Architect: Krawitz Architecture
Type: residential – single family residence
Location: Bessancourt, France
Year:2009

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Architect: Olson Kundig Architects
Project Team: Tom Kundig, FAIA, design principal; Steven Rainville, project architect; Debbie Kennedy, interior designer
Consultants: Turner Exhibits (gizmo fabricator and engineer); Monte Clark Engineering (structural engineering); Moser, Inc. (design/build mechanical system)
Craftspeople: All New Glass (big window); Star Steel (steel structure, bong); Steve Clark (table fabricator, cabinets, beds)
Contractor: MC Construction

The idea for the cabin is that of a lakeside shelter in the woods—a little box with a big window that opens to the surrounding landscape. The cabin’s big window-wall (30 feet by 20 feet) opens the entire living space to the forest and lake. Read the rest of this entry »

Architect: Maziar Behrooz Architecture
Project Name: Art Studio
Location: Amagansett, NY
Floor Area: 840 sf
Photography: Dalton Portella and Francine Fleischer

The client needed an art studio close to her house (which we renovated in 2008). Her requirements were for a space of about 700 sf and a stringent budget; and for a simple structure that would be both inviting and reflective. Read the rest of this entry »

Architects: Olgga Architects
Location: Nantes, France
Client: Le Lieu Unique
Consultants: Home Bois Distribution
Project Area: 22 sqm
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Fabienne Delafraye & Olgga Architects

The flake house, a nomadic, road-gauged dwelling, has been conceived to clad the places wherever it lands, as to transpose theses in an unusual vision. A poetical shelter, a “folie”,that merges low-tech and hi-tech. The interior finish is smooth and stripped down as to contrast with the traditional look of the external log cladding.

Created in 2006 for the competition “Petites machines à habiter” held by the CAUE 72, OLGGA’ proposal for this nomadic wooden shelter is based on the concept of the «folie», where the wooden structure is broken in two halves establishing a radical spatial boundary while materializing an unexpected entry sequence. Read the rest of this entry »

Architect: MacGabhann Architects
Team Credits: Tarla MacGabhann, Antoin MacGabhann, Niels Merschbrock & Barry Maguire
Completed: 2006-2007
Awards: Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, Public Choice Award
Best house 2008 Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, Irish Architecture Awards 2008
Photographic Credits: Dennis Gilbert

Standing vigilant over a northern Fjord in Ireland, the Tuath na Mara Residence, by MacGabhann Architectsappears solid as a rock. Zinc clad for resilience, the low slung house blends seamlessly into the heather-covered rocky landscape, its own seams, echoing the strata of surrounding rocks. Contrasting a well hunkered core, the roof line warps and twists upwards like wonderful grey weathered seaweed, revealing the surrounding views to the living areas. Read the rest of this entry »

Architect: Studio di Architettura Marco Castelletti
Project location: Como Italy
Interior design: Studio di Architettura Marco Castelletti
Landscape design: Studio di Architettura Marco Castelletti
Structural design: Ingeneer. Vittorio Montanini
HVAC design: Ingeneer. Vittorio Montanini
Lighting design: Zumtobel
Site Area: 3000 sq/mt
Built up area: 200 sq/mt
Budget: 750.000,00 euro

A near vertical site in Como, with stunning views, let Marco Castelletti nod to local Italian architecture of the thirties, whilst bringing his clients a modernist house, proportioned and segmented with precision. The project’s main idea gave the name to the building: casa del masso.” Marco Castelletti. The house, set on a steep slope above the street, can be clearly seen across the lake. The building stands by the side of the client’s old house designed by engineer Luciano Trolli in 1955, and it takes advantage of a little tract of flat land, as does the original residence. The house is linked to the street by a long flight of steps which wind along the slope and down to the house, which is organised over two floors. Read the rest of this entry »

Architect: Clinton Murray
Project team: Polly Harbison (Project Architect), Tanja Klocker, Jeff Umansky
Location: Bundeena, New South Wales
Builder: Bellavarde Constructions
Structural Engineer: O’Hearn Consulting
Landscape Architect: 360 degrees
Photographer: Simon Kenny

Huge boulders throughout the cliff side, would have made slapping a wooden prefab house on the top of the plot the easiest option. Choosing instead to hide the house well down the plot near the breaking shoreline, posed challenges, yet rewarded both the architect and owners with stunning results. It also appeased the planning officials and nearby residents.

“The linear site is divided midway by a massive rock face, defining two distinct levels. The natural, sheltered enclave at the base of the rock face is where we believed the building belonged.” Tucked into the hillside, the copper clad roof has set out to weather itself in the ocean green shade of the bay beyond, further minimising the impact of the building for neighbours above. Read the rest of this entry »

Architect. On Office – Joao Vieira Costa, Leon Rost, Ricardo Guedes, Francesco Moncada
Collaborator: Tudor Vlasceanu
Location: Oslo, Norway
Program: 500 m2 (residential)
Client: Hecht
Status: Cancelled

On Office (Joao Vieira Costa, Leon Rost, Ricardo Guedes, Francesco Moncada) designed a housing project located right outside Oslo.  Since the existing neighborhood presents the same architectural atmosphere, where nature and landscape dominate the land between houses, for this project, the architects wanted to preserve that natural and built relationship. Read the rest of this entry »

Architect Tennent + Brown Architects
Location: Pelourus Sound, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand
Project Year: 2007

Tennent + Brown Architects landed their clients lodge softly in Pelourus Sound. The cozy wood fired lofts and separate living pavilion combine in a perfect self sustained retreat. Photovoltaics, rainwater harvesting and solar concious design combine with modern chic and warehouse like solidity of the steel frame construction. Read the rest of this entry »

Architects: Suppose Design Office
Location: Saijo,Higashihiroshima,Hiroshima,Japan
Program: Personal house
Site area: 246 sqm
Building area: 50.41m
Total floor area: 115.51 sqm
Photographs: Toshiyuki Yano from Nacasa&Partners Inc.

A client is a couple with three children hoped there are bright openhearted space, and keeping the privacy. This site is a field before, and bearing stratum is in the minus one meter from the ground side.Therefore, we thought support according to the composition of not the ground improvement, but a half underground from the beginning of the plan. The leftover soil by excavating the ground was used to making the hill, that thing is enabled the function of the garden on the exterior and guard their privacy from, house’s neighborhood. The upper floors than a half underground are composed by only the pyrami-shaped roof, the lighting was token in the skylight. Read the rest of this entry »