Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Private Courtyards

I am incredibly fond of private courtyards in residential housing design. They seem to work especially well in hot and windy climates, where they offer protection from the elements. If you are lucky enough to have the prevailing wind blowing in the right direction, the ideal placement of the courtyard would be to face southwest so that you would get the late afternoon sun and sunset.

Courtyards are a perfect way to add privacy and to subtly extend the interior space outside. I have posted two contemporary examples of courtyards here designed by Spanish architect Alberto Baeza which I found inspiring. I would personally add more plantings to these courtyards, as part of the joy of owning a private courtyard is the ability to look out into your own secret garden.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Industrial Facility


Sam Hecht and Kim Colin founded Industrial Facility in London in 2002 with a goal to bring fresh and functional modern design to everyday objects. I love the balanced blend of simplicity and utility in their designs, especially in their work for Muji, Epsom and Whirlpool.

The variety of objects that they work on is also refreshing. Checkout this mini-kitchen from Whirlpool, printer from Epsom and cookie cutter from Muji.