Form & Function: New Ideas for Common Materials
Author:Lindsey ShookOne of the reasons we love architects is that they see what mere mortals don’t (or can’t). Case in point: What might look like a pile of common asphalt shingles to us was a source of inspiration for Los Angeles architect Edward Ogosta of Edward Ogosta Architecture.
Ogosta, whose award-winning firm is known for creating modern homes and creative commercial projects, chose Malarkey asphalt roofing shingles for the exterior siding as well as the roof of a recent project. “Asphalt shingles have long been used in residential architecture on the roof, so we wanted to use this humble material in a new and innovative way,” the architect says. “By fastening the material to the exterior wall as well as the roof, we wrapped the house in the shingles to create a continuous waterproof skin.”
The result is something that’s surprising, fresh and utterly new—words that aren’t often applied to this particular building material.