Photo credits: C-LAB.
Apelle is a wooden family house that nestles in a pocket, gouged from the rocks by the forces of nature, a harbour in the forest. It is surrounded by trees which, in certain conditions form an extension of the interiors. But the house itself is an articulation of the forest, and cannot be regarded as separate or altogether distinct from it. Read more
Photo credits: Ulysse Lemerisse.
The new home for the Montreal Planetarium uses a combination of robust architectural form, and state of the art projection systems, to create a wonderfully animated experience that will enchant architecture and star gazers alike.
Cardin Ramirez Julien + Aedifica have designed the external form as a loosely extrapolated pair of binoculars, but inside, rather more is going on.
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Images: CMJN.
The Great Fen Visitor Centre is a convincing attempt to intervene in a delicate landscape that man has radically altered since the 17th century, but which nature has resolved into a stable ecosystem of great beauty and value. The Fens were marshlands drained for agriculture. Subsequently, great swathes of peat were cut from the land for both fuel and agricultural nutrient. The result now, is a series of waterways teaming with diverse wildlife.
The French Practice CMJN won a competition with this delicate proposal they liken to a precise surgical intervention that, like acupuncture, works to enhance the natural rhythms and resources of the body. Their aim is to cause minimal disruption to the site’s ecological balance, whilst restoring the landscape to work more closely with the annual cycles of rising and receding water. Read more
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: Miguel de Guzmán.
When a woman who worked amongst horses decided she wanted to live in a more rural setting, her vision of the dream home suggested a bespoke house, but with a modest budget that would not be easy.
A chance meeting with the Spanish practice Elii resulted in an exciting brief that saw them develop a creative, highly modular approach to the house design. This enabled a high level of prefabrication and cost efficiency, without compromising individuality.
The result was a stylish and elegant house that captured the spirit of their client’s interests in horses, and the countryside. Read more
