Corrugated Aluminum House in Sweden, published in Designboom, by förstberg arkitektur och formgivning. Follow the links to see the entire house.
What could be more relevant: sleek modern design, industrial materials? So why does our very real everyday built environment not often share such an aesthetic? When it does, why must it end up looking “home made” like the house in the photo below, as apposed to the polished mechanized version above? And granted, my photo below is bad, but not bad enough to account for the difference
The sign in front of the building says “Design Build Finance”
So why do the quality places seem only to appear in expensive trendy areas, hidden away in private retreats, alas on the pages of Dwell? To start with, a close look at the house in Sweden reveals that is a a timber frame. In the US the skill of cheap stick building has been refined to the level of excluding everything else. Any other structural system ends up costing more. But it is not just the structure that is different. It is the quality of the finishes, which in the Swedish house are perfection; no distorted or warped trim, unfinished edges, mismatched windows, off the shelf garage doors, or unfinished wood there. Not to mention the strangely proportioned design and very commercial need to install windows in the roof.
There is a lesson here. Extreme craftsmanship is required if industrial materials are to be used successfully. If funds and/or confidence are in short supply, then I say opt for tried and true methods and put your efforts into a superior design. I know!!! Why not hire and architect?
Real people don't hire architects...? 