When a building attempts to use common materials in uncommon, and innovative ways, people tend to take notice. PATCH22 defies traditional thinking (and gravity) by using wood in a way typically reserved for the likes of inherently more structural carbon steel, and in the process is used as the backbone for the Netherlands’ tallest wood-only building. The ambitious project was designed by FRANTZEN Architects, and is much more than just a high-rise imposter, it is an apartment project sensible to both the natural characteristics of traditional material and the value of a flexible interior environment. Continue reading →

The ZA City Villa uses materiality and the sculptural qualities of light and shadow to create an architectural experience that culminates in a vertigo-inducing view across the sprawling city of Cape Town, South Africa. It’s the latest home design from ARRCC, and sits perched atop a cresting steep slope that provides all the inspiration the architect needed to craft a contemporary work seeded in the subtle power of natural modernism. Continue reading →

Office PROJECT architects collaborated with painter and writer Doctor Xu Hongquan to reinvent the use and spatial expression of an old factory building transformed into a modern home and studio. They conceived the Hall Within Cloud, a reinvention of material appropriation and functional orientation to breath new air into a crumbling, outdated structure that carried an enormous amount of sentimentality. It is a project rooted in preservation and the healing properties of natural light. Continue reading →

Spanish design firm Superhouse beats around zero bushes when declaring their mission for the 00/30 home series: set out to create 30 of the most incredible, luxury modern homes in the world for the super rich. Where this ostentatious goal lacks in humanity, modesty, or particular moral compass it more than makes up for in pure, unabashed architectural pornography. And I mean that in the best possible way. The first of these homes is a sleek, contemporary mansion sprawling forcefully over two floors, marking its territory with eye-popping interiors, incredible facades, and one killer exterior pool space. Continue reading →

The Estrade Residence by MU Architecture explores the ever-changing relationship between earth and water. Located prominently along the shores of Lac de la Cabine near Montreal, Canada, this modern mountain home develops an immediate connection to the steep slope that cascades alongside it, while pointing the experience beyond the hillside and out towards the distant body of water. The design balances this dichotomy with an elegant resolution by carrying itself carefully down the landscape, while being sure never to take your view away from the horizon. Continue reading →

The Dorman House by Andrew Maynard Architects is a determined example of preservation in the face of common practice. In the mind of the architect the ‘easy way out’ is a non-starter – a cop out many developers and homeowners fall victim to when faced with the realities and difficulties that come with an adaptive reuse project. This fact makes the Dorman House all the more remarkable. It is a modern conversion of an old Australian beach shack that turns heads as much as it raises eyebrows about the importance of remembering the past. Continue reading →

The Oak Pass House by Walker Workshop breathes new life into site-responsive architecture. It combines contemporary design sensibilities with an innate sense of place, resulting in a unique hillside home that embraces its surroundings while offering a few new and interesting things itself. As an architectural object it’s stunning. As a home on a distant plot of land surrounded by over 130 Coast Live Oak Trees, it is something incredibly special. Continue reading →

Steeped in the ancient history seeping from the traditional building it inhabits, and the piping hot tea it distributes, the Tea House in the Hutong district in Beijing is something truly special. It was constructed within an old building destined for demolition, but saved in order to give locals and distant visitors alike a place to gather, marvel, and relax with an authentically prepared cup of Chinese tea. The Tea House was designed by Arch Studio, and embodies the rich culture that surrounds while presenting new and interesting interior design. Continue reading →

Luxury apartments rarely enjoy such a playful sense of place. Just BE is an incubation project by Arqmov Workshop, situated in the Colonia Condesa neighborhood in Mexico City – and area well known for its social identity and thriving nightlife. The designers incorporated these cultural undertones with a contemporary structure that isn’t afraid to also embrace a more traditional Mexican vernacular. Continue reading →

The Garden Void House isn’t your typical suburban mini-mansion. Toronto based firm Alva Roy Architects saw to that when they designed a contemporary two story marvel in architectural composition and interior organization. Named for a vertically punched void containing a thriving garden, this house isn’t short on “wow” moments. From the second it’s visually demanding front facade grips your eye, it’s a lesson in how to do residential architecture right. Continue reading →