Balsa Wood House
A pair of unusual Balsa wood tea houses with a curious name, “I am so sorry. Goodbye.”, by Heather and Ivan Morison will whet your appetite for ultra-modern architecture, with a spot of tea on the side. Two geodesic domes take organic shape, clad in Balsa wood and topped with a futuristic, hemispherical skylight that softly and naturally illuminates interiors. Inside, a minimalist, contemporary style lends an atmosphere of rest and relaxation. This artful interpretation of the traditional tea house is on display at Radical Nature: Art and Architecture for a Changing Planet 1969–2009, from June 19 to October 18 at London’s Barbican Art Gallery. Heather and Ivan Morison
Sustainable House in Iceland
Based in Iceland, modern architecture firm Studio Granada took its home’s landscape and climate as inspiration for Hof Island Country House. As most country homes here, this sustainable house is secluded and serene, located in the Skakafjordur fjord, less than 100km from the Arctic Circle. That’s about the only traditional trait you’ll find in this unusual design. From the outside, the structure is a cedar-clad concrete house topped with the grass that originally grew on the property. A series of distinctive volumes seem to rise right out on the grassy meadow. Inside, concrete walls are complemented by oak and steel; a rustic appeal offset my chic, sleek, urban details. Apart from its grassy rooftop, this cool house is green in more ways that one. The concrete walls create a thermally stable internal environment, while geothermal technology takes care of the floor heating, radiators and daily hot water needs. The little electricity used by the house comes via hydroelectric sources.
Exotic Luxury Concept House
Studio MK27 is the architecture firm behind Panama House, an exotic open concept home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A signature of architect Marcio Kogan, the home boasts a low-profile shape and an open-concept gallery-type space that’s still intimate without being "stuffy". Each of the three storeys becomes a display for the homeowner’s contemporary Brazilian art collection. The expansive windows invite the outdoors in, while sliding wood panels offer the option of privacy while controlling light exposure to the prized collection of paintings and sculptures. The vertical grain of the windows screens complements the long lines of the wooden deck and the strong horizontal presence of the house itself.
Beach House Design in Wood on California Coast
This cool, contemporary California beach house by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects is a striking, stand-out design among the rocks and sand of its beachfront property. Two prominent volumes clad in wood and lined with windows can be seen from a distance, protruding from the structure’s main body, resulting in nooks of wind-sheltered outdoor living spaces with Pacific Ocean views. “This beach house replaces a beloved William Wurster house that burned down on the site”, according to Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects. “The client requested we design the new house to capture the spirit of the original house, while meeting all the current seismic codes and FEMA requirements for houses in high-risk coastal zones, which included raising the floor level of the house.” Interiors are too clad in wood, giving them a warm, relaxed, “beach house” ambience.
Modern Villa Design in Santiago
Never judge a book by its cover. This modern villa design in Las Condes, Santiago, Chile, by Izquierdo Lehmann Arquitectos, appears as a simple, two-storey villa from the outside. A modern concrete facade boasts a strong horizontal presence, sprawling along the flat, grassy landscape. But there’s much more to this modern home than meets the eye. Interiors reveal a true mastery in architecture, with luxuriously high ceilings and windows that flood the house with natural light. Floor-to-ceiling glazed walls encircle the home’s perimeter, and even inside, a surprise interior glass atrium give the house a contemporary, open-concept feel while still defining the various living areas.
