Articles by Andreas Luco

The solution was to remove vertical circulations from the inside, and the result was an intersection of two staircases, one closed and one open, which give the project a playful minimalism, but not in the plastic sense, but economic, taking the words of the client as a basis for the design. A façade with program, essential for the project, a façade that cannot be removed, with horizontal repetitions, which simplify the whole when seeing it in its entirety. The white color works as the guideline, as a integrator, leaving the sun to be the protagonist while painting the façade with light, turning the project into a canvas where the shadows can be seen in different forms throughout the day.

The project is the reconfiguration of a dilapidated single story terrace to meet the requirements of contemporary living. The front façade is restored and existing internal brick detailing retained, expressed and painted white throughout. The design proposes an extra level to accommodate three bedrooms with bathroom, ensuites and complete re-configuration of the ground floor. The rear façade is distinguished by a black aluminium louver used to limit heat gain on to the western window and to control sight lines into neighbouring yards.The material palette is clean and minimal, with predominantly white brick and cabinetry, black trim, natural timber and stone tile.

The house is located at Ageria, on the island of Paros, in the Cyclades. It faces west, towards the sea. The buildings protrude from the natural slope, and they are aligned on a cantilever slab that floats over the land. On their eastern side lays the patio, protected from the northern winds.

Maehojae(梅湖齋) is located on a shallow slope behind a mountain that resembles a plum bough in Yangyang, Korea. This area, which is surrounded by a dense pine forest and her herding hermit habitat, was well situated in the gallery house, where she could display and store her collection. Rather, it was a place for architects to think about how to put architecture on top of the rural landscape. The environment here, which is so generous compared to the urban areas where there are so many conflicts of interest in just a few spaces, and the architecture that should be built like a dot on top of it, had to be dealt with in terms of ‘ground’ rather than ‘site’.

A house for a soon-to-be-retired couple, Inverdon House certainly challenges ‘the norm’ in the small regional town where it is located. This is largely for its use of the hard-wearing, low-maintenance material of masonry which would otherwise typically be hidden in paint, plasterboard and render. Instead, the material has been left exposed, revealing the structure in such a way that means the craftsmanship is on show for all to see and so must be made with care, pride and a certain level of expertise. This means that a new skill is passed on to younger trades people and if the demand for quality is there, this skill-set will continue.

The house is configured as a composition of robust vertical and horizontal planes. Heavy stoned walls on which the covering rests.

The district of Itaim, in São Paulo, is known for its skyscrapers and the agitation of its streets and avenues at night and daytime. It still reserves however some spaces of calmness and tranquility in the midst of such intensity. It’s exactly in one of these residential and green spaces, in a dead-end street in the hustle and bustle of Itaim, where the Único building is located – developed for the Meta Incorporadora and Souza Lima Constructor. The project takes into account the needs of a diverse group of dwellers, with a common wish nevertheless: to enjoy the commodities and liveliness of the neighborhood as well as the comfort of a home.