In Conversation – OTIIMA

A Conversation with Wallflower Architecture + Design: The Magic of Touching Eden House

Diana Afonso — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 11:22:37 +0000

Touching Eden House is more than just a home. It’s a dream come true—a blend of nature and human genius. We sat down with the architects at Wallflower Architecture + Design to find out the secret behind this amazing project.

A collaborative project

Wallflower Architecture + Design describes Touching Eden House as a “haven of wonder”. It’s clear that this retreat is the result of a team effort. The architects emphasize the importance of having a visionary client who shares their passion for excellence.

“It’s rare to have such a complete team for a single-family home,” they explain. “From landscape architects to lighting consultants to interior designers, everyone brought their unique expertise to the table. This level of collaboration is usually reserved for much larger projects.”

The result is a home that feels like a carefully thought-out experience. From the OTIIMA sliding doors that connect indoor and outdoor living to the Gaggenau appliances and Giorgetti furniture that make up the interior, each element adds to the overall feeling of luxury and sophistication.

The power of light

Light plays a key role in the design of Touching Eden House. The architects explain how they harnessed the sun’s power to create a serene and stimulating space.

“In the tropics, light changes dramatically throughout the day,” they say. “We wanted to capture this sense of movement and transformation in the house. By carefully considering the placement of windows and shading, we created a space that feels connected to nature while offering respite from the intense sunlight.”

The use of biophilic design, which incorporates natural elements such as plants into the architecture, further enhances the sense of calm. It’s a space where you can truly escape the hustle and bustle of urban life.

Connecting people with nature

The Eden House shows that people can live harmoniously with nature even in busy cities. The architects think modern life often isolates us from the natural world, but there’s a growing desire to connect.

“Biophilic design is a key strategy for bringing nature indoors,” they explain. “By incorporating natural materials, plants, and even water features, we can create spaces that promote well-being and reduce stress”.

A vision for the future

When asked about the future of architecture, architects are optimistic. They believe technology will be important in creating a more sustainable and equitable world.

“We must use technology to address challenges such as climate change and inequality,” they say. “We can build buildings that benefit the planet and its inhabitants by inventing fresh materials, building techniques, and energy-saving devices.”

The architects want a future where architecture and nature are inseparable. Buildings will be designed to work with the natural environment instead of against it. This vision is inspiring and achievable.

Interview with the Architects of PAI Design: A Journey of Culture and Creativity

Diana Afonso — Fri, 24 May 2024 15:58:21 +0000

A Cultural and Diverse Approach

PAI Design’s architects are renowned for their diverse portfolio, which includes notable projects such as the Prapanca Project in Indonesia and guesthouses in Fuzhou. We asked them how they approach each project’s unique challenges and cultural influences. Their answer was clear and inspiring:

“We are a group of people from many backgrounds, including Western, Chinese, Javanese, and Balinese. Our practice represents how the world appreciates the beauty of many cultures. We recognize and value the contributions of our diverse group.”

This diversity is a driving force that allows PAI Design to approach each project with a rich, varied perspective, resulting in architectural solutions that meet and celebrate each location’s cultural specifics.

The Intersection of Architecture and Interior Design

The relationship between architecture and interior design is often described as art. At PAI, this intersection is fundamental to creating spaces that function effectively and evoke a sense of beauty and artistry. The architects explain: “Our philosophy is that architecture is not separated from the spaces it creates; the space or interior experiences significantly impact the architecture.”

This holistic approach ensures that each PAI Design project meets the functional needs of its occupants and creates aesthetically pleasing and inspiring environments.

The Prapanca Project: Elegance and Collaboration

The Prapanca Project is a luxurious villa that exemplifies PAI’s commitment to exceptional design and architecture. Describing the key challenges of this project, the team shared: “The Prapanca project was one of the few experiences where the architect could rely on the owner for true collaboration. Ideas flowed freely and were thoroughly evaluated, resulting in a stunning architectural design and an unparalleled living experience. The only hurdle was the exciting task of selecting the most outstanding ideas to bring to life.

This close collaboration between architect and client resulted in a project that reflects PAI’s creative vision and the owner’s aspirations and lifestyle.

Adapting to Local Cultures

PAI Design’s projects span different countries and regions. Adapting design concepts to resonate with local culture while maintaining a consistent design identity is a constant challenge. The team addresses this challenge with a clear philosophy: “Cultural aspects differ from region to region; our approach to a consistent ethos is to create structures with similar spacing, light access, volume modulation, and a rhythm of movement from space to space.”

This approach ensures that PAI’s projects maintain a cohesive identity regardless of location while celebrating local cultural specifics.

The Prapanca Project: Elegance and Collaboration

Exploring the theme of utopia, PAI shared their perspective on the role of architecture and interior design in shaping utopian visions for the future:

“Utopia is multifaceted because a lot of our work is private residences; we focus on creating sanctuaries for the residents. Retreats, if you will, are designed specifically for the residents and their way of life. This private utopia finds its way into the owners’ mindset and can manifest itself in how they do business or how they view their way of life.”

For PAI, creating a better world through design and functionality is an ongoing mission. Their works not only provide personal retreats but also positively influence the lives and attitudes of their occupants.

PAI Design exemplifies how integrating diverse cultural influences and true collaboration can result in unique and inspiring architectural designs. Through their holistic philosophy and innovative approach, PAI continues to shape the future of architecture, creating spaces that are functional, artistic, and deeply connected to local cultures.

Exclusive Interview with Salloum & Salloum Architects on the Jasra House Project

Joana Pestana — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:00:45 +0000

Salloum & Salloum Architects, the innovative architecture firm renowned for its transformative designs, has recently completed the JASRA HOUSE project in Bahrain. Four years in the making, this architectural masterpiece showcases the firm’s commitment to excellence, sustainable practices, and an all-encompassing design approach.

For Laney LA, design is not simply a choice between old and new; it’s about finding the balance between the two.

“Our studio is constantly searching for a design that embodies timelessness and innovation. Timelessness includes staying power and that rare ability to remain relevant over time. Innovation feeds our curiosity as we are oriented toward noticing new ideas.”

This mindset requires continually questioning conventional design norms. Which rules are worth preserving, and which are meant to be broken? For Laney LA, the tension between the two is where meaningful architecture begins.

Jasra House | Salloum & Salloum © Sohaub Ilyas

The Jasra House project is a testament to Salloum & Salloum Architects‘ commitment to research-driven architecture. Inspired by Gulf vernacular architecture, the villa seamlessly blends contemporary materials and living standards, creating an architecturally inspirational piece that revolves around the client’s lifestyle.

Situated in a lush region of Bahrain, the architects aimed to connect the building with nature. JASRA HOUSE intertwines plants with the architecture, paying homage to the site’s historic character. The result is a building that feels organically connected to its surroundings.

Jasra House | Salloum & Salloum © Sohaub Ilyas

The architects share insights into the challenges faced during the four-year design and construction process. From finding a suitable contractor to delivering quality within budget to overcoming the complexities of glazing and aluminum systems in extreme Gulf temperatures, the interview details the meticulous planning and collaboration that brought Jasra House to fruition.

The architects discuss how the OTIIMA PLUS system was pivotal in enhancing the villa’s aesthetics and performance. OTIIMA’s aluminum and glazing system, with 4m heights and slim profiles, provided thermal efficiency in extreme heat while maximizing visibility. The collaboration with OTIIMA and a pioneering installer in Bahrain marked a groundbreaking achievement.

Jasra House | Salloum & Salloum © Sohaub Ilyas

The interview explores Salloum & Salloum Architects’ all-encompassing approach to architecture, interior design, and lead consultancy. The firm’s commitment to detail, exemplified by the bespoke travertine family dining table, reflects its philosophy of making a difference in every aspect of the project.

The architects shed light on the environmental efficiency of JASRA HOUSE, showcasing their forward-thinking approach. The basement housing services and M&E equipment, VRF system for energy efficiency, well-insulated walls, and a strategic shading strategy all contribute to the villa’s sustainability.

Jasra House | Salloum & Salloum © Sohaub Ilyas

This exclusive interview, accompanied by captivating images and video footage of Jasra House, offers an in-depth look into Salloum & Salloum Architects’ creative process and design philosophy.

A Peculiar Conversation with Celia Ledon

joanna helm — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 11:50:01 +0000

We are very curious to know if you can remember the first dress or product you designed, how old you were, and what it was like?

The first costume of this kind I designed was an interpretation of a baroque silhouette, part of a school assignment. The students were supposed to construct a garment using unconventional materials, with the common result being a large accessory more than ‘clothes’ per se, with wearability throughout the whole body being the most definitive goal. I know a few knitting techniques, so as we weren’t able to use fabric, I decided to construct my material out of discarded plastic bags rather than purchase or collect random elements, giving me also the possibility to create something with the requirements I decided or taking advantage of the material itself and the new one created once knitted.

Your pieces are considered “Wearable Installations” that incorporate fair and ethical principles of sustainability, including reuse, Repurposing, Remaking, and Creating Zero Waste. When did you set out on this path? Is it something that you’ve always wanted to do, or was there a life-changing moment, an event, or a realization that made you completely change focus and pursue the impact-driven path that you’re on now?

I was in my third year of university, and I was 26 years. I believe in a sort of karma, causality, subconscious wisdom, or emotional intelligence that sometimes places us, through the course of our lives, on a non-planned path. My experience was to end up studying design unexpectedly. At first, scarcity was an issue so it felt obvious to find free materials, later the lack of money to purchase fabrics combined with previous successful projects made a natural strategy and part of the statement, the fact of creating something beautiful out of garbage, or obsolete materials that would end being part of the massive pollution of a society leaning relentlessly to unsustainable consumerism.

The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters and the biggest example of excessive and non-stop mass production, whose sole purpose is to be consumed rather than serve its utilitarian objective. An undeveloped country can be a discouraging environment for an industrial designer and becomes a challenge due to the obstacles of an under-equipped and almost nonexistent industry. I began to work for audiovisuals, video clips, short films, commercials, and cinema as a costume designer and art director, and the set decoration was an additional narrative version of interior design.

The audiovisual industry, as well as theatre, became the art scene where I could work as much as I multitasked, keeping me thinking outside the box and recycling and upcycling, with sometimes even superior results regarding aesthetics. Working for theatre kept me creating this sort of character, with an increasing theatrical scale and dramatism, in which the material becomes the leading role. To summarize, in a way, it just happened as I became more aware of the process itself, and the messages transmitted by the result, which eventually led to more powerful pieces.

How has your artwork evolved or changed through the years?

For me, evaluating my process is difficult, and at the same time, it becomes an obstacle to overcome through the conscious exercise of the task. Whether successful or objectively accomplished, I can only say that, as organic and extravagantly laborious ideas, they became a statement. The construction, the act of creation, guided by the material and its properties, became the muse of each piece. I stopped sketching at some point and let myself be driven by the potential offered by the material or the object I was working with, rather than being self-mutilated by a written-in-stone idea, crossing the threshold to a never-disappointing world of experimentation. Embrace the mistake and allow the materials to flow using them more efficiently, whilst they become something they were not created for, or acquire new properties, just letting myself go, is something slowly discovered and accepted as a unique feature of the pieces. Before, I had a more naive approach, but more self-awareness and time have made me enjoy and be fulfilled with the act of creation and exploration processes, regardless of the result.

It is an acceptance I have made peace with, by doing so. Is hard to deconstruct something that is more a feeling for me. Introspection, alienation, and loneliness permeated by the desire for constant connection, as a dialectic core that drives the creative process and life itself. This is an inseparable part of the constant exploration of materials and imagined silhouettes, which take on a life of their own and decide their path on the object imagery.

A peculiar conversation with Celia Ledon

You have been invited to exhibit your work in numerous galleries. Do you recall an exhibition or piece as most remarkable or that has a special significance to you compared to all the rest?

I especially recall the 2018 exhibition at the Kennedy Center, part of the Festival Artes de Cuba. They asked me to create a big format installation, which I had never done before. I decided it should be a ‘garment’ as well, I could have done a different (abstract or not) object, but costumes are what defined me at the time as well. So, I created a piece with a variety of materials: rubber, tape-recorded, discarded fabric, and foam. The piece measured 5 meters, and I called it ‘Little Black Dress,’ as it was inspired by the cocktail dress from the 1950s. Besides being my first big-format installation, it was also notable that people could enter, and inside, they could find an actual little black dress. This had an unimaginable significance to me because I learned that the relationship of the receptor audience with a garment is an entirely different thing. It can be compared to any other art piece. I guess that at some level we are ‘too close to clothes’, and ‘style’ ourselves is something we do every day, so that would have been invaluable if I could foresee this and filmed it.

A peculiar conversation with Celia Ledon

What are your biggest aspirations?

I mainly wish to be able to create non-stop, because having the possibility of exploring and experimenting with the creative processes is something that I value the most. Also, the call to action for sustainability and its message, mainly contained in the pieces themselves, and their special way to broadcast their contents is also something I hope to accomplish and make an impact on this matter through my work.

A peculiar conversation with Celia Ledon

Are there any new projects or exhibitions on the horizon?

As for new coming exhibitions, I can honestly say I don’t have the slightest idea about projects. I honestly think I won’t have a lifetime long enough, even living for too long, to do everything I would like to do.

Could you share a bit more about your creative process and how you source materials for your projects and pieces? And how does this process of transforming the source materials into artwork work?

Each piece is a statement, narrating the oppression of fashion as a systemic representation through its inexhaustible cycle of irrational consumption, extravagance, and terrifying beauty. The study of theatricality as a stage of representation is the perfect niche for this kind of character who speaks about themselves both on mannequins, as well as in their most performative action, if they are placed on the body as a neutral stage.

Aggression to the body, hieratic; represented with a variety of materials, they contribute to the discourse from the dichotomy embodied by the object of desire, sustainability, and its true commercial value.

Reuse, recycling, and the use of obsolete and discarded materials are interwoven in the pieces with different manual techniques, creating different layers of interpretation and opposing concepts that generate varied semantic pairs, such as ‘the industrial’ and ‘the manual’ as a basic example, ‘the everyday’ and ‘the extravagances’, ‘the whole’ and ‘the part’, ‘the man’ and ‘the object man’.