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A Mexican Holiday Home from Olson Kundig Architects

Olson Kundig Architects bring their wonderful rustic and textural sensibilities to bear in Mexico.

The brief was for a generous vacation retreat on a sandy beachfront.

The clients entertain in grand style, yet remain close to the earthy traditions of Mexico.

The sophisticated and convivial retreat is a big departure from the architects’ signature rugged macho fishing cabins.

From a distance, the exterior appears to draw on their Pacific Northwest roots.

But up close, the textural charm of traditional Mexican architecture is employed, with great restraint.

The house is both urbane and supremely elegant.

The industrial touch in this heavy center-pivot door is contrasted with the nobility of a stone floor.

The feeling of rounded river stones is contrasted with the smoothness of marble underfoot, in this sumptuously tactile outdoor shower.

An earthy Mexican concrete sink and a restrained rustic faucet.

A stone pillar brings a legendary quality to the bedroom view of the sea beyond.

There are generous public spaces that allow for both conviviality and privacy for the large family who loves to entertain.

But most of all, the house has a timeless sense of peace.

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Exqusite Ramped Glasshouse/Butterfly Conservancy

I love the beautifully integrated zigzag of this sloping ramp – completely encased in glass.

The glorious CAN MANA House from Atelier d’Architecture Bruno Erpicum & Partners overlooks the ocean in coastal Spain.

Its lovely sloping ramp accesses the second floor living room on a white ceramic platform.

“Nature lays down the law,” say the architects. “Its wonderful setting dominates, walls become plate glass windows. Light guides us. Trees creep through construction.”

To the right a raised pool connects the house to the vast Spanish coast beyond. “Beyond, the story of the house ends on an untouchable horizon, like all other stories.”

Completely encased in glass, the ramp gives the sense of being outdoors.

The white concrete floor bouncing back the sun makes the raised living room seem connected to the ground.

Under the living room, the entire length of the ground floor houses a spacious master bedroom cum sumptuous bathing room.
While in the back, three bedrooms use an efficient en suite design.

While one end upstairs houses the glassed-in sloping ramp, the other end houses an elevated pool accessed by an open air stair.

The bold patterning of sun and shadow makes this stair a sculptural statement.

The sudden joy of encountering this deep pool is a surprise.

It is set on a tank-like building housing the mechanical system underneath. Above; you are above it all – at one with the infinity of the sky and the limitless sea beyond.

Overlooking the pool to the city views beyond, the raised living room takes advantage of its elevation, while the bedrooms underneath have more intimate garden views.

Adjacent to the pool, a cantilevered deck allows two trees to continue to grow up through holes in its floor.

The architects describe the house as “A butterfly conservatory, the key thrown away: a space defined by the transparency of the windows, an infinite space where thoughts take flight at the whim of imagination.”

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Design Dilemma: Digital Art Makes A Splash

Digital art is becoming one of the top home design trends of the moment.

If you’re confused about exactly what this term means, “digital art”  refers to the use of digital technology as an essential part of the creative process. Other terms used to describe this art is “computer art,” “multimedia art,” and the larger umbrella term “new media art”.

This year in home design, digital art seems to be supplanting other traditional art forms in which the handmade personal quality is important (paintings, drawing or sculpture.)  The aesthetic is slick, sleek and critics might argue cold and mechanical. In part, this new aesthetic is a reflection of our digital age. A younger generation of artists who grew up wielding Ipads and Iphones as toddlers are now making their imprint in the world of art.

Are you curious to see how people are incorporating digital art into their homes? Let’s take a look:

Below, check out custom digital art created on a glass shower splashback. This concept of printing a digital image on a 6 mm glass can be applied not only to splash-backs in bathrooms, but backsplashes in kitchens as well.

Here’s an example of digital art on a kitchen backsplash:

Modern Spaces by Other Metro Artists & Artisans digital art on glass</div

And another:

Beach Style Kitchen by Other Metro Artists & Artisans digital art on glass

And another:

Modern Kitchen by Other Metro Artists & Artisans digital art on glass

The great thing about digital art is that it is perfect for humid environments such as bathrooms and kitchens. It’s a clever way to add  color and interest in places that are not ideal for hanging more delicate paintings or drawings. Prints on glass can be easily cleaned with a damp sponge and will retain their luster and beauty despite weathering some tough conditions.

That being said, digital art on glass is also used in other types of environments to provide pattern and interest. The print below was first drawn by hand with a pen, then digitized and transferred to glass for a glass wall separating a bedroom from a hallway.

Of course, not all digital art serves as just a background to other types of action. Some digital art performs as a centerpiece, taking the place of a traditional painting. For instance, the digital art piece below is simply a fine abstract art piece that would be perfect above a fireplace or in some central location in  a home.

Here’s another digital art piece on glass which acts and feels  like a painting:

There’s another rendition of the digital art trend that has made it into many homes. Many people are making use of their television screens as art pieces. For instance:

And this:

Here’s how it works: You frame a television and get software to display a digitized image on the screen when the television is not in use. Another version of this idea is to use a TV backboard of plexiglass with LED lights to create an artsy feel, as seen above.

But despite the digital trend, we predict that conventional painting and drawing isn’t going anywhere soon. Many of us could never give up the handmade and personal feel that old fashioned oil or acrylic on canvas offers.  The painting below just leaps off the walls.