Northbeach Residence II by Heliotrope Architects

Located on a northwesterly oriented beach fronting the Strait of Georgia. The site includes many second-growth douglas firs, a beech grove and a grassy meadow with good solar exposure. For over a thousand years this site was a summer camp location for the Lummi Indians, and due to its archeological significance, no footing excavation could take place on the site. Further, its location in a federally designated flood plain required that the structure be raised off the ground several feet. The design brief called for a very low-impact, easy to maintain summer home that provides necessary programmatic functions with minimum distractions from the land and the view.

Northbeach Residence, Orcas Island, Washington, USA, by Heliotrope Architects
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Montauk Residence by Pentagram

Main and guest houses for an oceanfront site in Long Island, based on the postwar Case Study Houses built in California. Citation for Design in the 2006 AIA New York State Design Awards.

Montauk Residence, Long Island, by Pentagram

Courtyard Residence by Aidlin Darling Design

Conceived as a series of interconnected pavilions enclosing a garden, the courtyard-house typology is utilized to achieve private interiority within the suburban context. The strategic interplay of light and shadow, expansion and contraction, solidity and lightness is used to derive spatial richness.

The house incorporates fuel cell and solar panel technologies, passive cooling, greywater reclamation, and extensive use of reclaimed finish materials.

Courtyard Residence, by Aidlin Darling Design

Punta House by Marcio Kogan

The Punta House is located on an open lot, alongside a reservoir, in the countryside close to the city of Punta Del Leste, in Uruguay. From the get-go, the location of the residence on this open country wasteland imposed the challenge of creating private spaces and, to some degree, protected visually and climactically. The solution adopted, from the outset, was a one-level house which, on one side looked out to the waters of the reservoir; and, on the other, to an internal patio demarcated by stone walls, which end up defining all of the spaces of the house.

Punta House, Punta del Este, Uruguay, by Marcio Kogan, Suzana Glogowski, for Studio mk27, Photography by Reinaldo Coser, via: Arch Daily

House I by Yoshichika Takagi

Situated in the midst of a parking lot, the residence features layers of pierced facades that slowly unveil the main structure and life within it. Thick wall circumscribe areas of the dwelling producing porous areas between interior and exterior, public and private. Designed to shelter but not visually enclose internal environments, the residence includes overlapping volumes that form sheltered courtyards and passageways that open inwards.

A series of white boxes, each unique in height and program are grouped together, creating a structure with intricate depth and illusion of space. inside, rooms continuously unfold and expand, creating an open and vertically integrated living environment. Platforms, bridges and small cubic forms interrupt the vast interior volume, adding a layer of complexity to the otherwise minimal space.

House I, Akita, Japan by Yoshichika Takagi, via: designboom

Düsseldorf by Atelier d’Architecture Bruno Erpicum and Partners

Home of a couple with a passion for architecture who were keen to make one of Düsseldorf’s rare ruins their own. The reconversion was closely overseen by the administrative authorities, since this old factory in the city centre miraculously avoided damage during the many bombings of World War II. Across from the coachman’s passageway are some garages that stand in front of the entrance court. The court is dotted with screens that flank the entrance and seclude off the “day patio”. The history of the city is reflected in the glass panels, reminding you of the building’s heritage. A facade made entirely of glass stands completely independently of the old structures, showing off their immense scale. The building is now protected against the elements and complies with energy performance requirements. The study opens boldly onto the garage and gym. The gloss painted furniture designed by architect Bruno Erpicum reflects the structural elements. A vast white space devoid of any accessories houses the sleeping accommodation in the conversion; the rotating door appears to be floating in the air. An enormous living room is arranged between the pilasters that are displayed with pride.

Düsseldorf, Germany, by Atelier d’Architecture Bruno Erpicum & Partners, Photography by Jean-Luc Laloux

House in Paço de Arcos by Jorge Mealha

Located in Alto do Lagoal, a neighborhood facing the sea in Lisbon, Portugal, the home sits nicely between two blues: the sky and sea. The House at Paço de Arcos by Jorge Mealha, unfolds a setting where solids and voids are in display for each other. The arrangement and span of the masses allows for interesting in-between spaces that not only allows light to penetrate the core of the development but also allows reflection as water and shadows bend the surfaces and maximizes its adjacencies. These reflections allows for a dramatic play and change of light throughout the day and give texture to the endless cement plaster walls that dress this house.

House in Paço de Arcos, Lisbon, Portugal, by Jorge Mealha, via: Yatzer

Waikopua House by Daniel Marshall Architects

A stand of Nikau, an idyllic private bay and a building platform defined by ridges either side set the architectural program of the design of this family beach house. The concept evolved from the idea of a family group camping, creating space between the functional nodes. This was particularly important in allowing space for the boats and water to move through the valley to the bay below. This space was utilised to give physical separation to the guest house. It was important to activate the spaces around the house giving a progression to enjoy. From the lawn overlooking the sea soaking up the morning light, to the private courtyard, framed by the Nikau grove, catching the last rays in the evening whilst enjoying the outdoor fire.

Waikopua House, New Zealand, by Daniel Marshall, Adriana Toader, Daniel Marshall Architects

Trial Bay House by HBV Architects

Winner of the AIA National Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture, the Trial Bay House involved a complete reorganization of an existing dwelling and the addition of a new living room, veranda, courtyard and garage. The house features the Channel Room, which overlooks D’Entrecasteaux Channel, Tasmania, this room was built with precast concrete panels that were angled inwards to frame the view. The effect is like standing inside the lens of a camera, with the viewfinder focussed on distant Bruny Island, in a subtle reference to the owner’s career as a director and screenwriter.

Trial Bay House, Tasmania, by James Jones, HBV Architects

Exhibition: Building Collections at MoMA

Le Corbusier, Assembly Hall (Chandigarh, India) Roof model (1964).
Plaster and painted wood

UNStudio (Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos) Mercedes-Benz Museum Model (2001-2006) Stuttgart, Germany. Composite board, plastic and paint

Jürgen Mayer H, Mensa Karlsruhe Dining Hall model (2005-2006) Karlsruhe, German. Laser-cut polystyrene, glue, white airbrushed paint

Curated by Barry Bergdoll - the Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design – and curatorial assistant Margot Weller, Building Collections, at MoMA New York, highlights recent acquisitions made by the museum’s Department of Architecture and Design. Covering eight distinct themed areas that encompass the full range of the collection – which dates from 1890 to the present – the exhibition includes everything from delicate sketches by the likes of Heinz and Bodo Rasch (Suspension Houses Project) to the complete paraphernalia of the design process, such as the models, sketches and plans for UNStudio’s Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart. The vast majority of pieces on display are being shown exclusively for the very first time.

Building Collections: Recent Acquisitions of Architecture, November 10 – May 30,
at MoMA, New York, via: Phaidon