The forms of Villa 3S have delighted me at once by the unity and scale of its design concept. The outer structure of this 1560 sq. ft. single family house in Graz, Austria is treated as a solid envelope, incorporating roof and walls. Located on a slope in an ideal open green meadow surrounded by woods, the house perfectly fits the environment, supplementing it and not dominating over it. Continue reading →

A weekend house by the sea – who wouldn’t love to have one? In Chiba, Japan there’s a black building called Onjuku Surf Shack made for a Tokyo-based couple that wanted a second home near the Pacific ocean. Continue reading →

Timber recycling is the process of turning waste into usable products. It is a practice that was popularized in the early 1990s as issues such as deforestation and climate change prompted both timber suppliers and consumers to turn to a more sustainable timber source. Recycling timber is the environmentally friendliest form of timber production and is customary in countries such as Australia where supplies of old wooden structures are plenty.

Peninsula House stands as a fine example of such an Eco-friendly statement. Located near Victoria’s coastline, this single floor house is constructed of up to 75 percent recycled timber. Continue reading →

Architecture should always deal with premises of transparency and movement… I’m talking about a house that’s capable of capturing the change of seasons in a very discrete way. In Woerden, The Netherlands, an exceptional three-story building, with a total floor area of 200sqm, testifies such a fine achievement: Quay House. How does this contemporary Dutch architecture works? Let’s untie this amazing domestic puzzle. Continue reading →

The perfect spot to appreciate the infinite Pacific Ocean is already taken by a special building in Chile. El Pangue House is positioned on a steep slope facing an outstanding panorama where the sun meets the sea… What a wonderful place to live in, don’t you agree? Let me guide you through this amazing project and its unexpected surprises. Continue reading →

The curious black elevation of the Charcoal House strikes passers-by with its unconventional form and the contrast it creates with the neighboring traditional detached houses. Put into the common residential housing context of one of the districts of Toronto, Canada, this dark plain facade almost looks like an art installation. Continue reading →

The most ambitious challenges in architecture always capture our heart and soul…In Switzerland a unique conversion demonstrates great respect for the existing vernacular architecture and great sensitivity to its rural settings, preserving the authenticity and exclusive spirit of the site.

To achieve such an honorable task, an ingenious design was carefully developed in order to obtain a certain aspect of invisibility… How? Let’s enter the village of Lesponne – in the mountainous region of the Hautes-Pyrenees – to examine an outstanding new extension of an old barn. Continue reading →

The Atlantic Coast of Ireland, the location of Connemara, the relics of two ancient cottages.. Sounds inspiring, doesn’t it? What remained from the original cottages were the basements and the lower parts of the walls. The architects restored the structure, using the same local material – the big-scaled stone which offers the variety of natural hues from greenish and gray through white and beige… Continue reading →

The white cube and the black ribbon – this is how I would basically describe this marvelous residential home in Heilbronn, Germany. The house body consists of two parts: the cube-like, white volume (originally built in 1929) and the dynamically unfolding, dark, brand new structure, which dominates over the original part. The modern part is higher and wider than the modest originally built cube, standing in contrast as a dark tape that wraps the structure in dynamic and exciting forms. Continue reading →

Are you familiar with the natural habitat of tree squirrels? This curious animal lives mostly among trees, collecting food and hiding inside tree trunks. The basis for their survival resides in the forest…The same starting point for the HemLoft by Joel Allen – a singular tree house located in the woods near Whistler in Canada’s British Columbia. The precise location of the house is a secret though because it’s built on government property without any kind of legal permission. Continue reading →