Category: Architecture

Bamber Miller Architects

Bamber Miller Architects were commissioned to renovate this Victorian ground floor flat conversion in August 2010.  The client purchased the property in North West London after being charmed by its character and southerly orientation.  The Architects saw the potential for maximising space and light in the two-bedroom flat by looking towards Scandinavian interiors and traditions for inspiration.

The former separate living and kitchen areas were opened up to create one open plan room with direct access to the garden via the kitchen rather than the living room and a utility space was created off the entrance hall to maximise the kitchen capacity.

A simple palette of materials and finishes was chosen to enhance light infiltration and reflection within the spaces, providing a fresh backdrop to the client’s furniture and ornaments. Bleached floorboards and light coloured walls provide a sense of fluidity whereas the white high gloss cabinet doors and polished chrome fittings help to bounce light off the surfaces.

Single glazed timber and steel framed doors and windows were replaced with double glazed timber framed units to help improve energy performance together with other low energy interventions.

The works were completed in January 2011.  Email info@bambermiller.com for any inquires

Villa Maggona – Sri Lanka

Arriving in the middle of the night to a high white wall that is interrupted only by a heavy wooden gate creates an intriguing feeling of what lies behind.  As the gate slowly opens Villa Maggona is revealed.

The Villa is situated along Galle Road in the Village of Maggona on the west coast of Sri Lanka.  Colombo based Architectural firm Team Architrave, lead by Madhura Prematilleke, designed the Villa which was completed in 2009.

The Villa has been renovated from the tsunami ravaged bungalow and is sandwiched between the road and the beach.  With landscaping by Laki Senanayake and Noel Davis the overall site feels fresh and open yet there is a great feeling of seclusion.

The main living space and bedrooms face the sea and are separated from the lap pool by a spacious veranda where you can easily loose hours.  The dining room runs perpendicular to the main dwelling at one end and is serviced by a spacious kitchen and wonderful, friendly staff.

Follow the link www.villamaggona.com for any inquires.

Gardens By The Bay – Off-Site Part 5

The Cool Dry Conservatory has finally been revealed in all its glory with the removal of the external scaffolding.  It is certainly a very impressive structure.  Only a few remaining glass panels remain to be fitted and a capping off ceremony is scheduled for mid February with National Development Minister Mr Mah Bow Tan invited to attend as the special guest who will install the last piece of glass.

Meanwhile, the Cool Moist Conservatory continues to progress at an extraordinary rate.  The Gridshell is almost complete and the last remaining ribs are being erected.

Below are images from December 2010 and January 2011.

December 2010

January 2011

Gardens By The Bay – Off-Site Part 4

Over the months of September and October the Cool Moist Conservatory has made significant progress and is really taking shape.  The elliptical shape is more dramatic than the Cool Dry and looks very impressive with the extra height.  Inside the Cool Moist the upper levels of the core are being completed.   The core serves as the support structure for the man made mountain complete with sky walk and water fall.  Over on the Cool Dry Conservatory the glazing is advancing forward and the scaffolding is being slowly removed.  As the scaffolding is removed you can really see the conservatory take shape as it’s form is revealed.

Sandwiched between the two conservatories is the ‘Hub’ which is also progressing swiftly. The Hub will serve as a link between the conservatories and will house the majority of the ancillary functions that are required for a project of this size.

Below are images from October and November 2010.  The last two images were taken whilst I was shooting a lighting mockup of the arch lighting.

October 2010

November 2010

Gardens By The Bay – Off-Site Part 3

Shooting the site over August and September proved challenging due to the number of events on, in and around Singapore.  Nearly all of my locations were either severely restricted or there was no access at all.   Singapore Youth Olympics and the Formula One were the two events that created the most disruption. I did manage to get a few shots but most were limited to on site.

You can see that the gridshell on the Cool Dry is complete and is being prepared for the installation of the glazing.  Thousands of pieces of aluminum extrusion are being fitted to the gridshell to support the glazing which will enclose the conservatory. Construction of the gridshell on the Cool Moist differs from the Cool Dry and is being constructed prior to the arches being erected.  The Cool Moist also gets a red ‘crash deck’ for support purposes.

Below are images from August and September.

August 2010

September 2010

Gardens By The Bay – Off-Site Part 2

Construction on the Cool Dry Conservatory is progressing extremely fast and it’s hard to keep up with only monthly visits.  As more arches are erected the gridshell, which is a self supporting structure, is constructed within the bounds of the arches.  The gridshell will support the conservatory glazing and forms part of the facade system.  Supporting the arches and gridshell during the construction process is the ‘crash deck’.   The crash deck is the red structure you can see in the images.

Construction on the Cool Moist Conservatory has started and also progressing quickly.  The main core can be seen rising out of the ground and the concrete shoes for the arches are all being cast. Below are images from June and July 2010.

June 2010

July 2010

Gardens By The Bay – Off-Site Part 1

Forming part of the new Gardens By The Bay development in Singapore are two large conservatories designed by UK Architects, Wilkinson Eyre Architects.  The two conservatories have their own roles to play in this 54 hectare garden at Marina South.  The cool-dry conservatory will explore issues related to plants and people, whilst the cool-moist conservatory will focus on plants and the planet.

I have been documenting the construction of the conservatories on a monthly basis.  Due to a media ban on all images taken on site I can only only show images that I have taken from outside of the site.  Here are a few progress shots taken during April and May 2010 of the Cool Dry Conservatory during the earlier stages of construction.

April 2010

May 2010