Impressive student built dwellings. Rusty boxes seem so fitting and blend in surprisingly well in the high desert. More information here.
Nojiri-ko Nature Platforms / SUGAWARADAISUKE
This project so interestingly blurs the lines between: up/down, in/out, hi vs low tech. More here.
Shout out to Dan Sjogren for sending my way.
hanging stairs (alternating tread)
In the early nineties, some friends were building a set of these (not nearly as minimal) in Fayetteville AR - ever since, I’ve wanted to incorporate some into a small cabin or tiny house.
NOTE: You can almost picture a disaster at the bottom…maybe a soft landing? I could imagine a dense shag white strip from the (L) corner all the way to the peninsula (same width as stairs).
Brick
I love that this is what it can do, or…this is what can be done with it.
Ecological Pavilion - Studio 1984
Love when you can see how things are made, especially when made like this. Check out the wood interior here.
MU50 modular cabin (Teke Architects)
A prefab prototype that’s low-impact, recyclable, and adaptable enough to be built virtually anywhere. More here.
Nook Architecture & Interior Design ( Barcelona)
Love the minimalism, textures and strong plan (see before/after).
Monkey House - Atelier Marko Brajovic Architects (Brazil)
Always loved A-frames. This one’s set among the trees, as a retreat for the architect’s family/friends during the pandemic. More here.
Minimum/Maximum - Punch
This is a bit bigger than is probably necessary, but very nice material palette, details and analysis. More here.
Denver Net-Zero Energy 2030
Denver has a goal for all new buildings and homes to achieve net-zero energy by 2030. Denver defines “Net Zero Energy (NZE)” as a new building or home that is: 1. Highly Energy Efficient, 2. All-Electric, 3. Powered by Renewable Energy, and 4. Providers of Demand Flexibility for the Grid. Read more here.
Here’s the breakdown:
Net zero energy, all-electric new homes in the 2024 Building Code
Net zero energy, all-electric new buildings in the 2027 Building Code
New buildings perform as designed (performance verification) in the 2030 Building Code
Hill House - David Coleman Architecture
Tiny cabin with strong axis. Love the glass, gabion wall and 115’ long tiered deck. More here.
Wine Factory Retrofit (Greece) - K-Studio
K-Studio took an abandoned seaside factory and thoughtfully cleaned-it-up by turning it into a luxury beach hotel. No big new construction, just thoughtful interventions. This short video is great highlight reel.
SKIDMORE PASSIVHAUS - In Situ Architecture (Oregon)
This project merges modern design with energy efficiency: high levels of insulation, airtight construction, triple glazed windows, and a super-efficient heat recovery ventilator. Generous amounts of S. facing windows maximize solar gains for most of the year, while motorized ext. aluminum shades can be lowered to block unwanted summer heat gain resulting in comfortable inside temperatures year round. A green roof helps manage stormwater on site, while a roof-mounted PV array provides enough electricity to result in a near net zero sustainable building. Pretty impressive. More here.
Climbers’ Refuge (Italy) LCA Architectti
In the Italian village of Valtournenche, this structure was constructed using a prefabricated timber frame and designed as a contemporary interpretation of the region's typical mountain homes. More on their site here.
Tower C - Zaha Hadid (China)
Zaha Hadid Architects’ proposal is the winner of a competition at Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters — a business/ financial center for 300,000 employees. The development will include int’l conference venues, exhibition and cultural programs, while also incorporating residential development, a transportation center, botanic grasslands, and a coastal zone with wetlands. More here.
This is the kind of fwd thinking future I’d like to see emerge everywhere.
PaaHaa Ranch - Lake Flato Architects
Generous amounts of natural light and real materials exemplify Lake Flato projects. More here.
Rhythm House - Julius Taminiau Architects (Amsterdam)
The rough-sawn wood siding on this project was selected to represent a modern-take on the area's previous agricultural houses. More images and information here.
Multifunctional Community Centre Bansberia, West Bengal
Lovely, textured and tiny building by Abin Design Studio. And again, I love to see what people do with hardened blocks of clay that fit nicely in your hands and stack so well. See more here.
Girls’ Hostel - Zero Energy Design Lab (India)
Zero Energy Design Lab (ZED Lab) used parametrical design tools to create a facade (2 layers of hollow concrete blocks) to buffer the building from Gurugram’s hot climate and help maintain cooler building temperatures and achieve net zero goals.
More here.
City as Graphic
The complexity of cities can be overwhelming and fascinating. Surprisingly, only 3% of the US is considered urban landscape.
