Austere brick walls cloak a bright skylit painting studio at the heart of Atelier Cambre in Argentina, designed by local architecture practice Esteras Perrote.

The studio sits nestled within the mountainous, forested landscape of Còrboda's Punilla Valley, and was created for Argentinian artist Juan José Cambre.

Tasked with recreating the feeling of painting outdoors, Esteras Perrote organised the studio around a five-metre-high painting space, which is illuminated by long skylights and opens onto a terrace through a set of folding glass doors.

"One of the central gestures of the project emerged from a very simple request from the client: the possibility of painting outdoors," said the studio's co-founder Gonzalo Perrote.

"From that idea, we began to explore how the architecture could incorporate that experience without losing the sense of refuge of the studio," Perrote told Dezeen.

"Rather than a collection of rooms, the project proposes a generous working environment where light, landscape and painting structure the experience of the place."

The large volume containing Atelier Cambre's main studio space is connected to a tower-like service and circulation volume via a short, glazed link.

This tower contains bathrooms and a staircase leading up onto a rooftop terrace.

Both volumes have been clad in locally-sourced red brick, a choice informed by a small structure that had formerly stood on the site as well as a desire to blend in with the landscape.

Inside, the painting area sits beneath four long, narrow skylights. At the opposite end, a study area and small kitchenette are tucked under a steel mezzanine level that offers a vantage point over the painting space.

Carefully placed openings throughout the building frame views of the surrounding woodland, with two tall, narrow openings at the end of the painting space creating cross-ventilation to facilitate drying.

White finishes and natural wood floors create a minimal backdrop to Cambre's paintings, with the only colour in the interiors being a series of green cabinet doors alongside the kitchenette.

"Rather than imposing itself on the landscape, the architecture seeks to situate itself within it, using that open space as an opportunity," fellow co-founder Lucía Esteras told Dezeen.

"In this sense, each window was conceived as a specific frame of the surroundings, almost as a device to capture fragments of the landscape and bring them back into the interior," he added.

Other painting studios recently featured on Dezeen include The Grey County Studio in Ontario by Verge Select, which comprises three intersecting weathered steel volumes that overlook a woodland, and a historic barn restored by Schack Arkitektur for the painter Michael Kvium in Denmark.

The photography is by Javier Agustín Rojas.

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A large corrugated metal roof topped by a triangular skylight shelters the timber-lined interiors of Amami House, an off-grid home in Japan designed by local studio Sakai Architects.

Named after its location on Amami Ōshima, an island in the Amami archipelago off Japan's southern coast, the 119-square-metre home was designed for the founder of Sakai Architects, Kazunori Sakai.

An increase in extreme weather conditions on the island prompted Sakai to create what he described as an "autonomous, self-sustaining home", the design of which was informed by the region's traditional materials and crafts.

As well as using solar power for all of its electricity, the home includes a vegetable garden that doubles as a space for composting food waste, and a small sauna that uses fuel made from construction offcuts.

"Driven by accelerating environmental degradation and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, the design seeks a new mode of living that can endure future uncertainties," Sakai told Dezeen.

"By grounding the project in Amami's cultural and environmental heritage, the house reinterprets local traditions to propose a contemporary form of resilient, self-reliant habitation," he added.

The home's organisation is based on a historical, multi-volume layout known as buntō, with private spaces in standalone timber volumes positioned at the corners of a square plan, where they enclose a more open, communal living, kitchen and dining space.

Lining both the interior and exterior of Amami House are planks of sugi, Japanese cedar, which have been dyed using both local mud and the extract of the Sharimbai tree, a process used in the region's traditional textile craft.

"By contemporising the buntō logic, the design dissolves rigid boundaries – between rooms, between indoors and outdoors, and between family and community," Sakai said.

"These open, tolerant spaces evoke the spirit of yui, Amami's tradition of collective cooperation, transforming the house into a cultural as well as architectural gesture," he added.

The home's timber volumes – containing a bedroom, storage, pantry, sauna and bathroom – stop short of a large, open attic space, which was designed to help naturally ventilate the home.

Above, the beams of the oversized metal roof have been left exposed and extend to support large eaves that shelter an engawa and entrance porch around the home's perimeter.

The form of this roof, known as irimoya, or hip and gable, was chosen by Sakai as a contemporary interpretation of the corrugated metal and tiled roofs typical in the area.

Other homes in Japan recently featured on Dezeen include a concrete home in Tokyo by Suzuko Yamada Architects with furniture cast within its walls and an angular red home in Shikoku Island by Marutau Arqui.

The photography is by Toshihisa Ishii.

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A fifty-metre-long skylight cuts through the centre of Kitaoka Group Head Office Building, renovated by Tokyo studio Wataru Architects in Mima City, Japan.

Wataru Architects redesigned the 40-year-old building belonging to construction company Kitaoka Group into an open, light-filled office with a strong connection to the surrounding landscape and local community.

"The project aims to redefine the values of working environments in Japan, starting from the local context," Wataru Architects principal Wataru Sato told Dezeen.

"This integration embraces the surrounding natural landscape and fosters communication among employees, their families and the broader community," Sato said.

While the majority of the office's prefabricated steel structure was retained, it was split into two long and narrow halves, nodding to the valley on either side of the nearby Yoshino River.

In the middle, the studio introduced an atrium topped by a continuous skylight that runs along the length of the roof, flooding the interior with daylight.

This atrium connects the ground and first floors, allowing for natural ventilation and improving what the studio described as a previously dark and disconnected layout.

"The existing building has been transformed by a luminous void that draws daylight and a breeze deep into the interior," said Sato. "As the atrium spans the full depth of the building, airflow is evenly dispensed, delivering a gentle breeze to every corner."

Opting for a pared-back interior scheme, Wataru Architects combined original tiling with plywood panels and neutral finishes, in contrast with red-painted beams and pops of greenery.

This includes a seven-metre-high Benjamin tree at the centre of the plan and a selection of plants that are dotted throughout the interior.

"The palette embraces low-contrast tones, blending diverse textures and layered paint hues to create depth," said Sato.

The ground floor is designed as a public space where employees can work while also being open to families and community members.

Outside, the building's entrance has been updated with a five-metre-long cantilevered canopy, while the facade has been revamped with operable glass sashes to invite airflow.

Around the entrance, the landscape has been turned into a park for the local community, finished with layered vegetation and "an oversized 3D-printed vase".

Limiting the environmental impact of the project was a key aspect of the studio's approach, which involved reusing the existing structure and finishes, as well as harnessing natural light and ventilation.

"The design maximises natural light and ventilation, eliminating the need for daytime lighting and reducing air conditioning depending on the seasons," Sato stated.

Kitaoka Group office headquarters is shortlisted in the small workplace project category of the Dezeen Awards 2025.

Other projects in the category include an experimental whisky lab by Barthélémy Grino and JSa's self-designed studio in a Mexican factory.

The photography is by Keita Yamamoto. 

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For our latest lookbook, we've gathered eight residential interiors that are lit from above by skylights, in countries ranging from New Zealand to Mexico.

A skylight can be a practical solution to get more light into interiors – especially ones set deep into a home's floorplan – while adding an interesting feature to the house or apartment.

In this lookbook, we explore a variety of examples, including a teal-metal skylight in Mexico and an Indian home with multiple funnel-shaped skylights.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring homes in former factories, milking stools and marble kitchen islands.

Skylight Hut, Czech Republic, by Atelier Hajný

Named for its most distinctive feature, Skylight Hut in Czech Republic is a metal-clad countryside retreat that was transformed from a derelict 1970s stone hut.

Local studio Atelier Hajný gave it a trapezoidal roof and added a pair of large skylights, one of which draws light into the cosy plywood-clad bedroom.

Find out more about Skylight Hut ›

The Avocado, Mexico, by Práctica Arquitectura

A pyramidal roof tops the living room in this holiday home in northern Mexico, which is made almost entirely of concrete.

Above the sofa and dining table, a skylight was inserted 4.5 metres up in the ceiling, illuminating the room. Additional light comes in through the large Crittall windows that overlook a lush garden.

Find out more about The Avocado ›

Openfield House, New Zealand, by Keshaw McArthur

This home in rural New Zealand was informed by agricultural sheds and features sliding external walls as well as a decorative circular skylight.

Located above the bedroom of the house, the skylight frames a distant view of the mountains, making it function almost as a piece of art.

Find out more about Openfield House ›

Huron House, UK, by Studio Varey Architects

Local firm Studio Varey Architects added timber-framed skylights, designed to catch the sun, to this Victorian terraced house in Notting Hill.

Part of the renovation included rebuilding a 1990s rear extension to create an open-plan kitchen and dining room, where the studio also enlarged an existing skylight.

"Natural light cascades into the back of the house, while the introduction of oak beams created a feature that plays with the light as it travels through the property," Studio Varey Architects told Dezeen.

Find out more about Huron House ›

Casa VO and Casa WO, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy

Mexico City-based architect Ludwig Godefroy designed Casa VO and Casa WO in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, with large circular openings in their cast-concrete structures.

The skylights were added to the homes in order to give their interiors a cave-like feel, while also leaving them open to the tropical climate of the site on the Pacific coast.

Find out more about Casa VO and Casa WO ›

Primeriza House, Chile, by Stanaćev Granados

A cargo net forms the floor of the upper level of Primeriza House in Chile, designed by architecture studio Stanaćev Granados.

The concrete-and-wood-clad seaside house was designed to make the most of outdoor living while creating multiple interior environments and nooks within the home. The residents can take advantage of the view out through a row of skylights while lying on the cargo-net floor.

Find out more about Primeriza House ›

Ineffable Light, India, by A Threshold

Multiple funnel-shaped skylights decorate the ceiling of this home in Bengaluru, India, which local studio A Threshold designed to "blur boundaries between the inside and outside".

To do so, the studio created a large central void, which is lit by the skylights and features plenty of green plants.

"We aimed to evolve a design language that maximises the use of natural light, ventilation, and accessible green spaces within the home," explained the studio.

Find out more about Ineffable Light ›

Casa Sofia, Mexico, by AMASA Estudio

Architecture firm AMASA Estudio gave this 1940s house in Mexico City a new feel with a variety of teal-coloured metal elements, including a cylindrical skylight.

"The light primarily enters from above, creating a sheltered and intimate atmosphere on the lower levels, further enhanced by the chosen colour palette and finishes," said the studio.

Find out more about Casa Sofia ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring homes in former factories, milking stools and marble kitchen islands.

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Chilean studio Paralelo Transversal has utilised passive strategies, including multiple courtyards for ventilation, in the design of a house oriented around a skylight on the outskirts of Santiago, Chile.

Casa con Lucarna was completed in 2024 with 3,250 square feet (302 square metres) of interior space, divided by open-air bays that help it cool in the warm climate.

"Casa con Lucarna was inspired by the need to respond to a hot climate using passive strategies – light, air and shadow as the core design tools," the team at Paralelo Transversal told Dezeen.

The focal point of the house is a large skylight – or lucarna – that brings softened, natural light into the main living space, located at the centre of the house, which is divided into organising modules.

The skylight juts out of the roof as the only vertical element of the otherwise horizontal design.

A triangular truss, supported on black steel columns, holds the profile of the skylight, which has frosted glass to dilute the light as it streams into the seating area below.

Shaded patios separate interior programs and promote cross ventilation, while deep overhangs reduce heat gain. With no active systems, the house relies on its arrangement for thermal comfort.

The house is organised in a gradient from public to private with the social areas – outdoor terraces and a barbecue area – located on the eastern end of the plan, moving through family spaces of the living, dining and kitchen areas in the centre, to the bedrooms on the western side.

The planted patios are framed in floor-to-ceiling panes of glass, allowing views through the home.

"At the far end lies the main bedroom, which overlooks the rest of the house and includes an exterior bathroom protected by a slatted wood screen that shields the west-facing facade from the sun," the studio said.

"The result is both functional and climatically effective."

The steel framework is elevated above the ground to enhance ventilation.

Warm wooden cladding fills in the framework as vertical boards and screens.

The standard-sized materials optimised cost and construction. A concrete walkway, raised just one step above the ground, connects the various outdoor spaces and separates the house from the lawn and gravel driveway.

"Exterior colors and materials – mainly wood – were selected to blend into the natural surroundings, while white interiors reflect light and enhance brightness," the studio said.

A minimised interior palette with – soft white walls, natural wood floors, black metal accents and framed wooden doorways – emphasises spatial flow and the home's light, which was seen as a material itself, the studio explained.

"The combination of a compact, efficient plan with a strong compositional gesture – the lucarna – gives the house a distinct identity while remaining simple and cost-conscious," the studio said.

Other homes recently constructed that centre around skylights include a California home with an underground workshop by Ogawa Fisher Architects, a rural New Zealand home with large circular openings in the roof by Kenshaw McArthur and the renovation of a 1960s Oregon house by SHED Architecture & Design.

The photography is by Marcos Zegers.

Project Credits:

Architecture: Paralelo Transversal
Lead architects: Sebastián Silva, Matías Baeza
Construction: Constructora Dewman
Collaborators: Juan Pablo Peró

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A series of white pointed-dome classrooms cluster around curved paths at the Al Fanar School in Dubai, designed by local architecture studio Emkaan to nurture creativity among students.

Located in the Nab Al Sheba neighbourhood, the concrete dome classrooms were grouped in twos, threes or fours around winding paths that curve around planted gardens and play areas.

Emkaan designed the school with a fluid and organically shaped layout with no rigid lines or sharp corners, aiming to encourage exploration and foster creativity and learning in students.

The studio drew from arched and domed shapes found in Islamic architecture when designing the classrooms, and the school's curving layout was informed by the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui and the swimming patterns of koi fish.

"The primary design goal was to create an inclusive and inspiring environment that reflects Dubai's cultural diversity while fostering resilience and creativity among students," Emkaan founder Muhammad Obaid told Dezeen.

"Every curve and space was envisioned as a universal language of inclusivity, nurturing students both emotionally and intellectually."

"The koi fish, a symbol of perseverance and growth, deeply informed the design," Obaid continued. "The master plan unfolds in a spiral reminiscent of the koi's journey, representing resilience, adaptability, and the nurturing embrace of life's beginnings."

The concrete buildings at the Al Fanar School are entered through pointed arch doorways.

Inside the lofty classrooms, circular skylights form rings around the tips of the domes, creating patterns of natural light as the sun's position changes throughout the day.

"Architecture itself becomes part of the learning process," said Obaid. "Dome openings allow students to observe the rhythm of the sun, connecting them to nature and the universe."

"Interconnected spaces encourage collaboration, while natural light and organic forms stimulate curiosity and creativity," he continued.

"The architecture stands as a living lesson in resilience, adaptability, and vision – values at the core of education."

As well as classrooms and play areas, the Al Fanar School contains administrative buildings and community facilities.

Emkaan worked with local nature activity group Natura Tribe on the school's landscaping and an on-site educational farm, which contains vegetable patches and spaces for chickens and tortoises.

Other schools that have recently been featured on Dezeen include a learning centre in Indonesia made from bamboo and a colourful school in India punctuated with numerous square cutouts.

The photography is courtesy of Emkaan.

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The industrial character of a former warehouse has been playfully subverted to create this multipurpose events space in Madrid, Spain, designed by local architecture practice Burr Studio.

Named Patio, the transformation of the former storage facility into a venue for artistic productions, events and residencies is defined by a bright yellow entrance area, textured render walls and circular skylights.

For local practice Burr Studio, the retrofit forms part of a wider project called Elements for Industrial Recovery, which seeks to protect and revitalise the many disused industrial spaces in Madrid.

"Over the past three decades, industrial activity in central Madrid has steadily diminished, reaching a point where it has virtually disappeared," said the studio.

"As a result, urban industrial buildings have become obsolete – too large for local commerce, too costly for industry, too constrained by regulations for recreational use, and financially unappealing to younger generations inheriting family businesses."

"Elements for Industrial Recovery explores urban and architectural tools to retain these structures in a context that otherwise incentivises their disappearance," it added.

The client's own artistic practice, based on ideas of "perceptual distortion", informed Burr Studio's design approach, which sees a layered series of walls, openings and sliding doors inserted within the shell of the original warehouse building.

Two larger volumes, defined by the studio as "spatial anchors", mark the beginning and end of the route through the updated space.

Next to the entrance, a bold yellow volume containing bathrooms, storage and mechanical spaces projects into a kitchen and dining area, with stainless steel counters and blue and red furniture completing the primary colour palette.

At the far end of the space, the second of these volumes is a large timber storage unit that helps partially enclose a more private room that can be used as live-in accommodation during artist residencies.

In between, the centre of Patio is defined by a looser organisation of studio and events spaces, with the rendered walls stopping short of the large pitched roof, which has been punctured by circular skylights.

Along one edge, a strip of open space in between the warehouse and the neighbouring building has been turned into a linear courtyard filled with potted plants.

"The key to preserving these spaces lies in hybrid uses," said the studio.

"These industrial buildings cannot be understood rigidly; they require a more fluid approach to occupancy that takes advantage of their spatial qualities while balancing the costs of adaptation," it added.

"Regularly spaced openings combine fixed glass panels with overlapping sliding doors, creating a seamless interplay of transparency and reflection."

"The roof's continuity is preserved as a defining element, visible from any point in the space and strategically perforated to bring natural light into key areas," it continued.

Other industrial conversions include the transformation of a warehouse and office in Porto into a home by Fala Atelier and a concrete Colorado sports facility that was turned into an arts hub.

The photography is by Maru Serrano.

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Staggered courtyards, colourful skylights and bridges animate this Indian school extension, which architecture practice Spacefiction Studio has designed to challenge the typical "constricted classroom format".

Located in the small town of Nellore in the state of Andhra Pradesh, the Rainbow International School has been expanded by Spacefiction Studio to accommodate its growing student population.

Spacefiction Studio was commissioned for the project by the non-profit organisation Wishwas Education Society, which purchased a two-hectare parcel of land next door to the existing school to design the three-storey block.

The studio's design is organised around a central spine that divides the plan into a north and south wing, and features bridges crossing on multiple levels.

Instead of a traditional four-walled classroom, the Hyderabad-based studio was guided by the ancient Indian gurukul education model, which is characterised by the image of a guru teaching under the shade of a large tree.

"The whole design started from the idea that the typical four-walled, constricted classroom format should be rethought and every classroom, irrespective of the floor it is located on, must have access to an open area," said Spacefiction Studio's principal architect Baba Sashank.

To ensure a less hierarchical pedagogical style, classrooms are open with an element of outside space. Even students on the higher floors share large, double-height courtyards with walls and ceilings painted terracotta red and sunny yellow.

The studio has staggered the building's south wing to protect the lower floors from the high southern sun and provide a comfortable interior environment in Nellore's hot and humid climate. This created large double-height columns that have been left exposed along the length of the atrium.

The elongated central spine of the building forms an air passage, funnelling a breeze through the school and cooling the building without the need for air conditioning.

"This adds an element of liveliness to an already lively environment," said Shashank. "Because of this constant wind flow, the humidity has no chance to linger, and the inside ambient temperature is always a lot cooler than the outside."

Large cut-outs in the roof bring light in from the top, and these have also been finished in yellow and red hues. They are sealed from rain with glass over trusses on top, and aluminium underneath to reduce heat gain.

Underneath these skylights, large planters run the length of the school and are filled with tropical greenery.

Rainbow International School's flooring is predominantly made of locally sourced Kota stone, interspersed with granite. This cool-toned green kota and grey granite set off the brighter colours used around the courtyards and skylights.

Other recent education projects featured on Dezeen include architect Jonathan Mizzi's learning centre for a school in Indonesia and Indian studio Vastushilpa Sangath's Shiv Nader School that features a banana-leaf shaped roof.

The photography is by Vivek Eadera.

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Architecture firm AMASA Estudio has added a variety of teal-coloured metal elements, from a spiral staircase to a cylindrical skylight, while renovating Casa Sofia, a 1940s house in Mexico City.

Casa Sofia, located in the city's Roma neighbourhood, has undergone several interventions since it was built and was most recently used as offices.

AMASA Estudio's redevelopment of the derelict structure came amid a high demand for real estate in the vibrant area.

"This demand, coupled with zoning restrictions that often prevent further development, has led to an increasing number of abandoned houses in Roma, left vacant as part of real estate speculation," said the studio.

"Consequently, the property had been unoccupied for approximately 10 years, presenting the challenge of revitalising its original essence while adapting it to contemporary needs, and demonstrating how integrating modern elements can breathe new life and functionality into the area's historic buildings," the studio added.

Instead of turning the building into a single-family home, a decision was made to create a ground-floor apartment with optional commercial space in the garage.

The main residence then occupies the first floor and above, with an upside-down layout that sees the private spaces lower down than the communal area on top.

"This approach preserved the house while maximising its utility, offering not just a residence but also a potential business model," the studio said.

The street-level entrance vestibule is lined with grey plaster that matches the exterior and leads to the three different components of the building.

To the left, the apartment includes one bedroom, a bathroom, a living-dining room, a kitchen and a patio.

The garage-cum-commercial space is on the left, featuring a large double door that opens to the sidewalk and a separate bathroom for employee use if needed.

A teal-coloured staircase begins as a straight flight before switching into a spiral shape as it ascends through the building.

On the first floor, a central corridor provides access to three bedrooms and two bathrooms – one of which is decorated with yellow tiles.

The uppermost level is completely open plan, allowing future occupants to arrange their living space as desired.

Light pours into this space through glazing installed in the gables, a strip of clerestory windows that connects the split roof planes, and a wall of glass doors that fold back to connect with the terrace.

An additional cylindrical skylight directly above the staircase sends more light down to the spaces below.

"The light primarily enters from above, creating a sheltered and intimate atmosphere on the lower levels, further enhanced by the chosen colour palette and finishes," said the studio.

A shade of pale teal green was used for all of the metal work, including the structural and window frames, doors, staircase, railings and skylight.

The kitchen millwork was coloured in the same hue, which complements the oriented-strand board (OSB) covering the living area ceiling.

"The reflections [on the metal], accentuated by the light, harmoniously contrast with the grey plaster walls, creating a dynamic and cohesive aesthetic," AMASA Estudio said.

Principals Agustín Pereyra and Andrea López founded their firm in 2016, and earlier this year repaired a communal pavilion for a social housing block.

Amongst other recently repurposed residences in Mexico City are the house and studio of iconic Mexican architect Max Cetto, which was used to stage a contemporary design exhibition in February, and a 1920s home that was converted into a recording studio.

The photography is by Zaickz Moz.

Project credits:

Architecture office: AMASA Estudio, Andrea López and Augustín Pereyra
Team: Cesar Huerta, Gerardo Reyes
Construction: Erik Cortés Ortega
Restructuring engineering: Juan Felipe Heredia
Installation engineering: Germán Muñoz

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Local studio Ogawa Fisher Architects has completed a wedge-shaped California house with skylights, board-formed concrete walls, and a submerged workshop with a functioning car lift.

The House of Light and Shadow spans 7,600 square feet (706 square metres) in Los Altos, California. Ogawa Fisher Architects, which is based in nearby Palo Alto, wanted to "balance the interplay of natural light and materials" in its design of the house.

"It is a modern sanctuary on a suburban cul-de-sac – a secret oasis for a family with a passion for design, functionality and sustainability," the studio said.

The form was driven by the wedge shape of the site, which disallowed the architect studio from going with a structure centred on the parcel – it would create residual space without a proper yard.

Instead, the team staggered three volumes that minimised the home's frontage to respond to the neighbourhood fabric, while maximising space and preserving nearly all of the trees on site.

The southern form is composed of a rectangular bar shape that aligns a large primary suite with a home office. The northern block holds a divided garage and a secondary bedroom.

"By fanning out the bedrooms along the sides of the property, a long and generous rear yard emerged, with an opportunity for each space to have a secluded outdoor area designed for reflection and rejuvenation," the team said.

The intermediary space – an entry that steps up into a great room with an open kitchen, dining and living space – bridges the wings and opens the public areas to a patio yard through large sliding glass doors.

"The open-plan great room serves as the heart of the home, fostering togetherness with its bright, airy design," the studio said. "Expansive windows and skylights draw in sunlight, while deep overhangs and automated shades create a dance of light and shadow that shifts throughout the day."

The design emphasises the transitions between communal and private space with changes in light and material. A monumental board-formed wall divides the great room from the bedroom bar and guides light from a skylight into an open-tread staircase with the help of a glazed railing.

While the upper level is divided into thirds, the basement level is split in half. The southern portion contains an additional suite, office, entertainment room and storage, while the northern half contains an expansive workshop.

Midway through pandemic-era construction, the owner opted not to rent a separate commercial space for his design and engineering work. Instead, the team installed a double-height subterranean studio complete with a custom telescoping car lift that rises to the garage and a rolling, glass garage door that raises to access a sunken courtyard bringing light in from above.

The underground aspect opens into a submerged patio[/caption]

Other recently completed California houses include a blocky, fire-resistant residence in Malibu by Lorcan O'Herlihy, a chiseled stone house by Field Architecture that overlooks Big Sur and a glazed 1973 Ray Kappe design remodelled by OWIU Design.

The photography is by Joe Fletcher.

Project credits:

Architecture: Ogawa Fisher Architects
Project teams: Hiromi Ogawa , Lynn Fisher, Cristian Figueroa, Anna Zamora, Catherine Nelson
Contractor: MN Builders
Structural engineer: BKG Structural Engineers
MEP: Monterey Energy Group
Geotechnical: Romig Engineers
Civil: Precision Engineering

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Steven Holl Architects has utilised plywood interiors and playful details for Hudson L-House, a home for a client with an extensive design collection, including a 1910 Frank Lloyd Wright light fixture.

L-House is located in the small city of Hudson, New York and takes its name from its L shape, which conforms to the in-fill site. It was designed for the design collector and gallerist Mark McDonald.

Clad in thin, custom-made aluminium panels, the house slopes down from its zenith on the street-facing aspect, wrapping around a small courtyard. This courtyard is separated from the driveway by a concrete wall designed by Steven Holl Architects (SHA) to display a rare 1910 light fixture design by Wright.

The exterior-facing facades have panelling rendered in matte white, while the walls wrapping the courtyard are blue-green.

Its facade and shape were designed to be industrial on one hand and a conceptual reinterpretation of vernacular on the other. The sky monitor on the roof is a nod to dormers, while the form of the home resembles a cross-section of a gabled volume.

"It offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the horizontal wood siding typical of Hudson's traditional homes," studio founder Steven Holl and partner Dimitra Tsachrelia told Dezeen.

"Rather than mimic historic forms, the house abstracts elements like dormers, gables, and porches – preserving their spatial rhythm while expressing them through a modern material palette and detail language."

Industrial materials were continued on the inside, with birch plywood panelling covering most of the interior, providing a neutral backdrop for the collectible design objects by designers and architects Rudolf Schindler, Richard Meier, and Isamu Noguchi, among others.

The main entrance at the front of the house leads directly into the kitchen area. In the centre of the kitchen is an island with a wooden cover concealing the stove and sink, designed by SHA to be a "place for gathering and a stage for objects".

From here, the space expands out into a double-height living room framed by plywood built-in bookshelves and centered around a small table. Around the table, Komed chairs by Australian designer Marc Newson provide a pop of colour against the wooden interiors and polished-concrete flooring.

At the elbow of the L shape is a protruding bathroom with concrete walls on the inside, which acts as a "spatial hinge" between the living room and the studio space on the short leg of the home.

Here, the playful windows that feature throughout the home are brought to eye level, with a tinted window leading to the interior and another facing outside towards the garden. This scheme brings additional light into the living area.

The bedroom was lofted above the kitchen and is accessed by a switchback staircase. Voids in specific sections of the case were covered with semi-translucent glass to provide privacy while allowing light to come in.

In the bedroom, large and small windows were stacked to "support both intimacy and orientation" – a method also used elsewhere in the house.

A catwalk extends from the bedroom, over the living space, giving access to the operable skylight monitor.

"Though compact in size, this live-work residence is rich in spatial moments – an embodiment of urban connection, ecological sensitivity, and the enduring joy of modern design," said Holl and Tsachrelia.

According to the studio, the project follows a growing trend towards design culture in the area, with SHA increasing its work in the area with the opening of its office near its archive in Rhinebeck.

"By bridging collectible furniture with built form, the project contributes to the local design discourse and enriches the town’s cultural identity," said Holl and Tsachrelia.

"It functions not only as a residence but also as a cultural statement, reaffirming Hudson's place as a center for design appreciation and creative exchange."

Holl is one of the United States' best-known architects, with projects ranging from a contemporary art museum in Virginia to a health centre in Shanghai.

He has been outspoken in recent years in politics, recently condemning the pro-classical federal mandates executed by US president Donald Trump.

The photography is by Paul Warchol.

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An oversized, corrugated metal roof punctured by a large circular skylight crowns this home in rural New Zealand, by architecture studio Keshaw McArthur.

Called Openfield House, the family home was designed with sliding external walls to enjoy a close connection with the surrounding mountains of New Zealand's Crown Range.

Drawing on the agricultural buildings in the area, Keshaw McArthur worked with UK studio Matheson Whiteley as concept design partners to create an "unfussy and honest design".

This informed both a simple material palette of concrete, metal and timber, and an almost entirely open-plan interior that opens to the landscape via full-height sliding glass door and timber screens.

"The family home is designed as a vehicle for living within the natural context, a curated dialogue between organic and inorganic, a celebration of authentic connection to the earth," explained the studio.

"A square plan and corrugated roof reference historical structures of the region – such as miners' huts and agricultural sheds – with a rationalised grid to facilitate the opening and closing of interior spaces around the needs of the occupants," it continued.

"It is an unfussy and honest design response, sympathetic to the powerful energy of the land, underpinned by the poetic notion of connecting people to their human experience."

The square plan of Openfield House was loosely divided by two exposed concrete volumes.

One volumes houses a fireplace in the living area, while the other delineates the dining and kitchen area – as well as areas of full-height storage that offer privacy to the bedroom.

The structural concrete elements were pulled away from the home's edge to create an open space around the perimeter, informed by a Japanese engawa or verandah, which opens onto outdoor areas sheltered by the large roof eaves.

Around the base of the home, a low concrete upstand supports a track system for sliding glass doors and slatted timber screens that allow for the close control of sunlight and ventilation.

"Layered with these intricate systems, the purity of the plan is given substance through elements of architectural expression," said the studio.

"When open, the concrete upstand remains while the joinery stows precisely adjacent, at once becoming a fixture of the wall itself, blurring the distinction between the permanent and dynamic."

A single-flight staircase leads to an additional bedroom and bathroom tucked beneath the roof of Openfield House.

In this space, a large circular skylight has been positioned low enough to frame distant views of the mountains.

Elsewhere in New Zealand, agricultural references also informed The Chodge, a double-skinned, polycarbonate home in South Waikato that was recently completed by DCA Architects of Transformation.

The photography is by Biddi Rowley and Samuel Hartnett.

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Seattle studio SHED Architecture & Design has renovated a 1960s house designed by American architect Saul Zaik on a forested site overlooking Mount Hood in Portland, Oregon.

Originally built in 1963, the Mori House ushered in a new era in 2024. Its renovation honours Zaik's design while catering to the clients' modern minimalist style.

Zaik designed the house on a steep slope with the entrance sequence climbing down the slope. The north side of the house is open to the views – a hallmark of Pacific Northwest regional style that worked to integrate the landscape with natural materials and light.

"We inherited a great and unique structure, and the primary driver for the project engaged the principle of addition through subtraction," Robert Arlt, architect at SHED Architecture & Design, told Dezeen.

The square, 345-square-metre (3,715-square-foot) house is centred around a skylight at the peak of the hip roof form.

"Given the task to reconfigure the circulation, remove the loft, and maximise natural light, the question we kept coming back to during the design investigation was how do we do that so the central skylight can organise and impact every space in the home?" Arlt said.

In order to clarify and expose the skylight, the team relocated functions to the perimeter of the plan, rather than collecting them at the centre.

The team worked to create a clear separation of private and public areas by reconfiguring the existing spiral staircase to a single-turn stair tucked along the southern entry.

"This allowed detailed interventions to engage the existing structure, including the slat screen wrapping the stairwell and primary suite hall to filter the light to the north spaces outside the core," the team said, which added that it emphasised the house's structural nail-laminated wood.

"On the primary level, there isn't a room from which you cannot see and experience the light and in numerous, changing ways throughout the day and seasons."

The renovation also increased the usability of the outdoor deck spaces, particularly on the basement level. The new configuration allows the lower level to open to the outside in two directions, taking advantage of the sloping terrain.

On the interior, the natural material palette links to the surrounding landscape through the exposed structural ceiling of refinished fir.

Meanwhile, the stone tile and volcanic stone countertops complement the ash, cedar, and vertical-grain fir finishes.

Outside, the team replaced the cedar cladding where needed and stained it a dark tone to help the house recede into the site.

SHED Architecture and Design emphasised the sustainability of reuse exemplified in the project.

"The single biggest sustainable aspect of the project is the reuse of the building," the team said.

"Other features include the skylight and other large openings negate the need for artificial lighting and new dense pack insulation throughout, efficient windows, and a new furnace also reduce energy demand."

Other recent residential renovations that SHED has completed include an update to a mid-century home by cartoonist Irwin Caplan, an overhaul inspired by circus tents and Japanese architecture and the conversion of a 1950s adult living facility into a single-family home — all in Seattle.

The photography is by Rafael Soldi.

Project credits:

Original architect: Saul Zaik
Renovating architect: SHED Architecture & Design
Project team: Prentis Hale, Robert Arlt
Contractor: Purch and Holding
Structural engineer: Grummel Engineering

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Czech studio Atelier Hajný has transformed a derelict 1970s stone hut into a metal-clad countryside getaway named Skylight Hut with a trapezoidal roof and warm, wood-lined interiors.

Designed for a married couple seeking an escape from city life, the 38-square-metre house is set on a sloping site in the Savaza River region near Prague, Czech Republic.

Atelier Hajný expanded the existing structure, which had occupied the site for 50 years, upwards by adding a distinctive roof structure.

"The client really wanted to raise the building a little to incorporate an attic bedroom space," Atelier Hajný founder Martin Hajný told Dezeen. "They wanted to utilize the footprint of the building as much as possible, but not make it too confined at the same time."

To turn the hut into a spacious home, the studio stripped its interiors and reduced the enveloping stone walls to a height of 2.4-metres.

On top of the stone walls, a concrete slab supported by load-bearing concrete pillars was added with a two-metre by four-metre load bearing timber frame clad in corrugated metal added above.

The lower level, which is enclosed by honey-coloured stone walls of the original hut, contrasts with the dark-grey metal cladding of the new ground floor and roof.

The lower level contains storage, with a kitchen, bathroom and living area that open up to the adjacent hillside located on the main floor.

A 2.6-metre-high truncated roof topped by a pair of large skylights creates space for a small bedroom above and brings the total height of the house to 7.6 metres.

In addition to complying with a strict height limit of 7.7-metres required by the local authority, the lopsided roof also ensure that existing views were maintained.

"The reason was to minimize height and be considerate of the neighbours, ensuring the roof shape did not disrupt their view of the landscape," said Hagný.

The roof extends beyond the footprint of the original hut, creating an overhang that provides shelter for a patio that overlooks the garden.

Designed to prevent overheating from the southern sun, the overhang's interior is clad in strips of timber to contrast with the near-black external cladding. This motif is continued indoors.

"While the dark exterior helps the building blend into its surroundings, the interior is bright and evokes a classic hut with its predominance of wood," said Hajný.

"The pine plywood used, with its pronounced grain, extends from the ceiling panels to the walls and all furniture. It contrasts with the facade and is practical as it allows more light into the interior."

Atelier Hajný was founded in 2019 by Hajný. The studio has also designed a triangular housing block near Prague, which references rural Czech cabins.

Other homes recently completed in the Czech Republic include a compact family home divided across seven concrete floors and a black-steel villa perched on a hill overlooking Prague.

The photography is by Radek Úlehla.

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Architecture studio Atelier Apeiron has completed the Hengqin Culture and Art Complex in Zhuhai, China.

The 142,560-square-metre building in China's southern city of Zhuhai contains a library, theatre and museum, all topped with a terraced roof garden.

Located next to a green park surrounded by residential towers, the building was designed to integrate three organisations into a single complex.

Atelier Apeiron created a stepped-down form with a rooftop terrace stepping down from 36-meters high to a height of 24 metres facing the waterfront.

The stacked rooftop creates three platforms, offering stunning views to the surrounding nature, and green space for community activities.

The lowest platform is designed as a children's theme park featuring sand pits, play facilities, restaurants, and cafes.

Staff canteens and garden space are located at the middle platform for visitors and employees to rest and relax.

Two spiral staircases invite visitors to the top platform, where they will first meet with a bamboo garden that forms part of a rain garden with a variety of green plants.

Three arches of different shapes on the ground floor, each lead to a hall that serves different function.

"Arches have been embraced as a critical form of architecture since the beginning of time and are prevalent in both eastern and western culture," explained Atelier Apeiron lead architect Yunchao Xu,.

"To create strong structures with available materials, arches have been used to convert shear force in a horizontal direction into vertical force, ensuring that all points of the structure carry a shared load."

The Knowledge Hall with the tallest arch houses a library. The Performance Hall in the middle contains a large open stage and black box theatre, where dance, music, theatre, and opera shows will be performed.

The Exhibition Hall, defined by a series of circular skylights like "cheese holes", will host exhibitions focused on art and science.

The arched ceilings within all three halls were lined with wood and bamboo panels, with the aim of adding warmth to the overall complex.

Glazed skylights within each hall weer designed to allow plenty of natural lighting the spaces.

On the waterfront facade a cantilever shelters a sunken, semicircular plaza that doubles as a stage and auditorium, where weddings, birthday parties and corporate events will be organised.

"Our vision is for the Hengqin Culture and Art Complex to be a vibrant, three-dimensional vertical city that will host millions of tourists each year, as well as a growing community of local residents, while seamlessly connecting with its surrounding environment," added Xu.

Based in Shenzhen, Atelier Apeiron is founded by Xu in 2009 and is a subsidiary of Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research.

Elsewhere in China, Zaha Hadid Architects have completed Beijing's largest convention centre with copper-coloured fluid shapes, while Aedas created an infinity loop-shaped museum in Hangzhou.

The photography is by Shengliang Su, unless stated otherwise.

Project credits:

Lead architect: Yunchao Xu
Designers/Architects team: Jiachuan Qi, Hongrui Liu, Kan Gao, Guohong Li, Zhendong Shi, Jianxuan Chen, Shengjie Zhang, Kun Qian, Kai Liao, Zheng Xu, Zhen Shen
Technical designer CAD: SZAD
Contractors: Zhuhai Gree Construction Investment Co
Constructors: Zhuhai Jianan Group Co
Engineers: SZAD
Interior designers collaborators: Ruan Bin Design
Landscape architects: GVL Green View Landscape Group
Lighting consultant: GD Lightning
Acoustics consultants: Zhongfutai Architecture Construction Co
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning: SZAD

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Parametric forms topped with greenery define this preschool in Andhra Pradesh, India, which has been completed by architecture firm Andblack Design Studio.

Named Cocoon Pre-primary Extension, the preschool was designed as an extension to the existing Bloomingdale International School and has been shortlisted in the education project category for this year's Dezeen Awards.

Aiming to challenge what schools traditionally look like, Andblack Design Studio designed the structure with a playful, curving form to avoid "conventional, box-like classrooms".

"The design at Bloomingdale International School embodies the transformative power of parametric architecture by pushing the boundaries of education and rethinking how school spaces function," studio founder Jwalant Mahadevwala told Dezeen.

"The parametric approach allows for fluid, non-linear spaces that foster creativity and play, while structural ingenuity – such as the undulating roof and seamless spatial integration – blurs the line between learning and play areas."

"By eliminating conventional thresholds between inside and outside, the architecture challenges the notion of rigid educational environments," Mahadevwala said.

Running along the edge of the campus, the 4,000-square-feet structure is cloaked by an undulating roof, which rises to reveal glazed openings along its facade.

In order to create the building's organic form, the roof was built from a primary metal structure and topped with a ferrocement shell, which is punctuated with rounded skylights and finished with artificial grass.

In front of the building, a sunken courtyard follows the site's topography and connects the preschool to the existing campus buildings.

Designed to be an extension of the interior spaces, the landscaped playground also serves as an outdoor classroom and amphitheatre.

"The design blurs the distinction between built space and landscape, allowing both to flow into one another," Mahadevwala said.

"Full-height glass panels and open spaces dissolve visual barriers, while the landscape acts as an extension of the school."

"The artificial grass, combined with the undulating form of the roof, creates the impression of green mounds that seamlessly merge with the surrounding landscape, enhancing the overall connection between the school and its environment," he added.

Inside, the school is organised into four classroom spaces, which are divided by two volumes that host entrance foyers and toilets.

Throughout the spaces, wooden flooring is set off by black metal window frames and fixtures, as well as the black metal of the exposed, gridded roof structure.

Expansively glazed facades and skylights draw light into the spacious interior.

Andblack Design Studio is an architecture firm based in Ahmedabad, India, led by Jwalant Mahadevwala and Kanika Agarwal.

Other educational projects in India recently featured on Dezeen include a renovated school featuring an extensive bamboo canopy in Andhra Pradesh and a "culturally sensitive" timber and rammed earth preschool in Mulbekh.

The photography is by Vinay Panjwani.

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Local studios Atelier Chardonnat and Salem Architecture have renovated and expanded a mid-century modern house in Montreal, dividing the original residence from the addition with a monumental skylight.

Architects Morin & Cinq-Mars originally constructed Residence Ave Duchastel on Mount Royal in the Outremont district in the 1950s, drawing inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright's designs.

Completing the renovation in 2023, Atelier Chardonnat and Salem Architecture worked to honour the historical essence and reestablish a serene retreat in the heart of the city.

"The interventions pay homage to this iconic architect and integrate Japanese and Scandinavian influences, which are highly appreciated by the owners," the team said. "The result is a spacious, welcoming living space that is deeply connected to the natural beauty of the surrounding forest."

The street side of the house is composed of light-coloured, textured brick and stone with large horizontal slate roofs and bands of windows on the second story that emphasize the original design's horizontality.

The additional volume is located at the back of the house, maintaining proportions and keeping the house in harmony with the neighbourhood.

Primarily glazed, the addition has a strong connection to the outdoors with vertical Ipe wood slats that juxtapose the horizontal brickwork. Tin-coated copper details outline corners and edges.

Inside, a large angled skylight carves through the space, separating the original perimeter from the addition and flooding the interiors with diffused light.

The interiors blend oak flooring with walnut cabinetry and a heavy stone fireplace with thin marble countertops. Shou Sugi Ban burnt wood is paired with a lightweight spiral staircase with a glass railing.

"The imposing height of the cathedral ceiling, paired with textured walls and gentle curves, creates a balance that is both grandiose and soothing," the team said.

Scandinavian design influence negated the inclusion of baseboards and mouldings. The studio opted for clean planes and sinuous lines, as seen in the seamlessly integrated doors that extend the full height of the wall.

Architectural lighting and artworks were carefully selected to continue the toned-down approach.

The landscaping – which blends into the interiors through floor-to-ceiling windows – is a Japanese-inspired Zen garden with lush greenery and multiple water elements in addition to the backyard pool.

A tranquil pond marks the main entrance, a shallow rectangular water feature is set into the rear deck next to the sunken lounge area and a fountain sits in the side courtyard. River pebbles and planted thyme enhance the serenity of the garden.

With a blend of mid-century principles, Japanese design, and Scandinavian influences, the house is "a modern and welcoming residence that imbues a sense of well-being through the finesse of the design team's choices and the diligent execution of every detail".

Other recent renovations nearby include Ménard Dworkind's addition of a sculptural mezzanine into a 1980s home and Talo Studios introduction of "Japandi" interior elements into a 100-year-old Mount Royal house.

The photography is by Adrien Williams.

Project credits:

Architecture: Salem Architecture + Atelier Chardonnat
Interior design: Atelier Chardonnat
General contractor: Construction Archetype
Structural engineer: HBGC + Habitat-Fix
Landscaping: Collaboration le Paysagiste, Boutique Vivace et Atelier Chardonnat
Domotic: Environnement Électronique
Electrical: Electric Eel inc.
Fine woodworking: Élément Bois
Marble: Atelier Stone Age
Kitchen: Key Cucine Pure Cuisine
Kitchen stone: Casone
Faucets: CEA
Wrought metals and staircase: Félix Lepage Design
Windows: Josko
Living room skylight: A.D. Prévost
Fireplace: Norea
Concrete bathtub: Balux
Staircase lighting fixture: Bocci
Living room sofa: Meubles Reno
Living room lighting fixture: Davide Groppi

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For our latest lookbook, we've gathered eight home interiors and exteriors that are crowned by circular openings and skylights.

While often used to draw daylight into interior spaces, openings may also provide unexpected visual connections between a home's spaces or – as shown in a project below – offer a structural frame through which trees can grow.

Breaking free from the often rectilinear layout of a home, circular openings can add a sense of intrigue to an interior, while also casting dramatic rounded shadows across a space.

Included among this list of projects is a holiday home in Tulum where a round window provides views of a swimming pool above and a series of homes in Puerto Escondido featuring circular openings cut into their slanted concrete roofs.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors that are stepped up by the addition of ladders, eclectic self-designed homes by architects and designers and living rooms characterised by bold statement rugs.

Pink House, Vietnam, by 23o5studio

Pink pebble-wash walls, geometric openings and planted patios define this home in Long Xuyen, Vietnam, by 2305studio.

A large circular opening filters light over the ground-floor swimming pool and is topped with a planted balcony.

Find out more about Pink House ›

Jae Haala, Indonesia, by Wiyoga Nurdiansyah Architects

This holiday home designed by Wiyoga Nurdiansyah Architects in a forested valley in Indonesia features an angular form made from dark-coloured concrete.

The home's living space is a covered garden, which is filled with plants and topped with a circular void that draws in natural light.

Find out more about Jae Haala ›

Puerto Escondido, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy

Architect Ludwig Godefroy cut circular openings into the slanted, concrete ceilings of a series of homes in Puerto Escondido.

The openings create cave-like interiors with partially exposed pools and gardens that remain open to the elements throughout the year.

Find out more about Puerto Escondido ›

Villa Cava, Mexico, by Espacio 18 Arquitectura

A circular window reveals views of an above swimming pool within this holiday home designed by Espacio 18 Arquitectura.

Located in Tulum, the concrete Villa Cava draws on brutalist architecture and is encased by the area's surrounding greenery.

Find out more about Villa Cava ›

Halo House, Indonesia, by Tamara Wibowo Architects

Local studio Tamara Wibowo Architects integrated a series of circular voids and skylights into this home in Semarang, Indonesia.

Large cutouts in the home's flat concrete roof provide spaces for trees to grow through the structure, while thinner circular skylights provide lighting on the interior.

Find out more about Halo House ›

Round House, US, by Feldman Architecture

American firm Feldman Architecture took a respectful approach while overhauling this 1960s circular house perched on a hillside near Silicon Valley.

Modifications made to the floor plan included replacing an internal courtyard with a circular kitchen, which is lit by a round skylight above.

Find out more about Round House ›

La Casa de los Olivos, Spain, by Balzar Arquitectos

Red-hued lime mortar coats La Casa de los Olivos, which Spanish studio Balzar Arquitectos added to an olive grove in Valencia, Spain.

The home's living area connects to a porch, which is sheltered by an overhang punctuated by a circular skylight.

Find out more about La Casa de los Olivos ›

Sofie, Belgium, by Madam Architectuur

A green-tiled extension built on a green-hued concrete base was added to this home renovation in Dilbeek, Belgium.

Completed by Madam Architectuur, the extension is complemented by an external terrace, which is sheltered by a roof with a circular opening.

Find out more about Sofie ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors that are stepped up by the addition of ladders, eclectic self-designed homes by architects and designers and living rooms characterised by bold statement rugs..

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Local studio Reigo and Bauer has completed a Toronto house clad in diamond-shaped panels that present a "quiet tension of that contrast" between the cladding's decorative and minimalist qualities.

Called Neville Park, the three-level house sits on a narrow lot in an East End Toronto residential neighbourhood. It is characterised by a tall profile with a sharply sloped rooftop and off-set rows of elongated windows framed by black-painted aluminium casing.

According to Toronto-based studio Reigo and Bauer, the brief was to design a well-connected space for a family of two adults and two children and make it comfortable while catering to the client's "contemporary" taste.

The site slopes from the street to the back of the lot where there lies a thick grove of mature trees, whose form Reigo and Bauer said influenced the final slope of the roof.

But the architecture studio said the form is also practical – the slope allowed for the off-set stacking of floors, so that long windows and steep ceilings create a greater sense of internal space for the second-storey bedrooms.

"The slope of the roof was studied to create pleasing internal volumes while still working within the height limits of the zoning," studio founding partner Merike Bauer told Dezeen.

"The steeper pitch allowed the upstairs rooms with compact footprints to feel lofty and more spacious."

A practical move that also creates visual interest is the half-barrel cut-out on the entry side of the building to make room for the entry steps that begin at the garage level.

Another vertical cut-out on the side was placed around the door and runs the height of the structure.

The negative space on the envelope also created more vertical planes on that side of the building.

Bay windows were placed on the sides and look out from the face at nearly 45-degree angles to avoid direct lines of sight with the neighbouring house.

The diamond-shaped panels that clad most of the exterior carry through the sharp-angled design language of the house. Made of fibre cement, the panels have a grey tone and a scale-like appearance.

According to Bauer, the cladding was chosen because it has both minimalist and decorative qualities.

"The slates provided excellent technical performance, while also representing a very traditional type of roof cladding," said Bauer.

"We're often drawn to traditional materials and methods of construction that can be realized in unconventional applications," she added.

"The diamond shape, for instance, was selected for its decorative nature, yet installed as it is, uniformly over the roof and walls, even the garage door is more minimalist in its first reading. I love the quiet tension of that contrast."

Inside, the angles of the exterior are reflected in curved and faceted ceilings.

The street-facing dining room has windows that run past the ceiling, which has a gap on one side where it meets the wall.

This ceiling plane runs back over the kitchen and to the rear-facing living room, where it curves up to meet with the top of the window panes there, giving the whole primary floor a sloped impression.

The kitchen sits in between the dining and living room and also acts as a passage between the two spaces. To bring in additional light, a series of "pill-shaped" openings were cut between the cabinets on the green-painted wall that runs between the kitchen and the staircase.

More colour was used for the furnishings in the living room, which features a deep-blue Elkin sofa by furniture brand Mobilia. The living room looks out over a fenced backyard.

In the upstairs hallways, angular ceilings and skylights bring in light. The gap seen in the ceiling in the dining room opens up slowly as it leads towards the staircase, creating a double-height space that allows further light to filter downstairs from the skylights. The design gives the upstairs passageway the character of a mezzanine.

The centre of the second-storey plan holds bathrooms with doors facing towards the bedrooms on the periphery. Above this central volume, another void has been included between it and the roof plane.

The bedrooms are also characterised by sloped, angular ceilings as they stack within the narrowing roof profile, with the master on the street-facing side and the two smaller children's rooms on the front.

One of the children's bedrooms sits directly under the primary slope, with two stacked windows. The other has a single rear-facing window and a window provided by the vertical cut-out on the southside of the envelope.

Another bathroom was placed on the garage level below grade.

Other recently completed houses in Toronto include one by Partisans with a "pixelated" brick facade and a "raw and unvarnished" prefabricated home.

The photography is by Doublespace Photography.

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Spanish studio H Arquitectes has completed Casa 1736, a house in Barcelona with "robust and monolithic" walls formed of tactile poured concrete.

The challenge of the design was to provide the three-storey home with sufficient ventilation and daylight, due to its deep plot bordered by neighbouring buildings.

To achieve this, H Arquitectes created a skylit, triple-height atrium at the home's centre that is framed by concrete columns and balconies above.

"The project begins with the challenge of qualifying the centre, prioritising it and turning it into the best place in the house," explained the studio.

"It is a wide plot that allows the possibility of recovering traditional typologies of interior patio or atrium, where the centre of the house becomes the best space in the house, the most representative and the one that indirectly qualifies the rest of the spaces that surround it," it continued.

The central atrium separates the more compartmentalised front of Casa 1736, which contains the bathrooms and bedrooms, from its open living and kitchen spaces at the rear.

Almost half of the plot is occupied by a large walled garden at the back of the site, accessed via large folding doors in the kitchen that also help to ventilate the home.

Casa 1736's first-floor living room and additional bedrooms on the second floor overlook the garden from a steel-framed balcony, sheltered from the sun by rollable wooden blinds split into thin vertical strips.

"The hierarchy between rooms is used to absorb the strong irregularity of the plot and solve all the spaces in a regular and orthogonal way in the main pieces," explained H Arquitectes.

"The main pieces always maintain the same position and dimension on all floors, while the complementary pieces vary, adapting and occupying the interstitial and irregular space left between the main pieces," it added.

The structure of Casa 1736 was created using layers of poured concrete mixed with different sands and gravels, which achieves a finish reminiscent of rammed earth.

Exposed throughout, this layered and textured concrete is complemented by timber ceilings in the main spaces, as well as timber doors, window frames, furniture and storage.

"[The concrete] is a very robust and monolithic solution with a lot of thermal inertia but at the same time porous enough to help regulate and stabilise the temperature, humidity and acoustics of the spaces," explained H Arquitectes.

"The ceilings of the main spaces are always as high as possible and made of wood in order to differentiate them as much as possible from the complementary spaces, which are entirely mineral spaces excavated within the walls," it added.

Based in Sabadell, H Arquitectes was founded in 2000 by David Lorente, Josep Ricart, Xavier Ros and Roger Tudó.

Previous projects by the studio include the extension of a 19th-century home in Barcelona and a house with a facade of sliding polycarbonate panels.

The photography is by Adrià Goula.

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Lumpy recycled plastic furniture and circular skylights characterise this sunken London house, which designer James Shaw concealed on a 60-square-metre plot for himself and his family.

Located in a conservation area in east London, the two-storey dwelling was constructed by Shaw and his friend, architect Nicholas Ashby.

The neighbourhood's planning restrictions required the pair to build all but 2.7 metres of the building out of sight from the street level, resulting in a sunken home with a large basement invisible from the outside.

An open-plan kitchen, living and dining area feature in this underground space, which has exposed concrete walls interrupted by large, floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto a small terrace with a dinky plunge pool.

Shaw and his writer-curator wife Lou Stoppard chose eclectic interiors for the home they share with their baby daughter – a collaboration that began with the duo's 2022 London Design Festival installation of clashing furniture, created to poke fun at the tensions that arise when couples move in together for the first time.

Made by Shaw, the pear-shaped walnut table from the installation features in the living area, surrounded by spindly stacking chairs first designed by furniture brand Blå Station founder Börge Lindau in 1986.

A custom aluminium bookshelf stretches across the wall opposite the table, built by Shaw to fit the unusual space. The designer also squeezed a bespoke burnt orange sofa into one of the irregular corners, illuminated by a large circular skylight.

Known for his Plastic Baroque furniture made from recycled and extruded HDPE, Shaw placed a lumpy two-tone blue lounge chair next to the sofa – another piece that featured in his previous installation.

Opposite the living and dining area, the rectilinear kitchen cabinets were finished in veneered MDF, while the fridge was also fitted with a knobbly plastic handle.

Stainless steel and pale blue HIMACS make up the worktops – one of which is on wheels to allow for flexibility when hosting.

Across the basement, a combination of oak finger parquet and raised-access metal tiles were used to create contrasting flooring. The silver-hued tiles can be lifted to reveal extra storage.

Also underground, the bathroom was designed with a playfully patterned mosaic floor informed by the work of Bauhaus artist Anni Albers, including an abstract illustration of the couple's cat, Rupert.

The mirrored bathtub reflects and enhances the intricate flooring, while another rounded skylight adds natural light to the space.

An extruded blue plastic bannister snakes up the staircase to the bedroom – the only street-level room in the house.

The Shaw-designed oak and brass bed features bedposts topped with squiggly pear-shaped sculptures, while the thin timber wardrobe was hand-painted with decorative panels by artist Marie Jacotey, who completed the project on-site.

Stoppard's vast art collection features throughout the sunken home, including delicate paintings by emerging artists Lydia Blakely and Mary Stephenson and antique artefacts from various travels.

Elsewhere in London, Shaw's trademark plastic furniture has also been used for retail projects. Footwear brand Camper's Regent Street store includes bumpy yellow shelving by the designer, and a Traid charity clothes shop in Shepherd's Bush has a wiggly bench upholstered in unsold clothes salvaged from the Traid warehouse.

The photography is courtesy of James Shaw and Lou Stoppard. 

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Residential kitchens illuminated by skylights are the focus of this lookbook, which includes homes everywhere from Australia to Mexico and Japan.

A popular feature in many contemporary kitchens, skylights are typically used to maximise natural light in rooms that sit below ground or in the depths of a plan.

However, they are also helpful for saving valuable wall space in areas for food preparation, leaving more room for cabinets and shelving, or they can simply be installed to create a focal point.

The eight examples below show how skylights can be made in all shapes and sizes to enhance and brighten kitchens in any style.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring exposed structural ceiling beams, clerestory windows and nightclub interiors.

The Maker's Barn, UK, by Hutch Design

A square-shaped skylight casts light over the glossy tiled kitchen in The Maker's Barn, a home that Hutch Design created on the site of a concrete pig shed near London.

The soft light from overhead enhances the warm and tactile finish of the space, which is finished with wooden cabinetry and a mix of rough terracotta and wooden floor tiles.

Find out more about The Maker's Barn ›

Bismarck House, Australia, by Andrew Burges Architects

Rather than opting for a traditional square skylight, Andrew Burges Architects punctured the ceiling of the Bismarck House's kitchen with a curved sheet of glazing.

It follows the shape of the undulating first floor above and helps brighten the industrial aesthetic of the room, which pairs utilitarian tiles with exposed brick walls and concrete flooring.

Find out more about Bismarck House ›

Montauk House, USA, by Desciencelab

Desciencelab slotted rectangular skylights across the pitched roof of Montauk House, maximising natural light in the teak-lined cooking and dining area below it.

The light drawn in through the glazing bounces off the white-painted ceiling, helping to distribute it around the open-plan room, which also contains a lounge area.

Find out more about Montauk House ›

House VO and House WO, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy

This kitchen skylight has been carved into the sculptural concrete form of a Mexican house designed by Ludwig Godefroy.

It helps to illuminate the kitchen counters, which would otherwise be lowly lit due to their position below ground level.

Find out more about House VO and House WO ›

Yamaguchicho House, Japan, by Slow

Exposed concrete walls form a backdrop to this black kitchen, which is partially lit by angled, fluted skylights on one side.

This was designed by Slow to provide the owners with ample light while cooking, due to the Japanese house having a mostly windowless exterior for privacy.

Find out more about Yamaguchicho House ›

Walled Garden, UK, by Nimtim Architects

Nimtim Architects placed skylights to one side of this kitchen, which sits deep in the plan of a townhouse it has extended in London.

The square panes are framed by Douglas fir beams and filter just enough light to brighten the space while retaining the cosy, earthy quality achieved through a palette of exposed brickwork, rough plaster and concrete flooring.

Find out more about Walled Garden ›

Brunswick Apartment, Australia, by Murray Barker and Esther Stewart

Murray Barker and Esther Stewart kept it simple for the skylight in this kitchen, opting for a square-shaped design that sits above the dining table.

It helps light up the space that would otherwise have little natural light, due to its other windows sitting close to a brick wall and reducing the amount that can filter inwards.

Find out more about Brunswick Apartment ›

Malibu beach house, USA, by Sophie Goineau

In Malibu, Sophie Goineau has renovated a family beach house to allow more light in. In the kitchen, this involved adding skylights to its wavy roof.

The skylights are partially obscured with ash battens that cloak the entire ceiling, letting in light but blocking out the bright overhead sun.

Find out more about this Malibu beach house ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring exposed structural ceiling beams, clerestory windows and nightclub interiors.

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Chinese studio AIM Architecture has transformed a series of former oil silos in Changzhou into Cotton Park, a mixed-use community space surrounded by a public garden and play areas.

Shanghai-based AIM Architecture was tasked with transforming the hollow silos into a cluster of spaces for the local community to gather and host events.

The four silos remain standing in a row with elements of their weathered-metal forms preserved, serving as a reminder of the area's industrial heritage.

"Our goal was to breathe new life into the city and foster community engagement by establishing a place where people could gather," said AIM Architecture.

"Simultaneously, we aimed to create a versatile place capable of hosting various cultural events and gatherings, enriching the local experience," it added.

To unite the four silos, the studio introduced a straight path that cuts through their large openings.

This path is formed of glazed corridors and open colonnades, which link their cylindrical forms and can be accessed from the surrounding park and play spaces.

Inside, each silo has been given a different treatment to cater for hosting different activities. In two of the silos, the construction of an inner, glasshouse-like structure allows for the internal conditions to be controlled.

One silo has been left almost entirely unchanged, with its weathered-metal walls left exposed and complemented by a stepped red-brick floor that provides seating.

The fourth silo, which houses a restaurant, is also lined with red bricks, a material that was historically transported on barges in the nearby canal.

A stack of circular brick forms at the centre of the two-storey restaurant supports a timber staircase to its upper level, where newly-created windows in the curving walls provide diners with views out across the nearby park.

Each of the Cotton Park silos is illuminated by a large single skylight at the centre of its roof, creating a dramatic ellipse of light that moves throughout the day.

"During our first site visit, a ray of sunlight gracefully descended from the top of the silos, casting a flawless ellipse of light on the stained walls," explained the studio.

"At that moment we realised that the essence of the project lays in preserving the tank walls and harnessing the ethereal lighting from above," it added.

Elsewhere in China, Open Architecture previously converted five aviation fuel containers in Shanghai into a new arts and culture park, connected by a network of underground spaces.

Other recent projects involving repurposed silos include Kunstsilo art gallery in Norway and South Africa's biggest art museum by Thomas Heatherwick.

The photography is by Dirk Weiblen.

Project credits:

Architect: AIM Architecture
Client: Changzhou Cotton Space Retail Co. Ltd.
Design principals: Wendy Saunders, Vincent de Graaf
Team leader: Chris Cheng
Design team: Emilio Wang Chen, Jin Kang, Jo Jiao, Laile Li, Luqian Lin, Zheng Wei
Visualisation: Steve Do, Yan Jiao
FF&E team: Lili Cheng, Weisha Dai
General contractor: Shanghai Dong Yuan Construction & Renovation Co. Ltd.
Structure consultant: Bespoke
Climate consultant: Paul de Vreede
Display supplier: Yangyu Architectural Construction Co. Ltd.
Lighting supplier: Shanghai Lemida Lighting Design & Engineering Co. Ltd.

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For our latest lookbook, we've brought together eight houses from Mexico to Norway featuring pyramidal ceilings that reveal their structure and create a sense of depth.

Similar to domed and vaulted ceilings, pyramidal ceilings have four panes that angle upwards towards a central point. Because of their depth, they often conform to architectural elements visible on the exterior of a structure.

The ceilings can have skylights on their apexes to bring in light and provide a sense of height to structures that are often single-storey.

While it can be rendered in a variety of materials, the feature often conforms to the wall material used throughout the house. Sometimes a building will feature more than one pyramidal ceiling, creating a peak-and-valley effect with interesting light patterns.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring houses that have vaulted ceilings and rooms with decorative plasterwork.

Weekend House, Norway, by Line Solgaard Arkitekter

Norweigan architecture studio Line Solgaard Arkiteker created a house that sits under a single zinc-clad pyramidal roof topped with a massive skylight that filters light through the whole home.

Because of the need for room dividers, the pyramid is only viewed in parts, as seen in the living space above with its slanted ceilings clad in stepped oak slats that make its angle even more dramatic.

Find out more about Weekend House ›

Four Roof House, United States, by TW Ryan Architecture

This home in rural Montana features not one but four pyramidal roofs, each with a skylight that casts sunlight on the white-walled interiors – a dramatic contrast with the hardy Corten steel of the exterior.

Because of the potential for overexposure inside, the studio placed reflective panelling below each of the skylights to diffuse the direct sunlight.

Find out more about Four Roof House ›

House at Kilmore, Ireland, by GKMP Architects

Another house with a single pyramidal roof, this home in the Irish countryside was designed to be compact, so the higher roofs made the spaces seem larger and more airy.

Instead of a central skylight, smaller ones were laid out across the four faces of the home and a series of glulam beams were left exposed, as seen in the home's kitchen.

Find out more about House at Kilmore ›

River Bend Residence, United States, by Lake Flato 

This house in Texas has multiple volumes topped with pyramidal skylights, each with its own distinct cladding to create different light environments for different usages.

The home was designed to "sit lightly on the land", so the studio decided to arch the ceilings up to create a sense of cosy height in the gathering and workspaces.

Find out more about River Bend Residence ›

Plover House, United States, by Fuse Architects

Another house that sits under a single pyramidal roof, this California project features a pyramid that rises gradually and terminates at a large skylight at its centre.

The project is a renovation of an existing house, and one of the main objectives was to peel back elements that had blocked the light from the skylight – which sits over the kitchen – from reaching the other living spaces.

Find out more about Plover House ›

The Avocado, Mexico, by Práctica Arquitectura

The house near Monterrey has a structure made almost entirely out of concrete and features a large pyramidal ceiling at its centre, making the dining area a sort of inner sanctum of the otherwise low-lying structure.

Standing 4.5 metres above the floor, this skylight gives the space a sense of depth and the cut-out allows inhabitants to realise the thickness of the concrete that makes up the walls, echoing the forms of ancient pyramids found in the country.

Find out more about The Acovado ›

The Tin House, United Kingdom, by Henning Stummel

This red-clad house in London contains multiple pyramidal forms with skylights in order to create light-filled spaces in a dense part of the city.

In the kitchen, a strip of paint separates the red panelling of the walls from the plaster pyramidal ceiling, adding a sense of elongation and depth to the space.

Find out more about The Tin House ›

Hollowed Out House, Australia, by Tribe Studio

Instead of conforming exactly to the shape of the roof the pyramidal ceilings in this Sydney house function like voids in the thick roofline.

The interior pyramids stretch upwards in "distorted" angles, allowing light to enter in a way best suited to the site.

Find out more about Hollowed Out House ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring homes with interior windows that maximise light, creative guest rooms that accommodate visitors in style, and home interiors brightened with colourful window frames.

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A series of circular voids and "halo" skylights create spaces for trees to grow through this home in Semarang, Indonesia, which has been completed by local studio Tamara Wibowo Architects.

Named Halo House, the dwelling comprises two gabled, barn-like forms clad in charred wood flanking a central strip of internal and external spaces that sit beneath a flat concrete roof.

A series of circular cut-outs define this central roof. Above the external spaces, large voids open to the elements have been created, forming a canopy for the areas below.

Inside, above the living room and bedroom, only the edges of these circles have been left open to create halo-like skylights.

"These circular voids – or as we call it "halos" – give a strong characteristic to the architecture and spatial experience in the house," explained the studio.

"The halo allows light to penetrate in an interesting form into the house throughout the days and gives shape to the falling rainwater."

At the front of the site, a large paved driveway leads onto a carport between a garage in the single-storey eastern wing and a fully glazed office space in the two-storey wing opposite.

The entrance into the home is tucked between this glazed office and a latticed wooden screen, which gives glimpses of the home's central courtyard while shielding its more private spaces from view.

At the heart of the home is a large dining area, which is lined by full-height, pivoting glass doors to the north and south that open onto courtyards and a swimming pool, providing ventilation through the home and a visual layering of spaces.

"The house is arranged in a way that it creates multiple layers of indoors and outdoors so each room has access to air and light on two sides of the room," said the studio.

"One will experience the swimming pool being in between indoor and outdoor space, as the haloed concrete canopy shelters half of it while the rest is completely open."

Alongside the central dining space is a more intimate living area and guest bedroom, while the main bedroom is afforded the most privacy at the end of the site, where it sits alongside the rear garden.

A staircase in the living area leads up to the second storey of Halo House's western volume, where the children's bedrooms sit shielded by an external cladding of narrow wooden slats.

This second storey opens out onto the central concrete roof, where the enclosed "halos" have been topped with small, circular areas of wild grass.

The eastern block houses the home's service areas, including a wet kitchen and a separate bathroom that is directly accessible from the pool.

Tamara Wibowo founded her eponymous practice in 2015. Previous projects by the studio include a home for Wibowo's own family, also in Semarang, which can be opened to the elements using pivoting glass doors.

The photography is by Andreaswidi. 

Project credits: 

Architect: Tamara Wibowo Architects
Principal architect: Tamara Wibowo
Project architect: Adi Iman Wicaksono
Project designer: Rieza Amalia
General contractor: RAH Contractor
Interior contractor: Ideaform
Electrical subcontractor: Kencana Elektrindo
Lighting solution: H+Works
Pool contractor: Bluepool
Plumbing subcontractor: Rejo Makmur
Steel subcontractor: Metalindo
Airconditioning: Arviatech
Wood contractor: Handpicked by Hend
Aluminium door and window systems: Astral Aluminium and MiLL Aluminium
Concrete flooring: Radja Finishing
Gypsum ceiling: Gypsum Classic
Terazzo flooring: Reflecto
Porcelain tile: Phillip Lakeman
Granite tile: Wisma Sehati and Venustiles
Marble: Stone Gallery
Wood parquette and ceiling: Teka Parquet
Window covering: Prima Jaya Interior
Sanitary fixtures: Kohler, Toto, Hansgrohe
Furniture: Forme Furniture, Fritz Hansen, Knoll, Hay Design, Ethnicraft, Santai Furniture
Lighting: Louis Poulsen, &Tradition, Luceplan, Tom Dixon

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Local practice Slow has created a family home in Nagoya, Japan, which has a raw exterior of blackened wood and corten steel topped with an overhanging pitched roof.

Occupying a slightly raised corner plot bordered by roads, Slow gave the home, named Yamaguchicho House, an almost windowless exterior for privacy, making use of skylights to illuminate its "healing", sanctuary-like interiors.

Fronted by a sloping garden that wraps around the building to create external paths, the entrance to Yamaguchicho House is set within a box of corten steel.

Organised across a single storey, the home centres around a combined living, dining and kitchen space, which steps up to two bedrooms in the home's slightly raised western end.

Dividing these two sides of the home is a central bathroom, wrapped by exposed concrete walls that double as the backdrop to the kitchen counters in the living area.

"We put a concrete box inside a wooden box and divided it into three layers: gathering, plumbing, and private space, and connecting these spaces with ceilings and glass," Slow founder Michitaro Kondo told Dezeen.

"We connected the spaces so that you can see the presence of your family no matter where you are in the room."

An elevated storage unit in black wood divides the living area from a narrow, skylit entrance space, providing illumination that is spread throughout the home by the high pitched roof.

At the southern end of the living area, a large, horizontal window overlooks the road, sheltered from sunlight and overlooking by a row of small trees in the garden.

Beneath the exposed wooden roof, a small mezzanine area is accessed via a slender, black steel ladder in the living area.

In the bathroom, a shower and bath sit alongside a large window that looks across the steps onto a small courtyard, wrapped by a section of wall clad in charred cedar.

Throughout, the material finishes in the home have been kept minimal, with white walls contrasting the exposed wood of the roof and concrete of the bathroom.

"Because of its simple hut-like appearance, we used materials such as baked cedar and steel to create a building that was not outlandish but had never been seen in the area before," said Kondo.

Other recently completed homes in Japan that have opted for a minimal approach include the conversion of a century-old home in Shimane into a guesthouse by Studio AMB, and a home in Tokyo designed as "one big room" by IGArchitects.

The photography is by Tololo Studio.

The post Slow uses charred wood to clad "hut-like" home in Japan appeared first on Dezeen.

Local studio Oliver Leech Architects has extended a Victorian terrace house in south London, introducing a four-metre-wide skylight at its centre that offers views of a wildflower meadow roof.

Located in the Poet's Corner conservation area of Herne Hill, the studio was tasked with retaining the late 19th-century building's character while opening up its "disconnected and dark" interiors.

Prioritising natural light, Oliver Leech Architects expanded the ground floor with an open living, dining and kitchen space, which meets the existing building with a large skylight and a window seat overlooking a small courtyard.

"Natural light is the most important theme and design tool that we think about when designing our houses as a studio," founder Oliver Leech told Dezeen.

"Here we used the light to draw you into the house through the darker hallway and towards a huge fixed skylight in the centre of the house."

"We saw this central skylight as the central anchor to the new house, surrounded by all the key spaces," he added.

While the layout of the home's front rooms remains largely the same, they now open into the large new living area, creating an axis through to a concrete and brick patio garden accessed through full-height, sliding glass doors.

The extension itself has been sunken down by 40 centimetres to provide additional ceiling height, with the level change traversed via a set of oak steps beneath the central skylight.

This skylight slopes forward to provide a view of the wildflowers planted on the extension's roof, framed by the lime-washed ceiling that curves around the edges of the window reveal.

In the extension, a second skylight provides additional natural light for the dining table and kitchen, where deep green kitchen counters are finished with veined marble tops.

"This [skylight] has been designed to introduce a slice of sunlight into the dining and kitchen spaces and offers completely different lighting conditions throughout the day," Leech said.

"It is important to connect the house to nature and this is a small way to do this."

A long window bench alongside the dining table provides a space to sit overlooking a stepped brick flower bed, leading from the sunken concrete patio to a paved brick seating area at the end of the garden.

On the first floor, two smaller bedrooms have been replaced with a larger en-suite room, alongside a guest bedroom and additional bathroom, and two children's bedrooms occupy the second floor.

Throughout, a largely muted colour palette of white punctuated by deep greens and blues was adopted to provide a "calm backdrop" to the client's possessions and artworks.

Oliver Leech Architects was founded in 2016. Previous projects by the London studio include an accessible home in Surrey designed to be a "new model for assisted living" and a weathered-stone clad house in the Cotswolds.

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

Project credits:

Client: Nick and Rebecca Croome
Architect: Oliver Leech Architects
Interior design: Oliver Leech Architects
Structural engineer: Croft Structural Engineers
Main contractor: Sutton Construction
Planning consultant: Jacquie Andrews
Stylist: plainHjem studio
Lighting: Astro Lighting
Kitchen: Hush Kitchens
Concrete flooring: Steysons
Aluminium glazing: Maxlight
Timber glazing: Bois Rois
Joinery: Weymont & Wylie
Tiles: Domus, Habibi, Marrakech Design
Timber flooring: Reevewood
Bricks: Weinerberger

The post Oliver Leech Architects adds skylit extension to London home appeared first on Dezeen.

Funnel-shaped concrete skylights illuminate a plant-filled courtyard at the centre of this home in Bengaluru, India, which has been designed by local studio A Threshold to "blur boundaries between the inside and outside".

Named Ineffable Light, the four-storey family home is located on a tight urban plot with neighbouring buildings on three sides, which required the careful balancing of natural light and privacy.

In response, A Threshold opened-up the eastern facade of the home with glazed openings and stepped balconies and created a large skylit void at its centre, both of which are shaded by extensive planting.

"We aimed to evolve a design language that maximises the use of natural light, ventilation, and accessible green spaces within the home," explained the studio.

"This approach creates a more porous environment, giving rise to a series of connections and fostering interaction, further enhancing the users' way of life," it continued.

"It's an attempt to transform the space into a place, making the house into a home that celebrates life."

Entering through a shaded porch alongside a parking area, kitchen and home office, the organisation of the home has been split into two halves on either side of large existing tree at the front.

To the north, a more open "public" side contains living areas, which merge with the full-height atrium and are overlooked by a series of balconies and internal gardens at the rear of the home.

"The green terraces [of the facade] are also multiplied internally to become extensions of living and bedroom spaces, offering a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor living," described the studio.

"Interconnected green courtyards, overlapping sections and levels allow residents to have visual connectivity throughout the house."

To the south, the more private half of the building contains bathroom and bedrooms, which open onto and overlook the atrium and balconies through bi-folding windows and wooden shutters.

Looking to use light as a "significant material", the private side of the home is much darker than the public, creating transitions between lighting conditions that are likened by the practice to traditional Indian temples.

"Drawing inspiration from the quality of light in traditional Indian temples, the intensity of darkness increases as one moves from outside to inside," added the studio.

This quality is reflected in the internal finishes, with dark wood used in areas with less illumination and exposed concrete and white walls in the brighter, communal areas.

Previous projects by A Threshold include a subterranean community centre in Bangalore, which was designed around a series of freestanding brick walls intended to resemble "ancient ruins", which was longlisted in the sustainable building category of Dezeen Awards 2023.

The photography is by Atik Bheda.

Project credits:

Client: Shashi Kumar N
Project architects, design team: Avinash Ankalge, Harshith Nayak, Sameed Ahmed, Karthik Krishna
Execution team / builder:  Manjunath BR, design2konstruct.
Structural consultants: Radiance
Civil contractor: Design2konstruct
Landscape: A Threshold

The post Skylit home offers a "seamless transition between indoor and outdoor living" appeared first on Dezeen.

Chilean architecture studio Stanaćev Granados has created a seaside house with a concrete and wood-clad exterior and a cargo net in the floor in Chorrillos, Chile.

Known as the Primeriza House, the 2,750-square foot (256-square metre) residence was completed in 2020 in a small clearing in a cypress-filled hill that slopes steeply down to the Pacific Ocean.

Stanaćev Granados, a Santiago-based studio run by Nataša Stanaćev and Manu Granados, designed the home to make the most of outdoor living while creating multiple interior environments and nooks within the home.

According to the studio, these dual considerations created "many transitional spaces" within the house.

Two storeys constitute the main body of the home, with the top volume cantilevering over the bottom one at points, all clad in darkly stained wood. The concrete base is set firmly into the slope with a semi-buried garage and storage area.

As the slope drops away, the foundations become retaining walls at the far ends of the plan. A sunken landscape terrace covers the garage as it approaches the main house.

"Thanks to the orientation of the entire volume, the house itself acts as a shield for the southern winds whipping its posterior facade, while the
entire front of the house remains unaffected by them," said the studio.

A pedestrian entrance was "nested" between the exposed concrete wall and the landscaped hill. It was meant to be "camouflaged in the vegetation".

The entry staircase leads to a southside terrace and mudroom that are protected from the wind by an earthen wall embedded into the space.

This entry terrace is clad in glass that allows views through the entirety of the ground floor, out to the sea. The studio described this layout and the use of glass as "kaleidoscopic".

The primary floor – an open plan room with living, dining, and kitchen areas – is wrapped in wood and has floor-to-ceiling windows that open the space to a seaside north terrace.

The main floor transitions to the upper level through a double-height space.

Open weave cargo netting divides the volume and serves as an overhead play space.

The safety netting appears again as the railing of the staircase.

The ground floor has a similar wood cladding to the exterior, while the upper floor features wood that has been painted white.

"While the first floor absorbs the light that washes its surfaces from all orientations, the second floor reflects the exterior colours – it turns absolute white on misty days, and when the weather is clear, it takes on the bluish tones of the sky and the horizon in the morning hours, and stains orange at sunset," the studio said.

Upstairs, the primary ensuite is located on the eastern end of the rectangular plan and the children's rooms and playroom hold the other edge.

Each room opens through sliding floor-to-ceiling glass doors to a linear balcony along the house.

A skylight runs down the length of the house bringing light into the white-washed interior.

About 800 kilometres north of the Primeriza House sits another recent Stanaćev Granados design, a cube-shaped holiday house known as Casa Kuvo.

The photography is by Marcos Zegers.

Project credits:

Architecture: Stanaćev Granados (Nataša Stanaćev & Manu Granados)
Interior and furniture design: Stanaćev Granados
Lighting design: Stanaćev Granados
Landscaping: Vanessa Barrois (Landscaperschile) and Joaquín Lobato
Structural design: Alberto Ramírez
Construction: Claudio Lagos, Florent Dromard

The post Stanaćev Granados divides levels of Chilean beach house with cargo-net floor appeared first on Dezeen.

Gridded fibre-cement cladding and a swimming pool with underwater windows feature at the East Van Residence in Vancouver by Canadian firm SMStudio.

The project is in Hastings-Sunrise, a residential neighbourhood in East Vancouver, a mixed residential and industrial area that borders the city's harbour.

The home replaces a "tired, 1950s bungalow" that did not accommodate the client's needs, said SMStudio, a local firm led by Simon Montgomery.

"This house was designed for a small family that loved their neighbourhood but needed a more functional house and floor plan that would suit their lifestyle and needs," the studio said.

The studio conceived a 251-square-metre, three-storey house that was designed to be a "bold yet friendly addition to the neighbourhood".

In addition to its three levels, the house has a rooftop terrace, a swimming pool and a 48-square-metre studio and pool house complex in the backyard.

The exterior of the primary structure was clad in board-formed concrete and white, square-shaped panels made of fibre cement. The concrete wraps the lower level and consists of thin strips that give the appearance of wood.

The cladding choices were a response to strict building codes that required non-combustible siding.

"Originally this was a challenge, but it provided an opportunity to explore how we could utilize a standard, lower-cost building material in an interesting way," the team said.

"The result is a bold, playful facade that plays with light and shadow, creating interest and intrigue."

For the interiors, the studio incorporated a mix of natural and industrial materials.

"Materials such as natural stone, board-formed concrete and Douglas fir are used throughout the project and create a sense of calm and a neutral backdrop for the owners to show their personality through art and furniture," the team said.

Designed to capitalise on views from the communal spaces, the home features a reverse floor plan.

The ground level contains the main entrance and two bedrooms, while the top floor holds the kitchen, dining space and living room.

Contemporary decor was placed throughout the minimal spaces, including plush furniture and a custom-made DJ stand.

"A custom, welded-steel shelf and DJ setup were designed as a focal point in the living room, allowing the clients to display and listen to their extensive vinyl collection," the team said.

The home's levels are connected by a staircase lined with metal mesh, which runs from the basement to the roof. Atop the stairwell, an oversized skylight carries daylight to the spaces below.

The upper level has ceilings crossed by beams made of Douglas fir, laminated-veneer lumber (LVL), which enabled a wide span without the need for additional supporting columns.

Large stretches of glass create views of the adjacent park, the water and the mountains to the north of the city.

The basement level holds a den and media room, a guest suite that doubles as a workout area, and storage and mechanical space. A sunken, concrete courtyard brings in natural light.

The ground floor leads to a sunken courtyard framed with board-formed concrete walls with windows that look into the swimming pool.

"Pool windows are cut into the board-formed concrete and allow for a playful conversation between swimmers and bystanders," the team said.

The detached building in the backyard has multiple functions, as it can be used as a garage, workshop, creative studio and pool house. A rolling garage door connects to the adjacent park.

Other projects in east Vancouver include a narrow, century-old house that was renovated by D'Arcy Jones Architecture and a caramel-coloured bakery by Ste Marie that has furniture influenced by the American Shaker movement.

The photography is by Ema Peter.

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Shingle-like panels made of weathering steel clad the pyramidal forms at the River Bend Residence, a project designed by Texan studio Lake Flato Architects to "sit lightly upon the land".

Located in a region known as Texas Hill Country, the house is in the city of New Braunfels, just north of San Antonio. The area is known for its German heritage, cultural activities and two rivers.

Respecting the natural setting was a guiding concern for the design team, as the home sits on a wooded perch overlooking the Guadalupe River.

"River Bend Residence is a tranquil home designed to sit lightly upon the land, minimising disruption to the site and existing trees," said Lake Flato Architects, which has offices in San Antonio and Austin.

The team designed the house for a retired couple who are passionate about travel and documenting their experiences. After years of living in a larger family residence, the clients desired a home with an efficient use of space and "right-sized for their current lifestyle".

"The project was designed to provide beautiful spaces to accommodate their daily routine, with intentionally small storage capacity, as they are downsizing," the team said.

The team conceived a main dwelling with two detached buildings, all of which are loosely organised around a central garden.

The buildings are topped with tall, pyramidal hipped roofs. Inside, the ceiling height rises to 26 feet (eight metres).

Exterior walls and roofs are clad in panels made of Corten steel — a material chosen for its "robust qualities and minimal maintenance", the team said.

The interior features a mix of warm woods – including Douglas fir, walnut and white oak – along with finishes such as plaster and concrete.

The main dwelling consists of two volumes – one square, one rectangular – that are linked by a glazed breezeway. One volume contains a bedroom suite, while the other holds a kitchen, dining area and living room.

A portion of the dwelling is lifted above the site by concrete piers.

"The two primary structures are located on a relatively steep slope and are primarily supported by piers to minimise excavation," the team said.

"Only the back third of the buildings on the sloping portion of the site sit on grade, and these areas were carefully located to minimise the number of trees that needed to be removed in construction."

The detached buildings – which sit atop concrete foundations – house a carport and an art studio, the latter of which doubles as guest quarters.

Like the main dwelling, the accessory buildings were carefully sited to reduce damage to the site.

"Only six trees were removed to build all four structures, minimising the impact on the abundant wildlife habitat," the team said.

The home is oriented to take advantage of prevailing winds and encourage natural ventilation. Large skylights at the tip of each roof capture daylight.

"Skylights provide balanced daylight, allowing for a lower amount of glazing on the exterior walls," said Lake Flato.

The landscape features indigenous plants and was kept intentionally minimal, in order to reduce maintenance and to further heed the surrounding environment.

Other projects by Lake Flato Architects include a hotel filled with art and "hippie textiles" that is meant to emulate a Texas lake house and a 3D-printed, ranch-style home that was displayed at Austin's SXSW festival and built in collaboration with construction technology outfit ICON.

The photography is by Casey Dunn. 

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London firm Studio Varey Architects has simplified this Victorian terraced house to create a light-filled home in Notting Hill, with timber-framed skylights designed to catch the sun.

Set in the Westbourne Conservation Area, Huron House has belonged to its current owners for the last 25 years.

The overhaul of the 19th-century building started as a simple ground-floor renovation to replace the kitchen and improve the connection between the house and its garden.

However, exploratory works showed the four-storey property to be in bad structural condition, which demanded major improvement works but also gave the owners an opportunity to reimagine their period home.

The new brief to Studio Varey Architects included a full house renovation and interior design, with special emphasis on the bathrooms as well as custom joinery and the rebuilding of the 1990s rear extension to create a new open-plan kitchen and dining room.

"Our goal was to create an open-plan living space and bring lots of natural light into the ground floor, helping it to feel more inviting and better suited to entertaining friends and family," the studio told Dezeen.

The property sits on a rough east-west axis, giving it the potential to achieve great light levels throughout the day, with the sun moving from the back of the house in the morning to the front in the afternoon.

"We wanted to ensure this natural light was captured through the architecture and design of the spaces," the studio said.

On the ground floor, Studio Varey Architects removed a structural post that supported the building but divided the back wall.

This has been replaced with a steel frame, which allowed the studio to introduce slimline aluminium sliding doors that now run along the whole back of the property.

An existing skylight in the flat roof here was enlarged and framed with oak beams, pulling more light into the centre of the hybrid kitchen-dining space.

"Natural light cascades into the back of the house, while the introduction of oak beams created a feature that plays with the light as it travels through the property," the studio said.

The whole staircase was replaced and positioned further away from the home's large rear windows, creating a lightwell funnels sun into the lower floors.

On the top floor, an existing bathroom was fully renovated. Situated in the middle of the top floor it featured no windows save for a small skylight, meaning that light levels were totally inadequate.

Here, Studio Varey Architects cut back the ceiling to create a multifaceted surface clad in birch plywood – its colour knocked back with a wash of soft white – to bounce light around the space.

"We created a splayed ceiling that increased the height of the space, allowing for the playful integration of materials to emphasise the new angles," the studio said.

"Naturally finished birch ply, leading from the skylight down into Tadelakt walls, beautifully captures sunlight creating a special warmth in the space."

White oak can be found throughout the house in the form of built-in joinery from bookcases and wardrobes, as well as in the feature beams of the extension.

"We wanted to simplify the material palette and keep it light, both in appearance and number of elements we used," the studio said.

"This was done to emphasise the quality of the materials themselves, highlight the craftsmanship of the work and establish a visual link between the interior spaces throughout the home."

Polished concrete, used for the floor at ground level, is underlaid with underfloor heating and provides a durable surface that is easy to clean for the owners after walking their dog.

Other recently renovated houses in London include Sunderland Road House by 2LG, which features pastel-painted corniced ceilings, and Graphic House by Office S&M, which is defined by graphic shapes and bold hues.

The photography is by Taran Wilkhu.

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Mexico City-based architect Ludwig Godefroy has cut circular openings into the slanted ceilings of a series of dwellings in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, to create semi-exposed pools and gardens.

Godefroy placed a series of circular openings in a cast-concrete structure to create cave-like interiors that remain open to the tropical climate of the Pacific coast site.

The project includes four identical dwellings divided between two adjacent structures.

Puerto Escondido's warm temperatures meant Godefroy could design Casa VO and Casa WO to remain open year-round while protecting inhabitants from rain.

In response to this climatic condition, Godefroy inverted the "classical scheme of the house with its garden", placing the plant life on the interior instead of the exterior.

"The project blurs the border between in and out to become a singular habitable garden, where everything remains open all day and all night long," he said.

The circular openings were instead employed as large, reclined skylights that also act as mirrored passageways at the centre of each individual dwelling's courtyard.

The partial roofs come together at the bottom of their slope to create a V-shaped structure. Inhabitants enter beneath the lower skylight, pass the pool and through a larger skylight into the covered primary living area.

Here a bedroom, kitchen, dining room and seating areas were placed underneath the slanting roof. A lofted bedroom and restroom were tucked beneath the highest point of the structure.

Notches of concrete atop the roof can be used as stepping stones to traverse the length of the building.

The kitchen is below ground level. A circular divider made of concrete separates the downstairs sleeping area from food preparation.

A similar column divider wraps around the shower in the upstairs bedroom.

Godefroy purposely avoided the "unnecessary" aspect of "urban" architectural language in favour of "simplicity".

"Mexico City urban life references disappear, no windows, no glass anymore," he said.

To bring light into the cavernous living area, additional glazed skylights and openings were lined along the back wall of the house above the kitchen and upstairs bathroom.

Falling water is caught by planting beds, the pool, or a drainage system along the slanting roof.

Party walls between the homes contain geometric circular and triangular cutouts. The walls afford inhabit's privacy while creating fin-like extensions on the building's facade.

Like Godefory's other projects, the houses were constructed using "massive" materials like concrete, wood and brick. The materials were selected for their durability and eventual patina.

Godefroy considered time to be an additional element of the design. With the selected materials, the homes will only get "better looking" according to the team.

Nearby Godefroy created a similar structure called Casa TO that also features circular concrete passageways.

Godefroy has completed a number of concrete homes in Mexico including this brutalist cube-shaped holiday home in a pine forest and a home in Mérida that references Mayan traditions and culture.

The photography is by Rory Gardiner

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Local architecture studio Romero de la Mora has created an expansive concrete and wood holiday home with a protected courtyard in Tepeji del Río, just outside Mexico City.

Casa Camelia was completed in 2021 at the Amanali Country Club and Nautica in Tepeji del Río by Romero de la Mora Architecture and Development.

The shallow 455-square-metre, U-shaped house was arranged so that all of the recreational areas are along the perimeter and the house can be opened in four cardinal directions to bring in light, air and views of the surrounding golf course.

"The general inspiration was to create open spaces connected with nature and the environment from architectural elements in a material mixture with Mexican craftsmanship," the studio told Dezeen.

The two-storey home was constructed with light-coloured, flat-finished concrete – referencing the mud and earth of the site – with large warm wooden beams that run across the ceilings of each space and draw attention to the scale of several double-height spaces.

Selected for durability and low maintenance, the home's material palette also includes sand-coloured chukum and stone cladding.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass walls are framed in thin black metal, which reappears in the delicate metal railings of the bedroom balconies.

Within the warm, neutral interior, the living space is sunken, allowing residents to sit on benches the level of the floor, while surrounded by windows.

A continuation of ceiling beams past the sliding glass walls of the kitchen dissolves the transition between the interior and exterior.

Some of the terraces are open to the outdoors, while the expansive northern outdoor area is walled for privacy.

The open eastern terrace was positioned to act as a thermal buffer to mitigate temperature inside the house and, combined with the parallel layout for cross ventilation, negates the need for mechanical air conditioning and heating.

A solar-heated rectangular pool in the north yard is flanked by a patio space. The ventilated living spaces on the ground level feature double-height ceilings in certain areas that are topped by clerestory windows, some of which have concrete louvres.

The second level steps back from the perimeter of the house and the centre of the plan is recessed here, forming a deeper U-shape.

Inside, a corridor contains a bridge between the primary suite and the secondary suite, running parallel with the louvred window. The beams of the sloping roof are exposed in the bedrooms, which have private terraces and built-in furniture.

Planted roofs top either end of the first level while solar panels are arranged on top of the shed-like second level, located next to the skylights that illuminate the double-height staircase.

The team aimed to "make a restful home that fulfils the function of generating peace through quality spaces and natural textures, colors, lots of light and fresh air".

Nearby, architecture studio PPAA also used a concrete and wood mass in a Mexico City home, with a board-formed finish that provides texture and detail to the facade.

Other projects that include chukum include a museum outside of Mérida by Estudio MMX.

The photography is by Ariadna Polo.

Project credits:

Architect: Romero de la Mora Architecture and Development
Project team: Rodrigo Romero de la Mora, Edgar Fonsseca, Alan Islas

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Architect Joanne Koch has refurbished a 1970s wood cabin located in the iconic Sea Ranch development in California into an Airbnb destination in the forest.

Originally constructed in 1974 by William Turnbull, Jr, the 1,200-square foot (110-square metre) cabin was renovated in 2022 by Joanne Koch, who leads Berkeley-based studio Koch Architects, as "a bridge to the redeeming qualities of nature".

Situated on a half-acre at the top of a ravine, the house sits within a forest of mature redwood, pine and fir trees.

The steeply sloping site looks down toward the ocean and the sunny southern deck provides a vantage point within the treetops. The cabin centres around a two-storey atrium with large east- and west-facing stacked windows.

"I felt a deep longing for a refuge, a retreat, a place of renewal," Koch told Dezeen.  "I was drawn to the Sea Ranch architectural legacy of living lightly on the land, of small, compact homes in vast, expansive environments."

"I especially appreciated William Turnbull’s work, his rigor for creating abstract compositions with simple forms. I wanted to preserve this legacy while expanding and evolving it into a more contemporary form," she continued.

"The atrium both unifies and connects while providing separation between the public and private spaces. It has a playful and curious quality where one wants to explore up and down, in and out, and through space," she said.

The exterior is wrapped in vertical Redwood tongue-and-groove siding with copper gutters and downspouts.

A new deck was cantilevered off the west facade, creating a parallel exterior space to the entry deck.

The majority of the renovations took place on the interior.

The bedrooms were originally divided by a diagonal wall that separated a large L-shaped space at the corner.

Koch removed that wall, reconfigured the windows to align with views of the surrounding landscape, added an ensuite bathroom and gutted the existing bathroom to add a walk-in shower.

In the shared spaces, the kitchen was remodelled to be more contemporary and sunlight from a large skylight pours down the low-profile, matte cabinetry to contrast with the sugar pine wood panelling of the rest of the home – which was salvaged from the original design and reinstalled in the newly arranged spaces.

"The interiors were very important. I wanted the furnishings, the textiles, and textures to be a balance between rustic and refined sensibilities," Koch said. "I had to find the right balance between blending and unifying versus expression and presence."

The team installed engineered heart pine plank flooring throughout, contrasted with sleek black metal details like sliding doors and window frames.

The interior palette is a combination of mid-tone and dark neutrals with natural accents.

A stand-alone fireplace with built in-seating was added to warm the compact house, in addition to the radiant heating system. All of the home's systems – electrical, plumbing, heating, septic, and drainage – were updated as part of the project.

"Another goal for this project and a key theme that was woven into the design and selections of finishes and furnishings was for it to be shared with others," Koch said, referencing the Airbnb listing. "We intentionally chose not to have artwork on the walls, we didn’t want images to take one to another place."

Nearby in the Sea Ranch development, Butler Armsden renovated a different oceanside home that William Turnbull Jr worked on, however, it was the wood-clad home's third iteration, having been originally constructed in 1974 by architect Ralph Matheson.

Last year, architecture studio Mithun renovated the Sea Ranch Lodge, which serves as a gathering place for residents of the community.

The photography is by Joe Fletcher.

Project credits:

Contractor: Chad Warner Construction
Engineer: Clausen Engineering

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A vaulted ceiling punctured with skylights features in a 1940s auto dealership that architectural studio Johnston Marklee has converted into a bright home for the Roberts Projects art gallery.

Roberts Projects chose the local studio to transform the brick and cinder-block building into its new home as it moved from Culver City to the mid-Wilshire district, which has seen an influx of art galleries in recent years.

The architects conceived a total overhaul of the 10,000-square-foot (929-square-metre) former auto dealership, which was built in 1948 and features an arched, 30-foot-high (nine-metre) ceiling.

For many years, the building housed a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership known as the "Auto Dealer to the Stars", as it drew celebrity clients such as actors Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball and Bob Hope.

"We searched for a space for over four years and felt this building was ideal due to the raw talent of the structure, incredible ceiling height and great location," said Roberts Projects co-owner Julie Roberts.

The exterior of the building – which once featured large stretches of glass for the display of cars – was replaced with solid walls in grey stucco, which suits the "gallery's minimalist aesthetic", the gallery said.

Marking the entrance are a glazed garage door and an existing ficus tree.

"The elemental facade and building mass will integrate the new gallery into the cultural landscape of the arts and architecture across the city," Johnston Marklee founding partner Sharon Johnston said.

Inside, the building houses four exhibition spaces, offices, study areas and a reception with a bookshop.

Throughout the building, "cavities of light" reveal architectural elements and enhance the viewing experience, the architects said.

The main exhibition space sits under the vaulted ceiling, which was given a fresh layer of paint.

Here, skylights usher in daylight. In other areas, illumination is provided by "clearstories" made of panels uplit by LEDs.

Concrete flooring and bright white walls lend to the gallery's austere character. Furnishings include pieces by Alvar Aalto, Gijs Bakker and Jean Prouvé. Shelving is made of birch plywood.

In the office area, the flooring consists of red-tinted concrete with exposed aggregate, which is original to the space. The concrete was polished and given a terrazzo-like appearance.

The gallery's new home was inaugurated with an exhibition of colourful portraits by renowned US painter Kehinde Wiley, whom Roberts Projects has represented for over two decades.

"This new space is the next chapter in our long history of being at the forefront of the Los Angeles art scene," said gallery co-owner Bennett Roberts, who said that LA is in the midst of a "creative renaissance".

"With access to outstanding exhibitions year-round, dedicated collectors, and creative energy from those who call this city home, Los Angeles is poised to be one of the most important creative hubs for years to come," he added.

The opening of Roberts Projects's new home follows a period of continual growth for the city's arts scene.

Galleries such as Hauser & Wirth and The Future Perfect have recently opened venues in Los Angeles, and an annual edition of the Frieze Art Fair was introduced here in 2019.

Other art-related buildings in Los Angeles include a new home for auction house Phillips that was designed by local studio Formation Association, and the recent completion of a 20-year renovation and expansion of the Hammer Museum that was overseen by Michael Maltzan Architecture.

The photography is by Eric Staudenmaier.

Project credits:

Architecture: Johnston Marklee
Lighting design: Buro Happold
Furnishings consultant: Ellen Brill

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The Grade II-listed BAFTA headquarters in London's Picadilly have received an overhaul from local studio Benedetti Architects, who raised the roof to squeeze in a new top floor while unifying its disparate interiors.

Constructed in 1883, the building originally served as the Royal Institute of Painting in Watercolours and was adapted ad hoc over the subsequent years before the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) took over in 1976.

Benedetti Architects was brought on board in 2016 after winning a competition to completely rework the space.

Scrambling around in the loft as part of his research, project lead Renato Benedetti discovered two vast Victorian roof lanterns, complete with ornate plasterwork, that had been boarded up more than 40 years prior when BAFTA created a cinema in the space below.

The practice's pitch centred on lifting up the roof and turning the loft into a members' area, with the two huge skylights being removed, restored and reinstated as the crowning glory of the new top storey.

"BAFTA loved the idea although they didn't think it was possible," Benedetti told Dezeen. "But that's exactly what we did and it has been the driver for the whole project."

Moulds were made before the intricate plaster was carefully removed, allowing specialist restorers to match new sections seamlessly with the original design.

Other than the roof lights, almost all the building's original features such as flooring and staircases were lost as sections of the building were rented out by different tenants over its haphazard history.

Under the bank of seating in the cinema though, the team found just enough of the original oak flooring to fit inside the new top-floor boardroom.

"The long strips were quite damaged, so we cut them down to shorter lengths and laid them in a geometric pattern," said Benedetti.

Similarly, the remaining bits of marble from different schemes around the BAFTA headquarters were collaged together to create a statement countertop for the boardroom.

The room is centred by an oval timber table, which the studio designed to feel "more friendly and less hierarchical" than a typical boardroom, complete with comfortable "wrap-around" chairs that can also be stacked.

"We used a character grade of oak with big knots and imperfections, which I love," said Benedetti. "It makes the timber more interesting."

Elsewhere across the building, responsibly sourced European oak was laid in a variety of patterns to cover floors and walls.

For the main circulation areas such as the entrance hall and the stairs, the studio used an ivory-coloured terrazzo with brass trims peeking out between the large-format tiles.

Brass accents are repeated throughout the building on handrails, trims, lighting and on the reveals around the lifts. "Here, the sheet brass has a slight sheen, a little lustre but not too blingy," said Benedetti.

The terrazzo, too, is flecked with gold-coloured specks that increase in quantity as the user ascends up through the building and peak on the members' floor at the top.

"The top floor feels like the culmination, the crescendo of the space," said Benedetti.

This same idea is repeated across the walls, with the lower floors wrapped in stained-oak slats punctuated by black acoustic panels while on the members' floor, there's a more refined profile to the oak slats and the panels are replaced by a brass mesh.

Travertine is the final key element of the headquarters' material palette, used in huge slabs and as fluted tiles as well as forming one of the building's bars.

"It has a great texture and it has been in use since Roman times, so it's quite timeless," the architect explained.

The building's trio of roof lanterns, including the two that were newly uncovered, now sit over the David Attenborough rooms – a members' area that looks out across the tree canopy of St James' churchyard.

The furniture here was chosen by the architect in collaboration with Soho Home – the interiors arm of members' club Soho House.

To reduce heat gain and keep out harmful UV rays, the roof lights are integrated with solar shading windows by Dutch company Eyrise.

"It's an interesting new material, from the inside it appears to be clear, but from outside it looks almost black," Benedetti explained.

The members' floor also houses a new intimate 41-seat cinema, its rich red colour palette informed the choice of red Italian marble for the adjacent bar.

The larger original cinema was completely updated in partnership with Dolby, integrating a high-tech audio-visual system.

Meanwhile, the Ray Dolby Room is designed as a versatile event space, where the conventionally wood-panelled walls and moulded ceiling can be quickly transformed into a space for 360-degree wall-mapping projections.

Benedetti was recently named as the architect on another high-profile renovation in the British capital – the £20-million revamp of the Grade II-listed RIBA headquarters.

Previously, the architect was one half of McDowell+Benedetti, which was known for innovative bridge designs including Hull's Scale Lane Bridge and Castleford Bridge in West Yorkshire before the duo disbanded in 2016.

The photography is by Luca Piffaretti unless otherwise stated.

Jorda Anderson, Thomas Alexander, Rory Mulvey, James Newton, and Jim Stephenson.

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New York-based studio Fuller Overby has created a home clad in charred cypress that cascades down a hill to a lake in North Carolina.

Fuller Overby completed the 2,750-square foot (255-square metre) Nebo House in McDowell County in 2022, for a retiring couple.

Set on Lake James, the narrow one-acre site drops 100 feet (30 metres) from the top of the driveway to the water's edge.

"The house is conceived as a layered, volumetric foreground to this setting," the studio said. "Two retaining walls are cut diagonally across the plot, forming two earthwork courts that have been carved out from the steep slope of the site."

In order to reduce its massing, the house is composed of eight pavilion-like volumes, each holding a different program, that step down the retaining wall and cluster around a central courtyard that serves as an outdoor room.

On the exterior, the individual forms are wrapped in dark charred cypress and a patinated, standing-seam zinc roof that reflects the browns, greens and greys of the forest and lake and are intended to weather over time.

The angled roof lines direct rainwater toward an internal gutter and tapered scupper that outline the distinct forms of the structure.

"At thresholds and entry points, concave inflections lined with brushed, amber-hued cypress are carved out of the volumes," the studio said.

Inside, the rooms are fractals of spaces: angled geometry, clerestory windows and skylights let light wash down the all-white walls, while each space frames views toward the lake.

The home's primary entry is on the upper level, which holds guest bedrooms and a bathroom, where a sculpted cantilevered staircase lit by a skylight descends to the main level.

The main floor is embedded into the hillside "like a hunter's blind" and has a central courtyard that splits the primary program.

The eastern public areas – a white-washed living room with a rough-stone fireplace, a wood-wrapped kitchen and a rounded dining area – gather at the base of the staircase, accented by orange and blue stained, rift-cut white oak that contrasts the polished concrete floors.

To the west – down the sunken hallway that runs along the clay retaining wall – is the primary suite with a floating bedroom space and open bathroom set on a diagonal that directs views toward the large sliding glass door.

Being surrounded on three sides by earth, the main floor of the home uses thermal mass to reduce the majority of the heating and cooling load.

Fuller Overby drew on the canon of architectural designs "that articulate internal spaces as discrete parts within the whole," and the studio mentioned a number of historical references including the ancient Greek Treasury of Atreus, Egon Eiermann's Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, and John Hejduk's Wall House 2 in the Netherlands.

The layering of the spaces and the materiality of Nebo House is similar to a lake house in Connecticut designed by Worrell Yeung that uses the site's slope to conceal its size.

The photography is by Paul Warchol.

Project credits:
Structural Engineer: Nat Oppenheimer, Silman
Mechanical Engineer: Mark Cambria, Fusion Systems
General Contractor: Cottonwood Development
Roofing: Rhenizink, Natural Metal Associates
Cladding: Nakamoto Forestry
Cabinetry: Southfork Millwork
Stonework: Hammerhead Stoneworks
Lighting Supply: Tony DeLaurentis, International Lights

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A series of cylindrical skylights and brick turrets feature in this Bangladesh mausoleum, which architecture studio Sthapotik designed as a reference to traditional Islamic buildings.

Named the Shah Muhammad Mohshin Khan Mausoleum, the turreted brick volume was designed as a Dargah, or shrine, to house the graves of a local religious leader's family.

"Meaning 'portal' in Persian, a Dargah is a home for the grave of a revered religious figure," said Sthapotik.

"Metaphorically, the Dargah is the home for the earthly body," the studio continued.

Drawing upon the image of the chandelier, Dhaka-based studio Sthapotik topped the mausoleum with a ceiling of cylindrical skylights that stretch down into the space.

"The core concept was crafting the 'chandelier of paradise', which blesses the souls with the light of paradise for their noble work on earth," principal architect Sharif Uddin Ahammed told Dezeen.

Square-shaped in plan, the building is formed from four walls each comprising six cylindrical turrets with perforations towards the top for ventilation.

The turreted walls are made from red bricks that were sourced from a nearby brick field, paying homage to the traditional architecture of the region.

"We were highly inspired by the square-plan mosques of Bengal's Sultani Period and tried to transform the essence of that period in a contemporary way which is highly rooted in Bengali mosque architecture," said Ahammed.

Approached from a path that leads to the corner of the building, the mausoleum is built on top of a raised brick plinth to avoid flooding. It is accessed by a series of steps, with a ramp providing additional access to one side of the site.

Four doors made from locally sourced iron bars and sheets offer entry points on each face of the building and feature patterns informed by Islamic motifs.

"The pattern on the doors is inspired by Islamic motifs and design," said Ahammed. "The star on the gate represents five family members of the prophet where Allah remains in the middle, while the cuttings in the pattern allow for ventilation and visibility when the door is closed."

Inside, three graves for the owner's family are raised on a square-shaped marble platform at the centre of the room, with a fourth space left empty for the owner of the project.

"Marble is considered a precious material and is used in a lot of famous Islamic architecture in this subcontinent," said Ahammed. "White marble was chosen because the colour white is the symbol of peace and its reflective quality lights up the whole interior."

Designed to mimic multi-domed mosques, a ceiling featuring a grid of thirty-six circular openings lets light into the interior.

Sixteen of the openings at the centre of the ceiling have been stretched down into the space to form a chandelier-informed arrangement of skylights over the central plinth.

"The circular punches and hanging cylindrical droppings from the waffle roof all together appear in a dynamic chandelier, letting natural light seep into the Dargah and create a natural pattern on the floor," said the studio.

Other mausoleums featured on Dezeen include an Adolf Loos-designed tomb built in a historic London cemetery and a marble installation that was on display at Milan Design Week in 2017.

The photography is by Asif Salman.

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A series of shelters for doves were embedded in the laminated-cedar facade of Neal Schwartz's self-designed studio, which is an extension of his Sonoma home.

Called Mourning Dovecote, the extension is attached to Schwartz's single-storey home in Sonoma, California.

Schwartz worked with his studio Schwartz and Architecture to create the addition, which the architect uses as a home studio.

The project is an ode to the many dovecotes prevalent across the Sonoma countryside – structures designed to provide shelter for pigeons and doves that are often attached to the rear of houses or barns.

Twelve rectilinear nesting boxes were built onto one side of the extension's angled facade, which is clad in powder grey-hued laminated cedar.

According to the architect, the extension's height, proportions, orientation and ventilation were specifically designed to encourage nesting doves.

The existing home has clerestories wrapping its rear facade, so to preserve these, Schwartz knocked out a wall underneath the windows.

"This threshold was very low, so the addition needed to somehow step or angle back up to have a higher ceiling," he told Dezeen.

"Through a series of iterations, I just kept getting bolder – first angling up to nine feet, then to 12, then to 14 and then to 18 feet."

The structure is topped with a steep, distinctively shaped standing seam metal roof created from laser-cut metal shingles informed by bird feathers.

"I wanted a somewhat chapel-like space in which it was not immediately clear where the light was coming from," explained Schwartz.

"The angled high ceiling draws you into the space and because it gets so high that it really hides the upper skylight, as in a chapel."

A low bird-watching window was inserted at floor level in response to the ground-feeding habits of local mourning doves – the bird species that the extension is named after.

Inside, the original house and the extension are divided by a sheer silk curtain, covered in a pattern made from a rearrangement of a photograph from Richard Barnes' Murmur series, which captured starlings in flight.

Light filters through the extension from the high ceiling's south-facing skylight, while a central painting by artist Maggie Connors is suspended above.

Plaster-clad interior walls give way to sliding timber desk panels, which pivot to reveal magnetic pin-up boards used by Schwartz for giving work presentations.

The panels were finished in colours that take cues from the feathers of mourning doves.

The architect also created bespoke 3D-printed door handles bound in plaited leather are informed by the work of iconic Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.

A small hidden courtyard was inserted alongside the extension, which is characterised by mossy mounds, site boulders and a Japanese maple tree.

Visitors reach the extension from the courtyard via a walkway made from surplus cedar offcuts created during the construction of the project.

"When I originally designed the house, I liked how it turned its back to the street, essentially hiding the long vineyard views until you enter the front door," reflected Schwartz.

"Perhaps it was also in part trying to make the modern structure more demure in the rural and traditional setting."

"Now, 10 years later, I was ready to add the front-facing 'head' to the home [the extension] – more confident in its oddness."

Other designers who have completed self-designed studio projects at their homes include architect Paul Westwood, who transformed his dilapidated garage into a workshop, and designer and artist John-Paul Philippe who refurbished a neglected barn.

The photography is by Douglas Sterling Photography.

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Leckie Studio has completed Camera House in the mountains of British Columbia with dramatic windows and skylights that are meant to frame the surrounding landscape like a camera lens.

The single-storey house is clad in dark timber boards, which the studio said helps it blend into its lush forest setting.

The building's steep roofline is strategically oriented for skylights that frame different views of the surrounding mountains.

The remote structure is located in the Pemberton Valley, roughly three hours away from Vancouver. The area is near Whistler, a popular ski resort.

Leckie Studio, an architecture and interior studio based in Vancouver, was commissioned by a young family to create a secondary home away from the city.

"The program called for two bedrooms and a flex room, with the understanding that the family will be spending long periods of time living at the house during the summer months," Leckie Studio explained.

"The views through the clerestories alternate between being specific (Owl Ridge) and abstract (treetops/sky)," Leckie Studio explained.

"The interior spaces have been sculpted with sloping ceilings to channel both light and view lines."

The home is separated into public and private rooms by a long, central corridor.

"The program is organized linearly along the fall line of the slope across two levels, with private spaces situated against the densely forested high side of the slope and public spaces running parallel below," said Leckie Studio.

The communal areas, including the kitchen and dining room, are accessed via a short flight of steps. A monolithic concrete fireplace separates these spaces from the living room.

At the end of the kitchen, full-height sliding glass doors open onto a terrace and swimming pool.

Three bedrooms are laid out along the corridor in the elevated part of the home. In addition to the primary suite and two children's bedrooms, there is a flex space that can accommodate houseguests.

Leckie Studio chose a bright palette for the interiors, with polished concrete floors playing up the abundant natural light coming in from the home's skylights and clerestory windows.

The same material is found in other accents such as the textured fireplace and a long bench in the kitchen. This contrasts with the darker exterior material.

"The majority of the project is clad in a flat sawn and brushed Western Red Cedar finished with a dark stain," said Leckie Studio.

"The dark tone of the cladding allows the architecture to recede into the landscape."

Leckie studio was founded by Michael Leckie in 2015. It has completed several residential projects in Vancouver and the surrounding areas, including a courtyard house that was clad in pale wood siding, and a penthouse apartment in BIG's Vancouver skyscraper.

The photography is by Ema Peter.

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Diez + Muller Arquitectos has extended the corporate offices of an industrial company in Ecuador with a sinuous concrete structure.

The new office building was designed for Novopan, the largest particle-board manufacturer in Ecuador. Initially, the client commissioned local studio Diez + Muller Arquitectos for a five-storey building on a parking lot across a street from the factory in Quito.

"Upon arriving at the site, we identified an opportunity by finding an elongated and irregularly shaped slope next to the existing factory, which would allow us to develop the same project in only two floors," Diez + Muller Arquitectos explained.

The program follows the outline of a nearby highway, wrapping around the road and factor so that the industrial buildings are partially hidden from view.

"We managed to make the new offices the face of the company in the city, reducing the strong presence of industrial sheds and generating a new, more humane and friendly scale," said the architects.

In the irregular space left between the existing and new buildings, the architects included a courtyard that forms a connection between the factory and office spaces.

"The project takes advantage of the 'residual' spaces between the office building and the factory to insert support and service areas," explained the studio, which is led by Gonzalo Diez and Felipe Muller.

At the centre of the building, a double-height atrium lit by playful, circular skylights serves as a gathering point for the company's employees.

It features tiered seating, large indoor trees and an area for workers to socialise.

"A central atrium integrates the two floors and is where there is the greatest physical and visual communication in the building," Diez + Muller explained.

"[It was] conceived not only as the heart of the project, but also where the organization's social activities take place, and above all motivating users to connect, to meet and share," the studio added.

The offices themselves are organised along the length of the building, which the studio said allows for easier collaboration between the company's various departments.

Because of the building's narrow floor plate, nearly every office receives natural light and views of the city in the distance. The interiors are lined with wood panels that were manufactured by Novopan.

The panels cover the walls, floors, and ceilings, bringing some contrast to the exposed structural concrete elements.

"Inside, the concrete skeleton is visible, defining the space without make-up or additions and being complemented only with details and furniture manufactured in the plant itself," said Diez + Muller Arquitectos.

The building's facade was completed with a system of vertical louvres, which help protect the interiors from the harsher afternoon sun. This is also helped by the concrete floor slabs, which project out beyond the windows and shade the facade.

Other industrial buildings include a new factory for the lighting company RBW, which occupies the former IBM Campus in Kingston, New York, and a former cable factory in Helsinki that has been converted to dance studios and performance spaces by JKMM and ILO architects.

The photography is by Jag Studio.

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Promotion: the Rooflight Company's range of skylights includes a design developed especially for buildings that are listed or located in conservation areas.

The Conservation Rooflight has a traditional feel that takes its cues from Victorian cast-iron-framed glazing, so it looks appropriate when installed on heritage properties.

The design also incorporates the latest technologies, ensuring it meets modern standards of thermal efficiency.

The Rooflight Company believes that its Conservation Rooflight provides the best option for remodelling buildings that have a historic character that needs to be preserved.

The design is used by leading heritage organisations including the National Trust and English Heritage.

"The Conservation Rooflight benefits from meeting all building regulations and conservation officer requirements, so it's a natural fit for projects in conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty," said the UK-based Company.

"It further benefits from a sleek design that blends into the roof tile on the exterior and allows the plasterboard to be taken right up to the glass on the interior, giving the appearance of a single pane of glass installed with putty. No frames in sight."

The design was recently used for the renovation of a bungalow located in a conservation area in Henley-on-Thames, a picturesque town in Oxfordshire, England.

With the addition of 16 Conservation Rooflights, homeowner Joy Williamson was able to add three bedrooms and two bathrooms on a new first floor slotted in under her existing roof.

These skylights offer a much more streamlined appearance than would have been possible with traditional skylights or dormer windows, so are in keeping with the building's traditional aesthetic.

The minimal frames also help to optimise the amount of natural light in the new bedrooms and bathrooms.

"Each space has an abundance of natural light, whilst the exterior of the bungalow remains in keeping with its surroundings with the stunning backdrop of Henley-on-Thames," said the Rooflight Company.

The Conservation Rooflight can be used on sloping roofs with pitches ranging from 17.5 up to 65 degrees.

Produced from three-millimetre-thick steel with a protective polyester powder coating, the latest version has been engineered to minimise risk of rust or leaks.

The product can be produced in a wide range of sizes, and in either portrait or landscape orientation.

For more information about the Conservation Rooflight or to see the full product range, visit the Rooflight Company's website.

The photography is by Dan Abrams/the Rooflight Company.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for the Rooflight Company as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Davies Toews Architecture has overhauled a factory building in Ridgewood, Queens to serve as a mixed-use commercial and arts space.

The single-storey building, which used to contain a knitting factory, has been repurposed into a commercial space called CodyWyckoff by local studio Davies Toews Architecture.

CodyWyckoff was named after the intersection at which it is located, at the corner of Cody and Wyckoff Avenues in Queens, New York City.

"Tapping into that legacy of industry, architecture firm Davies Toews has channelled the property's seamless functionality into a humanistic and light design for CodyWyckoff's next chapter," said CodyWyckoff.

The U-shaped building forms an outdoor courtyard facing Wyckoff Avenue.

Davies Toews Architecture designed new red metal grates that can close when the building is empty but are designed to pivot open and connect the courtyard to the street.

"Repurposed marine grate panels screen an exterior courtyard between two masonry wings of loft space," said the architecture studio.

These two wings each encompass roughly 5 000 square feet (465 square metres) and are connected by a central atrium accessible from the courtyard.

They were built originally with masonry blocks, which were whitewashed as part of the renovation.

Upon entering through two custom, full-height steel doors, visitors are faced with a glass block wall at the back of the courtyard that creates a separation between the exterior space and the lobby.

"A full-height glass block wall beyond the covered portico provides a light-filled threshold between the courtyard and central interior space," said the architecture studio.

"Inside, a circular skylight ten feet in diameter illuminates the atrium, tracking sunlight through the exposed existing joists," the studio added.

The walls within the 13 000 square-foot building (1 235 square metres) were painted white, while the existing ceiling joists were left unfinished.

"Exposed joists and concrete floors continue through the space creating a uniform spatial language across the building with clean geometry complementing the inherited materiality of the site," said Davies Toews Architecture.

The spaces were left intentionally open to facilitate a wider range of uses within the building's large spans. The team reopened skylights that had previously been covered, helping to make the interiors brighter.

Within the central wing, the studio also fitted out the space with new restrooms. These spaces take cues from the industrial aesthetic of the space, with exposed piping and a 25-foot-long masonry sink that runs through the entire space.

The project was completed earlier this year.

"We look forward to providing a home for the next line-up of proud and inspiring Ridgewood businesses," said CodyWyckoff.

Other office projects around the globe that have made use of existing structures include a Beijing police station that was refitted by Approach Design and the long-awaited Battersea Power Station redevelopment in London, which WilkinsonEyre unveiled earlier this month.

The photography is by Maya Alexander unless otherwise stated.

Project credits:

Architects: Trattie Davies, Jonathan Toews, Samantha Jaff
Project manager: Samantha Jaff

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US studio Fuse Architects added cedar cladding, expanded the windows and brightened the interiors of the Plover House on the coast of California.

The weekend home is located in Pajaro Dunes, a resort community that lies just south of Santa Cruz. The community sits along the shoreline of Monterey Bay.

The three-bedroom house was designed for a Silicon Valley couple and their three children.

"Their desire was to have a vacation home, as well as a place to host friends for beach gatherings and to explore all the benefits of the seaside community," said Fuse Architects, which is based in the nearby town of Capitola.

The project entailed the remodel of a beachfront home dating to 1968 and designed by architect George Cody.

Totalling 1,500 square feet (139 square metres), the house came with an irregular, pyramid-like roof and cedar-shingle cladding, both inside and out. The interior was dark, outdated and closed off to the beach.

"Inside, it felt like a dark bunker that was very much separated from the outside, not to mention the view of the nearby Pacific," the team said.

Working closely with the clients, the architects set out to brighten up the interior and improve the views. The studio retained the original home's footprint but made significant changes overhead.

The team raised the roofline along the living room, dining area and main bedroom, allowing for larger windows and more expansive vistas. In the dining room, a new window offers a "portrait view" of the oceanscape.

Over the kitchen, where the roof's highest point is located, the team reworked the ceiling lines to make better use of an existing skylight.

Durable finishes were used throughout.

"Light plaster walls, white ceilings and oak flooring create a space that is airy yet comfortable – and durable for a beach lifestyle," the team said.

In contrast to the interior, the home's exterior was kept dark.

The original shingles were removed and replaced with linear strips of dark cedar – a cladding that emphasizes the contrast between the "flowy grasses, the dunes and the ocean with the angular building lines", the team said.

On the roof, wooden shingles were replaced with black standing-seam metal. In the northeast corner, where the roof is cut away, the team clad walls in clear cedar to accentuate the main entrance.

Overall, the house is meant to exhibit a heightened level of craftsmanship and careful attention to detail.

"The high level of detailing and craftsmanship, both on the exterior and interior, captures a simple yet complex design," the team said.

Other coastal California homes include a cedar-siding house by Malcolm Davis Architecture that is located in the famed Sea Ranch community, and a cypress-clad beachfront dwelling by Feldman Architecture that is meant to balance "high design and a casual Californian aesthetic".

The photography is by Joe Fletcher.

Project credits:

Architects: Fuse Architects
Builder: Hagen and Colbert
Interiors: Owners

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Estudio Santa Rita has completed a compact and efficient building with colourful storage units and a saw-tooth roof that houses the offices and workshops of a creative couple in Mérida, Mexico.

Estudios MF is for a couple, a fashion designer and a painter, who commissioned Estudio Santa Rita to design and build their workspace.

The overlapping yet distinct requirements of the artist's vocations meant each needed their own studio space.

The tight footprint of the plot led local architecture outfit Estudio Santa Rita to design a narrow building with spaces laid out in a linear sequence. The structure's floorplan is 115 square metres and was completed in 2021.

"A linear composition of workspaces and facilities are alternated and sequenced to adapt to the narrowness and length of the plot of land," said Estudio Santa Rita.

Two main strategies helped the architecture studio maximize the space. First, communal areas such as small courtyards and storage are shared by both artisans.

For instance, a small outdoor space in the centre of the volume separates the two studios. This is also where the architecture studio included the bathroom, which is accessed through the courtyard.

Estudio Santa Rita also sought to eliminate unnecessary corridors, in favour of circulation through the studios themselves.

"A sequential organization of open and closed spaces achieves functional connections and integrates areas with vegetation that offer air and light to the interiors," said the architecture studio.

In addition to the central courtyard, the two artists also have an outdoor space at the rear of the building, which can be seen through floor-to-ceiling windows in one of the studios.

To contrast the structure's concrete palette, the architects chose bright, colourful finishes for the shared amenities, such as the bathroom and a storage volume at the back of the property.

"Smaller compact volumes intersect the composition with lively colors to indicate function and to create contrast," the architecture studio explained.

The building's roofline has a distinctive saw-tooth profile, which allows natural light to enter every workspace.

"Inclined slabs in the form of serrated teeth allow the large, orthogonal studios to receive direct sunlight and the cool wind from the northeast, said Estudio Santa Rita.

These angled structures also support solar panels. According to the architects, the angle of the skylights was chosen to optimise their electricity generation, which helps to offset the building's overall energy use.

"The angle to which the slabs are inclined corresponds to the optimal angle and orientation to the sun that is necessary to generate energy through the use of solar panels," said the studio.

The Yucatán Peninsula has seen several new projects in recent years, particularly around the rapidly growing city of Tulum, a popular tourist destination.

Other projects in the area include an apartment complex in Cancún intended to be used by local workers and tourists alike and a bamboo-woven yoga pavilion by CO-Lab Design Office.

The photography is by Sergio Rios.

Project credits:

Arq. Mauricio A. Pérez León, Arq. Marcos Torres Cocom

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A Montreal home with a trapeze net, a warehouse conversion in London and an Indian home with a monolithic marble facade are among the residences in this lookbook, which feature atriums as a central aspect of their design.

Atriums – large spaces, surrounded by a building, that are either open-air or feature skylights – were originally used in Roman homes, where they functioned more like a courtyard.

Modern atriums typically feature in larger buildings and are cavernous spaces that stretch up for stories.

For residential architecture, architects who want to include atrium spaces have to scale down the size, but that doesn't mean that homes can't have the loft ceilings and ample light provided by atriums.

In these homes, the central space is open, with skylights and glass ceilings bringing light into the heart of the structure.

Atriums provide an option for airiness when confronted with constructing homes on busy city streets where exterior views are not always desirable.

Often, the other rooms and spaces are all accessed from the atrium space, and many times trees feature in these lofty spaces.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing floating staircases, calm green bedrooms and organic modern interiors.

Atrium Townhome, Canada, by Robitaille Curtis

When dealing with limited space in city buildings, an atrium can open up the inside of the home. For this Montreal Townhome, Canadian studio Robitalle Curtis oriented the white-walled interiors around a triple-height atrium.

The atrium is in the centre of the house and extends up from the open-layout kitchen upwards. A skylight brings light into the void and the open space is punctuated by a trapeze that forms a children's play area on the top floor.

Find out more about Atrium Townhome ›

Margin House, Japan, by Kohei Yukawa

Kohei Yukawa of Yukawa Design Lab designed this home for himself in Ibaraki City, north of Osaka. The corrugated-metal-clad home features a central atrium with a small tree.

Instead of being completely topped by a skylight, the atrium fits into the slanted volume of the home. A wall of glass accompanies it on one side and at the top two clerestory windows bring light into the void.

Find out more about Margin House ›

La Clairière, USA, by Studio PHH

Brooklyn-based Studio PHH connected two wood-and-brick-clad volumes with a double-height atrium that serves as the living room for this New Jersey home.

The space has floor-to-ceiling glass on two sides where it faces the outdoors and is filled by a central staircase that leads to a mezzanine. Two large circular skylights brighten the space from above.

Find out more about La Clairière ›

Bethnal Green warehouse apartment, UK, by Paper House Project

UK studio Paper House Project's design for this London home saw the studio turn an open-office space in an old warehouse into a residence. In order to add bedrooms to the space while still maintaining natural light on the first floor, the studio incorporated an atrium topped by skylights.

The double-height atrium is lined with gridded windows that also bring light into the bedrooms above. Instead of a tree, the void of the atrium is filled by a sculptural chandelier.

Find out more about this warehouse conversion ›

Tawainese home, Taiwan, by KC Design Studio

KC Design Studio was tasked with bringing extra light into this 50-year-old home in Tawain. In order to do so, an atrium-like central void was created.

A metal stairway follows the atrium up three levels, creating a central flow through the home and bringing in plenty of natural light. Plants have been hung from the exposed structural rafters to take advantage of the sunlight and add life to the design.

Find out more about this Taiwanese home ›

House for Daughter, Vietnam, by Khuôn Studio

This house in Ho Chi Min City by Khuôn Studio features a massive triple-height atrium that splits the two sections of the home, one of which is used by the full-time residents and one by their daughter.

The atrium features public spaces, a tree and a series of skylights that bring in light to the cavernous volume. The edges of the rooms on either side protrude into the area and are rounded, adding a softness to the atrium space.

Find out more about House for Daughter ›

Cleft House, India, by Anagram Architects

This New Delhi house by Anagram Architects features two monumental marble blocks that are split by a massive atrium. The four-storey atrium is topped by a glass ceiling and even has a glass-lined elevator shaft on one wall.

A massive spiral staircase fills the void and plant-filled public areas are arranged throughout the space. Balconies for rooms on the upper floor have been positioned to look out over the atrium, giving the impression of an open-air space.

Find out more about Cleft House ›

Jungle Frame House, Costa Rica, by Studio Saxe

Studio Saxe oriented this steel-framed home in Costa Rica around a "tropical atrium". The three-storey atrium is lined by glass and wooden louvres so that the jungle is visible from much of the home.

Because of the wooden slats, the ground floors have shadows similar to the floor of the jungle with the shadows of the overstory. At the bottom of the atrium space is the living room, which extends outside into a wrap-around patio.

Find out more about Jungle Frame House ›

House H, Taiwan, by HAO Design

The atrium was achieved in this home in Kaohsiung by removing the interior staircase and putting it outdoors. HAO Design decided that orienting the home around an atrium was the best way to take advantage of the space left by the staircase.

A skylight at the top illuminates the kitchen and a variety of other living spaces are positioned as mezzanines on the upper floors. The home now serves as a cafe and furniture store.

Find out more about House H ›

The Lomas House, Mexico, by Arqueodigma Studio 

Because of the busy area of Guadalajara where this home is located,  Arqueodigma decided to orient it inwards. The central public areas of the home are arranged around a triple-height atrium covered by a skylight.

In the space are trees that rise up into the open area left open in the wooden ceiling. The public spaces on the ground floor were left mostly open so that the atrium can diffuse light through much of the home.

Find out more about The Lomas House ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing floating staircases, calm green bedrooms and organic modern interiors.

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Costa Rica studio Plup! has completed a pair of structures topped with dramatic skylights on the slopes of the Barva Volcano using inexpensive materials.

The series of structures were completed in 2021 in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. The area's climate is extremely damp, which led the studio to favour a design that would easily shed water.

"The area is an area that presents rain or at least constant spray during the year, with an average temperature of 17C and high humidity," explained local studio Plup!.

The retreat is made up of two similar, longitudinal buildings. One of them is exclusively for hosting guests and offers an expansive, double-height living and dining room.

The other one contains a mezzanine for the owner and guest bedrooms on the lower level, and also enjoys a kitchen, living and dining room on the main level. Both buildings are made up of two angled walls that join at their apex to form skylights.

Because of this sloped shape, the studio claimed that the buildings are constantly draining water off their sides.

"A simple and low-cost structures generate space from two planes that function as a wall and ceiling at the same time, allowing a quick evacuation of water and any other element that comes off," the architecture studio explained.

Conceptually, the design was inspired by Bromeliads, a species of native plants that are shaped to collect water within their leaf structure to store for later use.

"The building, instead of storing water, seeks to reject it to generate shelter and comfort," said Plup!.

An open-concept floor plan features on the ground floor of both structures, with large openings at either end of the narrow buildings that provide cross-ventilation of the interiors.

The kitchen and living room are at opposite ends of each space, with a long dining table placed in between to offer an informal separation of the spaces.

Just off the living room is an elevated terrace, which is sheltered on three sides and allows residents to peer out at the surrounding tree tops.

Two concrete cores in the centre of the structures contain bathrooms staircases, respectively. These act as supports for the rest of the building, which the architects say reduces any disturbance to the site.

The owner's building contains an upstairs mezzanine overlooking the space below, as well as two bedrooms on the lower level. The communal building, on the other hand, has additional service areas on the lower level.

In good weather, the skylights can be opened, which further helps natural ventilation and reduces humidity in the interiors.

Plup! left most of the structure's materials exposed, including steel beams, concrete supports, and corrugated metal walls.

"The use of low-maintenance materials will allow the project to mature in conjunction with its context," the studio explained.

The studio is led by architect Carlos Andres Bolaños Alfaro and based in the Rohrmoser neighbourhood of San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica.

Other projects in Costa Rica include a jungle home by Studio Saxe that opens fully onto its lush surroundings and a prefabricated home by studio A-01 that was built as a prototype for future modular construction.

The photography is by Roberto d´Ambrosio S.

Project credits:

Architects: Plup! Studio Costa Rica
Other participants: Arq. Carlos A. Bolaños A., Arq. Daniela M. Chaverri C., Arq. Cesar Delgado, Arq. Alvaro Aguilar P., S3 Ingenieros

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Estudio MMX used a strategy of "stylistic hybridization" to conform to local building guidelines for a four-gabled holiday home with a central skylight in Mexico.

The CRA House – completed in 2020 – is located in Avándaro, a private community roughly two hours outside of Mexico City.

Mexico City architecture studio Estudio MMX said that because of the strict design guidelines required in the area, it had to use specific forms and local materials while still maintaining a modern profile for the 590 square-metre home.

"The country club, like many others in Mexico, establishes general design criteria and suggests, with emphasis, the use of specific forms and materials," the architects explained.

"Given the mountain character of the site, the regulation infers the need to preserve the rustic character of the place through architecture," the architecture studio added.

The studio sought to comply with these regulations, while still creating a design that would reflect contemporary values and preferences.  It described the approach as a "stylistic hybridization" of the design criteria.

The home has four gabled volumes that rest on a concrete base.

Within the base, a ground-level space contains the public areas and guest rooms, while each of the gabled volumes upstairs contains a bedroom for members of the family.

On the ground floor, guests enter via a covered concrete portico that leads to the centre of the home.

The large skylight illuminates this space, casting dramatic shadows onto the exposed timber structure.

Estudio MMX opted to turn most of the living spaces outwards, and included sliding glass doors that expand the resident's living space to the outdoor spaces and pool, which is built into the concrete base.

Because of the cross-shaped layout of the home, the architecture studio was able to create a variety of outdoor spaces, with varying levels of privacy in each.

On the upper floor, the four bedrooms share a central landing. Each one branches off in a different direction and includes its own ensuite, providing the residents with complete privacy.

Inside each suite, the roof's angled profile is left exposed, creating tall spaces with plenty of light flooding in from the full-height openings at the end of each gable.

To prevent overheating, the roofline projects past the glass, creating a shaded outdoor space.

Estudio MMX made the most of these tall ceilings by including a mezzanine floor in each bedroom, which can be used as a play area or study.

Throughout the residence, the home's structural systems were mostly left exposed.

In the upper part of the home, timber rafters and wood-lined surfaces are visible, while the lower level spaces have exposed concrete walls and large-format tile floors.

Estudio MMX was established in 2010 by Jorge Arvizu, Ignacio del Río, Emmanuel Ramírez and Diego Ricalde. It has completed a range of projects within and around Mexico City.

Others include a home clad in black bricks that steps down a steep site and an apartment block with offset volumes that help bring light and air to the apartments.

The photography is by Rafael Gamo.

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American architecture studio Thomas Phifer and Partners has built a concrete structure at the Glenstone Museum in Maryland to house an artwork by sculptor Richard Serra.

Thomas Phifer and Partners designed the 4,096-square-foot (281-square-metre) concrete structure specifically to house a work by Serra, who gave input into the design of the structure.

The building houses four cylindrical steel sculptures called Four Rounds: Equal Weight, Unequal Measure, which was created in 2017.

To hold the artwork, the studio created a rectilinear block made completely of cast-in-place structural concrete with skylights and doors made of stainless steel.

After concurring with the artist, the architecture studio decided that the building would have no electric lights. All the light illuminating the sculptures within is generated by a series of skylights.

The ceiling was made from clear span concrete and is supported by concrete beams that form the light wells capped by the white glass skylights framed in aluminium.

In order to support the massive metal sculptures within, Thomas Phifer and Partners made the concrete flooring four feet thick (1.2 metres).

"Together, we were able to consider every detail of how the volume of the space interacts with the masses within, how the different qualities of light filtering down animate the surfaces of the sculpture, how the texture of the building's concrete enters into dialogue with Serra's steel," said Thomas Phifer and Partners.

Phifer wanted the space to be a place for quiet contemplation for visitors, who enter the gallery space via a winding wooden walkway that is elevated over wetlands.

The structure is sited on the eastern edge of the property at the base of a slope so that the back of the gallery is buried 15 feet (4.5 metres) into the hillside.

At the base of the building, soil embankments were filled back in around the structure which gives it the appearance of something embedded into the landscape for years, a unity of sculptural form and geography that can be seen in much of Serra's work.

In fact, the museum wanted the structure to more than just house the works, but become part of the installation itself.

"The building they designed is more than a container for the sculpture; it's an integral part of the experience," said Glenstone director Emily Wei Rales.

Serra was born in San Francisco in 1938 and is known for his large, abstract sculptures. His work is considered land art for its size and incorporation of the topography of sites into the sculptures. Due to the size of the works and his use of steel, Serra's work often takes on architectural qualities.

The Glenstone Museum is in Potomac, Maryland and has a number of galleries with outdoor sculptures including a number of other works by Serra.

In 2018, the museum opened The Pavilions, a massive expansion of the original facilities also designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners. It is made of stacked-concrete blocks with floor-to-ceiling glass windows oriented around a marshy central pond.

Other architectural projects that have been built exclusively to host the artworks of Serra include a charred-timber pavilion designed by architecture studio OLI in Winchester, New York.

Project credits: 

Architect: Thomas Phifer and Partners, Thomas Phifer, Michael Trudeau, Rebecca Garnett
Landscape architect: PWP Landscape Architecture, Adam Greenspan, Conard Lindgren, Marta Gual
Structural engineer: Structural Engineer: Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, LLP
Geotechnical engineer: Schnabel Engineering DC
MEP engineers: Mueller Associates
Lighting/daylighting: Arup
Civil engineer: Vika
Irrigation: Sweeney Associates

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