If legendary modernist architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe ever had his body reanimated and moved into a roadside home near the city of Hobart, Tasmania, it would probably be the Highway House. Designed by architecture firm Room11, the single story home boasts a modest rectangular frame that appears gently hung from the clouds as it hovers over a daunting ravine below. The simplicity in its execution harkens back to a time when “less is more” went beyond trite cliche and actually held artistic meaning. The beauty of the Highway House lies in it’s simplicity, giving credence to the mantra of a time too often ignored in today’s residential design. Continue reading →

The Breathing Wall Residence gives new meaning to the term “ecological architecture.” This brazen contemporary effort from Lijo.Reny.Architects utilizes a semi-conditioned central courtyard filled with plants and trees to naturally filter air and light throughout the rest of the house. Taking that concept a step further, the designers have integrated a breathing wall system where living plants act to passively heat and cool interiors without the need for active, resource consuming climate control techniques. It also happens to be a stunning example of materiality, spatial organization and overall jaw-dropping appearance. Continue reading →

Famed sculptor Janek Jarnuszkiewicz collaborated with architects Claude Hamelin and Loukas Yiacouvakis to design a contemporary, forest home that encapsulates the personality and style only an accomplished artist could provide. The concept was built upon a layering preconceived rules established by the designers as a way to guide their hand when positioning program, space, and volumetric expressions. It can only be described as ‘sculptural.’ The result of these rigorous parameters is a stunning achievement that is much more than simply an object of the owner’s affection. Continue reading →

Saunas and bathhouses have always been an important aspect of the Finnish culture. It would make sense, then, that the revitalization project for Hernesaari – a formerly industrial area of Helsinki – would start with the construction of a public sauna and gathering space. Avanto Architects designed the Sauna Loyly as a cultural response to an area in desperate need of life and vigor. The unique faceted pavilion contains a traditional sauna and is meant to be the focal point of a waterfront installation that marks the emergence of a coastal park and urban residential development. Continue reading →

The Newberg residence skips softly over a serene pond in the middle of a quiet forest in Oregon. It’s connection to nature isn’t simply visual – it’s deeply rooted in the conceptual force that allowed Cutler Anderson Architects to bring this vision to life. The client wanted his home to reflect the emotional connection he’s always had to the living world. The home’s modest stature, in all it’s spindly glory, reinforces this symbiosis while standing on its own as a remarkable achievement in residential architecture. Continue reading →

A modern home fit for a winery. This is the Red Hill Residence – a stunning contemporary masterpiece that rests perfectly and gently on the Red Hill Winery in Victoria, Australia. Finnis Architects designed the home for the owners of the winery after they successfully finished working on the winery itself. The owners were so impressed with their design of the primary winery structure, they enlisted the architects to give them the same treatment for their on-site home.
And just like us, they came away impressed once again. Continue reading →

The “Blanche” Chalet is a calm, quiet expression of raw architectural simplicity. Few formal embellishments were necessary to create this marvel of subdued intersecting geometries, resulting in a pure and simple collection of inhabitable nodes. ADCF Architecture managed to cram an incredible amount of design into something that, at face value, appears so nonchalant. But a deeper dive into the nuance and thought given to this modern chalet reveals something altogether remarkable. Continue reading →

The Main Stay House is a prairie-style inspired home that uses directional materiality to organize space and bifurcate interior functions. The design by Austin, Texas based firm MF Architecture contrasts an almost century-old vernacular against modern amenities and an open floor plan to create something truly unique. It is site specific, regionally appropriate, and just the right amount of insane. Continue reading →

With strong conceptual ties to the International style of legendary architects such as Mies Van Der Rohe and Walter Gropius, the Rosenberry Residence by Les architectes FABG converges its clean, modern lines and subdued formal expression at an apex of contemporary architectural wonder. The structure occupies a site populated heavily by towering trees, yet it finds place in being a stoic man-made structure that never loses respect for the majestic countryside. Continue reading →

The Dupli Dos is swimming with beauty thanks to the infinity swimming pool, which graces the front terrace overlooking an expansive ocean as far as the eye can see. This palatial space is the combination of two duplex apartments renovated and converted into a single residence that appears more like a luxurious seaside retreat, all courtesy of JUMA Architects. Continue reading →