Articles by Daniel Tapia

The initial clients’ request for the house to be a chalet has worried us. How to design a house in face of such specific demand, based on a context that is so different from the Brazilian one? Our project’s approach does not seek to transpose images or references, it is always organized by reading contexts: physical, social, cultural, economic, natural. The solution was to scrutinize the meanings, affectivities, and expectations linked to the image of the chalet to build an adequate interpretation of these elements to the future residence’s context.

Fortlandia is a yearly exhibition that features 10 forts designed by local architects and artists for the Arboretum at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX. The goal of these forts is to transport you to imaginary worlds and spark an appreciation for art and nature. Our team was inspired by our own memories of wonder and excitement from childhood when playing games like hide-and-seek; the thrill of seeing without being seen. The mirrored surface and the natural bark of the roof results in a structure camouflaged in its surroundings, reflecting and enhancing the beauty of the Arboretum.

Pluspuu’s custom made StudioLine villa on a fantastic bedrock plot in the Turku archipelago in Finland. The house is 150 m² in size and features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a large living/dining room. It also has a terrace over 100 m² in size with amazing views out to sea. The house was completed in the summer of 2019. The house was constructed from 202 x 195 mm non-settling logs with stylish mitered corner joints. It has a sheet metal roof insulated with eco-friendly wood fiber. The walls are pure, solid log – no need for additional insulation.

Pluspuu’s custom made StudioLine villa on a fantastic bedrock plot in the Turku archipelago in Finland. The house is 150 m² in size and features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a large living/dining room. It also has a terrace over 100 m² in size with amazing views out to sea. The house was completed in the summer of 2019. The house was constructed from 202 x 195 mm non-settling logs with stylish mitered corner joints. It has a sheet metal roof insulated with eco-friendly wood fiber. The walls are pure, solid log – no need for additional insulation.

A stream flows swiftly along the front of the village and a mountain stands in the background. Colorful gabled-roof houses are gathered around, which is commonly seen in rural areas. By walking up along the winding street, ‘House Jipyeong’ is situated on a land that overlooks the neighborhood with a scenery of mountains and fields. The house is designed as an atelier for a painter and a living space for her family. The main reason the artist needed a house was to have her own atelier where she could work on paintings of various sizes. Also, the family wanted to have a life near to nature that would remind them of life in a Hanok – a traditional Korean house where they had once lived. At the beginning of the design phase, several houses were under construction just across the road to the south.

Shelter in Jankowice is an unusual building. It is designed for homeless people who are life-deficient and for whom there is no place in the care system. They are too healthy to live in a social welfare home and too “unhealthy” to use dormitory. Nun Chmielewska decided to build the “HOME” for them. A large one-story building with a wavy roof blends into the surrounding fields and hills. It is not possible to see it from the road. It is hidden behind old trees growing around the former school playground. All windows have a beautiful, idyllic view. The building is divided into three main zones separated by brick walls. In the entrance zone, there is a public area: a chapel, offices, rehabilitation rooms, a common room, and a canteen.

IT’S Informov, an architecture, engineering and design company for the corporate sector, expands its headquarters in São Paulo with a space that complements the other 2 thousand square meters office, inaugurated last year. The differential is the Biophilic design that integrates nature elements to the companies’ environment, aiming to increase the employees’ productivity and well-being.