Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Elevated Villa is Perfect Vantage Point for Japanese Snows

Posted: 17 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

Sugiura Villa japan

This small villa, located in Hirugano, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, is perfectly suited to its surroundings. Architects Ken Yokogawa Architect and Associates designed the home around the area’s propensity to accumulate high drifts of snow in the winter. By elevating the main volume of the Sugiura Villa, the residents can enjoy an unparalleled view of the surroundings.

Sugiura Villa

The ground level is dedicated to the garage. Passers-by can’t see into the second level, so the villa is private while offering the residents a beautiful 180 degree panoramic view. The stairway up to the second floor is rich with angles and fascinating shadows while allowing the soft glow of the living area to seep down invitingly.

interior sugiura villa

The small footprint of the home makes the main part of the home appear to teeter on its central column. The second floor is one large volume consisting of a bedroom and public living area. The spaces are separated by the “wet area” facilities such as the bathroom and sinks. Sliding doors provide privacy for all of these areas.

floor plan

At the roof’s angular center, just above the small box that contains the bathroom, hides a tiny loft that holds tatami mats. The upward-sloping roof makes the small loft appear much larger than it is while providing lovely acoustics. Since the home is in an area where snow regularly accumulates up to nine feet deep, this is a perfect little home in which to hole up and watch the dramatic Japanese winter.

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Too Scared to Sit? Glass Furniture with Piston-Aided Parts

Posted: 16 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST

Glass Furniture Series 1

Glass is cold, uncomfortable and highly dangerous when broken, so how would you feel about lounging in a recliner that uses it as its main material? This glass furniture collection by Konstantin Grcic aims to help us get beyond the ‘psychological barrier’ that prevents us from interacting more robustly with this fragile material.

Glass Furniture Series 2

The transparent series of chairs, tables and shelving units certainly looks like it would break if you put too much pressure on it – would you trust that chair back to support your weight? Yet pistons, hinges and cranks incorporated into each design support various elements and keep lids from slamming closed.

Glass Furniture Series 3

Glass Furniture Series 4

A piston on the chair back, attached with black silicone pads, enables slight adjustment of the angle. Others apply tension to wood blocks in a cabinet to hold books upright. The designer incorporated these gas pistons to “create movement in a very magical, soft way” to give us more confidence in the strength of each piece.

Glass Furniture Series 5

“As well as the perception that glass is cold, there is a psychological belief that maybe it is fragile and could break and hurt you. I am forcing you to interact, to touch it and interact with it and to overcome this psychological barrier.”