The task of designing great modern architecture is difficult enough but modern renovations can be even more difficult. The architect has less control and therefore must be that much more skilled to play the hand he’s dealt. When architecturew took on the renovation of their b house, they had the ability to see the home’s potential and strip away the superfluous (not an easy task with a 1963 ranchburger – shown below). Among the home’s assets was a view of the Marqaum Nature Park. A series of decks and large windows on the new upper floor brings the surrounding nature into the home. The interior ground floor is designed around an existing fireplace. The geometry and materials used feel at home within the home’s site.

People often talk about environmentally conscious building or stretching budgets. What architecturew shows us is that great architects can accomplish great things through efficient thinking and strong visual sensibility. architecturew was founded in 2001 by partners Michel Weenick and Brian White. Be sure to visit the firm’s site to see other examples of their great work.

Far from a retirement crash pad, the Cricket Trailer makes roughing it a little less rough. Architect and Designer Garrett Finney spent part of his career designing the habitation module on the international space station. In other words, he a man who can make the most of small spaces, making this transition all the more natural. Cricket Trailers start at about $10,000 for very bare bones model and $17,000 for the fully tricked out model featured above.

Born in Tokyo, architect Hiroki Tanabe has a strong sensibility for minimal architecture. In this project, a combination dental office and residence, pronounced geometry intersects to create multifaceted spaces. The architecture has a stong Japanese quality to it. In fact, the sharp geometry would be at home amongst the Japanese product design of companies like Sony. Our advice to dentists in the U.S., if your space looks this good, people would be lined up for fillings.

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Although looking at a Playboy centerfold is enough female art to get you through the day, the great Hugh Hefner does a little more to contribute to the art world by lending a hand in saving one of the most iconic landmarks of our generation. Problem is, it looks like the generous donation wouldn’t have been necessary in the first place, what with design company Bayarch’s proposed plan.

Having served as a beacon to both the person who loves movies and the person who wants to star in them, the Hollywood sign has stood strong since 1923 (when it first appeared as “Hollywoodland”). Decades after serving as a silent but strong symbol of the showbiz industry, the Hollywood sign’s existence is now threatened by rumors of being torn down to give way to housing projects.
To help preserve the legendary sign, Hugh Hefner donated $900,000 to the Trust for Public Land to purchase Cahuenga Peak, the land where the Hollywood sign is now standing. Thanks to several hefty donations (pun not intended), the sign will stand yet another day.

But a solution has been brewing all along that would have saved everyone a lot of trouble. Bayarch, a design and architecture company based in Ringkobing and Copenhagen, came up with a plan to unify both the ideas of preserving the Hollywood sign and establishing a luxury housing project. The façade of Bayarch’s proposed building clearly pays its tribute to the original giant billboard. However, a commercial edifice belies the unassuming front, consisting of a hotel, cinemas, spas, and clubs built right into the structure.

From afar, Bayarch’s design intends to conserve the legendary Hollywood sign. But the company has gone a step further by toying with the investors’ idea of developing the real estate.

The design includes public access to the top of the Hollywood sign, providing a lavish view of Los Angeles below. The commercial complex is also largely made of glass walls and windows to provide an open, spacious retreat for those who can’t resist the glamour of Hollywood.

So much money has passed hands, so many debates have commenced. If Bayarch’s ingenious plan has been revealed early on, one wonders how different things would have been – and if Hefner would have saved himself almost a million dollars.
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If you do any sort of creative work you will almost inevitably hit a wall at some point. Ideas are few and far between and the ones that come just don’t seem to cut it.
Everyone has a different method for working through this, but Alex Cornell over at ISO 50 asked twenty five artists to talk about what they do when they can’t seem to do anything right. You can check out the responses (and respond yourself) here.

The Aqua Tower is a bit unlike anything we’ve seen before. Located in Chicago, this 82 story structure designed by Studio Gang Architects has a series of protruding terraces of varying depth. The wavering terraces cause the look and shape of the structure to change depending on the viewers angle and the amount of sunlight and shadows.
More great photos of this after the jump.
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***We suggest you buy tix ASAP if you’re even thinking about going to this***

If you’ve been under a rock for the last decade and you haven’t heard of Tomato UK that’s all the more reason to go to this event. Tomato UK is an Art / Design / Music collective consisting of many members including Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, of Underworld who all but created the sound track of the nineties.
Tomato members Michael Horsham, Dylan Kendle, and John Warwicker will cross a continent and an ocean to share their secrets on all aspects of art ranging from commercial print to music and sound to architectural design. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and gain insight from an amazing group with valuable experience with cross-platform art. Horsham will present a general selection of work, Kendle will present film work and Warwicker will discuss process – Tomato’s philosophy and approach to making work.

Tickets are available from AIGA Los Angeles.

Los Angeles based Taalman Koch Architecture recently brought their signature prefab system to the world of pop-up stores. This month a 240sf Pop-Up store was set up for the Palm Pre phone. The small glass building appeared at the Americana in Glendale and was later disassembled, moved to the Grove in Hollywood, and reassembled a single 24 hour period. The entire project was designed, fabricated, and erected in less than 5 weeks. The structure will be on display at the Grove through the end of the month.

Taalman Koch is perhaps most famous for their itHouse. You may have also seen their work at Space 1520, home of the Hennessey + Ingalls design bookstore in Hollywood.

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This seems like a really interesting idea for those who prefer a bit more nature in their back yard. Following many of the eco-friendly trends in landscape design, this new style of chemical free pool is starting to catch on. While we certainly don’t mind the lack of irritated eyes, green hair, dry skin, and weird chemical smell inherent in chlorine pools, we are sold by the look of a pool lined with cobble stones and a cool inviting jade color. The big question now is, where’s the jacuzzi version of this?

We were a little skeptical of how this works, but we found a nice diagram you can see after the jump.

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We first heard about Slow Home at this year’s CA Boom design show. We have since been following Canadian architect and Slow Home creator John Brown’s daily lectures on construction/demolition, real estate, and architecture. Taking his philosophy from the ever popular “slow food” movement, John often compares urban sprawl to fast food excess. He stresses the importance of quality products over mass production and emphasizes making better choices about how and where we live. Through daily exercises Brown’s site tackles common issues faced when updating and remodeling. The site features room by room design breakdowns, case studies, and an extensive archive of past exercises. Inspired by this site, we can now attempt to tackle some of the more ominous design challenges facing LA living with a little more confidence.