Luxury Home and Luxury House

Bela Cintra by Triptyque

I found another amazing bookcase, like the one I posted a few weeks ago, created for a private apartment in Sao Paulo by Brazilian firm Triptyque. The bookcase serves as bulkhead in this apartment, since it winds all the way through the whole place, serving as entertaiment system, bookshels, etc. Via io9

Planar House by Steven Holl Architects

This private residence, designed by Steven Holl Architects, is thought to be a part of the great 20th century contemporary art collection of the owners. Constructed of tilt-up concrete walls, the flat and rotated nature of the walls merges with the simple orthogonal requirements of the interiors for art. The house is a vessel for the art collection hidden behind a perforated sheet of Cot-Ten

Olivino Delicatessen Shop by Pierluigi Piu

Olivino is a delicatessen shop designed by Pierluigi Piu complementary to the Olivomare Restaurant, with which it shares the appealing aubergine colored shopfront. The shop is limited within 40 square meters room facing the public, were a staircase protected by a full height frame-less glazed partition leads to the storage located in the basement. The perimetrical wall, adjacent to the staircase

House and Office by DV Architekten

DV Architekten builded their studio-home in a plot with a big tree and decided to capture the shadows of the tree in the building facade, like a tattoo. The envelope of the building is made of translucent plastic panel reinforced with fiberglass “PRFV” of 5 mm thick. The graphics of the shadows have been designed from photos of the existing tree. The printed pattern is mounted on the panel,

CO2 Saver House / Peter Kuczia

Architect: Peter KucziaLocation: Lake Laka, PolandArea: 175sqmConstruction year: 2007Usage: Single family houseMaterials: Wood, Fibre cementUsing untreated larch wood and black fibre cement panels to optimise solar energy gain, this lake house in Poland is a pretty good example of how to be sustainable and respectful with the environment.This sustainable house - like a chameleon - blends with its

Guest House / AATA Associate Architects

Architects: Aata Associate ArchitectsLocation: Licancheu, Navidad, ChileClient: Mario Cerda SepulvedaArea: 26sqmConstruction start: 2005Completion: 2006Contractors: Carlos VidalMaterials: Straw bales, polycarbonate, woodBudget: 700 US$ / m2Photos: impulsando.com The assignment was consisting of a small cabin for visits. It was thought as for it spoils reason it was decided to do it in 2 levels,

Leon de Grief Library Park / Giancarlo Mazzanti

Architects: Giancarlo MazzantiLocation: La Ladera, Medellín, ColombiaConstructed Area: 6.800sqmConstruction year: 2007Services: Constructor AIA CONSTRUCTORESStructural Engineer: Sergio TobónMaterials: Concrete, Wood, GlassPhotos: Sergio Gómez The aim is to establish a project that enables the biggest amount of urban connections and the development of public spaces. To achieve this, there are

Slovenia’s Gorgeous Honeycomb Housing Complex

This stunning seaside structure bursts free from the all-too-frequently stale stock of public housing projects with its dynamic array of brightly shaded cells. Taking its cues from the modular honeycomb clusters of a beehive, the complex was constructed as a low-income residence for young families and couples in the industrial district of Izola on the Slovenian coast. The striking development

Pirihueico House / Alejandro Aravena

Alejandro Aravena was selected as one of the 20 essential young architects by Icon. Architects: Alejandro Aravena, Jorge Christie, Victor OddóLocation: Pirihueico lake, ChileBuilt Area: 350sqmConstruction start: 2003Completion: 2004Materials: Stone, Wood, GlassBudget: 1.000 US$ / m2Photos: Cristobal Palma We were asked to design a summer/winter house in a remote landscape in the most southern

Iconic Incineration Line in Denmark by Erick van Egeraat

Erick van Egeraat has won the international competition for the design of a new incineration line in Roskilde, Denmark for Kara/Noveren, a local waste management company. Due to its large scale, the incinerator is destined to become an outstanding structure in the wide and open landscape of the Roskilde area. After its completion in 2013, the facility will produce both electricity and heating

New LEED Living in Greenwich Village

A new project in Greenwich Village is bringing a mix of modern luxury and green building to the historic West Village district. Architect William Pederson, with international real estate firm Hines, recently announced the design for One Jackson Square. With an eye-catching glass façade and a host of environmentally sound features, the new development will be Greenwich Village’s first

Taka Tuka Land / Baupiloten

The Baupiloten are a group of students at the architectural faculty of the Berlin Technical University who carry out building projects under Susanne Hofmann’s guidance and supervision. They have completed their third project. It is already the second one for the client ASB Kinder.- and Jugendhilfe GmbH, Berlin. Within the scope of the refurbishment the Baupiloten created a completely new

Two residences in New York / Gage Clemenceau

While visiting Gage Clemenceau Architects we learned about their design process and research on building new forms through diverse design strategies that range from the use of automotive design software to a heavy reliance on robotic digital fabrication tools. This time we bring you two residences in New York by Gage Clemenceau - Mark Foster Gage & Marc Clemenceau Bailly.

Poli House / Pezo von Ellrichshausen

Architects: Pezo von EllrichshausenLocation: Coliumo peninsula, ChileClient: Poli House Cultural CenterArea: 180sqmSite Area: 10.000sqmConstruction start: 2004Completion: 2005Contractors: PvEStructural Engineer: Cecilia PobleteMaterials: Concrete, GlassBudget: 370 US$ / m2Photos: Cristobal Palma The work is located on the Coliumo peninsula, in a rural setting scarcely populated by farmers,

Oslo Opera House / Snohetta

Architects: SnohettaLocation: Bjørvika, Oslo, NorwayClient: Ministry of Church an Cultural AffairsArea: 38.500sqmConstruction start: 2004Completion: 2007Contractors: 55 contractsGeological Engineer: NGIStructural Engineer: Reinertsen Engineering ANSElectrical Engineer: Ingeniør Per Rasmussen ASTheatre Planning: Theatre Project ConsultantsAcoustics: Brekke Strand Akustikk, Arup AcousticArtists,

3LHD wins the Zamet Centre competition

3LHD is a croatian office that has developed some interesting houses, sports facilities and urban projects. And now they just won the private competition for the Zamet sports and community centre in Rijeka, Croatia. Rijeka is an industrial harbour city on the Adriatic Sea and the new complex will provide it with a new civic hub for both business people and the general public.From their press

Sports Hall Bale / 3LHD

Bale (Valle in Italian) is a small place in Istria with a population of 1000 people. The new sports hall is adjacent to the old school, and due to the size of the village itself where this building is the second largest after the church, it will also be used as a public facility for various social gatherings. The size of the building has been defined by the basket ball playground and modified by

Fairmont Designs

Bathrooms and kitchens can make or break a sale. Buyers coming in and seeing an outdated bathroom, especially one that isn’t spotlessly clean and shiny, will simply walk right back out. They’re also very personal spaces, and too much custom work will make a buyer feel like they could never be “at home” in the space, hardly a feeling you want in a bathroom! Spend your money wisely, and invest in

Herringbone Houses / Alison Brooks Architects

The Herringbone Houses are two 400sqm houses and integrated landscape located in a wooded back land site overlooking the South London Bowls Club for private developer Lyford Investments.Each open-plan house is composed of two continuous planes of herringbone timber and graphite render surfaces that form walls, floors, external decking and fences. These planes interlock and fold inward at the

Wall house / FAR frohn&rojas

Wall house innovates on house design, through a sustainable soft skin. This house was awarded the 2007 AR Emerging Awards and selected as one of the 2008 Record Houses by Architectural Record.With a limited budget, our office was asked to design a residence for a retired couple in one of the suburban areas that stretch out from the center of Santiago de Chile along the Pan-American Highway. We

Contrapunto Bookshop / Lipthay + Cohn + Contenla

Contrapunto, a Chilean book shop that specializes in architecture, design, art, photography and illustrated books, invited us to develop a new concept for their most recent store. The atmosphere, architecture and design should act as a support for the book world, and deliver a pleasant environment were the content and the aesthetics of the books were the main characters.The project should solve

4TREEHOUSE by Lukasz Kos

What is it about tree houses that we love so much? Their playfulness, the escapism they offer, and the platforms they provide into nature all come to mind. We have written about the 4Treehouse by Lukasz Kos before, but when we saw it again in this month’s Dwell, the gorgeous glowing image stopped us in our tracks. Posing as a Japanese lantern on stilts, Kos’ creation floats within the fir trees

To The Trees!

Treehouses have grown-up and are winning awards for excellence in design and innovation. If the idea of treehouse as family dwelling conjures up images of the Swiss Family Robinson, then prepare yourself for the following reinterpretations.In 2003 Lukasz Kos, a masters student at the University of Toronto's School of Architecture & Design, took honourable mention at the OAA awards for his Muskoka

Kinderstad / Sponge Architects & Rupali Gupta + IOU Architecture

The project “Kinderstad” (Dutch for “children’s city”) emanated from the Young Architects Competition of the Dutch National Board of Architects (BNA) together with the Ronald McDonald Children’s Foundation (Kinderfonds) in 2003. SPONGE ARCHITECTS & Rupali Gupta in cooperation with IOU ARCHITECTURE (Björn van Rheenen, Rupali Gupta and Roland Pouw) won the first prize and received at the same time

Prefab for Rooftops

Being a young New Yorker and realizing that I am never going to be able to buy property in New York has got me thinking about prefabs. Specifically about buying an inexpensive prefab house and sticking it on a rooftop. This seems particularly appropriate to the vertical landscape of Manhattan, where there is nowhere to go but up. Apparently wealthy Londoners are taking to the idea of rooftop

MICRO-MINI HOME

Inspired by the intimate scale of a Japanese tea house and the compact efficiency of a smart-car, students working on a joint project between the Technical University of Munich and the Tokyo Institute of Technology have come up with a tiny, transportable dwelling called the Micro-Compact Home (m-ch). The lightweight structure is only 2.65 m cubed (roughly 77 sq ft), but incorporates everything a

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iT HOUSE

“Can you see yourself in an iT house?”Linda Taalman, Alan Koch, and the iT house designers ask this question, examining what potential homeowners desire in a machine for living.Utilizing an aluminum frame structure manufactured by Bosch, the all glass house is constructed within an 8 week timeframe - from pouring the “Smart Slab” to appliance installation. Thoroughly designed to be an intelligent

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Marmol Radziner

Sustainable design and prefabrication are two of our central obsessions here at Inhabitat. So when they come together in one sleek package, we take note. Lest you think we have been ignoring or overlooking innovative LA-based design firm Marmol Radziner, think again. We were just waiting for the right moment…and since Sarah got a chance to see the firm at CA Boom last week, we decided the right

Luxury Colorado Homes in Evergreen, Conifer, Genesee, Morrison, and Golden.

Located in one of the last truly private, serene areas with an easy commute of the city. Located just 15 minutes to Golden, 35 minutes to downtown Denver, and 35 minutes to Boulder, this 5296 square foot home sits on 10.2 acres in a small, gated enclave. The unique architecture of this residence takes advantage of its dramatic setting with rooms oriented to maximize the panoramic views of Pikes

Zenkaya

We are really excited about the potential of Zenkaya, a great new prefab out of South Africa that has been making the rounds lately. Based on the idea of providing “a headache free process with cutting edge design,” Zenkaya literally references a Zen approach to housing (kaya meaning “home” in the vernacular South African language.)While some prefab designers prefer to have the final product

Buying a new Luxury homes

There are many important issues involved in buying a new home. Searching the best value for your family means evaluating your unique family needs and matching them to the numerous home choices. Imperial Legacy Homes is not only among the great builders, but we are the only great builder out there to match the qualities of exciting luxury homes with the economies of production home building. The

WeeHouse

Prefab Friday has been a great way to build up the Inhabitat prefab archive, giving us a weekly reason to look for new developments in the industry, or add in old favorites. The weeHouse from Alchemy Architects definitely fits into the latter category — already widely-known (and one of the few prefabs actually available for purchase!), this mini mansion is a gem among the super-tiny prefab set,

Luxury Homes In Bulgaria Mainly In Sofia And Varna

The residential markets in Sofia and Varna account for the bulk of luxury homes in Bulgaria while occasional listings in other cities are the exception rather than the rule reports Dnevnik. In many cases, the label 'luxury' is misleading because it is used to describe properties that offer basic amenities like parking and sports facilities which are considered standard in the rest of Europe.The

ECOSPACE GREEN GARDEN STUDIO

We’ve waxed lyrical about many a mini backyard prefab, (the FutureShed, the Modern Cabana, the MetroShed) but the EcoSpace Garden Studio really takes the cake. This stylish little prefab is green in almost every way: it is constructed from sustainably harvested cedar, employs eco-friendly materials throughout the structure and interior, and even comes outfitted with a pre-built green roof!

Phoenix Southeast Valley Luxury homes

Urban, rural, nightlife - it's all hereThe Southeast Valley is a diverse region where people of all ages feel at home, from college students at Arizona State University in Tempe to retirees in Apache Junction.The Southeast Valley borders some of Arizona's most scenic areas with the Superstition Mountains to the east and South Mountain Park to the south.Something is always happening in the

Living Homes

One of the most beautiful, flexible, and complex prefab systems we’ve covered in the last year is the Ray Kappe designed Living Home. For better and worse, it was covered this week in the LA Times by writer Christopher Hawthorne in the article “Such a deal?” Although he addressed several shortcomings that bother us about the current prefab industry, we can’t help but feel he cast a harsh light on

Breckenridge Luxury Home

The Breckenridge Luxury Home options are so breathtaking, you'll think you're looking in a magazine. If you're looking for the ultimate vacation home destination, Breckenridge has a number of Luxury Homes for you to consider. Luxury homes in Breckenridge include rustic log-cabins to scenic mountain villas. Whatever your style, you will find Breckenridge Luxury Homes to be unsurpassed any where on

Sustain miniHOME

We have covered the Sustain MiniHOME on Inhabitat before - but this is the first time we’ve gotten a real photographic look at the gorgeous eco-friendly prefab. We go on and on about how sick and tired we are of seeing prefab in renderings and models and never the real thing. Of late, of course, we’ve had a few, such as Living Homes and a small army of sheds. But when we feasted our eyes on the

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Luxury homes

Trapanese House by Celoria Architects

The Trapanese house, designed by Celoria Archotects, starts with the idea of a main way that goes through the house connecting the road with the hill. The stairs are put in the centre, creating a hinge of rotation from which all the different spaces are organised on different levels. This double height void also connects the earth with the sky. The house is entirely cladded with polycarbonate

Rocio Romero’s LV Home

Many of our readers have commented lately that some of the recent prefab, modular, and kit housing projects that we have written about do not address real living - whether in the context of lifestyle, environment, or price. This week’s Prefab Friday is dedicated to you; your concerns are not lost on our ears! We easily agree that many of the projects we have profiled do not reflect the initial

Focus House in London by BERE Architects

Added to an end-of-terrace house in North London, Focus House is a delightful prefabricated eco-home for a family of five. Bere Architects, the firm behind the design, used PassivHaus principles to inform their process. The world’s leading energy efficiency standard, Passivhaus recognizes buildings that are so energy efficient all they need is a small electric heater. Focus House is a unique

Paris - Lighting Design from Celine Wright

Céline Wright is a Paris-based designer whose poetic lighting has become a classic in the modern Parisian interior. Each light is made by hand with blown glass and handmade paper, inspired by nature and Wright's childhood years in Tokyo.Suspended by nearly invisible wires, her lights float in the interior or outdoor space adding an ethereal touch to the landscape. For more about Céline Wright, go

Decorating the Family Room

Paul and Alison chose a sofa from the Potomac collection at Crate and Barrel.I’ve spent a lot of my spare time over the past several weeks trying to decide on furniture for the family room. My research has included: * Poring over every furniture catalog ever published — from Restoration Hardware (beautiful, but expensive) to West Elm (too modern) to J.C. Penney (a little too practical). * Surfing

Architecture Beyond Building

The 11th International Architecture Exhibition entitled Out There: Architecture Beyond Building, directed by Aaron Betsky and organized by La Biennale di Venezia presided over by Paolo Baratta, will take place in Venice from Sunday, September 14th to Sunday, November 23rd 2008. According to Aaron Betsky, six year director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI) in Rotterdam, and director

New Cross Gate by FCB Studios

” We were appointed to design this new sustainable living quarter following success in a competition sponsored by The New Deal for Communities, New Cross Gate. The brief was to provide health, educational, community, creative and performing arts facilities together with a new public square and housing.The winning scheme proposes 76 residential units surrounding a large public square planted with

Inteligent Kitchen Design Concept for the Future

As I’ve said in Contemporary Kitchen in Bamboo post in these days the kitchen has long since become a place where the boundaries between food preparation and everyday life dissolve. The kitchen is continuing its evolution into a natural part of people’s living areas. Now by following this trend Designboom hold a contest entitled “Kitchen is the heart of the home“, where 2980 designers from 102