Is it time to get back in the box?
Since October 15th is Blog Action Day, and we’re all supposed to increase awareness of climate change, I had a little hunt around for something both kitcheny and ecological for today’s post. This kitchen addition in Victoria, Australia was featured at Inhabitat back in March:
Andrew Maynard Architects
Kitchen Addition
I’m all for out-of-the box thinking, but incorporating the kitchen counter into the stairs? I for one am not enthralled at the thought of feet on my prep-space. And if you were to climb those stairs after a tinny or six, until you are nearly at the top there’s nothing to use for a hand-rail except the window, as far as I can see.
But here’s the real brainwave – as you can see they’ve built a glass box, with no way to stop the sun beating in (that reminds me – apparently this counts as an eco project because it has plenty of natural daylighting). But, no worries, problem solved – leaf shaped stickers on the windows filter the sun and create a pattern of light and shade:
A Closer Look
I just have to ask the obvious question – why not plant a real tree or two? Here’s a fantastic description of what a real deciduous tree can do for your home:
I have the most amazingly sophisticated air conditioning system. In the summer, it blocks the sun almost completely, keeping my home in shade. Not only that, it pumps water from the ground and evaporates it from leaves, cooling the air around them. Now, in autumn, the leaves are turning colours and falling off; in another few weeks the sun will stream through the branches, filling my windows with warming sunshine. Who could plan it better than that?
Sums it up perfectly, don’t you think. Now where did I find that? Oh, yes, Inhabitat again. I can only hope the stickers are just a stop-gap until the real trees have a chance to grow. Happy Blog Action Day!
You definitely need a healthy dose of pragmatism applied to some of these amazing ideas, don’t you? Did you see that crazy flower faucet I posted yesterday? Beautiful but totally impractical.
I blog on modern kitchen design all the time, especially Italian minimalist designs, so I’m the kind of guy who would just go NUTS over a kitchen design like this. Until I realized, as you did, that those stairs are not at all decorative; they’re there to be used as stairs! That being the way of it, I really do have to agree with you. I don’t want to walk on my countertops, and who the heck wants a staircase like that one!
I once came across an Internet picture of a really glorious staircase design, based on how it looked. How it was going to perform in use was another question altogether, though. It was simply steps that had been cantilevered into the wall, giving it an absolutely spectacular appearance. But then you found yourself thinking about how it would be to actually have such a staircase in your home. The thought of going up those stairs after having a few was a bit worrisome, but those stairs were at least wide enough that a guy could have hugged the wall going up. But the stairs you’ve shown here are beside a window!
I don’t know, all things considered, I’d really just prefer the ranch house I already have. But failing that, I want a proper staircase with a proper railing. I’ll leave the more adventuresome concepts to the young and foolish!