Muskoka Boathouse
Muskoka, Ontario, Canada – Christopher Simmonds Architect This boathouse won ‘Best Project in the Open Category’ at the Ottawa Housing Design Awards in 2011, and it’s no wonder why! This stunning boathouse is situated at the end of a lake in Muskoka. It’s an aesthetically lightweight floating structure that houses a clean, modern interior that connects with the natural environment […]
Summerhouse in Gata Hrunamannahreppur
Gata Hrunamannahreppur, Iceland – ASK arkitektar Year Built: 2003 A home embraced by nature… This summer house located in Iceland is a nice example of a home that draws beauty by working with nature rather than standing out against it. Though the house alone is attractive from the aesthetic perspective, its true beauty comes from the fact that it respects its […]
Courtyard Villa at Sengokubara
Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan – Shigeru Ban Architects Built area: 453 m2 (4,900 sf) Site area: 1,770 m2 (19,100 sf) Year built: 2013 Built on a easement/battleaxe block, this home focuses on the central, teardrop shaped courtyard. The home uses feature timber beams throughout and has ceiling heights ranging from […]
Sukiya House
Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture – Yukiharu Suzuki and Associates Built are: Site area: Year built: 2007 This home and studio is located in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka, Japan. The open plan 3-story wood frame and concrete house has an underground balcony with an amazing view. The light filled home seems to be almost anchored to […]
Pole House
The Great Ocean Road Victoria Australia – F2 Architecture Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s great scenic destinations. Facing the Southern Ocean, Pole House seems to hover in mid-air, 40 metres above Fairhaven Beach. It was originally designed and built as a weekend retreat for a couple. It’s spacious for two, crowded for […]
Outside In House – Japan
Yamanashi, Japan – Takeshi Hosaka Architects Photography: Koji Fujii Nacasa & Partners Inc Built: 2011 Area: 102m2 (1,100 sq. ft.) Maybe it’s bias and maybe it’s fact, but we consistently find amazing innovation in the work of Japanese architects. Is it a function of the small and often, irregularly shaped lots? Perhaps Japanese […]
Daylight House – looking to the sky
Yokohama Kanagawa JAPAN – Takeshi Hosaka Architects Year: 2012 Built area: 85 m2 (920 sq ft) We think this home is an elegant solution to a common problem in many crowded cities – a bad outlook… in fact, an outright ugly outlook! The lot is surrounded by high density housing so any conventional windows would […]
Tokyo Tight
Tokyo, Japan – Unemori Architects Site Area: 34.27 m2 (370 sq. ft.) Building Envelope: 17.47 m2 (188 sq. ft.) Built Area: 67.34 m2 (727 sq. ft.) Photography: Unemori Architects Japan truly is the land of innovation when it comes to housing. Its cities are crowded, land is limited and if […]
Thailand Dome House – Steve Areen
A mango farm somewhere in North-East Thailand – Steve Areen… Built area: 500 sq. ft. (46 m2) + hammock ;) Steve Areen went from flight steward to owner-builder of this unique home. He completed the main structural work to habitable standard in just six weeks with one full time helper and one casual hand […]
Rockhouse
British Columbia, Canada – Sandrin Leung Design Build Built area: 111.5 m2 (1,194 sq. ft.) Year built: 2009 – 2010 Photography: Ana Cristina Sandrin “The Rockhouse is a courtyard home organized around a large rock bluff in a gesture of embrace. From the first visit to the site we felt the very strong spiritual/natural presence of this rock. We […]