Add the MU77 Residence to the top of the list of avant-garde Hollywood luxury homes with stunning valley views and futuristic, cantilevered formal expressions that suspend disbelief just as well as they suspend awe-inspired guests. It’s a celebrated work of architecture even Tony Stark would be proud to call home, and recently won the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA/LA) prestigious 2016 Design Award. Arshia Architects not only designed a structure that perfectly balances serenity and place, it pushes boundaries with an imposing visual presence rarely seen in residential architecture. Continue reading →

The ZEB Pilot House is what happens when a mad scientist specializing in environmental control joins forces with a savvy architect willing to embark in a ground-breaking experiment in intelligent building design. Snohetta Architects partnered with ZEB (The Research Center on Zero Emissions Buildings) to create a work of residential architecture that defies convention in both form and function. It is a rare combination of aesthetic intrigue and environmental achievement that shows how close art and science can come to convergence. Continue reading →

On the smallest Dutch island of Texel, there are equal populations of sheep and humans, and found scattered throughout the rolling grassy hills are isolated gabled roof structures that would typically contain supplies, tools, and hay. This exceptional holiday home, from Benthem Crouwel Architects, is meant to mimic the contextual and conceptual aesthetic of those traditional sheds while providing the inhabitants with a cozy modern retreat unlike anything we’ve seen. Continue reading →

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 Getaway Tiny Houses offers their guests a breath of fresh air – literally. With just a click of a keyboard button or a tap on your mobile device, you will soon be sitting in your own wooded getaway cabin set outside the city noise and workplace clutter. Oh, and did I mention the exact location of the cabins is a secret? 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 →

If you’re like me, you’ve probably wondered to yourself: “Hey, myself, what would it look like if I were to live in a small prefab house that looked like a giant French flag?” Well, my friend, you’re in luck! That’s exactly what design-build firm Pin-Up Houses has gifted the world.

The” French” is a tiny cabin fit for the rolling hills of Burgundy and is comprised of three overlapping interior spaces that correlate to each of the three colors of the French Flag. Sound crazy? It is. It also happens to be awesome. 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 Quintana 4598 is a rare mixture of modular construction and modern design, packaged together in a unique multi-family exploration of materiality and flexible interior programming. IR Architectura had breathed new life into a building typology that is notorious for sacrificing imagination for “whatever’s cheap.” The result is a cohesive structure that not only gives tenants the most for their money, it adds urban intrigue to an area in Saavedra, Argentina that was in sore need of a facelift. Continue reading →