Great use of pulley systems! ------------------------------------- The goal of this project was to transform an existing storage on the roof of a residential apartment to a livable place. Considering the fact that existing space was very limited, design team initial concept was to incorporate all the residential...
Why not! ------------------------------ Dutch firm Studio Komma is working on a ground-breaking circular housing concept that would transform cargo ships into luxury homes. The Marine-doc Estate is an ambitious project that will develop various sustainable communities featuring multiple retired merchant ships converted into luxury eco-homes with expansive green roofs and plenty...
Simple elegance with interconnected concrete cubes. -------------------------------------------------------------- Architects Fernanda Canales and Claudia Rodriguez completed a unique weekend home that consists of nine pavilion-like volumes, each carefully positioned for optimal views. Located in a rural site just a few hours outside Mexico City, the 6,500-square-foot holiday retreat — named Casa Bruma...
Very simple design but well executed. ------------------------ The clients, a couple with a small child seeking tranquility for their day to day life, decided to build a house in a closed condominium, in a city near Porto Alegre. In spite of the choice of this refuge, they...
This house is very expansive and open in side. ------------------------------------------------- What drives us in the process of designing this two houses is the possibility to distort and compose with a notion of nature, at the same time wild and artificial. A thin layer of soil floats a...
I've got a thing for Cantilevers :-) -------------------- Cantilevers, structures that protrude from a building without the need for supports, are highly popular not only for their dramatic aesthetic effect, but also for the demonstration of technical mastery involved in their development. But we rarely see cantilevers in...
Simple use of containers. ----------------------------------- A House Full of Sun This place was originally used by the owner’s mother for clothing storage as well as a living. Now, as the owner and his work employees were to live here, it needed to transform into a new space. The...
Commercial use is catching on! ---------------------------------------------- Central Florida might soon become one of the few places in the nation using metal shipping containers to build affordable apartment complexes. JP Morgan Chase funded $600,000 so that the nonprofit Crisis Housing Solutions could launch about two dozen units expected to...
Massive slopes for air movement and CorTen Steel! ------------------------------------- Central Arizona College is betting on sustainable construction and higher education to bring the community of Maricopa, a poster child of the housing crash, back to its feet. The university hired SmithGroupJJRto design and build a stunning new college campus...
Very simple and creative use of recycled materials. ---------------------------------------- The house sits on the southeast slope of Ullastrell, a tranquil village about 45 minutes from Barcelona. An old concrete mass wall contains the inclined terrain, which is 4 meters high above the street. We chose to preserve it...