Architecture & Web Art

If you’re looking for an architectural design software to start designing your future home, or probably to help you with your school projects, the following article will help you to make a wise choice regarding the best suited architectural design software for you.

While I was student in architecture, I was pretty confused with the options that I had at that time. It was 2003 and my second year, so as everyone picked up a software, I had to pick one myself. After searching like crazy through forums, and talking with my colleagues I started to use Archicad, as it seemed the best fit for what we had to do… That seemed
to work fine, until I wanted to create more complex 3D objects, and to rotate them easily… At that time, Archicad was a bit dumb in that area, so I switched to Allplan, and stayed with it ever since.

Oh, those kitchen gallery photos! Picture after picture of sparkling granite or polished ceramics tempts a homeowner into sinking big portions of the kitchen remodeling budget into one of those gorgeous styles. Trouble is, yielding to that kind of temptation may not only be expensive, but may not provide the function that the kitchen really needs.

Today modern manufacturing techniques have come up with dozens of fabulous options in worktops suitable for the kitchen space. There are still classic materials such as granite, natural stone and ceramic, but there are also new kinds of laminates, glass, stainless steel and even concrete.

Laminate:

This type of countertop is made of a base of composite fiberboard or chipboard topped with a melamine layer. Laminates are the least expensive type of worktops, both in terms of cost-per-foot and installation. Many homeowners experienced in kitchen projects can install laminate, provided they remember to use a template tool to properly install sections for the corners. Laminates resist impacts and require little maintenance; wiping with a damp cloth is often sufficient. The major drawback to laminates is its susceptibility to heat.

Courtesy of L.E.FT

The Baabdat Residence is surely an inversion design of the traditional agricultural terracing. This results in stunning 180 degree views out to the mountains beyond, and a camouflaged home from above.

Architects: L.E.FT
Location: Baabdat, Lebanon
Team: Daniel Colvard, Makram el Kadi, Ziad Jamaleddine, Mahdi Sabbagh, Karie Titus, Karine Yassine
Client: P.Baadarani
Project Area: 500 sqm
Renderings: Courtesy of L.E.FT

This program for the home is composed of garage, library, kitchen, dining and living area, and a number of bedrooms.

The cover sweep transforms the house from one floor to 2 floors. Made terracotta fins interlaced with greenery suggest the combining of architecture and landscape. A roundabout fall off is incorporated within its round form.

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These days most of the people, search for small modern house design ideas, and not only because of the low costs involved in having them built, but because their more energy efficient, and if decorated properly, can actually satisfy your need of space in plentiful.

So in this context we bring you some of the best designs we found on the net, and that we believe can serve of inspiration for architects, and for future house owners as well.

1. The Palms Residence

House design by Marmol Radziner hosts 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2800 interior s.f.750 deck s.f. and is located on a narrow, urban lot in Venice, CA. The home looks inward, incorporating covered decks and a small courtyard space, giving the structure a sense of privacy despite its location on an infill lot. This house is made out of prefab pieces, with a custom design to suit the client’s tastes. Nonetheless this can, and will be the future of house building, and house design, since the need of speed in everything we do grows evermore.

Our friend Si-Yeon, aka DELICIOUS STORM, aka “think tank” of the Allied Operations asked me to review his edition book called “Interview With Delicious Storm” , and of course I was anxious to do that, because I know this guy to be very creative and fun. You might have seen some of Allied Operations work on archtopia.com,  and the thinking process involved in the creation act. It’s anything but ordinary, and so is this “interview”.

This book actually made my day when I received it in mail this Wednesday. It’s not only the colors (eye candies) and the short introduction made by the author , but the interview itself was created in a manner that could make me forget for a moment that I’m an adult. As you can see in the image above, the book was printed in 25 different color background, and as we are already accustomed from allied operations the intention was to make the each reader think different.