Month: March 2022

Entering the new BASAO Tea Lounge in Xiamen, China, one senses an instant change in pace, when the bustling cityscape is replaced by a calming acoustic. As natural light filters through from the outside and highlight the subtle colors and rich textures of the carefully selected materials, the space feels warm and welcoming. Just like the many scents of tea are vibrant and natural, so are the materials that make up the store, and combined with subtle storytelling as well as a curated architectural framing, the space feels rooted in its local surroundings.

Coffee, barista, and space will form an overall experience process, which is different in each cafe. In Cenchi Coffee the process will be “inviting guests to step into the bar area”. We treat this small space facing the street like a big bar: the whole cafe is a bar area. The three modules of the ordering table, pour-over coffee bar, and espresso bar are fully open and arranged on the central axis. All guest seats are located inside the bar area, and customers can only sit in the area of the bar. The three bars can be surrounded, like the kitchen island at home, which breaks the distinction between the “front” and “back” of the bar.

The Steffens residence is located on a high-lying site in the Finkenstein Estate to the east of Windhoek where privacy, open space, protection of fauna and flora, and a peaceful atmosphere are the primary objectives. Individual properties here are about 1ha in size, but its fenced-in development area is restricted to a maximum of 2,500sqm to encourage the free-roaming of the game – springbok, kudu, eland, warthog, etc. – throughout the estate.

inspired by the ancient chinese painting trope of the dragon gate, the tower marks the city’s connection to the yangtze river.
The post this tower by Aedas is a contemporary ‘dragon gate’ at the port of chongqing appeared first on designboo…

ON THE ROAD STORE, on one hand, a content creator, or, specifically, a maker of street culture. On the other hand, OTRS uses its official account on WeChat as a means to spread youth culture, which is described as a ‘sub-culture’ by many. Above all these, OTRS also connects the streets of the city through small pubs, creating a niche street culture that exclusively belongs to the young generation. For us RIGI, it is our duty to preserve the public memory of OTRS and the common behavior of the community by creating more logical and extensional designs, which may bring an opportunity to keep the niche and sub-cultural condition of this society.

the architects aimed to bring occupants closer to nature, forming a breezy home that respects its surroundings. 
The post minimalistic cabin by hebra arquitectos emerges from a stone plinth in chile appeared first on designboom | architecture & des…

The house sited on a small 222m² plot in a very crowded semi urban locality in Kerala’s capital city is overlooked by three floors of classrooms of an adjacent educational institution. The Clients – a small family comprising of an engineer, a doctor & their son, wanted their home to be a private and homely oasis amidst the crowded bustle of their busy locality. This presented an acute design challenge, but nonetheless was also typical for residential briefs in dense urban contexts. The design solution that evolved opted for a cuboid envelope, perforated with a brick lattice façade for the front elevation. This approach helped maximize built-up area, whilst allowing for air circulation without sacrificing privacy for the occupants.