One might say that in architecture the site makes the project… House in Aroeira in Portugal testifies to this idea where a hexagonal-shaped site surrounded by pine trees has determined the volume of a one-story building with 300sqm of constructed area. This summer house covers up the maximum possible area, repeating the peculiar shape of the site. The program is arranged around a green courtyard, articulating each interior room as an extension of this central space. Continue reading →

A fingerprint – in its conventional sense – is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In fact, fingerprints are traces of an impression from a certain element over another. Casa MP in Sesma, Spain demonstrates how in architecture a single material can leave a strong fingerprint on the entire surface of a building. Continue reading →

In Gijon, Spain there´s a special building that conceals a balanced relation between architecture, program and topography. Single Family House and Atelier is a two-story residence with a total floor area of 395sqm. Its exceptional design is based on the conceptual approach adopted to answer a handful of distinct factors: the need to merge in a single building a house and an atelier. Continue reading →

Fertile is commonly associated with something that’s capable of producing vegetation…So, how can a house be fertile? The answer is clearly revealed in Tours, France. Positioned within a dense city block in a corner lot, Fertile House forms a U-shaped volume around a central open-air courtyard. In fact, the whole program is deliberately turning its back to the street facades. Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

One house for four families across three generations…What a challenging program for an architect, don’t you agree? Well, there’s a real architectonic answer for this numeric equation in Singapore: Cluny Road Residence. This three-story volume is organized in a two-L-shaped halves composition that folds around a courtyard garden and two pools of water. As you can imagine, the total floor area of this multi-family house is something completely taken out of the ordinary…We are talking about 2.800sqm of constructed area! Continue reading →

Charles Darwin once said: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” I firmly believe that it’s the same in architecture… In Portugal, there’s a fine example of a converted survival construction: Converted Stales in Sitio da Leziria. An ancient row of stables has been restored in order to create a summer retreat for a family presenting a total area of 212sqm. Continue reading →

A very significant example of fusing architecture with nature is brilliantly conquered in the following project: Dutch Mountain is a house that stands partially buried in a mound of earth at a Dutch Nature Reserve. Its peculiar name reveals the concept behind the making of such a fine architectural statement: an artificial hill camouflages the entire building on its northern facade and creates an organic layer of insulation around the perimeter walls during the coldest season. Once again, an ecological footprint sets the premise for a sensitive use of Mother Nature resources. Continue reading →