Called Low Energy House, the residence is located in Muswell Hill, a suburban district in north London, and aimed to set an example of a sustainable refurbishment of a typical terraced home with a constrained budget. The project’s embodied energy and energy in-use were taken into heavy consideration. The energy requirements were reduced through insulating, triple-glazi...
The project was initiated by an undaunted 12-year-old client named Lujzi, who dreamed of a playhouse she could retreat to with her friends. From Lujzi’s vision, the design team emerged with a functional tiny house which, in their words, is “more reminiscent of a beautiful design toy than a building.” “Lujzi has always enjoyed traveling - especially flying on aircraft, w...
When the owners of Grove House purchased their charming, heritage-listed residence in Woollahra in Sydney’s inner east, they were also investing in the preservation of one of the city’s shared private gardens. The clients had been looking to move for a year and it was this garden that really drew them in. Much like a secret garden, the serene oasis is hidden near a bustl...
Should the local/regional tradition be the basis for our project? Are we obliged to work according to local landscape and take into consideration the Masurian architectural heritage? Rural buildings for different purposes reflect different aspects of rural life and environmental relations. Should we accept this landscape and adjust our project to fit the region, or shoul...
The architects focused on creating an addition that runs parallel to the existing house connecting them with a singular linking element that contains a new mudroom, powder room, and hall. A pathway lined with plants runs alongside an exterior wood accent wall and guides visitors to the front door. The feature wall, made from Hemlock slats, starts as a backlit lantern a...
Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) transformed the 34-storey office tower, which was home of the Chicago Tribune newspaper from 1925 until 2018, into 162 condos. Designed by architects John Howell and Raymond Hood, the 463-foot (141-metre) skyscraper was the result of an international competition that attracted 260 entries by leading architects including Walter Gropius, Bruno...
Located near Biwa-ko, the largest freshwater lake in Japan, the U-House sits on an area of former wetland used for growing rice that was filled in after the second world war. Recognising the impacts that the climate crisis and rising sea levels may have on the site in the near future, Yokohama-based Ushijima Architects sought to create a house that could withstand flood...
Named The Courtyard Residence after the large garden space and swimming pool at its centre, FGR Architects organised the five-bedroom home as a "layering" of spaces, creating a buffer between the street and the interior's calm, minimal living areas. "The Courtyard Residence resembles a rectangular origami of concrete and glass. The project's ambition is a design of calm...
The formation of the landscape and a nearby aspen stand informed the exterior design while the interiors were inspired by the Danish concept of Hygge, creating a refuge to recover, rest, reflect and re-energize before heading out on the next adventure. The property is part of a high altitude plateau 7300 feet above sea level with a generally muted palette of grasses and...
The project displants on a regular beachfront estate with twenty linear meters in front of the sea of the Gulf of Mexico and twenty-four meters wide located right at the corner lot, these characteristics established the bases for the design of the project. The house was designed to prioritize the ocean views and seeking for the passing of the winds to provide freshness t...
MAD Architects founder Ma Yansong leads his team to complete UNIC, the studio’s first building in Europe, which now stands as a sculptural landmark in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. The thirteen-story residential work marks the latest development for the growing ‘eco-neighborhood’ of Clichy-Batignolles which the french capital is planning as a model for sustainable de...
Located in a remote area, the cabins, which act as tourist accommodation, have been designed as small houses and not just rooms, so that the owner can rent out the complex year round and not just during the vacation period. The project comprises eleven small cabins, including four different designs, ranging from 301sqft to 624sqft (28sqm to 58sqm). The cabins are distr...
The architecture of the house has been designed in such a way that it allows for as much of the view as possible while still shielding the interiors from harsh elements. Rooflines on the outer wings slope towards the center, giving the building a contemporary aesthetic, which is furthered by robust overhangs. Slatted upper windows shield the home from high summer rays ...
The architect’s vision was to contain these views and frame them within the home, using carefully placed windows in corridors and bedrooms for pocketed alpine and rural outlooks, and large-scale glazing in open-plan living spaces to fully enjoy the widespread vistas. Drawing inspiration from farmhouses and previously designed houses by the architect, the clients decided...
On a private lot engulfed by dense forest, the single-story glass house is made up of a series of boxes and glass walls. The striking black metal and wood exterior contrast the bright interior. In winter, the home is lit like a lantern, adding warmth on an otherwise cold night. The entryway of the home provides glimpses of the interior, while concrete floors have been...
Bulgari Lighthouse will be developed by Meraas in partnership with Bulgari, seamlessly blending the timeless glamour and design of the Italian jeweller with the contemporary architecture and exclusivity offered by Meraas. This is Bulgari’s third project in partnership with Meraas. Designed by world-renowned architecture firm, ACPV ARCHITECTS Antonio Citterio Patricia Vi...
The exterior morphology is arranged with the intention of taking full advantage of the buildability of its plot. Through its long diagonal, the pieces seem to connect only by their vertexes, but the interior is intertwined and in constant communication. The upper floor opens onto a large balcony: roof of the middle piece and whose limits expand in both directions; to th...
designboom reported the design plans of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) for its countryside looping villa in the city of Gug in Northern Denmark. Recently, the group has finished the residential villa that snakes from the ground up like a viper on a hunt. The architecture in Denmark begins at the end of the concrete road. It curves as it moves up, finishing with generous, uno...
A few kilometres from Brasilia, in an arid landscape dotted with the robust native vegetation of the Bioma Cerrado – the biologically richest tropical savannah in the world – Equipe Lamas has designed the buen retiro of a couple seeking tranquillity and contact with nature. The 375 square metre house is characterised by a simple and functional layout: four single-storey...
The octagonal spiderweb-shaped structure, designed for a family of four, has a slanted 45-degree angled roof, to create an expansive interior with desirable views, ventilation, natural light, and privacy. Inside the home, you can see the supporting legs that help to create a centripetal single-room space. The interior of the home includes 828 square feet (77 sqm) of op...
Stripped down, minimalist interiors swathed in natural materials and natural light constitute a muted yet soulful backdrop to the ever-present vistas as well as imbue the house with a contemplative ambience. Combined with a series of terraces, balconies and courtyards that are seamlessly connected with the interiors, the house is in essence a Zen retreat in tune with the...
The town of Los Reyes was a traditional town characteristic of being stony. It existed before the arrival of the Spaniards and was destined the housing the indigenous population of the region. In the last century, during the Reformation, Coyoacán was already an autonomous municipality composed of farms and villages, dedicated to agriculture and livestock. From 1928, Coyo...
Neighboring Bangkok’s vibrant Thong Lo neighborhood, known for its trendy bars, boutiques, and bistros, Sukhumvit THIRTY-EIGHT redefines the city's skyline with its unique sculpturally stacked volumes and adds new architectural qualities to the surrounding urban context. The residential tower will rise in a densely populated area of the city and will combine the benefits...
This welcoming elevation reflecting tropical modernism seamlessly blends into the landscape, creating a sense of curiosity in the observer as to what lies beyond while maintaining the privacy of residents. This humble east-facing house is heavily shaded and holds courtyards within to facilitate the free flow of air across the site. Porosity is maintained at all sides to ...
Initially planned as a volume surrounded by a fence and meant to be a ‘gated community, the architects proposed to break the plot into two parts to give back to the community a public space and create an urban door between the Village and the Park, the latter extending as a public square, inside the plot. The idea of a new community space, borrowing from the urban con...
When talking about the solution, architect Nikita Kapiturov’s answer was, “I didn’t have the heart to saw the log shell up for firewood. So, I sorted the logs out, and then it dawned on me: “What if I combined a log shell with light and heavy timber framing?” This resulted in the design of the house having the lower floor made from the logs. After sanding, the wood logs...
The current owners bought the house in a dilapidated state after more than a decade. They were delighted with the space surrounded by a forest and a small lake near the house. The architect Anna Kuk-Dutka was hired by the new owners who dreamed of transforming it into a contemporary rural retreat. The whole thing was followed by television cameras. The renovation was sh...
Urban living in today’s climate can be a challenge. Real estate comes at a premium and for those who want to dwell in cities, increasing the sense of space in a small apartment can be tricky. Dividing space into separate areas can make it feel compartmentalised and even smaller than it really is, but no one wants to feel like they’re living in a box. This is the challeng...
Created for an East Coast-based client who likes to entertain when in town, Breeze Blocks is a Beverly Hills house conceived to show off its contemporary architecture, variety of living spaces, and long, striking Los Angeles views. Its architects, locally based Kovac Design Studio, founded by Michael Kovac, made the most of the brief, crafting a home that effortlessly un...
Judging from the serene countryside scenes outside this striking residence in Austin, Texas, you wouldn’t be able to guess that the family home is just a stone’s throw from the booming downtown area. The project, designed in careful, warm minimalism by American architecture firm Studio DuBois and interiors practice Elizabeth Stanley Design, is the Austin house of Elizabe...
The six-storey building on a steep slope in Coatepec, a municipality of Veracruz with rolling hills and mesophilic forest, contains four apartments. With over 860 square meters to build on, Pardo decided to conserve more than 50 per cent of the land and build the apartments vertically on the site. "There was a concern to have the smallest footprint possible in its land...
The location of the building was chosen slightly away from the rest of the complex in the central part of a hilly valley near an existing water basin. The uniqueness of the site partly dictated the architectural expression - the triangle plan-shaped building responds to all the natural views around it. The main element of this house is the heavy archetypal roof which c...
Welcoming guests to the home is a simple entryway with a black front door and a minimalist bench. In the living room, large windows wrap around the room, while a fireplace draws the eye upwards to the cathedral ceiling. Adjacent to the fireplace is a sitting area that has views of the front garden and driveway. The dining area, with a wood table for eight, separates t...
One design element that caught our eye, are the curved seats that are included in the outdoor space of each micro-apartment. The lounge chairs, which add a curved element to the straight lines of the building, are made from coffee branches. The lounge seats are accessed via a pair of sliding glass doors from within the apartments. They can also be accessed from the poo...
Called The Perigon, the building will comprise seven interlocking towers that rise to a peak and then descend on both sides towards two separate waterfronts: the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Creek. It is OMA's first residential project in Miami Beach. "The towers are merged and lifted into a singular form that both responds to the potential for panoramic views and frees th...
Called Gardener's Cottage in reference to a structure that formerly occupied the site, the house is designed to appear as though it is "organically rising out of the ground" while echoing the traditional architecture in the nearby village. Its owner, who had been living in a six-bedroom manor house on the site but decided to downsize, approached Pad Studio to design a c...
