Traditional constructions have a certain charm, maybe because of the organic dimension that constantly comes with the presence of natural materials like stone or wood. La Palissa House contains that exquisite quality!

Located in Baix Emporda, Spain, an old building from the XVIth century was rehabilitated and improved with modern life comfort, resulting in a contemporary holiday home with a tempered combination between the old and the new. Continue reading →

Reinventing a heritage building is always a hard challenge for architects…especially when continuity assumes the conceptual bridge between past, present and future. I’m talking about the priceless value of tradition as an element to be preserved as a vital part of a profound rehabilitation.

The Seaside Single House used to be an old agricultural warehouse in Tuscany, Italy. Its ruins gave birth to an outstanding project with only 90 sq. m. of building area. Placed at the top of a mountain, overlooking the sea and the surrounded islands, this small seaside house accomplished the most out of almost nothing! Continue reading →

Once again, Japanese architects remind us how less can be definitely more! In a drastically constrained area, Life in Spiral presents an inspired concept for domestic living spaces…

An exceptional promenade staircase turns this tiny four story building (total floor area of 109 sq. m.) into an amazing trip through all spaces of a conventional housing program! A spiraling stairway captures our interest even before we enter the house: the transparent facades deliberately expose this dynamic element to the city of Tokyo! It’s almost like an urban sculpture, don’t you think? Continue reading →

A small modern farmhouse rests quietly in the countryside of Iowa… This 88 sq. m. building irradiates a peaceful and serene atmosphere to the pastoral acres that surround it in all directions. Carefully positioned, the Yum Yum Farm blends modern design with a rural landscape – Quite a challenging union for such an apparent opposite elements… Continue reading →

A complex program often leads to outstanding results in architecture… In Shiga, Japan, an unusual wish gave birth to the House in Hieidaira – a small family home for three generations: grandparents, parents and children. To add even more complexity to this project, a space for work must be related to the dynamic living of this unusual house.

What were the solutions for this challenging program? A plan (with only 116 sq. m.) was developed in which 3 compact autonomous volumes – one for the client’s family, other for his parents and an atelier space – respect the sloped roofs that mark the residential surrounding area. Continue reading →

Imagine a house with perforated inner walls instead of conventional doors… In Amagi, Japan, a tiny house testifies the result of such an unusual concept! The challenge was direct and simple: a small residence for a family of three (only 82.81 sq .m. of building area) located in a plot full of fruit trees and a very special cherry tree. Nature plays a crucial role in the design of this home, creating the perfect balance between inside and outside spaces. Continue reading →

This unique, almost alien-looking house is located on a beautiful slope near the Kamei Park, in Hiroshima, Japan. The black body of this small, two-story private home (1,243 sq. ft.) looks very unusual and stimulates the imagination, mostlyl because of its bold structural system. Continue reading →

The project that I’m about to introduce you to is a testimony of transforming a problem into the starting point of an ingenious solution. In Paris, France, a small house with an area of 60 sq. m. (distributed on two levels) is situated in a backyard site with an exceptionally narrow area.

Enclosed and wet because of the existence of an underground aqueduct, the building is covered in darkness as the nearby buildings and a 20 meters high wall cover any possibility of natural light. So the challenge was to bring this house from darkness to light. Continue reading →

Have you seen the movie “Dogville” by Lars von Trier? Remember how the entire surroundings of the town were created – the houses were just painted as floor plans on the dark theatrical surface while various objects were placed to show the function of a room or space (for example, the fragment of the church tower hanging in the air).. Actors just pretended to knock on the door of the imaginary house.. Yet, I got the atmosphere of the town as I watched the film and I remember it well.

The House NA in Tokyo resembles this scenery concept. It is not a real house, but a transparent steel structure with small floor plates on different levels. The project area is 914 sq.ft. It looks like a building, however it has no traditional windows, no doors, no ceilings, and no walls. Continue reading →

A modular house that can be personalized is always a fresh statement in architecture, and the Mima House is no different. A small prototype is now available in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, for the most adventurous believers in modular housing. A prefabricated cabin aims for a flexible, light and fast produced construction. The cost of this 36 sq. m. volume is similar in cost to a mid-range car. Very attractive price for a house which can be erected in every kind of site and climate! Continue reading →