Recycled shipping containers can be a box full of surprises for architects. Located in Hackney City Farm, Magnificent HQ is the headquarters of a non-profit organization called Magnificent Revolution. Created from a converted shipping container, this multipurpose space serves as a studio for creativity and learning. The space demonstrates and teaches energy efficiency principles, beginning with its own example as a prototype. Continue reading →

Aloni Residence in Antiparos, Greece, connects two adjacent hills without disrupting the surrounding landscape. A low single-story building with a total floor area of 237sqm seems to disappear in the sloped topography of this Greek island by using two long stone walls as the main facade. This ingenious solution creates a remarkable yet delicate answer to such a gentle context. Continue reading →

The perfect prefab solution for those who seek a modern nomad’s lifestyle is now available by the name of Portable Home APH80. A pitched roof building follows the shape of a traditional Spanish house in order to blend contemporary solutions with traditional values. We’re talking about a small 27sqm prefab cabin for two, equipped with all the basic necessities: kitchen, bathroom, and double bedroom. Continue reading →

How amazing is it for a family to see their former home being double-sized in the gentlest of ways… In Melbourne, Australia Profile House testifies such a remarkable conquest by extending the original 87sqm house by an additional 83sqm of total floor area. This unique architectonic transformation happens in a single-story building, using a new facade, referencing the surrounding brick and corrugated iron warehouses as well as the timber-clad exterior of the original building. A special effect was developed here: a wooden wall with a silhouette of three small buildings lines the edge of this contemporary house extension. Continue reading →

In a high-density city like Tokyo, Japan, small sites are common and tend to defy conventional living spaces. “A life with large opening” is a curious name for a house… However, this small 50sqm home is actually three-story high, and as you can see its name fits perfectly as two vertical volumes are separated by a narrow gap that functions as the access point from the street into the house. Continue reading →

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live in the middle of Hampshire’s New Forest National Park? Stoney Cross Low Energy House does while fulfilling all the requirements associated with Eco-friendly architecture. Located in a dense forest surrounding, this two-story building presents an audacious proposal to those who dare to inhabit wild natural environments. Two autonomous volumes with low-rise green roofs shelter the basic residential program of this beautiful home. Continue reading →

This tiny getaway home sits on a vantage point over a giant bay landscape in Oslo Fjord, Norway. Woody35 is a small wooden cabin that provides the minimum of 35sqm(!) – yet more than enough – space to enjoy a quiet and pleasant inhabitable experience. Surrounded by an astonishing forest scenario, Woody35 proclaims its own integration within this exquisite piece of nature by using exclusively maintenance-free wood materials. This ingenious decision dominates the entire composition of the house from interior to exterior areas. Continue reading →

Whether on a lake or in the woods, a tiny cabin can be all you need to get away from it all, and with the right planning it can also accommodate more than two people. Check out some of our favorite cabins – some as small as 96 sq. ft.! Continue reading →

In Nagano, Japan there’s a small building with a quiet presence as it seems to be born out of the grassy ground. This two-story volume with a total floor area of 146sqm sits on a soft southern slope, facing streets on the north and east facades and surrounded by a dense curtain of pine trees on the remaining elevations. The entrance area follows the natural topography of the site: a mineral path leads to the front door where one can experience the symbiotic relation between nature and architecture. Continue reading →

One might say that when an existing building is extended in space and volume, an addition takes place and a collection of various architectonic elements dominates the new composition. Sattler Smith Addition is an inspiring example of a modern renovation and extension to a small 1950‘s suburban house in one of Anchorage‘s older neighborhoods in Alaska. Continue reading →