Studio Becker Xu, led by Robert Becker and Sharon Xu, crafted The Dogtrot House in Hillsborough, North Carolina, in 2023. Inspired by historic vernacular design, this 3,400-square-foot home features pavilions connected by a central corridor, merging indoor and outdoor living amidst a densely wooded site.
ARRCC has re-envisioned a Cape Town home’s interior layout and exterior composition to include a flowing, open-plan arrangement beneath a newly crafted self-supporting concrete roof. Named Wave Villa, the project is located on the Atlantic Seaboard at the foot of Lion’s Head in South Africa. The home’s existing footprint and foundation were retained, but the envelope was remodelled to connect better to the natural environment.
Castle High is a coastal farmhouse located in Pembrokeshire, Wales, designed by Hyde + Hyde Architects in 2021. The project transforms a thermally inefficient farmhouse into a contemporary residence, creating a natural-flowing horseshoe courtyard layout.
Raulino Silva designed the Leça da Palmeira House in Matosinhos, Portugal, in 2023. Situated in a consolidated urban area, the two-story house features a structure that maintains the volume of the existing construction.
Designed in 2023 by Roovice, Apartment in Kamakura is nestled in Japan’s mountainous region. This residential space underwent a modern transformation, integrating its natural surroundings and featuring exposed structures. The design incorporates a green color scheme in the kitchen and lauan wood details, balancing concrete with warm wooden elements.
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”.
YARD Architects completed The Finned Extension in London, UK, in 2021, adding privacy, natural light, and impactful materials to a home reconfiguration.