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When two creative minds decide to transform their own home, the result can only be one of a kind. The Barcelona apartment of interior designer Isern Serra and ceramist Valeria Vasi proves it. Nestled on the fifth floor of a building built in the 1950s, the space was initially in a state of disrepair. The natural light, however, made the couple fall in love with it immediately.

In only four months, Serra and Vasi transformed the 120 square metres of what was an old office into a minimalist yet warm home-studio. Starting from scratch, they removed walls and reorganized everything in the L-shaped apartment.

Related: Bonell+Dòriga’s Apartment Renovation Inside Ricardo Bofill’s Walden 7 in Barcelona.

Facing the interior patio and positioned well for the morning light, the kitchen/dining/living area is particularly quiet. “We always liked the idea of having breakfast in the sun,” says the duo, who wanted to create a very open and social space. Behind the large central island, a shelf showcases many objects the couple has found during their travels around the world. A TMM floor lamp by Miguel Milà and a Subeybaja table by Robert Heritage and Roger Webb — both for Santa & Cole — Nuta stools by Lluís Pau for Mobles 114, and Salvador chairs by Miguel Milà from AOO are some of the pieces the couple chose to furnish the space.

In the double-height living room, Serra designed the built-in sofa. The white walls and microcement flooring shape the peaceful atmosphere where plants, ceramic pieces by Vasi and the first paintings from her mother (Russian artist Inna Vasilieva) bring touches of colour.

“We wanted something very neutral and warm at the same time,” the couple confesses. Inspired by Spanish craftsmanship, Mediterranean influences and the work of architect Josep Antoni Coderch (1913-1984) — especially his way of revaluing vernacular architecture — Serra and Vasi imagined the project to give the feeling of a covered terrace with a clean and bright aesthetic.

One step leads to a transitional space, which has become Vasi’s creative area, furnished with a table from the 19th century. With its two bedrooms, the night area is not separated from the rest by doors or walls. Instead, linen curtains help to connect everything together in a seamless way. As an ode to simplicity, the master bedroom comprises the bare minimum with its bed, chair by Marc Morro and two side tables.

Airy and uncluttered yet creative and inspiring, this apartment focuses on what’s truly essential for its inhabitants.

| The article Barcelona Home of Interior Designer Isern Serra & Ceramist Valeria Vasi. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public, 18-hole golf course in Pebble Beach, California. Hugging the rugged coastline of the Monterey Peninsula with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, it is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses on the world. Pebble Beach has hosted six U.S. Open Championships and a PGA Championship.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3cNTSrf

36.568611°, -121.950556°

Source imagery: Maxar

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Dramatic and theatrical, MMC has designed an eternal and encompassing world for textile manufacturing company Springair in Hangzhou, China.

A far cry from a conventional office and showroom space, the project meditated on the concept “Life is a gleaming journey” to create a place for employees to both focus on work and, a little deeper, reflect on life.

The entrance is portal-like, drawing visitors into a “virtual world”. Designed based on a child’s physical height and perspective – Alice in Wonderland, anyone? – it captures the dreamlike naivety of youth. A chrome ball, a subtle nod to Sisyphus’s rock, and mysterious sculptures set the tone for contemplation.

Related: EVD Adopt Classical Architecture Principles in Their Own Shanghai Office.

The sprawling 310 square metre space is layered with references to Greek mythology. The centre of the room is taken up by a greige, cave-like structure organised by geometric building blocks. Acting as the exhibition area within the office, the interior feels deep and isolated. High walls and pronounced lighting dwarf visitors, echoing the timeless allegory of Plato’s Cave, which fixates on what we believe versus what we know. Functionally though, storage spaces are converted into “micro caves” within the large “cave”, so the stored objects become natural components of the space. Storage space and a chance to ruminate on the meaning of life? That’s one major multi-purpose cave.

The finer details of the design really liven the space up – classical Greek column lines, small staircase-like blocks, greenery and curved walls all benefit from the restrained and thought lighting by accenting them and casting shadows against the backdrop.

A bright red workbench snakes through the office. A beacon against the muted palette, the designers aptly drew inspiration from Ariadne’s thread, the Greek myth where Theseus is guided out of a labyrinth. A lighting strip above follows the free-flowing bench, penetrating the arched walls and illuminating the cave in turn. Floor to ceiling curtains create flexibility to either flood the space with natural light or close them for a more moody, ephemeral quality.

Straight lined workbenches and a meeting room sit to the other side of the cave, additional workspace for the team. This undulating and geometric spatial arrangement sits in comfortable polarity creating a natural separation of areas for different workplace needs.

By combining the real and virtual to create a poetic, philosophical space that transcends logic and norms this project by MMC Design has me asking myself for a meeting with the manager within.

| The article A Tribute to Plato’s Cave: Springair Office & Showroom in Hangzhou by MMC DESIGN. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

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We think we’ve spotted something unusual on the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. The lake extends for approximately 23 miles (37 km) and is well-known as the possible home to “Nessie” — reportedly a massive sea monster resembling a plesiosaur. While water visibility is exceptionally low at the lake because of high peat content in the surrounding soil, our Overview perspective does not suffer from the same limitations and picked up this figure in imagery from 2019. Let us know if you think we’re on to something.

57.300000°, -4.450000°

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Farmers harvest buckets of large shrimp on the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. This former mangrove swamp, known as Bumi Dipasena, is now the world’s largest facility of its kind covering more than 30 square miles (78 square km). In total, Indonesia harvests more than 637,000 tonnes of shrimp every year — that’s roughly equal to half the mass of the Empire State Building.

Did you know that 90% of the seafood consumed in America is imported? Almost all of it is salmon, tuna, and shrimp. Agriculture now covers approximately 40% of the earth’s landmass, and our food choices have significant environmental impact. After a few years of operation, these ponds in Sumatra proved to be disease prone, and the financial model collapsed. This left 9,000 transmigrant families struggling to make a living while fighting an aquaculture pandemic on their own.

The post is part of an occasional collaboration with Photographer George Steinmetz, who supplied the drone video that gives us the on-the-ground context of what’s going on here. Head over to www.georgesteinmetz.com to see more of his incredible work.

-4.289254°, 105.807424°

Drone footage by George Steinmetz
Overview source imagery by Maxar

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The Sydney Opera House is a performing arts center in Sydney, Australia. In a typical year, it hosts more than 1,500 shows inside its various performance halls, attracting upwards of 1.2 million people. While the building’s famous “shell” design appears uniformly white from a distance, it actually features a subtle chevron pattern composed of tiles in two colors: glossy white and matte cream.

This Overview is one of many pieces available in our Printshop, and right now you can get 20% off your entire order during our spring sale! Just enter the code “SPRING20” at checkout. Visit www.over-view.com/shop/prints to see what’s available.

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Source imagery: Nearmap

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Check out this incredible shot by Garðar Ólafs of the Fagradalsfjall eruption in Geldingadalur, Iceland. Located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Reykjavík, the volcano began erupting on March 19 and is still emitting fresh lava today. The eruption is the first in 800 years to occur on the Reykjanes Peninsula and scientists believe it may mark the beginning of decades of volcanic activity.

See more here: https://bit.ly/2PFCSdy

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Source imagery: Garðar Ólafs Photography

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Helsinki is the capital and most populous city of Finland, with a population of slightly more than 650,000. Located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the country’s center of politics, education, finance, culture and research. Earlier this month, the United Nations “World Happiness Report 2021” declared Finland the Happiest Country in the World for the fourth consecutive year, with Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and the Netherlands as runners up.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3u5yVhk

60.170833°, 24.937500°

Source imagery: Maxar

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The post Will Clubhouse be a Habit or Has-Been? appeared first on Nir and Far.

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Happy Easter! This Overview shows Vatican City and the surrounding city of Rome, Italy from a low angle. In the far left we see St. Peter’s Basilica, regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites and one of the greatest architectural feats in all of Christendom. With an area of 121 acres (49 hectares) and a population of about 825, The Vatican is the smallest state in the world by both area and population.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3cNpzRn

41.902500°, 12.452500°

Source imagery: Airbus Space
© CNES 2020, Distribution Airbus DS