Architecture studio naturehumaine has completed an intentionally opaque masonry-walled house in Austin, Canada, featuring a skylight and large windows that were strategically positioned to increase natural daylight within the interior. Palissade, which was designed and finished in 2024, has a gabled roof with a skylight illuminating its airy interiors, decorated with tactile materials and textures.
Rachcoff Vella Architecture has designed Gruyere ‘Hilltop Hood’, a farmhouse in Melbourne’s Yarra Valley. The house is perched atop a hill, offering panoramic views and featuring a cantilevered pitched roof. Its design integrates seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, utilizing materials like handmade bricks and Colorbond cladding. The layout includes three distinct building wings, framing a protected courtyard.
Situated on a narrow, sloping site in Okinawa, Japan, the Pyramid hut by IGArchitects Masato Igarashi was planned for a couple. Designed in 2024, the house resembles a pyramid, inspired by Okinawan tombs and incorporating elements like concrete and wooden structures. Set among apartments and a cemetery, the house maintains privacy and dignity with its pyramid shape, reflecting Okinawa’s climate and cultural influences.
Hahe’s Extension renovated a traditional dwelling in Verviers, Belgium, achieving a masterful blend of modern and traditional elements. Designer Crahayjamaigne Architectes restructured the interior spaces to enhance functionality and aesthetic appeal, creating harmonious circulation and improved thermal and acoustic comfort.
Architecture studio CHROFI has revamped a property in Collaroy, Australia, balancing ocean views with garden vistas. Designed in 2021, Long Reef House was transformed with a neutral color palette, emphasising subtle level transitions and rich detailing. The redesign focused on connecting the home to its surroundings, incorporating expansive glazing and exterior balconies. Despite maintaining the original floor space, the house was reimagined to suit a modern family’s needs, aligning with its coastal context.
The refurbishment and extension by João Tiago Aguiar, arquitectos in Lisbon, Portugal, transformed a 1960s-era property into a contemporary home while respecting its original charm. Special attention was given to the backyard with a sleek swimming pool, large French pocket windows, and the interior layout prioritizing social interaction. Noble materials enhance the sense of quality and timelessness. The design integrates indoor and outdoor spaces, offering a perfect balance of comfort, style, and practicality.
Montreal-based practice LOCUS architecture+design has perched this contemporary home on a rocky outcrop overlooking Lac Cupidon in Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs, Quebec, Canada. Named Between Lake and Forest, the 3,600-square-foot house features a dark, upper volume resting upon an exposed concrete plinth, with large window openings and two fully glazed projections that extend toward the lake and surrounding trees. The residence was conceived as a tranquil retreat for its owners, away from their busy urban lives.
Mathison Mathison Architects revamped a midcentury home on Spring Lake, Michigan, focusing on enhancing its connection to the picturesque surroundings. Designed in 2022, the Harbor Point project reconfigures interior spaces for better lake views and functionality, incorporating features like clerestory windows and an expansive deck.
The renovation emphasises natural materials, with warm wood tones, dark stone, and natural steel finishes throughout, aiming to bring more light and openness while respecting the home’s original integrity.