Timber frame

The demand for small homes for one to two person households is also increasing in Deventer. With tireless studies on variants, we explored the possibilities for making the 42 studios. Here, too, we were looking for a future-proof solution for this former office on Smedenstraat in the center of Deventer. Future-proof is not only to meet current demand, but to devise solutions that give the building the opportunity to evolve in the longer term. The homes can be relatively easily enlarged into spacious homes, if the housing needs change.   A large part of the masonry has been preserved in the facade. For an efficient building system, the interior walls are made of timber frame and prefabricated. The main structure consists of existing m... More

We have completed a three story mixed use housing which wooden frames are attached around the layered steel frames in residential area of Ashiya City, in between area of Osaka and Kobe in Japan. The wooden frames are designed as temporal structures, equal to the other materials which surrounds the architecture to make the space corresponding to the everchanging desires of the users and continuously updated. The site is located along a main street, in a quiet residential area, 5 minutes' walk away from the nearest station and its lively shopping district. Various types of residents live in this area, from parents with small children, students, creators within its rich natural landscape, the view of Rokko Mountains, the colorful ginkgo trees... More

TRANSFORMING ONE DOUGLAS TREE INTO JAPANESE-INSPIRED SOCIAL DININGThe interior for HVERDAGEN combines the idea of a traditional restaurant with a long-table dinner concept for friends and family. All furniture is made entirely from the same douglas tree, designed and handcrafted by Vermland studio and joinery. HVERDAGEN is located next to the vibrant area Kødbyen in Copenhagen. The owners want to introduce everyday food in an experimenting and sustainable way based on 100% organic ingredients. By using simple technonics inspired by japanese craftsmanship Vermland showcases high-end furnitures in an everyday setting.   PROCESS FROM THE WORKSHOPThe douglas tree arriving to the workshop ready to be cut up and transformed into cus... More

A vibrant, exciting cubature, the inclusion in a park-like context, and the creation of a pleasant atmosphere for children and teachers – these were the parameters for our new cafeteria building for the École Voltaire in Berlin-Tiergarten.   The design idea is based on four juxtaposed sub-structures. Thus a differentiated building emerges on the narrow, elongated plot, which is reminiscent of an architectural landscape. The entrance is off Kurfürstenstraße and faces the older school building beyond the courtyard. The ground floor is primarily occupied by the large student cafeteria, which can also be used for events. The dining area for teachers is housed in the towering central section on a gallery level &nda... More

At the street elevation, Datum House takes subtle cues from the neighbouring properties in roof form and material references. The project takes inspiration from its surroundings and context and reinterprets its findings through a contemporary take on a traditional Victorian elevation, resulting in a considered outcome and street integration. We started off with our client’s extensive brief for a home that had to house a growing family of 5. Our domestic container envelope was derived from a simple extrusion of the Victorian cottage silhouette, placed onto the narrow sloping site to set up a defined datum. The outcome is a result of the envelope being manipulated by the surrounding context, the required amenity and its negotiation with... More

On the border between Switzerland and France, Lugrin extends over a succession of terraces dominated by the first foothills of the Alps. Located opposite Lausanne, the town offers one of the most beautiful panoramas of Lake Geneva. Situated in the very heart of the village, behind the church and the town hall, the school group, for which this extension is considered, nestles between an independent school for girls dating from 1850 and a town hall-school building for boys from the 1950s.   Combining the metabolism of its territory and the growth of its population, the complex has already been through three extensions and restructuring works. Adding another block to the building, our project has once again increased the capacity of thi... More

The company GAB contacted us because they were in need of a new showroom next to their other showrooms. GAB is the official distributor in Belgium and Luxembourg of Pepe Jeans, Scotch & Soda, Hackett London, Karl Lagerfeld, Façonnable, McGrego and so many more. The need for this showroom was quite urgent so they decided to look for a modular concept which can be made as fast as possible. Brand image was also very important and they were immediately convinced that our Shelters would perfectly fit with their brands. For the showroom they were in need of a big open bright spaces with a lot of natural incoming light within a two storey building of 200 m2.   The location for us was very interesting because on one... More

Affordable, sustainable, energy efficient homesThe CORE range aims to change the way we think about affordable sustainable housing. Specifically designed for the Australian climate, the stylish, low maintenance and compact three-bedroom design can be adapted for energy ratings from 6 to 10-star to suit a range of budgets.   CORE PrinciplesCORE is a collaboration between a team of dedicated building designers and thermal performance professionals who are passionate about sustainability. Our aim is to develop homes for the Australian housing market, balancing optimal energy efficiency, material sustainability and affordability.   Our key principles are contained in the CORE acronym: Carbon PositiveA carbon positive home uses re... More

Lower Sharnden is a newly built 6 bedroom certified PassivHaus dwelling, built on an historic Percy Crane landscape garden. The new house replaces the bungalow formerly built for the estate gardener and enjoys a central location within the landscape masterplan. What building methods were used? Off-site fabricated MMC insulated timber frame panels, supported on a reinforced concrete slab, which in turn is supported by an insulated raft, which enables the house to float and avoids cold bridges in the normal foundation locations.   What was the brief? The beautiful setting was the original reason for the client buying the land and our brief was to create a modern, environmentally friendly house that contrasted with, but respected the... More

Once a very large Victorian townhouse, the property has long since been divided into separate dwellings with our clients purchasing the garden flat occupying the lower two floors.   The garden faces north, and is normally overshadowed by the tall townhouse of flats. Farleigh flat was originally laid out as a one bedroom; the living space covered the well-proportioned Victorian rooms of the upper ground floor, with the kitchen and bedroom in the darker lower ground floor.   The client is a young couple with newly arrived kids. The brief was to change a very generous, but poorly organised flat for a couple, into a great family home. This meant adding two extra bedrooms and moving the kitchen adjacent to the living spaces.  ... More

Garth Wood House is located on the boundary of forest and steep embankment, overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Lyon and Tay, in Highland Perthshire.   The pavilion style house has been designed with the living quarters to the upper storey, including the master bedroom, dressing room and study together with a large covered balcony to two sides, maximize the site’s outstanding 1,000ft views. This platform level sits above service accommodation and additional guest bedrooms at the ground floor that open out directly to the mountainous garden being planted with seedlings and edge of forest plants.   The entire house is designed around the central core adjacent to which are all the individual rooms. This is a library, t... More

Contemporary restoration of a Grade II Listed Manor House in Oxfordshire   Originally dating back to 1672 the oak timber frame property had suffered from years of poorly chosen modifications and the use of inappropriate materials. The modernisation stripped the house back to the structural core, before sensitively repairing the timber frame and masonry. Natural materials were used to repair the lime mortar and to provide insulation through eco-friendly breathable wood fibre panels before re-introducing natural lime render to the exterior.   The interior design approach is intentionally modern, but with a subtlety that allows the historic natural materials which had previously been hidden to come to the forefront. More

OEB architects have recently completed a highly insulated refurbishment and extension of a townhouse in North London, to meet the low-energy Passivhaus EnerPHit standard. Zinc clad extensions at roof and rear are simple and rectilinear, sensitive to the site’s location within a Conservation Area. The interior combines minimalist white-lined rooms with storage spaces that open up to reveal a warm and adaptable plywood structure and brightly coloured exposed services.   BRIEF AND DESIGN The clients’ brief for Lawford Road was to create a minimalist, intelligent, and energy efficient refurbishment of a Victorian property, forming a family home that would allow spaces to adapt over the years. The Passivhaus standard require... More

Villa Korup is an experimental steel clad villa in the Danish countryside by Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter with Marshall BlecherVilla Korup was designed for a young family of six on the Danish island of Fyn after a fire destroyed their previous home. The characteristic ‘three legged’ plan was developed in order to delineate the different aspects of the landscape, accentuating their qualities and creating three characteristic courtyard like spaces; a sunny south facing sloped area to the south, a protected kitchen garden to the east and an orchard cum playground to the west. Internally, the plan provides central communal spaces for the large family to gather as well as more private, secluded spaces at the ends of the wings.  ... More