This small brick house, dated from the second half of the 19th century, was in a deteriorated state when it was bought by the current owners. The building had hosted different functions during its existence, like coach-building workshop or an artists’ studio. Frankly speaking, I’m not sure if I would buy such a thing (not really valuable from the historic point of view) and in such a technical state, but the new owners had a strong vision and succeeded in turning the structure into an interesting place with its own distinct style. Continue reading →

As I saw the Horinouchi House in Tokyo I was immediately fascinated! It was love at first sight, and I’m not exaggerating. First of all, the shape of the house is really catchy, even if you don’t admire the proportions or color, the image of the house itself is so positive that I’m sure you can’t help smiling (…because I am, all the time, while writing this).

Some people might laugh at me (again, it’s always good to give somebody a reason to smile), nevertheless I’m deeply convinced that this project is a fine example of what modern architecture is all about: to give one’s imagination some food, not to leave one careless, to be interesting, and to be positive in its idea and message. To me, all of this is carried out beautifully in the Horinouchi House. Continue reading →

This black chunk of building is surprisingly inviting. It invites you to explore what the heck is this weird dark block doing on the peaceful lawn. Some of you might consider it dull or think some other unworthy things, but you will be mistaken! Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to one of today’s biggest trends – modern rural architecture (in case you are not in the loop). Continue reading →

Gerold Peham believes that one’s home is not only meant for living, but also is an expression of one’s individual living philosophy. He also thinks that our home is a place of change, a place where your living circumstances may change from time to time (which they do as I’m looking at my ‘suddenly’ pregnant cousin). As a result, he invented the nomadhome – a ready-to-live, modular structure, which can be put wherever you like and can be easily made smaller or bigger. Continue reading →

Located in Tucson, Arizona, this 1,500 sq. ft. home was built for a single man in his mid 30’s. Being a married woman of 25, I’m not a big specialist in bachelor pads, but this is what I would call ‘The ultimate bachelor pad’.

It’s got everything a modern young man would dream of: extravagant minimalism, dark wall surfaces, classic pieces of furniture – all wrapped up in a post-modernistic spirit of interior design. Continue reading →

This small modern prefab house, designed by Hive-Modular,is called ‘B-Line Small 002’ and is situated in Minneapolis.However, its name is the only complicated thing about this 1,420 sq. ft. family home.

Clear lines, unambiguous colors, unpretentious, yet functional form is displayed throughout this house – its windows, roof, siding of the walls, and the harmony of volumes – all these elements make the house what I call ‘architecturally good and/or proper’. What you see is the HOUSE itself (not design, not some style of architecture etc.), you just see a properly made home for people who are content with their lives and the spaces they live in. Continue reading →

When I saw this photo I thought to myself: wow, this is a tight space; I mean it’s London’s Notting Hill and all, but still I couldn’t imagine how a family could possibly live there. Well, it seems I was wrong because architect Luke Tozer managed to successfully utilize a tiny urban lot – only eight foot wide- to squeeze in a four-story environmentally-friendly home. Continue reading →

What do you do when you’re confronted with the challenge of building your home on a narrow lot? You better find yourself an extremely creative architect, like Atsushi and Mayumi Kawamoto. Just look at what they’ve done with this place… Continue reading →

This unique small outbuilding serves as an extension of the campus for Aldeburgh Music in Suffolk. It combines old and new, modern and traditional in the most fascinating way – a Corten steel structure was prefabricated and craned into position on top of an existing ruin. The new prefab studio seems to be growing out of the original brickwork, soon to be covered by natural vegetation. Continue reading →

This could possibly be my dream home – it’s modern, compact, efficient, and affordable, surrounded by trees and greenery in a laid back town.
The house features 1,650 sq. ft. of space, consisting of an open kitchen with French doors leading to a patio with a fire pit on the first floor – check!
a home office, bedroom, guest room and yoga space on the second floor – check!
All I can say is that if I ever need to draft a home plan, that would be it. Continue reading →