'gold digger' installation covers 16th century convent patio in spain

In the realm of architectural preservation, restoring a Victorian-era house presents a unique blend of craftsmanship and historical investigation. This particular endeavor details the meticulous reconstruction of an elaborate cornice on a San Francisco Victorian home, once the childhood residence of California Governor “Sunny” Jim Rolf. The article highlights the process of architectural sleuthing, a critical first step in faithfully recreating period-specific details. During the mid-20th century, many Victorian homes in San Francisco underwent a transformation, as owners, influenced by contemporary design trends and the perceived high maintenance of ornate features, stripped away decorative elements like brackets, columns, window hoods, and intricate moldings. These houses were frequently covered with stucco or asbestos shingles, resulting in a homogenized appearance that diminished their original character. However, about two decades ago, a reversal began, with visionary owners committing to uncover and restore the authentic architectural heritage of these homes. Pam Whitehead, an owner of one such stripped-down Victorian, embarked on a restoration journey in 1989. Her team, including contractor John Hornor and carpenter Bryan Kelly, initiated an “architectural archaeology” process to understand the house's original appearance. This involved consulting local historical societies for old photographs and exploring the neighborhood for anecdotal evidence or visual records from long-term residents. In a fortunate discovery, Pam located a small photograph of her house in a biography of Governor Rolf. This image revealed that the currently stucco-clad, aluminum-windowed structure was once a refined Italianate Victorian, distinguished by an octagonal bay with arched first-floor windows, a belt cornice, and a substantial main cornice with a mansard roof. While the article focuses on the initial investigative phase and the historical context of Victorian architectural decline and resurgence, it also alludes to the practical challenges of reconstruction, noting that "cabinet-grade trim meets detective work." The mention of "template routing aids rebuilding effort" in the synopsis indicates that the subsequent phases of the project involved precise woodworking techniques to replicate the lost ornamental details. The restoration project underscored a commitment to historical accuracy, aiming to authentically revive the original grandeur of the Victorian home rather than merely adding superficial embellishments. This restoration effort is illustrative of a broader movement to conserve and celebrate San Francisco's distinctive architectural legacy. It emphasizes the importance of diligent research and skilled craftsmanship in preserving historical buildings, ensuring that their unique character and intricate details are not lost to time or changing aesthetic preferences. The story of Governor Rolf's boyhood home serves as a testament to the value of restoring architectural authenticity and the rewarding process of bringing a building back to its historical splendor. #VictorianArchitecture #HomeRestoration #CorniceReconstruction #ArchitecturalSleuthing #SanFranciscoHomes #HistoricPreservation #ItalianateStyle #CarpentryTechniques

HARQUITECTES has completed 'Casa 905' in Igualada, Barcelona, Spain, featuring a wide veranda that encapsulates its central living core. This residential project was designed for a couple interested in contemporary Japanese architecture, prioritizing a low-maintenance home with significant privacy and a continuous connection to the garden throughout the year. The structure is organized into four concentric layers, initiating from the external fence and progressing inward through a perimeter courtyard, a continuous gallery, and finally, the central, two-story concrete block box that forms the core of the house. The exterior is clad in corrugated galvanized metal sheets, providing a distinctive aesthetic. The house is strategically placed off-centered to the east within the plot, maximizing its footprint at 120 square meters, while leaving the west side open to benefit from year-round sun exposure. The design incorporates an opaque, two-meter-high newly built fence, ensuring the desired level of privacy for the occupants. This thoughtful site planning integrates the residence with its surroundings while maintaining a secluded environment. The core of the house, constructed from a two-story concrete block, houses the private spaces including bedrooms, bathrooms, and stairs. This central volume is enveloped by a continuous veranda, which functions as a flexible extension of the interior living spaces and seamlessly links the core to the surrounding garden. The architects emphasize that the majority of daily activities are intended to occur within this veranda. This space is conceptualized as a modern interpretation of a veranda, drawing inspiration from designs such as Charles Moore's Orinda House, fostering varied and intense interactions with the patio depending on the season. During summer months, large sliding walls transform the veranda into an open porch, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living. In winter, fixed large windows strategically positioned at the corners offer framed views of the garden and are designed to capture solar radiation, contributing to the passive heating of the space. A unique feature of this design is the use of fixed windows and opaque mobile doors, which allows for dynamic transformations of the façade and the gallery based on which elements are opened or closed. This adaptability ensures optimal comfort and light control throughout the year. The veranda's construction employs light and dry systems, including a wooden structure for pillars, beams, and the roof, complemented by glass, aluminum, and corrugated galvanized sheet enclosures. In deliberate contrast, the central core is built to be massive and compact, enhancing its thermal inertia. The block walls and slabs within the gallery are left exposed, while those in the rooms are painted white, highlighting the material differences and functional distinctions of each zone. The house incorporates advanced passive climate control strategies. In winter, the veranda acts as a buffer, sheltering and warming the central core, which eliminates the need for an independent climate system on the ground floor. The concrete floor, possessing high thermal inertia, benefits from direct solar radiation and is equipped with underfloor heating, a system also extended to the second-floor rooms. For summer cooling, when the sliding doors are closed, the windows are shaded by the roof's overhang and by exterior reflective curtains. The sloping roof design further facilitates a passive ventilation system, with four hidden ducts acting as small solar chimneys to expel hot air, promoting natural air exchange and cooling the veranda. This comprehensive design approach ensures energy efficiency and comfort across different seasons. #HARQUITECTES #Casa905 #IgualadaArchitecture #BarcelonaDesign #MetalCladHouse #VerandaArchitecture #SustainableDesign #PassiveVentilation #ResidentialArchitecture

Spanish-style interiors are experiencing a resurgence in contemporary design, offering a blend of warmth, texture, and historical charm. This approach to Spanish style emphasizes clean lines, a refined color palette, and streamlined furnishings, moving away from overly ornate or industrial interpretations. The key is to integrate handmade, natural materials strategically, ensuring authenticity without creating a cluttered or dated look. Repetition of materials, such as a single tile choice across multiple rooms or consistent exterior paint colors, contributes to a cohesive and modern aesthetic. Minimal use of wrought iron, a traditional Spanish element, is recommended. Instead of extensive ironwork, subtle applications like metal bar stool frames can connect the past with the present. Handmade tiles, particularly zellige tiles, are highlighted for their imperfect surfaces, varied colors, and unique textures, with white grout often used to accentuate these natural differences. Modern light fixtures, especially simple black metal flush-mount ceiling lights, are suggested to update the home's ambiance, reserving budget for impactful pieces like striking pendant lights over key areas. Plaster finishes are essential for achieving a handmade look on walls and ceilings, with modern alternatives like limewash and Roman clay offering similar aesthetic qualities. Graphic cement tiles introduce patterns and visual interest, especially when used on baseboards, stair risers, or within design niches. These tiles provide a pop of color against neutral backdrops, nodding to traditional Spanish design. Linen textiles are favored for furniture covers and upholstery due to their natural, lightweight, and breathable qualities, allowing furniture shapes to stand out while adding warmth. Thrifted ladder-back chairs are presented as a way to incorporate rustic, authentic Spanish elements without the bulkiness of older, carved versions, offering a modern yet traditional touch. Terra-cotta Saltillo tiles, known for their earthy red hue, are recommended for flooring, with a matte seal applied to create an aged, softened appearance. These tiles effectively contrast with neutral walls, bringing a vibrant, traditional feel. Architectural curves and arches are integral to modern Spanish style, defining passages between rooms and adding sculptural interest. Built-in open shelves, crafted from natural wood like white oak with a neutral stain, offer functional storage and display space while maintaining a warm, contemporary look. A DIY plastered tub surround, using a terra-cotta finish, is suggested as a creative way to achieve the look of an expensive clay tub, blending sophistication with traditional Spanish aesthetics. The incorporation of natural materials extends to elements like stone wall-mount sinks, iron-frame barstools, and ceramic vessels, emphasizing an earthy, organic feel throughout the home. Finally, elevating outdoor living spaces such as courtyards, patios, and balconies is crucial, using natural wood, stone, and rock to foster connections to nature and encourage social gatherings, aligning with the core values of Spanish-style living. #SpanishStyle #HomeDecor #InteriorDesignTrends #NaturalMaterials #HandmadeTiles #WroughtIron #PlasterFinishes #ModernLighting #ArchitecturalArches #OutdoorLiving

The article details the creation of a multi-functional decorative concrete backyard patio by Alchemy Concrete, Inc. in central Wisconsin. The project began in spring 2011 after homeowners, one of whom is an engineer, attended a decorative concrete seminar and collaborated with Alchemy's president, Judah Haas, and their in-house architect on the design for approximately two years. The construction phase was completed by a four-person crew in about two months during the summer. The homeowners desired an outdoor living space that provided both distinct areas and a sense of continuity for various activities. The final design features three separate patio sectors. The west end, spanning 750 square feet, is designated for entertaining, incorporating built-in seating walls and a standing fire table, with plans for an outdoor TV. A smaller middle patio, separated by bench walls, is intended for intimate gatherings. The east end of the patio is designed for formal entertaining, slated to include an outdoor dining set. Alchemy Concrete, founded by Haas in 2004, offers a comprehensive range of concrete services, including poured walls, flatwork, decorative concrete, manufactured concrete countertops, and pervious concrete. Haas emphasizes that providing these diverse services allows for greater control over construction variables, ultimately leading to a superior end product. The initial phase of the patio project involved earthwork and the construction of footings and walls. Instead of a traditional frost footing, the crew excavated 3 feet deep and filled the area with about 2 feet of crushed gravel before pouring the footing and forming the walls and pillars. To achieve a tumbled stone appearance, pillar forms were stripped while the concrete was still pliable, and each pillar was chiseled. These pillars were subsequently coated with a ½-inch layer of vertical mix and textured to mimic various stone types. The second phase focused on flatwork placement and design. The patio slabs were integrally colored, and Alchemy's crew applied an Oxford Slate pattern for texture. A liquid stamp release and highlighting product were used to achieve the desired color effects. The final phase involved detailed finishing work. Exposed walls received a vertical concrete mix coat, which was then carved to resemble stone. Additionally, the Alchemy team manufactured several precast elements in their precast lab. These included matching bench seating and pillar caps, created using white cement and an Italian Slate form liner for edge accents. Precast pavers were strategically placed in areas requiring access to utilities and a sprinkler system. A concrete fire table, a central feature, was adorned with a precast concrete top inlaid with polished stones collected by the homeowners from Lake Superior. The integration of these diverse decorative applications resulted in a cohesive and multi-functional outdoor space that effectively brought the homeowners' initial ideas to life. Haas noted that the homeowners have already enjoyed hosting parties on their new patio. #DecorativeConcrete #PatioDesign #ConcreteInstallation #OutdoorLivingSpace #ConstructionProcess #WisconsinConstruction #CustomConcrete #ConcreteFinishing