More on using the space under the stair

What would a romantic castle be without a secret panel leading to a regal powder room?

The stair paneling provided perfect camouflage for this new amenity in the heritage building.

 

When is a shed a little more?

When is a storage shed not just a shed? When it is integrated in a way that highlights the joy of a natural material. 

Simple utility can be design opportunity. This is the space under an external staircase that was designed to be a useful component to a multifamily development. 

The steps and threshold (under the store doors) are completed using 2" thick yellow sandstone. The carefully aligned visible nails are round headed durable stainless steel. 

Using the sun's heat to cool your home.

There are two principles at work on this hillside site. Hot air rises and the temperature below ground remains constant, a few metres down. Add to this the natural air conditioning provided by pulling air across a well placed water feature. 

On a hot dry day a cool breeze will flow through the home, using the convection created by the afternoon sun. This will prepare the space ready for you to get a good night's sleep.

Home or Prototype?

For Architects, houses can be prototypes where you get to think through design ideas and have them built. This can firmly establish your goals, understanding and design aesthetic.

Regular interaction with the Builder and his trades at this level gives you layers of experience regarding thinking through construction techniques and possibilities.

A sound base of architectural house design provides confidence for when the projects grow bigger.

Starting to Understand your Chinese Customer

Strange as it seems, Mandarin and Cantonese actually have the same written language, but completely different pronunciation.

With written Chinese there are two versions: ‘Traditional’ and ‘Simplified’. The simplified version was brought in with the advent of the communist government in China, while the traditional version may be more commonly used in other countries. Some Chinese people feel strongly attached to one version or the other.

Heritage Match Up

The way to retain beautiful old city buildings and yet enable them to achieve greater use has been debated by at least one whole generation of Architects and City Planners. In this example the multi-use city church's building facade became the visual base and design generator of the 17 storey building.

The overall form of the mid rise mixed use building was restricted to maintain the sun to the park behind. The massing was generated by uses at various levels. In effect, it was broken down into five components.

• The historic base (including a new sanctuary) 
• The school for international students (with roof top garden)
• The university (two blocks)
• The city residences (one block) 
• The boardroom and penthouse apartment

The increased yield on the site enables the heart of the church to survive and become integrated within the new use.

Transport interchange = foot traffic = commercial success

This is a bus and train transport 'interchange' twin-building proposal we designed that aimed to link a regional NSW city hospital on one side of the railway with the commercial centre on the other side. It will require the agreement of around twenty land owners, state rail and the city to move forward.

It is now a matter of making the numbers work, and encouraging the various commercial land owners to either sell or take a stake in the project. The development will revitalise a struggling area of town because of the simple equation: Secure transport interchange = large numbers of relaxed foot traffic = retail and commercial success.

Working now in land assembly here in Vancouver, I get to help owners join in this city renewal process.

Latest Design Panels

These are the latest design panels created to demonstrate possibilities in multifamily construction in British Columbia.

Commercial Real Estate in Canada - seeing the forest and the trees

The properties of British Columbia have great value and potential, especially when neighbouring properties work together to form  large parcels of land which can be effectively developed. 

Acting as a commercial land broker, I specifically look for land owners who would like to share in the profit from the development process by selling a large parcel of land or who are happy to join forces with their neighbours and sell together.

I also come alongside buyers who want to develop land and help them decide on the right building type so that their ideas will fit the needs of a new community and therefore sell well. 

It should have been obvious I guess, but it turns out that a being a foreign Architect really helps in seeing all sorts of possibilities as a land broker and development consultant.  

I get to see the forest and the trees.

The Net of the Crescent Moon

Competition entry for new city center site in Semiahmoo (which can be translated as 'Crescent Moon'), just outside Vancouver.

The opening in the building follows the path of the setting sun so that we get as much of it as possible. I always enjoy a challenge...fitting a penthouse style apartment plan in this organic plan shape was great fun.

The curved plan surrounds a water feature which becomes a public skating rink in Winter.

Sir Torrens the Aussie saves you from the Knight.

Real Estate Title in Western Canada introduced in 1860 through an Aussie.

Robert Richard Torrens, from solid Irish stock, was a South Australian customs officer who believed that the ownership registration of ships could be applied to the ownership interests in land. So the Torrens System 'guaranteeing' title (known as indefeasibility) was born.  He earned a knighthood for that stroke of genius.

Sir Torren's work means that if you bought your property for a fair price in good faith you can relax in the knowledge that you own the title to the land, even if something dodgy happened in the past.

It would be terrible to think that the Knight returning home from the crusade (the actual owner) could kick you out because someone tricked you.

Thankfully, our weary and somewhat angry Knight should be looked after by the 'Assurance Fund', and you can sleep at night.

Simple Space Saving Timber Stair

Making good use of the space under the stair

The small footprint of this simple stair provides useful storage (on the left) as well as providing a sense of separation or privacy to the downstairs bathroom behind.

The closed stringer in timber and the contrasting stainless steel handrail give a clean architectural look, while the stretched sailcloth light fitting and the tensioned rigging balustrading add to the nautical reference of this seaside home. In Canada, the rigging wound be replaced with glass for compliance.

The timbers used were: Stairs (and floor) in Tasmanian Oak, an Australian hardwood; the sliding door to right was Myrtle (an excellent furniture timber) and contrasting Jarrah (deep red timber colour) was used for the internal doors, skirtings, sills and architarves. 

The colour palette provided by the timbers and steel allowed the walls to be a neutral white.

 

It Really is All About Light

It really is all about light. Ask yourself, where is the sun...can I surprise someone by bringing light in where it never was? In this example, light was brought from the sunny northern sky (southern hemisphere project) to the south side entrance hall. This made the inside brighter than the shaded porch entrance outside - making the building glow.

 

Church Building Design - Excellence and Elegance

Christians agree that a church building is not God's 'temple on earth' as in the times before Christ. It is understood that God is worshiped whenever and wherever the human heart turns to Him. 

However, a church building is a uniquely important space where life memories are made. 

A church building is a venue where...

an extended family celebrate God together & move towards the Cross of Jesus

where an outsider is welcomed and invited to belong

where the love between a man and a woman is deeply honoured

where new life is protected and delighted in

where life plans are discovered and commitments made

where closure (after a life is completed) begins

At its best, a new church building is more than a 'tool for mission' like an auditorium or converted gymnasium.

It is a place of  life's most significant moments. Those life moments are often photographed and always remembered. Think of the procession of a bride and her father.

Annandale Uniting Church heritage facade 

and proposed additions at rear

History is made in the sports arena, at the university graduation hall, even at Starbucks, but it is uniformly made at church. This insists that a church building be a work of Architecture expressing values, hope and daily faith.

A work of Architecture reflects its place in time, so a new church building will use the materials, methods and technology commonly available at the time of construction, giving it a contemporary temperament.

As both an informal meeting place with many functions and a venue of contemplation, formality and excellence, the building outcome could legitimately be called quiet contemporary elegance.

Design Rules

Set up the tight rules of the concept then find solutions within the agreed limited palette.

Nothing is permitted to disrupt the steel ceiling so the air conditioning and the lighting needed to be handled creatively. Practical aspects are also included: Having wall uplights make the changing of bulbs simple and the lower level a/c outlets in the joinery are more efficient (because hot air rises) 

First from the sketchbook

Ponte Vecchio and Forte Belvedere

Florence, Italy...the place where so many Architects, Artists and Master Builders get inspired.

Duomo

The profile against the sky is one of the first ways that design apprehends us.