Clayton.falzon Blog: 4 posts on group work related style's

Scandinavian design

Characteristics:

1. No Wall To Wall Carpets

Carpet has never been a popular thing in Scandinavian style. Instead, wood flooring is often used throughout homes and is sometimes softened with rugs or sheepskins.

2. Light, Muted Colours

Because the winters are so long and dark, Scandinavian interiors are typically painted white to help keep spaces bright. When colours are used they’re kept soft and understated to keep the entire space feeling cohesive, uniform, and bright.

3. Wood

Whether it’s on the floor, on the walls, used to make cupboards or toys, Scandinavian design includes a lot of wood. But not just any wood will do. In keeping with their light theme, the woods used in Scandinavian design are usually light woods, like beech, ash, and pine.

4. Clean Lines

There isn’t a lot of ornate or excessive detailing found in Scandinavian design. Modern, clean lined, solid pieces are much more common, and are a defining feature of the Scandinavian design style.

5. Decluttered Spaces

Traditionally, many Scandinavian homes were very small and didn’t allow for excessive amounts of stuff. While homes are being built larger now and there’s more room for things, the idea of keeping a space free of clutter and mess has remained an important aspect of Scandinavian design.

6. Simple Accents

Related to keeping a space clutter free is the idea of owning less to begin with. Decor is kept to a minimum in Scandinavian design. Bare walls and empty spaces are not shied away from.

7. Maximize Natural Light

Because it’s dark so much of the year in Scandinavian countries, natural light is an important thing to try and maximize. If any window treatments are used at all, sheer or translucent ones are favoured to let in as much light as possible.

Cultural Significance

Scandinavian design is a design movement characterized by simplicity, minimalism and functionality that emerged in the 1950s in the five Nordic countries of Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark. ... Scandinavian design often makes use of form-pressed wood, plastics or pressed steel

Northern Europe: Denmark, Sweden, Norway. Design from there is described by many as being fairly minimalist, with clean simple lines. Highly functional, the style is effective without needing heavy elements; only what is needed is used.

The subtle decorative qualities stemming from the early-20th century art movements and the simple lines deriving from the inter-war art movements gave this style its elegance

Example of Scandinavian product design:

Poul Henningsen’s distinctive lamp designs were well thought out. He looked for solutions to spread the light of a bulb as widely as possible without the glare being visible. It’s a good example of Scandinavian design: the beauty of the elegant smooth lines doesn’t prevent the lamp from performing its function exactly as it was designed to do.

Materials and techniques:

In this movement there was an evident ideology to humanize interiors with natural materials such as wood, leather and hemp, Natural tones such as using light colours help with this idea of humanizing the interior spaces.

Secondary Source

Fire place typically found in the corner

Mix of traditional and modern elements

Minimal decoration

Simple light colour palette

Cool white tone

Contrast between walls and interior décor

Serene Interior

Primary source

Name: Helena’s Villa

Designer: Grech & Vinci Architecture & Design

Location: Safi, Malta

Year: 2012

Minimalist house located in Safi

Interpreted from modernist forms

Opening up into internal courtyards and light-filled living spaces.

Raw concrete, perforated steel, white walls and warm plywood

Organic design 1930-60 (1990-)

Characteristics

Mild, smooth lines and sometimes sculptural forms

Holistic design (sense of relaxation)

Organic forms, with use of both organic and natural materials for moulding

Inspired from natural forms

Projects meet, social, physical and spiritual needs

The belief that a building should appear to grow easily from its site

Choosing one dominant form for a building and integrating that form throughout

Using natural colors: “Go into the woods and field for color schemes”

Revealing the nature of materials

Opening up spaces

Providing a place for natural foliage.

Cultural/ Social significance

This style is so influencing to us that we still produce it today.

As a design principle, organic design is not restricted to a specific style. It can be found in traditional but also in high-tech or minimalist styles.

Creates a sense of emotional expression

Today, futuristic buildings by architects like Frank O. Gehry, Zaha Hadid or Peter Cook (Kunsthaus Graz) increasingly showcase organic design elements

Today:

Now we realize that our culture in Design and Art today is seriously involved with city life and the human condition, negotiating the mechanical structures we built in the space of our cities and in our mental concepts. We are still building our environments with boxes and overlooking the possibilities to be more sensitive to our organic nature and our need for inspiration

Materials used:

Primary sources:

Plate Pavilion at The Malta Design Week

Irina Miodragovic Vella (University of Malta), Steve DeMicoli (DeMicoli & Associates, dfab.studio) and Toni Kontik (ETH Zurich) combined design forces to create a one-of-a kind, awe-inducing pavilion for the 2014 Malta Design Week. The wide, parabolic vault is made out of 413 plywood panels connected through an interlocking system.

Due to its connected nature, each panel supports and is supported by its neighbouring panels. Because of that, no fixings or other falsework were needed during construction. As a result, the same forces that would bring the structure down are used to keep it up.

Under the style of organic design but its structure is made out of geometric forms, and transforming to a whole organic shape is truly amazing.

Creating a sense of flow and movement

Using natural materials.

The pavilion is a contemporary reinterpretation of a historical masonry structure. The material is distributed along the flow of forces, with the spaces in between panels becoming a location for the modulation of light and wind. It becomes an instance of historic architecture becoming embraced by modern technologies, where a design’s functionality goes beyond its initial requirements.

Secondary source:

Organic style meets Ergonomic furniture.

Design firm BarriosEscudero

They avoid cookie-cutter solutions and seek out personalized responses to every challenge they face. And fabrication techniques to create structures that prevent wastefulness during construction

The finished project shows the pavilion creates a differentiated space that provides privacy and comfort on a bustling show floor while simultaneously promoting the power of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) as an interior design material.

BarriosEscudero created the pavilion by modulating standard-sized pieces of MDF using an industrial-grade, 5-axis CNC router.

Mid-century modern

Characteristics

Functionality is important, as form follows function

Uncluttered and sleek lines with both organic and geometric forms

Minimal ornamentation

An exploration of different traditional as well as non-traditional materials

Juxtaposition of different, and sometimes contrasting materials

Colours and materials

Plastic, Metal, Glass, Vinyl, Plywood, Plexiglas and Lucite.

Colours: Natural Bold, Graphic use of black and white

The Cultural significance of the style in relation to both past and present:

This was a style that started in America and was highly influenced by the Bauhaus which started in Germany and the International style which grew from the Bauhaus itself but was established in America. Although being developed as a movement under post war times this brought opportunities with many Bauhaus and International style designers that emigrated from Germany to America. The demand, need and want changes after word war along with new technologies and economies, cities were expanding in the USA and there was a demand for modern furnishings. Example Eichler homes built in California by Josef Eichler. This lead to creating new possible texture, colours and even new forms that was only possible due to previous styles and events.

Foreign Designers

George Nelson

Edward Wormley

Eero Saarinen

Harry Bertoia

Arne Jacobsen

Charles Eames and his wife Ray Eames

Eileen Gray

Isamu Noguchi

Verner Panton

Jens Risom

Alexander Girard

Retailers to find this style:

Herman Miller

Knoll

Vitra

Design Within Reach or DWR

2Modern

Room and Board

Crate and Barrel

Restoration Hardware

How to Furnish in Mid-Century Modern Style

As with any period, do not feel a compulsion to create a replica of those times. You can, if you feel compelled, but a lot of homeowners just starting out feel intimidated when tackling a style they love. It can also prove to be very expensive to get authentic pieces, even though many are still being made or have been revived due to demand.

Understand the distinguishing features of the style, and find pieces that echo that. Iconic pieces from this era have been adapted and copied endlessly, and chances are that you might be able to find pieces that fit your lifestyle needs and budget, even if you don't want to spend a fortune on furniture.

Buying vintage furniture is one way to do it, and even if you decide to buy new, generally one large piece can set the tone nicely.

Build around it. It does not have to be a set, but avoid too many patterns and stay within a colour range, especially for wood.

Secondary sources:

Eichler-inspired home in California

Enter through simple planes of stacked stone and white stucco below street level to reveal the roomy, open spaces that are progressively revealed as one flows through the Modern Atrium House
The large, green, landscaped yard and Japanese garden-inspired atrium are visible through two large walls of glass. Rectangular in plan, the residence encompasses 1,953 square feet (181 square metres) and contains three bedrooms and an office. The centre of the dwelling is topped with gabled roofs supported by wooden beams. Throughout the home, the team used walnut millwork to offset white walls, and grey porcelain tiles to draw connections to concrete floor slabs. The continuity of materials and space enhances the sense of flow. Floor-to-ceiling glass enables natural light to fill the interior and provides a strong connection to the outdoors.

MW Works updates mid-century modern home in Seattle lakeside neighbourhood

American studio MW Works has knocked down walls and added glazing in a 1960s Seattle home, to create a more open layout and strengthen the connection between inside and out.

The mid-century modern Laurelhurst Residence was originally designed in 1961 by the late Seattle architect Ibsen Nelsen.

Materials used:

Wood, concrete, stone and glass

Quote by MW Works

"The layout of the home was very well considered, but the character and flow between spaces wasn't a good fit for the daily patterns of the new owners, the design task was to renovate the home while respecting its soul and extending its lifespan."

The idea behind this style is to connect interiors with outdoors in every aspect, both location and natural materials used.

Through limited structural modifications, the team was able to open up the kitchen, providing seamless transitions to the dining and living rooms, as well as the backyard.

Primary:

Valletta, Mid Century modern inspired interior

This is a completely renovated flat situated on the first floor of a post-war building with high ceilings and mid-century modern inspired furnishings. The whole space consists of a huge open plan kitchen / living / dining, one queen size bedroom and a bathroom with rain shower.

The dining area features an extendable 8 person wooden table with Charles and Ray Eames dining chairs.

Hamrun Town House

Emerging between the 1920’s-30 this style was a symbol for modern architecture and design. After World War 2 this style was very important in terms of urban growth, this lead to creating and making the upmost of spaces within the city.

Prominent materials:

Glass

Steel

Reinforced concrete

Other word for International style:

Modern movement

Advantages this style brought:

Design that looked into the future

Transparent society

Different design Volume not mass

Based on balance not symmetry

Movement that was based on strict rules

Contrast to previous movements

Developing new techniques and materials

Disadvantages:

People were hard on accepting it

Style brought urban growth (anti-civil areas were becoming populated)

Use of less in material, design, colour and products

It was an industrializing period

Obsolete design (use of minimalistic features)

Designers under the name of international style:

Le Corbusier

Mies van der Roche

Walter Gropius

Otto Haesler

Marcel Breuer

Ray and Charles Eames

Malta:

Richard England (Manikata Church)

Salvu Ellul (Villino Ellul late 1920’s)

Gustavo Vincenti

Silvio Mercieca

Alberto Laferla

Other designers to mention: Joseph Spiteri, Richard England, Carmelo Falzon, Renato Laferla.

Example in Malta of International style:

Manikata church

(Similar to Guggenheim, Frank Lloyd Wright)

(Guggenheim, Frank Lloyd Wright)

Ex-White Rocks complex

(A similar design to the massive Le Corbusier cité radieuse marseille)

Le Corbusier cité radieuse marseille

Characteristics of the International style:

Straight lines creating and illusion of motion

Firm plane surfaces with light tones

Making the most of interior spaces (open plans)

Beam like structures

Flat roof garages

Building symmetry
No ornament

The Cultural significance of the style in relation to both past and present:

This style (born 1920’s) was evolved directly from the Bauhaus, the prime examples of this style are shown between the 1930-50’s to see what is the real significance of the style. This style lead to the opening of Circa, a school that practiced design principles under the mentioned style. In Europe, this style was well known for residential design, as for in the United states it was less commonly used for houses. Tody we can see skyscrapers that use the same materials and techniques and form as the International style.

Prominent materials:

Glass

Glass Had evolved a lot throughout history but in the peak of the International style Sir Alastair Pilkington introduced a float glass production which 90% of glass is still being produced using this method. Through history we saw a lot of movements the production of this later discovered method was only possible due to the Industrial revolution period where one saw allots of advanced mechanism at the time

Steel (they used steel for frame construction as a building method)

This material was still being used in the same manner as done with previous buildings, they gave it more importance with the visibility of the material.

Reinforced concrete (concrete in which metal bars or wire is embedded to increase its tensile strength.)

Comparing Primary and secondary:

Le Corbusier cité radieuse Marseille and Ex- White Rocks (was one of the last British construction projects in Malta.) building have a lot in common in terms of architecture, this style was well known for the use of glass in the façade and horizontal lines that create motion. Both structures show this representation that directs you to the International style.

Le Corbusier had designed this building specifically for one reason, to make the maximum of the given space to host as much citizens as possible. Le Corbusier believed the tower block was the solution for rehousing the masses that had been displaced during the second world war, and that high-rise building could be used to create spacious ‘city homes’

Although both the white rocks and the cite radieuse are have that similarity in aesthetical form, the Manikata church and Guggenheim museum have a very different approach towards this style, there are still a interpretation of glass in the façades and horizontal lines that create motion but instead of a block like form in the Manikata and Guggenheim structures we can evidently see smooth continues surfaces that create an illusion of smooth and place façade.

The Manikata’s design was so highly regarded that it featured twice in the prestigious Architectural Review soon after completion.

Villino Ellul designed by architect Salvu Ellul in Ta’ Xbiex, dates to the late 1920s is a pioneering example. Architects such as Gustavo Vincenti, Silvio Mercieca and Alberto Laferla were some of the more prominent exponents in this movement, shifting from art deco to modernism.