Temari

Plex is very proud and excited to announce our participation in “Worth Your Salt,” Object Design League‘s Pop-Up shop, produced in partnership with Chicago design boutique Pavilion, and sponsored by Orion Offset and Subports.  Plex will be displaying and selling our Temari Japanese Art Ball, from Black Friday through December 11th.  We kindly invite anyone interested in joining us at the opening reception on November 27th (Black Friday) from 5-9 PM at Pavilion.

Pavilion
2055 N. Damen
Chicago, IL 60647

The Temari is a traditional Japanese ball, which prior to the advent of rubber and plastic, was an everyday object in every Japanese child’s life.  Since the industrial revolution the Temari has shifted from being a utilitarian toy, to being recognized for its intricate and beautiful stitching and colors.  Today the Temari is used either as a charm to adorn bracelets and mobile phones, beautiful holiday ornaments, or as a larger household decoration, adding warm splashes of color to any room, easy to replace and customize for any time of year or special occasion.

In an environment of growing technological dominance, Plex would like the Temari Art Ball to remind homeowners of the importance of hand craft and everyday beauty. The evolving meaning and use of the Temari is a reminder of the necessity of change, and with the new line of fun and modern color pallettes, we hope for you to find your own use and meaning for the Temari Art Ball in your life.

Please contact Plex at info@plexdesign.net for more information.

Filed under: News, Photos, Product Design, Object Design League, Pop Up Shop, Product Design, Temari

M-House Photos

Plex is proud to announce the completion of the M-House in Tokyo, Japan. Upon our recent visit to Japan we were able to take some photos and present them to you here. The M-House sits on a typical Tokyo lot, on a site which slopes away from the street. Because of this, the best views through Tokyo and Yokohama beyond are out the rear of the site. Therefore, the street facade is mainly solid – maintaining visual privacy to the family as well as keeping out the sometimes harsh sound of traffic.  Upon entering the residence, the user is turned around by entering on the side, and ascending up the main stair parallel to the street, rather than the more typical perpendicular orientation. Once arriving at the second, or main living floor, the user makes a 180-degree turn, completing the disorienting path to the living space. Now, the user is unaware of front/back and only concentrates on the views given to them by the continuous windows along the South and East walls, and the ample space afforded by the Great Room, containing dining, relaxing, and conversing spaces.

Continuing up to the third house are two large bedrooms for the children, who inhabit their own floor complete with private bathroom and exterior terrace. The roof can also be accessed easily by another permanent staircase, and once on the roof, 360-degree views of the Tokyo metropolitan area open up, as the roof level is the highest point in the neighborhood. 

Filed under: Architecture, Photos

M-House Substantial Completion

We are very happy to report that our clients have moved into the M-House in Tokyo. There are a few minor details that need ironing out, but they’re in and happy, and that’s all that matters.

The house is a three story house for a single family with a full roof deck. The ground floor contains a guest room and bathroom. The second floor houses all the public space – kitchen, dining, living and small office. The upper floor has three bedrooms and an exterior terrace lining one full side. A stair links the third floor to the roof, with a 360-degree view of the local Tokyo district.  Because of the terrain of the site, the front of the house was kept very solid, with the rear opening up to vast views of the city beyond. The views are the true essence of this project, with window size, location and geometry driving and controling what the user sees, and when.

These images were taken after the clients have moved back in. We will be travelling to Tokyo soon ourselves, and will try to bring back even more images. It was an absolute pleasure working on this, our first single-family residence.

Filed under: Architecture, Photos

Park Bench Competition Results

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

M-House Construction

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