Interiors

Marian is a minimalist house located in Ullastrell, Spain, designed by Carles Marcos. The house sits on the southeast slope of Ullastrell, a tranquil village about 45 minutes from Barcelona. An old concrete mass wall contains the inclined terrain, which is 4 meters high above the street. We chose to preserve it and reinterpret it as a plinth for the new building. The wall becomes the base on which the new house is set. The house, for a couple, must be comfortable, economical and expandable in the future. We propose the program as an addition to rooms that are juxtaposed parallel to the direction of the street, thus occupying as little space as possible on the ground. Built with load walls, the house is projected in two directions. Longitudinally, the sequence of rooms dilutes the general limits of the interior space, emphasized at the same time by the continuous structural rhythm of the unidirectional slab. In the transverse direction, we looked for maximum permeability from the outside through each of the domestic spaces, to promote the entrance of the sun, cross ventilation and the constant visual relationship with the environment. The main rooms of the house make sense as a sum of small spaces, where each room is complemented with other spaces of size and proportion suitable for its use. The outer space, partially inclined, takes shape as a result of the position occupied by the house on the ground and especially its relationship with the boundary defined by the large existing wall.

Degree is a minimalist kitchen system created by Copenhagen-based designer Cecilie Manz for Reform. Cecilie Manz has designed a kitchen based on simple principles; balancing functionality and a hospitable atmosphere. The steel countertop is a practical and raw expression that is balanced with warm shades of the cabinet fronts; the golden Oregon Pine and rich painted grey. The wood grain of the Oregon Pine is laid at a 45 degree angle, softly contrasting with the horizontal and vertical lines of the kitchen. The geometric notch handle is placed in the corner of each front and adds a graphic element to the kitchen. The simple details and honest materials create a classic but modern look. A comfortable backdrop for everyday life.

Tunbridge Winter Cabin is a minimalist cabin located in Tunbridge, Vermont, designed by New Affiliates. A small painting studio on 65 acres in the Green Mountains of Vermont. The structure was designed and built in eight months, a quick project as an informal getaway while we work on a larger house on the same property. The design is based on Vermont’s strange aggregate structures: where barns, houses, and sheds all grow on and around each other–clustering, it almost seems, for warmth. The studio is set off-angle from the living area, and windows throughout present picturesque tableaux of the landscape.

House SE is a minimalist home located in Melbourne, Australia, designed by Walter&Walter. An early Victorian workers cottage has a familiar and specific spatial quality. The project embodies concepts that support small footprint living while also revisiting spatial traditions of the original house by exploring alternatives for the organization of small spaces. Focusing on the qualities of individual rooms a home has been curated out of separate yet connected spaces. Allowing activity to occur in both a horizontal and vertical direction, creating space for play, for both children and light.

Museum Princessehof is a minimalist space located in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, designed by i29. This anniversary was the motive for a major renovation of the museum, with the goal of increasing its appeal and accessibility to visitors. i29 interior architects created a surprisingly modern interior in the monumental buildings, which date from the 18th century. The design features an entrance hall including the museum store and tearoom, the museum square and exhibition areas for the vast collections. The 18th century in 2018 The main challenge was to create a welcoming and contemporary entrance area in the rather closed monumental buildings. A timeless interior that matches the museum as a place for inspiration and surprise. In addition, the museum wanted to reorganize their comprehensive collection with the goal of having a clear and surprising experience.

Aesop Jiyugaoka is a minimalist Aesop store located in Tokyo, Japan, designed by ciguë. The space features a raw aesthetic, comprised mainly of concrete and the use of fiberglass laminated resin mounted on vibrated aluminum for the product display shelves. The resin not only has an earthy appearance, but is also semi-transparent as well. The fiberglass can be produced with curved features, thus the shelves and the structure itself are softly curved. The checkout and sink counters are constructed in terrazzo.

MWP15 is a collective housing complex located in Chiba, Japan, designed by SO&CO. The property is situated on a deformed site facing the elevated Kesei Line. The architects wanted to create to L-shaped volumes that would be arranged to have a small courtyard in the middle. In order to expand the interiors, the architects decided to use thinner wall insulation through the use of a steel wall refractory. The interiors feature light wood and concrete flooring to clearly delineate the internal programs.

Apartment #114 is a minimalist apartment located in Tokyo, Japan, designed by G architects studio. This is a renovation project of a side corridor-type multiple dwelling house, first sold at the end of 1970s. The original layout was for a rather small three-bed room apartment, which was typical for a condominium apartment during this period. The original layout was designed to optimize the economic efficiency and functionality from the developer’s point of view – taking into account the standard lifestyle of the 1970s Japan. The layout was so clear that it was obvious as to where to put certain furniture in the living room, for example. However, such an “optimized” layout somewhat forced occupants to live the standardized life of the era, which seemed to limit the way they lived, and was experienced as rather suffocating.

House Touguinhó III is a minimalist residence located in Vila do Conde, Portugal, designed by Raulino Silva Architect. On the site, that was being used as a planting field, we found the typical granite walls, a stone pit, some fruit trees and bushes. Those walls were recovered and the trees, the bushes and the stone pit were kept in their original place, in order to preserve the identity of the site. The strong slope of the topography of about 5 meters between the street and the top of the site defined the planning of the house in two floors, nevertheless it was sought that both floors had direct connection with the outside garden. In the lower floor, which occupies half of the implantation, we have a porch that allows car parking but can also be used for other activities, like children’s parties. From this space, we have access to the laundry, to a toilet, a storage room, the technical area and to the atrium that allows access the upper floor through the stairs.

Blue Notes is a minimalist house located in Northcote, Australia, designed by Golden. This period-style home was updated with new joinery and furniture for a six-piece, music-loving family. The updates – all minimalist lines, bold shapes and grand scales – offer modern counterparts to the original Edwardian architecture. Music threads through the house with clever, custom joinery accommodating oft-used instruments in the music room; and in the television-free living room, his-and-hers reading chairs and an oversized Molteni sofa accommodate sprawling listening-sessions around a cherished vinyl record player.

Iradug is a minimalist residential building located in Balzers, Liechtenstein, designed by Schneider Türtscher. The home is situated within a picturesque mountain landscape between Austria and Switzerland. The interior utilizes herringbone wood flooring with large glazings to provide ample natural light. Below each window is a custom-built wooden ledge that provides additional storage and seating.

House in Daikanyama is a minimalist apartment located in Tokyo, Japan, designed by Roovice. The renovation sought to maintain a stripped down industrial aesthetic, leaving the ceiling and concrete walls exposed. The kitchen is slightly elevated and features a stainless steel countertop with a steel rangehood. The bedroom is detached from the kitchen and living area in order to maintain privacy.

Sao Francisco House is a minimalist residence located in Guarda, Portugal, designed by Filipe Pina. The project is an urban typical house of the first half of the 20th century, presenting three sides and a garden. The surrounding buildings are characterized by several types of construction, a consequence of the successive city urbanistic growth stages. The clients wanted a pragmatic solution to the project, “willing to renew and rehabilitate the house with minimum demolition and in the most economical way”. The optimal conditions and building characteristics of the house allowed for a good project development. Soon, the designers understood that the living spaces of the house needed to be simplified, as it did show some old-fashioned elements added over time by the different owners, with external parts losing their coherence and some gloomy interiors agglomerated in quite messy, obsolete and isolated rooms. They kept the original functional layout of the house, where we only inserted few changes in view of adapting it to actual modern requirements, namely for the kitchen, toilets and bathrooms, and very seldom demolitions which allowed new internal paths. It was also decided to keep the original floors, wooden structures, some the roof and surfaces. Now the house lives from its inside where all spaces merge into one unique light and bright room.

House of Many Worlds is a minimalist residence located in Oslo, Norway, designed by Austigard Arkitektur. The exterior is clad in dark wood, which blends into a portion of the interior, including the kitchen counters and walls. The dining area was the focus of the project and features surrounding glazings with two skylights above. A series of perforated metal partitions provide natural light to penetrate through while maintaining privacy. Built in storage and furniture was utilized in order to maximize the space.

Tatami Home is a minimalist floating house located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, designed by Julius Taminiau Architecten. The home is characterized by built-in storage and furniture in order to maximize the small space interior. The architect was inspired by traditional tatami rooms from Japan in order to guide the proportions of the internal layout. Tatami mats have similar proportions to plywood panels, which were used abundantly throughout the space. An open staircase serves as a partition separating the the living area from the dining room and kitchen.

Doppelhaus Trausner is a minimalist home located in Schärding, Austria, designed by LP architektur. The project, which consists of two one-story structures – the smaller one for the parents, the larger one for the young, growing family, was sensitive to topography and vegetation, which formed a courtyard-like ensemble with the existing farm building. The exploitation of the natural topography on the property opens up the possibility of differentiated room heights and spatial spatial sequences. The interface between public and private was delineated at the property’s boundaries, and not at the respective house. Invisibly-protected outdoor areas or differentiated garden and landscape references complement the qualities of the considerate interaction of the buildings in the ensemble. The duality of the surrounding garden is also thematized and made tangible in the interior.

The Twins is a minimalist kinetic suspended mobile designed by Paris-based studio Corpus Studio. The designers created a kinetic suspended mobile and it’s transposed, floor-standing, anti-metabolic twin, to present Jitrois’ new collection at Paris Fashion Week. Jitrois’ vision for the collection heralded a rebirth of the brand. To celebrate this, the installation and its reflecting mirrors, in movement and rotation, multiplied and magnified the clash between the past and the future of the new collection and the Napoléon III Parisian apartment where the showroom took place. Our installation is an homage to one of Jean-Claude Jitrois’ original and greatest inspirations, Alexander Calder.

House T+M is a minimalist home located in Madrid, Spain, designed by Plantea. Plantea Estudio is an architectural bureau working both in architecture and interior design. The work of the practice is underpinned by a strong conviction in the creative design process, with independence of the specific use, sector or scale. The focus of this home was to create a bright and warm environment, focusing mainly on natural materials and darker, contrasting elements. The kitchen, in particular, utilizes light wood mixed with copper handles and a simple copper cone pendant light over the dining table.

Conversion in Brugg-Windisch is a minimalist renovation located in Windisch, Switzerland, designed by Wülser Bechtel Architekten. The original 1930s structure was two small flats, which were combined to create the family home. There was an overall subtraction of components and structural elements while adding space-defining fixtures and wood paneling. It was a peculiar balance between careful demolition and uncompromising preservation. By consciously refraining from unifying measures, the original elements of the house remain atmospherically intact without becoming decoration. On the ground floor and in the attic, new structural openings sharpen the atmospheric and functional significance of finely balanced, doorless transitions.