Villa K is a wondrous architectural object plucked from the imagination of ARCHITECTENCSK and placed on the landscape so as not to disturb the natural beauty surrounding it. An unusual floor plan curves around the site, following the natural topography where it can and protruding over when it can’t. Every existing tree becomes a landmark. Every undulation turns into an opportunity. This luxury home takes advantage of site and stage in a way few are able to do – and it does so with undeniable style. Continue reading →

The conceptual force behind the Vijayawada Garden Estate is an architectural taboo rarely attempted at such a scale and with such visual flair. The idea is a walking contradiction: design a prefabricated building system giving individual owners control over the end-product as if they were designing their own homes. Prefab casts the assumption that standardization is required in order to maintain quality control and manageable construction costs. Design firm Penda has an ambitious solution that manifests itself in this elegant system of ecological assembly. Continue reading →

Sometimes the best way to honor what’s come before is to build upon where it left off. That was the notion given to la SHED architecture when they designed this stunning contemporary home in place of a dated, worn, and very much ordinary suburb home. The old home was stripped down to its foundations, which is exactly where la SHED began designing. The result is a stroke of architectural brilliance that is nothing short of extraordinary. Continue reading →

Copenhagen is well known for its immersive and engaging network of canals, waterfront boardwalks and, as you see here, pedestrian bridges. This unique example – designed by famous Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson – takes design cues from surrounding architecture mixed with a formal dedication to the local boating culture. It’s called the Cirkelbroen, and it aims to bring city dwellers closer to the water that is such a large part of the place they call home. Continue reading →

It all starts with a site: a majestic plot of land nestled on a sloped bank of the Pacific Ocean in West Vancouver, B.C. Throw in overlapping cubes of concrete and glass, warm accents of wood and light, and a breathtaking waterfront view and you’ve got yourself a recipe for architectural bliss. Splice Design gives us the Russet Residence – a sprawling modern mansion that emerges from a direct formal and material response to existing topography and native vegetation. And did I mention the view? Continue reading →

If it were appropriate to whistle appreciatively at a structure, we would be standing outside the Monad Project like a parrot in heat. The Monad Project by LWPAC is a 12,600 square foot structure of revolutionary urban sustainability, and is as beautiful to look at as it is to live in. Continue reading →

To the outside world, Toronto might be considered a cold Canadian city with visions of dogsleds and Mounted Police dancing in their head. But for those who live there, they know very well what a cultural metropolis it truly is – offering four distinct seasons and a plethora of beautiful locations in which to visit. The Grotto Sauna by PARTISANS is a fabulous example of exactly the type of random beauty you will find there. This Georgian Bay, Ontario prefab gem boasts of 800 square feet of specialized steam, sculpted to utter perfection. Continue reading →

The Creative House, by Z_Lab Design Group is… well… creative. A common predicament that many face when confronted with an extreme renovation such as this home is “do we tear it down or do we keep it?” Understandably, local zoning and permitting restrictions may fully or partially dictate what can be done, but in the instance of the Creative house, in Seoul’s Changsin-Dong district, Z_Lab took on a full renovation in every sense of the word. Continue reading →

“Grow Up” is the name of a breathtaking exhibit created by Katarina Pridavkova, a Slovakian surrealist painter and sculptor. Pridavkova spent a year in Mallorca, Spain and was inspired by its streets and beauty. She in turn created an exceptional piece of miniature architecture that invites its viewers to enter a magical world of colorful homes with sculptured balconies and loosely hanging cables on the rooftops and imagine what it would be like to grow up in such an environment. Continue reading →

The Wind Vault house, by Wallflower Architecture + Design, has quite an interesting presence upon approach. The exterior of the home is visually striking – a merger of interesting shapes derived from the raised “concrete tube” design. The facade is distinctly concrete, however, as if completely hollowed out, the open ends of the home are clad in horizontal wooden louvers that are both functional and aesthetically appealing. Continue reading →