Join us as we explore Tobi's beautifully designed, accessible, and art-filled home, discover the inspiration behind her impeccable style and get her top picks for...
Reconsidering Brutalism, architecture’s most argued-over style
The Sawmill House is a regional dwelling in an industrial setting. It uses 270 large reclaimed one tonne blocks of reclaimed concrete which anchor it into..
Whether they are called breezeblocks, screen blocks, cinder blocks, textile blocks or even Besser blocks (here in Australia) the hollow concrete block has long been a popular construction material for both architecture and landscape. The manufacture and use of hollow concrete blocks can be traced back to the 1860s in both the United States and Britain, where they were created as a more viable option than blocks of solid concrete. Developments in machinery to manufacture these blocks also lead to a range of finishes. This included smooth, raised margins, rock-faced or with other ornamentation to the face panel (Lewis 2015). While the use of hollow and decorative concrete blocks occurred throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s it was the Californian textile block houses of the 1920s (including the Millard House and Ennis House) by Frank Lloyd Wright that propelled the material into use in modern architecture. Prior to World War II in Australia, concrete was seen as one of the key materials of modernism, along with stainless steel and glass (Aitken 2011). So with today’s appeal of mid-century modern style, it is little wonder that the use of decorative concrete blocks in all their forms has again become a popular and attractive solution for a modern garden. Walls Finishes and designs for decorative concrete block walls are limited only by imagination and availability of products. The repetitive pattern of a breezeblock wall creates a garden screen that is a decorative point of interest and an offset to the solid structure of the house. Concrete blocks can be used in combinations of solid and patterned to create a unique style for your wall. Edging Besser, Cinder or textile blocks are perfect for a solid, clean and minimal border for garden beds or lawn areas. Planters Blocks used in raised planter beds create solid and attractive built form for your garden. The straight lines of smooth faced cinder blocks provide modern and streamlined borders for a courtyard and unique patterns and planting opportunities are possible by alternating the direction of the blocks. Paving Textile or breezeblocks can be used in pavement and laid on mortar for a solid finish or a flexible sand bed with pebble infill as shown below. Grass-crete Decorative concrete blocks are also sold as a pavement material under the name ‘Grass-crete’. The intention of these blocks is to provide a structural path or driveway pavement that allows grass or turf to grow within the block cavities. Availability While the ideas for decorative concrete appear limitless, the actual limit to using these materials in your garden is sourcing them. Cinder or Besser blocks are readily available, however if you are after a more decorative option the search can be more difficult. In Australia, there are very few manufacturers of traditional breezeblocks and mid-century devotees must hunt second hand yards, or ebay listings for that rare find. Thankfully there are some companies who manufacture these blocks and your search may not have to be so difficult. Australia Besser Block Centre – Sydney www.besserblockcentre.com.au Natural Image Group – Melbourne www.breezeblocks.com.au USA A1 Block Corp – Orlando www.a1block.com Roanoke Concrete Products Co – Illinois www.roanokeconcreteprod.com Sources Aitken, Richard, 2011, The Garden of Ideas, Melbourne, p 167 Cilento, Karen, 2010 ‘Frank Lloyd Wright’s Textile Houses’, www.archdaily.com Lewis, Miles, 2015 ‘Australian Building: A Cultural Investigation’, www.mileslewis.net Save Published in Blog
Australian architect studio Archier designed the ‘Sawmill House‘ that consists of nearly 300 one-tonne concrete blocks. Located in a small town called Yackandandah, the site of the building used to be a gold mine before it became the local sawmill. One of the main goals of the renovation process was to raise awareness about the […]
Australian architect studio Archier designed the ‘Sawmill House‘ that consists of nearly 300 one-tonne concrete blocks. Located in a small town called Yackandandah, the site of the building used to be a gold mine before it became the local sawmill. One of the main goals of the renovation process was to raise awareness about the […]
Join us as we explore Tobi's beautifully designed, accessible, and art-filled home, discover the inspiration behind her impeccable style and get her top picks for...
Brazilian modernism’s leading light, Marcio Kogan of Studio MK27, designs Volume C, a new space for furniture and design store Micasa in Jardins, São Paulo.
What is the first thought that comes to mind when you imagine things to do in Bucharest? Movies certainly portray the Romanian capital as an endless sea of grey concrete blocks, a post-communist country with bad music and angry people. This might have been the case 30 years ago, but today, Bucharest is a flourishing capital city with exquisite French architecture, a Berlinesque nightlife and a contrasting way of life.
Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan designs a dream house out of concrete blocks and a eucalyptus-stick pergola for Paule Ka founder Serge Cajfinger
the embellished building. that is also a subject for its own blog, not just a blog post I have been thinking about doing a post on moorish glazed ceramic tile in doing some research i came across these images of carved stone surfaces from Alhambra and decided to look at that instead of tile. these articulated surfaces made me think about Frank Lloyd Wright's use of "textile block" in some of his projects. this PERFECT little house is the Millard house, built in 1923 in Los Angeles for Alice Millard. i saw pictures of this house in a back issue of Architectural Disgest from 1979 which i bought at a second hand book store in houston in the early 80's. i was instantly enchanted and actually have recurring dreams about this house. I say little because it is little. it is also known as la Miniatura. it is a three story building. the first floor is a dining room and kitchen. the dining room opens onto a terrace and the magnificent gardens. the second floor is a living room and guest bedroom. the living room opens onto a balcony that overlooks the garden. the third floor is a master bedroom and master bath. little Wright's son later designed a 2nd building on the property with additional living space. recent real estate fliers describel it as a 4 bedroom 4 bath house. but in its original conception it was little. and utterly perfect. this isn't la Miniatura, but another example of a Wright project using his "textile-block" construction.W architectural writers have made the (lame) case that Wright's use of textile block is NOT decorative. modernist defensiveness i say. they say that the block is integrally organically linked to the construction. i get that, but all that means to me is that it is perfectly integrated ornamentation. i think its a magical and ingenious. concrete block is transformed into delicate articulation, much like the carved stone surfaces of alhambra. the other thing about this construction is the way the pierced blocks dapple the light in the interior. is this not a perfect union of light and space?this pierced stone made me think about indian jali work or jali stone; carved, pierced stone work. stone transformed into delicate filigree. as much about light as about substance.
The Hayarden School, located in South Tel-Aviv, in Hatikvah quarter, educates 500 children of refugees and children of immigrants.
Swiss architect Manuel Herz wins hospital project in Senegal, funded by the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and Le Korsa
Residence MaE: a minimalist urban sanctuary blending original textures with modern design elegance
Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan designs a dream house out of concrete blocks and a eucalyptus-stick pergola for Paule Ka founder Serge Cajfinger
Image 19 of 30 from gallery of House Recast / Studio Ben Allen. Photograph by French + Tye
Designed by architect *Pete Kennon* of Melbourne-based studio *Kennon+* [1] ...
Image 4 of 18 from gallery of Cobogós: A Brief History and Its Uses. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
Haus zum Pudel is a minimal residence located in Beringen, Belgium, designed by Marazzi Reinhardt
Prague-based architecture firm Byró Architekti recently completed the renovation of a 19th-century house in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic.
Completed in 2014 in Marbella, Spain. Images by Bruno Helbling. Program The plot is situated in an suburban urbanisation of private villas next to a golf court near Marbella , Spain. The program is a house for a...
Op een grijze vrijdagmorgen gonst het in de Amsterdamse Montessorischool (1983) van architect Herman Hertzberger (1932) van de activiteit. Kinderen knutselen, tekenen, lezen schrijven, overleggen m…
In 2013, Montpellier city council launched the "Folie Richter" competition. It sought to identify a blueprint for a beacon tower to enrich the city's architectu
Completed in 2022 in Yungay, Chile. This is a large and small building located at the foot of the Andes mountain range. In fact, it is a collection of twelve different buildings...
Good design means you can live larger with less, meaning this compact home feels bright, spacious and surrounded by greenery.
Tagged: Hallway and Concrete Floor. Photo 2 of 10 in In London, an Old Victorian Becomes a Wonderland of Colored Concrete. Browse inspirational photos of hallway design encompassing various flooring options, from hardwood to concrete.
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Being respectful to each other is, presently, the major issue of being a human, and so be the architecture. This house is built for a man who desperately..
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art now counts this icon of midcentury residential architecture among its impressive holdings
Completed in 2016 in Juiz de Fora, Brazil. Images by André Miguel Coronha, Bruno Meneghitti. A house of 6 thousand blocks rises on a plot with a 30-meter slope. Its implantation 18 meters above street level was the first decision of the...
Image 3 of 14 from gallery of Resa San Mamés University Residence / Masquespacio. Cortesía de Masquespacio
Image 16 of 59 from gallery of Gadi House / PMA madhushala. Photograph by Hemant Patil
Image 2 of 40 from gallery of Curving Block Studio / sukchulmok. Photograph by Hong Seokgyu
A sensibly designed holiday home in Tulum, Mexico 'Villa Petricor' advocates a carefree return to nature by blurring indoors and outdoors.
Studio Giraldi Associati Architetti design a modern house for a writer in Bologna, Italy. The residence is located in an area where the height of buildings should not exceed three floors, characterized by low-density housing and small buildings. Simple and pure forms of the house are described by the alternation of volumes, which are designed
Architects Baerbel Mueller and Juergen Strohmayer craft a new raw concrete home for the Nubuke Foundation in Accra, Ghana, a gallery in sync with the local climate and entirely dedicated to African art
Shift House is a modern vacation house located on the Spanish island of Menorca, designed in 2022 by the renowned Nomo Studio.
A solid mid tone yellow-based green
House on Fanø is a minimalist residence located in Fanø, Denmark, designed by lenschow & pihlmann
