Above: Architect John Irving, John Irving's sketch and architectural model.

When we met with architect John Irving it became evident within five minutes that he's an avid collector of many things. Evidence of such collections spring up from all parts of his office. His bookshelves are lined with old books - anything from modular homes of the 1950s to 1960s to old Playboy magazines. Model planes are hung from the ceiling; vintage postcards are found in stacks; he even has (we can only assume) stolen Lufthansa spoons to accompany his fascination with flight. He likes graffiti and cites an artist's patience in achieving the perfect piece as something he has a lot of admiration for. His office, located in Vulcan Lane, Auckland, overlooks much of the inner city and it's here that we sit down to find out what ten things he's currently influenced by.

1. My clients

It's the most fun and important part of being an architect - working out what my clients really want. The bulk of my clients are owner occupiers, which means, my work has a massive impact on their lives. It's very important to drink wine with them and share laughter. The shot below was a great meeting on an incredible yacht in Monaco.

 

 

Above: house by John Irving

2. My office

It's a big inspiration being up here. I love stepping out onto Vulcan Lane, it's the little piece of Europe that I need (I was in Europe for nine years) and pieces of my travels are everywhere. It's a inspiring place for me and I've had some great parties up here. If you love where you work, then you work well. I also keep many of my collections here (old magazines, postcards, books etc).

 

Above: John Irving's office, a 1969 issue of Playboy magazine, vintage postcards, the view from his office balcony.

3. Flight

I'm currently into propellers. They're the beauty of pure engineering and I think those old wooden laminated aircraft propellers are astoundingly beautiful. I have a lot of plane stuff in my office. I love my Concorde model and I also have a massive 70s Air New Zealand D10 above my desk - the Cadillac of the skies.

 

Above: 1970s Air New Zealand D10 model, a plane puzzle, Lufthansa spoons, a collection of fans.

4. My daughter

Isla is currently heavily into symmetry. She's my harshest critic and is generally supportive of my 'sculptures' although she is fiercely critical of their lack of colours and leaves. I always seek her opinion - the last one was summarised as 'where's the swimming pool?' - she had a point.

 

Above: John's daughter Isla.

 5. Courtyards

I am obsessed with courtyards - all houses should have at least one.

  

Above: courtyard by Marcel Breuer.

6. Timelessness

I feel very strongly about this. I strive for my work to be modern but of no particular date - architecture isn't fashion. It's not about the right now because it's a lot more permanent than say, last season's scarf. I'm not a fan of grabbing the latest architecture mag with the latest thing. The good architects don't get caught up with the latest thing. If a building dates - it's wrong. I am indifferent to the latest materials. There is stone, steel, concrete, wood, glass...I think a great example of an architect who has achieved this in his work is Marcel Breuer.

  

Above: house by Marcel Breuer

7. My partner in crime

She keeps me on my toes, also an architect she has been working for my long term hero Jean Nouvel in Paris, she's an inspiration and gives me the best presents. She did the stencil work below in inner city Auckland. We both share a love of street art. No price-tags.

  

Above: Stencil Art in Auckland and Serpentine pavilion by Jean Nouvel

8. Restrictions

I am learning to embrace those blessings in disguise. There are always things that restrict what you are doing whether it's a restricted site, dealing with Kafkaesque council planning or a tight budget. You are always trying to reconcile the restrictions. Surprisingly often, they help you to do better work.

9. Simplicity

A simple strong idea, if you can't explain the design in 30 seconds with a quick sketch then you've blown it.

  

Above: John Irving sketch

10. Surfing

 It's important to get into healthy things, it's good for the mind. Surfing is my latest and greatest inspiration. It's difficult physically and mentally demanding. Anyone who surfs has my utmost respect. At best you become at one with our planet, at worst it's a sheer terror. It forces you to confront your fears and puts you in the most beautiful spots you could ever imagine. Staying fit is vital for a designer. I've been getting into running and I have signed up to do the Auckland marathon this year. I have my best ideas when I am out running or sitting on a surfboard.

 

 

 

 

   

Created as a working studio for artist and sculptor Alexandros Liapis in Boeotia, Greece by A31 Architects. The building consists of a shell comprised of fair-faced reinforced concrete, completed in three separate phases. Firstly, the cantilever with the balcony in the South, where the entrance is situated, secondly, the artist’s workspace and finally the attic in the North which serves as a storage space. A straight staircase connects the two levels, while the cantilevered concrete steps can serve as exhibition stands for the artist’s work. The wall openings, which relate to the Sun’s trajectory, the interior lighting and the ventilation, stem from transverse horizontal sections in the building shell. The sliced concrete blocks that are removed now function as benches for people and pedestals for sculptures.

 

 
  

 

  

The Tangga House Singapore by Guz Architects makes outdoor living central to the home by creating a large home with a tiered courtyard as its centerpiece.  The courtyard features an L-shaped pool, a second level garden, a deck lounge and a quiet yard.  Opposite the pool is the similarly L-shaped structure itself.  Combine the two, and exterior wall of the courtyard, and a square structure results with an equal balance of indoor and outdoor living. 

 

Richard Neutra, who was considered one of modernism's most important architects, is best known for his work throughout California. However, this latest exhibition in Basel, celebrates all of his European buildings which also tout the stylistic elements he's renown for: glass corners, reflection pools, large windows and exposed beams. He described a properly designed building as 'not a static body, but a reflection of the natural processes surrounding it and, as such, refreshment for our soul, time and again.'

Featuring over one hundred original drawings of plans, documents, furniture design studies, photographs and architectural models, it should give an excellent understanding of Neutra's work across the board.

Exhibition: August 20 to October 2010 at the Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel.

 

Located in Woodstock, Vermont this house is part home part barn, a place where the owners can both entertain visitors and have room to escape. Intent on creating a natural feel, architect Rick Joy (whose work featured in our Issue 3 of Design Folio Magazine) employed lots of stone, a shingle exterior and a pine interior - all of which were sourced locally to achieve his objective. The stone in the project was sourced from Lake Champlain. Set on 210 acres of farmland, Joy was successful at creating a home that perfectly reflects and embodies its surroundings, allowing it to blend seamlessly with nature. We like the use of raw materials in the bathroom, the simplicity of the main living area with exposed beams and the neutral colour palette throughout.

 

Above: Tim Dorrington, his office, and post-it notes documenting his influences.

 

Auckland architect Tim Dorrington of his self-titled firm works with a simplified aesthetic when designing. His body of work includes high-end residential homes throughout NZ, and commercial projects including Rice restaurant in Auckland CBD and Ashley Ardrey in the Metropolis. Recently he's paired up with Dan Heyworth of Arhaus (an architectural company with a sustainable approach) to collaborate on Box Living, in which they design and produce architecturally modular designed homes - which they say will give ordinary New Zealanders the opportunity to own affordable, great design. We caught up with him in his Herne Bay office to find out what ten things are currently having the greatest impact on his work.

1. Modular systems.

I've been interested in the idea of repetition and systems for quite some time. About three years ago me and three friends decided to work on a modular building system that would offer a modernist inspired modular solution to the masses. Applications so far have been in the residential sector, however we've also looked at ideas for commercial, multiple housing units and event applications. The result of this is Box Living - modular housing which offers an affordable architectural and design solution.

Above: Working model of Box Living modular housing, exterior shot of Box Living modular housing, interior shot of Box Living modular housing

2. My kids

It seems almost everyday Jasper our almost four year old gives me a new insight, or way of looking at things, to think about, it's great seeing the world through their eyes.

Above: Jasper, and Jasper's drawings

3. The natural

In this computer age of smart facades and computer generated buildings I cherish picking up a pencil and sketching. I also most enjoy the use of natural materials used in an honest way.

 

Above: a sketch by Tim
 

4. Music

Music is always on in the office, and often loud. This is my current favourite song... 

5. Artglass

I started my artglass collection with my grandpa's ashtray, and added my poppa's soon after. Since then I've slowly accumulated more.

Above: Tim's collection of artglass including his first piece - the green apple that belonged to his grandfather.

6. Travel

I love traveling, experiencing different cultures getting away from things. Asia in general is a popular favourite as well as Palm Springs, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Croatia I could go on....A selection of my travel photos below.

Above, left to right: Fishing village in Greece, building in Athens, KFC in Thailand, Venice Beach

7. New Zealand

The land, the plants, the people, the pride, the ethos, the green-ness

8. Olly Marsden

I met UK based artist Olly Marsden in NZ about eight years ago while he was in Auckland for a year. We hung out quite a lot and I ended up  buying one of his paintings just before he left. He has an amazing skill and is utterly diligent in achieving a perfect composition using hand-held tools.

Above: Works by Olly Marsden

9. Juxtaposition & tension

Since my first year in architecture school playing with block and rods I've enjoyed juxtapositions and tensions between compositional elements. The resultant space and composition are a massive planning tool for me.

 

Above: Architectural model in Tim's office, a completed project by Tim Dorrington located in Whitford  

10. Innovation

I love seeing and using materials used in new ways, new ideas that create unexpected results. Yesterday in the NZ Herald I read about a New Zealand man who has created robotic legs for disabled people. Great innovation, great inspiration.

To contact Tim Dorrington visit his website.

You can see his full range of modular housing at Box Living.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paying clear homage to Mies van der Rohe's classic Farnsworth House is the recently completed Glass Pavilion by Steve Hermann. Located in Montecito, California the house not only references the minimal lines of the 1951 classic house, but also incorporates van der Rohe's  famous use of continuous bookshelf marble feature walls in his other iconic (and my personal favourite) building - the Barcelona Pavilion. One would assume that no expense has been spare with this home - particularly when we noted the serious collection of classic cars on display in the basement.

 

 

 

 

 

The first completed project by Correia/Ragazzi Aquitectos has received its fair share of international awards - it's easy to see why. The structure presents a bold statement on the landscape that could at first glance easily look like an accident - perhaps a shipping container slipping down a hillside? One part of the building is buried inside the hill while the other end overhangs the river below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We've fallen in love with the work of french architects Studio Ko.  Simple yet stunning architectural detailing such as  large pivoting window frames are combined with warm inviting interiors that reference mid-century masters, all make us long for a mid-winter escape to the French summer. This home located in Bonnieux, France is a stunning example of their considered work. 

To view more of their work go here.

 

Originally this brick house in Cronulla in southern Sydney was a dark and cluttered space, with very little flow or sense of movement. With an extensive renovation by Mac Interactive Architects, it's hard to believe that this 1970s house - was ever a standard 1970s house at all. Extensive use of concrete, with soft wooden floors and muted colours has changed the once dark spaces to areas of light. The house successfully channels a pared back minimal aesthetic. Careful thick paneling in soft greys continue up the walls onto the ceiling to create the impression of a high studded ceiling whilst the owners' music den finds its home in the basement. The designers also paid careful attention to lighting (both natural and artificial) whilst also attempting to not make any aspect of the home too dominating. We like their choice in furniture also - you can see the profilic Thonet No. 18 Chair by Michael Thonet and the Take A Line For A Walk Chair by Alfredo Haberli for Moroso.