Site size: 8,467 square feet Project size: 2,050 square feet Program: An affordable prototype of a modern spec house designed within the parameters of the Pierson Place Historic District. Location: A residential area in uptown Phoenix, close to public transportation. Solution: Architectural designers, The Ranch Mine, re-interpreted the original architectural approach of the neighborhood. Since the majority of the residences were built between the 1920s and 1950s, the designers had to adhere to traditional materials, such as stucco, and overall massing. In the single-story house, sliding doors open the living and dining areas to the outside, while bedrooms are grouped
Site size: 3,810 square feet Project size: 3,200 square feet Program: A dilapidated 18-century barn renovated for a modern residence. Location: A rural site in South Yorkshire, in northern England. Solution: The architects inserted a second floor into the two-story-high stone barn, yet managed to keep the original sense of the open plan. Two bedrooms on the upper floor are connected by a walkway with a glass balustrade that overlooks the living and dining areas. Construction and materials: The architects inserted a steel frame to support deteriorating walls, with a ring beam running around the perimeter of the kitchen area.
The simplicity of the “swamp hut” belies its multifaceted origins. Conceived in 1990 by Keith Moskow, AIA, of Moskow Linn Architects, the initial version consisted of a prefabricated prairie cottage planned to be built in a wheat field in Kansas for his in-laws.
In designing a studio for a philosophy professor and writer in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Erin Moore, of FLOAT Architectural Research and Design in Eugene, wanted to create a structure that would leave no permanent mark on the lush natural landscape.
For a Mexican country home, CC Arquitectos positions living quarters and stables side by side to forge a closer bond between human and horse. One man’s passion for horses inspired the design of his family’s vacation home, set in the mountains two hours from Mexico City. The linear, gable-roofed wood structure contains four bedroom suites that float above the ground floor’s reception hall and the expansive living and dining area, finished in wood and stone and outfitted with furniture by renowned French designer Christian Liaigre. Additional quarters for the household help are also included in the elongated volume. Partially depressed
Site size: 12,917 square feet Project size: 4,456 square feet Program: A multifamily complex with four units on a rental basis. A small swimming pool on the property. Location: Dense coniferous forest near the South Atlantic coastline. Solution: Four two-story cubic volumes are arranged around a pool. Each unit contains a kitchen, dining, and living areas on the first floor, with bedrooms and an enclosed terrace above. Construction methods: Steel frame; poured-in-place concrete. Glass panes set in dark, anodized-aluminum frames. Architect: BAK arquitectos Ntra. Sra. del Buen Viaje 1011 Mor'n, Buenos Aires +54-114489-5424 People Architect: BAK arquitectos Ntra. Sra. del
Site size: 6,297 square feet Project size: 3,143 square feet Program: A four-bedroom house for a family of five. Location: A suburban street in Sydney, Australia. Solution: The two-story brick house is organized around a central interior courtyard, which is enclosed by the living and dining areas, with the master bedroom tucked into one corner. In back, a sliding glass door off the living room opens out to a garden. There are additional bedrooms and a playroom upstairs. Construction methods: Load-bearing masonry; painted brickwork. Architect: Bennett and Trimble Suite 6, Level 2, 24 Hickson Rd Sydney NSW Australia +61299178700 office@bennettandtrimble.com
Site size: 806 square feet Project size: 2,314 square feet Program: The client requested a mixed-use building containing retail on the ground floor and living space above. Location: A shopping street in downtown Tokyo that had been in decline is now undergoing a rapid transformation, with numerous building renovation and infrastructure projects under way, including widening the sidewalk. Solution: The four-story building contains a noodle shop on the ground floor, the client's residence on the second floor, and a pair of duplex two-bedroom rental units on the third and fourth floors. The architects sought to create a 'moderate conspicuousness' for
Though inspiration sometimes emerges slowly, it can also flash unexpectedly, like a bolt of lightning'as it did the first time architects Julie Snow and Matthew Kreilich caught a glimpse of their clients' site along Minnesota's Lake Minnetonka.