Plex Design recently participated in a Park Bench competition sponsored by the Nakasatsunai Art Village in Hokkaido, Japan and judged by Kazuyo Sejima. Unfortunately, we were not selected as one of the finalists, but the good news is we are now able to show images of the model which we submitted. More material will follow soon, but this model was the only submission material allowed for this particular competition.
Our design continues Plex’s pursuit for humans to share space with nature in their everyday lives. Our idea came from the wonderful feeling one gets from lying in a field of wild flowers. By lowering the level of your body to the Earth, you are able to share space with the flowers and enter a new atmosphere that we are not often able to experience. Unfortunately, it can also be uncomfortable, dirty, and difficult for some people to achieve this position on the ground. Therefore, we have used the level of the park bench as a new “ground” datum, so that as people move towards the Earth, the flowers also move UP towards the people – and meet in the middle, at the level of the park bench. The bench becomes the new ground.
The vertical elements of the bench legs are widened, and hollowed, allowing soil into each leg, tranforming the utilitarian legs into varying sizes of planter. Flowers, shrubs and small trees are planted, and these platers actually hold up the bench surface. When people then sit on the bench, they share the space with plant life, increasing their awareness of the Earth and its wild life.
Filed under: Competition, News, Photos, Product Design
We at Plex Design would like to congratulate Peter Zumthor on his Pritzker Prize.
In these times of instant media, publicity-seeking wunderkinds stealing most, if not all, architecture headlines and glossy computer renderings (look who’s talking), it is fantastic to see Mr. Zumthor receive the credit he most certainly deserves. His is an architecture of meaning, physicality and reflection. He began his career as a cabinet maker, and uses his profound knowledge of natural materials to bring a unique human, sensory experience to modern, minimalist architecture.
Both of our personal and professional lives were enriched by a 2006 visit to his Therme Vals bath in Vals, Switzerland. Immediately after arriving at the site, we realized in person what the Pritzker Foundation has just acknowledged in this award. As fellow architects, we recognized that the mind who created this wonderful space was more than merely talented, but a truly gifted creator. As humans, we recognized that space and experience could be molded and heightened by contemplation and thought for life, light, and natural elements. We would like to thank Mr. Zumthor for his life-long dedication to improving this planet, and the Pritzker Foundation for recognizing a genuinely remarkable talent.
Filed under: Architecture, News
Plex has recently submitted a proposal for the Park Bench Competition sponsored by the Nakasatsunai Art Village, out of Hokkaido, Japan. We cannot say much at this moment because the judging has not taken place yet, but in our entry, we are continuing our pursuit for humans to more closely share space with nature. We’ll post images as soon as we can.
Filed under: Competition, Product Design
The M-House has been diligently nearing completion, with a scheduled move-in date of April 15th. Ocean Homes has been the associate architect and general contractor on the job, and have been doing a stellar job. Plex is currently working with the clients for some finishing touches, such as the design of the entry gate. Here are some construction photos from the site in Tokyo. Construction started in late November of 2008.
Filed under: Architecture, Photos
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Filed under: General, News
