A curvy canopy with a rooftop reflecting pool is among the standout features at a Long Island house designed by US studios Steven Harris Architects and Rees Roberts & Partners to embrace its sand-dune setting.

Located on a hilly site in the Hamptons, the project was created for an urban, art-loving couple who wanted a family holiday home that embraced the coastal terrain and was suitable for entertaining.

"The clients, New York executives, desired architecture in the midcentury modern tradition that showcased the dune-filled landscape and created space to enjoy time with friends and family," the team said.

The project was designed by two Manhattan studios that have worked together in the past: architectural studio Steven Harris Architects and the landscape and interiors firm Rees Roberts & Partners.

To help shape the project, the studios took cues from the site's rolling topography and views of the Atlantic Ocean.

The team also turned to the work of Roberto Burle Marx, the late Brazilian landscape architect who often incorporated organic forms into his designs.

The result is a house U-shaped in plan, with both straight and sinuous lines incorporated into the form.

"The form of the house itself was conceived of as a series of cantilevered, rectilinear volumes pivoting about solid brick masses," the team said.

"The orthogonal geometries were then offset against a series of more biomorphic forms at all scales."

For the exterior material palette, the team opted for low-maintenance and durable options that could endure the harsh marine environment, where rust and rot are common problems.

"To that end, pale stucco and Petersen Tegl brick were selected due to their resilience to heat, wind, salt and sand," the team said. "Similarly, all windows were specified to be marine stainless."

The front door is found on the north, set deep within an entry courtyard. One steps into an airy foyer punctuated with a sculptural staircase that is meant to be reminiscent of a shell.

The 12,000-square-foot (1,115-square-metre) home features an unusual floor plan, in that the kitchen, dining area and living room are located on the upper level.

"This contradicts convention, which normally holds that such public spaces be placed on the entry level," the teams said, noting that the elevated position enables views of the water.

"The public areas enjoy a panoramic vista of the ocean over the nearby dune, which would otherwise have blocked the view."

The upper floor also encompasses the primary bedroom, a sleeping and sitting area for children, two offices and a media room.

On the ground level, one finds multiple guest bedrooms, back-of-house spaces and an indoor basketball court.

There also is a gym that opens through a pneumatic door onto a garden with a private shower, enabling users to rinse off in the open air.

The home features a range of interior finishes, such as plaster, stone, walnut and teak.

Furnishings include pieces by Isamu Noguchi, Kelly Wearstler and Louise Liljencrantz, along with many custom pieces by Rees Roberts & Partners.

The extensive artwork includes a mural in the entryway by abstract artist Mig Perkins.

Throughout the home, large stretches of glass provide a connection to the coastal landscape, and roof overhangs create shade without obstructing views.

A range of outdoor spaces include an infinity-edge swimming pool and pavilion covered by a sculptural canopy inspired by the work of both Roberto Burle Marx and Oscar Niemeyer.

Atop the canopy, the team added a reflecting pool.

"The pool deck looks out at a sculptural pavilion with a curved underbelly and reflecting pool on top, reflecting the sky and accentuating the immediacy of the ocean from the home's living room," the team said.

The project also involved landscape enhancements, such as the addition of tall grasses, to help "blend the house with the dunescape".

Other projects in the upscale hamlet of Bridgehampton include a home by Young Projects that is a cluster of wood-clad, gabled volumes and a residence by Roger Ferris + Partners that consist of three distinct volumes wrapped in glass and garapa wood.

The photography is by Eric Petschek and Scott Frances.

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Design studio HGA has completed a pair of educational facilities, Mills Hall and Gibbons Center, that are among the first "commercially scaled mass-timber buildings" in the state of Maine.

Located near a grove of mature pine trees, the neighbouring buildings are in the southeast corner of the 215-acre (87-hectare) Bowdoin College campus in the city of Brunswick.

While different in size and colour, the buildings have asymmetrical pitched roofs that "play off each other from different vantage points".

Both buildings also have mass timber frames, wooden interior finishes and brick facades.

The materiality was influenced by the region's forests and the existing brick buildings at Bowdoin College, which was established in 1794, "at the dawn of the American republic".

Today, the private college has about 1,900 students from around the world.

The new buildings – officially called Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies – were designed by American studio HGA, which served as both architect and structural engineer.

The studio collaborated with Consigli Construction Co, which is based in the eastern US.

The larger of the two buildings is Mills Hall, a two-storey academic building that holds the departments of anthropology and digital and computational studies.

Encompassing 30,000 square feet (2,787 square metres), the building is rectangular in plan with a slight bend near the centre. Facades are clad in red brick, which is commonly found on campus.

Mills Hall contains four classrooms and 12 faculty offices, all of which are afforded views, daylight and operable windows for natural ventilation.

Additional areas include a 60-person cinema, an event space for up to 300 people, and various "huddle spaces" to encourage student collaboration.

In contrast to its red-brick neighbour, the Gibbons Center – which is dedicated to arctic research and education – is clad in a rustic, black-brick exterior.

"Gibbons has a more mysterious, introverted quality," said Nat Madison, design principal at HGA.

"The black brick renders the building like a silhouette, while the beacon-like window overlooks the quad, revealing views of the galleries from campus."

The facade treatment was dictated by the interior programme of the three-storey, 16,500-square-foot (1,533-square-metre) facility, which includes offices, classrooms, an archaeology lab and the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum.

"A robust, high-performance building envelope and rigorous environmental controls allow the museum to protect and display sensitive artifacts," the team said.

Both buildings were constructed using a timber frame system, which HGA estimates has reduced the "building's embodied carbon footprint by approximately 75 per cent when compared to a traditional steel structure".

The buildings are the "first commercially scaled mass-timber buildings" in Maine, the team added.

Other sustainable aspects include an all-electric heating and cooling system, which derives power from a photovoltaic array on campus.

Interior finishes include polished concrete flooring, spruce laminated panels and wood-fibre acoustic ceiling panels.

The surrounding landscape was informed by Arctic topography.

"Excess soil from excavation was used to form mounds, which were sculpted to look like snow drifts," the team said.

Pedestrian pathways are covered in granite pavers that evoke "ice flows", while salvaged marble blocks from a regional quarry were used to create seating.

Moreover, the team planted more than 80 trees to replace felled trees and bolster the white pine grove to the east of the site.

Other recent academic projects include the eco-friendly revamp of a 1920s facility in California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, and the completion of an Arizona science building by Grimshaw and Architekton that evokes rocks and saguaro cacti.

The photography is by Michael Moran.

Project credits:

Architect and structural engineer: HGA
Construction manager: Consigli Construction Co, Inc
MEP, lighting design: HGA
Civil engineering: Sebago Technics
Landscape design: Stimson
Mass timber: South County Post & Beam
Exhibit design: GSM Project
Acoustic and AV design: Acentech

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An irregular roofline and pale pink walls feature on the exterior of a multi-generational co-living complex in New England that architecture studio French 2D hopes can "serve as a replicable model" in the country.

Described as "a typology-challenging" project, the Bay State Cohousing complex is located in Malden, a suburb in the Boston area.

It was designed by French 2D, a Boston studio led by sisters Jenny and Anda French.

Totalling 45,000 square feet (4,181 square metres), the complex contains 30 units and a host of shared amenities.

It is arranged in a C-shape formation around a courtyard on a .75-acre site, near a subway stop and downtown district.

The complex rises three levels and has a partly submerged garage. Irregular rooflines and volumes of varying heights give the building a sculptural appearance.

In contrast to many North American co-housing projects that have "horizontal spatial arrangements", the Bay State development is more vertical due to its compact site.

"French 2D built upwards, taking advantage of stacking and interlocking units, keeping private units small," the team said.

Exterior walls are clad in fibre-cement siding, in hues of vanilla and pale pink. Accent colours – including peach, lemon and sea foam green – adorn window frames, stair railings, doors and other elements.

The colour palette is meant to "echo and reimagine the Victorian-inspired 'painted ladies' found in neighboring historic homes," the team said.

Created to appeal to a broad spectrum of people, the units range from micro studios to one-, two- and three-bedroom units. In terms of floor area, the units range from 380 to 1,100 square feet (35 to 102 square metres).

Each dwelling has a bathroom, kitchen and living room-type space.

Communal areas include a dining room that can seat up to 100 people, a community pantry, workspaces, and outdoor terraces and gardens. There also are spaces for yoga, media and music.

The sunken parking garage is topped with a green roof. The development offers 50 parking spots, most of which are in the garage.

Residential units are arrayed along open-air walkways and single-loaded corridors, and half of them overlook the interior courtyard.

"To allow for visual transparency across the community, the designers eliminated double-loaded corridors, instead inventing arrangements in plan and section not typical of multi-family housing," the architects said.

Several intersecting paths enable residents to naturally connect and "intentionally come together for mutual care and support", the architecture studio added.

Similar to many condominium buildings, residents own their units and collectively own and manage the shared spaces.

What distinguishes Bay State Cohousing from a condo complex is the emphasis on community engagement and support, along with how the project was initiated, funded and designed.

"The North American co-housing model is a form of intentional community, often bringing people together around a common purpose, and is typically arranged as a collection of single-family homes surrounding a common house for community activities," the team said.

"The pooling of space and certain resources, while maintaining individual household ownership and separation of finances, encourages mutual aid and support between households, as well as the creation of broader extended families built upon friendship and choice," the team added.

The project was led by a group of diverse people from Massachusetts and elsewhere who desired a co-housing living situation. They worked collaboratively to find a site, hire an architect and help shape the design. The residents currently range in age from two to 90 years old.

"The project was envisioned through a participatory design process in collaboration with its residents — a multigenerational group of families and individuals seeking to develop alternative shared housing, support, friendship and collective values," said French 2D.

"The participatory design process emphasized mutual support and the central values of consolidating and sharing resources from land and energy to cars and material goods."

It is the first project of its kind in Malden following the passing of a co-housing zoning ordinance that French 2D helped initiate.

The studio said it hopes this project offers a "subversive counterpoint" to the traditional housing market.

"In a field saturated by profit-driven, multi-family speculation, this project finds resonance between client-led development and architect-led experimentation," said Jenny and Anda French.

"We hope this project can serve as a replicable model for alternative American housing."

High housing prices, combined with increased density and changing demographics, have spurred a growing interest in co-living arrangements in America and elsewhere.

Projects include a crisp white complex in Los Angeles by Bittoni Architects that features 23 furnished, rentable bedrooms and shared living spaces, and a small Denver development by Productora that offers eight units and shared amenities within striking blue buildings.

The photography is by Naho Kubota.

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Light-toned cedar and brick clad the exterior of a Canadian home by architecture firm StudioAC that is tucked into a hill overlooking a meadow and a lake.

Built for a private client, the holiday home was designed to embrace its serene setting.

The dwelling is located in the community of Cherry Valley within Prince Edward County, an area known for its forested patches, grassy dunes and wineries. It lies along Lake Ontario, about 200 kilometres east of Toronto.

"Characterized by an intricate coastline and a burgeoning wine-making industry, the landscape and sense of place can be distilled to fields and shoreline," said Toronto-based StudioAC.

Horizontally oriented and rectangular in plan, the 232-square-metre home was designed to engage both the fields and the shore. Its form and materiality were influenced by the region's agrarian architecture.

The single-level home sits next to a garage/workshop building and is gently sunken into a natural ridge, offering protection from the wind. The front elevation looks toward a meadow, while in the rear, the property descends toward the lakeshore.

"Large windows on the water side frame views of the shore, while panoramic windows at ground level facing the meadow offer a vantage point to the 'field,'" the team said.

"This panoramic view immerses the viewer in the landscape rather than placing them on top of it."

The exterior features a mix of light-toned brick and cedar, which "celebrate the duality of the site".

Moreover, the wood shingles engage the home in dialogue with the surrounding trees, the team said.

The gabled roof is punctuated with several dormers.

Three have solid sides wrapped in fibre-cement panels and are topped with a skylight, providing a condition "reminiscent of light beaming through the tree canopy".

One dormer conceals mechanical vents. Another, larger dormer is found on the front elevation and features a band of windows.

The dwelling is entered on the north via wide exterior stairs that step downward. Inside, one finds a clear and fluid layout.

The central portion encompasses the communal area. A dining nook adjoins a kitchen and living room, where a large sectional sofa helps divide up the space. The public area connects to an outdoor terrace.

The social zone is flanked by private areas. One side of the house holds a primary bedroom suite, while the other contains three bedrooms, bathrooms, a laundry room and mechanical space.

The interior features a restrained palette of colours and materials.

Neutral, earthy tones create a serene atmosphere, and Douglas fir and brick "engage in a dialogue with the exterior tectonics". The flooring is concrete with radiant heating.

Founded in 2015 by Jennifer Kudlats and Andrew Hill, StudioAC has completed a number of projects around Canada.

Among them are a barn-like home on Bruce Peninsula that is clad in corrugated metal and a luxury cannabis dispensary in Toronto finished with zig-zagging industrial grates.

The photography is by Felix Michaud.

Project credits:

Architect: StudioAC; Matei Rau, Mo Soroor, Jennifer Kudlats, Andrew Hill
Builder: Whitaker Construction

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Canadian architecture studio Williamson Williamson has designed a multi-level, brick-clad home along an alley that is meant to depart from the typical laneway house in terms of looks, size and function.

The Garden Laneway House occupies the rear of a slender, 369-square-metre parcel in Toronto's West End.

It is an example of laneway housing, a type of residence typically built in a backyard, alongside a service road.

The typology is found across Canada and in parts of the American Pacific Northwest.

Built for a family of five, the 214-square-metre home has two levels and a basement, and breaks from the norm in several ways.

While most laneway houses serve as small rental units or as accessory space for a main house – earning them the title accessory dwelling units – the Garden Laneway House is the primary residence on the property.

In turn, the building is larger than other laneway homes in the area and also looks different.

"The house was designed to feel like a primary home, not like the wood- and shingle-clad garages that are typical of the laneways," said local studio Williamson Williamson.

"This is not a utilitarian building on a laneway, but one that has presence and enlivens the laneway as a traditional home does a street."

The owners are a couple in the design and construction field – Jeff Wilkinson, principal of Wilkinson Construction, and Suzanne Wilkinson, who is a principal at Figur3, an interior design studio. The couple live in the house with their three teenage boys.

The family didn't always set out to live in the laneway dwelling.

Originally, they intended to renovate or replace the existing residence on the property – a two-storey, 203-square-metre house built between the 1930s and 1950s.

During the renovation, they planned to build a laneway dwelling they could live in during construction and later rent out.

As the project unfolded, however, the owners "began to understand that the unique quality of space possible in the laneway suite had more value than the quantity of space in the main house," the team said.

In the end, they decided to move into the laneway house and convert their original home into two rental units.

Accessed from the service road, the laneway structure has an L-shaped footprint at ground level. The front door is shaded by a carport canopy and is deeply recessed, providing distance from cars entering nearby garages.

The facades are clad in red brick. Walls facing the laneway and the original house are mostly solid to provide privacy.

To help animate the solid facades, the team rotated bricks to create patterns and shadows. Courses alternate between being flush and protruding outward.

"As the bricks are rotated out of plane, they create a triangular shadow pattern on the flat course below," the team said.

Within the dwelling, one finds a reverse floor plan, with the public space on the top level and the private areas below.

The top floor – which offers the "largest floor plate and the best light" – encompasses a living room, kitchen and dining space.

The ground level holds three bedrooms for children, while the basement contains the primary bedroom suite. A lightwell brings daylight to the sunken level.

The levels are connected by a staircase lined with a light grey balustrade and topped with a skylight. Openings between the stair treads help filter light through the house.

Interior finishes include polished concrete floors and oak cabinetry. The kitchen features a marble backsplash and a custom Scavolini kitchen system.

The Garden Laneway House joins other alleyway homes in Toronto that have emerged after the city council amended rules in 2018 to allow this type of development.

Laneway housing offers property owners the chance "to unlock hidden value in their own backyards and simultaneously enables the city to increase density in transit-accessible neighborhoods with minimal intervention," said Williamson Williamson.

Other laneway houses in Canada and beyond include a two-storey dwelling in Calgary that features a lofted niche and a fireman's pole, and a compact Seattle residence by Hybrid that is partly lifted off the ground to make way for parking.

The photography is by Scott Norsworthy.

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US firm Morris Adjmi Architects has designed a 43-storey residential skyscraper in Chicago with a "deeply expressive" facade that takes cues from the city's industrial past and the work of architect Mies van der Rohe.

The 480-foot (146-metre) building is located in Chicago's Fulton Market District – a former meatpacking area that has undergone extensive redevelopment in the past few decades.

The skyscraper was designed by New York's Morris Adjmi Architects, with interiors overseen by March and White Design (MAWD), which has offices in London, New York and Los Angeles.

The building – which has a blocky, L-shaped footprint – holds 300 residential units and a range of tenant amenities, such as a fitness area, children's room and library.

The ground level holds retail space, and the main entrance is located on Peoria Street.

Designed in homage to the area's industrial heritage and Chicago's "muscular and ubiquitous" elevated rail lines, the building has gridded facades made with steel and glass.

The structural system is reinforced concrete with post-tension slabs.

"The Row features a signature, deeply expressive glass-and-metal facade defined by steel beams and curved aluminum brackets," the team said.

The brackets are a nod to the arched gusset plates found on the elevated rail tracks, some of which date to the late 1800s.

In addition to Chicago's industrial history, the tower's design draws upon the work of German-American architect Mies van der Rohe, who created many glass-and-steel buildings in the city, ranging from twin apartment towers on Lakeshore Drive to SR Crown Hall, which houses the llinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) College of Architecture.

"The exaggerated channels and beams are informed by the detailing and the articulation of Mies van der Rohe's works and vocabulary," the team said.

At the base of the tower is a five-storey podium that aligns with the height of the existing streetwall. At the top of the podium, a setback provides space for a landscaped terrace.

The sides of the podium not facing Peoria Street are clad in brick to match the "neighbourhood's urban fabric".

Within the tower, one finds one-, two- and three-bedroom units. High ceilings, large windows and plank flooring are among the features.

Twenty per cent of the units are designated affordable housing, according to REjournals.

Other projects in Chicago include the 10-storey David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and the conversion of the city's iconic Tribune Tower into residential apartments by Solomon Cordwell Buenz.

A 73-storey, residential skyscraper designed by the late German-American architect Helmut Jahn is currently under construction in Chicago's South Loop.

The photography is by Tom Harris.

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Architecture firm Studio Bower has created a wood-clad extension for a 1940s cottage that preserves the house's charm and has interiors like a "generous treehouse".

Occupied by a couple with a young son, the Solit-Garreau Residence is located in the leafy Chevy Chase neighbourhood in northwest Washington, DC.

The original home – described by local firm Studio Bower as "small, cohesive and nicely proportioned" – was built in the 1940s in a Cape Cod style.

Topped with a steeply pitched roof, the original cottage has 1,985 square feet (184-square-metre), spread across one and a half levels and a basement.

The owners, who love cooking and entertaining, desired more space but didn't want to diminish the charm of their historic dwelling.

They turned to Studio Bower to devise a scheme that was sensitive to the home's scale and character.

Rather than an aggressive expansion, the architects conceived a two-storey annexe for the rear of the house that totals 900 square feet (84 square metres).

Square in plan, the extension has painted poly ash siding and an asymmetrical, gabled roof that aligns with the existing home's roofline. Both roofs are clad in slate shingles.

"Despite it being a separate building, the annex retains the cottage nature of the house," the team said.

The extension stands "respectful distance from the house" yet is fluidly linked by a glazed corridor at the ground level and an enclosed hallway up above.

The two buildings are set around a courtyard, which plays an integral role in the composition.

"Rather than treating the house and annex as rigid and separate geometries, we wove the spaces together by creating an outdoor room," the architecture studio said.

"This new gravel terrace became the heart of the project. It enhanced the link between the old and the new and allowed the family to flow seamlessly between rooms, hardscapes and gardens."

Within the extension, one finds a spacious eat-in kitchen on the ground floor.

The space is fitted with stone tile flooring, wooden cabinetry painted dark green, and cherry wood countertops. Furnishings include an Eero Saarinen-style table, Marcel Breuer Cesca dining chairs and a Noguchi-style lighting fixture.

The upper level holds a primary bedroom with a bathroom and walk-in closet.

Windows bring in daylight and open up the space to the outdoors.

"From the large windows, you can see beautiful tree canopies," the team said.

"The homeowners say it feels like a very generous treehouse inside."

In addition to the extension, the project entailed renovating 250 square feet (23 square metres) in the original house.

A bathroom and bedroom on the second floor were remodelled. The bathroom features white tiles in square and hexagonal shapes.

Moreover, on the ground level, the team transformed the original kitchen into a pantry and mudroom and added French doors in the dining room, strengthening the connection to the rear terrace.

Other homes in Washington, DC, include a 19th-century brick home that was renovated by architect Robert Gurney, who sought to honour the building's history while updating it for modern use.

The photography is by Jennifer Hughes Photography.

Project credits:

Architect: Studio Bower
Builder: Carl Petty and Associates
Cabinetry: Masters Woodworkers

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Architectural studio Worrell Yeung has completed a two-storey, black-coloured home extension called Springs Artist Studio that is meant to offer the "experience of being perched in the trees".

The Brooklyn-based firm was tasked with designing the 800-square-foot (74-square-metre) addition for a Long Island house belonging to a florist and a painter.

The couple has an extensive collection of art and special objects. Their home is located in Springs, a hamlet in East Hampton that is popular with artists.

"The hamlet of Springs has a strong history of painting," said Max Worrell, co-founder and principal of Worrell Yeung. "We were drawn to that lineage; Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler and Jane Freilicher all painted out here."

The team conceived a two-storey addition that contains a painting studio on the upper level and an exhibition space down below that doubles as a garage.

The ground floor also has a powder room.

In response to strict zoning rules and environmental sensitivities, the studio created a small-footprint building that preserved existing trees and minimised the overall impact on the landscape.

Rectangular in plan, the building has a gabled roof and walls clad in pine boards that were stained black to match the main house.

Different-sized boards were used "to create a sense of shifting, lateral scale that counters the vertical massing of the structure".

The lower portion of the building is covered in 12-inch-wide boards (30 centimetres), while the upper areas are clad in 4-inch and 1-inch versions (10 and 2.5 centimeters).

"From afar the studio reads as an abstract volume," the architects said.

"Up close, the textured wood and varied-sized planks break down the scale of the building to something more accessible and rich with detail."

The black cladding is interrupted on the upper level by a band of ribbon windows.

The architects worked with Silman Structural Engineers to create the continuous windows, which are supported by steel-rod cross bracing and slender steel columns that match the mullions.

Within the building, the four-foot-tall (1.2-metre) ribbon windows offer immersive views of the landscape.

"Natural light streams in while unique views appear from each direction, framed by unobstructed glass corners," the team said.

"We wanted to create this experience of being perched in the trees – a retreat for working," added Jejon Yeung, cofounder of Worrell Yeung.

Interior finishes include birch plywood, which was used for flooring, walls and cabinetry. In the powder room, the plywood is stained a rich shade of blue.

The decor includes vintage Eames molded fibreglass chairs and a vintage chandelier by David Weeks.

The addition is connected to the main home by a glazed passageway that brings in the natural surroundings while "providing a moment of respite between home and the studio/work environment".

Other projects by Worrell Yeung include a series of gabled timber buildings on a New York farm and a refresh of a cedar-clad dwelling on Long Island that was originally designed by famed US architect Charles Gwathmey.

The photography is by Naho Kubota.

Project credits:

Architecture: Worrell Yeung
Design team: Max Worrell, Jejon Yeung, Yunchao Le Structural Engineer: Silman
Contractor: Fifth and Dune

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American studio Schwartz and Architecture has completed a cedar-clad accessory dwelling unit on a California property that is meant to serve as "a jumping off point for a modern wine country design".

The Diamond ADU is part of a family estate in Sonoma, a historic town in northern California's winemaking region.

The property has a main house and several outbuildings, each of which competes for attention, said San Francisco-based Schwartz and Architecture.

The architects set out to create an ADU that would appear demure from certain perspectives yet "come alive" upon approach.

During the design process, they looked to farm structures that dot Sonoma Valley, many of which are dilapidated and have "their own strange elegance", the team said.

"Their original, steeply sloped roofs are now drooping into low-slung structures, peeling apart, allowing in unexpected puddles of natural light, and revealing fragments of their interior framing to the outside elements," the team said.

"How might we use the qualities of these decaying yet compelling utilitarian buildings as the jumping off point for a modern wine country design?"

In response, the team conceived a 1,200-square-foot (111-square-metre) dwelling that consists of two volumes with a foyer and sheltered patio running between them.

One volume is square-shaped and holds an open-plan communal space. The other, which is set at an angle, holds a bedroom and bathroom.

Exterior walls are wrapped in Alaskan yellow cedar with a weathered finish. The structural system is mostly wood with an occasional steel beam.

Clad in standing seam metal, the multi-faceted roof has a low pitch that helps compress the home's visual appearance, the team said.

"From the road, the home appears relatively conventional," the team said.

"Yet from certain angles the conventional-looking roof entirely disappears, and the structure takes on a lighter, more refined, pavilion-like character."

Inside, one finds bright rooms, a neutral colour palette and earthy materials.

European white oak was used for flooring and kitchen cabinetry. The kitchen countertops are quartzite, and the island is clad in the same cedar found on the exterior facades.

A portion of the roof is sliced away to form a linear skylight that stretches from the public space to the bedroom.

"Neither an unconsidered ‘modern farmhouse' nor the literal ruins of a de-constructing rural barn, we hope this modern country home feels alive – complete but always in process," the team said.

Other projects by Schwartz and Architecture include a home studio for the firm's founder that has built-in nesting boxes for birds, and a guest house for a mobility-impaired resident that features a sheltered patio with a large oval skylight.

The photography is by Bruce Damonte.

Project credits:

Architecture and interior design: Schwartz and Architecture (S^A)
Architecture team: Laura Huylebroeck, Wyatt Arnold
Contractor: Fairweather Modern Homes
Structural engineer: Strandberg Engineering
Lighting design: Loisos + Ubbelohde
Landscape: Huettl Landscape Architecture

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US studio Kinneymorrow Architecture has completed a pitched-roof house on a family farm in western Massachusetts that is designed to "sit well with the existing utilitarian buildings".

Located in the village of New Marlborough, the Berkshires Farmhouse was designed for a family of four whose prior residence, dating to the 19th century, was destroyed in a fire.

The family decided to build a new house on their small farm nearby, and they worked with Austin-based Kinneymorrow Architecture to design the project.

"From a single-wide trailer, the family set to designing a farmhouse that would sit well with the existing utilitarian buildings," the team said.

The parents are Emily, a veterinarian, and Jeremy, a butcher and chef. The house was constructed by Jeremy with the help of his brother and a friend.

The chosen site was a hill near a barnyard, which offers panoramic views of the landscape and the changing seasons.

The team conceived a 2,511 square-foot (233-square-metre) house that is rectangular in plan and topped with a pitched roof.

Walls are wrapped in ash wood and standing-seam panels made of weathering steel. The cladding was informed by the area's iron-rich soil, along with the surrounding farm buildings.

"The pre-existing worn and patinaed agricultural structures on the site were a key inspiration," the team said.

"Materials for the new house were chosen with the conviction that they would be uncoated and exposed and should improve with age."

A portion of the house bridges a small saddle in the earth. The open space below is occupied by a carport and a sheltered entryway.

The basement level of the home contains a utility room, while the top level holds a flexible studio space. Both public and private areas are found on the central level.

"The house is split lengthwise, with private spaces – three bedrooms and a den – aligned to the back of the building, facing the forest and eastern morning light," the team said.

"The communal spaces are arrayed in an open plan along the opposite length, looking southwest."

The great room is bookended by screened porches. The room also features five box-shaped oriel windows, which frame views of the farm and the countryside beyond.

Interior finishes include hemlock and schist, which came from a local quarry. The wood used in the house was felled by the clients in a nearby forest and was then milled and seasoned on-site.

While the process of designing and building the house was exhausting for the family, it also was healing, as it allowed them to work through the loss of their former home.

"The four are happy to be together with their dogs, cats, chickens, geese, donkeys and horses," the team said.

"The family is currently designing a small cottage on the farm for Emily's father, Tim, who looks forward to joining the menagerie."

Other homes in the Berkshires include an austere glass house with deep roof overhangs by Specht Architects and a family retreat by No Architecture that consists of pavilions arranged around a hexagonal courtyard.

The photography is by Luis Ayala.

Project credits:

Architect: Kinneymorrow Architecture
Clients: Emily Newman and Jeremy Stanton

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American architecture studio Far + Dang has created Linear Cabin in the Woods for multiple families, using black metal to help the elongated building disappear into its natural setting.

Tucked into a forested site, the project is located in Broken Bow, a town in southeastern Oklahoma that sits within the foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains.

The cabin was designed to serve as a nature retreat for three families from Dallas.

"The design strategy was to create communal spaces that activate social occasion and promote transparency between the interiors and the outdoors, while the more private resting spaces become secluded retreats of their own," said Far + Dang, a studio based in Dallas.

The studio conceived a long, low-lying cabin that stretches 145 feet (44 metres) across a clearing in the woods.

The building was "carefully inserted between the tall post oak and conifer trees, minimising disturbance of the natural landscape," the team said.

Exterior walls and roofs were clad in black metal, with warm-toned Brazilian cumaru wood applied in select areas. The dark colour helps the cabin "hide within the woods", particularly when viewed from a distance, according to the studio.

The home's long facades allowed for numerous windows, which "capture the dappled, orange Oklahoma sunlight through the trees".

Near the entrance, the studio created a courtyard — a carefully placed void — with a single Japanese maple tree. This void is designed to act "as a mediating space between the outdoors and the interior entry foyer".

Within the building, one finds a series of rectilinear volumes, each with a designated function.

The longest volume, which is bar-shaped, contains the foyer and an open-concept living room, dining space and kitchen. This communal space flows onto a sheltered terrace.

"Large, sliding glass doors open up to the deck to create one single gathering space that is both interior and exterior," the team said.

Three bedrooms, each with a private deck, connect to the main bar in a perpendicular manner.

One is at each end of the house, and a third sits near the centre of the plan and extends toward the forest.

"This allows plenty of privacy and distance between the three bedrooms and also creates a different angle and perspective of the woods beyond for each bedroom," the team said.

The home also contains two bunk rooms and an adjoining playroom, along with a media room.

Interior finishes include concrete flooring and walnut slats for ceilings and walls.

In the kitchen, maple was used for cabinetry and quartz for countertops. A central fireplace is surrounded by large-format porcelain tiles.

The architecture studio noted that the house involves several contradictory elements.

For instance, the black facades contrast with the "organic and wild natural context of the site".

The windows bring in daylight but also reflect the forest back to the site. The Japanese maple tree stands as a manicured object within the wilderness.

"In art and design, contradictions elevate the work," the team said. "This project attempts to leverage the many contradictions found in the architecture and the site."

Other projects in Oklahoma include a housing complex made of white shipping containers by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, and a Native American museum by Johnson Fain that consists of curved buildings and a massive earthen mound.

The photography is by Mel Willis.

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Clay tiles line the front of a slender family house in San Miguel de Allende that was designed by local architect Mauricio Alonso to be in "continuous dialogue with the landscape".

Designed for a family of three, the house is located in a dense neighbourhood and occupies an oddly shaped property in a cul-de-sac. To the northeast is a city-owned park.

Providing a generous garden and a connection to the outdoors – without sacrificing privacy – were primary goals for the project.

The site conditions figured heavily into the design of the 1,948-square-foot (181-square-metre) home.

"The house proposes a way of living that starts from a continuous dialogue with the landscape in which it is located," said Mauricio Alonso, head of local studio M Aquitectura.

Just 16.4 feet wide (five metres), the house is rectangular in plan and rises two levels.

Rather than face the street, the architect rotated the home to be oriented toward a private garden, which takes up about half of the property.

Walls are made of concrete, and the side facades are lined with large windows to deliver views and daylight. Wooden louvres help mitigate heat gain and ensure privacy.

For the street-facing side of the house, the architect opted for a windowless wall.

This "blind facade" is clad in low-cost, orange clay tiles that allude to the city's historic courtyards while also giving the house a "powerful personality".

This front wall is elevated above the ground by steel columns to form a sheltered parking area. Just off this carport is a rustic staircase, which leads up to the home's main entrance.

"The access is ascending, covered with local flagstone caressing traces of the terrain that were left uncovered intentionally," the team said.

The interior features a simple and fluid layout.

The main level holds the social areas. A double-height living room occupies one side of the plan, while the kitchen and dining area are found in the centre.

The far end contains a study that doubles as guest quarters. The room can be closed off by translucent sliding doors.

An airy stairwell connects the ground level to the bedrooms on the upper floor. For a terrace adjoining the main bedroom, the architect created a distinctive trellis made of angled concrete panels.

In terms of the interior material palette, the architect focused on using concrete, steel and congona wood throughout.

"These three combined create a more welcoming, honest and versatile environment," the architect said.

"They provide a particular style to the house and express purity in a very warm way, which adapts perfectly to the conditions of the land."

Known for its colonial architecture and vibrant arts scene, San Miguel de Allende is located in Mexico's central state of Guanajuato.

Other projects there include a house with a cruciform plan and thick stone walls by HW Studio Arquitectos and a pink hotel with a lush courtyard by architect Ian Pablo Amores.

The photography is by Rafael Gamo. 

Project credits:

Architecture and landscape: Mauricio Alonso of m aquitecturA
Engineering: Arturo Gómez Villegas
Collaborators: Elias Granados, Axel Arellano, Daniel Valle

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Design firms WORKac and Ignacio Urquiza Architects have created a multi-level, concrete community centre in an underserved neighbourhood that is meant to "promote the regeneration of social life".

The building by New York's WORKac and local studio Ignacio Urquiza Arquitectos – officially called PILARES Lomas de Becerra — is located in a hilly area and rises up from a dense intersection surrounded by active streets.

Located in Mexico City's Lomas de Becerra neighbourhood, the building was created as part of a government initiative called PILARES, which stands for Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education and Knowledge.

For a slender, irregularly shaped site, the team devised a multi-storey facility that encompasses 5,059 square feet (470 square metres).

"In appearance, the volume is simple and compact, with a strong character that confirms its presence as a public building," the team said.

Walls are made of concrete – a material chosen for its construction and structural efficiencies, as well as its thermal and aesthetic qualities, the team said.  The concrete was dyed blue, a decision informed by the vibrant colours found in the surrounding area.

Launched in 2018, the PILARES programme aims to create opportunities for residents in underserved areas.

"Each PILARES building is designed to support various kinds of classes and workshops in support of skill building, as well as bringing cultural programming, learning opportunities, and safe spaces for leisure and cross-generational gathering to each neighbourhood," said New York's WORKac.

"The sites selected for their construction create new landmarks in the urban fabric, enabling the population to identify them as community meeting centres that promote the regeneration of social life."

Mexico City's government enlisted local and international design studios to create 26 facilities under the programme.

Buildings are meant to respond to the local context and follow programming guidelines developed through extensive community engagement.

The team tried to reflect the community and its values in the architecture.

"The use of colour in Mexican architecture is an element that has been transformed and reinterpreted in the hands of many artists and architects across generations," the team said.

The building is fronted by a plaza that is shaded by pre-existing trees.

Part of the ground floor is sliced away to form an angled, glazed entry wall, which helps "the transition between exterior and interior spaces", the team said.

"The diagonal opening on the ground floor provides clear and free-flowing pedestrian routes in every direction, inviting users to walk around the plaza and enter the building," the team said.

Inside, the building contains three split levels, all of which are connected by a central staircase. Rooms are designed to be fluid and adaptable.

"This flexible approach leaves open the possibility for changes to the programme over the lifetime of the building and allows it to freely evolve and adapt," the team said.

WORKac and Ignacio Urquiza Architects have designed a second PILARES building, in the borough of Azcapotzalco, that follows a similar design vocabulary.

Other PILARES buildings include a community centre in Iztapalapa by Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura that features a series of bridges, walkways and exterior staircases.

The photography is by Arturo Arrieta and Ramiro del Carpio.

Project credits:

Architect: WORKac and Ignacio Urquiza Architects (IUA)
Team: Amale Andraos, Dan Wood, Ignacio Urquiza Seoane, Michela Lostia di Santa Sofía, Eder Hernández, María del Mar Carballo, Ana Laura Ochoa, Anet Carmona, Noé García, León Chávez, Fernando Tueme, Sacha Bourgarel
Interior design and lighting: WORKac, IUA and APDA
Structure and engineering: BVG (César Barquera, Eduardo Barquera); Ecomadi
Landscape: Genfor Landscaping (Tanya Eguiluz)
Development: Mexico City government and ZV Studio (Carlos Zedillo)
Digital visualizations: Israel Levy
Client: Mexico City government

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This pine-clad home on a forested hillside was designed by US studio Robert Young Architects to provide immersive views of nature and to offer "a sense of optimism" for a family experiencing loss.

The full-time residence sits within a river valley in Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC.

Meant to embody a "sense of connectedness between architecture and landscape", the house was designed to serve as a peaceful refuge for a woman who had recently lost her husband.

She lives there with the couple's children.

To aid in her healing process, the client – Sue Deagle, who publishes a newsletter and website about grief called The Luminist – was closely involved in the design process.

"She hoped that creating a new home would help her and her family imagine a future with a sense of optimism," said Robert Young Architects, which is based in New York.

Roughly L-shaped in plan, the home is composed of rectilinear volumes clad in dark-stained pine. The home totals 5,200 square feet (483 square metres), spread across three levels and a basement.

Providing views of nature was a guiding concern, leading the architects to design the house "from the inside out".

"The interiors are configured in a way that choreographs movement through the house in relation to outside views," the team said.

"Diagonal sight lines organize the layout and dynamically connect the interior spaces with the dense and varied woodlands beyond."

The top level contains the primary bedroom suite and was envisioned as a "forest aerie, perched high in the tree canopy".

The main level encompasses the communal spaces, along with an office, mudroom and garage. Just off the living room is a furnished screened porch, which is lifted high above the ground by steel stilts.

The lower level holds two bedrooms and a laundry room, while the basement contains guest quarters, a recreation room and mechanical space.

The interior features a mix of earthy and industrial materials, including white oak, tile and concrete.

"Oak surfaces create a sense of warmth, while concrete elements authentically convey durability and strength," the team said.

Throughout the home, windows were carefully placed to offer curated views of landscape, and certain walls were kept solid to obscure views of nearby structures.

"At the bottom of the valley, the view is anchored by a floodplain and watercourse appropriately named Difficult Run for its many obstructions," the team said.

"The house was situated and designed to celebrate everything about these sensitive ecologies."

Other projects by Robert Young Architects include a weekend home in Montauk, New York, that is clad in rough-sawn cedar plants that were left untreated so they can age naturally.

The photography is by Frank Oudeman.

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Breeze-block walls and a roof cutout for a palm tree are among the special features at an Arizona house designed by The Ranch Mine, which took cues from a mid-century modern dwelling across the street.

Designed for a family of four, the residence is located on a cactus-dotted site in Phoenix and looks toward Camelback Mountain, one of the city's most notable landforms.

The project's design was heavily influenced by a building across the street – a famed 1950s experimental house called White Gates that was designed by mid-century modern architect Al Beadle.

Vacant for decades, the historic house has a simple, boxy shape and white exterior screens with elliptical openings.

Upon visiting the site for the first time, local architecture firm The Ranch Mine realized the house it was designing would need to respect its iconic neighbour.

"Knowing the history of this home, the architects knew immediately that they had the challenging task of creating a new neighbor that should honour the legacy of the mid-century modern icon while adding a distinctly new chapter to the story of this unique neighbourhood," said the studio.

The team conceived a single-storey residence called White Dates, a riff on White Gates and a reference to the area's date trees.

The low-lying home consists of central blocks and a rectangular wing placed at an angle.

Exterior walls are sheathed in creamy stucco, with accents made of thermally treated Nordic pine. The landscape features flagstone walkways and desert plants.

To honour the Beadle house, the team incorporated mid-century modern elements in "fresh, contemporary ways". For example, the street-facing elevation features an enclosed patio with brise-soleil-style walls.

"The front patio is perhaps the most clear mid-century connection, using breeze-block to screen the road and focus the view towards the mountain beyond," the team said.

The front of the house also features a date palm tree that grows up through a triangular opening in the roof. It alludes to a similar design element at the Palm Springs City Hall building, designed by architect Albert Frey and completed in 1952.

Within the 4,545-square-foot (422-square-metre) house, the team prioritized views of the camel-hump-shaped mountain to the north.

The public spaces were placed in the central portion of the plan. Floor-to-ceiling glazed doors are located on both sides of the great room, enabling cool breezes to pass through the space.

To the west of the central volume is a bar that contains the primary bedroom suite. To the east is the angled wing, which holds bedrooms, an office, a den, a laundry room and a garage.

The interior design was meant to be somewhat subdued.

"The interior palette is restrained to let the mountain and mid-century design elements come to the forefront," the team said.

Finishes include concrete flooring, plaster in the main bathroom, and millwork made of walnut and white oak.

The kitchen is fitted with black-matte cabinetry and a granite island and backsplash.

The fronds of a date palm tree inspired certain details, such as the wood patterning behind the bar and a wooden screen wall that separates the kitchen from a sitting area.

Other projects by The Ranch Mine include a board-marked concrete home in Phoenix that was designed for a ceramicist and a black, multi-gabled house in northern Arizona that appears to "burst vertically from the ground".

The photography is by Dan Ryan Studio.

Project credits:

Architect: The Ranch Mine
Builder: Minnewaska

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Local architecture studio Lemay aimed to rethink the relationship between "the built and the natural" in its revamp of Théâtre de Verdure, which consists of a stage on an island and a fan-shaped seating area.

The open-air theatre is located within La Fontaine Park, which encompasses 34 hectares in Montreal's Le-Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood.

The Théâtre de Verdure, or Green Theatre, first opened in 1956. The stage portion sits on a small island in a lake, and the seating area is located just across the water.

"This emblematic site is a well-known hub of arts and culture, hosting thousands of free shows over the years," said Lemay, an architecture studio headquartered in Montreal.

Despite being a beloved destination, the theatre fell into disrepair and was shuttered in 2014. Plans to revitalise it emerged a few years later, and the commission was ultimately awarded to Lemay.

The team aimed to accomplish several goals, including honouring the site's history and making the most of the natural setting. The architects ended up conceiving a "theatrical destination integrated with nature".

"The theatre has now been enhanced with a new four-season concept that redefines the relationship between theatre and park, architecture and landscape, and the built and the natural," said Lemay.

The original stage building was torn down, and in its place, the team created a rectangular, steel-framed building. Facades are partly lined with light-grey metal poles.

The back wall can be closed or opened up, enabling views through the building.

"Framing the landscape of La Fontaine Park by opening onto it, the architecture of the theatre maximises views of both the stage and the surrounding green space," the team said.

Across from the stage, the team installed benches made of wood, concrete and steel, which form a fan-shaped seating area that holds about 1,700 people. There is space for an additional 250 people on the grass.

The project also involved the redesign of a brick building that serves as a welcome centre and storage area. Plus, the team created new entrances, extended a walkway around the lake and added greenery.

Trees were preserved and low vegetative cover was added, forming "new perspectives that open up both on the theatre and on the surrounding park".

"In an approach where the limits between the two became blurred, the project developed as a vast scenography of the landscape through architecture,"  said Lemay senior partner Eric Pelletier.

The revitalised site is meant to appeal to theatre-goers, along with the casual passerby.

"The architecture invites discovery, both inside and outside the site," the team said.

"Guided by an inclusive and pluralistic vision that broadens the theatre's mission and reaffirms its heritage identity, this public space has been made more open and accessible than ever for lovers of arts and culture."

Other open-air theatres include a Japanese theatre that features trees that grow up through the floor and support the roof, and a small theater in Nebraska that is hidden behind a retractable fake storefront.

The photography is by Adrien Williams.

Project credits:

Architecture: Lemay
Landscape architecture: Lemay
Mechanical and electrical engineering: Bouthillette Parizeau
Structural engineering: Calculatec Inc.
Civil engineering: Marchand Houle
Acoustic specialist: Atelier 7Hz
Forestry engineering: Luc Nadeau
Scenography: Trizart Alliance
Regulations: Technorm
General contractor: Axe Construction

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Exterior louvres and faceted canopies are among the elements that US studio Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects has added to a 1920s academic facility, helping it achieve net-zero energy consumption, according to the studio.

The Walker Hall project involved transforming a "vacant, seismically unsafe building" on the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) campus in northern California, just west of Sacramento.

Built of steel and concrete, the Spanish Mission-style building dates to 1927 and is among the oldest buildings on campus.

The 34,000-square-foot (3,159-square-metre) structure was originally designed to house the university's agricultural engineering programme. It was vacated in 2011.

The university decided to convert the building into a multipurpose facility for graduate and professional students, and commissioned San Francisco's Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects to design the project.

"The history of the original building and the hot, dry climate of California's Central Valley inform the new architecture," the studio said.

E-shaped in plan, the building consists of a central, two-storey volume and three single-level wings in the rear, with courtyards situated between the wings.

In the past, the main volume held classrooms and offices, while the wings were more industrial in nature and accommodated the research, design and fabrication of farming equipment.

For the building's renewal, the team retained certain design features while adding a host of new ones.

The front facade, which looks north and is clad in cement plaster, was restored and largely kept intact. Atop the two-storey volume, clay tiles were replaced with concrete versions.

Significant changes were made on the backside of Walker Hall.

The wings were made shorter to make way for a campus promenade. In total, 5,400 square feet (502 square metres) were removed from the building.

The southern facades were rebuilt using an aluminium curtain wall, sunshade louvres and fibre-cement cladding.

"From the outside, people can see the activity during the day and the glow of the reflected sky after dark," the team said.

Between the wings, the architects installed faceted canopies that shade the ground-level courtyards.

The steel-framed canopies have wooden roof cladding to complement the original sheathing found in the wings.

To the south of Walker Hall, the architects – working in collaboration with landscape architect Office of Cheryl Barton – created the promenade, along with a gathering area and bike parking.

Inside, one finds a wide range of spaces to support graduate students.

"A variety of social, meeting, and study spaces foster collaborative, interdisciplinary discourse and help students build a strong scholarly community," the team said.

The two-storey volume contains offices, meeting rooms, study areas, a lounge, a lactation room, a free food pantry, and other spaces.

The eastern wing was converted into a 200-seat lecture hall, while large classrooms are found in the other two wings.

"These spaces are flexible, active-learning environments that incorporate sophisticated media and digital technologies," the team said.

"In this way, the former machine shops now offer a new kind of toolbox that supports contemporary, action-based learning."

The material palette includes a mix of expressed structural elements and finishes such as carpeting, rubber flooring and fabric-wrapped acoustical panels.

Doors and casework are fronted with maple veneers, and counters are topped with solid-surface quartz.

The project involved seismic upgrades, a key concern in earthquake-prone California.

Energy efficiency was also top of mind, leading to the inclusion of new thermal insulation, shading devices and high-efficiency building systems.

Power is provided by a campus solar farm, enabling the building to achieve net-zero electricity consumption, according to the studio.

Other sustainable features include cool roofs, non-toxic finishes and native plantings. The building has received LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council.

Overall, the project offers ideas for how to revitalise an old, vacant building on a university campus.

"Walker Hall illustrates how an unsafe, abandoned structure can be transformed into a sophisticated educational and administrative environment for a major university," the architects said.

Other California projects by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects include an academic facility in Berkeley that is covered with a giant solar canopy, and a school building in Silicon Valley that priorities water retention and low-carbon solutions.

The photography is by Bruce Damonte unless stated otherwise.

Project credits:

Architecture: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects
Architecture team: Bill Leddy, Ryan Jang, Jasen Bohlander, Alice Kao, Enrique Sanchez
Structural engineering: Forell Elsesser
Civil engineering: BKF
MEP: Arup
Contractor: Soltek Pacific
Security, low voltage, acoustical: Charles Salter
AV: Shalleck Collaborative
Lighting: ALD Lighting
Landscape: Office of Cheryl Barton
Cost estimating: TBD Consultants
Specifications: Stansen Specs

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Bright white plaster clads the exterior of a 1960s concrete building that has been turned into the self-designed studio of Baldridge Architects, which acted as the designer and contractor.

Called Burnet Road Offices, the project involved the adaptive reuse of a small commercial complex along a main street in Austin.

Dating to 1961, the complex, which consists of three semi-connected structures, had served a range of functions over the years.

"The spaces had housed a TV showroom, offices, a thrift store, a motorcycle dealership, a car wash, a gym and even a vape lounge," said local studio Baldridge Architects. "Once loved, these buildings had suffered from years of neglect and ad-hoc adaptive reuse that had masked their potential."

Baldridge Architects, which was founded in 2005 by architect Burton Baldridge, was formerly housed in an Austin office building it had renovated on West Lynn Street. That space won multiple design awards, but it no longer met the firm's needs.

"As the firm's projects have grown in size and complexity, so have the firm's space needs," the team said.

The firm saw potential in the ageing site on Burnet Road and purchased the three structures there, which total 5,200 square feet (483 square metres).

The firm set aside 2,750 square feet (255 square metres) for its own office, and designated the remaining square footage as leasable office space for two design-related tenants.

Baldridge Architects acted as both the designer and general contractor – a return to its roots, as the studio began as a design-build firm but shifted gears in 2010.

"While the firm has no intention of returning to its design/build roots, the project was an amazing experience for the firm, notwithstanding the surreal quality of completing it during the global pandemic," the team said.

The team prioritised working with friends in the construction industry as it made significant changes to the complex, both inside and out.

On the exterior, crisp-white plaster was added to the original concrete masonry. The concrete masonry units are arranged in an irregular fashion known as "shadow block".

Energy-efficient glass was provided by the California company Panelite, whose founder is a longtime friend of Baldridge.

Within the architectural studio, the team created a series of "residential nests".

The office contains a lobby, a conference room with a materials library, two private offices, an open-plan work area, a kitchenette and bathrooms.

The material palette includes maple flooring and premium drywall. Built-in desks were fabricated of powder-coated steel, white laminate and maple.

Bright finishes and high-quality lighting help create a feeling of spaciousness – particularly in areas where the ceiling height is just under eight feet (2.4-metres). In the open work area, original roof trusses were left exposed.

The conference room was fitted with a piece of Macassar ebony furniture imbued with meaning – a newly built table that was originally designed by American architect Peter Gluck for one of his projects, the Floating Box House in Austin.

Baldridge formerly worked for Gluck in New York, and the Floating Box House was the project that brought him back to Austin, where he had attended college. Baldridge had the table built for his new studio.

Other recent projects in Austin include a concrete office complex by West of West that experiments with "beautiful roughness" and the studio of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, which features fabric wall coverings paired with industrial details.

The photography is by Casey Dunn.

Project credits:

Architecture, interiors and contractor: Baldridge Architects
Structural engineer: Duffy Engineering
Electrical engineer: Llyod Engineering
Structural/decorative steel and windows: Drophouse
Plaster: Sloan Montgomery
Finish carpentry: Enabler, Nick Tragus
Pavers: Arcon, Inc
Automation: Total Home Technology
Painting: Kenny's Painting
Drywall: ZA Drywall
Furniture and rug help: Joel Mozersky Design
Energy-efficient glass: Panelite

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US studio The Miller Hull Partnership has completed the Health Sciences Education Building in Seattle, which features corrugated metal cladding and a warm interior that departs from the "hospital-like environments found in most university medical buildings".

The academic building marks a new entrance to the University of Washington's South Campus, which is focused on the health sciences.

The 97,000-square-foot (9,012-square-metre) facility is used by students in six different schools – dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work.

The project was delivered using a design-build model, in which designers, contractors and others work together under a single contract. The team included local studio The Miller Hull Partnership, which acted as the lead designer, and The SLAM Collaborative, a multidisciplinary firm with offices around the US. The general contractor was Seattle-based Lease Crutcher Lewis.

Rectangular in form, the building has four levels and a U-shaped basement. The structural frame is a mix of concrete, steel and cross-laminated timber – the latter used for roof and floor decking.

The exterior is wrapped in a light-toned skin made of corrugated sheet metal, with panels arranged to form a gradient. The skin is designed to set "a performance precedent on the university's South Campus".

"The design team worked closely with installers and manufacturers to create a rational kit of parts that would become a facade textured with dappled light and reflections," the team said.

"The unique and high-performing envelope combines fibreglass windows and electrochromic glazing at the south to maximise access to daylight and views while reducing solar heat gain."

Within the building, one finds an array of learning environments, ranging from classrooms and laboratories to team rooms and open study areas. The layout helps foster interaction and "inter-professional collaboration" among the different types of users.

"The design strikes a careful balance between scheduled classrooms and student collaboration zones, providing generously sized spaces for group work, interaction and creativity," the team said.

The design also provides for an optimization of resources and future flexibility.

"If programmes grow or shrink, no space will go unused because the spaces are designed for change and with an eye towards universality," said Elizabeth Moggio, a project manager and principal at Miller Hull.

The atmosphere is meant to help students feel at ease. The team was guided by the concept of "culture for care", defined as an environment that supports the health and well-being of users and visitors.

"Challenging the standard of sterile, immersive, hospital-like environments found in most university medical buildings, the building embodies the ‘culture of care' through investment in wellness and student-focused spaces," the team said.

Warm colours, earthy finishes and a focus on daylight are among the interior design elements. The material palette includes wood panelling, fabric-wrapped acoustic panels, carpet tiles and polished concrete.

The team also focused on encouraging people to step outdoors – an unusual approach on South Campus, where many buildings are connected by enclosed walkways.

"The design for the Health Sciences Education Building transforms the experience by pulling people outdoors, introducing a network of accessible pathways, mural and sculptural public art, and playful outdoor seating to provide students and faculty with places to pause and collaborate outside," the team said.

Other academic projects in America include a University of California building by LMN Architects that has concrete facades and walkways clad in perforated aluminium, and an Arizona State University building by Grimshaw and Architekton, who drew upon natural elements like geodes and saguaro cacti while conceiving the design.

The photography is by Moris Moreno.

Project credits:

Lead designer/architect of record: The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP
Collaborating architect: The S/L/A/M Collaborative, Inc
Design-builder: Lease Crutcher Lewis
Landscape architect: GGN
Civil and structural engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers
Accessibility: Studio Pacifica
Envelope: 4EA
Signage: Mayer/Reed
Acoustics: Tenor Engineering Group
Verticle transportation: The Greenbusch Group
Fire protection: Coffman Engineers
Air modeling/air quality: CPP
Client: University of Washington

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PLY+ and MPR Arquitectos have transformed a building at a former Catholic college into the School at Marygrove Elementary, filling it with colours and shapes that help spark "experimentation and exploration" among children.

Located in northwest Detroit, the building is part of the School at Marygrove, a new educational institution that will eventually serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12). The curriculum has a special focus on engineering and social justice.

The school occupies the site of a former religious college, Marygrove College, that closed in 2019. The campus – which is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places – is now owned and managed by a nonprofit organization, the Marygrove Conservancy.

Several buildings on the 53-acre (21-hectare) campus are being converted into facilities for the School at Marygrove.

This project involved transforming a brick-faced, concrete building that first opened in 1941 into a public elementary school for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

The design was led by PLY+, a studio based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and MPR Arquitectos, which is based in Ann Arbor and Murcia, Spain.

Both firms are led by professors at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan.

The architects aimed to preserve original features in the 65,000-square-foot (6,039-square-metre) building while integrating a host of new elements.

The goal was to "establish a foundational, collaborative educational environment" while preserving the historic components.

The building's exterior was kept intact, the only change being the addition of an accessible entrance.

Within the building, the team modified rooms and added new finishes and plywood millwork. The decor was carefully selected, and special details – such as visually dynamic ceiling baffles – were incorporated.

The building's original layout was mostly retained, as the double-loaded corridor layout was deemed historically significant and kept in place.

The corridor received new storage nooks with spots for bags, coats and shoes. In the classrooms, the team inserted counters, sinks, benches, chalkboards and storage space.

"Custom millwork elements provide design flexibility without impinging on historic elements," the team said.

The project also called for the creation of maker spaces, reading rooms, a media centre and a restorative justice centre. An existing gymnasium was renovated.

Throughout the facility, the team used a mix of soft and bold colours, ranging from bright peach to pale yellow-green.

The palette was informed by historic hues and the desire to introduce colours that signal "the new use of the building and the new model of pedagogy being fostered", the team said.

"Colour and form play an important role in establishing unique identities for individual classrooms and signal the vibrancy and joy of collaborative learning," the team added.

Overall, the design is meant to speak to its young users.

"The design engages children's sense of curiosity and encourages experimentation and exploration," the team said.

The project was a collaboration between Detroit Public Schools Community District, which operates the school, and the University of Michigan's School of Education.

Other school projects include an athletic centre at an Oregon school that features trellises laced with climbing vines and a boarding school in southern California that has buildings with jagged rooflines.

The photography is by Jason Keen.

Project credits:

Architect: PLY+ and MPR Arquitectos
Ply+ team: Craig Borum, Jen Maigret, Andrew Wolking, Yusi Zha, Olaia Chivite Amigo, Yibo Jiao, Masataka Yoshikawa
MPR Arquitectos team: Ana Morcillo-Pallares, Jon Rule
Architect of record: Integrated Design Solutions
Client: Marygrove Conservancy
Collaborators: Detroit Public Schools, University of Michigan School of Education

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Sweden-born architect Fredrik Nilsson has completed a wood-clad residence for his family that incorporates Scandinavian modernism and the "bohemian experimentalism of the LA Eastside".

Located in the Echo Park neighbourhood, the Grafton House sits on a sloped site with views of the surrounding hills and city skyline.

Architect Fredrik Nilsson – of local firm Studio Nilsson – and his wife, the writer Keshni Kashyap, bought the property years ago to account for a growing family.

The 2,400-square-foot (223-square-metre) property was located down the street from their rental home and came with an ageing, 400-square-foot (37-square-metre) cottage.

Despite its humble appearance, the couple saw a "rich opportunity", purchased the property and set out to build a peaceful sanctuary there.

"The aim was to expand the feeling of space and tranquillity while remaining squarely in the middle of a noisy, walkable part of the city, where the buzz of police helicopters is not uncommon on a daily basis," Nilsson said.

While designing the house, Nilsson drew upon his experience working on high-density, mixed-use projects. He also tapped into his Swedish roots, as he was born and raised in Stockholm.

His wife's Indian heritage also informed the design process.

He came up with the idea to build "a small-footprint, urban treehouse – one inspired by Scandinavian modernism and his Indian-American wife's desire for warmth and colour".

The old cottage was mostly demolished, and in its place rose a two-storey, 1,850-square-foot (172-square-metre) house that is square in plan.

Facades are clad in raw, oiled cedar. Windows and openings were carefully placed to bring in daylight while also providing privacy.

On the eastern elevation, the upper level extends over the ground floor, forming a shaded entryway.

"Opening the entry gate, guests comment that they feel they have entered a fairyland sanctuary," said Nilsson.

Within the home, one finds a reverse floor plan, with private areas on the ground floor and public spaces up above. The upper level also contains an office that can double as a guest bedroom.

The home has a number of outdoor spaces, including a small yard, a recessed balcony and a rooftop terrace surrounded by smooth, plaster walls.

The interior features ample use of wood and splashes of colour and texture. Patterned tiles and potted plants help increase the "feeling of warmth and well-being".

A nook under the staircase serves as a comfy reading spot for the couple's daughter, who is now nine years old.

Nilsson said the house is meant to embody "mysigt", a Swedish term used to describe feelings of cosiness and comfort. It is similar to the Danish concept of hygge.

The house also capitalizes on the surrounding views, from distant vistas to a curated view of nearby trees, visible from the upper floor's stair landing.

"At the top landing, you are met by an oversized, square window framing a verdant view of large, mature trees that sit in an abandoned schoolyard," the architect said.

For the landscape, the team engaged their neighbour and friend, David Godshall of the landscape firm Terremoto. He designed a garden of native plants that was inspired by fragrance and sound.

Overall, Nilsson sees the house as a fusion of his Swedish roots and the LA neighbourhood where he has lived for over 20 years. He describes it as "a warm strand of Scandinavian modernism combined with the bohemian experimentalism of the LA Eastside."

Other projects in Echo Park include a backyard studio with a scalloped roofline by Byben & Skeens and a "stealth density" development by Bestor Architecture that features a series of house-shaped volumes on a compact site.

The photography is by Cailtin Atkinson. Drone photography is by Lacey Wood.

Project credits:

Architect: Fredrik Nilsson
Landscape architect: David Godshall, Terremoto
Light fixtures: Brendan Ravenhill, Ravenhill Studio

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Architecture firm Alterstudio has completed a tower-like house in Texas that rises up from a steep, wooded site that was long overlooked "as a possible home site".

Built for a married couple in Austin, the house feels immersed in the wilderness but is, in fact, surrounded by "very ordinary, suburban conditions".

"The opportunity to live simultaneously near the centre of the city and in an isolated refuge presented a powerful circumstance for this family," said local firm Alterstudio.

The opportunity came with challenges.

The house rises up from the side of a ravine, on a property that "falls off precipitously directly from the street's curb". The site had long been overlooked as feasible for home construction.

Alterstudio saw potential and let the constraints guide the home's design.

"The form of the building was in many ways determined by the logic of its construction and sequencing, and the result is an unexpected tower rising above the tree canopy," the studio said.

"The project provides a model for an innovative building sequencing that allowed a home to be built on a property long written off as a possible home site."

Rising three levels, the 3,813-square-foot (354-square-metre) home is rectangular in plan and form. The building is oriented to take advantage of the "natural views offered up and down the length of the ravine".

Facades are clad in grey-hued, interlocking metal panels. The team cut away portions of the boxy exterior to create balconies, which vary in size.

"Deep recesses in the otherwise unmitigated building envelope allow for framed views," the architecture studio said.

To construct the home, the team began with erecting a platform between the building site and the street, where construction staging could take place.

"This later became the garage and bridge to connect to a tall, taught home, organized upside down, with the main living spaces on the top floor, and the private spaces below," the team said.

The top floor contains an open-plan living room, dining area and kitchen, along with a mud room and storage space.

The middle level holds the primary suite, a bedroom and a laundry room.

The bottom level encompasses a family room and two additional bedrooms. A craft room is hidden behind a bookcase in the family room, adding a moment of surprise.

Earthy finishes such as wood and stone are found throughout the dwelling.

White oak was used for flooring, cabinetry veneers, fireplace siding and an entry screen. Garapa wood was used for soffits and for door and window surrounds.

Bathroom finishes include Tadelakt black plaster and Giotto quartzite.

With the natural landscape visible from multiple vantage points, the interior is designed to offer "points of stasis to the compelling and omnipresent out-of-doors".

Other projects by Alterstudio include the renovation and expansion of a 1920s bungalow in Austin. The firm added an angular extension that is clad in black timber and connected to the main dwelling by a glazed corridor.

The photography is by Casey Dunn. The drone photograph is by Alterstudio.

Project credits:

Architecture and interior design: Alterstudio
Architecture team: Kevin Alter, Ernesto Cragnolino and Tim Whitehill (principals); 
Haifa Hammami (director of interiors); Matt Slusarek and Elizabeth Sydnor (project architects)
Contractor: Matt Sitra Custom Homes
Landscape architect: Aleman Design Build
Structural engineer: MJ Structures
Mechanical engineer: Positive Energy

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Tall roof monitors lend a sculptural look to the Gradient House and Studio, which was designed by Oregon studio Linden Brown Architecture for the founders of a shoe design company.

The project was envisioned as a "live-work campus" for the owners of Studio Noyes, a creative agency focused on footwear.

The mixed-use building is located in the St Johns neighbourhood in North Portland and sits on a sloped parcel that was formerly occupied by a post-war dwelling. The old structures's concrete foundation and basement walls were retained.

Atop these remnants, the team constructed a 3,830-square-foot (356-square-metre) building that consists of two distinct but connected volumes – one serves as a residence, and the other contains a studio and garage.

A breezeway separates the two volumes that join to form an L-shaped plan.

The building's roof pitches and eave heights were influenced by the original house and residential context.

"The client was very intent on matching the scale of the building at the street," said local studio Linden Brown Architecture , which won a design award for the project from AIA's Oregon chapter.

"Though the new house and studio more than double the size of the original house, the scale of the surrounding neighbourhood is maintained."

Exterior walls are clad in stained cedar, arranged in a horizontal board-and-batten style.

Zinc-coated, aluminium shingles clad the building's roof. A series of light monitors usher in daylight and add a sculptural aesthetic.

Inside, one finds light-filled rooms, neutral colours and a mix of earthy and industrial materials, including maple, concrete and metal.

In the 2,200-square-foot (204-square-metre) home, the ground level contains communal spaces and a primary bedroom suite. The team placed a small loft above the bedroom, which is accessed via a staircase with tubular steel balusters.

The basement holds a guest room, media room, laundry and mechanical space.

The 1,400-square-foot (130-square-metre) studio features an open workspace, a kitchen, a lounge and a conference room. A 230-square-foot (21-square-metre) garage adjoins the studio.

Maple was used for studio's wall panelling and cabinetry. A vaulted ceiling rises to a height of 16 feet (4.9 metres), giving the space an airy feel.

Throughout the building, rooms are fitted with contemporary decor, some of it custom-designed by Linden Brown Architecture.

In the backyard, a series of rain gardens and seating areas are framed by board-formed concrete walls. The yard is designed to help manage rainwater.

"All of the stormwater created by the roof and impervious area of the project is directed to these court gardens, where the runoff gets slowed and filtered before returning to the city's storm system," the team said.

A gabion cage lines the rear of the property, which looks toward the Williamette River, St Johns Bridge and West Hills.

Other projects in Portland include a house by Kengo Kuma that draws upon ancient East Asian landscaping principles and an asymmetrical house by Beebe Skidmore that is meant to challenge "the aesthetic of typical family homes".

The photography is by Jeremy Bittermann.

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A tough shell made of weathering steel clads the Copper Harbor house by US firm Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects, which is set in a "very remote destination with an industrial history".

The cabin is found on the rugged Keweenaw Peninsula and overlooks Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes of North America.

The project takes its name from the northern Michigan town where it is located – Copper Harbor, which was an important shipping hub during the 1800s, when the area had a bustling copper-mining industry.

Envisioned as a "modern, minimalist" cabin for a couple who are avid mountain bikers, the house is designed to withstand the area's strong winds and harsh winter weather.

"Set in a very remote destination with an industrial history, Copper Harbor blends into the shoreline while standing out with its unique design," said Seattle-based Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects.

Totalling 1,400 square feet (130 square metres), the cabin consists of two conjoined volumes with a central circulation spine. The volumes are both oriented north toward the lake.

Behind the cabin is a detached building that contains bike workshop. A patio sits between the cabin and workshop, serving as an "exterior room protected from the wind".

The three volumes are wrapped in a durable, angular shell made of pre-rusted, corrugated steel. The shell's orangish hue alludes to the colour of soil.

The northern side of the house features glazed walls and terraces, helping connect the home to the lake.

"The solidity of each shell is contrasted with a wall of glass providing light, directing views and extending the living space out on cantilevered decks toward the water," said the architects.

Wood framing and a steel moment frame were used for the structural system. A concrete foundation, pinned to bedrock, helps protect the house from snow.

"The entire house is elevated on its foundation for handling heavy snowfall and springtime melt," the team said.

Within the cabin, there is a clear division between public and private areas.

One side encompasses an open-plan living room, dining space and kitchen. The other half contains a primary bedroom and a guest room with bunk beds.

The home's restrained material palette includes concrete flooring and walls and ceilings covered with Baltic birch plywood. In the circulation spine, walls are clad in black-painted, corrugated metal.

Bedrooms feature an array of built-in furniture – nightstands, bed frames, under-bed rolling drawers and wardrobes.

"These fit the minimalist aesthetic and reduce the need for additional furniture," the team said.

The house has a hydronic, radiant-floor heating system and no mechanical air conditioning. There are plans to install solar panels in the future.

Despite the home's remote location, the owners are finding themselves spending ample time there.

"This is a remote vacation cabin, but the clients continue to spend a larger and larger portion of their time at the cabin – ultimately planning for it to be a full-time residence," the team said.

Other projects by Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects include a compact cabin in Washington made of modest materials, and a house on San Juan Island that consists of timber-clad volumes that step down a rocky hillside.

The photography is by Kes Efstathiou.

Project credits:

Architect: Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects
Design team: Tom Lenchek (principal architect), James Efstathiou (project architect),
Taylor Proctor (architect)

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US studio Opsis Architecture has completed the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, which features a mass-timber structural system and a swooping metal roof influenced by the region's rolling landscape.

Located in the city of Moscow in North Idaho, the arena acts as a gateway building for the University of Idaho.

In addition to basketball games and other sporting activities, the 4,000-seat arena is used for special events such as concerts and ceremonies.

Opsis Architecture – a studio based in Portland, Oregon – conceived of the building as an alternative to the traditional American arena, which is typically made of concrete and/or steel.

The project is also meant to "challenge the norms of mass-timber construction".

"Much of the focus on mass-timber utilization has been going vertical to create a new breed of medium and high-rise structures," said the architecture studio.

"By utilizing mass timber in a long-span application, this project breaks with convention to create a one-of-a-kind sports arena."

The 66,186-square-foot (6,149-square-metre) building contains a main performance court, a training court and a variety of secondary spaces, such as locker rooms and concessions.

The architects worked with a number of specialists to create a distinctive and budget-conscious building.

"We worked collaboratively with engineers, designers, forest product suppliers and wood product manufacturers to find a design path that was striking and innovative, while also efficient and cost-effective," the team said.

Located on a gently sloping site, the multi-level building consists of rectilinear volumes that are covered with a rounded, metal shell. The region's topography inspired the shell's sculptural profile.

"The roof's structure and form were informed by the undulating landscape of the Palouse region, created by the cataclysmic Missoula floods at the end of the Ice Age," the team said.

Both standing-seam metal panels and corrugated box-rib panels were used for the cladding. Onyx-stained cedar and a composite aluminium rainscreen are also found on the exterior.

For the structural frame, the team employed mass timber made of Douglas fir. The components include glued-laminated, cross-laminated and dowel-laminated timber.

The wood was left exposed, putting the structural system at "the forefront of the arena experience," the team said. Overhead, giant wooden beams cross a ceiling that rises to 59 feet (18 metres) at its highest point.

In addition to the timber, cast-in-place concrete was used for shear walls, stair cores, seating bowl risers and below-grade retaining walls.

The team collaborated with the University of Idaho's College of Natural Resources to source local lumber for the project.

About 80 per cent of the wood fibre used came from the university's Experimental Forest, which encompasses 10,300 acres of managed forestland.

StructureCraft, a Canadian company, served as the project's design-build partner and was responsible for engineering, fabricating and installing the wooden structure.

"This collaborative approach allowed for a seamless execution of the complex structural framework, which included stretching the limits in terms of the spanning capabilities of timber," the architecture studio said.

The team estimates that over 1,200 cubic metres of wood products were used in the project. By using wood instead of materials like concrete and steel, the team was able to avoid releasing significant amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

The project also supported the local economy and underscored "the value of Idaho wood products".

"The arena's innovative design and integration of locally sourced wood serve as an inspiring model for future projects," the team said.

Other recent applications of mass timber include a Canadian factory by Hemsworth Architecture that is constructed of glue- and cross-laminated timber panels, and a Dellekamp Schleich-designed commercial building that is reportedly the largest and tallest mass-timber structure in Mexico.

The photography is by Lara Swimmer.

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US studio Anacapa Architecture has transformed an early 1900s, stucco-clad building that was formerly closed off to the public into a welcoming hotel filled with compact rooms and handcrafted decor.

Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara in central California, the 45-key hotel is the second outpost from Drift, with the first located in San José del Cabo, Mexico.

The hotel occupies a three-storey, Italian Mediterranean-style building that totals 15,617 square feet (1,451 square metres).

Guest rooms are spread across all three levels, and a penthouse suite is found on the top floor. The ground level contains a coffee shop and a bar.

While the building's original architect is unknown, the firm Soule, Murphy & Hastings performed a renovation following a 1925 earthquake. The building has served various uses over time.

"One of the only downtown survivors of the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, the building has stood for well over 100 years and has had many lives," said local firm Anacapa Architecture.

A hotel operated in the building from 1901 to the 1980s. More recently, it served as a home for the Church of Scientology, which took over in the 1990s and kept the building closed off from the community.

Making the building more welcoming and honouring its original character were key concerns for the design team. The project was envisioned as a "modern reincarnation" of the hotel that once operated on the site.

"As part of a restoration, the challenge was to work within the historic context while creating experiences that are appealing to the modern traveler," the team said.

The exterior facades, featuring white stucco and arched windows, were kept largely intact. The building's terracotta tile roof was retained, as well.

On the ground level, the team added folding glass doors on the front wall, which faces a pedestrian promenade. Behind the doors are the coffeeshop and a bar, called Dawn and Dusk, respectively.

The large openings draw in passersby and help reconnect the building to the neighbourhood.

"Space for both locals and travelers is accommodated, returning the building to its roots as a true hospitality venue," the team said.

While the exterior has a historic look, the interior is much more modern.

The team incorporated materials such as concrete and wood. The hotel brand's Mexican property inspired much of the contemporary furnishings and decor.

"The hotel is dressed with goods from Californian and Mexican makers, paying homage to the brand's Baja roots while celebrating its coastal Californian locale," the team said.

The guest rooms, which range from 145 to 165 square feet (13 to 15 square metres), are compact in comparison to average hotel rooms in the area. Creative solutions, such as under-bed storage, help maximize space.

Overall, the project has revitalized a building that has long been a fixture in downtown Santa Barbara.

"The team brought modern life to a building inaccessible to most of the community for so long, bringing a breath of fresh air to downtown, and catering to all," the team said.

Anacapa Architecture has offices in Santa Barbara and Portland, Oregon. Additional work by the studio includes a minimalist residence for a California entrepreneur and a glamping resort in Sonoma County that features customised tents and Airstream trailers.

The photography is by Erin Feinblatt.

Project credits:

Architecture and interior Design: ANACAPA Architecture
Contractor: Parton + Edwards Construction
Civil and structural engineering: Ashley Vance
MEP engineering: Consulting West
Kitchen, bar, and coffee shop consultant: New School

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Architecture studio BuildingWork drew upon historic buildings and Indigenous culture to create the cedar-clad La Conner Swinomish Library in a maritime community in the Pacific Northwest.

The building is located in La Conner, a small town along the Swinomish Channel in northern Washington.

Situated along a main street in the town's historic district, the building was designed with a sensitivity for the surrounding context, said Seattle-based BuildingWork.

For a relatively compact, corner lot, the architects conceived a single-storey library that totals 5,400 square feet (502 square metres). The building consists of two conjoined volumes that form a rectangular plan.

Inside, one finds a range of spaces, including a meeting room, staff work areas and dedicated reading areas for children, teens and adults.

The building has a concrete foundation, and cross-laminated timber (CLT) was used for the structural system.

The CLT panels were manufactured in Washington and made of local Douglas fir. The panels were left exposed on the interior, creating a "warm and inviting environment", the team said.

Exterior facades are clad in cedar – the main volume is painted creamy white, and the other volume is rendered in a dark grey. A font created specially for this project was used to make a brick-coloured sign announcing the library.

Along the roof, a projecting cornice nods to the library's historic context. In a similar vein, the team incorporated a modern-style bay window.

"Framed in steel, and with floor-to-ceiling glass, the bay window is a contemporary element that speaks to both old and new," the team said.

"BuildingWork designed the feature to provide transparency into the warm reading room beyond, as well as views of the main street from within – an inviting gesture positioned toward those driving through town."

The library's design was informed by strict design guidelines in the town's historic district. The architects studied the town's history and existing building stock, searching for elements to draw upon.

Additionally, the design responds to the needs and interests of the nearby Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. The tribe's involvement in the project was highly significant.

"Although the town of La Conner and the Swinomish reservation are physically adjacent, they have been separated by history, culture and the complex legacies of settler colonialism," the team said.

"During the process, the library formed a project-altering partnership with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, resulting in the tribe becoming heavily involved in the project and one of its largest benefactors."

Among the elements honouring the Swinomish Tribe is a traditional story pole at the library's entrance.

Drawing upon iconography from the Swinomish tribe and the larger ethnic group known as Coast Salish, the 18-foot-tall (5.5-metre) wooden pole – made from a cedar log – features carvings of an Indigenous person, two circling salmon and an eagle.

The pole was designed and crafted by Swinomish elder and master carver Kevin Paul and his son-in-law Camas Logue (Klamath-Modoc).

"BuildingWork worked with Kevin Paul to modify the design of the library in order to integrate the art piece and its cultural expression into the project, reshaping part of the building to effectively frame the storey pole and incorporating its exact paint colours into the building facade," the team said.

Leftover wood from the cedar log was used to fabricate interior elements in the library, including a bench, display shelves and the circulation desk.

One of the library's standout features is a children's space modelled after real tugboats in the La Conner harbour. The area features porthole windows and kid-sized reading nooks.

"We designed a 24-foot-long, custom tugboat in the children's area to honour La Conner's maritime past and to define the space from the rest of the open reading room," the team said.

Other interior elements in the library include signage in four languages – English, Spanish, Braille and Lushootseed. The latter is the written language of the Swinomish communityl

The building has a rooftop solar array, one of several sustainable elements that enabled the project to receive LEED Silver certification from the US Green Building Council.

Other library projects in the US include the overhaul of a 1970s, Brutalist-style library in Oregon by Hacker Architects and a Brooklyn library by WORKac that is housed inside a former torpedo factory.

The photography is by Doug Scott.

Project credits:

Client: La Conner Regional Library⁠
Client partner: Swinomish Indian Tribal Community⁠
Architect and interior designer: BuildingWork
Civil and structural engineer: KPFF
Mechanical engineer: The Greenbusch Group⁠, Inc
Electrical engineer: TFWB Engineers⁠
Envelope consultant: RDH Building Science⁠
Landscape architect: Karen Kiest Landscape Architecture⁠
Lighting designer: Blanca Lighting Design
LEED consultant: ArchEcology⁠
Specifications: Applied Building Information⁠
Cost estimator: Project Delivery Analysts⁠
General contractor: Tiger Construction

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American studio Marc Thorpe Design has completed a wood-clad, off-grid cabin for himself in New York that is meant to be "minimal in design but purposeful".

Marc Thorpe, whose studio is based in Manhattan, designed the 1,000-square-foot (93-square-metre) Fremont House to serve as a year-round, second home for himself and his wife, Claire Pijoulat, a co-founder of New York designer showcase WantedDesign.

The cabin sits on a forested site in the western Catskills, near the hamlet of Roscoe. Located two hours by car from New York City, the scenic area has become an arts and culinary destination.

The couple bought a property there over a decade ago, with the intent to build an off-the-grid dwelling.

"We noticed that there was an extremely high demand for housing, with very little supply – a condition across the entire country," said Thorpe.

"This inspired us to create a house that was minimal in design but purposeful."

Prior to the Fremont House, the couple built a 500-square-foot (46-square-metre) dwelling on the site called Edifice Cabin. That project propelled the couple to "scale up the idea into a fully functional home," said Thorpe.

Similar to the first house, the new cabin is mindful of environmental concerns.

"The Fremont House is an architecture of responsibility and respect for our environment and ourselves," said Thorpe. "The intention behind the house was to design and build an affordable, contemporary home with integrated sustainable technology."

Rectangular in plan, the building has a simple, boxy form and a gently pitched roof. The structural frame is made of locally sourced lumber.

Exterior walls are clad in Douglas fir that has been stained charcoal grey. The dark colour aids in heat retention.

"The West Catskills remain moderately cool all year, so holding onto heat is key," said Thorpe.

Power is provided by a 16-panel rooftop solar array that produces between 1.5 and 2.4 kWh of electricity per day, according to Thorpe.

Within the home, there is a clear division between public and private areas.

The ground level holds a kitchen, dining space and living room, while the upper level encompasses two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Interior finishes include oak flooring, sheetrock walls and quartz countertops. Great care went into selecting the furnishings and decor.

"Claire and I have the equivalent of a MoMA curatorial meeting any time an object finds its way into the house," said Thorpe.

Notable furnishings include Noguchi lamps, a Togo sofa from Ligne Roset and vintage Thonet pieces found locally.

Design work by Thorpe for brands Moroso, Nanimarquina and Venini feature in the home, as do pieces by Keep Brooklyn and US designer Joe Doucet.

The couple have also incorporated work by family members, including art by Jim Thorpe and photographs by Suzanne Pijoulat.

Thorpe and his team are currently launching a design-build company called Edifice Upstate, which specialises in creating off-grid, solar-powered homes in New York.

Other architectural projects by Marc Thorpe Design include a proposal for a set of houses in Uganda made of bio-bricks, and a design for wooden cabins with sharp, slanted roofs that will be part of a Romanian hotel.

The photography is by Marco Petrini.

Project credits:

Architecture and interiors: Marc Thorpe Design (MTD)
Architect of record: JBA Collective
General contractor: Shady Grove Building & Construction
Site excavation and septic: Edward Horn
Foundation: John Diehl
Water well: WM Fulton & Son Well Drilling
Plumbing: Mark Peters
Solar technology: Solar Generation

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Arched doorways and a rooftop studio feature in the Y.27 House, which has been overhauled by architecture firm Estudio Estudio in a way that honours the historic building's original character.

Located on a 195-square-metre site in Mexico City's Hipódromo Condesa neighbourhood, the project serves as a full-time residence for a client who is a social entrepreneur and collector of Mexican craftwork.

Originally built in the 1930s, the stucco-clad dwelling had endured years of neglect, said local firm Estudio Estudio.

The design team set out to revamp the home's interior, aiming to restore its original charm while enhancing its functionality.

The project involved removing walls, reconfiguring the layout and making structural improvements, in addition to adding new finishes. Moreover, a small storage room on the roof was replaced with a 43-square-metre studio building.

"The main goal was to unveil the hidden architectural treasures beneath layers of past modifications, meticulously restoring them to their original state to reveal the essence of the time," the team said.

"Architectural interventions aimed to preserve the authentic character of the house, rejuvenating ornamental elements while avoiding unnecessary embellishments."

Rectangular in plan, the home has a mix of communal and private spaces spread across three levels. Curves and arches – many of them original – create a "harmonious flow".

On the ground level, the layout "seamlessly integrates daily living requirements". The front portion holds an entry hall, garage and office, while in the rear, one finds a kitchen, dining area, service rooms and a patio.

At the heart of the ground floor is an airy living room with a 5.9-metre-high ceiling. A tall shelving system with a metal-and-wood ladder acts as a focal point.

A gently curved, skylit staircase leads to the first floor, where the team placed a primary bedroom, two bedrooms and a family room.

Atop the building is the new studio, which was constructed using pine. In addition to the studio, the building contains an onsen room with a barn-style door.

The studio opens onto a terrace with terracotta flooring. Rainwater is collected on the roof and channelled to a reservoir below.

"The roof terrace serves as a space to gather but also works as a rainwater collector, where rain travels throughout the house into a water reservoir and filter system beneath the back patio," the team said.

Throughout the home, the team used earthy materials and neutral colours. The lighting design – created in collaboration with lighting expert Luca Salas – is meant to balance "ambiance, functionality and aesthetics".

Notable finishes include oak parquet flooring and closets faced with cotton-canvas. Oak was used for window frames, kitchen cabinets and other elements.

In the kitchen, the team took a sample of existing checkered tiles, made of pigmented concrete, to a local craftsman, who then replicated them.

This style of flooring – called pisos de pasta – is very common in older homes in Mexico City and southwest Mexico, said Estudio Estudio.

Overall, the house is meant to balance historic elements with a contemporary lifestyle.

"This house proudly stands as a harmonious blend of past and present, inviting residents to embark on a captivating journey of refined and simple ways of living," the team said.

Other projects in Mexico City's Condesa district include a renovated house by Chloé Mason Gray that embraces its lack of natural light, and an apartment block covered in small, wooden squares that were inspired by vegetable crates.

The photography is by Zaickz Moz Studio.

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A cluster of wood-clad, gabled volumes form a sculptural home by architectural studio Young Projects that nods to historic Long Island architecture while reimagining the barn typology.

Located in Bridgehampton, an upscale hamlet on the island's South Fork. Six Square House is an irregularly shaped dwelling that sits on a verdant, two-acre (0.8-hectare) lot with an historic farmhouse.

Brooklyn-based Young Projects made a range of updates to the property including adding an addition to the 1850s farmhouse, which sits at the front of the site, and a pool, terrace and pool house in the rear of the lot.

The main residence was designed as a "contemporary counterpart" to the farmhouse – now used as guest quarters – and draws upon the region's vernacular architecture.

"The studio set out to create a new residence that nods subtly to the historic architecture of Long Island, while radically reimagining a traditional barn typology as an elegant, innovative home," explained Young Projects.

The house, which totals 2,600 square feet (242 square metres), consists of six gabled forms, each 24 by 24 feet (7.3 by 7.3 metres). Five of the volumes were placed around a small, triangular courtyard, with one set off to the side.

"This arrangement offered a compelling visual balance between symmetry and asymmetry, depending on the inhabitant's point of reference in the home," the team said.

To create visual continuity, the team aligned the roof ridges of all six volumes. The roof planes vary, however, contributing to the home's sculptural look.

'"Each module's roof eavesflow upward and downward, which results in a variety of undulating surfaces and unexpected sight lines across the exterior and interior of the home," the team said.

Roofs and outer walls are clad in a grey rainscreen made of charred accoya wood. Other walls are sheathed in Western red cedar rainscreens.

Slatted siding was designed to enhance the undulating roofscape.

"These are durable and low-maintenance engineered woods that play off of the farmhouse's historic cedar facade while reading as distinctly contemporary," said Young Projects.

"The slatted roof aligns with slatted exterior walls to create long, vertical striations that begin at the roof ridge and cascade to the ground," it said.

Within the home, there is a division between public and private spaces.

The front portion encompasses the public modules. One contains the kitchen and mudroom, while another holds the living room. Adjoining the living room is a patio module with dining furniture.

The back part of the house comprises two modules – one for the primary bedroom, and the other for a guest room and den. The sixth module, which is offset and detached, holds the garage.

Each module was oriented toward a different view of the property. For instance, the primary bedroom looks upon a mature, purple beech tree that is beloved by the client.

Interior rooms were designed to feel comfortable and calming, with the team intentionally avoiding "high contrast or loud materials".

Finishes include light-toned woods, vanilla-hued gypsum plaster walls and marble countertops. For the flooring and millwork, the team used white oak and ash.

"The interior palette was selected to have a general lightness and warmth appropriate for a summer house in the Hamptons," said Noah Marciniak, a partner at Young Projects.

Other projects by the New York City studio include the overhaul and expansion of a mixed-use building Brooklyn that features black zinc cladding and a sinuous staircase.

The photography is by Brooke Holm unless otherwise stated.

Project credits:

Architecture: Young Projects
Interior design: Young Projects with Verso
Art consulting: Fritz Advisory
General contractor: Taconic Builders
Structural engineer: Silman
Landscape architecture: Coen+Partners
Landscaper: Landscape Details
Rainscreen supplier: reSAWN TIMBER Co.
Millwork: Chapter+Verse

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Gridded fibre-cement cladding and a swimming pool with underwater windows feature at the East Van Residence in Vancouver by Canadian firm SMStudio.

The project is in Hastings-Sunrise, a residential neighbourhood in East Vancouver, a mixed residential and industrial area that borders the city's harbour.

The home replaces a "tired, 1950s bungalow" that did not accommodate the client's needs, said SMStudio, a local firm led by Simon Montgomery.

"This house was designed for a small family that loved their neighbourhood but needed a more functional house and floor plan that would suit their lifestyle and needs," the studio said.

The studio conceived a 251-square-metre, three-storey house that was designed to be a "bold yet friendly addition to the neighbourhood".

In addition to its three levels, the house has a rooftop terrace, a swimming pool and a 48-square-metre studio and pool house complex in the backyard.

The exterior of the primary structure was clad in board-formed concrete and white, square-shaped panels made of fibre cement. The concrete wraps the lower level and consists of thin strips that give the appearance of wood.

The cladding choices were a response to strict building codes that required non-combustible siding.

"Originally this was a challenge, but it provided an opportunity to explore how we could utilize a standard, lower-cost building material in an interesting way," the team said.

"The result is a bold, playful facade that plays with light and shadow, creating interest and intrigue."

For the interiors, the studio incorporated a mix of natural and industrial materials.

"Materials such as natural stone, board-formed concrete and Douglas fir are used throughout the project and create a sense of calm and a neutral backdrop for the owners to show their personality through art and furniture," the team said.

Designed to capitalise on views from the communal spaces, the home features a reverse floor plan.

The ground level contains the main entrance and two bedrooms, while the top floor holds the kitchen, dining space and living room.

Contemporary decor was placed throughout the minimal spaces, including plush furniture and a custom-made DJ stand.

"A custom, welded-steel shelf and DJ setup were designed as a focal point in the living room, allowing the clients to display and listen to their extensive vinyl collection," the team said.

The home's levels are connected by a staircase lined with metal mesh, which runs from the basement to the roof. Atop the stairwell, an oversized skylight carries daylight to the spaces below.

The upper level has ceilings crossed by beams made of Douglas fir, laminated-veneer lumber (LVL), which enabled a wide span without the need for additional supporting columns.

Large stretches of glass create views of the adjacent park, the water and the mountains to the north of the city.

The basement level holds a den and media room, a guest suite that doubles as a workout area, and storage and mechanical space. A sunken, concrete courtyard brings in natural light.

The ground floor leads to a sunken courtyard framed with board-formed concrete walls with windows that look into the swimming pool.

"Pool windows are cut into the board-formed concrete and allow for a playful conversation between swimmers and bystanders," the team said.

The detached building in the backyard has multiple functions, as it can be used as a garage, workshop, creative studio and pool house. A rolling garage door connects to the adjacent park.

Other projects in east Vancouver include a narrow, century-old house that was renovated by D'Arcy Jones Architecture and a caramel-coloured bakery by Ste Marie that has furniture influenced by the American Shaker movement.

The photography is by Ema Peter.

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Students in the Studio 804 design-build programme at the University of Kansas took cues from farmstead vernacular to create a primary home and accessory dwelling unit called 722 Ash Street.

Named after its address, the residence is located in the city of Lawrence in northeastern Kansas. It was built as a speculative project, and the house was sold upon completion.

The project was created by Studio 804, a design-build programme affiliated with the architecture school at the University of Kansas.

Students in the graduate-level programme spend a year designing and constructing a project, with a focus on "sustainable, affordable and inventive building solutions".

Abutting a trail that runs along the Kansas River, the Ash Street home sits in a transitional area in North Lawrence, where urban conditions begin to give way to agricultural fields.

"North Lawrence is known for its quality soil, large trees, curb-less streets and random-size parcels before it breaks into larger farms further from the urban center," the team said.

"The rumble of freight trains and farm trucks in the shadows of the towering grain elevators are only blocks away."

The team took cues from the region's farmstead vernacular to design the project, which features a string of gabled volumes on a slanted, rectangular lot. The volumes are positioned at different angles, giving the home a dynamic appearance.

The two front volumes comprise the main residence, which has one storey and totals 1,442 square feet (134 square metres). The rear volume is a 516 square-foot (48-square-metre) ADU with a ground level and a loft.

The main residence and ADU are connected by a small volume that acts as a shed, providing space for the storage of lawnmowers, gardening tools and other equipment.

The buildings have timber frames, and their walls and roofs are clad in continuous siding made of phenolic resin, a durable material.

"We were after something that would hold its colour and not fade in our hot summer sun," said Dan Rockhill, the professor who leads Studio 804.

Inside, one finds polished concrete flooring, painted drywall and IKEA cabinetry with fronts and countertops made of Richilite – a composite material made of resin-infused paper.

The main residence has a straightforward layout.

The street-facing volume contains an airy kitchen and living room, where the ceiling rises to 18 feet (5.5 metres) at its highest point. The volume behind it holds two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Connecting the two areas is a corridor with a green wall filled with philodendron plants.

The ADU contains flexible rooms that enable the building to be used as guest quarters or as a rental property, thus generating income for the homeowner.

"It also supports the city of Lawrence's goals of increased density close to downtown, rather than continued sprawl into the countryside," the team said.

The project – which earned LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council – has a number of sustainable features, including a highly insulated building envelope and a 4.9-kw rooftop solar array.

"The buildings use technology and common-sense design to reduce the building's footprint and assure the owners' low-energy use and costs," the team said.

Founded in 1995, Studio 804 has completed 29 projects, all in Kansas. Others include a Passivhaus-certified home clad in yellow cedar and topped with a gabled roof, and a residence made of salvaged materials such as reclaimed metal and wood from railroad trestles.

The photography is by Corey Gaffer Photography.

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Mork-Ulnes Architects has completed the Silver Lining House, a crisp, gabled home clad in black-stained cedar that was designed for an architectural photographer and interior designer.

Located on a sloped site in San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighbourhood, the house sits among Victorian and Edwardian homes that line the area's hilly streets.

The project was designed for architectural photographer Bruce Damonte and interior designer Alison Damonte, who have long been friends with architect Casper Mork-Ulnes, founder of Mork-Ulnes Architects.

The couple, who are avid collectors, desired a home that showcased their treasured belongings and supported their creative work.

"We knew from the outset that this project would be an interesting collaboration, balancing our reductive tendencies with the more exuberant and maximalist impulses of our client/friends, whose style we had always admired and wanted to celebrate," said Casper Mork-Ulnes.

The architect and his team at Mork-Ulnes Architects – which has offices in San Francisco and Oslo – conceived a home for the Damontes that "conceptually functions as a container for their furniture and art collections and a laboratory for their work".

Rectangular in plan, the home rises three levels and features a crisp, gabled form. Facades are clad in strips of black-stained cedar and are punctured with openings of varying sizes.

The architects took cues from the surrounding context when deciding on key design elements such as scale, massing and cladding – but they also strayed from the norm.

"While replicating the roof forms, entry portal/stoop and massing of the Victorian homes, the new house also breaks from tradition with a black-painted facade and ribbon windows that visually connect the interior of the house to the neighbourhood," the team said.

"Tradition is reinterpreted here with a decidedly contemporary perspective, where formal research and construction techniques are integral to creating an original and innovative outcome that engages its surroundings while also prompting further inquiry," the team added.

Totalling 2,818 square feet (261 square metres), the home has a "flipped floor plan", in which private quarters are found on lower levels and communal spaces are placed up high.

The ground level holds a garage, primary bedroom suite, laundry room and sunken garden. The main entrance is found on the first floor, where the team placed a guest suite, a home office, two bathrooms and intimate spaces for relaxing and entertaining.

The top level – envisioned as a penthouse-type space – encompasses a kitchen, dining area, living room and powder room. A terrace offers sweeping views of the city.

Floors are linked by a curved staircase topped with a skylight. Half-polished chrome slats bounce reflections around the stairwell, an effect meant to "mimic the experience of walking through a disco ball".

Mirrored surfaces are found in other parts of the house, lending a feeling of playfulness while also producing spacial and light-generating effects, the team said.

Overall, the home's interior design – overseen by Alison Damonte – offers a mix of colours, textures and patterns that "reflect the owners' collective creative spirit", the team said.

Sustainability was in mind throughout the project, leading to the inclusion of elements such as high-performance windows, exterior solar shading and energy-efficient appliances.

Rooftop solar panels generate electricity that can be stored in a Powerwall battery system, and unused electricity is sent back to the power grid.

The home's completion marks the end of a journey spanning more than a decade.

In 2010, the Damontes purchased a modest residence in Bernal Heights dating to the early 1900s.

Several years later, they enlisted Mork-Ulnes to renovate the house, and just when plans were being finalized in 2017, the house caught fire and was partly destroyed.

The team salvaged what they could and reworked the design.

"While the incident forced a reevaluation of scope and scale of the redesign, the couple's goal remained the same – to create a home that acted as a capsule of art and inspiration," the team said.

Other projects by Mork-Ulnes include an eight-sided house in Oregon that was built using cross-laminated timber and a California residence clad in Corten steel to protect the building from wildfire.

The photography is by Bruce Damonte. 

Project credits:

Architect: Mork-Ulnes Architects
Project design team: Casper Mork-Ulnes, Lexie Mork-Ulnes, Phi Van Phan, Gregoriy Ladigin
Interior designer: Alison Damonte
Construction manager: Raffi Nazarian
Landscape architect: Terremoto
Structural engineer: Santos & Urritia
Lighting design: PritchardPeck
General contractor: Rico's General Construction, Inc
Cabinetmaker: Hopebuilt

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Salvaged wood and colourful murals by local artists are among the decorative features in the NBBJ-designed Odessa Brown Children's Clinic, which combines medical services with public amenities like a basketball court and community kitchen.

The healthcare facility is located in Seattle's Othello neighbourhood, a diverse area that historically has been home to immigrant communities.

The project involved extensive public outreach and engagement, and spaces are specifically designed with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) users in mind.

The clinic occupies two levels in a six-storey building called Othello Square, which also contains apartments and a kindergarten.

Owned by Seattle Children's Hospital, the clinic provides medical, dental and mental health services for kids. The facility also includes community centre-type spaces, such as a basketball court and study areas.

"The community asked that this clinic be about more than healthcare – a place to hang out after school and study, play basketball and soccer, hold events, share a meal and access food resources," said NBBJ, which is headquartered in Seattle.

"The OBCC's connective amenities are open to not just clinic patients but the neighbourhood at large, uniting multiple generations to foster teaching, learning and sharing."

The clinic's ground level encompasses a recreation centre and community kitchen, while the medical functions are housed on the upper level. The facility totals 41,679 square feet (3,872 square metres).

The team drew upon the local milieu to plan, organise and decorate the facility.

A range of healthcare rooms – for exams, treatment, counselling, consultation and imaging – are arranged around a waiting room. Envisioned as a "town square", the central space features comfortable furniture and areas for studying and reading.

Familiar elements such as front porches and neighbourhood blocks inspired certain design features in the clinic. Bright colours were inspired by the local context and are meant to "express vibrancy and joy".

Commissioned work by local artists is featured throughout, helping the facility feel welcoming and relatable.

"Community members expressed that they did not want the space to feel clinical, and emphasized the idea of 'no blank walls'," the team said.

A mix of materials can be found on the walls, such as printed murals, stretched fabric and salvaged skip-planed wood siding. Flooring includes polished concrete, rubber and linoleum, and ceilings are covered in acoustical panels.

Casework is made of white oak and faux-wood laminate, and privacy screens are fabricated of perforated metal.

While NBBJ has designed numerous healthcare facilities, this project required an unconventional approach.

"The traditional process of design doesn't work uniformly, and it's not particularly well suited to disadvantaged communities," the team said.

"How then do you create a more equitable process and outcomes? How do you give the community a voice?"

The team sought extensive input from a range of stakeholders, including patients, parents, medical practitioners, childcare providers, and others. That input directly shaped the design of the space.

"We learned an inclusive design process lets the community lead," the team said. "It is grounded in trust and relationships, transparency and connections."

Other recent projects by NBBJ include a colourful playground at a public housing complex in Los Angeles, which it designed in collaboration with American musician Flea.

The photography is by Sean Airhart.

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Local studio Hacker Architects has renovated and expanded a 60-year-old athletic facility at the Oregon Episcopal School, aiming to make it an "inclusive, equitable and future-forward campus hub".

The project – officially called the Oregon Episcopal School Athletic Center – sits within the campus of a co-ed private school in southwest Portland.

The school serves 800 students, ranging from pre-kindergarteners to 12th graders. The school was first established in 1869, and its identify is rooted in Oregon's "natural beauty and diverse people and history", said Hacker Architects.

The athletic centre houses the physical education and athletic departments, in addition to serving as a multipurpose venue for the entire school community.

Dating to 1966, the original, 22,000-square-foot (2,044 square metre) facility was designed by Lewis Crutcher Architects and was in need of a refresh and expansion. The clients wanted to create "an inclusive, equitable and future-forward campus hub".

"The directive from OES was to create a safe and supportive experience for all students, regardless of their interest or skill in sports," the architecture studio said.

The project entailed renovations to the original facility and the addition of a 20,000-square-foot (1,858 square metre) extension. Rectangular in plan, the expanded building steps down a gentle slope and anchors the northern part of campus.

The design team incorporated flexible spaces and a connection to the outdoors.

"The design for the new athletic centre reflects the OES community's desire for open spaces that encourage gathering and support interaction at different levels and scales – and a design that embraces nature and the outdoors as a teaching tool," the team said.

The original building's facades were a mix of painted stucco, brick tile and stained cedar. The additions's exterior is wrapped in fibre-cement boards and plywood overlaid with stained cedar battens. Trellises are laced with climbing evergreen vines.

"The exterior envelope shares a common language with the recently completed lower school, where the vertical wood slats and texture reference the nearby campus woods," the team said.

Interior finishes include polished concrete floors and a stair screen made of clear-vertical-grain cedar. Exposed, glue-laminated columns and beams are made of Douglas fir.

For the programmatic elements, the architecture studio collaborated closely with OES students and faculty to understand the building's usage, particularly in regard to schedules and routines.

The building contains two full-size gymnasiums, meeting and collaboration spaces, and offices. On the south side of the building, a concourse looks toward the forest and serves as a "multi-use commons", where users can study or watch sports.

Standard locker rooms were replaced with "team rooms" that accommodate mixed-gender teams, along with cases in which a coach's gender differs from their student athletes.

"The design team and OES envisioned a space that replaces locker rooms with flexible, all-purpose team rooms, allowing student-athletes and their coaches a mix of private and communal space," the architects said.

Sustainability was an important concern for the project. The facility features a highly efficient building envelope, passive cooling strategies and limited mechanical cooling.

According to the team, the building aligns with the Architecture 2030 Challenge goals and meets the criteria for the Path to Net Zero programme overseen by the Energy Trust of Oregon.

Moreover, the building is designed to respond to seismic events, as Portland lies within an earthquake zone.

"Designed for resiliency, the OES Athletic Center meets stricter seismic criteria to provide shelter and support to OES and surrounding communities after a seismic event," the team said.

Other Oregon projects by Hacker Architects include wood-clad townhomes in Bend that were designed to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts and a residence in the high desert that features fragmented wooden walls.

The photography is by Lara Swimmer.

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Shingle-like panels made of weathering steel clad the pyramidal forms at the River Bend Residence, a project designed by Texan studio Lake Flato Architects to "sit lightly upon the land".

Located in a region known as Texas Hill Country, the house is in the city of New Braunfels, just north of San Antonio. The area is known for its German heritage, cultural activities and two rivers.

Respecting the natural setting was a guiding concern for the design team, as the home sits on a wooded perch overlooking the Guadalupe River.

"River Bend Residence is a tranquil home designed to sit lightly upon the land, minimising disruption to the site and existing trees," said Lake Flato Architects, which has offices in San Antonio and Austin.

The team designed the house for a retired couple who are passionate about travel and documenting their experiences. After years of living in a larger family residence, the clients desired a home with an efficient use of space and "right-sized for their current lifestyle".

"The project was designed to provide beautiful spaces to accommodate their daily routine, with intentionally small storage capacity, as they are downsizing," the team said.

The team conceived a main dwelling with two detached buildings, all of which are loosely organised around a central garden.

The buildings are topped with tall, pyramidal hipped roofs. Inside, the ceiling height rises to 26 feet (eight metres).

Exterior walls and roofs are clad in panels made of Corten steel — a material chosen for its "robust qualities and minimal maintenance", the team said.

The interior features a mix of warm woods – including Douglas fir, walnut and white oak – along with finishes such as plaster and concrete.

The main dwelling consists of two volumes – one square, one rectangular – that are linked by a glazed breezeway. One volume contains a bedroom suite, while the other holds a kitchen, dining area and living room.

A portion of the dwelling is lifted above the site by concrete piers.

"The two primary structures are located on a relatively steep slope and are primarily supported by piers to minimise excavation," the team said.

"Only the back third of the buildings on the sloping portion of the site sit on grade, and these areas were carefully located to minimise the number of trees that needed to be removed in construction."

The detached buildings – which sit atop concrete foundations – house a carport and an art studio, the latter of which doubles as guest quarters.

Like the main dwelling, the accessory buildings were carefully sited to reduce damage to the site.

"Only six trees were removed to build all four structures, minimising the impact on the abundant wildlife habitat," the team said.

The home is oriented to take advantage of prevailing winds and encourage natural ventilation. Large skylights at the tip of each roof capture daylight.

"Skylights provide balanced daylight, allowing for a lower amount of glazing on the exterior walls," said Lake Flato.

The landscape features indigenous plants and was kept intentionally minimal, in order to reduce maintenance and to further heed the surrounding environment.

Other projects by Lake Flato Architects include a hotel filled with art and "hippie textiles" that is meant to emulate a Texas lake house and a 3D-printed, ranch-style home that was displayed at Austin's SXSW festival and built in collaboration with construction technology outfit ICON.

The photography is by Casey Dunn. 

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US architecture studio The Ranch Mine has completed a holiday home in northern Arizona consisting of black, gabled forms that "burst vertically from the ground".

Rising up from a grassy, high-altitude plateau, the Noir Peaks house is located in the northern Arizona town of Flagstaff, known for its mountains, aspen stands and pine forests.

The area sits within a vast volcanic field, where the last eruption occurred about 1,000 years ago.

Emerging from "the harsh yet beautiful landscape", the vacation home has a form and materiality influenced by the surrounding terrain, said Phoenix-based architectural studio, The Ranch Mine.

Situated on a two-acre (0.8-hectare) site, the home comprises a cluster of gabled forms, which sit atop a two-foot-high concrete base.

"Three gabled forms burst vertically from the ground to form the massing of the home, echoing the volcanic mountains dotting the plateau," the team said.

Exterior walls are clad in fibre-cement, board-and-batten siding, painted to match the lava rocks that dot the site.

The battens' spacing is intentionally varied to evoke the scattered positioning of nearby aspen trees.

"We wanted to use a simple, cost-effective material that could hold up to the harsh environment but elevate the look by doing a unique batten pattern," the team said. "The house was built very economically."

Encompassing 2,405 square feet (223 square metres), the home holds communal spaces, a primary suite, three bedrooms, a mudroom, a laundry room and a spacious garage.

The layout prioritises views of the San Francisco Peaks, and rooms feature neutral colours and earthy materials such as wood and stone.

Tongue-and-groove hemlock, for instance, was used to clad ceilings in the great room and primary bedroom. Fireplaces are faced with Texas Crème limestone.

Overall, the interior atmosphere is meant to feel cosy and restful.

"The interiors were inspired by the Danish concept of hygge – creating a refuge to recover, rest, reflect and re-energize before heading out on the next adventure," the team said.

"Radiant heated concrete floors run throughout the house for a cosy daily sensation in the winter months," the team added.

The Ranch Mine has completed a range of projects in Arizona, including a low-slung, minimalist house in Paradise Valley and a series of Phoenix townhomes clad in brick, stucco and weathering steel.

The photography is by Roehner + Ryan.

Project credits:

Architect: The Ranch Mine
Interiors (furnitures, fixtures and equipment): Studio V
Builder: J Rio Management LLC

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Black brick and lye-washed wood are among the materials used to build a family home in a coastal Washington forest for a founding partner at architectural studio GO'C.

The project, called The Rambler, is tucked into a wooded site on the Kitsap Peninsula, which lies northwest of Seattle. The home is designed to be rooted to the landscape.

"The new structure grounds itself to the earth with its approach to material and form," said GO'C, a Seattle-based firm.

The home serves as a full-time residence for the studio's co-founding partner, Jon Gentry, and his wife, Lydia Ramsey, who is a musician.

The single-storey, 1,700-square-foot (158-square-metre) dwelling was built on a "cherished piece of family property," the team said.

The goal was to create a modest residence that responded to its context and could accommodate a growing family. The couple also desired a high level of care and craftsmanship – on a relatively tight budget – and did much of the construction work themselves.

"The project involved a close collaboration with friends and makers in the local community, exploring a level of craft made possible from relationships forged over years of making work together," the team said.

The house's placement was carefully considered, as the couple wanted to ensure there was enough space around the structure for cultivating vegetables, gathering around a fire pit and possibly adding a guest house/workshop in the future.

Rectangular in plan, the home is horizontally oriented. A variety of openings were incorporated to form communal spaces, provide views and bring in natural light and air.

"The design concept evolved out of a solid rectangular volume stretched across the site in a typical one-storey ‘rambler' style," the team said, referring to the common American style also known as a ranch house.

"The volume was carved away to create gathering spaces, sliced through to open axial views, and punctured and perforated to let in light and provide natural ventilation while maintaining privacy where needed."

Exterior walls are made of Norman-sized black bricks with deeply raked mortar joints. Soffits are clad in lye-washed Douglas fir.

The building sits atop a raised concrete base that contains radiant hydronic piping. The concrete podium also has an aesthetic function, as it adds visual weight.

"The concrete base and full-height masonry walls serve to create a material language of visual mass and permanence for the home," the team said.

The house is topped with a flat, overhanging roof that provides shade and helps delineate outdoor gathering areas. A metal staircase leads up to the roof, where one finds an herb garden, spots for star-gazing and a future area for solar panels.

Around the house, the team added breeze-block walls that extend toward the landscape and form semi-enclosed, exterior rooms.

The screen walls "filter light and views at the east and west ends of the site, dissolving the structure into the landscape," the team said.

The main entrance is near the centre of the home, and within the dwelling, there is a clear division between public and private zones.

The western half contains an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room – a comfortable space for family gatherings and playing music. A concrete fireplace acts as a "totem, marking the heart of the living space", the team said.

The eastern portion holds the primary bedroom suite, a studio, a bathroom and a secondary bedroom (now used as a nursery, as the couple had a baby last December).

On the northern section of the house, the team added structural elements that allow for a second level to be added in the future.

Rooms feature neutral colours and a mix of industrial and earthy materials, some of which came directly from the site.

Douglas fir trees from the property were used for ceilings, kitchen shelving and a coffee table. Cedar milled on-site was used for the front door, entry benches and a privacy fence.

Additional materials include concrete and stainless steel. An outdoor shower is made of copper.

"Materials that are low maintenance and that get better with age were very important from the outset of the project," the team said.

Other projects by GO'C include a cedar-clad home that was designed for a blended family of eight and a community arts centre that was built on a remediated brownfield site and takes cues from a 1930s gas station.

The photography is by Kevin Scott.

Project credits:

Architecture and interiors: GO'C
GO'C team: Jon Gentry, Aimée O'Carroll, Yuchen Qiu
Build team: Sparrow Woodworks, Jon Gentry and Lydia Ramsey
Structural engineering: SSF Engineers
Civil engineering: J Welch Engineering

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Stucco and asphalt are found on the exterior of a 1920s bungalow that has been revamped by local firm The LADG, which sought to challenge traditional views of the housing typology.

The project – officially called House in Los Angeles 5 – involved updating and extending the bungalow in LA's Larchmont Village neighbourhood, which was originally built in 1929.

The LADG, or The Los Angeles Design Group, designed the project for their publicist and her family. The studio was tasked with rethinking the layout and aesthetics of a traditional single-family home.

The existing bungalow was 1,426 square feet (132 square metres) and contained two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The architecture studio began by dividing up the home's simple, square plan.

"Upending traditional notions of how a house should be organised and how it should look, [we] began this project by cutting the plan with two concrete footpaths from the outside-in, splitting the property into four unique quadrants," the studio said.

The perpendicular cuts run the entirety of the property, from front to back (north to south) and side to side (west to east). Entry and exit doors were positioned along the main axes.

In addition to the cuts, the team added built space at the front and back of the house, increasing the home's floor area to 1,980 square feet (184 square metres). In the rear, upper portions that project outward are supported by T-shaped steel columns.

The front half of the house consists of two quadrants, which together hold three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The remaining two quadrants make up the back part of the home. Combined, they encompass a kitchen, dining area, living room, powder room and service areas.

The quadrants are joined at the centre by a double-height volume that "serves as an interior courtyard and gathering place for the family", the team said.

"The aim is to evacuate the centre of the house and put a cultural proposition in its place – a new way to think about how and where to come together as a family," said LADG co-principal Benjamin Freyinger.

The central volume also helps cool the home's interior, as it facilitates cross ventilation and directs hot air toward upper operable windows.

"We are taking out the hearth and replacing it with air, as an abstract idea and quite literally as a means to achieve a passively cooled interior climate," said Freyinger.

The home has a multi-faceted roof that is meant to "open up the strict rationalism of the delineated plan underneath," the team said.

Several areas are wedge-shaped and extend beyond the walls to provide shade. The central part of the house is topped with a boxy enclosure.

"The remaining central area is covered by a double-height, upside-down box, partially unfolded into a series of projecting eaves that lap the mono-pitch wedges and bandage the whole assembly together," the team said.

"The unfolded, lapping planes of the box are projected in elevation to standard residential pitches, giving the house a contextual affinity with the mid-century spec houses on the rest of the street."

On the exterior, one finds smooth white stucco, asphalt, sheet metal and standing-seam metal.

Inside, the team incorporated a mix of textured stucco, plaster, drywall, plywood and white-washed oriented strand board (OSB).

"The materials palette consists of a variety of common everyday materials that are quintessentially LA and legible to anyone who has shopped the aisles at Home Depot," the team said.

In the back of the property, the team updated an existing accessory dwelling unit (ADU), which holds a bedroom and bathroom. The rear of the house also features a yard and a slender swimming pool.

Other projects by The LADG include the expansion of a mid-century home into a live-work complex for a painter and a photographer – a project called House in Los Angeles 1. The studio is also behind a California bar that evokes an Irish pub with its green tartan wall coverings, brass accents and leather banquettes.

The photography is by Marten Elder.

Project credits:

Architect: The Los Angeles Design Group
Project team: Remi McClain (project lead), Kenji Hattori-Forth, Jonathan Rieke, Son Vu
Engineer: Nous Engineering (project lead, Omar L Garza)
General contractor: Engine Construction
Project manager: Brain McCabe
Landscape design: Big Red Sun
Interior styling: Jason Baird

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Architecture and engineering firm Yu2e has completed The Axolotl, a three-storey apartment building near public transit that is meant to be an "evolutionary hybrid of Los Angeles middle housing".

The building is situated on a rectangular property in the Los Feliz neighbourhood, described as a "middle density" area with many two-storey apartment buildings.

For the 6,750-square-foot (627-square-metre) property, local studio Yu2e conceived a multi-family building with seven rental units.

The firm's design draws upon two historic housing styles found in Los Angeles – the bungalow court, popular in the first half of the 1900s, and the dingbat apartment building, which proliferated in the 1950s and 1960s.

"Many architects in the 20th century had experimented with low-rise housing typologies that would not overwhelm suburban neighbourhoods while providing affordable housing options," Yu2e said.

"With characteristics taken from both bungalow courts and dingbat apartments, our project is an evolutionary hybrid of Los Angeles middle housing."

The wood-and-steel Axolotl building rises three levels and totals 10,900 square feet (1,013-square-metre) – the maximum allowed for this type of building per local rules.

The project was developed under the city's Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Incentive Program, which encourages the construction of affordable housing near bus and train stations. The programme was implemented following a measure passed by voters in 2016.

"It is intended to spur multi-family development near public transit by relaxing restrictions like required yards, along with parking and density maximums, in exchange for setting aside some of those units for lower-income households and tenants," said Yu2e of the programme.

Without the TOC programme, the building would have needed to have four apartments and eight parking spaces. The programme enabled the team to add three more apartments and incorporate just four parking spaces.

"Our design approach was to maximise the opportunities afforded by the TOC incentives to create more livable dwellings at a more affordable costs," the team said.

In terms of its shape, the building is a box with pieces cut away to form patios and balconies. The outdoor spaces help break up the massing.

"The tactical distribution of these decks throughout reduced the overall bulk and scale of the building, minimising impact to the street level and adjacent neighbours," the team said.

Exterior walls are clad in a mix of vertical fibre-cement siding and cement plaster.

The developer opted for a pink exterior to help enliven the neighbourhood, while also giving a nod to dingbats, which often had colourful exteriors. The project is named after a pink-hued salamander called an axolotl.

"We like to use fun and approachable names to rebrand our housing projects, as a foil to the typical opposition and criticism of housing projects," said architect Bill Tsui, founder of Yu2e.

Parking is found in the rear and is reached via a driveway that runs alongside the building. The parking lot includes an electric vehicle charging station and space for bikes.

On the opposing side are corridors that provide access to the apartments.

"The common-access corridor is designed to create a sense of community and shared space, by utilising alternating panels and openings in lieu of a typical dark and uninviting double-loaded corridor".

Five of the apartments have two bedrooms, and the remaining two have three bedrooms. One unit is reserved for a low-income tenant.

Units are efficiently organised in order to provide open layouts and to keep costs low. Windows and sliding glass doors bring in daylight and facilitate natural ventilation.

Interior finishes include drywall, white oak flooring, laminate cabinets and quartz countertops.

"Essentially, the material choices were made with resilience and low maintenance in mind," the team said.

"The dwelling units are at once cosy and livable, breezy with ample access to outdoors," the team added.

The building is near an earthquake fault, which is not uncommon in Los Angeles. In response, the building has a "mat" foundation that consists of a two-foot-thick (61-centimetre) concrete slab.

Other projects by Yu2e include a housing project in west Los Angeles that involved the transformation of two properties into a six-unit complex with outdoor space. The project made the longlist in the housing category for the 2022 Dezeen Awards.

The photography is by Taiyo Watanabe.

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A slender pool lined with a "vertical garden" features in an oceanfront house in southern California designed by US studio Montalba Architects.

The house is located within a dense, beachside neighbourhood in Manhattan Beach outside of Los Angeles. Designed for a couple who are long-time residents of the area, the dwelling is imbued with a sense of calm and a connection to the outdoors.

"Manhattan Beach House is intended to provide a spacious, peaceful feeling, offering an experience close to nature throughout the interior of the building itself," said Los Angeles-based studio Montalba Architects

Situated on a narrow, sloped lot, the home rises three levels and encompasses 6,000 square feet (557 square metres).

Facades are clad in smooth-troweled stucco and western cedar. Along the front elevation, a cedar and aluminium screen provides privacy and acts as a guardrail.

The slatted screen wraps around the north side of the home, where the main entrance is located. The screen adds definition to an entry courtyard while also providing visual continuity between the front and side facades.

The front elevation looks west, toward the ocean, while the rear side faces an alley. To form sight lines and usher in daylight, the team focused on creating openings on both the exterior and within the house.

"Behind the street front, the volume of the house dissolves, with glimpses through openings between floors and between distant rooms."

On the ground level, the team placed a four-car garage, gym, laundry room and guest quarters. The first floor holds the primary bedroom suite and a pair of offices, along with a two-car garage that is accessed via the alley.

A double-height courtyard on the first floor showcases a maple tree that is meant to be "a reminder of natural time and the seasons".

"The courtyard is visible throughout the house, whether moving along the length of the house or up to the third floor," the team said.

The top floor encompasses a kitchen, dining area, living room and media room. Glazed doors provide access to a balcony and a pool terrace.

The pool is lined with a "vertical garden" filled with drought-tolerant plants, including hardy geraniums, creeping Jenny and blue chalksticks.

"To maintain the living wall, the gardener is suspended over the adjacent pool on a rolling platform, which is stored on-site," the team said.

Throughout the home, the team used earthy finishes such as cedar ceilings and white oak flooring and millwork.

The kitchen is fitted with oak cabinetry and Caesarstone countertops, and the fireplace surround is made of silver travertine.

Other recent projects by Montalba Architects include the renovation of a 1960s Los Angeles building by Edward Durrell Stone and the completion of a hillside home in Santa Monica that features ample glazing and a clever siting strategy.

The photography is by Kevin Scott.

Project credits:

Architect: Montalba Architects
Landcape design: Pamela Burton
Living wall: Habitat Horticulture

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A Cold War-era building designed to withstand nuclear blasts is among the structures that have been renovated by Elkus Manfredi Architects at the newly established Children's National Research & Innovation Campus.

The 12-acre (4.8-hectare) campus is located in northwest Washington DC and is part of the former site of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which moved to a new site in Bethesda, Maryland.

The military medical complex – famous for being the spot where American presidents were taken for medical treatment – opened in 1909 and features dozens of buildings.

The 110-acre (44-hectare) site is now being converted into a multi-use complex with housing, research facilities, embassies and other buildings.

For the historic site, Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects designed a master plan for an auxiliary campus belonging to Children's National Hospital, one of the nation's top pediatric hospitals.

The hospital – whose main campus is nearby – needed more space for research and medical care and was deeded the Walter Reed land by the US Congress.

In addition to the master plan, Elkus Manfredi Architects oversaw the renovation of three historic buildings and a large parking garage.

"The visionary master plan ties together diverse buildings from various eras into a cohesive whole," the team said, noting that the Walter Reed campus is a designated historic district.

"As part of this important historic site, the buildings are protected and any change to the exterior is carefully reviewed."

The largest structure, called Building 54, houses the Children's National Research Institute and totals 332,000 square feet (30,844 square metres).

The brutalist building dates to 1953 and was originally designed by the local firm of Faulkner, Kingsbury and Stenhouse.

Designed for the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the building was conceived as "a multi-storey concrete bunker that would house highly sensitive government research and be able to withstand a hydrogen bomb blast on the US Capitol".

Made of cast-in-place concrete, the imposing building has five stories above ground and three stories below. In the 1970s, an extension was added to the south side of the building.

Concrete facades have a distinctive board-marked pattern, and walls are up to three feet (one metre) thick.

To bring more sunlight into the building, Elkus Manfredi Architects created a number of openings on the exterior using "a complex process of concrete boring".

"This increase of over 6,000 square feet of openings raised the window-to-wall ratio from under three per cent to over 21 per cent," the team said.

"It was no easy task with three-foot thick concrete walls designed to withstand a nuclear blast."

The team re-oriented the building's main entrance so it faces the pediatric medical campus.

Within the building, the team created wet and dry laboratories, a vivarium, a rooftop deck, and other spaces for working and socializing. Patterning in certain areas, such as the lobby, alludes to the building's textured concrete facades.

The campus project also included the renovation of Building 52, a Civil War-era medical ward that now houses an outpatient clinic for the Primary Care and Rare Disease Institute.

The red brick, Georgian-style building received a new entrance and a host of interior updates, including a fresh colour palette that is "at once vibrant and reassuring".

Interior changes were also made to the Building 53 Post Theater, now called the Boeing Auditorium. The 300-set theatre has new wood panelling and state-of-the-art technical elements.

Last off, the five-level Rumbaugh parking garage received a massive, 1.15-megawatt rooftop solar array that covers 1.64 acres.

Daylighting controls, chilled beams and an extensive stormwater-management system are among the additional sustainability features at the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus.

Overall, the project gave new life to a series of historic buildings and provided critical space for Children's National Hospital, the team said.

"There are few issues more urgent than children's health, and the campus has achieved the dual goals of freeing up needed space in the main Children's Hospital while spurring groundbreaking research into pediatric diseases," the team said.

Other recent projects in Washington DC include the Mecanoo-led renovation of a glass-and-steel library designed by Mies van der Rohe and the completion of a housing block with a staggered facade by Studio Twenty Seven Architecture and Leo A Daly.

The photography is by Halkin Mason.

Project credits:

Master planner and architect: Elkus Manfredi Architects
Landscape architect: Mikyoung Kim Design
Construction manager: Suffolk
Clinical planning: Array Architects
Structural engineer: McNamara Salvia
MEP FP engineers: BR+A
Historic preservation: EHT Traceries
Vivarium planning: Jacobs Engineers
Code: Jensen Hughes
Cost control: Vermeulens
Envelope engineering: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Signage/wayfinding: Roll Baressi & Associates
Wind/wake: RWDI
Vertical transportation: Van Deusen and Associates
Civil engineering: Vanasse Hangen Brustlin

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Architecture firm And And And Studio has created a stucco-clad, single-level home for a family of six that is raised up to create a "treehouse-like effect".

The Silver Lake Tree House – which takes its name from the Los Angeles neighbourhood in which it is located – sits on a sloped property in a cul-de-sac.

Local firm And And And Studio designed the house for a couple with four children on a property that formerly held a nondescript bungalow that was not in prime condition.

The building was stripped down to its foundation and replaced with a 2,400-square-foot (223-square-metre) house that is lifted above the site.

"Raising the house a storey above ground creates a treehouse-like effect," the team said.

"When you walk into the main floor, you float above the trees."

The single-storey home has a rectilinear form and facades wrapped in stucco and wood.

Along the front elevation, the team placed a long balcony lined with a wood-and-metal railing. A carport is tucked under one side of the house. Stairs lead up to the front door.

Inside, one finds three bedrooms and an open-concept space for cooking, dining and lounging. A mix of new and vintage furnishings helps create a relaxed feel.

Glazed doors provide a seamless transition to the outdoors, and large windows offer views of Silver Lake, which the studio described as a "quintessential LA neighbourhood".

An important aspect of the project was marrying the structural logic to the interior design, the team said.

"As a nod to some nearby mid-century greats, the structure of this home informs the design of both exterior and interior spaces," the team said.

"Structural beams move seamlessly from an exterior balcony to the interior living spaces, giving the feeling of connection to nearby hills and trees."

The exposed beams, along with the home's repetitive grid, were inspired by the work of 20th-century architect Craig Ellwood, who was known for designing modernist California homes.

For the interior finishes, the team used natural materials such as pine and Douglas fir, which are "reflective of the exterior and neutral enough to let the sweeping treetop views become a subject of the interior".

The kitchen is fitted with wooden cabinetry and marble countertops. In one of the bathrooms, terrazzo tile was used to cover the floor and walls.

Based in Los Angeles and Toronto, And And And Studio is led by Daniel Rabin and Annie Ritz. The studio's other projects include an office for a top entertainment law firm that feels more like a hotel lobby than a traditional office.

The photography is by Caitlin Atkinson.

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Salvaged brick and aluminium screens feature on the exterior of a round building designed by local studio John Ronan Architects to house the Chicago Park District Headquarters and a community field house.

The project was built on a former brownfield site in Brighton Park, an historically underserved neighbourhood on the southwest side of Chicago.

Featuring "an iconic shape befitting an important civic institution", the circular building contains the office headquarters for Chicago Park District (CPD) – a non-profit municipal park management organisation –and a sports/recreation facility that is open to the public.

The two-storey building overlooks a 17-acre (6.9-hectare) park – a setting that gives the building "a dignified presence" and enhances the work environment, according to local studio John Ronan Architects.

"The building is designed to make CPD staff feel like they are working in a park and put them in close contact with the public they serve," the team said.

Featuring an atypical plan, the 256-diameter (78-metre) building consists of bars set within rounded perimeter walls and organised around two inner courtyards.

The courtyards "bring light and air into the centre of the building and create outdoor meeting, recreation and relaxation space," the team said.

One side of the building holds the CPD offices while the other encompasses the field house (which includes a gymnasium, a fitness centre and club rooms). The building totals 80,000 square feet (7,432 square metres)

Walls are made of concrete blocks and are faced with Chicago common bricks, known for their pinkish hue. The bricks were salvaged from two demolished buildings in the area.

The brickwork helps to "root the design in the local building culture and foreground the theme of reclaiming the site for the community", said the studio.

The building's cost-effective structural system consists of metal bar joists that span between the masonry-bearing walls.

Perimeter facades feature bronze-tinted glass and arched lattices made of anodised aluminium. Green roofs help mitigate the heat island effect, a common problem in heavily concrete-clad cities.

Interior finishes include exposed brick walls and terrazzo flooring. Wood from local ash trees killed by insects was used for furniture, wall cladding and gym flooring.

The office portion was designed to accommodate 205 employees and features a mix of open and enclosed workspaces. In an upper-level break room, employees can watch activities in the field house through a glazed wall.

"The staff break room is situated at the heart of the second floor and borders a courtyard on one side with the gymnasium on the other, allowing CPD staff to watch a basketball game while they eat their lunch," the team said.

Also in the upper portion of the building is a terrace that overlooks the park and can be reserved for events.

The building is connected to the park via a pathway that was informed by American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted's park and boulevard system for Chicago.

John Ronan Architects master planned the park and teamed up with local studio Site Design Group for its design. The park includes soccer fields, open lawns, a playground and a water feature.

One of the oldest and largest park districts in America, the CPD oversees over 600 parks, a zoo, two botanical conservatories, 11 museums, Solder Field stadium, and other recreational spaces.

The CPD Headquarters was formerly situated in a high-rise building in downtown Chicago. In 2018, the department began to search for a new location as part of a mayoral initiative to move city agencies to the neighbourhoods.

After a long search, the Park District selected the location in Brighton Park, a primarily Spanish-speaking community that has been historically underserved.

The site is near a major bus line and a train stop, and its large acreage has enabled the Park District to offer "indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities for people of all ages and abilities", the team said.

The project included an intensive community engagement process with neighbourhood groups, local aldermen and parents of schoolchildren. Its impact has been significant for both the CPD and the surrounding community.

"The building provides staff with a dignified workplace commensurate with the importance of the work that is undertaken by CPD staff," the team said.

"Similarly, the new field house and park has provided needed recreation facilities and serves as a source of pride for an historically underserved neighborhood."

Other projects by John Ronan Architects include a square-shaped home along Lake Michigan that is clad in charred wood and a Chicago building with colourful balconies that contains low-cost housing for seniors, and a library.

The photography is by James Florio.

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US studio Harding Huebner Architects has completed a low-lying, energy-efficient home informed by the "agrarian barns and humble structures" found in America's Appalachian Region.

Meadow House was designed for a retired couple from Texas who love the open landscapes of their former state and sought a property in North Carolina that offered a similar quality.

They found it in a 49-acre (20-hectare) farm in a mountain valley near Leicester, a town just beyond the city of Asheville. The property had been farmed for generations and still had its original homestead building and smokehouse near a natural spring.

The property needed a host of upgrades, however.

Poor land management had resulted in erosion, silt build-up and rutted land around the spring and through the whole valley.

"Compounding this issue was a dilapidated, old 1950s house that had fallen into disrepair and was no longer contributing positively to the land," the team said, noting that the property also had a barn that was beyond repair.

Asheville-based firm Harding Huebner Architects worked with the clients to create a plan for the property that honoured the farm's history and preserved as much as possible while providing an energy-efficient home suitable for modern living.

The scheme also called for "restoring and healing the land that had been severely scarred".

Rather than adapting any of the existing structures for the couple's home, the team opted to build anew. The chosen site was a grassy knoll near the forest's edge that was located along an old farm road and offered sweeping views.

The team composed a house that provides "a sense of refuge" while also protecting against strong winds that often cross the knoll.

Roughly U-shaped in plan, the 3,761-square-foot (349-square metre) house consists of rectilinear volumes surrounding a central courtyard. The open side of the courtyard looks toward the forest.

"From a distance the home can often disappear into the shadows of the trees just behind it, deferring to the landscape both for viewing and being viewed," the team said.

The single-storey home was kept low to the ground and horizontally oriented in order to minimise its visual impact on the landscape. Its form also reflects "the influence of the many agrarian barns and humble structures you would find contextually in this Appalachian region", the team added.

Facades are largely clad stucco. To build the walls – which are 14 inches (36 centimeters) thick – the team used cement-bonded, wood-fibre blocks – a type of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) for durability and increased insulation.

To further improve the home's energy performance, the team installed triple-glazed windows and doors with thermal breaks in the frames, which help prevent cold or hot air from passing through.

Other sustainable elements include a geothermal HVAC system, heated concrete floors and pre-wiring for a future photovoltaic array.

The layout features private areas on one side of the house – a primary bedroom, two bedrooms and an office – and a utility room and garage on the other. The main entrance is found on the courtyard side of the house.

The central portion encompasses an open-plan space for cooking, dining and lounging. An operable, 14-foot-long (4.2-metre) skylight over the kitchen island ushers in daylight while also providing passive ventilation.

Interior finishes include wood that is native to the region and sustainably sourced. A felled tree on the property was used to create a live-edge custom dining table.

Beyond the new house, the project entailed razing the 1950s dwelling. Salvaged materials were shared with the local crew who worked on the demolition. The old barn was also dismantled and its wood was saved for use in the new home and beyond.

The team stabilised and refurbished the homestead for use as a summer bunkhouse, and the smokehouse was overhauled and now serves as a utility/garden shed.

The landscape, including the area around the spring, was restored so that "a more robust ecology could begin to rebuild in the coming years".

Other projects by Harding Huebner Architects include the wood-clad Nova Residence, which is built into a sloped spite and features a compact layout and immersive views of mountainous terrain.

The photography is by Keith Isaacs.

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A 124-year-old Brooklyn townhouse has received an extension by local studio TBo that provides space for a multi-generational family and creates "gentle oppositions" between the old and new architecture.

The project, Monroe Street House, involved the renovation and expansion of a Federal-style brick townhome dating to 1899.

The multilevel building rises up from a slender lot – about 17 feet wide and 100 feet deep (5 by 30 metres) – on a quiet, tree-lined street in Brooklyn.

"The narrow lot, bound on both sides by deep neighbouring buildings, created a challenging set of conditions," said local studio TBo, which is led by Thom Dalmas and Bretaigne Walliser.

The home needed to accommodate three generations – a couple, their two young children and a set of grandparents – living under one roof.

The studio wanted to preserve certain aspects of the original architecture while providing more space for the family.

"Careful consideration was given to the composition of a period home that retains its historical dimensions and intimate functions in the front rooms, but allows for more generous and communal zones in the rear," the team said.

The team conceived a new three-storey, rectilinear volume for the rear that totals 500 square feet (46 square metres). The basement level is 200 square feet (18.6 square metres), while the upper two levels are 150 square feet each (14).

The design is meant to "complement, but not overwhelm, the proportions of the original building", the team said.

"The extension acts as a transitional zone between the original house and the garden, creating gentle oppositions and offering a versatile set of spaces with functional complexity."

While constructing the addition, the home's original rear facade was nearly fully removed, and the new concrete volume was structurally integrated into the existing brick and rubble walls. The new facade is clad in a mix of smooth and coarse stucco.

With its numerous openings, the extension was envisioned as a "frame" with the floor area carefully added in.

"Delivering light into the house was a paramount concern for the clients," the team said.

"The new extension navigates the need for increased floor area while maximizing daylight and the connection to the outdoors."

Within the home, there is a clear separation between public and private areas.

The central "parlor" level holds a living room, dining area and kitchen. Glass doors lead to a deck for outdoor eating.

The upper level contains the children's bedroom and an L-shaped parents' bedroom with a dedicated space for playing musical instruments.

The ground level serves as an apartment for the grandparents, one of whom is a painter. It encompasses a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen/dining area and flexible art studio.

"The grandparents desired a light-filled studio that would double as an art-making space and a play space to care for their grandchildren," the team said.

Special details in the basement apartment include a brick arcade between the kitchen and studio, which forms "a porous passageway highlighting the transition between the old and new structures".

In the studio, the team created concrete flooring with visible aggregate and low sheen to help the space blend with an adjoining terrace.

"The gravel texture that is revealed in the floor is echoed by the pea-gravel garden patio just outside, binding the spaces together," the team said.

The home features a mix of earthy and industrial materials that are meant to age gracefully over time. Finishes include lime-plastered walls, Douglas fir ceiling beams and exposed concrete columns.

In the kitchen, the team installed Caesarstone countertops and a diamond-veneer plaster backsplash. All cabinetry is custom-made and painted blue-grey.

Other Brooklyn townhouses include an extra-skinny home by Only If that is meant to demonstrate possibilities for housing in residual urban spaces and a wood-framed dwelling belonging to architects Fanny and Matthew Mueller that they spent 17 years renovating.

The photography is by Matthew Williams.

Project credits:

Architecture and interiors: TBo
Styling: Brittany Albert

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Black wood and asphalt shingles clad the exterior of the Polker housing block by architect and developer SinHei Kwok, who took cues from historic "pyramid cottages" while conceiving the project.

The historic Garfield neighbourhood – which has been undergoing revitalisation – is located near downtown Phoenix and is known for its modest, 20th-century homes designed in various styles. Of particular note are the district's "pyramid cottages", so named for their distinctive hipped roofs.

SinHei Kwok – whose multidisciplinary studio is based in Phoenix and Hong Kong – purchased a standard lot in the Garfield district and embarked on creating a multi-family development that respects its milieu.

"Inspired by the 100-year-old pyramid cottages within the historic neighbourhood, the building's massing takes cues from the surrounding context," said Kwok, who served as the architect and developer.

One of the project's main goals was to offer an alternative to the sprawl that characterises the Phoenix metropolitan area, which the architect described as an "unsustainable phenomenon"

"Phoenix has been infamous for urban sprawl with single-family housing developments since the 1950s," the architect said.

"This project served as a prototype of urban infill development to help build a sustainable, walkable city."

For the rectangular property – which measures 140 feet by 50 feet (43 by 15 metres) – the architect conceived a long, two-storey building that contains six rental units. The building's pitched roof is meant to reference the historic pyramid cottages.

Slightly different facade treatments were used around the building.

On the north- and south-facing elevations, the roof and exterior walls are wrapped in variegated asphalt shingles. The east wall is clad in black wood, while the western facade is covered in vanilla stucco and features a horizontal window.

"Inspired by Chinese landscape paintings, the horizontal shape of the window facing west captures the constantly changing skyline of downtown while limiting heat gain from the summer sun," said Kwok.

The entire building totals 4,250 square feet (395 square metres). Within the units, one finds fluid layouts and a restrained material palette.

Interior elements include concrete flooring, concrete-block walls and a steel staircase. For the bathroom shower, Kwok used exterior-grade, aluminium-composite panels to eliminate grout joints and "provide a clean, modern look".

All of the apartments have two levels, with the public area located on the ground floor. The upper level – traditionally used as an attic in the historic cottages – holds either a single loft-style room or two bedrooms and a bathroom.

In addition to a small parking lot with permeable paving, the site offers pockets of private and shared outdoor space.

All units have covered patios accessed by sliding glass doors, enabling a connection between inside and out.

Along the eastern elevation, which faces a street, Kwok carved out an outdoor space that serves as a reinterpretation of the iconic front porches found in the historic neighbourhood. The flooring is a 30-foot-wide (nine-metre) concrete slab that cantilevers over the ground.

"Our approach kept the same front-porch concept, encouraging dwellers to meet and interact with their neighbors," said Kwok.

"During nighttime, it becomes a floating porch, with LED lights that light up below the slab."

This is the second project by SinHei Kwok in Phoenix's historic Garfield neighbourhood. For a compact site there, the architect and developer created a pair of apartment buildings that have M-shaped roofs and asphalt-shingle cladding.

The photography is by Roehner + Ryan.

Project credits:

Design architect, developer and owner: Sin Hei Kwok
Associate architect: Yin Pang
Structural engineer: Struktur Studio
MEP/FP engineer: Otterbein Engineering
Contractor: Beckett Construction

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Texas studios Smitharc Architecture + Interiors and Erin Sander Design have completed a family home with limestone cladding, a Zen garden and a gallery-like space for the clients' Ferraris.

Situated on a leafy street, the home is named after the suburban Dallas neighbourhood where it is located, Greenway Parks.

The residence was built for a family of five – a husband, wife and three kids – and is meant to balance durability with a "lightness of detail".

The team was tasked with creating a home that respected its neighbours and included space for the client's "prized Ferrari collection", along with his-and-her work areas with aesthetic appeal.

"Our clients are both serial entrepreneurs involved in creative and often philanthropic sectors," said Dallas-based Smitharc Architecture + Interiors, who collaborated with local studio Erin Sander Design on the interiors.

"Their work-from-home lifestyle results in frequent video conference calls with staff and investors, so they each wanted a Zoom backdrop that was both beautiful and representative of their respective personalities."

The team conceived a two-storey, courtyard-style home that consists of rectilinear volumes arranged around a Zen garden.

The home's front portion was kept low to the ground in deference to neighbouring mid-century modern homes and a bungalow that once stood on the property.

Exterior walls are clad in a mix of honed grey limestone and bleached cypress, with the latter material adding visual warmth. Along the front elevation, a bronze gate offers privacy and limits access to the residence.

Within the 6,800-square-foot (632-square-metre) home, ample glazing ushers in daylight and provides views through the residence.

Partial walls and built-in furniture help divide the space while maintaining a sense of fluidity. Earthy finishes such as limestone walls and rift-sawn white oak flooring are paired with splashes of colour and carefully curated decor.

The ground level holds the public zone, envisioned as a series of "cozy vignettes". Sliding glass doors create a smooth connection to the rear yard, where the team placed a patio and swimming pool.

The ground level also contains a bedroom suite, a garage and a "purpose-built auto lounge", where the clients' Ferraris are on display. The auto lounge doubles as a study for the husband.

The upper level – reached by stairs or an elevator – encompasses the sleeping areas, a den and an office for the wife.

The office, which has floor-to-ceiling glass, looks upon treetops and a lighting sculpture by Romanian artist Andreea Braescue that hangs in the home's entry hall.

The primary bedroom suite includes a gym, a "glam room", a walk-in closet and a private roof deck.

The interior design includes a number of distinctive elements.

Stretching over the public zone is a blue, polished plaster ceiling that unifies the different spaces and adds visual interest.

In the kitchen, one finds blue lacquer-fronted cabinetry and an L-shaped island with a marble top and built-in banquette.

In the main bathroom, there is a floating brass vanity and custom mirrors. The adjacent "glam room" is fitted with pale pink furnishings, scalloped marble floor tiles and walls covered in laser-cut brass pieces that were installed by hand.

Other homes in Dallas include a residence by Specht Architects that consists of corrugated concrete volumes informed by brutalist architecture, and a slender, vanilla-white home by Wernerfield that was designed for a young couple.

The photography is by Nathan Schroder.

Project credits:

Architect: Smitharc Architecture + Interiors
Architecture team: Jason Erik Smith, Signe Smith
Interiors: Erin Sander Design
Landscape: Garden Design Studio
Construction: Kienast Homes

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New glazing and an angular lobby crossed by a catwalk are among the enhancements that US architecture studios Eskew Dumez Ripple and CambridgeSeven have made to a 1990s nature museum in Louisiana.

Located in the heart of New Orleans, the Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium sits on a site overlooking the Mississippi River.

The museum – which encompasses 68,158 square feet (6,332 square metres) – is operated by the Audubon Nature Institute, a leading nonprofit dedicated to environmental conservation.

The museum offers exhibits focused on wildlife and habitats around the globe, from Louisiana bayous to South American rainforests.

The museum's current home first opened in the early 1990s, with a design by local studio Eskew Dumez Ripple (EDR) and several collaborating firms.

For decades, the building – formerly called the Aquarium of the Americas – housed just the aquarium, as the insectarium was located in a separate building nearby.

The recent renovation and expansion was prompted by a desire to update and expand the museum's offerings, which included moving the insectarium to the aquarium building.

The project was designed by EDR in collaboration with CambridgeSeven, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"The project is a stunning revitalization of a civic and cultural amenity in the heart of New Orleans downtown, adjacent to the Mississippi River and the French Quarter," the team said.

On the exterior, the team revamped the front facade – which looks east toward the river – by installing a bird-friendly glass curtain wall and adding a triangular entrance volume, which glows from within at night.

"The new exterior facade possesses translucent and iridescent qualities," said EDR.

"Inspired by nature, and in a dramatic gesture to the original building's massing, a soaring crystal rises and dramatically extends out from the side of the facade."

Significant changes were made inside. The team created a new lobby, which features angular walls, a grand staircase and a glass bridge.

"The expanded, two-storey lobby not only creates space for improved visitor services, but also features living green walls, colourful tensile artistic murals and a dramatic LED installation," said EDR.

"A translucent, suspended catwalk divides the double-height space, providing dramatic views to the river and an opportunity to engage the grandeur of the lobby space from all directions."

On the northern end of the building, a large theatre was removed to make way for a ground-level event space and the upper-level insectarium, which aims to "educate visitors about the value of insects and their essential place in a healthy earth biosphere", the team said.

Encompassing 17,000 square feet (1,579 square metres), the insectarium includes a moth vivarium, a butterfly garden with flowering plants and a Bug Appetite Cafe that offers "insect delicacies".

Throughout the museum, many existing exhibits were refreshed or re-envisioned.

"The goal with the exhibit design was to create a fun experience for visitors to learn about the environment and how we all can preserve and protect the biosphere," said Adam Mitchell, a principal at CambridgeSeven.

One area features a 60-foot-long (18-metre) touch pool filled with sea creatures. Another area offers lush greenery, free-flying birds and a two-toed sloth.

The building's largest exhibit is a 400,000-gallon saltwater tank that holds a replica of an offshore oil rig and a variety of sea animals, including sting rays, sharks and sea turtles.

Other nature-focused museums in North America include a Montreal insectarium that is designed to emulate the experience of being a bug, and an extension to Manhattan's Natural History Museum that has an undulating facade and cave-like interior.

The photography is by Kwesi Budu-Arthur.

Project credits:

Architect: EskewDumezRipple
Exhibit designer: CambridgeSeven
Landscape: Spackman Mossop Michaels
Structural/civil engineering: Morphy Makofsky, Inc
MEP engineering: Moses Engineers
Media design: Cortina Productions
Lighting design: Eos Lightmedia
Graphic design: Natalie Zanecchia Design
LSS design: Andy Aiken
Exhibit fabricator: 1220 Exhibits
Mural artist: Patrick Maxcy
Construction consultant: Dupont-LeCorgne
Contractor: Broadmoor LLC
Client: Audubon Commission in conjunction with Audubon Nature Institute

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Elevated pods made of teak and steel are sprinkled around Costa Rica's Suitree Experience Hotel, which was designed by local firm Studio Saxe to "coexist and symbiotically interact" with the surrounding ecosystem.

The hotel is located in Sardinal, a district in the northwestern province of Guanacaste – a region known for its lush jungles, agricultural fields and nature preserves.

On a hilly, 2.6-hectare property, the San José-based firm of Studio Saxe created a series of "tree-inspired pods" that were designed to minimise environmental disruption.

Elevated up to nine metres off the ground, the pods have the added benefit of offering expansive views and a chance to feel immersed in the jungle canopy.

"Our design philosophy revolves around the principle of 'floating architecture', where structures do not disturb the existing ecosystem but instead coexist and symbiotically interact with it," said Studio Saxe.

"We envision architecture not as an imposition on the landscape, but rather as a seamless extension of it."

The five pods contain guest rooms and make up half of the buildings at the Suitree Experience Hotel, all of which were designed by Studio Saxe.

Additional structures contain reception, a restaurant and a spa. There also is a lookout tower and a ground-level villa with level access.

The pods are identical and certain parts were prefabricated.

Each measures 108 square metres, which includes a balcony that surrounds the enclosure. Faceted roofs have rounded edges and deep overhangs.

The team used metal and teak wood to construct the pods, which sit atop angled steel stilts.

Roofs were made of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), and roof eaves were covered with a material called Caña Brava bamboo. The same material was used to clad the undersides of the pods.

"Four robust supports lend each pod structural and seismic stability while creating the illusion of an organism gently treading on the landscape," the team said.

"The design integrates stability with harmony, crafting a sustainable experience that respects and enhances its surrounding environment."

In each pod, a central spiral staircase provides access to the guest room, where one finds a king bed, a pair of twin beds, a bathroom and a desk.

The rooms have running water and electricity, with piping and wiring concealed within metal columns.

According to the team,  guest rooms offer "all of the additional comforts of a hotel – like wi-fi, television and an air conditioner – but most people do not even use those, as they just appreciate the views".

The team added that each pod was designed to harvest water, and every tree on-site was preserved during the construction process.

Other treehouse-type projects include a rounded hotel building by BIG that is wrapped in birdhouses, and a pair of elevated, wooden structures by Studio MEMM that are meant to be a "magical space" for both kids and adults.

The photography is by Danta Collective.

Project credits:

Architecture: Studio Saxe
Interior design: Nosara Design Pauline Steenkamer
Landscape design: Vida Design Studio
Client: Suitree Experience Hotel
Collaborators: S3 Ingenieros, Servi CO.CO.

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