Nestled between the coast and the bushland of the South Island of New Zealand, a tiny settlement of 30 homes has now welcomed another escape within its handful of houses. An unbeatable location The owner originally discovered this area halfway between the two larger cities of Invercargill and Bluff while visiting a friend’s family home and spent a couple of years camping in the area in order to understand the land before she began to design the home, even climbing…
Set within the terraced slopes in the north of Serra de Sintra, the village of Eugaria looks almost like a settlement, each one of its buildings built in the same style and so projecting a unique identity. One home regenerated and reinvigorated by Jose Adriao Arquitecto knowledgeably draws on this area’s style and updates it, creating a space fit for a modern family. Heritage home This traditional Portuguese home underwent extensive renovations back in the 1980, during which the…
One of ARRCC’s latest ventures, Horizon Villa is a five-bedroom villa set seaside in Bantry Bay, Cape Town. Boasting an unbeatable view of the Atlantic, this family home’s classic materials, open feel and pops of colour create a contemporary modern home that wouldn’t be out of place in any interior magazine. Open concept Together with architects SAOTA, ARRCC’s Bantry Bay project successfully marries the feeling of modern luxury with a comfortable space for a young family. Apropos to its…
The recent renovation of a bungalow in the heart of Sydney by Vanessa Wegner Architects breathes new life into a classic Australian home, turning what looks from the outside like a dark and closed-off property into an open, airy space that embraces all that the outdoors has to offer. Blurring the lines The extension of this family home was brought about in the view of designing and creating a larger space for the residents while drawing inspiration on,…
Two private guest residences and a wellness centre sit within a small village on the Greek island of Kea. Referencing the local landscape, this minimal development by Bobotis+Bobotis lies half submerged within the landscape itself. The natural environment Nature plays a key role throughout this guest complex, primarily in the architects’ decision to sink the homes down into the ground and so making them almost part of the landscape, and secondly in the design choice of incorporating local…
The architectural historian and cultural theorist Charles Jencks’ name is known the world round. And now, after his passing in 2019, his former London home is set to open to the public as a museum in the autumn of 2021. Out of this world The writer and critic Charles Jencks was key in the understanding of postmodernism, making these theories and ideas accessible to the public, and his home is full of this movement’s influence. After purchasing the Holland…
Kooo Architects’ recent apartment renovation in Meguro, Tokyo incorporates soft, warm wood tones and elements of a traditional Japanese lifestyle. Undertaken by the firm’s founders, Ichijo-Toma focuses not only on the bigger picture, but also on the details. Japanese lifestyle The founders of Kooo Architects decided to draw on the wisdom of the generations that came before and the materials that have been respected in the culture to create something that now is rather out of the ordinary.…
Austrian architecture firm Smartvoll decided to go outside of the box for a new private spa in the countryside town of Hinterbrühl near the country’s capital. And what they came up with happened to be a deconstructed monolithic box housing a true wellness temple. Vertical and horizontal Situated at the rear of a residential property, the private spa designed and developed by Viennese firm Smartvoll brings design back to the basics of modernism, focusing on form and function above ornamental…
An angular concrete house in Celorico de Basto, Portugal focuses on glazing and maximising beautiful courtyard areas from which to enjoy the landscape. Designed by Portuguese architect Hugo Pereira, the home aims to make an impact, without impacting the landscape. Luscious landscape Known as Cork Oak House, this home gets its name from the dynamic landscape it sits within, overlooked by trees of this variety stretching out toward the horizon. The conditions of the hilltop site informed…
Nestled right into the edge of a seaside cliff in the coastal city of Sandefjord, architecture firm Lund Hagem designed a small holiday home with a somewhat different profile. Commissioned for one of the architecture firm’s very own founding partners, the project is designed as a small annex to accompany an existing holiday home on the secluded coastal site. The 30 square metre residence is carved into the rocks, its stepped roof and vertical glazing curved around the weather-beaten…