BAK arquitectos: casa levels

'casa levels' by BAK arquitectos, mar azul, buenos aires, argentina
all images courtesy of BAK arquitectos
image © gustavo sosa pinilla

nestled within a forest of towering pine trees in mar azul, argentina is 'casa levels', a single family dwelling by 
buenos aires-based firm BAK arquitectos. the site's terrain features a sloping grade which varies in elevation by 3 meters,
concealing the residence within the landscape's natural depression. a minimal concrete facade addresses the street 
and then the structure expands and opens itself to the tall trees which encompass the home.

a central and linear stairway links the interior's diverse levels while minimal internal divisions allow unobstructed
sightlines to cross through the unified space. exposed concrete, textured with wood from the construction formworks
form all of the exterior walls, along with partitions, stairs and storage elements inside. extending from the kitchen and living areas,
terraces lined with warm wooden planks offer views into the environment, wrapping the trunks of adjacent vegetation to 
maintain all of the existing species.


rear elevation
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


terraces project from the dining and living areas
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


side elevation stepped into the sloping terrain
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


entry to residence is concealed within the minimal elevation which addresses the street
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


entry
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


upper level terrace extending from dining area
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


kitchen
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


BAK arquitectos: casa levels
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


linear stair links the elevated kitchen to the living are below
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


central linear stair separates living spaces
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


stepped living spaces formed from concrete
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


integrated concrete storage
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


bedroom
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


bathroom
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


living space at night
image © gustavo sosa pinilla


image © gustavo sosa pinilla


image © gustavo sosa pinilla


image © gustavo sosa pinilla


floor plan / level 0


floor plan / level 1


section


section

project info:

location: mar azul, buenos aires, argentina.
architect: maria victoria besonias, luciano kruk.
contributors: architect nuria jover - enzo vitali
land area: 600m2
constructed area: 187.02m2

JDS architects: kortrijk school complex

'kortrijk school complex' by JDS architects, kortrijk, belgium
all images courtesy of JDS architects

belgian practice JDS architects have proposed the 'kortrijk school complex', an educational facility along the river leie 
in a central district of kortrijk, belgium. embracing the adjacent park and potential for open-air activities, the addition
organizes classrooms along the edge of a garden, similar to a monk's cloister. adding over 7,200 square meters of space, 
a majority of the rooms open to the outdoors without changing the existing structures already located on the site.

a centralized square is formed with the merging of the new and old buildings, with an elevated gallery framing the area.


view from the street as it meets the existing context


public square


elevated gallery


interior


aerial view of complex


diagram


diagram


diagram


diagram


pedestrian access diagram


car access diagram


diagram


sustainability diagram


diagram


elevated gallery diagram


context access diagram


existing structures diagram


existing structures diagram


ground circulation diagram


building circulation diagram



site experiences diagram


project info:

project: educational building complex
size: 10.500 m2
location: kortrijk, belgium
budget: 15.300.000 eur
type: invited competition
status: settled 2012
client: dbfm-vennootschap
team: JDS, louis paillard architects, greisch structural engineer, klar, ces sustainability
JDS partner in charge: julien de smedt, louis paillard
project leader: stephanie vander goten, khadija djellouli
project team: barbara wolff, adrien mans, weronica wojcik, lea fournier, lionel roullet, kamile malinauskaite, 
francisco villeda, wouter dons, victoria migliore

Innovative Student Housing in Paris / Stephane Malka

The student housing on rue Amelot designed by Stephane Malka is a project that inserts itself into an urban interstice: the thickness of a blind wall. It’s within the thickness of these walls that this thin building is constructed. The urban form is a strict extension of the blind walls, which houses using the existing. No building is destroyed, and no pollution generated. The skin consists of an existing module: the wooden pallet.

Held using horizontal hinges, the pallets contract towards the top, allowing privacy or large openings. The modularity of the various palettes creates varied geometries, which are based on use and constantly regenerated. The reappropriation of materials recycles the existing without additional processing, which would cost energy in terms of production and create byproduct pollution.

The real environmental approach consists not in destruction, but in superimposing interventions upon our built heritage. It consists of a new land strategy, unreferenced on a parcel, constructed in a de facto “ecology” of means.