The architecture and design blog

Photos: Jaime Navarro.

Although they look as though they are set in a forest, these are apparently four individual houses set in a large garden in the downtown area of the Mexican town of Valle de Bravo. The houses, built in 2009, are vertically arranged in their planning so as to constrain the footprint and therefore save the garden. Read more

Photos: Nerida Howard

Building on Green-Belt land, where development is greatly restricted, can be a fraught affair. In this apparently effortless example, a long and narrow barn building imposed some impractical living restrictions that could be mitigated by a simple extension to give the building more width.

Nicolas Tye Architects used the opportunity to create a thoughtful mediating space that better linked the garden with the living accommodation of the barn. The new space also extended the variety of living accommodation creating something between a simple room and a conservatory. Read more

Photos: Logon

The factory site for the Shanghai Glass Co. contains some thirty industrial buildings some of which are still in glass manufacture related use. However, the site owner recognise its a dated industrial landscape and that regeneration of the works district is required. As with most regeneration stories a Parti is required, or as it is now known, an iconic looking building that will attract visitors. In recent times, in some cities in China, it has appeared that architecture’s purpose was to shout louder than the last building. One wonders where such inclinations might stop? To a degree, the answer it seems is the Shanghai Museum of Glass by Logon. If for no other reason than it displays admirable restraint, it is worth a close look, but I suggest that it is worth looking at for its own architectural merits. Read more