House in the American Tropics 1

xx
House on the Gulf of Mexico I:
xx
"The guest house to a 1957 house designed by Paul Rudolph is on a 535-foot wide sand bar near Sarasota, Florida. The Gulf of Mexico is to the west, Sarasota Bay to the East. The Gulf side is a protected sea turtle habitat; the bay side a protected manatee habitat. The house is built on the footprint of a structure destroyed by a hurricane. The densely planted site is exposed to extreme climatic conditions—hurricanes, floods, downpours, and strong sun. To protect the house from hurricanes, storm surges and flooding, the house is raised seventeen feet above sea level. Sheltered by live oaks, palms and mangroves, it is reached by an exterior stainless steel staircase. The stair becomes the new "center" of the house to connect and separate activities within."
xx
—Toshiko Mori
xx

Picture from the Tropical Modernism

xx

House in the Asian Tropics 2

xx
Another model house for the monsoon region comes from another emergent architecture practice in Asia. I give you Copper House II:
xx
"The project begins by the making of an artesian well; soil from the excavation is used to create a high ground for the house in case of flooding in the heavy monsoon. The home sits in a clearing within a dense grove of mango trees. Rooms are loosely arranged around a central space to create a protected courtyard, securing the inhabitants while mediating the surrounding landscape.
xx
Thin copper sheet is used to make the structure waterproof from the rains, initially reflecting the landscape,and through the passage of time and seasons, patinas into a verdigris to be absorbed by the environment."
xx
—Studio Mumbai
xx

Picture by Hélèna Binet, as published by Domus.

xx

Picture by Hélèna Binet, as published by Domus.

xx

Picture by Hélèna Binet, as published by Domus.

xx

House in the Asian Tropics 1

xx
For years I've been closely following the practice of Malaysian architect Kevin Mark Low of small projects. His philosophy and approach to architecture and his understanding of its cultural and climatic context are best exemplified by the Dogconcrete House:
xx
"Originally intended as a house of sharp lines and clean finishes, a sad comedy of errors left the project with a concrete structure so badly formed, an entirely new concept for its being had to be figured out. And the dogconcrete house was born.
xx
"To effect savings precipitated by construction inaccuracy, the idea of leaving exterior walls without render began the narrative of dogconcrete: the offending casts and selected walls became a raw shell which cocooned the glazed surfaces and painted walls of its public face. The house relies on the paradigm of shock contrast to have unforgivable contracting work for aesthetics: working with unfinish as hip, and ugly as character-filled, the simply awful ceiling slabs and butt-ugly outer wall of the house were a stab at finding beauty in the beast."
xx

Picture source

xx

Picture source

xx

Picture source

xx