Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Life in a Glass Bubble: Modern Spanish Penthouse Remodel

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:00 AM PDT

[ Filed under Architecture & in the Additions category ]

In the southern Spanish city of Murcia, ancient buildings line the streets and add a particular type of character to the locale. One home in particular embraces the centuries-old charm on the street level but goes for the futuristic look up top.

Clavel Arquitectos were called in to rehab an existing attic and turn it into a stylish penthouse-style art gallery/living space addition. But what would a project like this be without some strict regulations or unusual challenges to get around? The building was under strict regulations that made it impossible to modify the positions of the attic’s exterior walls.

Working only within the space already defined, the architects designed a futuristic, open structure with a lush exterior green wall. The existing penthouse was dark and closed off with narrow corridors and rooms on both sides. After the renovation, the residents have a bright, open space filled with living bubbles.

Each “bubble” is a separate chamber with a specific function – living, sleeping, dining – and the space between them keeps things light. The opaque white glass that makes up the bubbles’ walls seems impractical for an art gallery…but the impracticality disappears when you notice the clever system of three flush-mounted hanging rails running all throughout the penthouse.

On the rooftop terrace, futuristic meets naturalistic at the living green wall. The gently undulating shape of the white walls is carried over into the rich greens of the grasses that cover the rooftop vertical garden, adding the perfect soft touch to this gorgeously modern addition.

Keep Going - Check out this Great Related Dornob Article:

Wild New Penthouse Behind an Historic Waterfront Facade

Polygonal Penthouse Tops Trans-Generational Townhouse

[ Filed under Architecture & in the Additions category ]

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Scrappy Stools & Tables from Junk Tin & Raw Wood Offcuts

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 03:00 PM PDT

[ Filed under Recycled & in the Furniture category ]

Skip screws and forget glue: these pieces are both built from and fused together with melted metal odds and ends – wooden structural elements cemented in molten tin, all locally recycled materials.

Pepe Heykoop (images by Annemarijne Bax) takes sawmill scraps and simply slices them off as needed, leaving interesting angles in his wake.

“‘Bits of Wood' is a reaction upon handling these leftovers … all the different pieces are modified to fit in a mould where molten tin embraces them and holds them together. The tin comes from a metal recycling department where old tin pots and plates are collected. Collecting these materials can be done locally.”