A summer house in rural Sweden reclaims materials and childhood daydreams. Architect Leo Qvarsebo designed the five-level retreat for his family. A meadow on the edge of a forest is an idyllic location. And the scarcely populated site provides unfettered connection with nature. Continue reading →

Surrounded by traditional clay tiled Japanese homes, this contemporary hillside house stands out with its clever geometry. And that interplay of form and light serves a purpose inside and out. Daylight, views, and privacy were paramount to the young client family. To achieve these goals, FORM / Kouichi Kimura Architects pushed and pulled surfaces and volumes around carefully selected vistas. Continue reading →

Skilled manipulation of simple wooden boxes creates a home that emanates Japanese simplicity and flexibility. Keisuke Kawaguchu + K2 Design created a modern home derived from centuries of proven Japanese architectural elements. The house makes the most of the natural environment while maintaining a calm privacy. Continue reading →

To overcome the possibility of flood waters entering this new home, Ben Adams Architects elevated the house 7.5 feet above the flood plain on concrete piers. Replacing a former dwelling, the single-family modern home is refreshingly unique to the community alongside the Thames in Weybridge. Continue reading →

Once again, creativity takes limited space to new heights and spatial richness. FRENTE Arquitectura carved a small artist studio in to the plot of a former storage space in Mexico City. In this residential neighborhood, they were restricted to a tiny area of just 27 sq.m. Day light is an artist’s best friend yet worst enemy if it’s too direct and glaring. Their challenge was to maximize useful light, garden views, and the sense of space. Continue reading →

Any architect loves a challenging steeply sloped site. Shogo Aratani Architect & Associates used the dramatic drop of 11 meters from the top to the bottom to their clients’ advantage in Nishinomiya, Japan. Three volumes, totaling 140 sq.m., firmly step down the rocky slope on concrete foundations. Wrapped predominately in black painted horizontal wood siding, three rectilinear forms display the perfect amount of grace and solidity. Continue reading →

What a fascinating study in the power of the built form and our ability to adapt it to our immediate needs. The deceptively simple wooden box was designed and built by architect Hans Peter Wörndl for the regional festival in Mondsee, Austria, in 1993. With 48 sq.m. over two and one half levels the temporary, and now removed, home reveals its potential through highly anticipated exploration. Continue reading →

La Cabotte is the name given to small wine growers’ huts. It is also the spirit emanating from this multi-purpose structure on a vineyard in Bollène, France. The project required a wine tasting room, an office, and wash areas for the wine growers, totaling 58 sq.m. h2o Architectes gave each purpose a separate volume radiating from a shared entrance core. These individual branches take in varying views of the vineyards and mountains. Continue reading →

The C2 House, a geometric and enigmatic structure, serves as a musician’s private weekend home. Located in Kawagichiko, Japan, not far from the famous Mt. Fuji, the geometrically precise appearance of this small house took much of its inspiration from the site’s challenging wooded slope and extreme weather conditions, both in summer and winter. Continue reading →

At just 8 m. by 12 m., the Three.one House by JYA-rchitects is a genius solution to compact, efficient, extended family housing. A small extension creates exterior storage and an enclosed entrance. Each unit is independent with compact open living on the main floor – kitchen, living, dining. A bathroom and storage tuck in to the back corner aside the stair. The stair wall provides storage as it leads to the sleeping loft above. Continue reading →