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.
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.
The house exterior of this home in Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium, is reflected in the interior space, thanks to a carved wavy texture that Benoit Viaene brought into the design. Known for his unique hand-sculpting techniques, Viaene used the method to create light effects echoing his Floating Islands table design. The project, designed in 2024, marks the first time that the Belgium architect employed the signature method in an interior design project.
Located in Palmela, Portugal, a monolithic house designed by architecture studio cimbre sits on the site of a ruined structure in Serra do Louro. The house features an abstract formal design and tangible materiality, creating a contemporary yet traditional feel. Tall boundary walls made from stones from the original building, extensive glazing, and contrasting birch wood and concrete interiors protect the house while allowing natural light inside. Intricate materials ensure durability and minimal maintenance.
Casa TAM is a residential project located in León, Mexico, designed by FFelix Architecture in 2022. The house’s unusual irregular lot features twin façades and offers scenic views of the surrounding area. Characterized by a cutting-edge style, Casa TAM combines contrasting materials and dynamic overhangs. The spacious interior includes luxurious touches and smartly utilized space, guaranteeing comfort and avant-garde design for living.
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.
Peter Kjær Arkitekter designed House Between the Trees in Denmark, featuring a T-shaped layout with an archetypal roof. Completed in 2022, the structure prioritizes minimal concrete usage, utilizing a wooden construction with a terrain deck and screwed pile foundation. The house includes a bedroom wing, family room, kitchen, and two terraces, surrounded by trees. Interior wooden surfaces are treated with soap, and the breathable exterior features linseed-oiled spruce facades and a spruce board roof.
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.
