13-08-2021

Architecture books for the summer and beyond

Roberto Dini e Stefano Girodo, Alberto Campo Baeza, Chevallier Architectes, Woods Bagot, Formafatal, Wood Bagot, Robert Konieczny KWK Promes,

Free Time,

Living, Landscaping,

For those on holiday or simply want to take an imaginary trip from the comfort of their own homes, we recommend four books from Phaidon, ranging from holidays in nature to the ocean and the mountains. These are books where you will find refuges, villas, and residences by well-known and lesser-known architects located in genuinely unique natural settings.



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Architecture books for the summer and beyond
During the summer, as well as during the pre-Christmas period, bookshops are targeted. While at Christmas it is all about finding a gift for friends and family, the aim is often to find some books for oneself in the summer. This is because we all hope to have a few quiet moments during the holidays where we can read in peace and perhaps get some new stimulation.
In this sense, the book Living on Vacation: Contemporary Houses for Tranquil Living, published by Phaidon, is undoubtedly instrumental, as it is part of a series that also includes Living in the Mountains, Living by the Ocean, and Living in Nature. The interesting aspect of this series of books is that, being written in an accessible language, it is fascinating for architects and experts and suitable for an audience of simple lovers of beautiful architecture. In our case, we were pleased to discover that these books contain some of the buildings to which we have dedicated in-depth articles on Floornature. 
Let's check out the volumes in detail. 
Living on Vacation presents a wide variety of spaces exclusively used for retreat and rest. These include Desert Courtyard, a building in the Sonora desert in Arizona, USA, designed by Woods Bagot and made of cement, glass, weathered steel, and rammed earth salvaged from the foundation excavation, in perfect harmony with its surroundings. Or a gem: the mysterious House of the Infinite by Alberto Campo Baeza.
The latter metaphorically introduces the volume Living by the Ocean: Contemporary Houses by the Sea, a must for those who love the salty air. Among the many works of architecture published here, we should mention the beautiful Naila House by the BAAQ' studio, already known to our audience for a residential redevelopment in Mexico City. Naila House is in Puerto Escondido, also in Mexico, and is joyfully open to the breathtaking scenery of the beach it overlooks and frames. In a way, this is also the case in Australia with Woods Bagot's Beach Villa in St Andrews, to name another project presented in this volume. 
Living in Nature: Contemporary Houses in the Natural World, the third book we present, contains a particularly green project among many, as the title suggests: Atelier Villa by the Czech studio Formafatal, built in 2020 in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. While Roberto Dini and Stefano Girodo's Luca Pasqualetti refuge in Bionaz in Val d'Aosta, a simple prefabricated building in a remote location, could rightfully be included in the Living in the Mountains volume. This book, in particular, shows an innovative residential architecture that offers a respite from urban life, as well as a deep connection with nature and mountain landscapes, virtually unique challenges of great architectural interest. Among those published are Chevallier Architectes' Whymper chalet in Chamonix, France, and architect Robert Konieczny KWK Promes' Konieczny's Ark project in Brenna, Poland. 
The series' books are an invitation to let oneself be transported, even if only in the imagination, to discover new places. All that thanks to architecture that stems from a profound and sustainable dialogue with the natural context in which it is located.

Christiane Bürklein

Books: Living on Vacation: Contemporary Houses for Tranquil Living, Living in the Mountains, Living by the Ocean, Living in Nature
published by Phaidon
Images: see captions © 2020 - Phaidon Press Ltd.
1) BAAQ’, Casa Naila, 2019, Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Picture credit: Edmund Sumner (page 248)
2) Formafatal, Atelier Villa, 2020, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Picture credit: BoysPlayNice (page 173)
3) Robert Konieczny KWK Promes, Konieczny’s Ark, 2015, Brenna, Poland. Picture credit: Aleksander Rutkowski/Olo Studio (page 214)
4) Desert Courtyard House, Wendell Burnette Architects, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, 2014. Image credit: Bill Timmerman (pages 260-261)
5, 6, 7, 8) Book covers - Phaidon
9) Chevallier Architectes, Chalet Whymper, 2017, Chamonix, France. Picture credit: Solène Renault for Chevallier Architectes (page 52)
10) Woods Bagot, St Andrews, Beach Villa, 2019, St Andrews Beach, Victoria, Australia. Picture credit: Trevor Mein (page 242)
11) Living in Nature: Contemporary Houses in the Natural World. Phaidon. Roberto Dini and Stefano Girodo, Bivouac Luca Pasqualetti, 2018, MorionRidge, Aosta Valley, Italy (pages 34-35)
12) Living on Vacation: Contemporary Houses for Tranquil Living, Phaidon; Shearers Quarters, John Wardle Architects, Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia (pages 114-115)
Find out more: https://www.phaidon.com/store/architecture

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