Design

Ritmo Sereno’s work is nothing less than automotive art. The latest special edition to roll out of the Tokyo workshop is this lovely custom Moto Guzzi V7—based on a US-spec Ambassador imported into Japan and then torn down and rebuilt to Ritmo’s customary high standards. There’s also a raft of enhancements to make the bike even more desirable — via Bike EXIF

This project was born of a collaboration with the visual artist James Turrell to create a cylindrical skyspace on a hilltop site at a historic winery in Sonoma, California. The skyspace is an enclosed room which balances natural light from an oculus with a hidden source of artificial light. The constantly changing light and spatial effects challenge the viewer’s familiarity with the mechanisms of perception, creating a heightened awareness of the act of seeing — via ArchDaily

The Faculty of Law building is a new addition to the University of New South Wales’ Kensington campus and delivers a new and innovative learning and research facility for the University’s Faculty of Law and Taxation.

Located on a high profile site on University Mall, the new 11,500 sqm four level building reflects the pedagogical model of this School of Law and through its form contributes to the urban definition of the landscaped Mall space — via ArchDaily

This is a small outbuilding which has been extended and transformed into a house – now a bed and breakfast. The aim was to introduce steel sheets into the existing structure to create a mezzanine floor; the aim then was to extend these sheets outdoors in order to create a living room enclosed solely in glass which opens out generously into the natural surrounding environment. The architect has taken care to blend the new elements into the existing building. The work carried out has not been to the detriment of the old building. The original heavy and solid features of the old building are still clear for all to see, and these features contrast with the extremely soft touch of the more recent work which has been carried out, the intention of which is obvious: the inclusion of features which create a contrast and which are not a close replication of the existing features. (Atelier d’Architecture Bruno Erpicum & Partners) — via WHAT WE DO IS SECRET

Spanish architect Luis de Garrido designed this facade in Benetusser,Valencia, Spain — via CONTEMPORIST

Stephen Vitalich Architects designed the Broadway Residences in Venice, California.

The projects program called for four loft style single family residences developed as a small lot subdivision. The program consists of an open plan first level with double height living space, large kitchen, dining area, powder room and service porch. The second level consists of a master bedroom suite and two smaller bedrooms with a bathroom and office/study. The design features an open plan feel featuring lots of natural light. All topped by a 500 square foot roof deck with outdoor fireplace — via CONTEMPORIST

Located in Khadakvasla, near Pune: on the leeward side of the Western Ghats…

In the vast openness of the surroundings, it made sense to trap a mysterious forest of dense green by stringing the rooms around it, as a Shangri-La against the infinite. This courtyard allows for a private dip in the thicket of the lush vegetation — via ArchDaily

As any good architect or interior designer knows first hand: success is a balance of having a sense of stylistic integrity and fluid adaptability. These staircases represent a range of solutions that stem from the same approach (and company), each suited to the peculiarities of the particular space to which they were fitted.

Bonansea has tackled everything from elegant and expansive mansions to converted urban warehouses, and seems to have a solution to suit any spatial problem. Showing any fewer than ten examples just would not work — via Dornob

Located in East Hampton, New York and situated on a narrow property atop a bluff overlooking Gardiner’s Bay, Lion’s Head replaces a vacation home shared by two brothers and their families for over 25 years before it was destroyed by fire. Since originally building on the site, new regulations have been established and the families have grown in size. The new structure responds to these needs while preserving and enhancing the casual summertime lifestyle long enjoyed by its owners — via ArchDaily

Southwest Windpower, maker of the Skystream 3.7, unveiled a new version of the popular turbine at CES 2011 called Skystream 600.  The turbine features an improved design with larger blades, enhanced software, and an improved integrated inverter.  And, according to a press release, Skystream 600 will be the “first fully smart grid-enabled wind turbine” on the market when available in April 2011.

With the improvements, Skystream 600 is estimated to produce about 74% more energy than Skystream 3.7.  The small wind turbine can provide an average of 7,400 kWh of energy per year in 12 mph average annual wind speeds — via Jetson Green

Students at Smith College—the largest liberal arts institution for women in the country—are assigned to houses, many of them Victorian-era structures complete with living rooms. Meant to foster a collegial environment, while successful, they also create isolated communities. Broadening the opportunity for social interaction, the Smith College Campus Center serves as a mediating body, the only building at Smith available to all students, faculty, and staff — via ArchDaily

Located in the inner-City, issues of privacy, occupation, served/servant spaces, affordability and available sunlight defined the context for design. Competing goals of maximizing square footage versus creating exterior amenity spaces, under the legislative constraints imposed by by-laws, created an opportunity for a kind of case study — via ArchDaily

The motorcycles that grace these pages are usually big-ticket items that have cost thousands of dollars to build, whether in parts or labor. So it’s good to occasionally feature a sharp-looking custom that was built for a pittance—like this 1972 CB750 K2, owned by Dutch student Michiel of the BMW Cafe website. I bought it pretty much as a wreck, he says. It was an ultra-low budget project that cost me about €500 (US$650), including the purchase price — via Bike EXIF

This modest residential house in Gifu, Japan by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates is built to accomodate the site context and weather conditions to provide a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere in the Ogaki House. The house is designed for a family with four daughters, and is spatially distributed to provide open communication between all members of the household — via ArchDaily

The height, volume, garage ramp, entrance, bearings and driveway have been defined by the municipal regulations. All these regulations have blurred the interior distribution and organization — via ArchDaily

With its new Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Roue Carree Seconde hand-wound watch the Swiss watchmaker ones again proves that a wheel doesn’t necessarily have to be round. It can be square, too — via World Watch Review

The young Swiss watchmaker has teamed up with the famous Greengo night club (Gstaad, Switzerland) to offer this limited edition Hublot Big Bang 44mm Greengo Bang automatic chronograph watch — via World Watch Review

What happens when the concept of a project is reduced to a façade in the process of its development? Are purely aesthetic aims valid in architecture? Is façadism something worthwhile? Are we to become architectural dermatologists?

A client contacted us to design a hotel for corporate suites in Nápoles, a residential neighborhood in Mexico City that has been rapidly converting to office use over the past few years. The plot was located across the street from the convention center of the World Trade Center, by far the busiest office building in the city. The suites were intended to accommodate businesspeople visiting the WTC and the year round expositions — via ArchDaily

The urban biophillic pavilion, designed by studio d’ARC, is located atop a nineteenth century row house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The pavilion is a reconstruction of a rooftop greenhouse originally built in 1978. The new pavilion serves as both a garden and common room with indoor and outdoor areas including deck platforms with spectacular views — via ArchDaily