Small – Foamboards Blog

Small Studio for Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture

March 18, 2015March 18, 2015 Foamboards

This small studio for drawing, painting, and sculpture acts as a visual device itself by bi-directionally framing its surroundings. To the southeast, a great amount of daylight enters through tilted glazing. To block direct sun, if desired, and to enable the modulation of light and climatic conditions, exterior screens are deployed. To the northwest, a system of frames is installed that enable bronze sculptures to be suspended in front of the glass and in direct sight of the working artist. In that spot, the bronze sculptures receive their natural patina while being staged as a motive of reflection and confrontation for the artist. The building features two separate levels, which serve different functions. The upper level is designed to be a workplace where most of the sketches and small watercolors are done, while on the lower level, medium-sized canvases and small sculptures will be produced. The semi-industrial character of the project stems from the reference to the typology of the shed roof factory. Here, this typology is being reduced to its simplest case — a single box with a single skylight. The use of raw and untreated materials contributes to the character of a workshop. The façade panels are made …

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Small Architecture Now!

May 3, 2014May 3, 2014 Foamboards

Saving space: Big ideas for small buildings
Over the years, talented architects have occasionally indulged themselves with the challenge of designing small but perfectly formed buildings. Today, with reduced budgets, many architects have turned in a more focused way to creating works that may be in diminutive in their dimensions, but which are definitely big when it comes to trendsetting ideas. Whether in Japanese cities, where large sites are hard to come by, or at the frontier between art and architecture, small buildings present many advantages, and push their designers to do more with less. A dollhouse for Calvin Klein in New York, a playhouse for children in Trondheim, pop-up stores for fashion stars, vacation cabins, or housing for victims of natural disasters are all part of the new rush to develop the great small architecture of the moment. The 2013 Pritzker Prize winner Toyo Ito is here, but so are emergent architects from Portugal, Chile, England, and New Zealand. Alvaro Siza and Kazuyo Sejima (SANAA) display their eye for tiny detail alongside artists Doug Aitken and Olafur Eliasson. From world-famous names to the freshest new talent, come discover architectural invention on a whole new, small scale.

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BIG & small House by Anonymous Architects

January 10, 2014January 10, 2014 Foamboards

Anonymous Architects have designed the BIG & small House in Los Angeles, California.

Project description

Starting with a vacant lot that was half of the typical minimum lot size, the objective was to compensate for the relatively small footprint of the house.

To achieve this there are only 2 full height walls inside the house which makes the main interior room nearly as large as the building footprint. This gives the house an open lofted feeling with very high ceilings and abundant natural light.

It is an inversion of expectation, so that the smallest house contains the largest room. What the house lacks in square footage it provides in volume.

The free plan of the vacant lot is preserved since the house touches the ground only at the four small piles, giving full access to use the space between the house and the lot. The footprint of the foundation is in fact less than 20 sq.ft. and the house doesn’t touch the ground at any point.

The plan of the house follows the shape of the site which is an asymmetric parallelogram. This form resulted in unusual geometry inside and outside the dwelling and explains the shape of the house. The elevations of the house are designed to mirror the plan.

Architect: Anonymous
Photography: Steve King

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