House GS, a house located in Cieneguilla, Peru, was completed in 2014 by designer Vicca Verde. The design takes as a reference the typical rammed earth walls of the region: it follows the same construction process but reinterprets it in a contemporary way, using concrete tinted in earth tones. The concrete work is complemented by metal structures that allow for large spans and create the wide sloped roof, with few support points, over the main loft unit.
DUA has designed Foxes Grove, a house with a timber frame structure in Ireland. Constructed from Siberian larch cladding, Foxes Grove utilises the material to wrap the exterior and filter southern light into the interior. The ground floor showcases a raw concrete floor that drops down, while the upper two bedrooms are separated via an eaves roof light window and triple height space lined with plywood.
The House Under the Pines is a house designed by Konzola Arhitektura in 2024. The architectural complex consists of two structures integrated into the typology of a neighborhood predominantly composed of family homes with tourist rentals on the western coast of Istria, Croatia.
The design features a recognizable single-pitched roof and smooth façades with a horizontal strip of glazing, set within two functional units respecting the existing greenery of the site.
This project entails a renovation of a house in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Designed by ardor—studio in 2024, the house’s design maximises space, light and comfort and results in a white, minimal interior. The large windows ensure brightness in the rooms throughout the day while oak wood veneer is the dominating material used for furniture, doors and the mezzanine layer, enhancing warmth and comfort in spaces.
Atelier Échelle’s House on the River is a 4,500-square-foot residence with a 1,060-square-foot winter garden, designed for a couple with deep family roots on the site. Located in the riverside village of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Québec, the home sits on land held by the family for generations. The footprint of a 1970s prefab bungalow was used as the basis for a new studio and winter garden—an homage to the owners’ legacy as passionate gardeners.
Located on the west banks of Lake Memphremagog in Magog, Canada, House on the Lake is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional barn volume typical to rural Québec. Designed by Atelier Échelle and completed in 2023, this six-bedroom house incorporates a structural system meeting reinforced concrete and steel framing standards to create the perfect living space while allowing for a seamless flow of art integrated with the architecture.
Spanning 97 square meters (1,044 square feet) of interior space, plus over 40 square meters (430 square feet) of outdoor space across two balconies, OASI is a newly built apartment in Concesio, Italy, designed in 2024 by Flussocreativo Design Studio. Involving early-stage construction of only the pillars and floors, the studio shaped the open-plan spaces based on the owners’ current lifestyles and needs, with an exclusive indoor-outdoor dynamic.
There was a time when DIY meant making your own macrame wall hanging or upcycling a side table you got for ten bucks at a yard sale. It was charming. It was manageable. It was safe. But now? Now it’s people knocking down load-bearing walls, rewiring lighting fixtures without cutting the power, and turning studio apartments into safety hazards—all in the name of being “hands-on.” The whole do-it-yourself trend has spiraled into a full-on identity crisis, and honestly, it’s getting a little hard to watch.
