June 2013
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Directory
2-B-2 Architecture
Ukraine
Aas/Thaulow
Norway
Axelrod Architects
Israel
Carson and Crushell
Ireland
Claudio Vilarinho
Portugal
Dieter Janssen
Canada
Frei + Saarinen Architekten
Switzerland
Hein-Troy
Austria
Johan Sundberg
Sweden
Marchal Furstenberger
Switzerland
Moto Designshop
USA
Najjar & Najjar
Austria
NArchitekTURA
Poland
Obra Architects
USA
OnOffice
Portugal
Owen and Vokes
Australia
Ramdam
France
Rocha Tombal
Netherlands
Rory Hyde Projects
Australia
sporaarchitects
Hungary
Takao Akiyama
Japan
Tennent + Brown Architects
New Zealand
Walker Architects
Ireland
X -Arquitectos
Argentina
Established just a year ago by Atle Aas and Harald Thaulow, this Norwegian practice offers a wide variety of professional experience: Aas is a trained photographer who also worked in advertising before going into architecture and setting up his joint practice with architect Thaulow. ‘Every commission and plot demands a unique solution’, they say. ‘Something rational, but both simple and complex. Architecture that is foreign and instantly recognizable at the same time. Contradictory by nature.’ The team follows new technological innovations as they feel that these can influence every commission while constantly changing the architects’ own creative palette. Their inspiration comes from ever-changing social patterns and culture that, in turn, spark a variety of architectural responses to every commission. ‘Inspiration is to be found everywhere and usually where least expected, particularly in the messy and unclear overlaps of contemporary culture.’
Aas Thaulow’s Hill House is designed with simplicity and sustainability in mind. Located in a beautiful spot – on a steep slope overlooking the Valdres valley, three hours north of Oslo – it is a simple orthogonal structure with one door and one window. Built and heated by locally sourced and renewable materials, it is made of solid wood, using low-grade timber that would be otherwise unusable. Meanwhile, the wood used for heating comes from the forest just above the house. Only the foundation and basement are dry masonry that make use of the existing stones found in the site.
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