From the Architectural Point of View 2018 – Dwell On Design

Studio B Style | May 2018

SEAMLESSNESS

The first I’d heard Takashi Yanai’s name was in Minnesota. Someone mentioned his name to me and spelled it out so I could look it up. His work is forward thinking and very inspiring. It’s modern and warm at the same time – a mix between contemporary and urban organic styles.

Fast forward eight months and I’m standing in front of Takashi while he’s prepping for a Pella Windows and Doors panel discussion on “Modern Design”.

What is Modern Design? It’s a broad term that can mean the absence of artifice or wide openness or hidden structure.

To Takashi, it’s all of the above. His projects are living links to the outside. It’s not about the actual dwelling it’s about living with the landscape and how life will function in that particular space.

Takashi’s architectural projects are usually set on a property with a particular physical opportunity. Some have spectacular beachfront or some need added privacy on one side that faces a street. He finds enhancements to these landscape opportunities by understanding his client’s dreams and lifestyle.

As I listened to Takashi, he described an editing process in design and how to create invisible function. He’s a master at seamlessness. Where do spaces begin and end or do they? It’s about a flow and now I see how that flow can work with less structure and more windows and doors with windows.

 

 

REFINEMENTS

After a Dwell on Design panel discussion, I had the chance to walk the show floor with Alan Pickett, Director of Architectural Business Development for Pella Corporation. We spoke about overall trends such as how the modern and contemporary trends so predominant on the West coast will continue to influence the rest of the country.

“People will continue to be drawn to traditional styles as well but with modern elements that are often referred to as “transitional,” Alan explained. I asked him about patio railings because it was something I was specifying for a project.

He told me to think about glass panels that are discreetly placed in recessed channels in the decking. He also mentioned using metal discs as fasteners in between panels as another discreet element.

I asked Alan what is on trend for windows and doors? He responded with “large areas of glass with refined simplified details. Again, the proportion and quality of the joinery matter. The goal is to blur the lines between outside and inside and do it with beautifully assembled materials.”

I found myself wishing I could ask about fifty more questions about architecture and design because it was so rewarding to chat with Alan. His depth of knowledge is boundless and he is a gracious teacher as well as industry leader.

 

 

 

INNOVATION

One of the largest and busiest displays at the Dwell on Design Show was the model of the Bridge House that Dan Brunn, owner of Los Angeles based firm Dan Brunn Architecture.

Already well known for his first home project, “Flip Flop”, Dan wowed the design and architectural industry again with his “Bridge House.” His custom home design features BONE Structure, a patented light steel-frame building technology.

The structure is built over a brook running right through the middle of the property and hence the name “Bridge House.” A model of this project was placed in the booth so that people could walk around the entire dwelling and peer through the walls to see how the structure came into being.

I asked Dan what trends he sees in the industry and said that more people are being drawn to ecologically friendly designs with a modern approach. This type of design yields effectively functional, living structures.

He described the new BONE Structure component of his Bridge House as a part of that trend because it utilizes up to 80 percent recycled content. He also mentioned that wood is one of the most popular building materials usually for tactile applications.

Looking through all the projects on Dan’s website one quickly comes to the conclusion that he is one of the great innovators in architectural design. He pushes the boundaries to create completely unique spatial solutions for his clients living structures.

 

 

 

StudioBStyle | May 2018 | Read the article online