Inspiring Landscape Project in Alentejo, Portugal: Garden in Comporta
In order to celebrate the upcoming warm season here, we decided to post a charming landscape architecture project, recently received via e-mail from Topiaris Arquitectura Paisagista. The garden in the photos below is located on the southwest coast of Portugal, in Herdade da Comporta, Alentejo, which is an outstanding and diverse landscape mosaic with high ecological and cultural value. It is worth mentioning the dune system with psammophilous pioneer vegetation, as well as the maritime and umbrella pine woods. This mosaic is complemented by agricultural areas in the lower alluvial soils with large ranges of rice fields. The plot area is 3000m2, and the morphology of the land is very smooth and low sloped.
The key concept is to regenerate the terrain – severely damaged by the construction works of the house, following a specific design – inspired on the natural patterns of the surrounding landscape. The plantation of native species was carried out through clusters with small elevations, which are expected to gradually expand to lower adjacent areas fostering an evolutionary dynamics. This ecological evolution has a positive impact in terms of landscape aesthetics, translated into changeable and transitory scenarios, which at some point will merge with the surrounding woodland.
The Client asked for mainly three things – visual privacy, a small tank of water and cool shades for the summer – all present into the design proposed. Under the main porch there’s a small scented garden, with aromatic species structured by a wooden grid. From here, a path leads towards the chill-out. In the northwest and southwest limits wooded beams panels were built to create privacy in the initial period – while vegetation is still growing, having an important role on this garden’s identity. The project was only the beginning of a story that continues through time, in its own dynamics, giving us the opportunity to follow it, taking conclusions on the ecological and sustainable principals underlying our strategy. [Photos and information provided by Joao Morgado from Topiaris Arquitectura Paisagista]
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5 CommentsOsungo readies a garden of super-efficient Flower Power USB chargers (hands-on)
It’s normally hard to spruce up a USB power charger, but Osungo gave us a pleasant little treat at its CES booth. It’s readying a Flower Power series of wall adapters that are unabashedly cute and, more importantly, can save as much as 95 percent of the energy that’s wasted when devices already have a full charge. No, it’s not extremely sophisticated, but it doesn’t have to be to do some good — and we’ll admit that the pseudo-organic cord wrap is a nice touch. Versions are coming with both 1A of current for phones and 2.1A for tablets, and we’re told they should be on sale in March. US-friendly adapters will cost about $25 to $30.
Gallery: Osungo Flower Power hands-on
Filed under: Peripherals
Source: Osungo
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Leave a commentCreative and Functional Garden Pavilion in London: The Shoffice Project
Combining function and sculptural design, the creative minds at Platform 5 Architects developed an interesting project in London, England. Shoffice is a garden pavilion located to the rear of a 1950′s terraced house in St John’s Wood and displays a fascinating exterior. The brief of the owners required a “sculptural object that flowed into the garden space“, so the architects achieved just that: an unfolding structure made of wood, perfect for accommodating a quite office and a shed.
Here is an excerpt from the official press release provided by the project developers: “The glazed office space nestles into an extruded timber elliptical shell, reminiscent of a wood shaving, and forms a small terrace in the lawn. The interior is oak lined and fitted out with a cantilevered desk and storage. Two roof-lights – one glazed above the desk with another open to the sky outside the office bring light into the work space“. To us, this looks like a modern, practical and aesthetically appealing project. We look forward to seeing your reactions as well.
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5 CommentsSpring Summoned Indoors With The Daisy Garden Interactive Rug
We received photos and information about a playful and interactive rug design, envisioned by Joe Jin Design Company Ltd., a young creative studio from Toronto, Canada. The original looking carpet is a good addition to any room in need of cheering up. According to the press release we were sent, each rug is hand-woven and contains grass-like threads that conceal a YKK® fastening system that allow each artificial flower, equipped with a snap button center, to be added, removed, arranged and rearranged in 84 different locations.
The perfect place to walk through (barefoot, of course), read a paperback or tablet (plugged in, or not) with unlimited coffee, or tea (isn’t the kitchen just around the corner?), or do a little floral rearrangement for fun. Gardening has never been so precise, and lawn maintenance has never been easier. 4″ daisies (x 25 pcs.) and 2.5″ daisies (x 25 pcs.) are included. Its overall dimension is 7.5′ x 5′. Find it as FRESH as we do?
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Fabricating Informal Gardens: Diamond-Shaped Garden On Wheels
Andrea Legge, Deborah Lewis and Murray Legge of art and architecture collective Legge Lewis Legge have come up with this amazing opportunity to shape contemporary gardens. Named Fractal Garden, the project aims at constructing contemporary gardens by bringing together several diamond-shaped planters. Supported by wheels, these intriguing quadrilateral polygons expose a world of modern garden customization challenging you to express your love for geometry and nature. The 21 steel planter group consists of 7 garden diamonds that come in three different versions for a spectacular cluster of possibilities. Originally designed for the 10th anniversary of The International Garden Festival in Quebec, Canada, the planters quench your thirst for informal gardening, offering a great solution for any type of garden, even rooftop displays of greenery or garden design for small terraces. These customizable tessellated examples of the way planters shape different gardens inspire more symmetric and asymmetric combinations – how would you shape your mobile garden?
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Leave a commentGarden Glory Hoses
Hoses are not the sexiest things on earth nor the most beautiful objects in your garden.
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Nevis Pool and Garden Pavilion by Robert M. Gurney
Architect Robert M. Gurney has designed the Nevis Pool and Garden Pavilion in Washington DC.
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Located in a neighborhood bordering Washington, DC, this suburban site has the advantage of being located adjacent to woodlands. A contemporary house surrounded by mature trees and manicured gardens anchors the site. A new swimming pool, stone walls, and terraces located behind the existing house organize the rear yard and establishes a dialogue between the existing house and a new pavilion. New paths, trees and structured plantings reinforce the geometry.
The new pavilion, intended for year round use, is strategically located to provide a threshold between the structured landscape and adjacent woodland. A low-pitched, terne coated stainless steel roof floats above a dry-stacked slate wall and mahogany volume. Five steel-framed glass doors along with frameless glass walls and mitered glass corners enclose the space, creating an environment that is surrounded by views of the structured landscape, pool and the adjacent woodland. The doors pivot to open the space much of the year while a large Rumford fireplace and heated floors provide a cozy counterpoint in winter months.
The interior contains a stainless steel kitchen component with seating, along with a small living space anchored by the fireplace. The blue stone flooring, stone and mahogany walls, and Douglas-fir ceiling create a warm, natural space. This new pavilion is intended to provide shelter from the harsh natural elements while simultaneously allowing the occupant to enjoy both the beautifully structured garden and the native, natural surroundings.
Visit Robert M. Gurney’s website – here.
Photography by Maxwell MacKenzie
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Bioclimatic Residence And Garden In Perfect Balance
The owners of this fantastic property wanted a new home surrounded by a manicured garden and a natural swimming pool. They collaborated with a designer and a landscape gardener to create the surroundings before starting constructing the house. Located in Baden, France, the residence designed by French architect Patrice Bideau has a set of eco-friendly features embedded in its simple yet elegant architecture. With the residential building having been placed in the north-west area of the property, with a lot of garden space, the space was designed to include a vegetable garden to the east.
Reached via a beautiful conservatory, the swimming pool mirrors straight and curved architectural lines during the day, while at night, it becomes part of an almost wild surrounding: “Opposite the swimming pool, a pergola for wisteria forms a link between the kitchen, the terrace and a wood frame conservatory with a polycarbonate roof, double glazed panels and wooden sub-frame, housing a winter garden. The conservatory with its slatted, sliding shutters made of wood and winter garden composed of stones, broken slates and shrubs is designed to procure extra heat in winter and to remain open in summer, thus ensuring natural ventilation for the house.” The organic and bioclimatic house features a natural wood-cladded garage guarding the main entrance with a welcoming but private feel, while the back garden surprises with its openness, balancing the overall design.
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Weekend House In The Main Residence’s Back Garden
The first thing you need to know about this weekend house is that is has an interesting location – right behind the client’s main residence. The owner lives in a small village called Nosice, but works in Bratislava, so a weekend commute to a remote retreat would imply more fuss than relaxation for him and the family. After taking into account all options, the architects of Bratislava-based studio Pokorny Architekti came to an agreement with their client to build the structure in this beautiful location overlooking the Javorniky Mountains. Basing the design on the owner’s vague request for a “Slovak traditional wooden house somewhere in the mountains of Central Slovakia”, the architects finished constructing the two story weekend retreat last year, in 2011, and the result is fabulous.
Spreading over 1,400 square feet, the warm wooden interiors compliment the surroundings. A central double height living zone featuring a stove with a tile backsplash acts as the core of the house, allowing the client to see the gathered family from the main bedroom and the staircase. Right next to this social space, an open floor plan allowed the dining space to be part of the downstairs entertaining area. The structure’s asymmetric shape looks amazing adorned with a roofed atrium and the use of layered and insulated wood panels - pine on the outside and larch slabs on the inside – makes the weekend house very much part of the surroundings. And, as no retreats should be without, a sauna and hot tub keeps the owners happy and relaxed, while the outdoor grill emphasizes the entertaining and cooking activities.
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Connected Volumes And Calming Landscaped Garden
What started out as a a three bedroom weekend house project soon turned into a five bedroom permanent residence. Indian architectural studio Dipen Gada & Associates were challenged to design the Amin’s Residence and their work, completed last year, speaks about a lifestyle including a 16 feet high living space with a glazed corner and dark toned wooden flooring in the bedrooms. The spacious contemporary home sits among other residential buildings in the west of Vadodara City, India. The 8,240 square foot Amin’s Residence is made out of three different blocks - a white entrance block, a sesame wood block housing living spaces and a double-height block in the backside. The two story home has a central dining room seating 12 and connecting all the other public spaces (living room, home theater, kitchen) and the private areas (bedrooms and bathrooms) going out into nature by continuing with the swimming pool, open deck and Zen garden. Unique details adorn the spaces: “A beautiful puja room is very well placed in this central foyer. A custom designed art lamp with the theme ‘Journey’ is hung from the double height in the center of the staircase. This lamp is designed and conceptualized by Mr. Dipen Gada himself and executed by Mr. Manish Maheshwari. This is one of the unique features of the house. ”
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