Architecture news

There comes a time when we remember our childhood and all the foolish games we played. In a way or another, each and every one of us, keeps inside the sunny days, the laughter and the happy simple things, that coloured our lives back then. “Building” your own tree house seemed an important step. Today, the values have changed but the essence remains the same: we all “dream” of designing our dream home. What about blending dreams, those from then and these from now? Meet the Treehouse, a sustainable project, designed by the German firm, Baumraum, in a Flemish forest in Hechtel-Eksel, Belgium.

Eclectic of styles always looks good if they mix well and don’t look abundant. This apartment in Stockholm is done in a mix of styles but it looks cozy and charming. The furniture is mid-century, there are some rustic and vintage pieces – have a look at this cute sideboard with a flower pattern. There are smart space-saving solutions like a big shelves system on the wall or drawers in the bed. The color scheme is light and very pleasant: the main color is white, there are some black and colorful touches like yellow or pink, they don’t overwhelm the look. Plants and flowers in blossom give a romantic touch and bring coziness to the space.

There are many interesting house projects in Amsterdam and this one is no exception. Egeon Architecten designed this family home on the Rieteiland-Oost island in the IJburg. There are three floors, an open plan living room on the bottom floor, the private areas in the middle and an office space to literally top it all. The modern technologies are applied a lot: a heat pump and low temperature underfloor heating, natural ventilation, high insulation values of roof walls and floor, special heat-resistant glass, a sedum roof, attention to thermal bridging details and orientation. The authors used much wood in architecture and interior design, so the house looks cozy, inviting and warm, and the owners and guests may enjoy stunning lake views.

Displaying a striking contrast between open indoor spaces and its cloistered exterior, the Hard Werken residence by I.S.M.Architecten has strong modern vibe. By trying to achieve a minimum landscape intrusion, the architects chose the black color for the exterior walls and integrated the project in a naturally sloped terrain: “The volume of the house is partially pushed in the slope resulting in a facade that is limited in height. The addition of a long horizontal window between ground and first floor gives the house a certain lightness. As a result, the house stands modestly against the backdrop of the landscape.”

If you are into contemporary architecture, you will find this residential project, designed by the K2LD Architects in Singapore, beautiful and creative. Inspired by the traditional Malay architecture, the Winged House is split into adjacent forms, with a pair of trapeziums which mark the boundaries of the garden area. The odd structure offers an incredible view over the garden, integrating it into the living space. The protective roof, watching over the exterior gathering area, frames the terrace, the pool, the luxuriant maze of green turf that surrounds the inhabitable space. Unusual and imposing, the house inspires a relaxed ambient, that invites people to enjoy the outdoors and embrace the triangular-shaped wooden covering.

The sunny region of New England, New Hampshire accommodates a sumptuous range of lovely homes, borrowing some of the region’s specificity. Inspired by the natural landscape of Wolfeboro, with its lakes and mountains, the Wolfeboro Lakeside Manor residence spreads over 22,500 square feet. The house, completed by TMS Architects is a masterpiece in terms of execution. The lakefront house is a good example of how nature can influence design and moreover, can add value to it. Borrowing some of Earth’s natural hues, the front is adorned with handcrafted stone. The irregular roof and the small tower embedded in the house’s structure remind us of the days when we listened eagerly to the bedtime stories read to us by our parents and we imagined that the main characters lived in spacious, gorgeous castles with lovely towers and curvacious shapes.

Architects Lab Modus envisioned and developed the Hongzhu Housing Sales Center in Taoyuan County, Taiwan, an unusual looking building, inspired by a famous Chinese symbol: the dragon. According to the architects, the plan consists of “two-story lifted glass box and a sequence of double layered perforated metal panels. Resonating with the form of ancient Chinese lucky animal, the form of the project takes inspiration from the dragon, a symbol of success and luck“.

Aiming at cheering up some of the streets in Sao Paolo, Brazil, artists Anderson Augusto, also known as SÃO, and Leonardo Delafuente, also known as Delafuente collaborated in the development of the project entitled 6emeia. The duo managed to reinvent quite a few otherwise “gray” and unattractive urban elements, such as storm drains, light posts, manhole covers or fire hydrants.

We ran across a lovely collection of eclectic interiors spiced up with vintage elements by designer Timothy Oulton and thought of sharing them further. Boasting sophistication and creativity, each of the 20 interiors below was developed according to a certain theme. As the designer explains, some of them were inspired by the “Beat” culture of 1950s America, where writers and creative-types championed non-conformity.

Buro Ole Scheeren has unveiled a pair of skyscrapers with concave walls for Singapore’s historic Kampong Glam district. Buro Ole Scheeren has designed the twin DUO towers to have heights of 186 and 170 metres, with the former to contain over 600 apartments, while the latter will accommodate offices and a hotel. The building will sit between the city’s commercial district and the Kampong Glam area, which was once home to the Malaysian aristocracy and today contains a mix of Malay and Muslim communities. A hexagonal pattern of windows will cover the facades of the towers and floors will step back and forth using a system of cantilevers.

Reminding us of the bohemian artists with their simple-with-a-drain-of-chaos lofts, this three bedroom apartment in Stockholm showcases the powerful and inspirational Scandinavian design. Following the streams of simplicity, with wooden beams and brick walls, the designers focused on bringing life to a typical sterile living space. The continuous flow of the excessive white is “interrupted” with “shots” of colours, such as pink, blue and orange. The colours create a strong visual impact. In order to keep a neat, sensible line, the designers chose to focus on pale colour tones. At a glance, the space gives you the feeling that you have entered an area of great artistic accomplishment.

Garages, they’re not just for cars anymore! People in need of more living space are getting very creative these days. Many are nervous now, not wanting to invest in the real estate market at this time for a myriad of reasons. But what does one do when one has simply outgrown their living space? Perhaps there are now children where there once were none. Or perhaps the family is growing in a different way, active teenagers need a place to get away, or, as is happening more and more these days, grandparents are moving in, changing the face and description of the modern family. Whatever the reason, you find yourself needing more living space but whether for personal or financial reasons you can’t leave your home. The answer could be quite literally just outside your front door… and down the front steps, down the walkway… in your garage!

Great headboard ideas can completely transform the look and feel of your bedroom! These bedroom designs guaranteed to rock your world, these ocean-view bedrooms and last, but not least, some quality Scandinavian inspiration. Now that we got your attention, let’s expand a bit on the subject. As you guys are probably aware, headboards are available in a variety of sizes and fabrics on the market. You can either buy a simple ready-made one to match your bed, or you can improvise and come up with a headboard that takes the originality level in your bedroom sky-high!

A new visitors pavilion and cafe was recently completed by Emma Architecten at Fort Diemerdam in Amsterdam, a historical defense line recently put on the UNESCO world heritage list. The undulating curves of the building’s walls were inspired by the surrounding landscape: “We wanted anybody visiting the building to be puzzled about when it was built, and whether it is the future they’re looking at or the past”, said architect Marten De Jong.

With winter approaching in Quebec, Canada, this contemporary cottage-like home designed by YH2 Architecture will soon seem sprung out of a fairytale. The La Luge residence is composed of two visually contrasting volumes, which merge, creating distinct spaces. Surrounded by a dense forest, the privacy of the inhabitants is ensured; moreover, this dreamy surrounding landscape makes it easy for anyone living here to enjoy a perpetual holiday atmosphere, away from the urban racket.