Articles by Bianca Valentina Roșescu

The historic village of Broek in Waterland is known for its large wooden houses. These historic houses were built in the 17th century often by captains of the Dutch East Indies company, one of the world’s first multinationals. Originally the houses were painted in various colours but later economic decline made the people use just grey primer to paint and maintain the houses.

“Ishtika Aalaya” located in Chandigarh, India, this brick abode has been inspired by the clients’ longing for an earthy home. The composite climate of the place demands the building to be cooler for most of the year and requires ample sunlight during the harsh winters. Therefore, the layout has been dictated by the sun path analysis. 

The geometric architecture, sculpted spaces, and use of refined materials in shades of sand, earth, and stone, drench the home with a sense of calm and warmth. The neutral shades throughout set the stage for a beautiful play of light and shadow. It took two months to develop the project concept. The irregular shape of the plot posed a challenge to the planning process, the plot is trapeze-shaped, with a narrow facade and rear that is three times wider, after studding the plot in depth, we created sketches, and the optimal way forward was to create a structure that was abundant in folds that gradually open up in a harmonious flow, without being obvious to the eye, The front facade is narrow and one-dimensional and unfolds as one moves further along the property, to reveal additional space and dimension.

Samudra is located in Akkarai, a coastal suburb of Chennai along the East Coast Road. The city has been growing towards the south with the development of housing, commonly used as second homes. Some of the city residents moved towards the coast for a better quality of life. The pandemic saw a lot more people moving, contributing to the growth of the surrounding neighborhoods. The atmosphere is quiet, open, and green inviting people to live more outdoors.

The small hill running from the east was sinking gently as it passed through the site and went west. It was a land that was open southwest like that. We could cover the several blue sandwich panel roofs in the village by raising the fence. Then, it seemed to be wonderful that the harmony of the green yard, the horizon of the fence, the sky above it, the small hill near the east, and the far view open to the southwest. The house had to be placed quietly behind the landscape and a device to contain them.

The house of Noushad is in Tirur, Malappuram, Kerala, India. The house is designed for Mr. Noushad and his family of two. The client approached us with a stunning riverfront plot and we knew at once the most challenging thing about this project would be designing a house that enhances the site’s beauty. The client’s requirements were solid, a four-bedroom house with the entire house having an uninterrupted view of the river yet maintaining a sense of privacy from neighboring plots.

Architecture that intersects time, space, and people in Hiroshima. Hiroshima Andersen “brings joy and happiness to tables” through bread. This is a reconstruction plan for the flagship store in its birthplace. Under the concept of “crossing of time,” we pursued a plan to renew the building while preserving and integrating elements of the bombed former building with modern design. The concept of “crossing of space” is materialized by enabling visitors to encounter the natural environment of Hygge* Park after passing through the bustling arcade town and bakery market reminiscent of Denmark. The “crossing of people” is created by the gate-shaped structure itself that forms the interior. The crossings are represented by cross-shaped pillars. *Hygge: Danish word meaning a warm and cozy feeling arising from human interaction