Katsuhiro Miyamoto thrives on designing dwellings on challenging sites. As we saw in projects previously featured on Archinnovations, the architect carefully composes his projects from the constraint imposed by the surrounding density of the urban landscapes, developing his ideas despite the awkwardness of the site’s shapes and dimensions.

He proposes solutions that possess a powerful in their visual appeal while staying focused on the functional requirements of the house and the creation of user-centric living space.

Hof is a new country residence in the Skakafjörður fjord, less than 100km from the Arctic Circle in Iceland.

The spectacle of the location, its remoteness and special program fuelled a unique rapport between the client, contractor and architect resulting in a building that is in every respect a direct consequence of that collaboration.

This house, located in San Francisco, California. provides a surprising integration of old and new elements, of competing urban forces, brings the remodeled warehouse alive.


Three stories of interlocked spaces have distinct personalities and functions: office, main living area, and penthouse. The rigidity of the original concrete structure is broken down in a subtle interplay of light, surfaces, levels, and indoor and outdoor spaces—making the urban living experience as richly textured as the city itself.

One of the hardest and most challenging tasks for an architect designing a house is to take an existing project and transforming it into a house that is geared towards a more contemporary lifestyle.

With Casa AV, BGP arquitectura has been able to achieve great results in redesigning of a house from the 70’s of no significant architectural value and located in front of one of the most important avenues of Mexico City.

What is most impressive is the fact that, due to a retrained budget, the original structure was kept intact.

Located in Kent New York, this gorgeous house by Resolution: 4 Architecture displays an intricate interplay of volumes that is well enhanced by a judicious selection of materials that helps it to delicately blend in its natural surrounding.

The house reserves its visitors a delightful surprise at every corner and the richness of the external enclosure is nicely complemented with the richness of the internal spaces.

All photographs by ® Floto+Warner

Brio54 have developed a series of prefabricated houses that are both attractive and affordable. Going for a modern look, the designers focused on the functionality of these homes and the daily requirements of today’s families.

Along with design, functionality and affordability, Brio54’s designs are environmentally friendly with a special focus on the conservation of natural resources and the creation of a non-toxic healthy living environment.
 

Tree House sits on a cul-de-sac at the end of a mature subdivision in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. It is filled with century-old deciduous trees, which form a magnificent canopy 150 feet above the site.

A stream runs around the house, and because of the potential for flooding, the buildable area is quite small.

All pictures and content are courtesy of the Architects

« Form follows function ». This statement has been at the core of Modern Architecture since Louis Sullivan. But how true are architects and designers to the principle when it comes to designing houses. Function has taken a secondary role, replaced in the majority of cases by the formal, spatial, and ideosyncratic requirements.

All pictures are courtesy of Michael Jantzen