OAO
Omer Arbel Office is the creative hub of a constellation of companies structured to realize ideas of varying scale and across a wide spectrum of contexts and environments. Based in Vancouver, Omer Arbel cultivates a fluid position between the fields of architecture, sculpture, invention and design. Focal themes of his work include investigation of intrinsic mechanical, physical, and chemical qualities of materials and exploration of light as a medium.
project 23.2
23.2 is a house for a family built on an hourglass shaped rural acreage defined by two masses of forest that form two distinct “outdoor rooms”. The project began, as a point of departure, with a depository of reclaimed, century old Douglas Fir beams from the local forests of British Columbia. The beams were each milled of a single tree, and consequently were of different lengths and cross sectional dimensions—some as long as 20m, some as deep as 1m. The project regards the beams as archaeological artifacts resulting from the social and ecological history of the region. As such, they were not milled, cut, or finished.
Client
Undisclosed
Year
2008-2009
project 75.9
75.9 is a house constructed on a hay farm in the Canadian Pacific Northwest.
The project makes use of a technique of pouring concrete into fabric formwork deployed within plywood rib structures, yielding walls and columnar roof forms. A deliberately slow, continuous pour and special concrete mix are employed to fabricate each element, in some cases approaching 10 meters tall. The intention is for the concrete to continuously cure throughout the duration of the pour, thus reducing hydro-static pressure at the stem and avoiding horizontal cold joints. Micro perforations in the weave of the fabric release air from the surface of the concrete as it cures, making it easy to remove and creating a richly textured woven finish. The technique acknowledges the material’s plastic nature and prescribes its own unique geometry
Client
Haley
Year
2017-2023
project 91.0
91 is a house on a forested waterfront lot in the Gulf Island archipelago of the Canadian Pacific Northwest.
The house is a suspended bridge between two naturally occurring rocky ridges, spanning over a sunken fern gully. The experience of entry begins as a path through the forest, with a discreet entrance into the house volume set into the earth. From there, as the visitor traverses the length of the house, the experience changes dramatically to that of being suspended high within the tree canopy and ends with arrival on solid ground again, but this time on the west facing beach, with the strong presence of the pacific ocean.
The plan is organized in two bands of program, with the intention of allowing the house to expand and contract depending on the number of inhabitants. The main wing is designed for the owners (a couple): kitchen, living room, utility spaces and suspended bedroom. A second wing, which can be opened or closed selectively for family or guests, provides two additional bedrooms and a bunk room.
The house is clad in heavy cedar blocks which receive an aggressive sandblasted finish, accentuating the grain of the wood and giving it an almost geological quality.
It is anticipated that over the next 100 years, rising sea levels due to climate change will flood the fern gully, giving the project an entirely different reading and character.
Client
Perkarsky/Guralnick
Year
In progress
