New Work ::: Council Flats in Sète

© Cécile Septet

Council Flats in Sète, France designed by architects Colboc Franzen Associates. The 3 blocks contain a total of 71 flats at nearly 4,000m² in size and sit on a trapezoidal plot of land. The balconies that run along the exterior of the buildings are wrapped in a continuous galvanized steel brise soleil that offers solar and visual respite. The scheme borrows Corbusian logic raising the blocks on pilotis to provide both parking and an extension of the landscape.

New Work : Ten Bangkok

images via gotarch

Designed by CASE Studio (Community Architects for Shelter & Environment) the group takes a humanitarian and anthropological approach to creating appropriate housing in informal settlements. The projects undertaken by this collective often involve community members as participants in the process of improving their shelter and environment from community surveying to group meetings and workshops. This alternative housing option for the middle class, features 10 units for a variety of persons including some of the architects. The volumes are staggered, interspersed with gardens and courtyards creating common spaces for physical and visual respite and blurring public/private boundaries. The process, as well as the aesthetic has conjured a community identity and a relationship between dwelling and context - the result is an architecture that is the fruit of cooperative design where the architects are also the clients; the clients are also the architects

On the Boards : Marena

Marena apartments in Manantiales, Punta del Este, Uruguay designed by architect Martin Gomez. The 70m² units are spread over two blocks feature spacious terraces or gardens.

New Work ::: Richardson Apartments

photos (c) Bruce Damonte

The Richardson apartments in San Francisco were named in honour of political & civil activists Drs. Julian + Raye Richardson and provides supportive housing to 120 formerly homeless persons. Designed by architects David Baker + Partners the affordable housing apartments sit on a corner lot on Fulton Street and presents a fresh face to the neighborhood with shiny metal, stucco, and reclaimed lumber. Sunshades on the West and South faces provide solar protection as well add architectural interest. Transparent planes on the ground floor bring light, depth, security, and visual connection to the courtyard and over 7,500 ft² shared spaces. The green roof provides stormwater management, and the rooftop garden allow residents to grow their own food. The living units satisfy universal design practices and feature a medical suite providing on-site care and counseling.

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On the Boards : Embassy Housing, Haiti

Sorg Architects has designed new, sustainable, staff housing for the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The project consists of 107 new townhouse units, a new Mission residence, and support facilities, including a recreation and sports centre. Completion is scheduled for January 2014

On the Boards : Student Housing, TU Delft

Amsterdam based practice Studioninedots with HVDN has recently won an invited competition to design a student housing facility for TU Delft Campus in the Netherlands. The proposal for 140 standardized student units, each 24m² housed in a 5 storeys high on 388m² site is part of a 1000 room expansion taking place on the TU Delft campus.

House of the Week 131: El Secreto

El Secreto is a small housing estate amongst a grove of local timbers where Mexican architects GLR has designed 3 modern residences with distinct, yet harmonious facades. The residences all under 400m² display a contemporary marriage of natural and man-made materials.

SPARK Digital Media, the first publisher for Tablets specializing in Architecture and Design was recently launched between Portugal and Brasil. The primary goal is to publish authors, projects and works that are making a positive and innovative contribution to the fields of architecture and design. The first publication, NEW EXPRESSION On Housing is available at the App Store

Featured Projects, Texts and Architects:
Snow House, Emilio Marín
Looking for an Architecture of Open and Sensible Systems, Emilio Marín
Casa S.E.R., Nadir Bonaccorso
Casas Sustentáveis, B(A)ª Balthazar Aroso
Carlos Pedro Sant’Ana, Balthazar Aroso and Ivo Sales Costa talk On Housing
e_Exterior house, MODOSTUDIO + AtenaStudio
Allandale House, WORJ
Casa Umbraculo, Laboratorio de Arquitectura / Javier Corvalan
Hometta House, WEATHERS
House in Heat, Frohn&Rojas Architects
WALL House, Frohn&Rojas Architects
Mountain Research, General Design

British Homes Awards 2011

Winner of Future Homes category at the British Homes Awards (BHA) 2011 Alex King (Designalexable).

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on the boards: 42 Social Housing

A proposal for social housing in Son Servera, Spain by Peris-Toral Architects. The sloping tiled roofs and projecting sandstone walls attempt to make a contextual dialogue without cheapened replication. The apartments were a recent entry in the Total Housing competition hosted by Architizer, Storefront for Art & Architecture and Actar Publishing.