All Blog Posts Tagged 'house' (28)

This extraordinary low-energy house was designed by the Danish architects JJW/Wissenbergand is particularly interesting because unlike almost every other low-energy house, this isn’t compact. Usually low-energy houses are…

Most of us want a house that we can be comfortable in. A so-called traditional home. While I think traditional homes can be wonderful, I would ask you for a moment to consider this non-traditional home by Sou Fujimoto Architects. While from the…

Project Name: Zodchestvo House

Architect: Ithaka Studio

Location: Moscow

"Zodchestvo" House An Optical Dystopia - Geometric Abstraction " Zodchestvo" House is created within the frames of "Local Utopia in the Global Dystopia" competition for young architects of the CIS countries within “Zodchestvo 2010” Festival, Moscow, Russian Federation.

The…

Architects and Interior desigers everywhere grapple with modeling of space to conform to a user's needs and aspirations every day. The factors that influence space quality are varied, and creatively using these elements is what gives spaces their individual flair and interest. Of these factors, probably one of the most obvious ones that affect the quality of a space is its dimension and proportion.

Spatial dimensions of a space, that is its height, length and width, go a long way in…

In many parts of the world, families will inhabit the same domicile for multiple generations. This architecture by Kei’ichi Irie + Power Unit Studio takes a half-way approach from the literal multiple family dwelling and the single family homes the western world has become so…

While I think this is a beautiful project by Tridente Architects, the one element that stands out to me is the wooden thermal screen.  This is a technique that is seldom used in the United States. We tend to put screens on the inside of the house,…

I run into a lot of people that feel a great deal of animosity about architectural theory. I think it comes the inherent shock of coming together with people that are on polar opposites of the design spectrum. For instance you have a design critic who spends most…

I think one of the reasons that many are skeptical about environmental design is because they think its terribly complex and costly. It does take a bit more effort on the front end, but it's definitely not rocket science. This architecture by Guz Architects…

Home of the Architect Warren Schwartz.

Cantilever is a clumsy word, reflecting a basic problem for designers - how to achieve a satisfactory appearance from an unit which includes two types of structure, cantilever and suspended span. The requirements of these are…

I would say it's easy to grasp how one would design architecture to house human activities, but very difficult, on the other hand, to design architecture that is built to house images.  I think if you take a look at any given movie theater you'll see…

I think every architect should have one of these. Not this house, per se, but a laboratory for their ideas. This project is built on a plot of land owned by Randy Brown (of Randy Brown Architects) and intended this architecture…

The name of this project, Star House, is slightly misleading if you are to understand it's true function. To understand this project one needs to consider the difference between "House" and "Home." I work with many people every day that treat their profession like more of a home than the place they go home to in the evening, where their family and loved ones reside. When I…

This house was designed by Humberto Hermeto Arquitetura. This architecture takes advantage of the beautiful Brazilian countryside and existing site topography. The house is also impressive because of the continuous concrete roof that spreads across the length of the structure. While I think this house was beautifully designed, it does seem more like a museum than a home. That's not…

This is a great little house. I don't really have anything profound to say about this architecture, it's just a good house. I think, though, that this is a good time to point out the obvious. That is to say, you don't have to do something earth-shattering to be a good architect. It doesn't take a limitless budget or a sympathetic owner, it just takes time, effort and will. Don't worry about what…

In the countryside of Portugal you'll find a unique house built between two large boulders on a hill. I'm not sure who designed it. It probably wasn't a "licensed architect", whatever that means. I imagine that it was the product of an ordinary person or family that saw these two stones and realized an opportunity. It makes me wonder what our buildings would be like if they didn't have to be next to other buildings. I…

The value of a home isn't so much in how it looks, but how it functions and what it offers you. This house by Seoul based BCHO Architects is, I believe, a wonderful example of how a home can almost make you forget that it's there. If we think about the home as the medium instead of the message, you begin to unlock the true value of architecture. It becomes less about itself and more about awakening the…