Library Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand The Library is a resort in Koh Samui, Thailand, where designer Tirawan Songsawat created a minimalist structure while intruding as little as possible on the site by building around old-growth trees. Guests may lose themselves among vegetation interspersed with artwork and statuary, contrasting a colour scheme in which white, red, black and grey predominate: the Library’s exterior is white, the swimming pool red, the restaurant grey. Interiors follow the same ultra minimalist palette and feature low-slung, rectilinear furnishings that invite visitors to stretch out and listen to the lapping of the waves – or of course dive into the books in the exemplary namesake library. View the website
Inspiring Home with One Garden per Level The Meera House was designed by Guz Architects and is located on the island of Sentosa in Singapore. We consider it a daring and original project- after all, not many homes feature green spaces for every floor of the building. Here is a short description from the architects: The plots on the island of Sentosa are not large and neighboring buildings are built close to the sides of each house. Thus our strategy was to build a solid wall to each side neighbor to provide privacy where possible, while creating a central light and stair well which would funnel the sea breeze through the centre of the building. The front and rear of the building meanwhile, terrace back allowing each storey to have visual or actual access to greenery. Photographer: Patrick Bingham Hall View the website
Utriai Residence Utriai Residence, designed by Architectural Bureau G.Natkevicius & Partners in Utriai, Lithuania. Villas Tarabini Villas Tarabini is located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, designed by Sanzpont Arquitectura. The premise of the project was to integrate the house to the ground while respecting the existing trees to maximize the natural shade provided us and be more environmentally conscious. The main challenge was to find the exact spot where to place the rudeness of the house and the general form was developed at the time to dodge trees and integrate within an overall design. So the site gives way to the House, while it coexists harmoniously. Timber is one of the main body of the house, gives warmth and a comfortable and natural, and is used to create arbors and sliding and folding shutters that provide shade and control the passage of direct sunlight and heat to interior. The design of the covers have blown large to shade on the terraces at the same time that open to make way for wind and refreshes across all areas of natural and organic. View the website
The Screen House Canadian architect Randy Bens designed the Screen House, a renovation of a 1950s house in a suburb of Vancouver, Canada. The Fish House by Guz Architects The Fish House was designed by Guz Architects. This modern tropical bungalow encapsulates the essence of living in the hot and humid climate of Singapore by creating open spaces which encourage natural ventilation and offer residents views to the ocean. It is a modest and yet luxurious residential design which gives residents opportunities to live in harmony and comfortably with nature.
Kooyong House By Matt Gibson Architecture The existing site contained a grand Victorian double front dwelling badly in need of repair. Upon persuasive encouragement and expert advice the client agreed to retain the front elements of the building. Following the removal of a previous addition, the extensive brief requested an upper level addition, garage & pool. Our choice (given depth of the site) was to separate rather than attach the new works to the rear of the existing building which availed textured areas of external space between old & new objects. 2 levels of new ‘L’ shaped floor area are stacked on top of each other at the rear utilising the limits of the site. The interior spatial logic of the original was flipped.
House in Pozuelo de Alarcón House in Pozuelo de Alarcón, designed by A-cero architecture studio in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid) Monk’s Shadow Residence Monk’s Shadow, named from a natural formation located nearby known as the Praying Monk, is a diverse contemporary residence designed by Kendle Design Collaborative and located in Paradise Valley, Arizona. According to the architects, this design of this project answers to the challenges of the existing site: A narrow lot with 60’ of vertical elevation combined with a restrictive Hillside Zoning Ordinance made designing a conventional home impossible. In response the home is divided by use: parents zone including master suite, primary family and entertainment functions, the teenager zone including bedrooms, game room, pool access and one of two garages and guest zone including a bed/bath suite and small great room that doubles as the owner’s home office. The levels are connected through stairs and each interior has commanding views of the distant mountains and the Valley of the Sun.
The Glass Pavilion Architect Steve Hermann calls this glass-walled home in Montecito, California, his “Opus”. It features five bedrooms, a kitchen with an wine room and an art gallery that displays his vintage car collection. Glen Irani Architects Hover House 2 aims to resolve the isolation of front yards from rear yards on small urban lots by the seemingly universal practice of building across the entire frontage of the lot. By massing the first level along the side lot line rather than the front lot line, essentially dedicating the entire depth of the lot to outdoor space, Hover House 2 successfully changes that rule. Hover House series is located in Venice, California, designed by Glen Irani Architects.
Sotogrande House by A-cero Architects Spanish architectural firm A-cero has completed the two story Sotogrande House . This 4,300 square foot concrete house is located in Cadiz, a city and port in southwestern Spain. Over the last few years, A-cero has built up quite the reputation with their bold and modern designs. The house is made of concrete and is decked out in all white. Inside, guests can kick back and relax in the large living area, separate TV room, dining room, or fully equipped kitchen. View the website