens of 10Design

Glass House

Every culture has their limits when it comes to the privacy of their home. In some places people don't rely on fence to secure their home and privacy from prying eyes. In other areas people put up tall concrete walls which are sometime even taller than the house. A lot of circumstances are considered which determines how open people are with their homes.

In my country most people usually put up fences around their houses to prevent others from entering the premises of their home. It also serves as a way for them to prevent others from seeing what happens inside the premises. Since the majority of the homes here have small lots, almost all homes maximize the lot for their home which in turn lessens the easement between the house and the road.

Designed By Architect Philip Johnson

I always wanted to live in a house which has a lot of glass. I've made a lot of conceptual designs but most of these designs are too expensive and are inapplicable here in the Philippines. Asides from security, you'll need to have a large lot in order to keep your privacy from your neighbors.