Articles by Valeria Silva

The apartment is located in a privileged area of the building: on the only floor where each unit has access to a private garden as well as an external area. A fundamental premisse of the project was, therefore, to heighten the connection between the apartment and the outdoors. 

Located on the bank of Shoal Creek, one of two primary waterways traveling through Austin to the Colorado River, Belmont Park consists of two weathered Douglas fir clad volumes which rise above the creek from a flush limestone plinth. The wood volumes are connected by a transparent living room bridge which spans a cavern carved into the limestone plinth. From the motor court one chooses to enter the house across an elevated walk-way to the front door or descend by stair into the stone cavern to a covered porch and private entry below. Water captured from a natural uphill spring, mechanical condensate lines, and roof runoff flows through a runnel along-side the descending stair. The man-made canyon-scape and waterway celebrate the natural current of life to the creek below.

Tojal House is shy and bucolic, from a steep terrain surrounded by olive trees. In a torn gesture, it is born as an integral part of its landscape and  it leans over the valley towards the garden that surrounds it.

The Palais de Lomé, completed in 1905, is a major component of the Togolese capital. The former governor’s residence is the emblem of the constitution of the national identity under German first then French guardianship, before its autonomy. Its outstanding architecture makes it a city strong symbol.

Ca l’Amo is a plot of 42,385 m2 located at the north end of the San Mateo plain on the island of Ibiza. In it there is an area of pronounced topography and fanned by stone walls that generate an iconic landscape of the countryside of Ibiza. Over time and the progressive abandonment of agricultural activities, the terraces have been ambushed and today it is a forest area where mainly pine and juniper coexist.

The principles underpinning the design of Bayswater Early Years Hub “Sunflower” originated from the client vision and through a collaborative approach involving the client, key stakeholders and our practice. The result was a shared vision to create a building which minimises human impact on the environment with an eco-centric design— with the user experience and the surrounding environment being the key drivers for the built space.

After an extensive 18 month study on existing Hong Kong Playgrounds for the Hong Kong Government, we began exploring further into the complex idea of play. Toy as Architecture, Architecture as Toy, is a series of projects where we test the boundaries that separates architecture and play.

The house, which covers an area of 320 square meters, was built as a single level on a 6-acre estate. This house belongs to a married couple, the wife is an artist.. It was built right next to the old family home on the same estate, as a frequent hosting space for family members – their children and grandchildren. The couple went as far as planning a well-equipped master bedroom for the grandchildren, so that they would be able to stay over in maximum comfort.