Category: Architecture

HOUSE AT 9,000 FEET

ARCHITECT: MACKAY-LYONS SWEETAPPLE ARCHITECTS
INTERMOUNTAIN REGION, USA
MLSARCHITECTS.CA

Perched at 9,000 feet in the Intermountain Region, this breathtaking five-bedroom ski house defies gravity with a design tailored to the dramatic terrain, where it “floats” on steel stilts, accessed by a bridge. Built to embrace 40 feet of annual snowfall and intense winds, the home captures expansive views of the valley and mountains through a continuous 88-foot window seat along its south side, maximizing passive solar gain. Inside, a vaulted cedar ceiling rises above the great room, anchored by a 24-foot soapstone hearth-kitchen island and warmed by clear white ash floors. The structure’s 100-foot elliptical form is clad in red cedar, while its concrete core accommodates four guest rooms, a media room, and a ski-in/ski-out entry on the ground level, all crafted to “touch the land lightly” and blend harmoniously with the rugged landscape.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NIC LEHOUX

CASA ODYSSIA

ARCHITECTS: KONSTANTINOS STATHOPOULOS AND KRAK. ARCHITECTS
CORFU, GREECE
KONSTANTINOSSTATHOPOULOS.COM

Casa Odyssia invites modern-day men to discover their own Ithaca, nestled in the lush northeastern hills of Corfu. At 250 meters above sea level, this serene retreat blends harmoniously with the natural landscape, growing among trees and rocks to offer stunning views and optimal sunlight. Designed around a central pillar, the structure unfolds in endless motion, with raw concrete forming spaces, boundaries, and breathtaking vistas. The residence, a seamless fusion of interior and exterior, opens up to a 180-degree view, with large, bright spaces that merge with the landscape during the summer. Minimalist lines, mirrors, and special lighting enhance the sense of infinite movement, making Casa Odyssia a tranquil haven of rest and reflection. Its 142 square meters can even be expanded, using the central pillar for future vertical extensions. Just like the rocks anchoring it to the wild landscape, Casa Odyssia is a refuge from urban life—an inspiring retreat where rest, meditation, and hospitality come together. Here, concrete transforms into a dreamlike home, guiding the guest on their own journey to Ithaca.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KONSTANTINOS STATHOPOULOS AND KRAK. ARCHITECTS

PROCLAMATION HOUSE

ARCHITECT: STATE OF KIN
SUBIACO, AUSTRALIA
STATEOFKIN.COM.AU

Proclamation House is a modern oasis nestled in the heart of Subiaco, seamlessly blending with its surroundings while offering a fresh take on the suburb’s architectural heritage. Designed for a multi-generational family, this home skillfully merges earthy, olive-toned hemp render with crisp aluminum awnings, echoing the area’s classic bullnose verandahs. The house features generous setbacks filled with native plants and fruit trees, creating a serene buffer between public and private spaces. Inside, light floods the open, immersive spaces through cleverly placed courtyards and voluminous light wells, while sustainable materials like hemp render regulate the home’s atmosphere. Bold architectural lines and thoughtfully arranged communal spaces ensure a harmonious balance between privacy, functionality, and connection. With custom furnishings and artistic accents, Proclamation House is a timeless blend of contemporary design and natural elements, crafted to meet the evolving needs of its occupants for years to come.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JACK LOVEL

AUDEUM (AUDIO MUSEUM)

ARCHITECT: KENGO KUMA AND ASSOCIATES
GANGNAM DISTRICT, SEOUL
KKAA.CO.JP

The Audeum (Audio Museum) in Seoul’s Gangnam district is an innovative museum where visitors can experience sound and other sensory elements in a space that merges architecture with nature. Its exterior, featuring vertically overlapping aluminum louvers, creates dynamic light and shadow effects, mimicking natural sunlight in a forest, while the interior uses soft wood finishes to enhance acoustics and evoke a connection to nature. This transition from the hard aluminum exterior to the warm wood interior stimulates all five senses, offering a unique sensory and healing experience that redefines the concept of a museum.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEE YONGBAEK, LEE NAMSUN, AND TAIKI FUKAO

HOUSE F

ARCHITECT: DELUGAN MEISSL ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS
SLOVENIA
DMAA.AT

Embedded in a gentle hilly landscape, the house complements an existing ensemble with its open angles and two intersecting saddle roofs, reflecting the site’s distinctive character. Completely closed towards the street, the generously glazed interior with its central living and dining area opens up to the impressive natural landscape. The spatial transition continues smoothly through a terrace laid out on several levels with a partially sheltered front area, each room offering a variety of visual connections internally as well as to the surrounding nature. Inside, the intersection of the roof and the overall height of the rooms is tangible, while the restrained use of materials, like white walls and polished screed, emphasizes the house’s unique geometry. The outer skin of the timber frame building features a wooden lamella facade, drawn over the saddle roof, giving the facade a plastic, dynamic appearance from different perspectives.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN BRANDSTÄTTER

TE ARAI HOUSE

ARCHITECT: FEARON HAY
TE ARAI, NEW ZEALAND
FEARONHAY.COM

Amongst the dunes and pine forests along the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island stands a pair of gabled timber sheds, their design a nod to the traditional timber working sheds of rural New Zealand. These buildings, strategically sited to create a relaxed and timeless occupation against the dune edge, feature a seating area and outdoor fire between them. To moderate light, air, view, and privacy, the house is layered with sliding timber shutters, and the timber cladding and roof are designed to age and silver, integrating seamlessly with the landscape. Timber used on the interior brings a cohesive feel to the building, blurring the line between indoors and outdoors, with the oiled interior timber providing warmth in contrast to the exterior. Inside, a combination of sloping and flat ceilings creates both intimate and voluminous spaces, and the raised, sloping ceilings feature a dado of timber down-stands that link the spaces and consolidate the glazing and shutter lines on the perimeter.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SIMON WILSON

NOT A HOTEL SETOUCHI

ARCHITECT: BJARKE INGELS GROUP
SAGI ISLAND, JAPAN
BIG.DK

Japanese hospitality group NOT A HOTEL partnered with Bjarke Ingels Group to expand its offerings with three new villas on Japan’s Sagi Island. Named ‘360,’ ‘270,’ and ‘180,’ these villas offer panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea and blend into the island’s natural landscape. Inspired by the harmony between Scandinavian and Japanese design, the resort uses local materials and promotes a connection to nature. Each villa is uniquely designed: ‘360’ offers 360-degree views with a central courtyard, ‘270’ features bathing spaces around a pool, and ‘180’ follows the coastal landscape with a seasonal courtyard. Traditional Japanese design elements are reimagined with modern touches, like glass façades inspired by shoji screens and rammed earth walls using local soil. The resort also features solar tile roofs, rainwater irrigation, and passive cooling systems.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BJARKE INGELS GROUP

STUBOBUOB GARDEN WORKSHOP

ARCHITECT: INNAUER-MATT ARCHITEKTEN
BEZAU, AUSTRIA
INNAUER-MATT.COM

Where watering cans and metal goods used to be mended, the Strubobuob garden workshop now offers beautiful and useful things for the garden and household. In order to bring together the garden workshop and tableware business areas, which were previously operated at separate locations, an extension for the garden workshop was to be added to the main building near the train station, which was renovated a few years ago. The small extension in the garden forms a new, shared forecourt with the existing house. A covered entrance area with generously opening display surfaces leads from here into the interior. The sales area is spread over two floors. While the ground floor is used to sell garden and decorative items, the attic is home to all kinds of household goods and crockery. Two striking side gables on the long sides borrow from the surrounding buildings and form a cross-shaped floor plan. These divide the interior functionally and also give the garden workshop as a commercial building a sustainable presence within the market town of Bezau.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ADOLF BEREUTER

LIBRARY HOUSE

ARCHITECT: FRIA FOLKET
SWEDEN
FRIAFOLKET.SE

Architectural studio Fria Folket has crafted the ‘Library House’ tailored for a ceramist and lawyer couple, keen on maintaining their extensive book collection while seeking individual working spaces yet shared tranquility. Nestled on the outskirts of a sparse pine forest bordering Lake Voxsjoen in Sweden, the house revolves around a central library encasing a serene courtyard, offering zones for living, working, and creative pursuits. Comprising four distinct buildings surrounding the library, each dedicated to specific functions such as cooking, arts, law, and rest, the design harmonizes with the sun’s trajectory throughout the day, culminating in the northern sanctuary. Privacy transitions seamlessly along this solar path, with strategic window placements and courtyard access facilitating movement between indoors and outdoors. Sustainability underscores the project, from the plastic-free construction to repurposing existing furniture, exemplifying a conscientious approach to reducing ecological impact. With a nod to Nordic traditions, the house embodies a rhythmic unity reflected in its structure, akin to musical beats on a sheet, symbolizing a harmonious blend of functionality and aesthetics.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRIA FOLKET

TOUCHING EDEN HOUSE

ARCHITECT: WALLFLOWER ARCHITECTURE
BUKIT TIMAH, SINGAPORE
WALLFLOWER.COM.SG

At the fringes of utopia, Touching Eden House emerges as a haven of tranquility and serenity amidst a tapestry of lush green overgrowth. Cloaked in vines and embraced by nature’s gentle graze, this ethereal retreat unveils itself at the edge of Singapore Botanic Gardens, where time languidly drifts amidst a symphony of life. The design philosophy seamlessly integrates natural elements, from meticulously landscaped gardens to floor-to-ceiling windows that blur boundaries between inside and outside, revealing breathtaking views of the surrounding greenery. With panoramic vistas of tree canopies from its elevated sanctuaries, this transformative dwelling nurtures both mind and body, infusing the atmosphere with whimsical charm. As daylight spills through the foliage, bathing the mansion in a golden glow, Touching Eden House emerges as a testament to the harmonious coexistence between urban living and nature, a sanctuary where dreams unfurl and the magic of nature intertwines seamlessly with human habitation.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FINBARR FALLON