Itaúna House, renovated by Siqueira+Azul in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, combines an original Oscar Niemeyer house with a modern expansion. Designed in 2017, this project transforms an urban landscape, adding a garden and leisure annex.
The designers integrated three independent constructions, interconnected with pathways, and enhanced façades with large pivoting panels. The leisure annex incorporates natural materials like stone and concrete. An oculus allows viewing the upper courtyard, blending various elements seamlessly.
A bar/restaurant by Etereo Design is defined by Greek elegance on Naxos island, Greece. Designed in 2023, Mersini melds traditional aesthetics with Italian flair.
DV House is a stone and timber-clad residence designed by MMXX architects in Bulgaria. The home’s living room features windows on two sides, opening up to nature with expansive southern views and framed backyard vistas. Ceiling heights reach up to the roof, encompassing three bedrooms, bathrooms, and a covered porch with an outdoor dining area. A lower floor houses utility spaces, a gym, and a garage, with the gym offering a sauna and bathtub overlooking a spacious courtyard.
The Lotus House, also known as Pedroso I House, is a single-family home in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, designed by Raulino Silva in 2022. Nestled on land once part of the Pedroso Monastery, the steep plot maintains its natural vegetation and trees. A large terrace on the upper floor provides views at tree level and serves the main living spaces, while the lower floor features a granite stone facade, a patio, and an indoor pool.
Casa Bosque by Grizzo Studio blends nature and architecture in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Designed in 2024, the house features fluid organic shapes and unique concrete structures. The project integrates the lush outdoor environment, creating an inseparable relationship between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
TAEP/AAP has updated the traditional architecture of the Northern Gulf with a cylindrical house surrounded by towering walls in Al Khiran, Kuwait. Designed in 2023, White Fortress contrasts its arid surroundings with an interior filled with spacious rooms, views of the Gulf Sea, and various oval-shaped patios and gardens. A rooftop tower acts as a “seacoast lighthouse”, framing sandy vistas.
Ignazio Mortellaro has transformed a 300-year-old Sicilian farmhouse into a sustainable, energy-efficient retreat called Casa Balat. Located in Noto, Italy, the project seamlessly integrates traditional materials with state-of-the-art green technology, like a geothermal system for air conditioning and water heating.
Casa Balat features an open-air shala for yoga, a saltwater pool, gardens, and a Bulthaup kitchen, all designed to minimize carbon footprint while providing luxurious and sustainable agriturismo accommodations.
Lehit House, designed by MAKHNO Studio in Odesa, Ukraine, embodies lightness and natural beauty with large windows and a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. Completed in 2022, the home features minimalist interiors with natural stone, clay textures, and bespoke lighting that reflect Ukrainian culture and MAKHNO’s distinctive style, offering a tranquil yet vibrant living environment.
