Kontum Indochine Cafe

One of the best features of modern architecture design is the unlimited creativity. This is what we see in the bamboo Kontum Indochine Cafe, a project developed by Vo Trong Nghia architects in the Kontum City in Vietnam. The design is captivating with the original use of natural materials which create a contemporary aesthetic environment.

Being a part of the hotel complex which lies next to the Dakbla River, Kontum Indochine Cafe is an example of a brilliant modern architecture design that provides a lot of light and offers unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape. The complex is positioned on a spectacular site next to a bridge of the Dakbla River which is also an entrance to the city. The Kontum Indochine Cafe consists of two main areas – the main sitting area with a flat horizontal bamboo roof and an annex kitchen made of concrete frames and stones. The roof coverage features fibre-reinforced plastic panels and thatch and fifteen conical bamboo pillars which remind of a traditional Vietnamese fishing basket support the flat roof of the main area.

The Kontum Indochine Cafe is designed without any walls and of course, no air conditioning. The architects took an advantage of the natural environment and use the surrounding water and the shade of the roof to keep the space cool. The massive pillars are made of bamboo which has specific characteristics, different from that of timber or steel. The bamboo has been treated in a traditional way which preserves its qualities. It was first soaked in mud, smoke-dried, and then joined using rattan fiber and bamboo nails. Revealing the beauty of natural materials this modern architecture design creates a feeling of an enchanted bamboo forest. The cafe is used as a dining and tea area, but also as an open extension to the hotel premises and can be used as a banquet hall.

The surrounding water adds to the effect of the pillars with beautiful reflections

The design benefits from the material characteristics of the bamboo

The bamboo pillars were inspired by the traditional Vietnamese fishing bag

An open air architectural design which provides natural light and unobstructed views

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA CAFE

THE RESHAPING OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA CAFE CONSOLIDATES THE EXISTING RESTAURANT AND CAFETERIA INTO ONE CAFE-STYLE DINING EXPERIENCE.

By providing a new and distinct dining facility the NMA have created a more appropriate dining experience, to a broader base of customers than is currently provided. The original design of the NMA was based on ideas of various people’s history, weaving together to create rich stories. History as a puzzle that has various meanings and pieces that may or may not fit comfortably alongside other histories.

The new cafe is located within the current axis restaurant and Cuiseum cafe and will extend south-west to capture views of Lake Burley Griffin. With the new cafe, the Boolean string continues out of the Main Hall as an imaginary line, returning to the site with a sweeping gesture over Lake Burley Griffin, reconnecting the Main Hall at its south-west corner, enmeshing the cafe with its lake side surrounds.

Top Five Most Sustainable Cities in the World

From using renewable energy to cutting back on emissions, five cities across the globe are leading the way when it comes to implementing sustainable initiatives.

VANCOUVER, CANADA Consistently performing well in worldwide “livable city” rankings, Vancouver has an ambitious goal of becoming the “the greenest city in the world” by 2020. They already lead the world in hydroelectric power—making up 90 percent of its supply—as well as regularly tapping into renewables like wind, solar, and wave power. Thanks to mass transit, bike lanes (248 miles worth), ride sharing programs, and greenways, Vancouver has the lowest per capita carbon emissions of any major city on the continent. As part of their 2020 goals, they aim to decrease emissions an additional 33 percent, while also enacting strict green building codes (all new developments must be carbon neutral) and improving the energy efficiency of existing structures by 20 percent. One area where Vancouver could improve is in their use of electric vehicles. The Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association estimates there are only 20 pure electric vehicles on city roads. This is largely due to availability, with the Chevy Volt only just released in Canada and the Nissan Leaf expected later this fall. While there are only 15 charging stations currently planned, city officials are planning more for the future and expect EVs to account for 15 percent of new vehicle sales in Vancouver by 2020.

SAN FRANCISCO, U.S. Atop the ever-shifting throne of green North American cities sits San Francisco, one of the most densely populated metropolitan areas in the U.S. High marks for air quality, waste management, and commitment to eco-friendly commuting options continue to separate San Fran from its counterparts. “Why do we do all this?” former Mayor Gavin Newsom said in a 2008 interview. “Because it’s the right thing to do. We’re consistently among the top travel destinations in the world. We think people are attracted to the values of this city.” The metropolis—which was recently ranked as the number one green city in North America—recycles 77 percent of its waste, reserves nearly 20 percent of its land to green spaces, and has more than 497 LEED-certified green building projects. On the auto front, San Francisco is considered the electric vehicle capital of the U.S., with over 160 public charging stations and plans to install an additional 2,750. An innovative “battery-swapping” station is also planned for mid-2012 to service a 60-car EV taxi fleet. It’s estimated that the city will have over 1,000 EVs and 5,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles by the end of 2012.

OSLO, NORWAY With more than two-thirds of its municipality covered in protected forest, waterways, and agriculture land, it’s no surprise that Oslo is one of Europe’s leading sustainable cities. Examples of pioneering practices include intelligent lighting that adjusts intensity depending on traffic conditions and weather, bio-methane from waste to power mass transit and heating, and an “eco-certification” program that involves all 43,000 employees of the city. By 2030, Oslo aims to cut carbon emissions by 50 percent—Norway as a whole plans to be carbon neutral by 2050—and is targeting its transportation sector for the greatest gains. Car and bike sharing programs are in place (including a hugely successful EV sharing fleet), and 400 charging stations have been installed downtown. Already, over 1,700 EVs grace Oslo’s roads, all receiving free parking, toll immunity, and access to lanes generally reserved for public transport. The city’s heating system is currently powered by 80 percent renewable energy, mainly from biomass from residual waste. This relationship annually saves the carbon emissions equivalent to 60,000 vehicles. Within the next decade, Oslo plans on expanding the system to reach 100 percent renewable sources for heating.

CURITIBA, BRAZIL Named by Reader’s Digest as the “Best Place to Live in Brazil,” Curitiba is regularly commended for its sustainability and conservation efforts. Back in the early 1970s, the city set out to develop a long-term urban plan that would not only accommodate future growth, but also encourage green spaces and a clean environment. Only non-polluters were invited to resign within its limits and public transport was efficiently divided into concentric circles within commercial corridors. Where there was once only one square meter of green space per person, now there is more than 52. Over 1.5 million trees have been planted along city streets and a network of 28 parks and forests developed. Some 2.3 million people a day use Curitiba’s inexpensive and fast transit service—a model of efficiency adopted by other cities including Los Angeles and Bogota, Colombia. Ninety percent of residents recycle two-thirds of their garbage daily and the city has even come up with an innovative program that allows people to exchange trash for transit tokens or fresh produce. This has greatly minimized litter and waste in even some of the poorer sections of Curitiba. Said former Mayor Jamie Lerner: “There is no endeavor more noble than the attempt to achieve a collective dream. When a city accepts as a mandate its quality of life; when it respects the people who live in it; when it respects the environment; when it prepares for future generations, the people share the responsibility for that mandate, and this shared cause is the only way to achieve that collective dream.”

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Copenhagen, site of 2009’s climate change talks, is a shining green jewel as Denmark’s capital city. Like to bike? You’ll be in good company—as more than a third of the city’s 1.2 million people regularly cycle to work via more than 217 miles of dedicated bike lanes. Officials hope to get 50 percent of the population on two wheels by 2015 by closing down some major roads to cars and developing an additional 43 miles of bike lanes. Besides having the largest wind turbine industry in the world, Denmark also leads in wind production—supplying roughly 19 percent of the country’s power needs. A new offshore wind farm planned for 2013 (featuring 111 turbines) will supply an additional four percent. As part of their goal to be the world’s first carbon neutral capital by 2025, city officials have instituted a mandatory green roof policy, requiring all new developments to incorporate some level of vegetation into their building designs. In addition, “pocket parks” (half the size of a soccer field) are being installed around Copenhagen so that by 2015, 90 percent of all residents will be able to walk to a green space in less than 15 minutes.

House Boz

Description from the architects: House Boz situated on a hill within a secluded nature estate in Pretoria East was originally destined for a very different location on a hillside in Mafikeng. The client requested a spacious and luxurious four bedroom house with an emphasis placed on the design of the living rooms. Ensuring that the magnificent views were optimized was of utmost importance and the design of this 770 m ² house responds well not only to the client’s requirements but also to the context of the site.

The concept of a bush lodge arose from the vastness of the site and the natural setting of the stand within the estate. Werner van der Meulen of Nico van der Meulen Architects was inspired to design a house that resembled a bush lodge in the way it responds to nature and its immediate surroundings. Translating this concept into a contemporary home was almost effortless thanks to the location, orientation and natural beauty of the site.Every design decision communicates and reinforces the concept, as can be seen in the selection of materials used and the way the internal spaces relate to the outdoors. Limiting the choice of materials to predominately natural materials and earthy colours, it is evident that even the smallest of details make reference to the concept in a very unique way. Initially the site revealed itself as a mound of quartzite rock which was excavated and hand cut for the gabion walls and the stone cladding used throughout the house

Approaching the stand via a long driveway, you are afforded the opportunity to appreciate the design from a distance before actually getting close enough to appreciate its spaces. The striking square and rectangular forms are strategically positioned to capture your attention while the rusted steel boxes and stone-cladded walls aid in camouflaging the house creating a sense of unity between building and site.

The stretched screen walls seem to want to reach beyond their borders while floating steel boxes are gracefully suspended in mid air. The prominent east-west and north-south axes link and connect all the spaces while this point of collision and interception of the axes becomes the centre of the home and it is here where we find the living room and covered patio. Thanks to the views being orientated towards North, the entire Northern façade has the ability to open up and live out onto the expansive views thus also naturally lighting and heating the house in winter, while carefully designed overhangs and brise-soleil keep the summer sum out.

The entrance hall positioned between the double garages is distinctively located alongside a partially covered atrium that gently introduces you to several views through the house as you’re welcomed in. The koi pond introduces water as you approach the front door while various podiums add depth and dimension to this space. An elevated sculpture podium and interlocking planters bring this atrium to life. At the same time it makes it possible to sleep with open doors as it is impossible to get into the atrium once the Mentis grating gate to the driveway is locked. The double volume entrance hall is framed by a back-lit perforated skin of scaffolding boards bolted to a wall, creating the perfect backdrop for the sculptural looking concrete staircase with steel inlays and the sculpture under it by Regardt van der Meulen.

The kitchen overlooks the lanai and garden while the frameless folding doors create an invisible threshold between the inside and out. These doors, when completely open, allow for the kitchen and dining room to overflow onto the lanai and bar, making entertaining effortless and enabling adults to keep an eye on children in the pool, a mere meter away. The lanai with a sunken jacuzzi is snugly positioned between the pool on one side and a stone-cladded wall on the west which screens the afternoon sun to ensure the lanai’s temperature remains moderate. It is these design decisions that truly set this house apart from the rest.

All four en suite bedrooms are situated on the first floor with all of the bedrooms having their own private balcony. The three children’s bedrooms are situated on the western wing of the house while the main bedroom is located on the eastern wing. A suspended walkway with steel sheeting as floor tiles, overlooking the atrium links the two wings and creates a sense of privacy for the main bedroom. Phia van der meulen and the M Square Lifestyle Design team strategically linked spaces through their use of various natural materials in the interior spaces. The design exposes the truth of the materials by using them in their purest form such as incorporating in situ-concrete, quartzite cladding and rusted mild steel in the design. The interiors feature linear and monolithic forms that complement the architect’s vision for this house. Many of the functional elements were designed to become beautiful features that visually connect the spaces and create links throughout the house rather than just remaining purely functional. An example of this would be the way the staircase relates to the aluminum ceiling which features in both the main living room as well as in the main bedroom.

The selection of furniture pieces once again continued this theme where splashes of orange were used in the living room making reference to the orange seen in the rusted metal cladding. The overall charcoal color range used in this house complements the shades of grey found in the off shutter concrete walls. The variety and combination of textures used in this design create a synergy in this home which makes it truly unique.

Rustic Beach House by SAOTA

This is a beautiful rustic beach house designed by SAOTA in Hangklip near Cape Town in South Africa. Its connection with the ocean is definitely something worth to see and experience.

According to SAOTA, the owner requested a modern home that reflects surroundings of the gorgeous South African location. While Hangklip Mountain protects this rustic beach house from the North, rocky beach and open ocean offer unique atmosphere and views to the South.

Inside of this rustic beach house, natural colors and materials created wild and fresh atmosphere, just like the client wanted. Open floor plan layout created an opportunity to enjoy in ocean views from almost every room in the house. While beautiful views made the views, interiors, designed by Antoni Associates, are defined by the interesting architectural elements like exposed timber roof rafters, stone walls and contemporary wooden furniture.

According to SAOTA, "the living spaces were designed with north-south orientations, resulting in an open flowing space with sea and mountain terraces. This allows the house to live on both sides with the main living spaces forming the link between inside and outside. The orientation gives the owners the option of entertaining on the mountain/dining terrace side during poor weather conditions and on the living/sea terrace side on sunny days. The through-views also ensure that one always experiences the beauty of the sea and mountain.

All photos by Stefan Antoni