Rome, Italy II

Piazza Navona with Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in front

Here are a few more highlights of the main attractions of Rome - Piazza Navona is a bustling square with the grand and famous Bernini fountain, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (The Fountain of the Four Rivers), taking centre stage. When I first saw the Trevi Fountain, I had a few tears and the Pantheon is amazing - both inside and out.

Close up of Bernini's The Fountain of the Four Rivers

Trevi Fountain

The front of the Pantheon from the Piazza della Rotonda

The altar

Looking up to the oculus

Marble in all different colours and textures

Photographs by Charlotte Minty.

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Rome, Italy

The Arch of Constantine (by the Colosseum) with the Roman Forum in the background.

Have you ever been to Rome? I was fortunate enough to spend a few days in this amazing city after attending the wedding in Tuscany. What a place! It has everything - history, beauty, architecture, interiors, food, wine...there is something for everyone. If you ever have an opportunity to go, accept it immediately.
I enjoyed it so much and bear with me as I reminisce about my time there on the blog this week.

Looking toward the Colosseum from the Roman Forum

The Colosseum was close to where I was staying so I came here several times (it looked amazing at night all lit up). It is close to the Roman Forum, as well as the Palatine and Capitoline Hill, and there is so much to see within this area. Choose and visit what interests you otherwise you just wear yourself out...

Yes - I admit that I did think of the movie 'Gladiator' when I visited here. Shame.

Loved the brick work as well as the marble details located around the Colosseum.

Arch of Constantine as seen from the upper level in the Colosseum.

Roman Forum

The Roman Forum is mind boggling - the history is somewhat hard to absorb as it is so old and the patchwork of ruined temples is, while stunning, hard to imagine the grand and important government buildings that once stood there.

House of the Vestal Virgins was closed off for restoration - so this was as close as I could go.

Photographs by Charlotte Minty.

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Inspiration Profile - Simon Devitt

If you're a regular reader of New Zealand architecture and design magazines, there is a every chance you have come across the work of today's Inspiration Profile.
His name is Simon Devitt and he is a photographer of Architecture. Devitt's work has regularly featured in the likes of HOME New Zealand and Urbis magazines, as well as many other New Zealand and international publications. Enjoy this week's profile with its stunning photography and have a great weekend all.

Simon Devitt in Raglan. Photo: Roberta Thornley.

King County House by Mitchell & Stout Architects

Hill Golf Clubhouse, Arrowtown by Pattersons.

Name:Simon Devitt

What do you do: I am a photographer of Architecture. I’ve been a professional photographer since 1995.

Where do you live: Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand

What are you working on: My latest project is my first self published book, about the Athfield house in Wellington, ‘Portrait of a House’.

Athfield House, Wellington

Charlotte's House, Russell, Northland

Who/what inspires me: Lately - Roberta Thornley (artist), Werner Herzog (film maker), Saul Leiter (photographer), Michael Haneke (film maker) and Caroline Robinson (Sculptor).

I work best: Anytime

What I do when I’m stuck for inspiration: Garden, run or talk with Roberta Thornely

The best advice I have been given is: I haven’t been given many good answers in the form of advice but have been asked some very good questions. All contextual and relevant to what was happening at that time.

My latest discovery is: That I’m 40

Kuaotunu Beach House, Coromandel

Knoll Ridge Cafe, Whakapapa Skifield by HB Architecture.

Books that I get inspiration from: Anything by Bruce Weber

Magazines that inspire me: Casa Vogue, Acne Paper

Blogs that I enjoy: American suburb X

My favourite room at home is: Lounge. Its where my library is

My office is: Under the house, ze dungeon

What am I looking forward to: Launching my new book.

Thanks Simon. If you want to keep up to date with Simon's work and news - you can check out  his Facebook page and  website.

Left: Church in Kingsland.               Right: Singapore Treehouse by  Joseph Lim.

Shanghai, China

All photographs are by, and used with permission from, Simon Devitt unless stated.

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Inspiration Profile - Justin and Louise Wright

Hooray - it is Friday once again. Are you all surviving the mad rush towards Christmas? One more week of work to go for us lot down under.
Now for this week's Inspiration Profile - they are on the cover of the latest HOME New Zealand magazine and were studying Architecture at the same time as I was at Design school. How far they have come since then! Enjoy the profile of architects Justin and Louise Wright from Assembly Architects Ltd. Happy Friday all.



Louise and Justin Wright - Assembly Architects Ltd.

Louise on the cover of the latest HOME New Zealand magazine.

Name: Louise and Justin Wright

What do you do: We are architects, together we run the boutique architecture practice Assembly Architects Ltd. We are also parents to 3 young children. We have been in the architecture profession for 12 years, Assembly just turned 7, and our kids are 5 and 3 and 3 (nearly 4 and 4).

Where do you live: We live in Arrowtown in the Queenstown Lakes District of the South Island of New Zealand. Close to mountains, rivers and lakes.

What are you working on: A massive range of projects right now. New houses in Queenstown, Wanaka, Wairarapa and Mangaweka, and prefabricated marae building projects for Tuwharetoa. Our work at the moment encompasses a range of construction types from primitive rammed earth to cutting edge prefabrication techniques. We love the environmental performance and the aesthetic of the earth, it brings a lovely weight, sense of permanence and timeless quality to a space. And prefabrication allows us to deliver buildings such as the marae and classroom in an ultra-fast time frame.

Kamalas Pavilion, Wellington Zoo.

The Arrow Private Hotel, Arrowtown

 

Who/what inspires me: We have a passion for architecture and good design. Inspiration on the other hand, comes at unlikely moments. From seeing a hay bale in a landscape or a texture in stone, the patina of aged timber and metals, an effect of light on water, or a particular tree or garden - when it is right and appropriate we apply those moments of inspiration to opportunities in projects. In some projects we can look back and identify the one catalyst or trigger of inspiration that drove the ideas.

Storing ideas happens with sketching and drawing, photography, instagram, pinterest and sometimes memory - long may that last.

Feeding the passion comes with talking, sharing ideas, reading books, magazines and blogs, travelling and of course working. Doing what we do and then seeing the end result realised.

We work bestwhen in the flow - that full immersion state when our energy is concentrated on the project - it’s all clicking in to place and we are enjoying it. Often there aren’t enough hours in the day and our work carries on into the night shift. Morning coffees are essential, and we always have a good lunch. Though we work side by side we work fairly independently in the mornings, and save up our discussions for the lunch break, or for after work drinks. When the kids are home we are either with them together or taking turns to be at work.

What I do when I’m stuck for inspiration: If the energy and passion for a project is waning we talk, go for a walk, get down to the water, or stop and have a coffee. We love the river for fishing and playing with our kids. They can sit and make rock piles or dams for hours. It’s a good space to think and process ideas. The kids will be getting gold pans this Christmas.

House in Butel Park, Queenstown

New House, Wellington - exterior courtyard.

The best advice I have been given is: Work with people who are excited by and committed to a great design outcome for their project.

My latest discovery is: Always posted to Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Pinterest.

Books that I get inspiration from: Most of the ones on our shelves and plenty more on the wish list. We love books as objects and for their content. Lou reads and re-reads novels, collects them, gives them away, sometimes buys them back again. We love architecture books, idea books, and big fat photographic cook books. Justin designed the Stackweave bookshelf, we have a few of those yet to fill.

Thorndon Villa, Wellington with Stackweave bookshelves in the dining area.

 

Britomart Showcase, Auckland, with Cheshire Architects Ltd.

 

Magazines that inspire me: Detail. Dwell.

Blogs that we enjoy: Architecture blogs Architizer,Archdaily, Dezeen etc. Online extensions to magazines such as Home and Urbis, Denizen, miss minty herself, and basically the leap-frog journey of random link ability that blogs provide.

Our favourite room at home is: The one with the sun in it. Morning sun to wake up to, evening sun in the living room to unwind.

Our office is: In a bright white attic above the house. It gets too much sun for the computer screens, but it’s a total luxury to be able to work from home.

What am I looking forward to:Building our own house (soon), going fly fishing (soon) and having a holiday with family and friends (not soon enough).

See more of Assembly Architects Ltd's work here, read their blog, follow them on Facebook, check out their pinterest boards or tweet with them on Twitter. Phew!

Villa Renovation, Wellington.

All photographs are used with permission by Assembly Architects Ltd.

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Inspiration Profile - Jaime Diaz-Berrio

Welcome to this week's Inspiration Profile -  his name is Jaime Diaz-Berrio, an architect and photographer from Melbourne, Australia. Several weeks ago, Jaime sent me a lovely email asking me if I knew about the following of blog readers that I have in Melbourne? That was great to hear and hello to you all! Thanks for reading and enjoy today's profile.



Jaime Diaz-Berrio

RACV Healesville Country Club by SJB Architects

Name: Jaime Diaz-Berrio

What do you do: I am an architect and photographer. Originally from Mexico, I trained in architecture and have worked in Mexico and Australia designing residential, commercial and industrial spaces since 2001.

Photography has always been a hobby of mine and in 2008 I began photographing the work of other architects and interior designers as a side business. A few months ago I took the plunge and made it my main focus.

I currently share my time between architecture, architectural photography and abstract photography.

Where do you live: Melbourne, Australia

What are you working on: At the moment I am working on a new series of images taken on my last overseas trip which will hopefully form my first solo exhibition.

I take a lot of pleasure from walking around the built environment with a camera in hand and taking small parts of it with me, collecting portions of buildings that can later be put back together in a different light, sometimes pieces of the same building, sometimes of unrelated subjects and then re-composing them together. 

Merricks Residence by SJB Architects & SJB Interiors



 

 

Who/what inspires me: Travel, experiencing new cities, visiting the buildings designed by architects that I admire (I’ve dragged my lovely wife to very remote places over the years...)

I recently found a quote by an important Mexican architect, Luis Barragan, that has reinforced the importance of travel for me: “Don’t ask me about this building or that one. Don’t look at what I do. See what I saw.”

Other inspirations are:
Good, simple, well considered and timeless design in any of its multiple branches (architectural, interior, industrial, furniture etc).

In architecture, I find Peter Zumthor’s work in a league of its own, he is one of the few architects that manage to truly move all of your senses when you visit one of his buildings.

In photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson’s images are always inspiring.

I work best: Around sunset, between the time when the light turns golden and about 20 minutes after the sun sets. Buildings seem to come alive. Sunrise is also very special, but I struggle to get out of bed that early!

What I do when I’m stuck for inspiration: I go for a walk with my camera; it is amazing how I end up relaxing after a few minutes of looking through the viewfinder. It seems to eliminate all distractions and allows me to focus on what I am looking for.

The best advice I have been given is: Whilst in my second year in University, a very respected architect in Mexico told me that I should work for somebody whose work I admire very much because at that age I would probably work very long hours and have a very small salary so I should at least enjoy the work. I worked for him for the next five years and still consider him my greatest mentor who taught me what I consider the most important element in both architecture and photography: strong composition.

My latest discovery is: A love for good dark chocolate! (70% Green & Black’s Organic)

Decontra House by Fitt de Felice

McCrae House by SJB Architects



Prahan House by SJB Interiors

Books that I get inspiration from: Classic architectural books are a beautiful source of inspiration, I particularly enjoy books on Alvaro Siza, Alvar Aalto, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, Eero Saarinen and Peter Zumthor among others.

Magazines that inspire me: It’s always a pleasure when the Architectural Review (UK) shows up in the mail box. I also enjoy C+A and Mark.

Blogs that I enjoy: dezeen, archdaily, Contemporist, The Cool Hunter, Joe’s nyc.

My favourite room at home is: The lounge room, it’s a simple, calm room filled with sunlight during most of the day and a view to our small, green courtyard. A very peaceful and quiet place. 

My office is: At home for the moment but a couple of local cafes have also become satellite offices, I enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and being surrounded by people - a good coffee also doesn’t hurt! Favourites are Monk Bodhi Dharma & Spout in St Kilda East.

What am I looking forward to: Finding a balance between my three passions: architecture, architectural photography and abstract photography.

And why not, another long trip with Sara (and her patience!).

If you would like to learn more about Jaime, please see his website here.

Market Street Apartment by SJB Interiors

 
All photographs are by, and used with permission from, Jaime Diaz-Berrio.

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