Maine Rural Modern by OPAL Architecture is a house in ME, United States. Designed in 2017, the project combines modernist rigor with Passive House principles, offering efficiency and architectural clarity. It features three shed-roofed wings, cedar siding, fieldstone-faced foundations, and steel roofing.
The remote Mountain Retreat, completed in 2021 by OPAL Architecture, overlooks a serene lake from its Canadian setting, presenting a unique architectural opportunity. A pinwheel form, highlighting a core all-wood panel, inspired the layout, designed to provide privacy and maximize surrounding site views.
BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group has completed an office building for its own staff in Copenhagen, Denmark. Designed by the studio applying its LEAPP methodology, the headquarters include a landscaped outdoor park and a rooftop terrace.
Wiltshire House, located in Wiltshire, United Kingdom, is a Victorian residence revamped by YARD Architects in 2017. The refurbishment includes a contemporary rear extension featuring black zinc cladding. Designed to offer open-plan living accommodation, it showcases playful reinterpretations of pitched roof profiles.
Inside, the roofs define distinct zones such as dining and living areas, complemented by a suspended fireplace and folding doors that open to garden and countryside views. The design aims to blend with the scenic surroundings while maintaining a modern aesthetic.
Set in the countryside of the North Downs in Surrey, England, McLean Quinlan‘s 2023-designed Downland Barns is a timber-framed home. This newly built house creatively fuses traditional craftsmanship with modern design, incorporating sustainable features. Its three interlinked structures, enclosed by a flint wall, offer unobstructed countryside views and balance practicality and elegance in every detail.
Hidden within a Grade II listed arboretum in Hampshire, Woodland House by McLean Quinlan has a timber framework with expansive glazing for dappled light throughout. Designed in 2023, the private home has a rendered exterior made of recycled materials and an indoor tree. Balmy grey and oat-brown hues of crafted oak and neutral furniture add subtle texture to the informal interior, designed to “embrace” its wooded surrounding and “minimise both operational and embodied carbon emissions”.
The 1028 Villa by Kanisavaran Office in Mahmudabad, Iran, is a modern residence designed in 2024. The project presents a contrasting facade that is solid from the alley view and open from the riverside, reflecting a philosophy of harmonizing nature and architecture. The villa emphasizes a connection to its environment, adhering to climatic conditions without creating rigid boundaries, resulting in a contemporary form that respects its surroundings.
Murka Hotel is a newly designed hotel completed by Thinking Design in Wenzhou, China. Part of a rural revitalization initiative, the project aims to entice urban citizens to the countryside and encourage young locals to return home.
The design incorporates staggered blocks, local rocks, and trees penetrating through the roof to create a visually cohesive extension that blends with the mountains and honors traditional culture.