House EP / Ulisses Morato de Andrade

This construction, designed by Ulisses Morato de Andrade, occupies the top of a hillside and is projected over an immense valley framed with a chain of mountains, a predominant relief in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In the surroundings of Nova Lima – MG, where the construction was erected, a considerable part of the houses are influenced by the language of Portuguese colonial architecture and uses manual techniques of construction — via ArchDaily

Swiss Watch Exports Rebound Strongly in 2010

2010 saw a strong recovery in Swiss watch exports following the significant downturn recorded in 2009. The sector exported the equivalent of 16.2 billion francs or 2.9 billion more than the previous year. This 22.1% increase makes 2010 the second best year ever, even higher than 2007, which was considered to be excellent at the time — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Arkansas House / Marlon Blackwell Architect

The challenge for the Arkansas House was to reassemble a fire-damaged home and introduce possibilities for re-thinking the house’s spatial character by adding new elements. The design had to be completed in three weeks and the details were resolved after construction began – one fragment at a time. Marlon Blackwell Architect were allowed to work only in the fire-damaged zones of the existing house (exterior and interior), leaving the remainder untouched beyond new windows and a new HVAC system — via ArchDaily

The Lookout House / Ike Kligerman Barkley Architects

Ike Kligerman Barkley Architects designed a contemporary renovation and extension of the Lookout House in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Clients chose to retain the eccentric 1979 structure of the property and commissioned a gut renovation and extension.  The original pyramid form of the house, which is centered on an open-plan double-height living space surrounding an indoor pool, was lightened and simplified with a contemporary material palette (including bamboo, bluestone, and glass tile) and a new lighting program.  A glass bridge—an “architectural synapse” that clearly differentiates old from new—connects the main house to the master suite.  Like the original structure, the new suite is a large volume enclosing a smaller one—in this case, a freestanding cube, finished in claro walnut, that divides the sleeping and bath areas — via CONTEMPORIST

The Gown / Archipelontwerpers

The Baljurk-project (baljurk = evening-dress, ball gown), designed by Archipelontwerpers, is situated in the centre of The Hague, next to the old Passage. The construction of the Passage in 1882 has transformed the urban tissue. Before this transformation there used to be a meandering transition between the two streets Kettingstraat and the Achterom, cause by the fact that the Achterom used to be a modest stream. This organic flow is unique in the context of The Hague’s rectangular lay-out. By consequence of the construction of the Passage this smooth transition was converted into a straight angle. The Baljurk-project is exactly placed on this corner — via ArchDaily

Art Center In Beijing / Atelier 11

As a renovation project by the Chinese architecture studio Atelier 11, the Inside-out Art Center is part of a cultural industrial zone located in the west part of Beijing. With a total scale of 211,530 sqm, the zone includes studios for artists, lofts, office complex, and exhibition centers. The Art Center is the only construction built out of an existing structure in this real estate project — via ArchDaily

Sustainable Luxury in the Vicino House

The Vicino House rests on a cliff overlooking about 180 degrees of Santa Monica Bay and the Pacific Ocean. But the view isn’t the only thing worth mentioning with this gut renovation. In fact, the Pacific Palisades home achieved LEED Platinum certification and all electricity is provided by a 28-panel, 5.2 kW rooftop photovoltaic array. Two solar thermal panels provide about 70% of the domestic hot water needs — via Jetson Green

Single House In Almería / vora arquitectura

At an urban level, the building, designed by vora arquitectura, is situated on the corner of two very narrow streets, but avoids a direct relationship with them, closing the first two levels of the house around an enclosed external courtyard, which is both controlled and thermally beneficial. In contrast, the top floor opens fully onto an open terrace above the street that allows distant views over the church towards the sea — via ArchDaily

Othonos House / Nikos Smyrlis

The house, designed by Nikos Smyrlis, is located near downtown of Kifisia. Is an area with low density and it is consisted mostly of neoclassical villas of the early beginning of the 20th century. The two-storey residences disappear behind the dense vegetation that prevails.

The displacement of the house was defined by an effort to conserve the big old trees — via ArchDaily