50%

Half full glass, half empty glass - halfway there - come halfway......
some may think of it as a threshold. 
July 1st - Canada Day here, in Canada. 4th of July in three days in the USA

Said I wouldn't  go there. . . . wouldn't make any disparaging remarks. About them. About him.
I won't. 
But - 125 days left. Or, 4 months and 2 days. 18 Saturdays.
Until the US election. A lot can happen in 125 days. A lot can happen in the 10 dozen days from next Monday until November 3rd.
Interesting, no? Of course it is.

Aston Martin • the mark of James Bond. THE, mark of automotive excellence. 
And here they  come again. But not automotively speaking.

Talk about  c o o l !  Talk about super  c   o   o   l   !

Lonika Chande is a London based interior designer who recently ventured out on her own. And her first client, as it turns out, was her mother. Remodelista featured the project in their publication last week.
The following is a partial extract from their post : : 
After earning an architectural interior design degree from the prestigious Inchbald School and working for two design firms in London’s Chelsea, Lonika Chande felt ready to strike out on her own. What she needed was an initial solo project to show what she can do.

That commission came from Lonika’s mother, Lucy Dickens, an artist (and great-great granddaughter of Charles Dickens), who dabbles in real estate: she and Lonika’s stepfather had bought a one-bedroom fixer-upper in Hampstead that they wanted to overhaul as a high-end, long-term rental.

The living area came with nearly 10-foot-tall ceilings and original windows that required restoring. Lucy agreed to expand her white paint palette: the walls are in “a warm and inviting but still neutral shade,” says Lonika--Paper I from the Paint & Paper Library. “With no cornice, the ceiling was painted in with the walls to soften the junction between the two. The window sash bars and rails were painted in Off-Black by Farrow & Ball, not only to make them stand out, but also to highlight the pretty Victorian spindles on the balcony behind. We went for bespoke sheer roller privacy blinds set inside the recess to expose as much of the original paneled detailing on the window architrave as possible.”

The furnishings are a mix of midcentury pieces Lucy already owned and antiques Lonika tracked down at good prices. The sofa cushions are made from vintage Kuba cloth: “as an artist, visual texture is extremely important to Lucy,” says Lonika.

“We spent a lot on the build and getting the bones of the property right, with good-quality flooring, tiles, and other fittings,” says Lonika. “Things like the ironmongery and the new doors were expensive. This meant that we had a tighter budget for the soft furnishings.”

​Following are the 'Before' photographs:

As noted, Lucy Dickens is a well established artist - I wanted to showcase some of her work here.

I figured we could all use a little cooling down these days, so. . . . . .

and a little 'Back to the Future' couldn't hurt either:

This wonderful home was recently featured in UNCRATE.
The text and description are taken from that article.

Nestled among the trees of Portland's Forest Park, the Royal House, designed by William/Kaven Architecture, brings a contemporary edge to the rugged scenery. The 4,352 square foot dwelling is formed by a series of rectangular volumes stacked along a wooded ravine. Clad in black siding, the facade blends the stark, geometric forms into the surrounding tree trunks. Its four-bedroom interior boasts bright, open living spaces featuring white oak floors with dark walnut inlays and custom oak cabinets. Floor-to-ceiling glazing envelopes the level in views of the treetops while sliding doors expand the interior to an outdoor terrace and a Juliet balcony overlooking the hillside. Along with direct access to hiking trails including Wildwood Trail, the home is just minutes from the shops, restaurants, and bars of downtown.
A stunning, private home designed by award-winning studio 
William / Kaven Architecture. 
$2,550,000.00
Photography © Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA.

​A clever new product by Danielle Baskin is a remedy to current challenges with facial recognition software used to unlock phones. The San Francisco-based designer recently launched Maskalike, a company that prints custom face coverings with photographs of the wearer. Made of machine-washable cotton, the functional masks create a seamless look that opens cellphones and other devices without having to remove it first.

Maskalike currently has a waitlist for custom designs, although there are options for those who want to maintain some anonymity. The company sells masks printed with Hide the Pain Harold, a man featured in stock photographs who now is recognized widely as a meme. “Look permanently uncomfortable, trying to be happy,” the product description reads.

​Follow updates on the company’s timely designs on Instagram. (via Laughing Squid)

Try Before You Buy: Walkable Plans Offer a New Way to Visualize Architecture 
These full-scale floor plans allow architects and their clients to take their designs for a test drive.
Nathan Bahadursingh

WOW! What an awesome, stupidly   O B V I O U S  solution to every architect's, designer's major problem - how to accurately, simply and inexpensively convey the true realistic spatial realities of a structure to the client?

Once you see this you slap yourself upside the head and ask yourself, 'Now why did I think of that?'
Check it out here

This idea, this concept came out of Australia. Read this brief account of how it came to be. 

I was a builder pouring concrete at Tempe for a customer, the customer is annoyed by the size of the building and wanted it to be bigger, he didn’t realise how small the actual house was, even after looking at the plans for a long time.

I myself then wanted to build my own house and looking at the plans it was hard to wrap around the actual size of the building. I decided to draw the plans onto the ground in a park and was subsequently fined by the council. There had to be a cheaper way to view your plans life-size and that’s when it hit me. I rented out a warehouse, put up some projectors and was now able to walk through my house before it was built saving myself thousands from simples mistake, and now I am bringing this technology to you.

Bringing your architectural plans and your future house to a real-life size before you put $1 on building your home.

With the use of state of the art technology and tailored programs we are able to show your complete dwelling – including upper and lower floors, backyards, swimming pools and entertaining areas, along with driveways and parking spaces to a 'true' 1:1 scale.

You can park your car in the garage and walk around your whole property without annoying glasses or goggles. Your whole family can experience this all at the same time.

So - this technology is now available in the US - and probably soon in Canada also.Currently it is offered in Pittsburgh - but watch - soon it will be available in every major city in North America. So simple!

From Architizer:    Nathan Bahadursingh
Even with detailed floor plans and renderings, it’s difficult for architects and clients to clearly visualize and estimate the proportions of a space. This discrepancy can lead to delays in design finalization, mid-construction changes and costs or an inadequate final product. 
Ron Lyndon seeks to mitigate this issue and provide greater transparency during the design process with his new Walkable Plans venture. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Walkable Plans is a floor plan projection center that provides an immersive 1:1 scale layout of a residential or commercial space. 
According to NEXTpittsburgh, Lyndon based the company on an idea he saw on “Shark Tank Australia” called Lifesize Plans. He took the concept of projecting true-sized floor plans and applied it to Walkable Plans, which is the first of its kind in the United States. 
Using the latest technology, the floor plan projection facility displays life-sized architectural layouts onto the floor, allowing an architect or client to better experience and visualize a space. It gives builders, designers, architects and families the ability to confirm that a design is perfect before investing in construction. 
The Walkable Plans facility uses four projectors that are connected to create one massive image measuring 48 by 70 feet. All the company needs is a PDF of the drawings a few days in advance. To make the experience even more immersive, the facility uses real furniture and portable walls in order to provide better clarity. ​

The Walkable Plans technology also has applications beyond residential and commercial building. It can cover landscapes, retail, manufacturing, office, medical and entertainment spaces. Additionally, it can be applied to more civic projects, such as public transportation and city planning spaces. 
As stated on NEXTpittsburgh, Lyndon views Walkable Plans to be the “missing step in the design process.” The benefits are clear. Its ability to display all types of spaces allows individuals to cautiously plan, which ultimately saves money and time on a project.

Hey! DR•I is always - always on the look-out for new and novel technologies!

​VESPA 946 CHRISTIAN DIOR SCOOTER
Piaggio and fashion house Christian Dior have collaborated to create the most luxurious experience available on two wheels — the Vespa 946 Christian Dior. Vespa and Dior are no strangers to style, and the Vespa is the perfect platform to express their creativity in motion. Painted creme white, the Vespa 946 Dior has gold accents and trim with a prominent Dior Oblique design in dark blue. The same pattern is used on the seat, with a bespoke square Dior carrying case that mounts to a rack behind the rider. The Vespa 946 Dior will be available Spring 2021 in Dior boutiques and Piaggio Motoplex stores worldwide.

Gee - I wouldn't mind one of these. . . . . great colour scheme.

But, there's also these  called BoomerBuggies.....Daymak Boomerbuggy X Covered Mobility Scooter With Cool A/C$7,999.00

I'm figuring on a black one - then will have to get me a black leather motorcycle jacket (with lotsa zippers and stuff) and to finish it off a raccoon tail....yowzah!
Oh - they also come in these colours

Here I am - lighting up your life - again!

The most selling innovative table lamp. Winner of the Red Dot Award!
​Within the warm frame of this pleasingly minimalist lamp is a surprising way to illuminate it. When you lift the lower ball attached to a cord, it attracts to the top one—thanks to the embedded magnets inside—creating a connection that switches on the lamp’s LED light. Separating them turns off the light.
The attractive curved design creates the illusion of light passing through the wooden structure. USB plug. Choose from beech wood or three color frame.

: : QUIZ : :
What is this? 

Here's the choices:
Garage
Dental clinic
Car wash
Office building
House
​Circus tent

Maybe this will help. . . . .

Oops - maybe not. . . . . well, this will

Located in the Kanto region of Japan, the Ortho House is a modern family home in the suburbs.
​The monolithic structure is comprised of two board-formed concrete volumes. Its interior is accessed through a subterranean garage where an elevator leads to the main level. Featuring floor-to-ceiling glazing, the interior is both visually and physically linked to a courtyard and a garden terrace. Each room expands to these external areas allowing inhabitants to enjoy the outdoors and still maintain privacy. While the interior mimics the facade with exposed concrete and muted tones, a coffered ceiling with wood inserts adds a subtly warmth to the living spaces.

Okay - here's the deal - IMHO this is a wonderful architectural statement, albeit I am unconvinced that the exterior shell couldn't do with some concession to material sensitivity - say, a slash of deep walnut banding. Just something to un-sterilize it.

The architects displayed a deft hand in the definition of the volumes and the spaces....the visual conversation is rich with harmonious balance, simpatico finishes. It's a wonderful design.
The next photograph is the Living Room, and although my opinion doesn't really change, there is one element that disturbs me. Were I the designer or the architect I would have argued for a change, a concession. I'm referring to the coffered ceiling design. Yes, it's a beautiful treatment - but again, IMHO, it is excessive in its intrusion into the visual language that otherwise composites this space.

Does anybody agree with me? Examine it more closely.....the walls appear to be a travertine marble. Perhaps not - could be Kerlite, or even a wood product. Point is it has a nice, rich but subtle texture.

BUT

The ceiling -as beautiful as it is, so tone rich, overpowers the space. 
So, I decided to do a little experiment - using my Photoshop skills. Check it out.

There are a number of options that might be explored here - but I elected to retain the beams and the architectural reveals that run down the centre of each beam, thereby maintaining a strong connection, both visually and feeling-wise, to the original architecture. I eliminated the recessed coffer in so doing. To my eye the geometry is more gentling, actually more delineating because both the recessed coffers and the wood grain are not now pulling one's focus to the ceiling.

On the other hand, I did a similar experiment in the dining room - which I feel is terribly sterile, design-wise.

In this case I retained the recesses but eliminated the woodgrain ceiling deciding instead to carry the colour richness from the ceramic floor to the ceiling.

And so, whadday a think? 
​Moi, once done, I realized i wouldn't advocate for such a change. Not that it doesn't work - it does. But the coffered panelling provided a degree of warmth and material richness that this rather barren space really needs.
I would be interested in your opinions, comments

ORTHO HOUSE:  
 Apollo Architects & Associates  
  ​​Photos: Kimirou Nishikawa /

Looks kinda like a beehive sort of, yes?

Hooba Design Group wraps Tehran office in glass-punctuated bricks

Hooba Design Group used bricks with glass inserts to create a "semi-transparent character" for the headquarters of brick manufacturer Kohan Ceram in Tehran, Iran.
Tehran-based Hooba Design Group designed a special type of brick, which was manufactured in Kohan Ceram factory, for the six-storey block's facades.

"The spectacled brick was exclusively designed by our office and produced by Kohan Ceram factory for this project," said Hooba Design Group founder Hooman Balazadeh.
"The final block was achieved based on a series of trial and error samples," he told Dezeen. "A close cooperation between our office and the producer resulted in an innovative building block which combines brick and glass to create a singular module."

"The urban scenery along the major highways in Tehran is an amalgam of forms and materials, causing visual disturbance to the urban environment," Balazadeh said.
"This project tries to overcome this issue by minimalizing the form and limiting the materials. The resulting building is calm and neutral in the urban scale," he continued.
"In the building scale, on the other hand, the spectacled brick creates a very different perception for the observer and adds a layer of detail to the atmosphere."
Other recent building projects with patterned brick facades include Fundamental Approach Architects' Tehran apartment block with perforated brick screens and Adept's customised-brick housing alongside Carlsberg's Elephant Gate.
Photography is by Parham Taghioff- Deed Studio.

Client: Kohan Pour
Design consultant: Hooba Design
Principal architect: Hooman Balazadeh
Project architect: Parima Jahangard
Design team: Parima Jahangard, Mohsen Tahmasebi, Mostafa Dadashpour
Site supervision: Mohsen Tahmasebi
Detail design: Bahram Afsari- Mohsen Tahmasebi
Physical modeling: Mehran Alinezhad
Graphic: Shafagh kia- Maryam Eghlimi
Mechanical engineer: Iman Ilbeigi
Lighting design: FAD
Furniture: Harmony Co

This article originally appeared in de zeen, written by Cajsa Carlson

S T O P  •   WAIT  |    WAIT  - S T O P !

What are you seeing here? The lady in the photograph is probably 5'-6" tall? Possibly? Yes.....probably.
LOOK AT THOSE GLASS DOORS!
Extrapolate - if she is 66" tall, she is about one-quarter of the height of the doors......that would mean - yes, BOBO - that would mean the doors are approximately 20 feet high.

Yup! They are - in fact, they are the largest glass doors in the world. Each piece of glass weighs 1.5 tons!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

I am not, kidding you. These doors are at the rear of an addition to an elegant old house in Antwerp, Belgium.

LOVE the possumPussyCat!

Text description provided by the architects.
A town house ready for the next century. The façade keeps its historical function and bourgeois radiance, neatly in line. The contrast with the rear is ample. All incorrect additions are replaced by a unit of space and light. Daylight and contact with the garden are introduced. The simple, contemporary glass rear has the world’s largest pivoting window – 3 meters wide by 6 meters high – and makes this house ready for the future.
​
Renovation old Bourgeois town house. Bell etage, so no connection on the same level with the garden.  Clients wanted to have that connection and a more modern approach in connection with the old details. We broke down the rear part of the building to make this connection on the same level, and give the house a nice view to the garden from the different floors. We wanted to make also a connection with the different floors.  This happened wit a triplex in the new built rear extension.

Materials new extension. Polished concrete inside and the outside terrace on the same level. Walls: masonry with painted. Windowprofiles: ODS Jansen Ixtra lasercut and tailormade with insulated glass from Saint Gobain. (glass 1.5 ton each slab).  Each window (with frame) 2 tons.  Dimensions: 3x6m and 6x3m above. Concept window: same form: T shaped as an old standard window. Kitchen: table tops also in concrete.  The island is movebla to the terrace.  The ideal bbq house. In the old front part we renovated the existing floors and architectural details.  The new bathrooms are in the old style with modern approach. But we kept the old lavabo’s that were available in the house.
​
The new bathrooms are in between the two big bedrooms with double doors ‘en enfilade’ (a classical term for doors of different rooms on one view axe). So we didn’t do a lot; but what we did has giant repercussions to the way of living in that house.

ANTWERP - SculpIT

This is what is truly known as a Tour de Force! Frankly I cannot understand why one would want to invest the kind of money it must have taken to design/specify two such huge doors. Spectacular result, no doubt......but. . . . . . 

This is the home of Barton Myers, Architect. Although American by birth he lived and worked in Toronto for many years. The firm, Diamond and Myers, was the architectural firm that all young design professionals hungered to work for back in 1968 and almost 20 years thereafter.

From   d w e l l  magazine:     $8.2million       Written by: BJennifer Baum Lagdameo
y
Featuring steel garage doors that stave off fires, the home, guesthouse, and studio of Barton Myers are now on the market.The nearly 39-acre site in Montecito, California, that architect Barton Myers chose for a family home afforded breathtaking views of the ocean, the Channel Islands to the south, and the mountains to the north—but it did raise a red flag for him and his late wife, Victoria. "Fire was very much on our minds," shares Barton. "As an architect, if you are going to go into a dangerous area, you have the responsibility of dealing with that in a sophisticated way and hopefully establishing a prototype of how people should deal with these areas." 

Barton Myers’s residence was notably featured in
 American Masterworks: Houses of the 20th and 21st Centuries 
which proclaimed it "one of the 40 most important works of
​ residential architecture in the last 120 years." 

So - that's a wrap for this issue - barely scratched the surface of all the goodies I have stockpiled for y'all.

So far we're maintaining the twice monthly publication. Stay tuned - write, comment, critique - say something!
​