Paris-based Nem Architectes has renovated a villa in Grasse, France, transforming it into a bright pink tourist destination named Domaine de la Rose for beauty company Lancôme.

The villa contains lounge and meeting spaces that can host perfume-making workshops, events and exhibitions, designed as a place where visitors can learn about the Lancôme brand and perfumery. Nem Architectes also added a perfume distillery and warehouse underground.

Surrounded by floral gardens used to make perfume, Domaine de la Rose is located on the Lancôme estate in Grasse, which is known as the world's perfume capital.

"The purpose of this design is to create a functional, practical, and sustainable building that can be both beautiful, contemporary and exemplary while showcasing the brand's luxurious and exceptional heritage and artistry," Nem Architectes told Dezeen.

The studio removed all buildings on the estate except for Domaine de la Rose, which was painted striking pink and reroofed with locally-made pink glazed canal tiles.

The villa is comprised of a pair of two-storey wings connected by a single-storey lobby. The upper levels of both wings open onto the roof of the lobby below, creating a terrace with views of the surrounding hills.

A path cuts through the centre of the building. One side features a circular tunnel entrance to the lobby, while the other entrance is sheltered by the terrace above, propped up by a column that appears like a stack of rocks.

Nem Architectes described its overhaul of the villa as a monolith, with a vibrant pink interior and exterior that stands out against the lush green landscape.

"It is a bold and striking sight, and it gives a tangible and unique form to the Lancôme brand," said Nem Architectes.

"The estate can also be seen as a living and sensorial experience for the visitors and guests," it continued. "Their visual, olfactive and acoustic senses are stimulated throughout the house and the garden, as they would be when using a Lancôme perfume."

Nem Architectes chose to renovate the existing building rather than build a new one for sustainability reasons.

The studio added lavender and rice straw in timber frames to the exterior, which was closed off with rigid wood fibre insulation boards to improve insulation.

"It was decided early on that the building should be rehabilitated as opposed to completely levelled and replaced with a new one," said Nem Architectes.

"This decision is in compliance with Nem Architectes and Lancôme's concern for sustainability, as it saves resources and energy while paying homage to the local architectural heritage."

Nem Architectes was founded in 2008 by Lucie Niney and Thibault Marca.

Other pink buildings that have been featured on Dezeen include a cultural institution in Lima that was renovated to have pink walls and an apartment renovation in Mexico with arched openings.

The photography is by Cyrille Weiner unless stated.

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Asia-based studio Linehouse has refurbished the CentralWorld shopping centre in Bangkok, Thailand, introducing a double-layered facade punctured by arches.

According to Linehouse, the revamped facade and seven floors of retail space depart from typical shopping centres by drawing from the history of the site and creating opportunities for "peace in the chaos".

"The design conceptually explores contradictions between the chaotic and peaceful nature of Bangkok, offering a moment of respite in a dense urban district," the studio told Dezeen.

"Located in an area once abundant in lily pads, we examined the stemming, radiating and circular profile of the lily pads, translating this into a spatial narrative to the exterior and interior condition," it continued.

Linehouse used CentralWorld's existing structure as an underlay for its design. The updated facades are formed of concrete arches applied over the original elevation to frame views of the inside.

"The existing perimeter skin of the facade was treated as black render and a secondary skin in concrete formwork was applied to break the regular rhythm of the column structure," Linehouse explained.

Openings are carved behind several of the external arches to host terraces and add visual porosity to the shopping centre.

"We punctured a series of terraces offering exterior gardens for the food and beverage floors, providing a depth to an otherwise flat elevation and blurring the exterior-interior condition," the studio said.

Internally, a central atrium rises between the retail floors, shifting as it ascends to create a network of overlapping ceiling planes.

To support the shifting planes, Linehouse treated existing structural columns with radiating white fins that branch out to form distinctive canopies.

"Upon entering the interior, one is transported to space full of light and volume, offering a meditative journey away from the intensity of the surrounding streets," the studio said.

"As one ascends the interior atrium, the ceiling plane treatment shifts in materiality, beginning with tectonic green metal grids, evolving to natural and tactile textures, timber trellis and woven cane ceilings."

A food hall occupies the shopping centre's fourth floor and was configured to overlook the neighbouring park from the rounded facade opening.

Understated, neutral materials such as timber and stone line the interior to help create a calm atmosphere.

Linehouse is a Hong Kong and Shanghai-based architecture and interior design studio established in 2013 by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling. The duo won the emerging interior designer of the year category at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.

The studio has also recently designed the interiors for a Hong Kong residence that respond to coastal views and a Shanghai restaurant with arched details informed by the New Wave art movement.

The photography is by Jonathan Leijonhufvud and Depth of Field.

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Prague studio Plus One Architects has restored the "original splendour" of this 1902 apartment in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, by reinstating some of its original features.

Located in a turn-of-the-century apartment block, the two-bedroom flat was renovated by Plus One Architects, who exposed the original paintwork present on the walls and ceilings.

The studio also streamlined the circulation inside the apartment by removing doors to open up pathways, as well as undoing dated additions that had been installed over the top of the original walls and floors.

"We think the first renovation was probably done in the late 70s," architect Kateřina Průchová told Dezeen. "It was full of wooden cladding on the walls, a lot of doors and carpet that covered the original floors."

The revamped interior has a bright, airy atmosphere, as natural sunlight comes in through the large unobstructed windows and continues deeper into the rooms thanks to the addition of transom windows on some of the interior walls.

Remnants of colourful mottled paintwork appear on the walls and ceilings alongside brown and beige sections of plaster.

Neutral-coloured paint and plasterwork feature in the kitchen and living room, where Plus One Architects retained the apartment's original masonry heater clad in glossy brown tiles.

Painted details are also apparent on the ceiling, with concentric bands of red, blue and yellow delineating the perimeter of the room.

Pink paint appears in the corridor and smaller bedroom while blue paintwork can be seen in the primary bedroom, complementing the restored wooden floorboards.

In the bathroom, white tiling lines the walls, interspersed with iridescent tiles and sections of exposed paintwork.

The rooms are sparingly furnished, allowing the paintwork to be the interior's focal point.

Plus One Architects brought in furniture with minimalist forms by Czech design studio Janský & Dunděra alongside decorative pieces from local design brand Todus.

"I hope we managed to return the apartment to the original splendour of the period, in which the house was built," said Průchová.

"You can feel how the building looks from the outside – it is an old house in the historic part of a spa town."

Kateřina Průchová and Petra Ciencialová founded Plus One Architects in 2019. The studio is based in Prague and works on projects across the Czech Republic.

Other apartment interiors that have recently been featured on Dezeen include a home in Milan centred around a monolithic green marble partition wall and a pastel-decorated apartment in Kraków.

The photography is by Radek Úlehla.

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Bright hues define the different interventions that New York architecture studio Ideas of Order has made in this apartment at the northern tip of Manhattan.

The 1,000-square-foot primary residence in Hudson Heights was partially renovated for a couple, who had been living in the space for several years before deciding to invest in making it better suited to their needs, rather than buying another apartment.

"Their sons had been sharing a room, but were beginning to need their own spaces," Ideas of Order told Dezeen.

"They also wanted a space that could be designed for flexibility for when their children left for college."

The kitchen also needed updating, to make it more suitable for entertaining, and more efficient storage space was required in the entryway.

So the architects reworked one side of the open living area, adding a bedroom on one side of the kitchen and refreshing the other areas.

The husband is French, and the couple spent several years living together in France.

During this period, they both became enamoured by the midcentury architecture and design in the country and wanted to apply this style to their own home.

"Inspired by their stories and the history of how colour was used by French midcentury designers like Charlotte Perriand, we suggested a series of polychrome millwork pieces inspired by Perriand's design language, but updated for a contemporary home," said Ideas of Order.

The different areas of the home were therefore given their own identities by applying bright hues.

Lime green is used in the bedroom across a full wall of built-ins that incorporate a single bed, a workstation and plenty of storage.

Sliding doors with fritted glass panels pull across to enclose the slightly raised room, while a porthole window with double shutters looks through the new wall that separates the kitchen.

This adjacent space is denoted by raspberry and periwinkle millwork, which surrounds a small preparation area with an aluminium backsplash and matching panels above.

The same metal also fronts the bar counter between an arched opening to the living area, which is topped with concrete.

Rubber flooring in the kitchen offers a practical alternative to the wood used through the rest of the apartment.

Finally, in the entryway – which is again raised slightly higher than the living area – an L-shaped cabinet system was constructed in a corner beside the door.

Pale pink is applied to the frames, while the doors and drawer fronts are finished in light grey and walnut is used for the trim. Choosing the right hues was a challenge that took many iterations to find the right balance, according to the architects.

"It was important that each pair of colours in the millwork work together, but that the colours also harmonise when viewed as a whole," they said. "We wanted the colours to be bright, but not overpowering. And we wanted the colour pairings to feel timeless and not too trendy."

Another challenge was the budget, which was modest by New York City standards and required some conscientious spending – particularly on small details that would make a big impact.

"We love the custom pulls for the millwork, the shutters for the circular window, and the rounded end to the partition between bedroom and kitchen, which reflects the rounded openings throughout the apartment," the architects said.

Ideas of Order was founded by Jacob Esocoff and Henry Ng, who are both Fosters + Partners and WORKac alumni.

Their renovation is one of the most colourful interiors we've featured in New York City of late, compared to a neutral show apartment inside the One Wall Street skyscraper and a loft in Dumbo with a subdued palette.

The photography is by Sean Davidson.

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A private roof terrace enclosed by greenery features in Hidden Garden House, a Sydney home reconfigured by Australian studio Sam Crawford Architects.

Situated within a conservation zone, the home has been updated by Sam Crawford Architects to brighten its dark interior and transform it into an urban "sanctuary".

Alterations to the 198-square-metre home's interior are first seen in its entrance, where a stair with open treads and a white-steel balustrade replaces a solid timber structure that previously restricted light from a skylight above.

Down from the entry hall is a spacious ground-floor kitchen and dining area, which is illuminated by 4.5-metre-high glass openings that lead out to a landscaped patio. The patio is paved with limestone tiles that extend out from the interior.

"By extending the ground floor finishes through the full-width doors into the rear yard, the garden and high-level green trellises at the rear of the site form the fourth wall to the rear wing," studio director Sam Crawford told Dezeen.

"They create a sense of enclosure that draws the occupant's eye up to the expanse of the sky rather than surrounding suburbia."

A concrete ceiling in Hidden Garden House's kitchen curves upwards to help draw in the winter sun and provide summer shading, while operable clerestory windows allow natural ventilation.

Above, this curved ceiling forms a sloped roof terrace filled with plants, which is situated off the main bedroom on the upper floor.

An ensuite bathroom, also lined with limestone floor tiles, has expansive openings offering a scenic yet private bathing experience enabled by angled timber screens and the terrace's greenery.

"The rolling green roof serves as a visual barrier to the surrounding suburb, whilst allowing the occupants to occupy their private garden oasis," added Crawford.

Hidden Garden House's consistent material palette of bright white walls and wooden furniture ties its living spaces together, while decorative square tiles line both the kitchen and bathrooms.

Curved details, such as the patio's shape and the kitchen island and splashback, also feature throughout.

Other alterations that were made to improve Hidden Garden House's layout include the relocation of entrances to the ground floor laundry room and bathroom.

Elsewhere, Sam Crawford Architects has also created a restaurant topped with an oversized steel roof and a bridge modelled on the curving shape of eels.

The photography is by Tom Ferguson.

Project credits:

Architect: Sam Crawford Architects
Builder: Toki
Structural engineer: Cantilever Engineers
Civil & hydraulic engineer: Partridge
Acoustic engineer: Acoustic Logic
Heritage consultant: Damian O’Toole Town Planning
Quantity Surveyor: QS Plus
Landscape design: Gabrielle Pelletier, SCA
Roof garden supplier: Fytogreen Australia

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This week's lookbook explores eight clever shed and outbuilding interiors, ranging from self-built renovations to finely crafted new builds.

By repurposing rundown sheds and garages or capitalising on extra garden space, these projects offer additional room for hobbies, workspaces, living quarters or simply respite for their owners.

Among this list of projects is a bold-coloured garage renovation hosting a work area and greenhouse in Norwich, UK, as well as a scenic timber outbuilding designed for recreation and socialising for a retired couple in Lillehammer, Norway.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes created on a budget, living rooms with industrial material palettes and airy and pared-back loft conversions.

The Orangery, UK, by McCloy and Muchemwa

Original blockwork walls were retained in this self-build renovation of a dilapidated garage by London-based studio McCloy and Muchemwa.

An orange, timber roof structure was matched with furniture in the same colour throughout the interior, which contains a storage area, hobby zone and workbench along with a well-lit greenhouse clad in polycarbonate.

Find out more about The Orangery ›

Grange Garage Studio, Scotland, by Konishi Gaffney

This 1950s garage conversion by Konishi Gaffney, adjacent to an existing Georgian property, houses an artist's music studio and features a rhythmic facade made from wooden battens.

The space has a calm and refined material palette, with dark-stained furniture used to match the wooden beams in the studio's interior.

Find out more about Grange Garage Studio ›

Shed-O-Vation, US, by Best Practice Architecture

Best Practice Architecture renovated this outbuilding in Seattle to host an office and small gym as an expansion of the property's main house.

Black synthetic rubber was used to cover the interior floor and one side of the room's walls, while the remaining walls were lined with birch plywood along with a boldly coloured workspace.

Find out more about Shed-O-Vation ›

The Light Shed, UK, by Richard John Andrews

The Light Shed is a 12-metre-square, multifunctional shed designed and built by architect Richard John Andrews and an assistant in just 21 days to house Andrews' architecture studio in his back garden.

The interior is lined with plywood providing shelving and desk space for two to three people. The studio also doubles as a space for hosting functions and gatherings.

Find out more about The Light Shed ›

Barn House, Norway, by Jon Danielsen Aarhus

Replacing an existing run-down outbuilding, Barn House in Lillehammer, Norway, was designed by Jon Danielsen Aarhus to create a space in which a retired couple can paint, garden and host friends.

An all-red entrance hall is followed by a timber interior. The building contains a brightly lit art studio upstairs and a gardening room and garages on the lower floor.

Find out more about Barn House ›

Eton Accessory Building, Canada, by Motiv Architects

Made from cross-laminated timber (CLT), Eton Accessory Building by Canadian studio Motiv Architects is a 30-square-metre workshop connected to the owners' home via a garden.

Hard-wearing flooring and evenly distributed skylights create an industrial-style workspace. A CLT mezzanine is used for additional storage.

Find out more about Eton Accessory Building ›

Cork Study, UK, by Surman Weston

This cork-covered studio designed by Surman Weston provides space for sewing and music-making in the back garden of a London home.

On the interior, birch plywood lines the walls, with the pale material also used to construct a central working space with built-in shelving and storage.

Find out more about Cork Study ›

Broadway, Australia, by Foomann

Replacing an old garage, this two-floor outbuilding hosts a gym, swimming pool and parking garage on the site of an Edwardian property in Melbourne.

A refined material palette of white walls set off by wood and dark flooring works to create a relaxing, beachy feel throughout the spaces.

Find out more about Broadway ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes created on a budget, living rooms with industrial material palettes and airy and pared-back loft conversions.

The post Eight well-designed sheds and outbuildings that extend the home appeared first on Dezeen.

US studio Ome Dezin has renovated a large mid-century home in Brentwood, California, using a tonal colour palette and maximising the lush hillside views.

The six-bedroom 12221 Benmore residence was designed and constructed in 1960 by notable local architects A Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmon.

When Jesse Rudolph and Joelle Kutner of Ome Dezin came to the project, it had undergone a 1990s remodel that had stripped away its character and style.

The team made it their mission to revive the home's original charm and connection to the outdoors, bringing in natural tones and materials.

"We have always been fans of A Quincy Jones and familiar with his work, which is what prompted us to see the home initially," the duo told Dezeen.

"This one did not disappoint — it had the typical Quincy atrium-like living space centered across from the exterior which includes a 40-foot (12-metre) waterfall."

Many of the existing fixtures were retained, including the fixed windows and doors, wherever possible.

To keep the focus on the views from the large windows, the interior was designed with "a more muted, streamlined aesthetic".

"We wanted to ensure the intention of Quincy was intact, so we aimed for a bit of brutalism and connection with nature," said Rudolph and Kutner. "We opted for a limited material and color palette in favour of natural tones."

The new white oak staircase designed for the three-storey atrium features rectangular forms and has an architectural presence, echoing the shape and style of the building.

It sits at the nexus of the living room, dining area, kitchen and bar, which all flow together and enjoy expansive views out the back of the house.

A den adjacent to these open spaces is furnished with a variety of midcentury pieces, in keeping with the building’s history.

Two types of stone were used throughout the home: travertine, which appears in the kitchen, bar area and powder room, and richly patterned Cipollino in the primary bathroom chosen to pick out the colours of the mountains visible through the windows.

In the lower-floor bedrooms and around the fireplace, flagstones and cobblestones were laid to create a grounding quality and to connect the spaces to the rocky landscape outside and pavers around the swimming pool.

Custom pieces designed for the project include the dining table created with furniture designer Ben Willett, which allows all of the chairs to be tucked away neatly underneath.

Two 10-foot-high (three-metre) doors were custom-built for the living space and feature Jean Prouvé-influenced circular window cutouts that allow light to shine through.

"We paid special attention to the lighting in the home, mostly sourcing vintage lights to add charm and character," the design team said.

"With such a large home, and lots of windows and tall ceilings, warm mood lighting really made the spaces feel intimate and magical, particularly in the evenings."

Rudolph and Kutner founded Ome Dezin as a design and development studio focused on residential restoration in and around Los Angeles.

California has no shortage of mid-century properties in need of revamping. Other recently completed examples include Studio Schicketanz's renovation of modernist architect Henry Hill's former seaside home, and Woods + Dangaran's overhaul of a residence that once belonged to singer Bing Crosby's manager.

The photography is by Nils Timm.

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Architecture studios Oficina de Diseño Colaborativo and Atelier TBD have created a cultural space that preserves the "self-built essence" of San Miguel de Allende.

Created in collaboration with interior studio Maye Colab, Santa Tere Espacio is a cultural space and office that will primarily serve to foster reading in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

"Santa Tere Espacio emerged from the idea of creating architecture through renovation, reuse, repair, and repurposing," said the team. 

"Based on the self-built essence of the neighbourhood, Office of Collaborative Design, TBD Atelier, and Maye Colab joined forces with a shared vision to propose a project that engages with the site's legacy."

According to the team, self-construction is a "common building practice in Latin America", a technique they sought to preserve by repurposing both the existing architecture and materials from the site, which was a former six-room, single-story dwelling.

For Santa Tere Espacio, the team distributed several meeting rooms, a kitchenette, a bathroom and a central courtyard along the structure's lateral plan with a second, detached bathroom tucked into a corner of the site. 

A long alleyway, marked with a curving concrete path, runs along the length of the exterior and provides access to each space.

"The intervention primarily involved demolitions to bring in light and allow ventilation of the spaces, and the incorporation of new elements such as doors, windows, and tile finishes that contrast with the pre-existing structure," said the team.

"Openings were created in the form of doors, windows, and domes, and some walls were demolished to make way for the central courtyard."

Colab worked with a palette of red, yellow and pink on the interior, based on hues found during construction.

"The idea of capturing the site's essence is also reflected in the project's colour palette, designed based on the colours found in the construction, with a contrasting colour being the blue of the ironwork."

Bright blue windows and doors were distributed across the space and finished with geometric handles.

Interior furnishings were finished primarily in red, with the kitchenette covered in bright red tile and desks throughout the space trimmed in the same shade.

In a desk at the front of the building, the stalk of a plant grows through an opening carved in its surface, while a silver of a triangular skylight sits above.

The project's landscape design incorporates both native plants and others commonly found around the neighbourhood's rooftops, patios and facades.

A spindly palo verde plant was planted in the courtyard to provide shade, a species considered sacred to the Aztecs and associated with the feathered serpent god, according to the team. 

Santa Tere Espacio will act as a co-working and cultural space and will host OCD, Maye Colab and the bookstore Una Boutique de Libros.

Programming will focus on "reading, feminism, design and diversity". 

Founded by Nadyeli Quiroz Radaelli, OCD and Maye Colab are design studios based in Mexico, while Atelier TBD, founded by Victor Wu, is an architecture office based between Brooklyn, Taipei and San Miguel.

Elsewhere in San Miguel de Allende, design studio Mestiz opened a studio to showcase its collaborations with local craftspeople.

The photography is by Leandro Bulzzano.

Project credits:

Architecture: Oficina de Diseño Colaborativo OCD, Atelier TBD
Interior design: Oficina de Diseño Colaborativo OCD, Atelier TBD, Maye Colab
Furniture and colorimetry: Maye Colab
Landscape architecture: Oficina de Diseño Colaborativo OCD, Atelier TBD
Principals: Maye Ruiz, Nadyeli Quiroz, Victor Wu
Design team: Alejandra Skinfield, Paola Bravo, Sara Lopez Farias
Structural consultant: Formula+, Yoyo Wu
Sources:
Steelwork: Crónica Estudio

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London studio dMFK Architects has renovated a 1970s office in Fitzrovia with an interior designed to match the building's original character and heritage.

Named 45 Whitfield Street, the 980-square-metre office renovation by dMFK Architects involved an interior overhaul while the existing stainless steel and the precast concrete facade was treated and retained.

"Our aim was to celebrate the era and character of 45 Whitfield Street that had been diluted and concealed through successive refurbishments," studio director Joshua Scott told Dezeen.

"The retrofit exposes the weight and materiality of the robust concrete structure and original detailing, whilst introducing warmth, colour and carefully curated finishes to reinforce its identity," he continued.

The 1970s-style interior draws influence from the building's existing features from the era – with the facade's lozenge-shaped, precast concrete panelling informing newly-built curved timber entrance doors and frontage.

On the ground floor, a refurbished foyer is accompanied by adjoining spaces hosting work and communal areas furnished with plush seating and coffee tables.

The upper floors integrate collaborative workspaces and booths along with more traditional meeting rooms, intended to accommodate the office's modern needs.

Within the offices and communal spaces, countertops made from recycled timber scraps are complemented by decorative flooring ranging from porcelain tiles, oak, linoleum and carpet. These are complemented by industrial-style fixtures and exposed services.

A disused car park located on the basement level was repurposed to host end-of-trip facilities including bike storage and showers, with access provided internally as well as via stairs at the front of the building.

Roof areas have been repurposed and external terraces have been added at each level.

"Our retrofit of 45 Whitfield Street sought to bring the building back to life by finding joy in its dormant qualities," Scott said.

"We introduced new legibility, improved accessibility and high-quality finishes to evolve the structure's 1970s heritage".

London studio dMFK Architects was established in 2000 by Julian de Metz, Paul Forbes and Ben Knight. Other projects completed by the studio include a mid-century medical laboratory transformed into a flexible office space.

Elsewhere in London, Coffey Architects also recently revamped an office, adding a dedicated entrance that lets cyclists ride straight into the workplace.

The photography is by Jack Hobhouse.

Project credits: 

Architect: dMFK Architects
Planning consultant: DP9
M&E: Peter Deer Associates
Civil and structural: Akera Engineers
Fire: OFR
Building control: SWECO
Quantity surveyor: Aecom
Project manager: RougeMont
Principal designer: BlackCat
Wayfinding and signage: POST

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Architecture practice Studio AMB has renovated a century-old traditional Japanese home in the Misumi region of Shimane to create a minimalist guesthouse, featuring a communal ground floor that is open to the elements.

Intended to give a new generation of visitors the opportunity to "experience the local climate and culture" of the small fishing village, the dwelling was intended not only for private guests, but also as a gathering space for the local community when empty.

Retaining and reinforcing the existing wooden structure, Studio AMB looked to reinterpret the typical spaces of a traditional Japanese home, including the doma – an interstitial, dirt-floored space, and the engawa – a porch-style ledge around the edge of the building.

"Our approach diverges from the prevalent issue in Japan of 'scrap and build', opting instead to create spaces that reinterpret ancient traditions to pass on traditional homes to the future," the studio's founder Haruki Nakayama told Dezeen.

Digging down into the ground floor of the home has created space for a sunken kitchen and bathing area, partially hidden from view by the wooden engawa that wraps the perimeter of the home.

Slim wooden columns and the overhanging roof shelter these spaces, with the front of the home left almost entirely open to the elements and the rear protected by the sloping nature of the site.

"In traditional Japanese dwellings, rooms with tatami mats are typically elevated about 50-60 centimetres above the ground, fostering a cultural practice of removing shoes when entering indoor spaces," explained Nakayama.

"Considering the places dealing with water – kitchens and baths – we envisioned creating a versatile space akin to the 'doma', enabling various activities depending on the users."

"It might transform into a traditional 'onsen' 'footbath', a 'pool', or even a pond for fish and plants for creating an installation to communicate with neighbours," he continued.

A small wooden staircase between the bathroom and kitchen leads up to the first floor, where the more private bedroom spaces are located, featuring tatami flooring and wooden screens that can open them up to the outside.

Wherever possible the project maintained the existing wooden finishes of the home, with the sunken ground floor areas finished with mortex coating to provide greater resilience and waterproofing while still "embodying the texture" of a traditional earthen doma.

Other conversions of traditional Japanese homes include DDAA's transformation of an 86-year-old dwelling in Nagasaki prefecture into and office for pottery brand Maruhiro.

The photography is by Ryo Tsuchida and Studio AMB

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A series of red-concrete cylinders were used to update the layout, circulation and lighting of this house in Versaille, renovated by French studio Atelier Delalande Tabourin.

Dating back to the 1950s, the existing brick and concrete home previously had a compartmentalised interior that felt separated from its large garden, as well as an unused basement.

Atelier Delalande Tabourin reconfigured and unified these spaces by inserting a series of curved concrete volumes, which contain internal and external staircases as well as light wells for the basement and a fireplace in the living area.

"Breaking with the existing structure, the geometrically circular movement sequences different living experiences whilst also 'fluidifying' transitions," said Atelier Delalande Tabourin.

"[It is] a radical statement also aiming to restore importance and emotion to circulation areas, too often ignored or devoid of any particular physical sensation," it continued.

The concrete insertions were created using "grogs" – aggregates made from crushed bricks that are discarded during production. This led the studio to name the project House Rehabilitation with Bricks Shards.

Working in collaboration with designer and researcher Anna Saint-Pierre, the aggregates were sourced from brickworks close to the site, creating a colour palette that complements the existing brick structure.

"During a visit to the DeWulf brickworks, we were quickly intrigued by an immense pile of shards referred to as 'grogs', comprising all the unsold, deformed and overly fired bricks, which are then crushed on the industrial site," explained the studio.

"From that moment, it seemed obvious to us that we had to seize this deposit as the material basis for our project," it continued.

In the centre of the home, the largest of the cylinders contains a skylit spiral staircase, opening onto each of the home's three floors through large cutouts on its side.

Surrounding this central form are a living, kitchen and dining area on the ground floor and bedrooms and bathrooms above. It also extends into the now-usable basement.

Against the reddish-brown concrete, the rest of the home's interior has been kept minimal and white, with areas on the floor and walls left exposed to reveal where previous partition walls once stood.

Large folding doors in the living area open onto a raised garden patio and a side entrance is accessed via a concrete stair.

Other housing projects in France include the Maison Jericho extension in Marseille by Olivia Fauvelle Architecture and the all-glass Maison de Verre by Odile Decq.

The photography is by Maxime Delvaux.

Project credits:

Architect: Atelier Delalande Tabourin (ADT)
Project manager: François-Xavier Jamin
Materials reuse: Anna Saint Pierre
BET structure: Con-Struct

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British architecture studio Stanton Williams has refurbished and extended the Grade II*-listed Rhodes House at the University of Oxford, adding a lantern-like glazed pavilion for events.

Originally designed by architect Herbert Baker and completed in 1929, Rhodes House has historically housed events, accommodation and archive spaces, set amid landscaped gardens in Oxford's city centre.

Tasked with doubling the usable space of the site as well as bringing its environmental performance up to modern standards, Stanton Williams reconfigured the building's layout while retaining its historic character.

"The spatial and environmental performance of Rhodes House no longer met the needs of its host organisation," Stanton Williams associate Tom Fotheringham told Dezeen.

"To allow the Trust to evolve while remaining within its historic premises, we had to find ways to double Rhodes House's usable space and provide new conference facilities, new working accommodation for staff and scholars, and new residential uses," he added.

In the biggest alteration to the site, a previously restricted archive space on the lower ground floor has been converted into a 300-seat conference hall and foyer, accessed via a newly created spiral stone staircase in the Rotunda and illuminated by high-level windows.

Forming a new "sculpture" at the main entrance of Rhodes House, the post-tensioned stone stair was developed with Webb Yates Engineers, and features a carved pattern that references the hexagonal tiling of the original floor.

This hexagonal pattern was also used as a motif in the conference hall itself, where a vaulted ceiling has been clad with wooden panelling.

"The new sculptural stone staircase complements the existing Rotunda, fulfilling Herbert Baker's ambition that a sculpture should be installed to help this space become 'the centre of beauty and interest in the building'," Fotheringham told Dezeen.

The building's western wing houses staff and scholar working accommodation, while the eastern wing holds 21 ensuite rooms for conference delegates, and has been extended with a new brick block providing 16 further bedrooms overlooking a residential courtyard.

"The new residential courtyard within the East Garden is placed below ground to preserve key views between the existing building and the Civil War Rampart on the site boundary," explained Fotheringham.

"It has been designed as a sunken volume within the garden, with chamfered soffits and piers around the perimeter to maximise daylight and provide privacy for the bedrooms below," he told Dezeen.

In the west garden, Stanton Williams has inserted a glass pavilion providing space for events, with a flexible, 50-seat space beneath a sweeping wooden roof.

Intended as a "solar collector", the pavilion collects heat from the sun and redistributes it through the main building for heating and hot water, while fan-coil units keep the pavilion itself comfortable.

Other projects recently completed by Stanton Williams include a new academic building for University College London in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is clad in textured concrete panels.

The photography is courtesy of Stanton Williams. 

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Local studio Formation Association has completed a renovation project in Los Angeles, placing asymmetrical volumes clad in plaster in the shell of a masonry building to create a dramatic "canyon-like" interior passage.

Formation Association renovated the building, located in the city's Atwater Village neighbourhood, on a street lined with shops and restaurants.

Called Atwater Canyon, the renovated building was originally erected in the 1920s and had an arched facade that had been covered up significantly through a series of past renovations.

"Importantly, at the street elevation, when the existing standard height storefront glazing system was removed, along with layers of subsequent remodeling, large openings were revealed, which now comprise a key characteristic for the accessibility and porosity of the updated elevation," Formation Association founder John Chan told Dezeen.

After foregoing the option to demolish and rebuild, the team decided to retain and restore the freestanding masonry structure, which features expressive crown decorations.

The studio opted to place a new program within the shell, reinforcing it in sections to meet the strict seismic codes in Los Angeles.

Trellises were added to the facade, which will be planted with California Morning Glory.

The new storefronts are pushed back from the street elevation so that a gap was created between the facade and the beginning of the new build.

Three primary retail spaces were placed into the side, divided by a long "canyon". Glass was placed in arches facing the street and on the sides of this passageway, while the new walls were covered in pink trowelled plaster with a textured pattern.

"Minimal instructions were given regarding the directionality of the raked pattern," said Chan.

"The hand of the applicator is expressed in the patterned texture of the walls, pointing to the craft and labor contributing to the work."

Exposed ceiling joists run the width of the building, and skylights were placed over the internal passageway to bring light into the middle of the structure.

All of the previous renovations had created a slight slope from the front to the back of the structure, which was mitigated in the redesign.

An open-air courtyard was placed at the end of the passageway. A roughly triangular section was removed from the ceiling, while the wooden joists at the remainder of the ceiling on both sides terminate at an exposed masonry wall.

This courtyard space holds the entry to the building's gender-neutral washrooms, and at the rear of a space is a smaller passageway that leads to parking lots, allowing visitors to enter through both sides.

Most of the mechanical systems were outdated, according to the studio. Based on the newly placed interior spaces, new split-system heat pumps were installed.

Formation Association also used plaster and skylights over joists in combining a series of older buildings into the new home of the Phillips auction house in the city.

Elsewhere in the city, Kadre Architects used bright paint to renovate a 1980s motel into a homeless shelter.

The photography is by Here and Now Agency.

Project credits: 

Architects: Formation Association
Consultants: Structural, Nous Engineering
Landscape: Terremoto
Signage: Still Room
MEP: Mars Engineering

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Limestone facades layered with latticed screens define this community and administrative building that architecture studio John McAslan + Partners has created at London's Baitul Futuh Mosque.

The project replaces an existing administrative building at the 5,700-metre-square complex, which is Britain's largest mosque, after it was heavily damaged by a fire in 2015.

Aiming to design a "new local and international landmark" for the community, John McAslan + Partners drew on civic Islamic architecture and repeated symmetrical, curved motifs throughout the design.

The building comprises three blocks with limestone and glass facades adorned by ornate metal screens, chosen to be in keeping with the rest of Baitul Futuh Mosque.

"The stonework has both honed and textured finishes to minimise strong surface reflections and allow building facades and edges to recede and not overwhelm the townscape," architect Chris Ravenscroft told Dezeen.

"These natural materials will age gracefully over time without loss of their inherent character and life, to safeguard the long-term visual quality of the building and the sense of place and community that it represents," he added.

A double-height colonnade wraps around the building to provide a generous entrance along with separate male and female corridors, which connect to existing walkways leading to the main prayer hall.

Within the building, multifunctional halls, offices, accommodation and dining rooms are organised across five floors connected by symmetrical vertical cores. A mezzanine level overlooks the centralised prayer hall on the ground floor.

Outside, the revamped public realm provides a more welcoming entrance area and space for on-site gatherings.

"[The main concept was] to create an open, landscaped entrance and welcoming new building to serve as a distinctive gateway to the wider mosque complex and invite local community engagement through the provision of a variety of new facilities and spaces," Ravenscroft said.

Finishing touches to the building include a rainwater collection tank located below the ground-level colonnade, along with photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof and an on-site borehole.

"The building has been designed to utilise passive and active measures to maximise its sustainable credentials and long-term future," Ravenscroft said.

Other recently completed mosques include a trio of bamboo structures exhibited at the Islamic Arts Biennale in Saudi Arabia and a calligraphy-covered building in Dubai.

The photography is by Hufton + Crow.

Project credits:

Architect: John McAslan + Partners
Planning consultant: Rolfe Judd
Project manager: The Rowe Partnership
MEP consultant: Thornley & Lumb
Structural engineer: JPG; Structures
Stonemason: Putney & Wood
BREEAM consultant: FES Group

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Martin Brudnizki Design Studio has designed the interiors for a 1907 Renaissance-style palazzo building in New York, which has been turned into a luxury boutique hotel by architecture studio Perkins Eastman.

The Fifth Avenue Hotel sits on the site of what was once one of the last mansions of The Gilded Age.

Throughout the late 19th century, the home of Charlotte Goodridge at 250 Fifth Avenue hosted receptions and musical evenings as part of New York's social season.

Perkins Eastman added a 24-storey glass tower, designed with PBDW Architects, to the five-storey brick and limestone building.

This was originally designed by McKim, Mead & White as the Second National Bank in 1907, replacing Goodridge's 19th century home.

Drawing on the history of the neighbourhood and heritage of the building, Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS) aimed to create an aesthetic for the new hotel that would embrace "Bohemian romanticism and the glamour of the gilded age," while maintaining contemporary styling.

"One of the biggest challenges was that we were working with both an existing and a new building at the same time, which each presented their own challenges architecturally," studio founder Martin Brudnizki told Dezeen.

"We worked with the architects to marry the historic narrative with the contemporary tower addition, which reflects New York today, and the concept of the modern traveller," he said.

Rooms feature a rich colour palette of garden greens, buttercup yellow and peony pink with gold accents.

Bold patterns and textures jostle each other in a "harmonious and fun way, juxtaposing modernity with the classic finishings," the designer said.

"The intersection of interiors with architecture is so important. The mansion is a much more classical response to the history and details of the building, whilst the tower enthuses a more modern touch," Brudnizki explained.

"Both are unified by the choices of colours and certain furniture, fixtures and equipment that carry between the two sites."

Bedrooms feature a global blend of references, including Pagoda-style table lamps, custom wardrobes informed by traditional Chinese cabinets, antique inlaid side tables, Murano glass chandeliers and star-like ceiling lights.

The double-height entrance lobby features walls panelled with faceted antique mirrors, marble floors and grand arched windows – which echo throughout the hotel bedrooms as room dividers between sleeping and sitting areas.

"We loved the idea that all these great characters had once walked along the boulevard of Fifth Avenue and the fabulous parties hosted within the mansions of Fifth Avenue; the people and the conversations that took place," said Brudnizki.

"We wanted to create a space that felt as though its interiors had been brought together over time, pulling items from our muse's travels and adventures from across the globe."

"It is a truly eclectic and layered project that is intended to feel as though it has been around since the days of The Gilded Age," the designer concluded.

Other boutique hotels recently published on Dezeen include Christian Louboutin's hotel Vermelho in Portugal and Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, by Keiji Ashizawa Design and Norm Architects.

Photography is by William Abranowicz.

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Muted tones and textured material finishes define the spaces of this mid-terrace Georgian home in north London, overhauled by local studio Paolo Cossu Architects.

Named Nelson Terrace, the renovation and extension in the Colebrook Row conservation area of Islington showcases the contemporary art and furniture collection of its client.

Commissioned by a young fashion designer, the subtle alterations to the house create distinct living and entertaining spaces, introducing a more a contemporary layout to the Georgian property.

Paolo Cossu Architects' design also adds a new rear extension on the home's basement level, creating a generous open-plan living, dining and kitchen space.

The ground floor has also been reimagined to create a dual-aspect atelier, allowing the client to work from home.

The studio used a restricted palette of materials and colours throughout, allowing the client's art and furniture to take centre stage.

"We wanted to add something that was playful. We did not want to have a very formal house," studio founder Paolo Cossu told Dezeen.

"It was all about colours, finishes and textures and contrasting materials and then details that were almost like accessories," he continued. "[The client] wanted to have it almost like a blank canvas for his objects that he displayed."

The house was in poor condition when purchased, due to an ill-conceived refurbishment carried out in the nineties.

Paolo Cossu Architects' design subtly adjusted openings throughout the home, removing cluttered partition walls in some areas and reinstating corridors in others.

"The ground floor was an open plan, and we reinstated the corridor," Cossu explained. "We removed all the new partitions and we tried to restore what was left. We didn't touch the staircase. The staircase was covered and we exposed it."

Internally, the studio made considered adjustments to the layout of the house, highlighting changes through the application of colour or introducing a new material treatment.

A small palette of primary colours, including cornflower blue and wine red, have been applied to specific elements such as banisters, thresholds, and architraves. These hues were selected by the client to give a personal touch to the home.

In the new basement rear extension, a bespoke kitchen of rough-sawn oak sits at the centre of the plan, connecting the dining room and living space.

Connections to the outdoors are prioritised, with the extension giving direct access to the garden, and a semi-circular skylight that introduces light and shadow and gives views of the sky.

The client's home studio is positioned on the ground floor, giving a clear separation between work and social spaces. The studio showcases a mixture of different lighting fixtures, including pieces from Valerie Objects.

A highlight of the interior is a new mirrored doorway that leads to the main bedroom on the first floor, created by exposing the original structure in the wall.

"There was an idea for playing with the exposed original structure of the house," said Cossu. "When we started demolition, [the client] really liked the frame of the building, the framing of the walls, and we wanted to have them exposed."

Paolo Cossu Architects is a London studio founded by Cossu in 2007. A previous project by the studio inserted a chunky oak staircase in a renovation of a Victorian terrace in east London.

Other recent examples of London house extensions include a "country house in miniature" by Gundry & Ducker, and an extension to a basement flat designed to feel like a "cabin in the woods" by Polysmiths.

The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.

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UK practice Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios has restored four heritage-listed buildings within the Brighton Dome cultural complex, upgrading its performance spaces and uncovering 19th-century structures.

The 3,500-square-metre project – comprised of the Corn Exchange, Studio Theatre, 29 New Road and Church Street entrance – marks the first phase in a council-led plan to revive Brighton's Royal Pavilion Estate as a landmark destination for the arts.

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios' aim was to protect and future-proof the historic venues, while also uniting them for the first time with a central linking structure that occupies a previously unused courtyard.

The studio aimed to modernise facilities within each heritage structure to host a diverse program of exhibitions and events throughout the year, including the annual Brighton Dome Festival.

"Something that was designed and built for a very elitist function has become such a popular venue and is so significant for the city," Feilden Clegg Bradley Studio's founding partner Peter Clegg said during a press tour of the complex in the UK seaside town.

"It has been a real pleasure for us to rejuvenate it, to give it a new life and to bring in much greater flexibility."

The Grade-I listed Corn Exchange, the largest building in the project, was originally commissioned as a riding stables for the Prince Regent in 1803 and has since been repositioned as a theatre and event space.

At 18 metres, it has the widest single-span timber frame ceiling in the country, which informed the studio's decision to strip back layers of paint and other obstructions to reveal the original network of 200-year-old beams.

"To some extent we didn’t know what to expect when first investigating the 18-metre structural timber frame," Clegg explained. "Once the layers of paint were removed, we could better understand the condition of the original structure."

The studio also engaged specialist craftspeople to replicate original details such as pilaster columns.

According to the studio, every timber connection was inspected onsite and reinforced where needed.

"We were able to find an engineering solution that meant the frame could be repaired and strengthened to make it structurally sound, as well as housing essential production equipment such as the lighting and audio rigs," Clegg explained.

"Seeing the space now fully restored, with all the layers that had been added over the years stripped out, you can see what an extraordinary building it is."

Services were hidden in the walls behind 6,500 linear metres of new oak cladding, while archival drawings were used to recreate decorative details in collaboration with specialist craftspeople.

Across one side of the Corn Exchange, windows were opened to look into the public foyer and new central gallery, using three layers of glass and automated blackout blinds to provide adjustable separation.

"Very rarely do you get the ability to see from foyer to auditorium through a giant window," Clegg said. "The public are welcomed into the double-height entrance and offered a glimpse of the drama."

The Corn Exchange can accommodate 505 seated and 1,291 standing guests, utilising new sub-floor storage and a balcony to conceal a retractable bleacher seat system.

Directly next to the Corn Exchange, a new gallery block was inserted between the venues as a bridging element with public facilities and improved circulation.

The infill structure is enclosed by preexisting walls on all sides and introduces a ticket office and bar. These feature nods to the site's history, including a suspended horse sculpture and a timeline of the site.

Glazing was configured to establish visual links between the previously separate venues, emphasising transparency between performative and public functions.

"For us, [the gallery] space really exemplifies the idea of permeability because it allows glimpses up to the meeting room," chief executive at Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival Andrew Comben explained.

"If our audiences are in this space, they have a sense that there's other work going on."

A dedicated creative room occupies the upper level of the new block and provides both low and high-tech equipment to encourage artistic innovation.

Named after Dame Anita Roddick, Anita's Room was conceived to be an incubator space for resident artists, visiting performers and the broader community.

Another of the buildings in the scheme, the 1930s Studio Theatre, was remodelled with 225 retractable seats for more intimate performances and activities.

Alongside the addition of upper sideline balconies, the studio also integrated technical and infrastructural solutions into the space.

"[The Studio Theatre] had a litany of operational issues," Comben explained. "The audience could only enter by stairs, disabled access was pretty nonexistent or very undignified... and there was no loading ability. All of those things are [now] resolved."

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios was founded in 1978 by Richard Feilden and Peter Clegg with offices in Bath, London, Manchester and Belfast.

Other recent projects by the studio include a terracotta-clad arts faculty for the University of Warwick and a nursery designed to foster nature-based learning in Stoke-on-Trent .

The photography is by Richard Chivers, Andy Stagg and Chloe Hashemi

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Australian studio ARM Architecture has completed the renovation of the Geelong Arts Centre in Victoria, Australia, adding a theatrical draping facade to its exterior.

The building, which is the largest regional arts centre in the country, contains two theatres connected by large public foyers.

Geelong Arts Centre was originally constructed in 1981 in the brutalist style. ARM Architecture has updated its exterior with a sculptural curtain-like facade made from glass-reinforced concrete, alongside flat precast concrete panels.

The 2,900-square-metre centre has a campus-like layout designed to be a welcoming and inviting space for theatre-goers and other visitors.

A 250-seat theatre named Open House has been created as an extension of the public space, opening onto a forecourt and the street through operable glazed doors. Blue scaffolding along the sides of the seating area that can be used as performance space.

"The intent of the project was to provide a series of flexible spaces that could be used by professionals and amateurs alike," ARM Architecture principal Jeremy Stewart told Dezeen.

"In the case of the Open House, this meant challenging the notion of the conventional 'black box' theatre," added Stewart.

"Rather than an opaque, highly technical and intimidating space, the Open House was designed to be unpretentious, open and welcoming – an extension of the public realm that would overcome 'threshold anxiety'."

ARM Architecture worked with the Wadawurrung community – First Nations Australians local to Geelong and surrounding areas – to showcase indigenous stories and artwork by four artists throughout the centre.

"Rather than artworks being produced in isolation and placed in the building, this project is remarkable in that it was a genuine collaboration and co-design with First Nations people," said Stewart.

"A narrative was developed with the Wadawurrung that led to the building interpreted as 'layers of Wadawurrung Country'."

The second theatre in the centre is named Story House, which seats 550 visitors and is covered in wooden wall panels with perforated patterns, designed by artist Tarryn Love.

Artwork by Wadawurrung artist Kait James is displayed on the west facade of the centre. In her work, the artist references Aboriginal souvenir tea towels from the 1970s and 80s that depict stereotypes of her culture and aims to create a new narrative. James's tea towel designs are printed on 193 metal panels.

Musical artist Mick Ryan created a soundscape to be played in the foyer that mimics the sound of Moonah tree forests, which have cultural significance to the Wadawurrung people, while artist Gerard Black designed a mural for the dining space of an eel on a rippled timber background.

ARM Architecture previously designed a sports centre in Western Australia with a pixellated black and blue exterior and in 2016, the studio won the Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal.

The photography is by John Gollings.

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South Korean architecture studio Sukchulmok has renovated a bakery and cafe in Seoul and added a reflective facade made of stainless steel.

Aiming to "maximise harmony" with the existing structure, Sukchulmok paired the stainless steel with original details such as weathered signage and cornices.

The preservation of these existing elements is intended as a nod to the 1980s building's layered history as a house, hardware store, office and most recently a restaurant.

An amalgamation of its earlier conversions, the building's brick and concrete structure was also largely retained, with any structural additions built using discoloured bricks to blend into the existing walls.

"While complementing the ageing functions, I wanted to express the jagged exterior of the building in a single formative vocabulary," lead architect Park Hyunhee told Dezeen.

"I thought it would be appropriate to use steel and I thought that stainless steel had the opposite texture and colour to the old appearance so when it was combined, it could maximise harmony."

Arranged across two floors and a roof terrace, the eight-metre-tall bakery hosts bright plant-filled interiors framed by the rough concrete and brick structure. This framework contrasts with new red-cedar wood detailing.

The steel facade panels on the exterior are connected by two large circular columns, designed for both structural reinforcement and visual appeal.

"I saw the texture created by time as the biggest strength of the building," said Park.

"The finishing touches of the newly added stainless steel and redwood were expressed as concisely as possible. It is not to conflict with the rough texture."

The ground floor is organised around a rounded, concrete bar, while a kitchen is located at the rear and seating wraps around the edges.

Further seating provided upstairs is accessed by a sheltered outdoor staircase, hidden from the street by a concrete wall and polycarbonate panels.

An existing window on the upper floor is decoratively infilled with perforated brick, while a reconstructed floor-to-ceiling opening leads out to a plant-filled balcony.

Strip lights on the ceiling run parallel to the ground floor bar and are also used to illuminate the upper floor.

The facade's circular columns are echoed in the furniture, with rounded stainless steel window seats and circular tables used throughout the space.

Additionally, rounded concrete steps on the ground floor lead out to a paved patio. This is decorated by the same large stones found at the building's front entrance.

Elsewhere in South Korea, OMA has expanded a university with a cluster of buildings and courtyards and DLA+ has unveiled designs for the "world's first" combined baseball stadium and shopping mall.

Other recent projects by Sukchulmok include a tent-like photography studio and the Parconido Bakery Cafe, both also in South Korea.

The photography is by Hong Seokgyu.

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Dutch hospitality company Aedes has pushed Amsterdam's building restrictions to their limit to convert a heritage-listed tavern into an all-electric hotel.

De Durgerdam hotel occupies one in a row of almost identical gabled buildings perched on a seawall on lake IJmeer, which together make up the small village of Durgerdam near Amsterdam.

Constructed in 1664, the building originally served as an inn for sailors and fishermen, its white-painted clapboard facade acting as a beacon for boats that could pull right up to its deck in the Zuiderzee bay of the North Sea.

Due to recurring flooding, the village was cut off from the sea with the construction of a dam in 1932, turning the bay into a freshwater lake while the inn became a ferry terminal and later a cafe and restaurant.

Following a five-year restoration led by Aedes, the building reopened this year as a boutique hotel with 14 rooms and interiors designed by material research studio Buro Belén.

De Durgerdam, the first hotel to be owned and operated by the Aedes, provided an opportunity to see how far heritage restrictions could be stretched to make the building as sustainable as possible.

"What we have done in terms of sustainability is fairly innovative for a historic building of this kind," said founder Paul Geertman. "We have pushed the boundaries as far as we could to reduce its environmental impact."

The 17th-century building now runs on renewable energy – provided by 32 rooftop solar panels and a green energy supplier – and its operations are entirely gas-free.

This was made possible via meticulous insulation and four separate heat pumps, which cover all of the building's heating and cooling needs in lieu of a traditional boiler.

With limited space in the old inn, the heat pumps are dotted across the garden where they are hidden in tiny outbuildings complete with gables and clapboards, which Aedes constructed especially to work around local building codes.

"A heat pump in Amsterdam normally has to be inside of your building, otherwise you just don't get the licence," Aedes head of sustainability Esther Mouwen told Dezeen. "So we had to build a house around them."

The windows posed a similar struggle, as the municipality rarely allows the distinctive hand-blown glazing of heritage buildings to be changed.

But Aedes was able to source an energy-efficient triple-glazed model with a pattern of tiny dots across its surface, which creates the optical illusion of looking at rippled glass.

The renovation itself was a balancing act between changing as little as possible about the building while ensuring that it could survive for another 500 years.

Although from the outside, the three-storey building looks almost exactly like it did when it was first constructed, large parts of its structure had to be carefully dismantled and reconstructed.

"The building had deteriorated over time and the structural integrity had been compromised in some areas," said Aedes marketing manager Monica Hanlo.

"The interiors had to be carefully renovated and restructured, with beams and stones disassembled, inspected and either reused or replaced."

Where timber could no longer serve a structural function, it was converted into floorboards alongside reclaimed wood sourced from old church pews and demolished timber houses from Austria.

This wood was smoked for 18 hours to create a rich colour that permeates the timber rather than sitting on top like a stain, which would wear down over time and need re-upping.

"Normally, they do not smoke it that long," explained Buro Belén co-founder Lenneke Langenhuijsen. "Now it will patina super beautifully because all throughout, it became this really dark wood."

"It was important to us to make well-based decisions, maybe invest a bit more but it's a long-lasting product that ages with the hotel and makes it even nicer over time."

De Durgerdam marks the first time that Buro Belén has applied its material research approach to an entire hotel interior.

"We did a lot of research so that the hotel also feels very grounded in what it once was, in its place," Langenhuijsen said. "And if you look at the Zuiderzee, it was a very important part of the Netherlands, all the villages around made their living from it."

Layered throughout the hotel's interior are references to this seafaring history, delivered via an eclectic mix of new, vintage and bespoke elements created by Buro Belén.

In the ground-floor restaurant De Mark, framed photos provide a glimpse of the inn's evolution over the years.

A shaggy curtain frames the lounge area near the entrance, made from traditional flax rope and raw flax fibres that were once used by local fishermen to make their nets.

Weather permitting, patrons can dine outside on the jetty atop lake IJmeer or sit at a long sharing table that forms the centrepiece of the restaurant.

Overhead, Buro Belén suspended Ingo Maurer's chandelier Lacrime del Pescatore – or "fisherman's tears" – made of sparkling crystals that droop from a nylon net.

Its name, according to Langenhuijsen, acts as a subtle reference to the plight of the local fishers, who lost their livelihoods as the village was cut off from the sea.

Upstairs, the inn accommodates three suites and one room, accessed via the building's untouched original staircase, which still shows the deep grooves that were worn into the wood by thousands of shoes over the centuries.

De Durgerdam's remaining 10 rooms are housed in a garden annexe that was added to the building in 2006. All share a moody colour palette that was drawn from the craft and building traditions of the Zuiderzee.

A rusty red colour – reminiscent of sails treated with tree-bark tannins to prevent rot – was used to highlight key architectural features like the building's timber beams and the monochrome bathrooms.

Similarly, the inside of the bedrooms' Shaker-style built-in wardrobes was painted in a sky blue colour that nods to a traditional paint made from buttermilk, chalk and a particular blue pigment, historically used by locals across cupboards and box beds to repel insects.

Even though construction is complete, Aedes is still working on reducing the hotel's operational footprint, with the aim of getting 80 per cent of the way towards being zero waste by the end of next year.

The company is also looking into a reliable way of offsetting the building's whole-life carbon emissions via a reforestation scheme but has so far struggled to find a reliable company that can guarantee measurable, traceable carbon removals.

"We're not fans of offsetting, because we think we have to make sure we don't create emissions," Mouwensaid. "But it's not possible yet."

Aedes has previously converted Amsterdam's art deco Bungehuis building into a Soho House members' club.

The photography is by Chantal Arnts and Studio Unfolded.

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Czech architecture studio Neuhäusl Hunal has renovated a prefabricated apartment in Prague, turning it into an open-plan home and workspace for sculptor and glassworker Vladimír Bachorík.

Neuhäusl Hunal opted for curved translucent glass partitions in place of doors to divide the interior spaces and create a sense of openness and fluidity.

In order to maximise floor space, the studio removed all non-load-bearing elements, leaving just a single load-bearing concrete wall that cuts through the living and workspaces.

Three U-profiled glass partitions were then used to enclose a cloakroom, storage space and kitchen, while the remaining floor space can be used flexibly.

A centralised, curved bathroom, raised by a small platform for waste management, is similarly enclosed by translucent glass panels and protrudes into the main space.

The bathroom interior was lined extensively with white ceramic tiles and features a walk-in shower.

Meanwhile, matching ceramic tiles were also used in the kitchen, which doubles as a work area for the artist.

"To design the maximally open and flowing space without doors, infrastructure, besides statics, was a key constraint, which defines the location of the single-almost-enclosed space: the bathroom," studio architect and founder David Neuhäusl told Dezeen.

"Therefore we emphasized [the bathroom] as the most prominent element in the apartment to create a strong spatial experience," Neuhäusl continued.

The interior material palette was defined by the stripped concrete wall as well as the translucent panels and ceramic tiles, set on a background of white plaster walls and grey-toned rubber flooring.

Metal furniture and shelving was used throughout the minimalist interior, with cubic plinths used to display Bachorík's glasswork around the space.

Daylight shines through the existing windows at either end of the apartment and penetrates the glass partitions to create a brightly lit interior, while carefully positioned strip lights and spotlights provide artificial lighting.

"These translucent glass blocks of high order ensure the penetration of light and create identity of the apartment," Neuhäusl explained.

"Their materiality and character naturally refer to the client's lifelong work. They can be naturally composed in curves to formulate the softly shaped partitions."

Neuhäusl Hunal is an architecture studio founded by David Neuhäusl and Matěj Hunal in the Czech Republic.

Other projects recently completed in the Czech Republic include a winery topped with a sweeping concrete roof and an angular black extension to a neo-gothic church.

The photography is by Radek Úlehla.

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A green wall and a charred-timber extension define House of the Elements, a Victorian home in London renovated by local studio Neil Dusheiko Architects.

Intended to mimic a "spa-like retreat", the Peckham home was remodelled to brighten its dark, closed-off interior and help bring nature in.

While opening up its interior to the outside, Neil Dusheiko Architects added a rear extension clad in charred timber.

"We aimed to use the existing house as a found object and rework it to explore ways how we could bring the owner closer to nature through opening up the historic Victorian structure to the elements," studio founder Neil Dusheiko told Dezeen.

"We wanted to explore how the house could use natural elements to play to the senses," he continued. "We also wanted the house to feel alive by bringing the plants in as an 'occupant' of the house."

Inside, a series of skylights, voids, and openings have been added to the late-19th-century residence, including a double-height space bordered by a living wall.

"There are large open spaces which have an audible dimension, plants that play on the sense of smell, polished plaster surfaces juxtaposed with rougher brick textures dealing with the tactile and light and dark spaces that work with our visual senses," explained Dusheiko.

House of the Elements' entrance hall and front living space have been retained, with original features including plaster mouldings and a fireplace left in place.

Finished with modern furnishings, white-painted walls and wooden floors, the living room leads into a double-height void that connects the existing portion of the home to the extension.

A large living wall runs along one side of the void, which is topped with a skylight and lets light into the interior while opening it up to views of the garden.

"The client's Sri Lankan heritage, and the work of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, informed much of the design approach – in particular the use of plants to create a green verdant environment full of visual interest and textures, and spaces that flow into each other to provide light, natural ventilation and views," said Dusheiko.

"The green wall, placed under a large glazed skylight that offers the planted space the full spectrum of sunlight, with sun-loving species placed closer to the light and plants requiring more shade towards the bottom."

Above the retained fireplace, a sculptural artwork by Italian artist Soda stretches up the wall bordering the void.

The living wall leads into the charred-timber extension, where a kitchen with charcoal-coloured plaster walls and metal surfaces opens onto the back garden.

On the upper level, the rooms and landings that border the double-height void feature balconies and openings that overlook the ground floor.

This includes a bathroom, where a wooden tub is placed alongside a window framing the green wall.

The first-floor bedrooms and bathrooms are finished with dark-coloured walls, designed to contrast the brightness of the other spaces in the house.

"We felt that as the house had a lot of skylights and an abundance of natural light, we could work with a more tonal colour palette that could be read against the crisp detailing of the Victorian house," said Dusheiko.

Above the first floor, Neil Dusheiko Architects added a loft extension, which contains a home office and features a large window that offers views of the treetops in the garden.

Other London home renovations recently featured on Dezeen include a basement apartment designed to feel like a wooden cabin and a Victorian terrace in Hackney that was refreshed with a colourful extension informed by 1950s American kitchens.

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

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Cake Architecture has renovated A Bar with Shapes for a Name, an east London cocktail bar featuring "utilitarian" interiors.

A Bar with Shapes for a Name owes its title to the yellow triangle, red square and blue circle that are emblazoned on its facade in a nod to the primary colours and understated geometry commonly associated with the Bauhaus.

When creating the bar's minimalist interiors, Dalston-based Cake Architecture took cues from the influential German art and design school that was established in 1919 and advocated for an emphasis on functionality, among other similar principles.

Located at 232 Kingsland Road in Hoxton, the cocktail bar was renovated by the studio to serve as a multipurpose venue.

Cake Architecture doubled the bar's capacity by adding a basement, which acts as a "kitchen-bar" room, and refurbished the ground floor's existing seating area as well as a classroom-style space that offers a location for rotating events or workshops.

"These spaces have specific functional requirements and we selected colours and materials to suit," studio director Hugh Scott Moncrieff told Dezeen.

Upon entering the bar, visitors are greeted by the main seating area or "showroom", which was designed to be warm and inviting.

Tall tubular chairs finished with neutral rattan were positioned around chunky geometric tables made from birch ply stained to a rich, reddish-brown hue.

The team also used the same timber to create the space's curving bar, which is illuminated by a squat, cordless table lamp by lighting brand Flos.

Opposite the bar, a glowing rectilinear light installation by photographer Steve Braiden was fitted to the wall underneath bench-style seating reminiscent of early Bauhaus furniture designs.

"We looked in particular at projects by the Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius," reflected Scott Moncrieff.

"Gropius is a master of this elegant zoning through the application of colour and form," he added.

Downstairs, the low-lit basement was created to house additional seating as well as "all of the crazy machinery they use to prepare the drinks," the designer said.

The basement is characterised by a bespoke central table by Cake Architecture and furniture designer Eddie Olin.

Consisting of a steel frame that "floats" over a central leg, the table was topped with a glass surface and its base was clad in phenolic-coated plywood to match the floor and walls.

"This new basement is predominantly a production space – so the palette reflects this with hardwearing, utilitarian and industrial materials," said Scott Moncrieff.

A thick, felt curtain in ultramarine adds a pop of colour to the otherwise pared-back space.

With its pale blue walls and Valchromat-topped, steel-framed tables, the ground-floor "classroom" pays homage to the Bauhaus as an educational institution.

Brighter blue vinyl covers the floors while a sculptural lamp featuring red, yellow and blue circles echoes the bar's logo.

A tall blackboard and overhead strip lighting add to the classroom feel of the space, which is used for various group events.

Cake Architecture worked closely with the bar's founders Remy Savage and Paul Lougrat when creating the interiors, which were primarily informed by the duo's way of working.

"The team has a conceptually driven ethos drawn from the theory and practice of Bauhaus embedded in everything they are doing. We found that incredibly exciting," explained Scott Moncrieff.

"The Bauhaus phrase 'party, work, play' was pertinent to some early ideas and this carried through all our design discussions," noted the designer.

"The space enables these three things. Separately as individual functions and simultaneously as a representation of the overall atmosphere of a bar!"

Cake Architecture previously worked with interior designer Max Radford to create a curtain-wrapped speakeasy in London's Soho. The studio also designed a workspace for London agency Ask Us For Ideas in the same part of the city.

The photography is by Felix Speller. 

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The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features the renovation of a 1960s townhouse in London. Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now.

Architecture practice Pricegore has restored a modernist townhouse in Chelsea, London. The studio converted the four-storey house into a three-bedroom home.

Pricegore aimed to improve the existing home by creating larger and more flexible living spaces, all while keeping the building's brutalist ideals intact with exposed material finishes.

This week's newsletter also featured Nike's unveiling of its latest running super shoe, Alphafly 3, Neom's plans for a hexagonal-pillar hotel on the Gulf of Aqaba and a boutique store in Amsterdam with a "wave-like" facade by Dutch architecture practice Studio RAP.

Dezeen Agenda

Dezeen Agenda is a curated newsletter sent every Tuesday containing the most important news highlights from Dezeen. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Agenda or subscribe here.

You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday and features the hottest reader comments and most-debated stories, Dezeen Daily is our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours and Dezeen In Depth is sent on the last Friday of every month and delves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design. 

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Dutch studio MVRDV has unveiled Haus 1, a bright yellow workplace adapted from a 1990s office building in Berlin with local studio Hirschmüller Schindele Architekten.

Located south of Tempelhof Field, it is the second project completed for Atelier Gardens – the redevelopment of a 23,800-metre-square film and media campus into a hub for social entrepreneurship and activism.

Aiming to create a gateway to the wider scheme, MVRDV and Hirschmüller Schindele Architekten designed Haus 1 to capture the masterplan's identity and signal the area's transformation.

A bold yellow colour has been applied to the exterior of the formerly white structure and extended to both its interior walls and a large zigzagging staircase outside, creating a striking beacon for visitors.

"Haus 1 is more than a gateway to this unique campus devoted to impact," MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs said.

"It is a representation of the Atelier Gardens community and their commitment to chart a different vision of society, one that’s optimistic, yet radical and innovative."

Haus 1 was commissioned by the developer Fabrix. It offers 1,747 square metres of adaptable interior space across four refurbished floors and a rooftop extension.

The ground floor has been retrofitted with a cafe and co-working area, while the three upper floors contain flexible work and meeting spaces, as well as the Atelier Gardens headquarters.

MVRDV and Hirschmüller Schindele Architekten introduced a CLT pavilion and garden to the previously unused rooftop, integrating native plants and rainwater collection systems.

The new roof and terrace are accessible via an internal lift or the 57-metre-long external stairway, which features rest spaces and viewing platforms along the climb.

"From the roof, one can witness the entire skyline of Berlin's urban landscape, with Tempelhofer Feld as its front yard," said van Rijs.

Materials and internal finishes include prefabricated timber modules, bio-based finishes such as clay ceilings and materials with a high recycled content.

MVRDV was founded in 1993 in Rotterdam by Winy Maas, van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries.

The studio has previously designed other large outdoor staircases, including The Stairs at an office block in Rotterdam and The Podium for the Het Nieuwe Instituut.

The photography is by Schnepp Renou. 

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Architecture studio Pricegore has renovated a modernist townhouse in Chelsea, London, reconfiguring the four-storey house into a contemporary three-bedroom home.

Pricegore aimed to revamp the existing home by creating generous and flexible living spaces, while respecting the building's brutalist ideals with exposed material finishes.

While investigating the site's history, the studio discovered the deep foundations of former Victorian homes below the current townhouse structure. The excavation resulted in a partially subterranean ground floor designed to recall Brazilian mid-century modernist homes by expressing concrete retaining walls, kitchen worktops and window sills.

Both the ground floor and first floor living room were finished with floor to ceiling glazed partitions overlooking a green threshold of tall grasses and plants.

"[The foundations] meant we could easily excavate to recreate the old split-level character of the Victorian ground floor and in doing so create a kitchen and living space with high ceilings," Pricegore director Dingle Price told Dezeen.

"We sought to maximise connections to nature with a very densely planted garden that has a strong presence in the lower ground floor living space, whilst the upper floor living room looks out onto a green roof."

Every bedroom was configured with views of surrounding canopy trees, including the matching pair of second floor bedrooms and the open-plan main suite on the third floor.

Pricegore prioritised texture and tone in their material selection. It opted for neutral, soft-coloured fixtures to sit against the off-white walls, reclaimed timber and cement floor finishes.

Existing concrete slab soffits were revealed and lime-washed, while concrete beams were sand-blasted to create a raw and gritty appearance.

"The new works take their momentum from the existing building," Price said. "There is no contrast, either internally or externally, between the old and the new."

Proportions of windows were subtly altered with dividing columns and by lowering sills. Slender aluminium window profiles were also chosen to recall the original 1960s frames.

"When working with an existing structure, our ambition is almost always to amplify the inherent qualities of the original architecture," Price said.

An automated skylight was introduced over the stairway to draw natural light to the interior and to create a passive cooling effect for summer.

"We admired the rational design of this brutalist terrace and its formal expression... [but] it needed total renovation in terms of thermal performance and energy efficiency," Price explained.

"We think of the project as a collaboration with the original architects," he continued .

"We hope [they] would appreciate the project, that they would see that we have tried to tailor their speculative housing design of the 60s to the specific requirements of a contemporary family."

Pricegore is a London-based architecture practice founded by Dingle Price and Alex Gore in 2013. The studio has previously collaborated with designer Yinka Ilori to create a multicoloured pavilion for the London Festival of Architecture and completed a yellow-framed extension for an artist in east London.

The photography is by Johan Dehlin

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London architecture studio Jonathan Tuckey Design has converted a former factory in Norway into a hotel and wellness centre, celebrating the traces of its previous uses.

Named Trevarefabrikken, the concrete-framed building in Henningsvaer in the Lofoten archipelago originally opened in the 1940s as a cod liver oil factory and carpentry workshop, before being abandoned.

In 2014, four friends purchased the dilapidated space with a view to refurbishing it with the help of the local community. Jonathan Tuckey Design was tasked with reworking its open-plan interior into a series of guest rooms and a restaurant.

Despite this radical change in use, Jonathan Tuckey Design looked to minimise alterations and retain as much of the "historical memory" of the factory as possible, including its board-marked concrete structure, rough rendered walls and even rusting machinery.

"The structural bones themselves were key to defining the layout of the space," explained project architect Dan Stilwell. "Unexpectedly deep concrete ribs ran throughout the interior, supported on equally unapologetically chunky columns," he continued.

"Rather than removing or adding to this structure, we looked at how to keep what was initially designed as a single warehouse space and divide it into intimate rooms that feel very separate and private," Stilwell added.

On Trevarefabrikken's ground floor, visitors enter into a large cafe and bar framed by concrete columns, with a small reception area and staircase leading up into the guest areas.

Above, a series of bedrooms flank a dark hallway ending at an industrial door. This leads to the light-filled Trandamperiet restaurant, which overlooks the Vestfjorden sea through large windows.

Formerly the cod liver oil production area, the first floor is punctuated by retained timber funnels and original machinery. Exposed concrete walls and ceilings in the bedrooms are softened by bespoke wooden fittings painted pale green.

"We were fascinated with the board-formed concrete surface, where the grain of long-past timber was imprinted in the surface for eternity before the board itself decayed," explained Stilwell.

"The machines themselves were kept not only a remnant of the past but also slightly mysterious sea-monster-like creatures greeting guests on the path to their rooms," he added.

Throughout, fittings and details have been created using both new and reused materials, including restored white tilework and steps up into the bedrooms that are formed from reclaimed bricks.

Trevarefabrikken's existing window openings were retained, with an additional layer of insulation and wooden shutters deepening the openings.

"We highlighted the feeling of hunkering down in a harsh landscape to seek refuge from the crashing waves," says Stilwell.

"This will be left to age naturally as before, settling into the island landscape the same way the building is settling into its newfound guise," he added.

Currently, the second floor remains a "work in progress", with the potential to provide further flexible accommodation, an events space or a bar in future stages of the project.

Reimagining existing buildings is a key focus of the work of Jonathan Tuckey Design. The studio's previous projects include the restoration and extension of a traditional farmstead in northern Italy and the reworking of a historic home in Cornwall with a stone-clad extension.

The photography is by Andrea Gjestvang.

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London's former City Hall, which was designed by British studio Foster+ Partners, is set to be renovated and extended as part of an overhaul by architecture studio Gensler.

The vacant building, renamed as 110 The Queen's Walk, is being transformed into a mixed-use scheme by Gensler for its owner – the Kuwait-owned developer St Martins.

Gensler's current plans include the extension of its floors and the introduction of ground floor retail facilities, while landscape architecture studio LDA Design revamps the adjoining public realm.

Completed in 2002 beside Tower Bridge on the south bank of the Thames, the former City Hall is one of London's landmark buildings. It is known for its slanting glass shell, designed by Foster without a conventional front or back and to visualise the idea of transparency in politics.

According to St Martins, the building is being updated to transform it into "a forward-looking mixed-use destination".

Building labelled at-risk buildings

City Hall was left vacant in December 2021 when its former tenant, the Greater London Authority (GLA), relocated to the Royal Victoria Dock in Newham as part of its cost-cutting measures.

In light of this, the Twentieth Century Society labelled the building as being at risk of alteration or demolition. The charity also called for the building to be listed, but an application has previously been rebuffed by Historic England.

While Gensler has yet to comment on its designs, a representative from St Martins said the project is focusing on "safeguarding" the building's character.

"Our ambition has centred around the modernisation of the building into re-imagined, open mixed-use accommodation, all the while safeguarding its intrinsic character," said representative Charlie Prentis.

"Through sensitive design, we aim to strike the optimal balance to ensure it remains a highly sought-after destination for both Londoners and visitors to London Bridge City," he continued.

"Our focus is on sustainability and an expanded biodiverse public realm, complemented by contemporary designed workspace, shops, cafés and restaurants. Our proposal offers a diverse array of amenities for all to appreciate."

Floors will be extended and balconies added

Details of the proposal that have been revealed so far include the extension of floorplates and, as shown in the render, the addition of planted balconies.

Meanwhile, the ground floor will be updated with cafes, shops and restaurants.

In the render, the balconies are shown in place of sections of the iconic curved glazing, which St Martins said will be replaced to improve the building's energy performance.

However, the developer has said the plans also "seek to maximise the retention of the building's structure" wherever possible in order to preserve its "circular footprint and sculpted form".

These plans will be exhibited by St Martins in two exhibitions scheduled for Thursday 7 and Saturday 9 December 2023 at Hay's Galleria. The public will be invited to submit their feedback before the proposals are reviewed and a planning application is submitted.

Other well-known buildings in London that the Twentieth Century Society has said are at risk of "demolition or disfigurement" are the Channel 4 headquarters in Westminster by British architect Rogers and the post-war Museum of London and Bastion House buildings on the corner of Grade II-listed Barbican Estate.

The render is by Gensler.

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Simba Vision Montessori School has been named Dezeen Awards 2023 architecture project of the year following the announcement of all 15 architecture winners at this evening's ceremony.

The 15 winners awarded in Dezeen's annual awards programme are located in 10 different countries including Iran, Japan, Indonesia, Tanzania and Spain.

Simba Vision Montessori School crowned architecture project of the year

Simba Vision Montessori School by Architectural Pioneering Consultants and Wolfgang Rossbauer won architecture project of the year, sponsored by Material Bank. It was also named education project of the year.

The architecture master jury picked the school in Tanzania made from local materials as it addresses "the major challenges of our time".

"This exemplary building manages to do the most with the least," said the judges. "A truly sustainable project with a very limited budget, the building provides a much-needed educational space for the local community that is responsive to people, place and purpose."

"The Dezeen Awards judging criteria are 'beautiful', 'innovative' and 'beneficial', and this project exemplifies all three of these qualities like no other," they said.

The winning school was up against projects that included a barrel-vaulted metro station made from handmade bricks in Iran, a refurbished concrete framed brewery in Shenzhen and a guesthouse nestled in the hillside of an island in Japan.

A community space built from reclaimed masonry in a marginalised area of Mexico City, a nine-building work campus set within a garden landscape and a linear park with retroactive infrastructure were three winning projects located in Mexico.

View the winning architecture projects on the Dezeen Awards website or read below:

Architecture project of the year and education project of the year: Simba Vision Montessori School by Architectural Pioneering Consultants and Wolfgang Rossbauer

The winning architecture project of the year is a school in rural Tanzania that draws on the Montessori principles it teaches – a method of teaching based on play and hands-on activities.

Simba Vision Montessori School features stepped entrances and interconnected spaces to encourage active learning. The building's blockwork walls were formed of local volcanic rock and sand, while the roof is made of zinc, which acts as both a sunshade and a rainwater harvester.

According to the architecture master jury, the project is "both a radical proposition and a template for schools of this type".

"The clear, structured order of the plan feels generous and intuitive in access and circulation," said the jury. "The simple arrangement of rooms is well-proportioned while the principle of disconnecting the walls and roof creates a low-cost and passive ventilation solution."

"An inventive and community-engaged approach to materials is both sensitive and appropriate, which results in a building that feels robust yet welcoming and is clearly of its place."

Read more about Simba Vision Montessori School by Architectural Pioneering Consultants and Wolfgang Rossbauer ›

Urban house of the year: Spruce House and Studio by Ao-ft

A cross-laminated timber three-bedroom house in Walthamstow, London, by local practice Ao-ft won urban house of the year. Spruce House is a two-storey home informed by the area's history as a village high street with a shop-like facade shielded by a screen of timber battens.

"Presenting a distinctive yet coherent facade to the street, and an expressive volumetric cascading composition to the rear, this new house is an example of building sustainably with timber," said the judges.

"Thoughtfully designed and beautifully detailed, the building is in continuity with its context," they continued. "A self-build project that exemplifies where design makes a difference to the quality of architecture."

Read more about Spruce House and Studio by Ao-ft ›

Highly commended: Labri by Nguyen Khai Architects & Associates

Located in the city of Hue, Vietnam, Labri is a 55-square-metre home by local practice Nguyen Khai Architects & Associates.

The one-floor living space populated with greenery was commissioned by a couple for a site by a pond.

"This inventive project makes the most of its small plot in Hue, Vietnam, to create a unique home for an older couple, which connects them to nature and provides practical but fun living spaces to ensure their retirement is far from boring," said the judges.

Read more about Labri by Nguyen Khai Architects & Associatest ›

Rural house of the year: Mud House by Sketch Design Studio

Local practice Sketch Design Studio won rural house of the year for its farmhouse in northern India that combines rammed earth walls and a thatch roof. The single-storey home in Rajasthan features overlapped staircases which reference historic Indian step wells, characterised by grids of crisscrossing diagonal staircases.

"Looking backwards to see the future, this house engages with traditional local building techniques to make architecture that is proportioned around thoughtful patterns of living and characterful, expressive materials," said the master jury.

"The project exemplifies a sustainable approach to contemporary residential architecture that fits harmoniously with its place and community."

Read more about Mud House by Sketch Design Studio ›

Housing project of the year: Nightingale Village by Architecture Architecture, Austin Maynard Architects, Breathe, Clare Cousins Architects, Hayball and Kennedy Nolan

An affordable housing development constructed in pigmented precast concrete panels in Melbourne won housing project of the year.

The housing development typology was created under the Nightingale development model, which aims to design residential projects that are "environmentally, socially and financially sustainable".

"This project exemplifies a new approach to housing, with a focus on society, community and wellbeing," said the jury.

"With an emphasis on cooperative design to address the challenges of housing in our cities, the project presents different typologies for different types of people and families living together," they continued.

"The collaboration of the six architects on the project has added richness to the variety of materials and spaces, which are both generous and humane."

This category is sponsored by Gaggenau.

Read more about Nightingale Village by Architecture Architecture, Austin Maynard Architects, Breathe, Clare Cousins Architects, Hayball and Kennedy Nolan ›

Highly commended: Park Hill Phase 2 by Mikhail Riches

Stirling Prize-winning studio Mikhail Riches was highly commended for the latest phase of the redevelopment of Park Hill estate in Sheffield. The contemporary residences are housed in four flanks of the brutalist Grade II*-listed building and were revamped with bold-coloured panels.

"This project takes an icon of post-war British housing and infuses it with new life," said the master jury.

"It is a great example of what can be done to preserve and enhance existing buildings to create a high-quality place to live, rather than knocking something down and starting from scratch."

Read more about Park Hill Phase 2 by Mikhail Riches ›

House renovation of the year: El Priorato by Atienza Maure Arquitectos

Spanish studio Atienza Maure Arquitectos won house renovation of the year for its refurbished 16-century clergy holiday home in Burgos, Spain.

El Priorator, or The Priory, was restored and extended with new white concrete elements after burning down last year. The master jury commended the contemporary use of materials and forms sensitive to the building's heritage.

"This house presents a compelling and sensitive approach to the restoration of an existing building where the understanding of and care for its existing fabric and context is evident in the architectural approach," said the judges.

"The project strikes a careful balance between new and old, with restrained modern interventions creating a confident order of spaces around new patterns of living," they continued. "The new structures both contrast to and create a positive tension with the restored buildings."

Read more about El Priorato by Atienza Maure Arquitectos ›

House extension of the year: Dokubo+El Amigo by Jo Nagasaka / Schemata Architects

Dokubo+El Amigo is a guesthouse and bar nestled into a hill on the coast of an island in the Seto Inland Sea by Japanese studio Schemata Architects.

The extension comprises two new additions to accompany an existing house further up the hill: a guesthouse for children called Dokubo and a separate lounge and bar space with a bunker-like appearance for adults called El Amigo.

The master jury described the house extension of the year as a "thoughtful series of structures that are between landscape and architecture".

"As disconnected elements, the building forces the visitor to connect nature and the rituals and routines of living, while a sensitive and unique series of materials brings a humane emphasis to the wonderful landscape and views beyond," they said.

Read more about Dokubo+El Amigo by Jo Nagasaka / Schemata Architects ›

Civic project of the year: Lea Bridge Library Extension by Studio Weave

A wood-lined community centre with a red-concrete colonnade informed by the original grade II-listed redbrick building in east London won civic project of the year.

Architecture practice Studio Weave added a new community wing to Lea Bridge Library in Waltham Forest, overlooking a large green space through a fully-glazed facade. The narrow, pavilion-like extension has a long wood-lined interior, designed for a range of uses, including quiet reading rooms and activity spaces for community groups.

"A socially inclusive design, the new building creates a series of rooms that are sensitive, warm and inviting," said the master jury.

"Despite a modest budget, the building sustainably creates meaningful and important facilities, which are a gift to the community of this place."

Read more about Lea Bridge Library by Studio Weave ›

Cultural project of the year: 32° East Arts Centre by New Makers Bureau and Localworks

A community arts space in Uganda by London architecture practice New Makers Bureau in collaboration with Ugandan design firm Localworks won cultural project of the year.

Located in Kabalagala, a central district of Kampala, 32° East Arts Centre is a community art space built with rammed earth walls and earth bricks.

According to the judges, the building is rightly suited to its environment and exemplifies "the value of local production and construction techniques."

"The formal reinterpretation of the asymmetrical pitched roof is both new, playful and spatially complex," said the judges.

"Based on a sensitive climatological understanding of the place, the building is composed of rich materials with sensitive and contextual approaches to construction."

Read more about 32° East Arts Centre by New Makers Bureau and Localworks ›

Highly commended: Bundanon Art Museum & The Bridge by Kerstin Thompson Architects and Atelier Ten

Australian practice Kerstin Thompson Architects designed additional facilities for the Bundanon Art Museum in New South Wales, including a flood bridge containing residences and educational spaces.

The cluster of buildings is built to withstand the landscape's conditions, pushing the museum underground and raising the education centre on a flood bridge.

The judges said: "A series of sensitive and elegant additions to the landscape, this project responds to flood and fire risks in a way that promotes ecological awareness and creates generous spaces for living and learning."

Read more about Bundanon Art Museum & The Bridge by Kerstin Thompson Architects ›

Workplace project of the year: Campus Betterware Guadalajara (CBG) by Estudio MMX

Local architecture firm Estudio MMX won workplace project of the year for Campus Betterware Guadalajara, a large campus for a houseware company in Mexico.

The project totalling 15,000 square metres, houses administrative space and a series of warehouses for shipping, receiving, sorting and storage, as well as worker amenities and low-maintenance gardens.

"In a typology that is often overlooked by architects, the warehouse, distribution facilities and associated workspaces in this project have been designed as a more human-centred series of spaces for the workers," said the master jury.

"The project balances the industrial efficiency of the warehouse with a clear spatial and structural order," they continued.

"Its arrangement and creative use of standard structural elements result in playful and visually interesting spaces that serve to make the mundane humane."

This category is sponsored by Lualdi.

Read more about Campus Betterware Guadalajara (CBG) by Estudio MMX ›

Health and wellbeing project of the year: Lumi Shala by Ibuku Studio

A yoga meditation space in Bali, Indonesia, featuring a petal-shaped roof clad in copper shingles won health and wellbeing project of the year.

The building by local studio Ibuku is constructed from bamboo and is designed in collaboration with Kul Kul Farm, Bamboo Pure and structural engineering firm Atelier One.

"A simple and elemental shelter, this pavilion is primarily a meeting place for yoga and wellbeing but also acts as a symbolic marker within the landscape," said the judges.

"The interior forms create light and airy spaces for activity, which amplify the material qualities of the primary structure to create interest and delight."

Read more about Lumi Shala by Ibuku Studio ›

Highly commended: Alzheimer's Village by Nord Architects

Copenhagen studio Nord Architects was highly commended for its village for people living with dementia in Dax, France.

The design takes cues from the urban layout of Dax's old town to create a sense of familiarity for its residents, featuring a "market square" wrapped by concrete arcades at its centre.

"This project is generous to both patients and healthcare workers, offering a new typology for dementia care," said the master jury.

Read more about Alzheimer's Village by Nord Architects ›

Heritage project of the year: Kingway Brewery Renovation by Urbanus Architecture & Design

Architecture firm Urbanus won heritage project of the year for its series of industrial concrete-framed structures revamped into a cultural centre.

The local office connected the old buildings of the former Kingway Brewery in Shenzhen, China, via extensions and aerial walkways.

"This project is a rare example of industrial heritage being celebrated and preserved by converting it into a public space that serves the local community," said the master jury.

"The design deftly handles the contrast between new and old elements and, despite the huge site, the architects have managed to create intimate pockets of space within it."

Read more about Kingway Brewery Renovation by Urbanus Architecture & Design ›

Highly commended: Clifford's Tower by Hugh Broughton Architects

UK studio Hugh Broughton Architects was highly commended for its refurbishment of the 800-year-old Clifford's Tower in York, England.

Commissioned by English Heritage, the project aimed at limiting further damage to the 13-century landmark, which was gutted by fire in 1684.

The judges said: "This sensitive renovation of a 13th-century tower successfully preserves the historic fabric of the building while providing new ways for visitors to experience the ancient structure."

Read more about Clifford's Tower by Hugh Broughton Architects ›

Hospitality project of the year: Dapi Mountain Restaurant by Galaxy Arch

Dapi Mountain Restaurant by Chinese studio Galaxy Arch was named hospitality project of the year. The building located at the peak of the Dapishan Scenic Area features a sweeping roof informed by traditional clay sculptures called Gugu birds.

"This project's response to its site is exquisite," said the judges. "The treatment of the roof is very elegant, a poetic synthesis of old and new that is exuberant without being flashy."

"The building makes a unique formal gesture that feels natural and nods to the vernacular architecture in a confident and contemporary way that complements both the existing buildings and the surrounding landscape."

Read more about Dapi Mountain Restaurant by Galaxy Arch ›

Infrastructure and transport project of the year: Jahad Metro Plaza by KA Architecture Studio

A metro station with barrel-vaulted brick enclosures in central Tehran was awarded infrastructure and transport project of the year.

The new entrance for the Meydan E-Jahad metro station by Iranian studio KA Architecture is part of a wider initiative to pedestrianise the city and reclaim the metro as an open, public space.

"This project creates generous public spaces using handmade bricks made from locally sourced materials by local craftspeople," said the master jury.

"Beautifully crafted, the building makes good use of natural light and ventilation to create a welcoming civic space in what would commonly be a much colder and more utilitarian structure."

Read more about Jahad Metro Plaza by Ka Architecture Studio ›

Small project of the year: Kithara Music Public Kiosk by C733

Mexican studio TO Arquitectura won small project of the year for its vaulted music pavilion made from donated masonry in Mexico City.

Named Kithara Music Kiosk, the school is located in the Yuguelito neighbourhood of Iztapalapa, a part of the city which experiences high levels of violence. An earthquake in 1985 destroyed the area and the community has since been working to rebuild the residential sites.

"Although very small, this project has had a huge social and cultural impact within a densely populated area," said the jury.

"Built from materials from the site, the primary arch is orientated to the views of the mountains, a simple but effective way to link the city to its context," they continued.

"Its cultural and performative uses provide opportunities for a diverse neighbourhood to engage and benefit from this important small building."

Read more about Kithara Music Public Kiosk by C733 ›

Mixed-use project of the year: Héroes de Tecamac Rambla by Taller Capital

The renovation of a vacant median located in an urban area north of Mexico City won mixed-use project of the year. The linear park by architecture studio Taller Capital comprises an elevated walkway strewn with recreational areas made with materials which facilitate water retention and dust mitigation.

"An important project for the local community, the strong social values behind the master plan for this new park are self-evident," said the architecture master jury.

"Creating recreational and social spaces for neighbouring housing is an important approach to making good cities for people for generations to come."

Read more about Héroes de Tecamac Rambla by Taller Capital ›

Dezeen Awards 2023

Dezeen Awards celebrates the world's best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.

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An old roadside motel on America's iconic Route 66 has been renovated by San Francisco-based Adean Studios to reflect the culture and enviromnent of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Adean Studios worked with local architecture studio Synectic Design to overhaul the High Country Motor Lodge, which is operated by Marc & Rose Hospitality.

The mid-century property is accessed directly off the historic, cross-country Route 66 highway that runs through Flagstaff – the city that provides a base for visitors to the Grand Canyon, the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort and miles of hiking trails through the surrounding wilderness.

Almost 7,000 feet (2,100 metres) above sea level, the city is also home to the Lowell Observatory where Pluto was discovered in 1930.

All of these elements were combined as influences for the hotel's design, which lands somewhere between a mountain lodge and a retro motel.

"Our goal was to incorporate the rich astronomical history of Flagstaff, while also creating an environment that blends elements of a retro 1960s lounge with modern mountain design," said Adean Studios principal Alexa Nafisi-Movaghar. "The entire property showcases a darker colour palette accented with rustic woods and 1960s-inspired fixtures and furnishings."

Painted midnight blue, the hotel buildings form a U shape around a central lawn and a large swimming pool, which was also renovated as part of the project.

The lobby, restaurant and other public areas face the highway, while the majority of guest rooms are located in perpendicular two-storey blocks behind.

On the west side of the site, three new shingle-clad cabins were constructed to house larger suites, bringing the total number of keys to 123.

The dark facade colours continue inside the lobby, lounge and bar areas, where a variety of seating types and configurations allow guests to dine or relax as they choose.

Amber-hued glass light fixtures emit a soft, warm glow in these spaces, while velvet curtains and blankets were included.

The bar and lounge opens onto a stepped outdoor terrace, where more dining tables and low chairs are arranged around a series of fire pits.

A general store off the reception area sells a curated selection of snacks, merchandise and other locally sourced gifts.

In the guest rooms, navy blue wainscoting wraps the lower portion of off-white walls, and dark wood floors and low furniture add to the mid-century aesthetic.

Each is equipped with a cassette player and a set of three tapes, which play tracks that evoke nostalgia for the road trip era.

High Country Motor Lodge also boasts a Nordic spa, comprising two private wood-lined saunas that guests can reserve for one-hour sessions.

These cabins are accessed from an enclosed courtyard with an outdoor shower and fire pits, and have direct access to the hot tub for further relaxation, or the swimming pool for a cold plunge.

"Inspired by the local lifestyle of adventure-seekers, day-sleepers, and night-watchers, the great lawn, private cottages, and the Nordic Spa have been designed to enhance the outdoor experience, constantly reminding guests of the beautiful nature that surrounds," Nafisi-Movaghar said.

The hotel's branding was created by Charleston-based SDCO Partners, and also plays up the retro and astronomy themes.

"Nestled between the Grand Canyon and Barringer Crater, the High Country Motor Lodge is at once both celestial and earthly, and the brand design honors both," said creative director and founding partner Amy Pastre.

"An eclectic family of hand-rendered typographic and illustrative graphic elements celebrate the motor lodge's vintage style, contemporary design, and the love of high desert adventure."

A range of public programming is organised at the location throughout the year, including theatrical performances, and a folk music festival in the fall.

Many former motels and motor lodges across the US have been bought up and renovated into boutique accommodations over the past decade.

From Hotel Joaquin in Laguna Beach and The Drifter in New Orleans, to Scribner's in New York's Catskills Mountains and Tourists in the Berkshires, these hotels are often designed with a location-specific twist.

The photography is by Werner Segarra, unless stated otherwise.

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Local studio REV Architecture has completed an interior renovation of the Maison de Beauté in Paris, France, for L'Oréal Luxe skincare brand Carita.

Surrounded by other luxury brands along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the studio aimed for the space, which houses a hair salon and skincare treatment rooms as well as a restaurant and eye studio, to be an embodiment of the brand's identity.

"Our aim was to convert a commercial space into a cultural space," REV Architecture said. "We wanted the Maison Carita to stand out as a new must-go-to destination in Paris, with all the legend that goes with it to reflect what these modern, timeless women were like."

Design efforts focused on the 2,000-square-metre building's former courtyard, which was restored to its original proportions by removing recent additions and raising the height of the glass roof.

"To transcend this heritage, it was necessary to identify the logic of the space," the studio explained. "The architecture becomes the singular experience that leads to the discovery of the brand's culture."

Natural light is filtered through what the studio describes as a series of "translucent clouds" – circular glass panels that overhang the length of the restored atrium.

To draw visitors in from the street, REV Architecture introduced a series of staggered arches along a portico leading from the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

"[The arches create] a subtly accelerated perspective that gradually reveals the vision of the atrium, the epicentre of the new Maison de Beauté," the studio said.

Public spaces and private rooms are alternated throughout the layout, and are connected through the central atrium by a raised path network.

"The different spaces of the Maison de Beauté are linked to the atrium by aerial paths, a unique architectural promenade [experienced] as a promise or souvenir of the visit," the studio said.

Materials were selected to reference the white-and-black colours of Carita's most iconic products, as well as to evoke their fluid textures and its brand identity.

"We have cultivated a sense of natural materiality [and] tactile surfaces where charm, contemporary purity and responsibility come together; the sensuality of gypsum, white and black marble warmed by touches of pink onyx and chromed metal," the studio said.

"Sensitive, natural, responsible [materials] made more beautiful by the passage of time."

The studio was further informed by the Carita brand logo and how it could be fused with the forms of the renovated rooms and treatment spaces.

"It is the lines and the femininity of this simple and poetic monogram that we have chosen to define the overall expression of the new architecture," REV Architecture said.

REV is a Paris-based architecture and design studio founded by Cristiano Benzoni and Sophie Thuillier. The project has been shortlisted in the health and wellbeing (interior) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.

Other recent beauty and well-being projects include a beauty store which takes its cues from underground factories in China and a spa embedded in the Mexican jungle by Soler Orozco Arquitectos and Javier Sánchez.

The photography is by Benoit Linero.

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Belgian architecture studios Mamout and Stéphanie Willocx have refurbished a 1960s home in Hoeilaart, stripping away previous extensions to celebrate the "spirit and quality" of its original design.

Located in a wooded area, the Belgian home was originally designed in 1962 for a group of musicians.

It comprises a brick and glass pavilion and a concrete blockwork garage, which step down its gently sloping site.

Over time, numerous additions to the home and its garden had distracted from its original structures and their relationship to the landscape, and so its new owners tasked Mamout and Stéphanie Willocx with restoring this condition.

"The house was originally a cabin fully glazed and nested in nature," Mamout founder Sébastien Dachy told Dezeen.

"With time, the previous owners have added many elements such as extra veranda, extra walls, and terraces, until it was unrecognisable," he continued.

"We tried to get back to the fully-glazed house and we replanted nature just next to the house, so it feels like it is surrounded by vegetation, blurring again the distinction between inside and outside," added Dachy.

By removing extensions to the home, the original frontage was restored with full-height, sliding glass doors. These open onto a terrace extending onto the roof of the former garage below.

A living, dining and kitchen area occupies the upper building, alongside the main bedroom and a study. Here, the original brick walls have been painted white and the wooden ceiling restored.

Metal kitchen counters, linoleum flooring and a curved wooden staircase in the dining area have been introduced, but chosen to echo the home's original character.

"We highlighted the existing elements such as the wooden structure, the wooden ceiling, the brick walls, the doors," Dachy told Dezeen.

"New elements, such as flooring in rosemary-green linoleum, the small round plywood staircase and the kitchen, were designed to integrate to the existing while subtly asserting their identity as new objects," he continued.

The partially sunken concrete garage has been turned into a bedroom and bathroom for the client's children, with a "stair tunnel" connecting it to the main home.

Its original garage doors have been removed and four tall windows now overlook the garden, which was curated by landscape architect Hélène Mariage to be a "naturalist punk garden" planted with a wide variety of species.

Mamout previously worked alongside Stéphanie Willocx, as well as local studio LD2 Architecture, to convert a former cigarette factory in Brussels into a council office.

Elsewhere in Belgium, architecture studio ISM Architecten also recently completed a mid-century house renovation. Named Beev, it was carried out to improve space efficiency.

The photography is by Séverin Malaud.

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A brick, steel and timber structure is left exposed in this office interior in Sydney, which local firm Cox Architecture has revamped to house its own studio.

Cox Architecture removed previous alterations to the structure, which occupies five floors of the heritage-listed Metcalfe Bond Stores warehouse in Tallawoladah, to highlight its original features and complement them with pared-back, flexible workspaces.

"Our objective was to do more with less, balancing the poetic with the pragmatic," explained the studio.

"Restrained interventions allow the heritage to be the hero and minimise the project's embodied energy," it continued. "Our starting point was a process of reduction, removing non-heritage elements to create clarity."

The interior is defined by the original steel and timber structure's columns and beams that have been painted white, and the brickwork of the outer walls that are left exposed.

New elements such as glass doors and walls, room dividers, curtains and furniture were chosen to touch the existing structure "as lightly as possible", and feature alongside dark-wood carpentry and gallery-style lighting tracks.

The workspaces themselves are designed to be flexible and "hackable", allowing areas to be reconfigured and subdivided easily by staff.

This includes a forum space on the fifth level of the building, which has a wall lined with magnetic whiteboards and can be used as anything from a collaborative workshop space to a presentation area for 200 people.

Alongside it is a kitchen with a backdrop of exposed brickwork and two long counters topped with unsealed brass that will patinate over time.

A black-steel stair leads up to a mezzanine level above containing further desk spaces. This sits at the top of the building, lit by skylights in the apex of the pitched roof.

"Anchored by a generous kitchen, a flexible forum space is a magnet for serendipitous exchange between Cox's own people and the wider design community," said the studio.

"The majority of elements within the space are movable, creating an experimental, nimble workspace allowing teams the autonomy to control their space and future-proofing the studio as the workplace evolves," it continued.

Facing the street, Cox Architecture created a "shopfront window", giving staff the opportunity to populate vitrines with the studio's work.

Cox Sydney Studio has recently been shortlisted in the large workplace interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023. Another office interior completed by the studio is the Midtown Workplace in Brisbane, which features a large, plant-filled atrium with by a weathered-steel staircase.

The photography is by Nicole England and Cameron Hallam.

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A 1930s telephone exchange in Cambridge, UK, has been retrofitted and converted into a "joyful and welcoming" office building by architecture studios Architype and Eve Waldron Design.

Named Entopia, the building was adapted for Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), a part of the School of Technology at the University of Cambridge.

Architype's and Eve Waldron Design's interventions have provided a mix of meeting rooms and flexible work areas for up to 375 people, alongside breakout and event spaces.

While providing a staff base for CISL, these facilities also accommodate The Canopy – a workspace hub aimed at eco-entrepreneurs and small businesses.

CISL's brief for the retrofit required the team to improve the building's energy performance and meet various rigorous energy standards, such as Passivhaus, as well as to minimise material waste and consumption throughout.

Architype led the architectural retrofit, while Eve Waldron Design carried out the interior overhaul in line with these sustainability goals.

"The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership wrote a very ambitious and challenging brief for the project, which set stringent targets for the building's performance, as well as the overarching aspiration to be an exemplary retrofit that in itself would be an 'educator' and enable leadership and dissemination to others," Architype's Wendy Bishop told Dezeen.

"The brief also required that the project would demonstrate good value for money while challenging conventional norms around building refurbishment. "

The majority of changes that have been made to the building to improve its energy performance are internal or not immediately obvious to passersby.

For example, internal insulation has been added to the building's outer walls, as well as to the thermal bridges, ground floor slab and roof. A large central mechanical ventilation with heat recovery unit has also been introduced to the basement.

Among the energy targets this enabled Architype to meet was EnerPHit Classic – a standard for refurbished buildings based on Passivhaus-oriented requirements. According to the studio, it is currently "the largest certified EnerPHit office in the UK".

Entopia's occupancy is also slightly lower than originally expected due to changes in office working post-pandemic, reducing its operational energy consumption, Architype said.

Some of the more visible changes to the building included windows updated with triple glazing and the removal of a rooftop plant room.

The removal of the plant room created space for a rooftop terrace, sheltered by a steel canopy. This is made from reclaimed steel and supports a series of photovoltaic panels.

Internally, Entopia's original circulation core has been retained, but some internal partitions have been removed in order to reconfigure and modernise the interior, which has been fitted out by Eve Waldron Design.

Eve Waldron Design's interior scheme is shortlisted in the sustainable interior category of the Dezeen Awards 2023.

"Our aim was to transform Entopia from being dark, uncomfortable and poorly performing, into a contemporary, vibrant and collaborative space that highlights innovation in circularity, health and wellbeing," the studio's founder Eve Waldron told Dezeen.

"We wanted to create a joyful and welcoming interior without inserting gratuitous and wasteful decorative finishes. We therefore had to make a strong impact with fewer materials and interventions," Waldron said.

To achieve this, the studio opted for colour blocking in each space. This is done through a combination of paint, graphics, floor lino and joinery.

"Restorative shades of blues and greens with pops of warm orange were used throughout the office areas, while deep yellow and bold graphics in the reception and stairways is to encourage using the stairs over the lift," Waldron said.

Second-hand furniture has also been used to add character to the interiors, including a number of mid-century design classics such as Happy Chairs by Boss Design. According to the studio, these pieces "transcend trends, thus ensuring their own longevity".

Alongside Entopia, other projects shortlisted in the sustainable interiors category of the Dezeen Awards are the Big Beauty store by Nina+Co and the Edit restaurant in London by Elly Ward and Joe Morris.

Elsewhere in Cambridgeshire, Architype created an archive for the Imperial War Museum, which is the most airtight building in the world.

The photography is by Solk Photography unless otherwise stated.

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Portholes and semi-circular motifs characterise this colourful renovation and extension of a Victorian terrace house in Hackney, London, by architecture studio Gundry & Ducker.

Gundry & Ducker drew on the palette of 1950s American kitchens when creating the rear extension and renovated basement in this London house.

The studio also added a plywood staircase leading to a modern loft space, while the ground and first floors were maintained in a classic Victorian style.

The refurbishment features contrasting light and dark spaces, materials of varying texture and warmth, and rooms of contrasting volumes.

Gundry & Drucker's intention was to provide "a series of spaces with different characters within a single house," studio co-founder Christian Ducker told Dezeen.

A semi-circular staircase in cherry-wood veneer links the Victorian spaces in the original house to the floor below, which features the new extension and houses a kitchen and dining area. The stairwell space was left intentionally dark, with a porthole window to view the room beyond.

The porthole window "was located low down so the client's children could look through it," Ducker said.

The low and dark basement room, converted from a cellar by the previous occupants, has benefited from a rear extension in the form of a new bay window, fitted with bright-coloured window frames.

Semi-circular motifs are echoed in the deeply-recessed rooflight designs, which the studio created to "celebrate light, rather than glass".

"One of the biggest challenges of the project was to create a bright and welcoming space in a formerly dingy cellar, whilst avoiding the usual rectangular glass roofs and big sliding glass doors," Ducker explained.

The clients, people involved in the theatre and film industries, asked Gundry & Ducker to "inject some character and drama" into the standard terraced house whilst preserving the remaining Victorian features.

The studio approached the brief by choosing a fresh palette of colours to create different characters for the different spaces.

"It's always a pleasure when you have a client who is interested in colour. The colours chosen for the lower ground floor were pink and yellow, which were taken from a kitchen advert in a 1950s magazine," Ducker said.

"The workshop space is a contrasting tutti-fruiti. The upper floor of the house is in a variety of shades of green ranging from dark green paintwork to light green timber stain this is intended to reflect its Victorian heritage."

Bay windows were the dominant architectural expression of the existing building's exterior and so the studio added another bay in a similar style, painted white, to unite the new additions.

New bathrooms were installed throughout the house, echoing the green tones used throughout the above-ground rooms.

Pastel colours reminiscent of 1950s American interiors were kept for the basement kitchen and contrast the bright blue window frames facing onto the rear.

The kitchen features bespoke candy-flecked terrazzo worktops.

Founded in 2007 by Tyeth Gundry and Christian Ducker, Gundry & Ducker has also designed a colourful bubble tea cafe in Soho and a by-the-slice pizza parlour in Dalston.

Other London house extensions recently featured on Dezeen include Pashenko Works' corrugated metal and blockwork extension in Camberwell and ConForm's all-marble extension to Victorian house in Hampstead.

Project credits:

Structural Engineer: Feres Ltd
Contractor: Nika Projects

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

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US architecture firm Olson Kundig and Canadian designer Erica Colpitts have renovated a mid-century house near Vancouver, warming the modernist structure with natural materials and neutral colours.

The residence is surrounded by tall cedar trees on a quiet plot in Edgemont, a village-like neighbourhood of North Vancouver, across the water from the Canadian metropolis.

Its new owners are a family of four who relocated to the West Coast from New York City, looking for a community to put down roots.

Olson Kundig, which has an office in nearby Seattle, was asked to update and slightly expand the building to meet the owners' needs while respecting the original design.

Locally based Erica Colpitts was brought on to complete the interiors with a softer, warmer feeling than typical mid-century designs.

"The pure challenge of this home completely appealed to me," said Colpitts. "My task was to meld Olson Kundig's overall design for the home with an ever so slightly soft and romantic interior."

Like many homes from the period, the building has a low-slung form, a shallow roof pitch and large expanses of glass across its facades.

Blackened steel structural elements were highlighted throughout the interior, and their dark colour is repeated across several other elements.

These range from the guardrails and supports for the staircase unit, which connects the home's multiple split levels, to a custom hood and shelving in the kitchen.

The staircase is separated from the lounge by a huge bookcase that is original to the house, along with a red-brick fireplace on the other side.

All of the primary living spaces run along the back of the home, in the single-storey portion, facing the landscaped garden and a plunge pool through huge windows.

Wide-plank flooring and a wood-covered ceiling connect the open-plan areas, which culminate at the dark-stained kitchen.

The hues and materials chosen for the these spaces are warm and inviting, such as cream surfaces and heathered oatmeal textiles paired with cognac-coloured leather, dark flax, and deep grey.

"This home has a decidedly neutral colour palette to go with the natural materials selected; however, it is warmly neutral and texturally layered," said Colpitts.

"Where colour was used, we wanted those colours and their textures to be reminiscent of a gentleman's library," she added.

The bedrooms, bathrooms, and additional living areas are organised within the two-storey side of the house, where the same design aesthetic continues.

On the exterior, weathered ebony siding and a Corten steel front door were added in keeping with the building's modern-industrial appearance.

"This home is a juxtaposition of all good things," Colpitts said. "Dramatic and serene. Rustic and refined. Industrial and romantic. Exquisite and comfortable."

The mid-century architecture style remains incredibly popular with homebuyers across the US and Canada, which has led to many renovations that align these residences with contemporary living.

Recent examples include a Hamptons home that owner Timothy Godbold transformed to resemble a lair from a James Bond movie, and the former seaside home of modernist architect Henry Hill respectfully overhauled by Studio Schicketanz.

The photography is by Ema Peter.

Project credits:

Architect: Olson Kundig
Interior design: Erica Colpitts Interior Design
Contractor: Brent Braybrook / Braybrook Projects
Millwork: Robin Woronko / Intempo Interiors
Landscape architect: Amelia Sullivan
Metalwork: Drabek Technologies

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Architecture studio Polysmiths has redesigned a basement apartment in north London to feel like a "cabin in the woods", surrounding its sunken living area with lush planting.

Named Walden after the novel by naturalist Henry David Thoreau, the apartment in Tufnell Park required refurbishing after being left vacant and damaged due to flash flooding.

By extending into the existing garden, Polysmiths created a new living, dining and kitchen area and used the space freed up at the front of the flat for an additional bedroom.

The extension also allowed for the insertion of a series of angled skylights and windows looking directly onto the garden, maximising natural light while minimising overlooking from the apartment above.

"The project resolves multiple conflicting requirements, including how to extend, insulate, flood-proof, and bring light into a basement apartment while maintaining as much precious garden area as possible," explained Polysmiths.

Taking cues from the amount of daylight in different areas of the home, the material and colour palette of the interiors transitions from light in the living spaces to dark in the bedrooms and bathroom.

Light grey wood-fibre panels line the living room ceiling, complemented by white walls, pale wooden panelling and a glass-brick screen.

In the kitchen, dark stained wood has been used for the walls and counters, while the bathroom features black ceramic tiles and the bedrooms are painted dark green.

"The light internal finishes were used in the public spaces – living room and dining room, to make sure they feel open and bright, more like a house in the woods than a typical basement apartment," founder Charles Wu told Dezeen.

"Private spaces – bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen – are darker to provide a level of comfort that is cosy and quiet," he added.

Externally, Walden has been wrapped with wooden slats that are intended to be gradually overgrown with plants. A set of concrete steps leads from the living area up to the level of the garden.

"As the garden is slightly elevated, it is important the plants chosen are loose and thin, with multi-stemmed semi-mature trees and short flowering plants being used throughout," said Wu.

Polysmiths was founded by Wu in 2017. The studio's previous projects include a home with cork panelling on both the external and internal walls.

Other recent home renovations in London include an extension by Bureau de Change that is informed by Victorian boxing rings and the colourful Graphic House by Office S&M.

The photography and videography are by French + Tye. 

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Vibrantly coloured tiles and textiles feature in this house renovation in Oslo, Norway, designed by locally based duo Familien Kvistad.

The Yellow House in the Apple Garden is a 1950s house in Oslo's Voldsløkka area, home to a family of four and their cat, "the rambunctious Caspian".

Familien Kvistad founders, married couple Astrid and Ziemowit Kvistad, have completely remodelled the interior using a palette that also includes solid ash joinery and lightly speckled terrazzo surfaces.

"When they bought the house, the family envisioned painting some walls, moving the kitchen and building two new bathrooms," the pair told Dezeen. "Over time, things naturally escalated, resulting in a complete change of layout, roof windows, new insulation, siding... absolutely everything was replaced."

The three-storey house has an enviable setting in a large garden filled with fruit trees. It was this that primarily attracted the owners, rather than the building itself.

"The house was relatively old, not architecturally distinctive and outdated inside on all levels," said the designers.

However, shortly after they bought the property, the council enforced new conservation zone restrictions that made it impossible to alter the building's exterior in any way.

The task for Astrid and Ziemowit was to modernise the house without changing or extending its structure.

"This is obviously a costly project; it would have been cheaper to build a new house," they explained.

"However, the outer structure had to remain."

The renovation removed many of the old internal partitions, creating a more open layout. This gives the ground floor a broken-plan feel, made up of various separate but connected living and dining spaces.

The old loft was also removed and replaced with small mezzanines, revealing the sloping roof beams and increasing the ceiling height in the first-floor bedrooms and bathroom to up to four metres.

The colour scheme was based on "earthy shades" of the owners' favourite colours.

On the ground floor, this resulted in a feature fireplace clad in mustard-yellow Kaufmann tiles, a lounge sofa upholstered in a plum-coloured Kvadrat textile and a storage bench topped by forest-green cushions.

An abundance of wood brings balance to this bold palette, with Douglas fir flooring from Dinesen and solid ash kitchen cabinets matching the exposed ceiling joists.

This level also includes a sunken conservatory featuring large plants, a terrazzo floor, an ochre-toned sofa and electric-blue cushions. On the wall, an expressive painting displays similar colours.

"During the renovation, the family sold most of what they already owned," said Astrid and Ziemowit. "This meant that all the furniture was purchased new."

"However, they did have some art from before," they added. "Much to our delight, they fit perfectly into both the colour palette and the style."

Upstairs, the primary bedroom features a pair of tufted wall carpets designed and made by Familien Kvistad, depicting abstract landscapes.

One of the two children's bedrooms features a playful storage unit that doubles as a staircase, while the other has a ladder to provide access to the mezzanine loft above.

The bathroom has a more mellow character, combining terrazzo sanitaryware with calming green tones. The basement floor mainly serves as a utility area, although it does include an extra bathroom and a living room that doubles as a guest bedroom.

Other recently completed homes in Norway include a "house of offcuts" by Kolman Boye Architects and a villa on piloti by Saunders Architecture.

The photography is by Magnus Berger Nordstrand.

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Architecture practice Ann Nisbet Studio has created a timber-framed house, named Cuddymoss, within a stone ruin in Ayrshire, Scotland.

With the aim of retaining the form of the ruins, Ann Nisbet Studio inserted an insulated timber frame into the existing ruin and created an adjoining timber-clad extension.

The 171-square-metre house is formed of two gabled structures situated perpendicular to one another, connected by a glass corridor.

Built within the long, narrow ruin, the main house has a local material palette of stone, brick and Scottish slate, while the extension build is clad entirely with timber.

The renovated ruin contains a central, double-height living space, kitchen and dining area, with bedrooms at each end, along with a workspace and bedroom accessible via a steel staircase from the main living space.

Meanwhile, with in the second building is a separate living room, with large windows punctured into the volume framing views of the surrounding landscape.

White walls were offset by a steel structural frame and grey furnishings to create bright interiors in the central living space, while stone walls of the ruin feature in the bedrooms.

This living space features wooden floorboards and tan-coloured furniture, offering a warmer material palette.

Historic Ayrshire brick was sourced nearby and used to repair the existing stone structure, while 10-15 per cent of the reclaimed Scottish slate used for the roofing was sourced on-site.

According to the studio, the ruin was restored with minor amendments to retain its aesthetic, cultural and historic qualities to avoid romanticising the structure.

Within the stone ruin the studio created spaces for nesting and roosting spaces for local wildlife.

Furthermore, an intentional lack of a manicured garden encourages the growth of previously overgrazed land.

Ann Nisbet Studio is a Scottish architecture and design firm specialising in rural architecture. The project by the studio is one of four buildings shortlisted for this year's RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland award.

Other residential projects found in rural Scotland include an office and home by Mary Arnold-Forster Architects and a gabled guesthouse by Sutherland & Co.

The photography is by David Barbour.

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A private mezcal bar forms the heart of this house that Amsterdam interior architecture firm Barde vanVoltt has overhauled in Mexico City's La Condesa neighbourhood.

Working for longstanding Dutch clients who live in Mexico, Barde vanVoltt transformed a historic, dilapidated building into a contemporary residence that respects the heritage of the existing structure.

"We walked together into this old, beautiful building, and instantly fell in love," said studio founders Bart van Seggelen and Valérie Boerma. "Even though the house was falling apart, we felt its soul was fully alive."

The three-storey house had previously been used as a mezcal tasting venue, and the duo used this as a starting point for the design.

A primary aim of the renovation was to create a "vibrant oasis in the city" with a better connection to the outdoors.

This was achieved by connecting a series of courtyards, terraces and semi-enclosed corridors to form a route and airflow through the building.

"We worked together with Thalia from Aldaba Jardines, a talented landscape designer, to create a seamless flow from the indoors to the outdoors and back again," said the studio..

In the central courtyard, Barde vanVoltt removed the roof from the double-height space and replaced it with operable glass panels to let in more light.

The designers turned this space into a mezcal bar as a nod to the building's former life that the owners could use for entertaining friends and family.

Backed by a semicircular brass panel, upon which shelves for liquor bottles are mounted, the rounded bar counter is wrapped in narrow terracotta tiles.

A five-metre-tall guayabo tree was also planted in the courtyard, casting shadows across the surrounding walls.

Open archways lead from this central space into various rooms including the kitchen and living area, which features dark cabinetry, open shelving, and a large bespoke wooden dining table.

Beyond a row of French doors is the back courtyard that forms an outdoor lounge, and an annex that accommodates a home office on the upper level.

To retain some of the original character, the architects recreated the cast iron, Art Deco windows and Spanish-style railings. and extended them to the back of the house.

The overall layout of spaces was kept largely the same, aside from a few walls that were removed to combine or create bigger rooms.

For example, the primary bedroom and bathroom now flow together as one space, divided only by a partition of angled bricks that forms a backdrop to the freestanding bathtub.

"We included the bathroom into the space to create a home sanctuary to rest and refresh," said Barde vanVoltt.

Two further bedrooms are located on the first floor, the other side of the central courtyard void at the front of the house.

The roof terrace features a plunge pool, an outdoor shower, a row of loungers and built-in seats, all accessed via a spiral staircase from the loggia outside the main bedroom.

The building's exterior is covered in greige-coloured plaster, as a nod to Mexico's prevalent concrete architecture, while warmer earth tones decorate the minimalist interiors.

Moss green sofa covers and bed linens visually tie to the plants outside, and wood, terracotta and off-white hues complement one another.

"We love the natural feel these colours have together," said the designers. "According to colour psychology, nature-inspired hues are the best for interiors as they soothe and invigorate."

Floors for the stairs, bathroom and outdoor areas are tiled with handmade bricks by Tata Mosaicos, made from compacted earth sourced from different regions throughout Mexico.

"This unique structure means they need 50 per cent less cement, using the sun and shade to dry naturally and secure the structure," Barde vanVoltt said. "An environmentally friendly solution, sourced locally."

Custom lighting and Mexican objects, textiles, sculptures and other wall art are also found throughout the residence.

Barde vanVoltt has renovated many older buildings, having converted a former garage into a light-filled home and a century-old farmhouse into a retail store – both in the Netherlands.

The photography is by Alejandro Ramírez Orozco.

Project credits:

Lead interior architect: Barde vanVoltt
Contractor: CF Taller de Arquitectura
Architect: ZVA Interiores & Arquitectura
Bathroom: Agape Bathrooms
Kitchen appliances: Gaggenau
Lighting: Studio Davidpompa, ILWT, Nuumbra, Federico Stefanovich, DCW editions
Material: Tata Mosaicos
Rugs: Txt.ure
Furniture: Casa Quieta, Chuch Estudio, Acoocooro, Carl Hanssen & Sons, Arflex
Art: Kreyé, Chic by Accident, Carlos Vielma, Prince Láuder, Axelle Russo, Rrres, Saudara, Luuna Wabi
Landscaping: Aldaba Jardines

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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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A modernist house originally designed by Belgian architect Paul Neefs has undergone a restoration by architecture studio ISM Architecten in the town of Beerse, Belgium.

Named BEEV, the home has been reconfigured and extended to enhance its functionality and efficiency while preserving its original design from 1967.

ISM Architecten's intervention sees the addition of a rooftop volume clad in metal sheeting, chosen to reflect the colours of the area's ever-changing weather.

"Ensuring that the transformation and addition paid homage to the original design's strengths was an important element and led to several design choices," explained studio founder Wim Van der Vurst.

"The addition was aligned with the original building whenever possible, maintaining a discreet presence at the rear while allowing the original design to take centre stage," Van der Vurst continued.

The late architect Neefs is best known for his modernist houses, in which he expressed his love for pure geometry such as triangles, circles and squares in both form and layout, ISM Architecten said.

The original plan of BEEV consisted of a single-storey square, with two circle segments placed at opposite corners. A central living space runs diagonally between these two segments.

Meanwhile, the bedrooms and kitchen were placed along the outer perimeter of the house but were too cramped to meet today's standards, according to the studio.

ISM Architecten's proposal makes two subtle changes to the layout of the ground floor. The kitchen is enlarged and a bedroom is moved to a new location, freeing up one of the house's characteristic curves to allow for a stair leading to the rooftop extension above.

Inside the extension, the studio aimed to establish a clear demarcation between old and new using a varied material palette of birch veneer, perforated metal and pastel hues.

"The extension comprises a scenographic collection of distinct spatial elements, each with its unique identity," said Van der Vurst.

"The interior is divided into two zones. This functional dichotomy is accentuated by the materials and colours used for the finishing of walls, floor and ceiling."

For example, mint green is used to define the wall separating the principal bedroom and bathroom from a wood-panelled anteroom.

Meanwhile, a "monolithic" integrated sink and bath unit in the bathroom has a lemon yellow hue and is paired with a grey polyutherane floor with a purple tinge.

Improving BEEV's thermal performance was another priority in the project, and the home was brought up to current standards in terms of insulation, ventilation, energy consumption and comfort.

"This project is an ode to the modernist heritage, but also a lively and critical dialogue with the challenges of our time," Van der Vurst told Dezeen.

"It is an invitation to think about the way we shape our built environment and how we can contribute to a resilient and sustainable future," he continued.

ISM Architecten is a Belgian studio founded by Koen Pauwels and Van der Vurst in 2010. BEEV has been shortlisted in the house extension category of the Dezeen Awards.

Elsewhere in Belgium, Notan Office recently completed a series of homes positioned around a communal garden on an old industrial site in Brussels and Britsom Philips added a timber-clad extension to a small rural home in Flanders.

The photography is by Luis Díaz Díaz.

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A stack of meeting rooms and a moss-covered wall overlook the atriums of Here + Now, a pair of office buildings in England refurbished by architecture studio Hawkins\Brown.

Informed by changing attitudes to workplace design following the Covid-19 pandemic, the two buildings have been renovated with a focus on wellbeing and a connection to nature.

They are located within a wider business park in Reading, formerly used by Microsoft.

Connected by a bridge at their centre, the two buildings contain different facilities. One of them, named Here, offers space for more established companies, while the other, named Now, contains offices for smaller companies and start-ups.

"Here + Now is located on a business park, not in a city centre, which provides users with a much closer connection to nature and therefore better opportunity for activity and wellbeing," Hawkins\Brown partner Massimo Tepedino told Dezeen.

"The idea is that companies can scale up or down and thereby stay on the campus for longer – this ultimately helps to create a sense of community," he added.

While the two buildings share a similar material and colour palette, the finishes of each were slightly different based on its tenants.

The approach to the Now building focuses on more cost-effective, flexible spaces, while the Here building is finished to a higher specification.

Each of the two buildings features a large arrival atrium designed to evoke a sense of "wonder".

In the Here building, this space has a stack of meeting pods described by Hawkins\Brown as a "treehouse", while dehydrated moss-covered balconies animate the atrium in Now.

Shared by both buildings are a range of on-site amenities, including a gym and treatment rooms, as well as a "lifestyle manager" who organises events and workshops.

"The benefit of having two buildings share amenities is that office spaces can accommodate a wide range of budgets, while everyone benefits from best-in-class amenities and the opportunity to socialise with established professionals and young entrepreneurs," explained Tepedino.

The glass and metal structures of the existing buildings have been treated internally with wooden panelling, which complements new wooden seating areas and nooks.

Particular attention was paid to the colour scheme, with a muted palette intended to evoke the nearby natural landscape and create a relaxing atmosphere.

"We know that colours can facilitate, regulate, and even influence people's behaviour – our colour palette takes its cues from the natural landscape and compliments the neutral tones of the existing buildings," explained Hawkins\Brown.

"The bathrooms take inspiration from spas and hotels, with green shades and bold graphics create a strong visual connection to nature and a calming environment."

Here + Now has been shortlisted in the large workplace interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023.

Other projects recently completed by Hawkins\Brown include a student hub at Queen's University Belfast with RPP Architects and the transformation of the historic Central Foundation Boys' School in London.

The photography is by Jack Hobhouse.

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Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola has converted a palazzo in Rome into a hotel and spa, filled with circular elements and traditional Italian materials.

The Six Senses Rome is located within the Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, close to historic sites like the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain in the city centre.

Adjacent to the Church of San Marcello al Corso, the building was first constructed in the 15th century before being updated in the 18th-century baroque style by architect Tomaso De Marchis.

An impressive central staircase and the building's main UNESCO-listed facade, which overlooks the bustling Via del Corso, are among the period details that were restored during the renovation works led by Studio Urquiola.

The entrance to the Six Senses Rome from Piazza di San Marcello leads into an open lobby and social area, furnished with a variety of sofas and lounge chairs from Urquiola's oeuvre alongside classic Italian designs.

These are positioned in groupings with tables and decorative objects on circular rugs, between potted plants spread across the travertine floors.

"At every turn, the craftsmanship, the finishes, the materials and the graphics create a union with nature while staying true to both Roman classicism and Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini's rich history," said Urquiola.

A curved green marble bar is positioned near the windows, forming an incomplete circle with the matching counters in the courtyard, which are visible through the glazing and follow the shape of earth-toned steelwork overhead.

The courtyard also features benches built into planters along the back wall and additional seating, where diners can enjoy food and drinks from the trattoria-style Bivium restaurant.

Circular forms and motifs continue throughout the hotel, including in the Six Senses Spa and Roman baths on the first floor.

Here, sheer curtains encircle small seating areas for those waiting for treatments or preparing to enter the travertine-lined bathhouse, which offers multiple pools for soaking and relaxing.

Bedrooms across the central levels have "quirky" layouts and a soft neutral decor, including tambour panelling, patterned rugs and a variety of spherical light fixtures.

Several of Six Senses Rome's 96 guest rooms and suites have balconies, and all enjoy either a courtyard or city view.

Plasterwork in the rooms is made from an ancient Roman material known as cocciopesto, which comprises fragments of earthenware or brick mixed with lime and sand.

"The legacy of antiquity is also honoured with the choice of cocciopesto, which decorates the plaster of the rooms and gives a nod to Roman architect Vitruvius," said the studio.

The hotel also features a roof terrace and bar called Notos that offers views across the city and serves botanical cocktails and light bites.

Artworks such as watercolours, sculptures, textile works and canvases throughout the interior are curated by art advisor Federica Sala and are all unique to the hotel.

Six Senses Rome is shortlisted in the hotel and short stay interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023, while Studio Urquiola is shortlisted for interior designer of the year.

Originally from Spain, Urquiola is one of Europe's most sought-after designers and has released furniture and product collections with brands like Moroso, Cassina, Kettal and Boffi among many more.

Other hotels designed by her studio include the Haworth Hotel in Michigan, the Hotel Il Sereno on the shores of Lake Como and the Room Mate Giulia in Milan.

The photography is by Luca Rotondo.

Project credits:

General contractor: CDS Holding
Architecture: Starching and professor Paolo Micalizzi
Interior design: Patricia Urquiola

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Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune has converted a listed room in Norway into a restaurant, adding an angular mirrored bar and restoring the building's historical frescoes.

Designed to highlight the history of the building, Frescohallen restaurant was added to the former Norwegian Stock Exchange in Bergen, replacing a rundown food hall that previously occupied the space.

Built in 1862, the space features walls coated in large historic paintings that had become dirty and damaged.

"The space hosted a dreadful and rundown kind of food court," Claesson Koivisto Rune co-founder Eero Koivisto told Dezeen. "The frescoes were quite dirty and not looked after since decades."

The studio aimed to complete a sensitive renovation of the space, keeping the existing artworks at the centre of the room and restoring them to their original quality.

"The ten giant frescoes describe the daily life and businesses of Norway at the time, and were completed in 1923 by the Norwegian artist Axel Revold," said Koivisto. "The artworks are now restored and lit with state-of-the-art lighting."

As well as showcasing the original artworks, the studio preserved the existing features of the room, including a rhythmic arrangement of olive green columns that extend through the space and branch into a groin-vaulted ceiling, which is decorated with red, green, and gold paintwork.

The renovation involved a range of minimal changes, including the removal of modern elements that had been added to the facades and the addition of new signs and flooring.

"New interventions were required to touch lightly and be reversible," the studio explained. "Apart from removing some later additions to the facades, the most significant addition was new lighting and signage."

Inside, the addition of a bar area marks the largest change to the space. Located at the centre of the room, the bar is finished with a mirrored coating designed to provide guests with wide views of the restaurant.

"Using mirrors allowed for the possibility to let all guests view the famous frescoes and the magnificent space," said Koivisto.

A mezzanine-level dining area features on top of the mirrored bar, acting as an elevated viewing area that offers a closer view of the surrounding artworks.

Around the central bar, the studio divided the restaurant into a series of dining spaces separated by granite steps and changes in flooring.

The spaces include dining areas dramatically lit by large, arched windows, as well as more private areas that have been recessed into nooks bordered on multiple sides by large paintings.

Stretching through one dining area is a large carpet, which is decorated with a pattern of large dots and was designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune to reflect the colours in the surrounding paintings.

"The large dot pattern on the carpeting is inspired by coins – a nod to the building's previous life," the studio explained. "All the dots, in various blue hues, reference the frescoes. In fact, all colours introduced, including the furnishings, are referenced from the frescoes."

The studio also designed a series of furniture for the space, including blue wooden chairs and ring-shaped, fabric-coated benches that wrap around the columns.

To improve the acoustics in the restaurant, the studio added a strip of sound-absorbing panels at eye level. Nestled just below the paintings, the material is hidden by a continuous, dark-coloured curtain.

"In order to alter the original 'cathedral-like' character of the space and create an ambience suitable for a restaurant and bar, modern sound-absorbing material hidden behind a new, continuous curtain running along all the walls have been installed, with upholstered sofas directly beneath," the studio explained.

"Custom-designed, wall-to-wall carpeting also adds to the gentle ambience and improves the acoustics."

Founded in 1995 by Koivisto with Mårten Claesson and Ola Rune, Claesson Koivisto Rune is an architecture and design studio based in Stockholm.

Recent architectural projects completed by the studio include a Swedish home clad in red-painted planks of local pine and a boutique hotel that was converted from a 1920s bank building in Tokyo.

The photography is by Sigurd Fandango.

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Architecture studio McLaren Excell has converted an industrial building in north London into a house that includes dedicated spaces for arts and crafts activities.

Named Camden Workshop, the project also involved the extension of the 600-square-metre former factory, which was previously the home and studio of a sculpture artist.

McLaren Excell's scheme sees the ground floor converted into hobby rooms, used for a range of activities that include woodworking, weaving, photography, candle-making, brewing and fermenting.

Meanwhile, the upper level contains the family living spaces, including a spacious kitchen and dining room, a separate lounge and four double bedrooms.

In order to create these spaces, the building was largely remodelled. Behind the original facade, a rear extension allowed the architects to unify a previously disparate floor plan.

"The unassuming former warehouse exterior of this property betrays nothing of what's behind the front door and there's something exciting about that," said studio co-founder Rob Excell.

Camden Workshop is home to a family including one member who is disabled, so accessibility was a key aspect of the design.

McLaren Excell said the clients were "inspired by the healing properties of craft and making something by hand", which was what led them to include hobby rooms in their brief.

Featuring 3.2-metre-high ceilings and four-metre-wide glazed doors, this highly flexible 200-square-metre area incorporates seating areas, a workshop space and kitchen facilities.

The ground floor also features a space dubbed "the volcano room", a space where light, sound and tactile surfaces offer a multisensory experience.

"Creating a home but also a space that is multi-functional in its most extreme sense was a challenge," said Excell.

"But as a designer of buildings and interiors with longevity and integrity as guiding principles, it's great to think what these craft-oriented spaces could produce and inspire from those that use them."

A hot-rolled steel staircase leads up to the first floor, although there is also a lift.

On this level, the selected materials give a more homely feel to the industrial aesthetic. Douglas fir boards line some of the walls and ceilings, while original brickwork has been exposed and painted.

The large family kitchen features a travertine island that appears as a solid block, while wooden cabinets extend out into a built-in seating bench that frames the outline of the room.

Built-in cabinets offer a sense of depth to the walls and are matched by similarly custom-made storage closets in the bedrooms.

"This is a real representation of the journey and experience that we have with the client," said Excell.

"Incorporating natural materials and with a directive to recycle and be ever mindful of materiality and sustainability – something we're passionate about as a studio – it was great to be able to introduce an abundant number of materials in their raw state."

Lucy Currell of Studio Iro oversaw the interior furnishings, opting for a muted colour palette throughout. Heirloom furniture pieces were reupholstered in subtly toned and textured fabrics, while new pieces include an indigo-blue sofa and a burnt-orange curtain.

The scheme is completed by a landscaped garden, featuring wild planting and beehives.

It was longlisted for Dezeen Awards 2023 in the house renovation category.

It is the latest in a series of residential projects completed by the London-based studio founded in 2010, with others including the angular Kew House extension and former schoolhouse conversion Merrydown.

The photography is by Rory Gardiner.

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Chinese architecture studio MAD has unveiled its plans for The Ark, a project involving the renovation and extension of a warehouse at an old cement factory in Shanghai, China.

The Ark will be distinguished by a futuristic, curved metal extension positioned at roof level and designed to resemble a floating ship – giving the project its name.

MAD's ambition is to preserve the industrial aesthetic of the ageing warehouse on the banks of Chuanyang River while contrasting it with the contemporary addition.

Once complete in 2026, it is hoped to become a "multifunctional public waterfront space" catering for a mix of creative, cultural and catering businesses, MAD said.

"Industrial heritage is preserved and utilised not only because of the historical memories it carries, but more importantly because it gives the future a sense of history," said MAD founder Ma Yansong.

"So we don't need to celebrate and consolidate industrial aesthetics here, but rather focus on the spirit of the contemporary and the future," continued Ma.

The industrial site, officially named Shanghai Zhangjiang Cement Factory, was once one of largest cement factories in Shanghai, the studio said. It ceased operations in 2013.

MAD's intervention focuses specifically on the Wanmicang warehouse, which occupies the south side of the site. Its transformation forms part of a wider project involving the overhaul of the site to create a complex for various types of business.

Once complete, the old and new structures at The Ark will be separated by a glass curtain wall.

A glass elevation will also be added in place of the warehouse's west facade, overlooking a "24-hour urban public space" on the waterfront, while others will be repaired and retained.

Visible through the west-facing glass wall, the factory interior will be long and tall and home to what MAD has described as a "multi-functional urban living room".

Here, a metal ladder will lead up to the rooftop extension, which will be clad in stainless steel that is slightly reflective. The eaves of the Ark will be tilted to help minimise its visual impact.

Visitors to the rooftop extension will be greeted by glass-lined rooms and a public terrace affording panoramic views of the industrial site and the adjacent Chuanyang River.

Dotted throughout the project will be areas of planting, including a "tiered garden" that steps up alongside the metal ladder to the roof. It will be naturally lit via the curtain wall that separates the extension and factory walls.

As part of the project, MAD will construct a bridge connecting the two sides of the river, improving access to the site and its public spaces.

MAD is an architecture studio founded by Ma in Beijing in 2004. Elsewhere in China, it is currently working on a six-venue arts and cultural centre and a feather-like terminal for an airport.

In Beijing, it is nearing completion on China Philharmonic Concert Hall, which will have a translucent, wavy facade.

The visuals are courtesy of MAD. 

Project credits:

Architect: MAD
Principal partners in charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Associate partner in charge: Fu Changrui
Design team: Zheng Chengwen, Zhang Tong, Zhou Rui, Shiko Foo
Client: Shanghai Quan Cheng Development & Construction Co., Ltd.
Executive architects: Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.
Structural consultant: Archi-Neering-Design/AND Office
Facade consultant: Shanghai CIMA Engineering Consulting Co. Ltd.
Interior consultant: MAD Architects
Lighting consultant: TS Shanghai Tunsten Lighting Design Co., Ltd.
Landscape consultant: Design Land Collaborative Ltd.

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Old and new buildings wrap around a stepped courtyard in this central London school, which has been renovated by architecture studio Hawkins\Brown.

Founded in 1866, the Central Foundation Boys' School features a selection of historic buildings, such as a chapel that the studio converted into arts-focused teaching spaces.

Prior to the renovation, the facilities of the secondary school and sixth form had mismatched arrangements and an underused, empty courtyard at the centre.

While refreshing the existing buildings, Hawkins\Brown updated the courtyard with casual stepped seating areas and planting. It has also added science laboratories and an underground sports hall beneath the courtyard.

"Over the last 150 years Central Foundation Boys' School has evolved organically to occupy an ad hoc collection of buildings poorly suited for education use," studio partner Negar Mihanyar told Dezeen.

"When we first arrived, the central courtyard was a leftover space – hard, bare and covered in tarmac with a running track painted on it. People regularly compared it to a prison yard," she continued.

Across the courtyard, angled rooflights bordered by long benches let light into the underground sports hall below.

The campus buildings arranged around its edges include old structures with retained facades and new buildings with expansive portions of glazing to illuminate the classrooms.

Among the adapted buildings is a chapel, which Hawkins\Brown has converted into a creative arts centre.

"The chapel is a wonderfully unique asset but was in urgent need of repair and modernisation," said Mihanyar. "For many decades it had been boarded up and used for basketball lessons."

While the majority of the building has been preserved and repaired, the courtyard-facing facade has been replaced with glazing divided by a grid-like black frame.

Working with architecture and engineering firm BDP, the studio aimed to highlight the original features of the chapel's structure, including the roof trusses, which it left exposed in the drama studio on the top level.

"A detailed study of the existing roof timber trusses and floor structure was undertaken, and localised strengthening was developed to upgrade the structure, maximising the existing fabric and minimising new works," BDP structural engineering director Malachy McNamara told Dezeen.

"Keeping as much of the historic fabric in place was vital in creating an excellent and unique facility for creative arts."

A large black curtain and a rigging system have been added to the top floor of the chapel to convert the space into a drama studio, while music and art classrooms fill the rest of the building, replacing the dimly lit basketball court and classrooms that previously occupied the structure.

"Our design approach has been centred on creative reuse – balancing conservation best practice, to celebrate and reinstate the building’s heritage and character alongside bold new interventions to leave a flexible and sustainable building which can support the school and its local community," said Mihanyar.

The two new elements of the campus include a science block containing laboratories and classrooms and the underground, three-court sports hall with changing facilities.

The sports hall is sunken seven metres below the ground in response to the compact size of the site.

"The new sports hall is tightly nestled between and below two listed buildings and a Tabernacle chapel," Mihanyar explained. "In fact, its retaining wall sits only 100 millimetres from the chapel facade."

Other buildings for education by Hawkins\Brown recently featured on Dezeen include a multipurpose student centre at Queen’s University Belfast and a blocky library building set to be built at the University of Bristol.

The photography is by Jack Hobhouse.

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Dutch architecture studio MVRDV has added a stepped roof and bright-coloured boxes to a former museum dedicated to Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha in the centre of Tirana, Albania.

Working in collaboration with IRI Architecture, MVRDV carried out the alterations to transform the pyramid-shaped concrete structure from the 1980s into a cultural hub.

The studios opened up the internal structure and added numerous stairs to its roof to allow locals to symbolically climb the building, which was once the symbol of the communist state.

"The first time I saw the Pyramid being walked all over by the youth of Tirana, I was deeply touched by its symbolism and by its incredible optimism," says MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas.

"Keeping in mind this was the most expensive building the communist state had ever realised in a time when the oppressed Albanian population was living in poverty, we removed all symbols glorifying the dictatorship in our transformation," he continued.

"We did keep some of the original details so visitors are also aware of the building's dark past."

The building is now entirely covered in steps, as a nod towards the years when people climbed up and, sometimes, slid down the building's roof.

Between the stairs, a glass-fronted entrance and roof lights have been added along with a retained section of roof that can still be used as a slide.

Originally opened in 1988 as a museum dedicated to Hoxha, who was dictator of Albania for 40 years, the Pyramid of Tirana closed after the fall of communism in 1991.

The pyramid was then used as a radio station, nightclub, conference venue and a base for NATO during the Kosovo War before becoming a ruin.

MVRDV aimed to capture this ruin-like quality by opening the Pyramid of Tirana up to the surrounding park and scattering colourful boxes over, within and around the structure.

Four of these boxes top the 20-metre-high pyramid, while several of those surrounding it are stacked two high to form two-storey interconnected structures.

"The structure is completely open as a ruin in the park, and all these boxes are 'squatting' in and around the structure," explained Maas.

"Once sardonically called the 'Enver Hoxha Mausoleum', the transformed Pyramid has now become a monument for the people and their ability to overcome and outlive dictators."

Within the 11,835-square-metre building, the coloured boxes are stacked in a pile under the glass oculus. They contain various functions including cafes, studios, workshops and offices for start-ups.

Around half of the boxes are used as classrooms for the non-profit educational institution TUMO Tirana, which runs an after-school educational program teaching 12 to 18-year-olds about modern subjects including software, robotics and animation.

Rotterdam-based MVRDV was founded in 1991 by Maas along with Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries. The studio is also designing an 85-metre-high building in the city modelled on the bust of the country's prominent historical figure Gjergj Kastrioti and the country's tallest building, which will have a pixelated facade.

The buildings are part of a wave of new developments in the country's capital including a golden cube building designed by Italian architect Stefano Boeri Architetti and a "bow-tie-shaped" theatre designed by Danish studio BIG.

The photography is by Ossip van Duivenbode.

Project credits:

Architect: MVRDV
Founding partner in charge: Winy Maas Partner: Stefan de Koning
Design team: Ronald Hoogeveen, Stavros Gargaretas, Guido Boeters, Angel Sanchez Navarro, Boris Tikvarski, Jasper van der Ven, Mirco Facchinelli, Manuel Magnaguagno, Leo Stuckardt
Visualisations: Antonio Luca Coco, Luca Piattelli, Jaroslaw Jeda, Luana La Martina, Gianlorenzo Petrini
Strategy and Development: Willeke Vester, Daan van Gool Copyright: MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
Partners: Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF), Municipality of Tirana; Albania Ministry of Culture
Education partner: TUMO Tirana
Co-architect: IRI Architecture
Contractor: Fusha shpk
Project coordination: Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF) Landscape architect: iRI; JESHILE; MVRDV
Structural engineer: ARUP; Gentian Lipe; Luan Murtaj
MEP: ARUP; IRI Architecture; Nikolin Risilia; Artur Dado; Isuf Kore
Monuments expert: Daniel Gjoni
Cost calculation: IRI Architecture
Environmental advisor: Arben Liçi

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American firms Studio J Jih and Figure have overhauled a historic house in Boston, which now revolves around a sculptural "hairpin" staircase influenced by the twists and turns of mountain roads.

Locally based Studio J Jih and San Francisco studio Figure collaborated on the transformation of the four-storey rowhouse in the city's South End.

The owner, a Boston native, desired more useable space in the 15-foot-wide (4.6-metre) home, which was only achievable by entirely reorganising the floor plan.

The hefty existing staircase took up a third of the building, so it was removed and redesigned to be more efficient and help define the remaining programme while adhering to Boston's strict building codes.

The result is a new white oak staircase that "unspools diagonally through the home" around a 40-foot-high (12-metre) atrium, increasing the useable floor area by 20 per cent.

"Aptly named Hairpin House, the project takes the tight, unpredictable, and ultimately poetic switchback turns of a mountain road as inspiration for the overall renovation – and in particular a new unravelling central stair," said the team.

Other rooms were adjusted around this new element so that the most-used ones – like the dining room, living room and primary bedroom – were increased in size while ancillary spaces such as the foyer, powder room and bathroom shrunk.

"We performed a sort of stair gymnastics where each flight was distinct from the others, because of its necessary interface with the unique programmatic and circulatory conditions on each floor," said James Leng, partner at Figure.

"Like how a mountain road derives its form from the slope it rests on, this central stair was truly shaped contingently through the pressures of its interior context," he added.

The stair flights were fabricated by hand individually off-site before being assembled into a singular element, connected by a continuous rounded handrail.

Materials throughout the rest of the house were chosen to match or complement the staircase.

White oak and French limestone cover the floors while lime plaster is applied directly onto the brick walls.

The main entrance to the home is on the second of its four floors, where the main living room is also located.

Downstairs, on the ground floor, the open-plan kitchen and dining area are organised around a monolithic island carved from a single piece of travertine – similar to the fireplace on the level above.

A trio of French doors open onto the bluestone back patio enclosed with cedar panels and enlarged windows continue up this south-oriented facade to bring in the maximum amount of natural light.

"Each was increased in scale by over 200 per cent, creating a rear facade graced with daylight, views and which elegantly blends into the age-old brick of Boston's historic architecture," the team said.

The building's third floor is occupied solely by the primary suite – comprising a bedroom, bathroom and closet – and the uppermost storey accommodates an additional bedroom, bathroom and lounge area.

"A great deal of the joy we found in this project was in the process of shaping it from so many dizzying constraints," said Leng. "But it also needs to be said that the project could only have been sculpted from the intensely productive collaboration between our two firms."

Boston has no shortage of historic brick houses, many of which have undergone significant renovations to make them more suitable for modern living.

Examples include a heritage-listed Victorian home that was extended and updated with minimalist interiors by local architecture studio OverUnder.

The photography is by James Leng.

Project credits:

Design architect: J Jih (principal: J Jih) and Figure (principals: James Leng and Jennifer Ly)
Structural engineer: Team Engineering
Landscape design: Pate Landscape Architecture
General contractor: Evergreen Group Company
Millworker: Kenyon Woodworking
Stair fabricator: Stairworks of Boston
Plastering: Trowel Inc. Plastering

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