Pick of the Week - Hunters Hill

I have always had great interest in homes as well as general designs that use environmentally friendly and natural materials - resulting in simultaneously earthy and organic, modern and inviting environments. This is shown clearly in Hunters Hill, reflecting the client's combined Italian and Sri Lankan heritage. 

Architects: Arkhenfield

Location: Hunters Hill, New South Wales; Australia

Structural Engineer: Partridge Partners
Landscape: 360 Design
Area: 335 sqm

Year: 2013

The design negotiates well with the landscape as the architects seemed to have designed a series of 'garden rooms' that entwine the new home with the existing landscape. The usage of timber, stone and concrete create a rich texture in context with the surrounding natural and built environments. The courtyards and gardens enable private connections to the landscape and sky, creating a strong link between the interior and natural environment. Using warm, textured and robust materials, the architects were able to create a comfortable and functional interior as well as a flourishing external landscapes. 

The environmental affect was dealt with well, as the project had a minimum impact on the environment, incorporating a number of energy and water saving measures such as optimal solar orientation, thermal mass, neutral ventilation and substantial insulation. Furthermore, significant rainwater storage has been implemented too. All of the above measures would reduce the utility costs as well as minimizing the impact of the dwelling on the local infrastructure networks. 

External courtyard.

 

External views - digital renders. 

Sketch proposals. 

Photographs: Angus Martin 

All images are copyrighted and remain the property of their rightful owners. 

-archivikash-

Pick of the Week - Artist's Studio

Minimal spaces as well as the use of a small palate of natural materials are always interesting - especially when it is an artist's studio in this case. A well detailed, creative space for painting and sculpturing, which would in turn encourage and inspire creativity. The studio located in Melbourne, sits comfortably within an organic landscape design, designed in collaboration with Phillip Johnson Landscaping - which includes a natural pool, a waterfall and a creek, which provides a recreational space for children. 

Architects: Chan Architecture

Location: Thornbury, Victoria; Australia

Structural Engineer: Richard L Consulting Engineers
Landscape: Phillip Johnson Landscapes

Year: 2014

External facade & Landscape.

"Less is More"

The external materials chosen for the studio are all natural materials with a main emphasis on the timber cladding, which blends well with the water and rocks of the landscape. Internally, timber flooring and plywood were used on the floors, walls and ceiling too - not only as a robust surface to work on but also to create a flow of continuity from floor to ceiling level - making it not seem as a conventional residential space. The result is a unique, sculptured space which is warm and textured in my opinion.

The roof of the studio was also used to warm the water of the pool during the colder months, whilst the water from the decorative rain-chain into the pool, as depicted in one of the images below, to replace the water that was lost through evaporation. In-tun the overflow of the pool was connected to a creek that ran through the backyard, connecting the different areas of the landscape.  

Internal areas. 

Click images for larger preview.

External timber facade detail.

External entrance + facade. 

Photographs: Folded Bird Photography

All images are copyrighted and remain the property of their rightful owners. 

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Internship. Episode #16

New Team. New Project. New Work-space! 
I was recently introduced to a new project - Baywest Mall, situated in Port Elizabeth; South Africa, as well as working with a new team across various disciples. The first phase of the development is the 80 000sqm Baywest Mall, with two levels of retail housing with more than 250 shops, as well as a large central food court, entertainment areas, an ice rink, as well as a cinema.

For the past two weeks, the work load has mainly included numerous sketch plan designs for tenant service co-ordination layouts as well as being introduced to the functions of the various 1st and 2nd fix services to be installed in the retail stores.

Below are a few sketch plan layouts which myself and my mentor had worked on as well as few internal and external renders of the Mall, by the dhk 3D team: 

Tenant Service Co-ordination. Sketch Plan Layouts

External renders of Baywest Mall. dhk architects 

Internal renders of Baywest Mall. dhk architects 

All images and drawings are copyrighted and remain the property of dhk architects.  

-archivikash-

Internship. Episode #15

September hasn't been too bad thus far, with the continuation of the Occupation Certificate drawings for Mill Square, Eikestad and Andringa Walk in Stellenbosch; Cat Ladder proposals for Andringa Walk; Admin work, as well as the usual site visits and site inspections. 

Other than that, there was a proposal for a new Woolworths expansion situated in the Eikestad Mall, which has been pretty exciting coming up with various base plan layouts for the clients approval. A new project link has also been introduced with the proposal of previously designed wind lobbies to be located at the Entrance of both Eikestad Mall as well as the Andringa Mall portion. Various schedules and air-curtain details were required for these two schedules. 

This past week, I also came across a rather insightful and extremely interesting documentary about a subversive architecture, Santiago Cirugeda from Seville - trying to make a difference about reclaiming urban spaces for the public due to the state leaving around 500 000 new buildings empty. Truly amazing work that Cirugeda and his team are doing for the people of Seville. 

Enjoy the short documentary below. Until next time!

'Guerrilla Architect' with Santiago Cirugda - Al Jazeera Rebel Architecture series. 

The video is copyrighted and remains the property of their rightful owners. 

-archivikash-

Internship. Episode #14

Site Visits, site visits... and more site visits. This past week was spent mostly in Stellenbosch on site at the Mill Square Apartments which are still in progress and the completed Eikestad Mall. Quite a bit of inspections were completed together with the snagging of finishes, shopfronts, external works and the Mill Square roof. 

Apart from being on site, it was my mentor, Niaz - his last day at work at dhk architects today as he wanted to pursue a project management position at another company elsewhere. The knowledge I have gained as well as opportunities exposed to will not be lost, since my first day working under Niaz. 

Needless to say, I wish him all the best in all his future en-devours as well as to thank him for all that he has taught me. Below are images I had taken on site in Stellenbosch this week of the complete stages and external works of the project. Enjoy.

Eikestad Mall / Andringa Walk . Stellenbosch

Complete & in-progress external works + complete internal works

 Click on images for larger preview. 

All images are copyrighted and remain the property of Vikash Parbhoo Photography. 

Mill Square Apartments / Delphi Building . Stellenbosch

Complete & in-progress external works + (the stunning view)

Click on images for larger preview. 

All images are copyrighted and remain the property of Vikash Parbhoo Photography. 

-archivikash-

Internship. Episode #13

Thus far August has been quite a busy month, being on site most of the time the past two weeks - both visiting the Mill Square Apartments & Eikestad Mall in Stellenbosch, as well as the BP Rosmead in Kenilworth, Cape Town. The site experience has been wonderful thus far, as well as sitting in on a few meeting together with site inspections and 'snagging', with the Building Inspector and/or Foreman. 

That being said, below are a couple of images after the break captured of the nearly completed BP Rosmead as well as a few while snagging the Mill Square Apartments in Stellenbosch - not forgetting a snap of the stunning view it has to offer.

Other than site visits and meetings, the rest was spent behind my computer on AutoCAD. This consisted of rending the previously designed pergola structure located on the 4th floor of the Mill Square Apartments; compiling base plan tenant layouts for the vacant areas in Mill Square, as well as a few Inspection lists from the Rosmead and Stellenbosch Site visits.

Rosmead Site Visit - Internal works nearing completion:

Stellenbosch Site Visit:

Click image for larger preview. 

All images are copyrighted and remain the property of Vikash Parbhoo Photography. 

-archivikash-

Internship. Episode #12

It has been quite some time since my last post, indulging upon the occurrences and work that I have been busy with at the office. Needless to say, July has definitely been one busy month, so apologies for a rather 'over-due update'. 

That being said, this past month I have shifted over to Sketchup, designing various 3D proposals for the clients approval - which of course is much more visually pleasing and effective in conveying a design idea or message, as opposed to 2D planar designs. Together with the 3D designing, which I will go more into detail about below, I completed the remainder of the outstanding Occupation Certificate drawings for council submission, for the occupied shops in Eikestad Mall, Mill Square and Andringa Walk Apartments, all of them situated in the same vicinity of Stellenbosch, South Africa. On the other hand, construction is going well on the other two projects I have been working on, being BP Rosmead and President Motors. 

As part of the design proposals, one of them was to design a type of screening situated on balcony walkway, to 'hide' drainage pipes, together with a access door for maintenance work. Being on a walkway which would be frequented often, the design had to be minimalistic and streamline, yet architecturally pleasing. Steel was the preferred material, either cold formed channels or steel plates - being more cost effective. 

Below are a few basic images of the proposed idea, currently under consideration:

All images are copyrighted and remain the property of dhk architects and Vikash Parbhoo. 

A simple balcony pergola design was also required. Basically to serve the mere purpose of proving shade together with a finishing architecturally pleasing element to finish off the fourth floor. Options were endless, as well as the designs which were thought of, having many variables as well as constraints. Anyhow, designs and details are still being manipulated, together with costing and assembling methods. 

Below are a few images of one of the many proposals for the 4th floor balcony pergola:

All images are copyrighted and remain the property of dhk architects and Vikash Parbhoo. 

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