Balancing Barn Commentary

The Balancing Barn is truly one of the most incredible pieces of architecture we’ve ever seen. The fact that it is in the middle of a field in Suffolk, England is even more cool to us, because when you think of Suffolk, you probably don’t think of stunning architecture.

The designer of Balancing Barn is architecture firm MVRDV of Rotterdam. In the video below principal designer Winy Maas talks about the piece that his firm completed late last year.

It’s great to get some commentary on such an amazing piece, especially from one of the people who designed it. Maas mentions that the Balancing Barn is an “uncomfortable” structure, and he couldn’t be more right, and which is probably one reason we are so drawn to it.

Check out the video below for some great commentary, as well as some great views of the barn inside and out.

Eames House Walkthrough

Since we received so much positive feedback from yesterday’s blog post, today we’re going to bring you more of Eames Demetrios’ work.

Straying away from Eames products, today we bring you a video shot by Eames at the world famous Eames house. Eames is the one behind the camera, and he takes you all the way from the driveway to the upstairs of the house. It’s a simple video but it gets its message across, and its also a great opportunity to view some of the greatest architecture and design of the 20th century.

Enjoy!

Peter Zumthor Interview

Today on YouTube we stumbled across this cool video from Dezeen Magazine which we thought was great, and we definitely wanted to share it with you.

Peter Zumthor is one of the most noteworthy architects in his respective profession, and he’s been around for a long time. Not only is Peter noteworthy, but he is extremely well-respected.

The interview that we found offers some great perspective on Peter’s design philosophy and gardens. Yes, gardens. Gardens can sometimes be forgotten in an architectural sense, but Zumthor enjoys integrating them into his work.

Check out the video below!

Innovation Deck

The Dutch architecture firm Grossman Partners has come up with a very unique way to utilize the space within a former industrial facility in Rotterdam. They have literally suspended another floor of office space above the building’s original floor. The site of the former machine complex is now used as an education and technology center.

The idea behind the Innovation Deck is one of “a city within a hall” and it even makes for some crazy visual effects. The deck simultaneously looks in and out of place. Luckily the deck is composed of modular units that can be added to or subtracted from in the future if need be.

The Innovation Deck adds another 1,000 feet of office and meeting space to the already refurbished complex.

 

 

A Conversation with Charles Renfro

Charles Renfro is a principal at the world-renowned architecture firm Diller, Scofidio + Renfro. Being located in New York City they have some of the best canvases to showcase their work. Not only are they striving to design great buildings, but they are also seeking to make NYC an overall better place.

They have worked on such prestigious structures as the Lincoln Center, and are working to revitalize structures around NYC. Watch the video below, it’s great!

Peter Eisenmen Interview

Today we have something pretty special for you. The awesome people over at ArchDaily conducted an interview with world-renowned architect Peter Eisenmen, and they were kind enough to share it via their YouTube channel. Fortunately, we are now sharing the interview with you!

Eisenmen is a pretty cool dude, but on top of that, he has some pretty profound opinions about the world we live in and certainly some concerning architecture. For someone who lives in the 21st century, Eisenmen’s philosophy and work ethic have an “old school” feel to them. Throughout the interview he talks about subjects like networking, the internet, and the role of architects in society. He definitely doesn’t say anything special for the camera, and we think you might even be surprised by some of his answers.

Enjoy!

Ice Cube and The Eames

First of all, we happy Friday! We’re sure you’re just as excited as we are for this week’s end. In the spirit of Friday, today we bring you a video that is pretty relaxing to watch, and to be honest, it doesn’t require too much thinking either.

Of all people to appreciate Charles and Ray Eames, Ice Cube provides some insight into the Eames House in Los Angeles, and even shares with us some of his background in architecture. Ice Cube certainly isn’t known for his architectural taste, but his appreciation for the Eames is evident.

Check out the video. You might even learn something too!

Giraffe Architecture

It’s Friday, so we thought we would bring you something a little quirky since you’ve probably had a rough week (and there is a chance that your brain is mush at this point). Keep the thinking to a minimum and just enjoy this cool piece of architecture.

What you’re looking at is actually  the Giraffe Childcare Centre is Paris designed by French studio Hondelatte Laporte Architectes. The huge yellow giraffe is actually a building support, but it also doubles as an eye-catching statue for both children and adults. The giraffe is made of concrete, but it really looks like it might take a step at any time.

Well, now you can say that you’ve seen a giant yellow giraffe that supported a building..T.G.I.F.!

 

 

Eames – The Architect and The Painter Trailer

Charles and Ray Eames are one of the most influential husband-wife tandems in history. When it comes to design, they are easily the most recognizable and noteworthy husband-wife tandem. However, many people are not familiar with their others works which include medical equipment, photography, interior design, multimedia exhibits, games, films, and toys.

Watch the trailer for the documentary Eames – The Architect and The Painter and you  may just get a taste of what we’re talking about.

Why Design Sam Hecht & Kim Colin

This week’s installment of Herman Miller’s Why Design series is probably our favorite. Industrial designer Sam Hecht and architect Kim Colin are a husband and wife team who opened the London-based firm Industrial Facility. While Hecht and Colin are great compliments to each others’ style, their perspective on design, and its innate processes, are extremely unique.

Hecht and Colin explain their different approaches and how their micro-versus-macro perspectives are nurtured by their chaotic hometown.

Check out the video; you will not be disappointed: