Comments on: The V House by PlanB and Mazzanti Architects

By: Kyle Kruchok

Kyle Kruchok — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 04:43:25 +0000

Am I the only one who thinks about mowing that top section? Where’s the mower kept?

By: y alarcon

y alarcon — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:34:23 +0000

Felicitaciones, un excelente diseño, aunque un poco insegura para niños. Seguramente algo se puede hacer a este respecto, aparte de esto, un lugar precioso para vivir.

By: tina o'darby

tina o'darby — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:50:10 +0000

Cool way to have a yard when your house is situated on a steep hill. Amazing setting. Beautiful house design but the interior lacks a bit. Would’ve liked to see more pics of the inside.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:41:11 +0000

To Smack: No, I’m not going to argue that…. I was being rather tongue in cheek bordering on sarcastic about the whole’drama/purity/building regs/moral obligation’ business in response to the up in arms brigade who hadn’t looked at the drawings. Apologies, sarcasm font needed!

I agree with you that if it doesn’t look as good when it’s finished then the design is flawed. However, looking at the drawings the safety issue clearly has been carefully considered and I don’t think it will have been ‘ruined’ by their addition, but the building is obviously more dramatic without the balustrade in place so you can see why they would publish it like that .

By: AP

AP — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:55:06 +0000

I have to agree with Jonathan about it simply not being complete. If you look at photos 1, 2 and 2b you can clearly see the handrail on the stairs that leads from the drive to the main entry, but then by photo 3 the handrail isn’t there. There are several details in the drawings that are not present in the home itself.

While I may not necessary agree with the fact that these elements clutter the larger idea, I do recognize that sometime they can seem unsightly in photographs meant for publishing.

Either way – the house is quite intriguing in its massing, form, plan, etc. I really enjoy the large grand stand that makes its’ way down the hill inside the home.

By: Smack

Smack — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:12:49 +0000

To Jonathon: I understand that this is probably the case but are you honestly going to argue that the purity of the building will be spoiled when it is completed!? Surely that signals a pretty obvious failure?

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:23:11 +0000

Anybody ever stop to think that these photos might have been taken before the rooftop balustrades went up, you know, to emphasise the drama of the building before the building regs, safety and moral guardianship spoiled the purity of the idea?

Or perhaps we didn’t look at the drawings which show balustrades and fixed seating preventing people getting to the edge?

By: CAMIMA

CAMIMA — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:14:48 +0000

I do recognize the effort to do something different, maybe that’s the idea behind their name “Plan B Architects”. Nevertheless, there is no way this house could be visited by small children or adult heavy drinkers without a great amount of risk, specially with those social areas exposed in the roof.

Besides, sometimes the risk is taken because it offers an aestetic benefit, but in this case, in my opinion, the result is not worthy at all.

By: Smack

Smack — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:09:04 +0000

I spend alot of my time adapting designs to suit Building Control, often to great frustration imagining a simple world without this beaurocratic nightmare but when I see something like this being built I have to ask myself – just because Building Control (or a similar organisation) has passed the plans, does the architect not still have some moral obligation to ensure that what they design is safe? I mean come on, a roof terrace overlooking a small cliff face with a 300mm upstand just waiting to trip somebody up and no lighting whatsoever! and yet the bridge to the terrace has a token handrail!? If this home was designed for a family with children then I think it’s incredibly negligent on the architect’s part. Or maybe I’m just taking myself too seriously.

By: Ken

Ken — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:26:26 +0000

I agree. This is an accident waiting to happen for any kids living there.

By: Anderson

Anderson — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:55:26 +0000

Love the house.
Furniture should be revised.
Nice aerial pictures probably using a radio controled heli.
Very cool!

By: Ethan

Ethan — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:57:50 +0000

This is not a kid friendly house.

By: sir jorge

sir jorge — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:16:33 +0000

i wish i could live in something that rad