Life Down A Lane, a house in Melbourne’s Richmond neighbourhood designed by Tom Robertson Architects, features a central courtyard. The contemporary family home is surrounded by neighbours, necessitating a design that balances privacy with openness. The living spaces are elevated for increased sunlight, while the interiors contrast monochromatic exteriors with light tones.
Robust external forms open to the courtyard, providing a focal point and ensuring security. Central spaces include a sculpted marble island in the kitchen and a dramatic full-height window for exterior views.
Villa Lev is a house in Tulum, Mexico, designed by the local studio Espacio 18 Arquitectura in 2024. The building comprises three volumes positioned in a horseshoe shape to create a central courtyard and increase its connection with the natural surroundings and ensure more privacy.
The dwelling was constructed using raw concrete, with wooden furniture used throughout the space to give the interior a warmer atmosphere.
The Moon Gate ADU by Cover Architecture, a 620-square-foot dwelling in Altadena, California, offers a retirement retreat for his mother near his family home. Placed at the front of the lot, the ADU introduces two new structural forms that contrast the existing suburban house. Geometric facades, with curved walls and eaves, serve both aesthetic and functional purposes, ensuring daylight and privacy. The interior features a playful design with natural materials for a comfortable and sophisticated living space.
Koko Architecture + Design‘s Hudson Concrete House incorporates a courtyard and an art collection for its owner at the peak of a mountain in Hudson, New York. Designed in 2020, the studio worked with the historic site to design a country home for an art collector based in the Hudson River Valley with a concrete facade, using Japanese influences throughout the building.
CCY Architects has designed a copper-clad house in San Miguel County, Colorado, nestled among Engelmann Spruce trees. Called DNA Alpine, the property includes a main house, sauna, and garage, with architecture inspired by the surrounding landscape and contemporary artists. The design accommodates extreme weather conditions, featuring a non-repetitive pattern on the façade derived from the DNA of neighbouring trees. This eclectic home combines natural materials with artful elements, offering expansive views of the alpine meadow while maintaining environmental sensitivity.
The House Under Pines in Novigrad, Croatia, was designed by Konzola Arhitektura and completed in 2024. The vacation home and rental house feature elements of traditional Istrian architecture, such as a single-pitched roof, alongside modern features including strip windows.
Atelier du Pont has renovated Estancia San José in Menorca, Spain, transforming an old ruin into a 300-square-metre summer residence with Minorcan influences. Featuring arched Iroko windows and stone facade, the house combines raw materials with vibrant elements like an acid yellow kitchen.
The organic forms and textured finishes throughout the interior pay homage to local craftsmanship, while the garden is a natural setting surrounded by garrigue and wild olive trees.
OOOOX respected the architectural “soul” of Lanzarote during the centuries-old property refurbishment, adding white concrete floors and green tiled walls. OOOOKX relaid the layout over both storeys to create more beds for guests on the island in the Atlantic Ocean, during the renovation of Villa Amonita Lanzarote.
