Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Urban Cubism: Concrete Blocks Form a Functional Facade

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:00 AM PST

Japanese studio VIDZ Architects built this five-story building in Kyoto on a main street near several factories. Given the busy location, it was determined that the apartments needed to have a high degree of privacy. They got that in spades with this outrageous concrete construction.

Each of the concrete blocks houses an extremely private – one might even say secluded – balcony. The effect of all 12 balconies together looks a little like a video game come to life, or perhaps a LEGO building at human scale.

To add to the extreme privacy, the tall windows on either side of each balcony bear a translucent milky glazing. The covering prevents determined spying neighbors from climbing atop their balcony walls to peer into adjacent homes.

The residents share their building with a single story of offices on the very top floor. The offices lack the enclosed individual cubic balconies but have access to an open communal terrace that looks out over the city.

The chunky cubes adorn two adjacent buildings; the first – the smaller of the two – was finished in 2000 and the second was completed in 2007. A concrete stairwell connects the two, adding a visual as well as a practical continuity to these bizarre geometric constructs.

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Clever Carpet Photos Show Off Colors in Old Painted Homes

Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:00 PM PST

Usually, staged photos show off new rugs against a lovely (if implausible) new-room backdrop, highlighting what the product might look like inside a perfect home.

Photographer Jason Madara worked with ABC Carpet & Home on a somewhat different approach, using abandoned places with peeling paint to show high-contrast possibilities.

Faded teals compliment dull oranges, while rich purples are pitted against mustard yellows – the effect is compelling. And for people living in truly old structures, it might not be that unrealistic, either.

“The collection is the latest manifestation of the iconic series of artistic over-dyed rugs from ABC. Staying true to the philosophy of utilising the power of colour to reinvent and recreate, Color Reform Spectrum continues to embrace the transformational strength of colour by applying the Color Reform concept to new rugs created with the intention of being over-dyed. Each one-of-a-kind rug was individually and intricately handmade and over-dyed by Pakistani artisans to create the remarkable chromatic compositions in a seemingly endless exotic palette.”