For our editors, an escape to nature is always welcome, and it’s with great pleasure that we present a breathtaking iteration of nature’s resources in this vacation home by Brazilian firm mf+arquitetos. Casa Q04L63 is a sophisticated dwelling that celebrates warm natural materials like timber and lush greenery, against the...
The pause on architectural tourism we travel lovers were forced to experience last year seems to be showing optimistic signs of change, as EXPO 2020 Dubai has debuted (in spite of a one year delay) and it did not disappoint. Enthusiasm has quickly built as representatives from across the globe...
Architectural studio Carvalho Araújo designed the Casa do Gerês in the Caniçada Valley in Northern Portugal with its ideal placement, taking in the panoramic views of the sweeping landscape. Crafted from wood and concrete, it's elaboration is like a modern and decadent lodge. The sleek residence came with its challenges. There was an...
Longhua Airport in the Xuhui riverfront area of Shanghai, has a history that spanned from being the first large-scale airport in China in 1917 to becoming one of the longest-servicing airports in the world when it was completely shut down in 2011. How could this piece of history be celebrated...
Anne Hidaglo, mayor of the city of Paris, France has announced the city's plans of transforming the emblematic Champs-Élysées avenue into what she is referring to as "an extraordinary garden." The entire project is expected to be completed by 2030 and centers on making this highly transited area into a...
East of the Hudson River in New York lies the charming town of Millbrook. The award-winning architectural firm De-Spec had the task of completely renovating a dilapidated barn and chicken coop, located behind a small farmhouse in this quiet town. The smaller main house could not accommodate space for the children...
Situated in South Australia's cosmopolitan coastal capital city of Adelaide, is the Willunga House. The conception of this garden retirement home is from the creative mind of architect-in-training Reuben French-Kennedy for his parents. For French-Kennedy the challenge was "to create a home which successfully met the brief and all functional requirements,...
Casa Mas is a testament that Miami's restrictive development codes and lot limitations cannot hold back an innovative designer from creating a spectacular piece of residential architecture. Doo Architecture, based in Miami and Barcelona, designed the home as a collection of raw concrete volumes. Design elements such as natural light,...
Los Angeles, with probably over 4 million inhabitants, is the setting for a design that serves as an oasis from the busy streets of the city. ANX/Aaron Neubert Architects were commissioned to create an open and transparent family home that would be submerged in its organic surroundings and provide plenty...
Butterflies have come to symbolize freedom, beauty, and change. The designers of 314 Architecture Studio certainly embraced not just the shape of a butterfly but what it represents in their recent residential proposal for the seaside suburb of Vouliagmeni in Athens, Greece. Capturing the organic curves of a butterfly's characteristic...
Amsterdam based architectural firm ZJA has revealed their plans for a unique underwater museum that will showcase a 271-year-old vessel that was part of the Dutch East India Company. But the uniqueness of the project is not just the museum itself. When the cargo ship, named the Amsterdam, was returning from its inaugural...
At Thailand's season-long festival Moonbaan Wonder, which highlights the country's cultures, arts, music, food, tastes, talents, and unique identity, architectural firm Bangkok Project Studio invites you to take The Walk. The firm, led by Boonserm Premthada, built an elevated red walkway that was envisioned with the goal to increase appreciation for the minute things...
IDF takes you to Germany to visit the vibrant artistic community of Wedding in Berlin where you will find the exclusive, Michelin-starred restaurant 'ernst'. Focused on using the top local produce of the region during its ever-changing seasons, they highlight the people and work of the land. To accentuate and...
Rocky landscape and lush forest were the canvas that Canadian architect Natalie Dionne worked with on her project aptly named Forest House I. IDF takes you to this forest haven in southeastern Quebec, which was created for a couple seeking to live in closer proximity to the natural world. The location is about 60...
IDF was drawn to this delightful renovation by Klopf Architecture of San Francisco. Preserving the original contemporary, mid-century style of the home while also accommodating a family of varying ages was a crucial requisite for the design firm. The four bedroom and three-bathroom home turns into a much brighter and...
When you think of contemporary design, you may not link the visual to a dental office. However, IDF presents to you exactly what the team at Merge Architects accomplished with the Chelian Orthodontics office, a new orthodontic clinic in Beverly, MA, which is a part of Dr. Suren Chelian’s growing...
There is no doubt that South Florida has a vibrant art scene that draws collectors from all over the world, including IDF's chic community of readers. So it would only be natural that a New York art appraiser and her spouse would eventually seek a warm retreat for their frequent visits to...
ART HOUSE 2.0 is an award-winning project designed by Carol Kurth Architects + Interiors. Located within a forested area in Westchester, NY, this home as a quiet contemporary design while being ecologicaly aware. The owners, who have an impressive collection of both modern art and furniture from the middle of...
With sweeping views of the Montbui region in Catalonia, Spain we find the 'Castell de la Tossa', a remnant of the rich medieval history of the area. The architectural studio of Meritxell Inaraja is behind the renovation of this important structure that still preserves the historic stonework of the 12th century. Sitting...
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier (1887-1965), was the “influencer” of his day in the world of architecture. A Swiss architect and city planner, he broke away from the excessive embellishments of his time period and embraced the functionalism of Modernism along with sculptural expressionism which made him known...
A stark, yet intriguing contrast, this 1,400 sq ft hospitality project by Alexey Gulesha from the Ukraine-based design studio Sivak+Partners in Odessa, Ukraine is inspired by 80s era James Bond films. According to designer Gulesha, it’s intended to create a luxurious atmosphere with cozy minimalist furniture that stands out from...
Elegant, powerful, and imaginative. Glass and geometry set the tone in this two-story residential gem designed for Los Angeles super-developer Mauricio Oberfeld, envisioned by the renowned architecture firm SPF:architects. Its inception was a little rocky, perhaps quite literally, as SPF architects had to do some burrowing of six feet into...
Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects, winners of the 2015 AIA National Firm Award, designed and brought to life with the Waverly Residence a vision where they sought to ‘experience the outdoors from within’. The home was commissioned for a young couple in the century-old neighborhood of Palo Alto, California, and...
IDF whisks you away to the Aegean Sea to visit the island of Tinos and an award-winning structure by Aristides Dallas Architecture Studio based in both Athens and Tinos. As part of the firm's standards that each project "is a synthesis of aesthetics and functionality", see for yourself just one...
Fran Silvestre Architects of Valencia were given the project to combine a musician's studio and home in one building. The challenge also included being able to create such a structure within a very dense residential neighborhood near Valencia. The result was a visionary design that created a lower level for...
In a suburb of Silicon Valley in northern California, American firm Field Architecture has designed a home around two natural features of the site: large oak trees and a flowing creek. Titled ‘Dawnridge’, the residential property takes advantage of the area’s picturesque topography. According to the design team, Dawnridge began by re-envisioning...
IDF found an exquisite gem in what has been called "Everybody’s Favorite City," referring to the variety enclosed within the scenic beauty, cultural attractions, diverse communities, and world-class cuisine of San Francisco. Enhanced by views of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which create a relaxing and romantic environment...
Grab a cozy blanket and join us at the lake with this stunning property that beautifully marries sober wooden elements with sleek glass and metal. The result is a modern retreat strategically adorned by its natural surrounding. Picturesque Lake Michigan is in full view of this fascinating design by Desai Chia...
Pack your virtual bags and join us in Menorca island, Spain, where the 'Villa Patio' by Nomo Studio offers unobstructed views of the Mediterranean Sea. This stunning residential project is nestled peacefully on a sloping site overlooking the coast and is strategically designed to offer highlight a gorgeous backdrop with...
Hidden in the Sao Paulo Forest is one of the most unique residential projects you will find in Brazil. Built adjacent to the Atibia River, the project combines an outdoor experience with the comforts of home in a Brazilian modernist style. A vision of designers Charlotte Taylor (Maison de Sable)...
Design is about more than just interiors. On this year’s World Architecture Day, we are celebrating eight exceptional architectural marvels in different parts of the world. Send us your favorites to editor@internationadesignforum.com Herradura Golf Club Grand Villa Bolivar Arquitectos designed this expansive 17,600-foot villa that manages to fit well into the landscape...
Architecture studio Heliotrope Architects has created a holiday home for art gallery owners that is wrapped in dark metal, punctured with white stucco and large stretches of glass. Collector's Retreat is located on a forested site on Orcas Island, which lies just off the coast of northern Washington. It serves as a second home...
This stunning project by Portugal-based Aurora Arquitectos speaks to resistance and permanence, at a time when the city of Lisbon has been gradually emptied of its inhabitants by pressure from tourism and real estate speculation. The project is the result of a family's desire to remain in their neighborhood, the...
Summer in the Greek islands is all about being outside. The aim of the Plane House is to merge internal and external space, maximizing the benefits of both and minimizing the impact on the surrounding landscape. Join us on this escape to Skiathos, Greece, where K Studio created an unforgettable...
Join us on a tropical escape to Puntarenas, Costa Rica, to explore the 'Art Villa’, a majestic concrete structure situated on a hillside location, envisioned by Czech architecture studios Formafatal and Refuel Works. Embedded into its local and cultural context, the elevated structure features charming and luxurious spaces with sweeping...
Beautifully fusing form, depth, and texture, the Western French countryside is adorned with the ‘C&T.B House’, by architecture studio Atelier MIMA. The talented design studio designed this minimalist wooden home with a harmonious relationship with its natural surroundings. The stunning dwelling makes a quiet statement amidst the green landscape of...
Indoor play has been a hot topic in 2020, but New York and Rome-based architecture practice Architensions stepped to the challenge in a geometric composition that beautifully fuses play, color, and imagination in Brooklyn, New York. The project was just completed before the Big Apple went into lockdown in Spring 2020...
In this modern, uber-minimalist dwelling, less is definitely more. Chinese multidisciplinary design agency Spring Design Office has reimagined the spaces of ‘Explorative Home’, a residence in Guangzhou, China, to focus on different living experiences through modern interior approaches. Chief Designer Wu Jiachun reinterpreted the original arrangement of the home’s space...
Brazilian architecture firm MNMA has designed ‘Selo’—a peaceful, minimalist retail space in São Paolo which is inspired by the natural passage of time. In any bustling, fast-paced city, moments of calm are hard to come by. For architecture firm MNMA, the chaotic backdrop of São Paolo served as an opportunity to provide escapism...
Inspired by the long tradition of Argentinian rural farms, this house in the South American country’s area of Entre Rios, sits in parkland within a large estate. Created by the Buenos Aires-based architecture studio Tacadi, the project draws on the local vernacular and the region’s history, but also contemporary references...
Edmonds + Lee’s latest residential offering is the redesign of a Noe Valley Craftsman house in San Francisco, which maintains the original historic facade untouched, while completely reimagining the interior and rear, following the studio’s acclaimed modern minimalist approach. Inspired by London-style Victoria conversions, the owners of a newly bought Noe...
Flooding is a significant problem for buildings all around the world, including architectural treasures like the Farnsworth House that have been plagued by the issue time and time again. In particular, one-third of the entire continental U.S. are at risk of flooding this spring, especially the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and Deep South. Last April,...
Six pine buildings form this storm-resilient marine research center in Mississippi designed by US architecture firm Lake Flato Architects. The Marine Education Center (MEC) is an educational facility that is part of The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. It is located in Ocean Springs on a 500-year-old floodplain...
The Tree Top Residence is a visually rich, highly sophisticated multi-level property, located in sunny Los Angeles. An impressive product of the creative vision of the Belzberg Architects design team, the project celebrates the site’s complex landscape, merging with it seamlessly and emerging from it atop the canopy of trees...
Travel with us to Sagaponack, New York, to the sleek and sophisticated Sagg Farm project, envisioned by Bates Masi + Architects. Sagaponack, with its flat terrain and fertile loam, has historically been a farming community set within the resort enclaves on the East End of Long Island. The open expanses...
Ingenuity and serenity collide in this one-of-kind project in Italy. Cemetery Castel San Gimignano has been renovated by Italian architecture studio Microscape using local limestone stacked in metal baskets. The church of Castel di San Gimignano, a medieval town in the Tuscan countryside, was built before the 14th century. Preview (opens in a...
Let's drift away to Corona del Mar on Newport Beach with one of our favorite designers, Rachel Horn. For her glorious Bahia Serena project, Rachel worked with award-winning architect, Brion S. Jeannette, on every detail of the interior, exterior and garden of this stunning 17,000 sq ft home on the...
Uber-modern architecture embraces and celebrates nature with the House of the Cliff Project by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos in Alicante, Spain. Above, a shadow, the house itself, looking calmly at the Mediterranean. Under the sun, the swimming-pool brings us closer to the sea, it becomes a quiet cove. This residential project...
The sleek freestanding, four-story building serves as a gateway to the existing medical campus at Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton. The new structure was designed to help promote future-based healthcare services through its modern, clean design. Complete with a medical oncology clinic, the new 60,000 sq ft facility consolidates radiation...
This modern ranch redo in Alamo Heights, Texas respects and embraces the land and the beauty of its surroundings. Architect Craig McMahon brought nature and light in thru well-placed windows and the use of materials including beautifully grained wood floors, counters mimicking stone and wall treatments with a modern take...
Sleek and serene, this modern dwelling by Klopf Architecture exudes cool and collected charm, while infusing unexpected warmth. Klopf Architecture completely remodeled this once dark Eichler house in Palo Alto creating a more open, bright and functional family home. The reconfigured great room with new full height windows and sliding...
Designed and remoled by GCDD Group, the house was transformed from a run-down minimal traditional home into a funky 21st century, design-forward city home. Rehabs usually represent bigger challenges than new construction, and this project wasn’t the exception. When first approaching this project, Andres Galindo and his team knew that...
For an active family with two young boys, this custom, Hill Country home with a contemporary feel marries interior with exterior, to create an ideal environment for family time, recreation and entertaining guests. A true collaboration between Austin-based architecture firm, Vanguard Studio, and interior design firm, Laura Britt Design, this...
Join us for a stylish waterfront affair with this lovely lakefront property from award-winning architect Donlyn Lyndon and custom-built by Renaissance Builders. The breathtaking views on this property are only matched by its interesting interiors: eclectic, bold, and complex. Get inspired for your next escape to the lake with this...
Klopf Architecture and Jesse Ososki Art remodeled an existing Eichler atrium home into a brighter, more open, and more functional version of its original self. The 2,121 sq ft property features 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, located in the heart of Silicon Valley. The design goals were to preserve the Eichler look...
EV travels to stylish Chicago, where Scrafano Architects have revitalized a gorgeous family space with a simple and sleek design that perfectly combines their wishlist for space, with beautiful natural elements. According to the talented architecture team, the Steinbergs raised their kids in this lovely Chicago North Shore tudor home, and were ready to...
In late 2015, Clark | Richardson Architects was engaged to design a 2-bedroom, 2-bath main residence and detached guest house located in the North Hyde Park neighborhood of Austin, Texas designed for a client couple living on-site in an existing dwelling. A modern approach, that remained respectful of the existing...
We have our heads in the clouds with this amazing residential project by Malcolm Davis Architecture. When a cute San Francisco family found it was time to spread out from their 1,600 sq ft home, the need for additional storage and decluttering became pressing. Their desire for a cleaner, more organized space led...
Rolling topography, open fields, and woodlands comprise a 24-acre site in Rappahannock County, Virginia where this new house by Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect is located. Extensive site investigation, including erecting scaffolding at various locations, resulted in the placement of the house high on one of the hills, overlooking a...
The “Black Magic” project by Rowland+Broughton is a carefully sited, modern gem with singular use of materials. Nestled in the woods with views of rock outcroppings to the east, the home features black metal corrugated skin, making a bold statement against surrounding mountainside. The home is private with large sliding patio...
Sky Crown Terraces are two identical and adjacent houses designed and built by Bercy Chen Studio in Austin, Texas. The monolithic form, courtyards, and habitable flat roofs evoke the vernacular of the American Southwest interpreted by Modernism. Inspired by the sculpture of Michael Heizer, Eduardo Chillida, and Jorge Yazpik, the...
Building an indoor tropical rainforest requires special architectural consideration. How does one design a manmade tree that can sustain wildlife? How can that tree be housed within a larger structure? What systems and materials can provide and withstand the constant high temperatures and humidity required by tropical plant life? Canadian...
In 1983, Dallas commercial architects Foster+Meier built a custom home for the legendary Dallas Cowboys coach, Tom Landry, in the exclusive “The Hills” neighborhood in Lakeway, Texas. The home was situated on the 18th hole of The Hills Golf Course so that Landry could watch friends and colleagues finish their...
One of Austin's hottest places to get a facelift is now getting its own dose of beautification, with the design of their newest location. Westlake Dermatology's location in Marble Falls was a ground-up design project strengthened by a collaborative process directly with the clients and the brilliant minds of Matt Fajkus...
Constructed in less than two years from scratch, the House On The Corner displays LaRue Architects’ ability to quickly create large yet non-overpowering modern homes on challenging inclines. Built on a slopey leftover lot located in a 1980’s subdivision, the goal of this project was to develop a clean-cut house...
Sustainability is essential (now more so than ever), and it's now one of my personal missions to give my family and help others to learn how to enjoy a more sustainable lifestyle. That's why I'm very excited to see this mindset extending to our outdoor personal spaces across America and...
One of our favorite Austin architects, Stuart Sampley has taken a big part of the evolution of Zilker, one of Austin's most beloved neighborhoods. The community's transformation has been defined by the emergence of stunning modern architecture in recent years, a phenomenon Sampley has taken part of, with projects such...
EV is proud to bring you the amazing work of renowned Austin-based interior designer Rachel Horn. She traveled to San Miguel de Allende to give us a glimpse of Mexico’s gorgeous culture and history through her work at La Casa Dragones. At the epicenter of Mexico’s silver trade in the late...
Architect Stuart Sampley is proud to be an integral part of the evolution of Zilker, one of Austin's most beloved neighborhoods, transformed in recent years by stunning modern architecture. His clients are aware of his knowledge and understanding of the changing climate in the community and appreciate his respect for...
The Tree House gets its name from the property’s primary live oak tree, which served as the focal point for this development. Each space has a special relationship to this central element, creating a unique connection between the indoor and outdoor realms. With finely detailed materials and finishes, this two-...
There is one great truth about life, which could not be truer for homes in America: what goes around comes back around. Building homes are big undertakings for families, and their designs are undeniably being revisited. For two decades now, we’ve seen both the ‘supersizing’ and the ‘homogenization’ of the...
Looking for a new idea for a tired fireplace? These fabulous fireplaces look gorgeous, warm toes, and transform each space with style and character. A dramatic marble fireplace surround anchors the light-filled great room, which looks outside through expansive windows. Hintgen designed twin chaise lounges, made by Van Peursem and covered...
Reminiscent of a 'Modern Day Babylon', vertical gardens will make any minimalist swoon. Refusing the traditional pots and soil, these green artscapes provide sleek simplicity and seem to defy gravity. The trend is a result of arduous research and thoughtful design, and the main focus is to maximize space and...
The Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen in Fort Lauderdale Project by DMCA Architecture marries the company’s “focus on fresh, house-made and mindfully sourced dishes”, with an idea of timelessness, a universal quality that transcends moment or place. The material’s palette evokes a graceful mid-century nostalgia and its associations of home, a...
The fusion of indoor and outdoor spaces is quickly gaining ground in today’s architectural landscape and Dick Clark, one of our favorite architects in Austin, has incorporated the concept into several beautiful projects, as is the case with this property in Brownwood, TX. the project This 4,600 square-foot haven amidst natural Texan...
Sleek lines and modern rustic, perfectly paired with its natural surroundings...
Modern Forms, by award-winning photographer Nicolas Grospierre, is a new publication edited by Alona Pardo and Elias Redstone, celebrating the 200-photograph archive that chronicles the photographer’s substantial visual collection of modernist architecture around the globe. Grospierre, who is now based in Warsaw, interestingly, doesn’t have art, architecture or photography training. He started his career studying political science at...
After 15 years writing about other people’s house projects, I finally got the opportunity to experience my own, in Zilker. In 2012 my husband Todd and I decided it was time to take our little 1,100-square- foot house (with 300-square-foot converted garage) to the next level. We chose Burton Baldridge...
If you - like us - are obsessed with alternative homes and unique design, you’ve probably considered joining the shipping container home revolution. Although the trend has had its share of opposition from select builders, it’s proven to be a cool and cost-effective shelter solution across the globe. The fact...
An advocate for simple, edited design, Michael Hsu is an accomplished architect, an amazing space designer and a true visionary. He is responsible for designing some of the most popular venues and eateries in Austin and is one of the most recognized names in local modern architecture. Hometown: “I was born...
Gossett Jones Homes, one of Austin’s top custom homebuilders is proud to announce their new project in South Austin, Bluebonnet Lane Cityhomes. This hip urban development is rising just on the outskirts of Downtown, located on Bluebonnet Lane (a block off of South Lamar Blvd). Leslie Gossett, local luxury real estate...
Coming to Austin from New York City in 2004, I was already used to the idea that a neighborhood could be a little planet unto itself, and appreciated the idea that even a four-block area can have a distinct personality. I was happy to find that Austin identifies in a...
My knowledge about Austin’s neighborhoods started with personal exploration in the midst of Zilker, but in 2008 my education became more in depth. I’d been writing about architecture for years when Krisstina Wise, entrepreneur, and owner of the GoodLife Team realty firm, came to me to talk about starting a...