MAR
Set close to the scared Mount Fuji in Japan is the Skyward house designed by Kazuhiko Kishimoto.
The cabin is a simple affair from the exterior. Clad in red cedar and glazing it looks modest in the steeply sloping topography of its site. That is the way it is designed to be, completely subservient to its surroundings. Read more
SEP
In parts of Canada and Scandinavia it seems that almost everybody has a second home in the forest or beside a lake. The beginnings of such houses can often be traced to a fishing hut, a hunting lodge, or a log cabin that provided primitive shelter for hunters and foragers in their quest to find food. As foraging trips became a drive to the supermarket, cabins were used more in a recreational capacity. A place for city dwellers to reacquaint themselves with the land. As general living standards improved, so did the facilities in the cabin. Central heating, showers, double glazing and a fitted kitchen were all added to the cabins, often in a lumpen and haphazard way.
La Luge by YH2 is a progression of this trend. As architecture, it is an elegant and sophisticated rendering of a forest dwelling, but what makes it so exciting and desirable is that it caries the spirit of the log cabin, and with it a chance to be close to nature whilst enjoying the sumptuousness of a city penthouse apartment. Read more
MAR
Splendid isolation is a state of mind as well as a physical state. An interesting aspect of Studio Furillen by Andreas Forsberg of AQ Architects seeks to merge these two places into one, and in doing so, create a departure point for moments of inspiration. An eastern peninsula in Sweden with trees, the sea, small animals and the elements for company, sounds like good fodder to fertilize a think-space. The pure romance of such an idea is compelling. Read more
FEB
There seems to be limitless possibilities as to the architectural meaning that timber can express. Here the architectural practice BIG, have used it to reference the rich local mining heritage to create the winning entry for the new Kimball Art Centre in Utah, USA. The external façade, built from raw logs, twists to enclose a spiral stair that forms a sculptural centre piece leading from the entrance, to the roof terrace where outdoor exhibitions will be held. Read more
