An old building complex of a traditional farm gives place to an outstanding weekend home in Serra de Janeanes, Portugal. Is there something more poetic and inspirational than this? Traditional values are used as a formal platform to obtain a distinctive contemporary architecture. Stone attains a unique presence in this exquisite testimony of how to turn ancient ruins into new inhabitable spaces. The renovated house is totally contained within the rustic stonewalls of the existent agricultural complex and sheltered beneath a traditional clay-tile roof. Continue reading →

In Limpopo, South Africa there’s a beautiful renovation of a huge two-story 1132sqm villa. To fight against the excessive heat of the area, an ingenious plan was developed based on a natural cooling system via numerous water features, the pool and the large glazed openings which allow the sun to enter only during wintertime. Continue reading →

Located in a low-rise residential area in Bangkok, Thailand, this contemporary three-story villa is like a white shining cubic volume emerging from the lush garden area, partially floating over a water blanket that serves as a lap pool. This home is not the only volume on the lot, as it was built next to the original house, connected by an entrance hall. Continue reading →

In Austin, Texas there’s a sculptural concrete studio. A two-story building was specially conceived as a mineral vessel for two creative inhabitants who love the gentle art of gardening. What an unusual design reflecting a modern, almost raw, ambiance for such a natural delicate surrounding… Continue reading →

In Ontario, Canada there’s a building that deals with the landscape in a very unusual way. House in Calderon is a two-story building, with a total floor area of 400sqm, serving as a magnificent home for a family of four. A gravel path in the immense green landscape leads to this sort of hidden construction – a green roof contributes to a smooth integration where only two metallic skylights mark the exact location of this inhabitable chameleon. 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 →

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 →

In Singapore, the Wall House testifies to the greatest illusions of all in architecture – a building that assembles two separate houses into one. The illusion is composed by two autonomous blocks that sit on an extensive piece of land. Retired parents and one of their children are the reason behind such a unique concept of spatial fragmentation: a giant central courtyard at the entrance area connect the two volumes. Continue reading →

The name of the building illustrates the circumstances that lead to an unconventional solution for a residential program: House for a Musher. Mushing is related to a sport or transport method powered by the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow or a rig on dry land. The client is a professional dog musher and the location of this particular house is related to the background where all sport action takes place: Alaska. Continue reading →

Have you heard about Jeju Island? It is one of the nine provinces of South Korea that contains a natural World Heritage Site called Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. As you can see, there’s nothing conventional about this site… and this special circumstance lead to an unusual architectonic solution for a Resort house: Jeju Ball. Continue reading →