External Brain

Ike Kligerman Barkley Architects designed a contemporary renovation and extension of the Lookout House in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Clients chose to retain the eccentric 1979 structure of the property and commissioned a gut renovation and extension.  The original pyramid form of the house, which is centered on an open-plan double-height living space surrounding an indoor pool, was lightened and simplified with a contemporary material palette (including bamboo, bluestone, and glass tile) and a new lighting program.  A glass bridge—an “architectural synapse” that clearly differentiates old from new—connects the main house to the master suite.  Like the original structure, the new suite is a large volume enclosing a smaller one—in this case, a freestanding cube, finished in claro walnut, that divides the sleeping and bath areas — via CONTEMPORIST

The Baljurk-project (baljurk = evening-dress, ball gown), designed by Archipelontwerpers, is situated in the centre of The Hague, next to the old Passage. The construction of the Passage in 1882 has transformed the urban tissue. Before this transformation there used to be a meandering transition between the two streets Kettingstraat and the Achterom, cause by the fact that the Achterom used to be a modest stream. This organic flow is unique in the context of The Hague’s rectangular lay-out. By consequence of the construction of the Passage this smooth transition was converted into a straight angle. The Baljurk-project is exactly placed on this corner — via ArchDaily

For the second consecutive year, Valentina Audrito is back at the Salone Satellite, with its eggs Leon and adds new pieces to his collection inspired by the simple form and perfect egg — via designerblog.it

As a renovation project by the Chinese architecture studio Atelier 11, the Inside-out Art Center is part of a cultural industrial zone located in the west part of Beijing. With a total scale of 211,530 sqm, the zone includes studios for artists, lofts, office complex, and exhibition centers. The Art Center is the only construction built out of an existing structure in this real estate project — via ArchDaily

The Vicino House rests on a cliff overlooking about 180 degrees of Santa Monica Bay and the Pacific Ocean. But the view isn’t the only thing worth mentioning with this gut renovation. In fact, the Pacific Palisades home achieved LEED Platinum certification and all electricity is provided by a 28-panel, 5.2 kW rooftop photovoltaic array. Two solar thermal panels provide about 70% of the domestic hot water needs — via Jetson Green

At an urban level, the building, designed by vora arquitectura, is situated on the corner of two very narrow streets, but avoids a direct relationship with them, closing the first two levels of the house around an enclosed external courtyard, which is both controlled and thermally beneficial. In contrast, the top floor opens fully onto an open terrace above the street that allows distant views over the church towards the sea — via ArchDaily

Our friends are sci-fi geeks and wanted space themed wedding bands. My wife dug out our collection of vintage paperbacks for design inspiration, then carved these by hand — via Boing Boing

The house, designed by Nikos Smyrlis, is located near downtown of Kifisia. Is an area with low density and it is consisted mostly of neoclassical villas of the early beginning of the 20th century. The two-storey residences disappear behind the dense vegetation that prevails.

The displacement of the house was defined by an effort to conserve the big old trees — via ArchDaily

With a 4,180 sqm program involving warehouses and offices, the building, designed by dcpp arquitectos, unfolds trough the linearity of the platform.

This linearity and horizontality of the building break with the access doors creating movement on the facade and a natural light entrance as well — via ArchDaily

The new Audemars Piguet Millenary 4101 automatic watch was officially presented a couple of weeks ago at the SIHH 2011 and immediately became a new icon of the Swiss brand.

Just like it was done with the recently presented Piaget Emperador Coussin Tourbillon Ultra-Thin and the gorgeous De Bethune DB28 in titanium, the new Audemars Piguet Millenary 4101 takes the idea of a skeletonized watch and, literally, turns it inside out — via World Watch Review

There are two identities constituting the units of our world: inside and outside. Object and space. Extrovert and introvert. Active and passive. Community life and internal silence. The building that we can walk around, and the hall where music surrounds us. The building, designed by Építész Stúdió, itself is vivid, moved by the dynamic symmetry of golden ratio. The hall itself is tranquillity filled by the symmetry of intellectual serenity — via ArchDaily