In Aichi, Japan there’s an enigmatic building called Small House. Apparently, this single-story volume conceals the required domestic program for a couple in their 50’s. A total floor area of 80sqm demonstrates the veracity behind the genesis of its name: Small House. Don´t be fooled by the scale and size of this contemporary residence for there’s a bunch of details that transform it into a real inhabitable diamond. Continue reading →

In Hyogo, Japan a multi-level house beautifully defies a challenging space in a deep tight site. House in Nada is a small single family home distributed in three levels occupying a total floor area of 63sqm. Nothing is what it seems inside this vertical building… Continue reading →

A bear brick toy is an anthropomorphized bear with an extremely simplified form and a pot belly released in several different sizes using a variety of materials, including wood, felt, and glow-in-the-dark plastic. Why am I telling you this? Because this house is full of them! In Cha-Am, Thailand Bear House works as an artificial habitat for these whimsical creatures and also as a second house for a family of four that collects feverishly each limited release. Continue reading →

Architecture is often similar to a sculptural exercise…House in Sanbonmatsu reveals this kind of resemblance. In Kagawa, Japan a two-story house occupies a site around twice the dimension of neighboring properties, so a gently sloping roof was developed in order to minimize the volume impact. Removed sections of this roof demonstrate the sculptural influences behind the design process, creating a central void for an open-air courtyard. A vibrant volumetric appearance seems to be perfectly merged in this suburban residential area. Continue reading →

House in Yoro testifies a truly architectonic metamorphosis! In Gifu, Japan a small two-story warehouse, with a total floor area of 132sqm, was transformed into a contemporary residence full of spatial surprises. Continue reading →

Step sites are always a changeling adventure to architects… Waiatarua House in Auckland, New Zealand is a consequence of such a challenging circumstance. This three-story volume has a building area of 225sqm and presents a formal composition based on overlapping blocks. This conceptual principle results from the desire of creating the minimum disturbance of the site’s natural topography. Continue reading →

When wood structures and recycled shipping containers are perfectly combined, a thin line is magically drawn between two opposite worlds: organic and industrial. The Savannah project illustrates the merging of these different realities into a single living space. The result: a contemporary green home created with two 3.7sqm recycled containers. Continue reading →

In Nantes, France there´s a unique house extension that delicately assembles new and old pieces of architectures. I’m talking about an L-shaped house with two different bodies and structures: an old two-story volume is now enriched by a modern extension of its previous domestic program. Built along the perimeter walls that separate the site from the surrounding street, House Extension occupies a privileged position with the original garden now transformed into an interior patio. Continue reading →

In Kyoto, Japan a sculptural volume assumes an intriguing presence in the suburb context of Muko. A two-story building stands perfectly disguised behind a wall of concrete vertical bars with a total floor area of 100sqm. This sort of formal mask contributes to its enigmatic appearance while creating the perfect filter from the street. Actually, the main facade curves around the south-east edge of the building to track the shape of a road running alongside. Continue reading →

It’s simple, it’s clear, it’s a pure manifest of merging opposite values into a single order. Rio Bonito House in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil represents an exquisite example of how to melt organic with industrial, archaic with modern techniques producing a minimal house full of moments, perfectly settled in its natural surrounding context. Continue reading →