Denis-Ortmans House by Dethier Architecture
The lower key projects by younger architectural firms, or those works produced in their infant days, always seem to be the most exciting ones. I especially like smaller housing solutions that can affect a wider range of people. Big buildings are fascinating but they don’t really touch me on a personal level, usually they’re out of most people’s reach in terms of budget and size. But experimental ideas on a smaller scale can really inspire individuals like myself to create low cost living solutions.
This project titled the Denis-Ortmans house arose from discussions concerning the scope of possibilities for single-family dwellings that respect the rules of sustainable development. Founded by independent architect Daniel Dethier in 1992, Dethier architects designed the Denis-Ortmans house to offer an alternative approach to single-family housing. They used cutting-edge technology to create a structure that was economical and provided a comfortable living space, reflecting contemporary and modern design.
This project reminds me of The Eames House (also known as Case Study House No. 8), designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1949. This was one of five houses located in Pacific Palisades, California belonging to the influential Case Study Program initiated by John Entenza to promote new models of affordable housing. As you can imagine, it’s not easy to step away from such a well-known project, but I like what Daniel & co have done here. It’s simple but effective, they’ve separated certain parts of the house, such as placing the bed in an alcove and the use of sliding partitions. These sliding partitions are vital and can be found in traditional Japanese homes, I think this has developed over hundreds of years as being one of the more suitable ways of opening up a space and providing many different living environments in a small dimension. I’m certainly in awe and I hope you like it too, more architectural projects can be found on the Dethier website.