Photos: Erieta Attali.
Recently, strange stories have emanated from the media of people in Athens covering-over their swimming pools to avoid the gaze of satellites. I do not know if such stories are true, but I do know that it would take more than a tarpaulin to cover the elegant features of this Athenian house designed by Divercity Architects.
The house is based on a mysterious core that contains a chthonic temple to art and the gas-guzzling deities of the automobile world. Many of these creatures have long-since receded to the underworld to be admired only by the high priests of curation and business. The core of this temple, or gallery as it is also known, is clad in stone and is inspired by the imagery of the quarries and landscape of the Attica.
The second element sits on the core and is “amphitheatrical” in form. It was conceived as a pair of binoculars affording views of the city beyond. Here are housed the private areas of the residence. A third element is a transparent living area that sits between the them. These strong sculptural forms sit within a landscape of water, terraces and lush verdure. Read more
Photos: Jussi Tiainen.
It is one thing to put a lift in your building and perhaps other features to improve its accessibility, but it is quite another thing to conceive a house that is seamlessly accessible throughout. This house designed by Olavi Koponen in 2009, is a rare thing: a house that was purpose designed for a man who has been confined to a wheelchair since a young age.
The house has many excellent qualities, but arguably its most successful characteristic is that there is no hint of compromise because its occupant happens to use a wheelchair. Read more
Photos: Nico van der Meulen Architects
The Ber House challenges all kinds of perceptions about South Africa for those of us that know little about the country. Designed by local practice, Nico van der Meulen Architects, you would be forgiven for thinking it is a hotel or perhaps a private health retreat.
It is certainly an essay in luxury living.
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Photos: Photolux Studios (Christian Lalonde)
The idea of stone being a permanent building material is a notion that has existed as long as man has built. In this house from 2008 Kariouk Associates have used industrial concrete block as a masonry veneer. The impression is almost that of a rusticated “stone box”, and suggests a firm foundation for the family. A rock of stability in a world of impermanence.
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Photos: McBride Charles Ryan.
The fantasy of living in the clouds got a little nearer for a lucky family in Melbourne, Australia when McBride Charles Ryan extended their old house. The original building is something over a hundred years old and has had several extensions and alterations but nothing like this before. Read more
