Pedras Salgadas Eco Resort: 7 prefab cabins

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The common definition for modular architecture relies on composite buildings which can be made larger or smaller by adding or removing certain components. This can be done without altering larger portions of the building. Modular buildings can also undergo changes in functionality using the same process of adding or removing modular components. That’s what happens in the Eco Resort Pedras Salgadas. Continue reading

4 House: updating historical references

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In Dublin, Ireland there’s a two-story residence that emerges from the typical suburban landscape punctuated by 19th century buildings and also by the Knocklyon Castle. The original Knocklyon Castle dates back to the 15th century, so History is just around the corner from this particular piece of contemporary architecture. Continue reading

Toblerone House: a concrete divide

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Such an intriguing name for a house, don’t you agree? Toblerone is a chocolate bar brand well known for its distinctive prism shape. In Sao Paulo, Brazil there’s a contemporary two-story house named Toblerone with a total area of 519sqm. Maybe the reference comes from the fact that three expansive horizontal concrete planes divide the domestic program in a very efficient and original way. The ground floor is totally enveloped in glass walls while the first floor is wrapped in retractable wooden screens. Continue reading

Summer House: ahh, Greece…

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An inhabitable pearl for a summer house… In Naxos, Greece there’s a holiday residence that simply takes our breath away. Carefully positioned on a rocky inclined site with a magnificent sea view to the west, Summer House has been built for a family of five and their guests with a total area of 280sqm. A sinuous path leads to the main access: a large exterior staircase announces the exceptional architectonic solution for such a delicate topography. In fact, the mass of the stairway creates an amphitheater effect on the communal terrace with its sea view to the west. Continue reading

Maison 2g: from head to toe

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In Orsay, France there is a special building that assumes a perfect transition between urban and natural contexts: Maison 2g. This two-story volume with a total floor area of 216sqm is totally covered by strips of cedar cladding from head to toe: the entire facade composition and also the gabled roof respect this conceptual premise. The house is positioned at the end of a road by the forest, in the specific spot where the suburban fabric ends and the natural area begins. Continue reading

Morerava Cabins: eco-prefab on Easter Island

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Let me introduce you to a distinctive housing project made for a very special place: Morerava Cabins. This isn’t a conventional prefab cabin project because of the site for where it was meant to be erected: Easter Island. This Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean is one of the world’s most isolated inhabited islands. The challenge was to offer a low-impact retreat to visitors without damaging the already fragile Eco-system environment. Continue reading

Nakai House: a small Indian marvel

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Let me introduce you to a very special cabin built for a Navajo woman by a group of eight architecture students from the University of Colorado in the Utah desert, USA. This unusual constructive process reveals how sometimes less can be the ultimate more! Guided by a senior tutor, this courageous team of future architects rewards us with an outstanding achievement: a successful blend between traditional Navajo values and modern technologies. Continue reading

Prefab Addition: a house with butterfly wings

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A house extension with butterfly wings…Isn’t this something truly innovative and fresh? In Berkeley, California there’s a prefab building that captures the essence of two related worlds: an existing 1950’s house and its unique surrounding environment. In order to preserve the existing atmosphere designed by a popular landscape architect some cautions were taken as guidelines for the new house extension: two new structures and a recast landscape, all balanced with the original residence. Continue reading