La Concha House by MOOARC
MOOARC designed La Concha, a home that has been remodeled from a 15th Century barn on the Island of Guernsey.
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Description from the architects:
The house was developed as a fluid, three-dimensional plan, inspired by ‘The Nolli plan of Rome’ 1748.
The internal volume of the 15th Century barn forms the heart of the home. On the lower level, kitchen and dining is position below a more formal living space up on a mezzanine level.
A more relaxed living/play space is set at the front of the house, opening out to a terrace.
At the rear, the sleeping block is linked to the living space via the entrance and vertical circulation.
The bedroom block is stepped in across the width of the site to allow a visual link out into the rear garden from the dining space. The house was conceived as a separate sleeping block linked to the barn via a glazed entrance piece allowing the mass of the original barn to breathe. The retained structure of the barn has been revealed, with the internal space for living expressed as a single volume.
Visit the MOOARC website – here.
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Simon on 20 Oct 2011 at 4:51 am #
Wow, it looks very cozy but still elegant. Great ideas!
Christian on 20 Oct 2011 at 9:11 am #
Very interesting combination, I love the volumes created and the simple but effectful inside-outside character. The interior isn’t quite my style, but generally it works.
I would have avoided the red bricks, though…
Maira Evans on 20 Oct 2011 at 12:11 pm #
Stylish, simple, modern and great to live in. !!
Joe Wolf on 20 Oct 2011 at 6:17 pm #
Inventive, cozy, beautiful. Love it.
ariana on 20 Oct 2011 at 7:58 pm #
great house but the bathroom’s the best!
AMP on 20 Oct 2011 at 8:38 pm #
It’s lovely but I think the interior lighting is terrible. 9 dome lights in the kitchen? Really?
Bart on 21 Oct 2011 at 5:15 am #
Overall, cleverly designed, high quality materials and beautifully executed down to the smallest detail.
The only aspect I have trouble with – and I DO mean a lot of trouble – is the lighting.
For one, is it on at full brightness for the photographer or is this how the inhabitants actually live? It simply can’t be the latter, can it?
The way it’s lighted in these images, it reminds me of a brightly lit warehouse, with intensely glaring light coming at one from every direction.
The hanging light fixtures are a little bit too heavy on the industrial side. At least that’s how they come across in these photographs.
Sorry, but the kitchen fixtures are dreadful … a rather poor solution to say the least. They are clearly fluorescent (I’m guessing in the cool range of 3500°K to 4000°K) which the camera is seeing as a greenish white – and it seems enough of them under which to do delicate surgery.
Note: I have nothing against fluorescent light sources if chosen carefully, sensitively detailed … and lamped properly.
On the other hand, the hanging fixtures are appear to be high wattage halogen, even though they look like commercial grade HID fixtures.
There’s no mention that the lighting anywhere is capable of being dimmed, which is a scary thought.
One reviewer called it, “cozy.” I would tend to disagree on this description, at least as it’s presented here.
There is good reason that there are professional architectural lighting designers/consultants … and it seems that this particular job could have used one.
Cris on 21 Oct 2011 at 7:35 am #
Some great architectural ideas and details, both exterior and interior, although I think the kitchen lighting and shower kit really look cheap and out of place.
swampgas on 21 Oct 2011 at 8:27 am #
Guernsey gets an average of only 5 hours of sunshine per day each year, in december it is as low as an average of 1.7 hours each day. This is a pretty gloomy climate, even more so than here in Seattle. A lot of lighting is required to counter that to make it feel you are not living in a cave.
Having just had a project photographed I know that the photographers like to shoot with every light on so I really doubt that this place is ever lit up to this extent. Except maybe December. I suspect also that the kitchen lights are on several different switches to create a variety of lighting conditions.
I think this project is very nicely done. The modest scale, the sensitive use of local and reused materials referencing the vernacular without being held captive by it and the balance of shelter and openness are all appealing here.
Filip Galiza on 22 Oct 2011 at 8:31 am #
Three cheers for the architects, designers and builders of this home. Its beautiful. It does a great job of mixing modern and clean spaces with natural materials (stone, woods, etc). Plus it pulls a lot of natural light. Some large volume spaces, some cozy spaces, a nice flow and a good separation of b.rooms from living space. Well thought out and well executed!
+3 Design on 22 Oct 2011 at 2:50 pm #
High-glazing in the living room seems to me ambiguous decision.
On the one hand – this unity with the environment that is very positive, on the other hand, it may be a sense of insecurity and excessive openness.
Stylish and very interesting project!
tansongkim on 24 Oct 2011 at 10:12 pm #
I like it
RBeezy on 25 Oct 2011 at 10:24 am #
@Bart: I’m guessing all of the lights are on for the photo spread only. But yes, some of the fixtures are too utilitarian and bright.
I do like the overall house design – that glass bridge is the business.