blending in : desert house : dust architects : sonoran desert arizona USA

tucson mountain retreat by dust architects : photos by jeff goldberg/esto : via dezeen

This holiday house with rammed earth walls by US architects DUST is nestled amongst the rocky outcrops and sprouting cacti of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. ”Great effort was invested to minimise the physical impact of the home in such a fragile environment, while at the same time attempting to create a place that would serve as a backdrop to life and strengthen the sacred connections to the awe-inspiring mystical landscape,” explains Hayes. The rooms of the house are separated into three zones, comprising a sleeping and bathing area, a central living room and a music studio. Residents have to leave the building to move between zones, intended to provide acoustic separation.

waiting for summer : house on a cliff : architecture : fran silvestre navarro : calpe : alicante

 fran silvestre architects finished a ‘house on the cliff’, an abrupt plot of land overlooking the sea, where what is best is to do nothing. It invites to stay. due to the steepness of the plot and the desire to contain the house in just one level, a three-dimensional structure of reinforced concrete slabs and screens adapting to the plot’s topography was chosen, thus minimizing the earthwork. this monolithic, stone-anchored structure generates a horizontal platform from the accessing level, where the house itself is located. the swimming-pool is placed on a lower level, on an already flat area of the site. the concrete structure is insulated from the outside and then covered by a flexible and smooth white lime stucco. the rest of materials, walls, pavements, the gravel on the roof etc. all maintain the same colour, respecting the traditional architecture of the area, emphasizing it and simultaneously underlining the unity of the house. via : somewhere i would like to live                                        .

escape to the sun : summer house in ibiza : architecture : ricardo bofill : 1960

 this summer house in Ibiza is ricardo bofill’s first built project; inspired in local architecture and local materials, this small structure/dwelling reflects the architect’s first principle: deep roots in your site, working with your land, capturing the “genious-loci. The fascination with the local is juxtaposed with the international “organic style”, expressed with the thick curving walls, punched with small windows. the interior is austere and magically sober. text and photos : ricardo bofill click here for more work by ricardo bofill                                                                                                                                                        .

concrete paradise : architecture : ricardo bofill : home & studio : photography : richard powers : barcelona

 i have written many times about ricardo bofill, from the muralla roja to his housing in paris. i have also written once before about his home and studio here in barcelona. when a friend of mine passed me this link from ArchDaily, with amazing photographs courtesy of ricardo bofill and richard powers, i had to write again. these beautiful photos not only show the majesty of the ‘palace’ that bofill created nearly 40 years ago from a disused cement factory on the outskirts of barcelona, they also show the serene rooms and private spaces. from a building that is enormous, there are a magnitude of space, from rooms to entertain and intimate spaces held in the silos. it is beautiful to see the photos from just after completion. now if you pass by it is completely surrounded by trees.

“in 1973 ricardo bofill found a disused cement factory, an industrial complex from the turn of the century consisting of over 30 silos, subterranean galleries and huge machine rooms, and he decided to transform it into the head office of taller de arquitectura. remodelling work lasted two years. the factory, abandoned and partially in ruins, was a compendium of surrealist elements: stairs that climbed up to nowhere, mighty reinforced concrete structures that sustained nothing, pieces of iron hanging in the air, huge empty spaces filled nonetheless with magic” ArchDaily                                                   .

an open space : home for photographer and director of apartamento magazine , nacho alegre : by arquitectura G : el putxet barcelona

i discovered arquitectura G just after i had arrived in barcelona. this small, young practice have a made a few refurbishments in barcelona, that have changed the spaces completely and the way to live within the space. this basement space is for nacho alegre, photographer and one of the directors of apartamento magazine. i like that the space has been opened out completely, one angled wall hides the sleeping space from the living, another hides the wardrobe and bathroom, while leaving all open to take the light from the garden windows. simple and clever. nacho told me that in the springtime he will take some photos of how it is now, with him living in there. looking forward to it. all photos josé hevia. more posts about arquitectura G , nacho alegre and apartamento magazine                               .

holiday time : architecture : house in a pine wood : sundaymorning & massimo fiorido associati : tuscany italy

this is a renovation of a house in marina di castagneto carducci by sundaymorning &               massimo fiorido associati. the fifties house has been covered in travertine  and a beautiful      staircase has been added to reach the rooftop. via : dezeen                                                  .

a perfect retreat : architecture : casa ugalde : 1953 : jose antonio coderch

i think one of the most beautiful thing about casa ugalde, by jose antonio coderch, is that on first glance it could be a typical white mediterranean house nestled in amongst the pine trees. just 30 minutes north of barcelona, this house is a surprising array of shapes, spaces and views, simple yet complex in the forms and volumes. paradise. via : afasia/manuel valls : casa ugalde                       .

concrete love : architecture : house in wolfikon : peter kunz

house in wolfikon : switzertland : peter kunz see more work here

beach house twins : 4×4 : architecture : tadao ando : japan

 

 

 

4×4 houses : tadao ando b&w photos : jonhefel

today i want my home HERE ! architecture : whangapoua sled house : crosson clarke carnachan : new zealand

this amazing 40 square meter holiday home for a family of 5 was designed by crosson clarke carnachan. located on a piece of paradise on new zealands coromandel peninsula, the home can be easily moved to any part of the beach or onto a floating barge. this is an openhouse. read more at this is paper. all photos : crosson clarke carnachan