If one ever has a dog as companion, one would likely understand the deep bond between dogs and humans. In fact, this is true for most of us who have had the opportunity to share our lives with any animal. The space in which such a relationship develops over time then becomes a primary factor […]
The peepul tree (sacred fig) is a species native to the Indian subcontinent. Long-living and valued for its medicinal properties, this auspicious tree is also deeply rooted in the local context for its religious significance—it is known as the tree under which the Buddha became enlightened. It is no wonder that this residential project places […]
Read More… from House of the Sacred Fig: The People Tree House
After one has toiled throughout their ‘productive’ years of adulthood, what does a fulfilling retirement look like? Angel Tan, one of the co-founders of Kyoyu, felt driven to create a retirement home that would present the gifts of rest, care and community, following her beloved father’s passing. “He departed too soon; he didn’t get to […]
Waterworks is a mixed-use development in downtown Toronto that rehabilitates, conserves and expands an industrial heritage site by integrating diverse programmes—not only supporting and intensifying the life of its residents, but also the urban experience of the greater community. The programmes include food-focused retail, a fully serviced YMCA community centre, social wellness facilities, family-oriented dwellings […]
Read More… from Waterworks: An industrial heritage complex as community catalyst
As of 2021, China’s countryside houses about 36 per cent of its population. The process of rural-urban migration as a result of economic reform since the late 1970s has seen a drastic decline of the agricultural livelihood that once fostered Chinese civilisation. While urbanisation has brought vast wealth to the country and lifted millions out […]
Read More… from Reimagining Heritage: Architectural Regeneration in Rural China
The Chinese province of Guizhou is known for its scenic landscapes and diverse ethnic cultures. While relatively underdeveloped, the region’s mountainous terrains contain numerous settlements with distinct characters. For a period of seven years, Shancun Atelier—a team led by professors from Tsinghua University—collaborated with the local Anshun Design Institute to regenerate a rural setting that […]
This villa in Gurugram reimagined zoning regulations to become an open green space for a garden. In the area that is rapidly densifying into mid-rise apartment blocks, land parcels of 500 square metres must follow a 4-metre setback to both the front and rear of buildings, further limited with a 7×3-metre linear open space against […]
In the northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam, there is a type of vernacular house called the Trinh Tuong, standing for over 100 years with rammed earth walls (a technique now known as pisé). Such walls are completely handmade by compressing earth into even and flat cubes, which allows houses to be constructed without steel reinforcement. […]
The name of this house refers to the majestic Pongour Falls in Vietnam, a naturally stepped waterfall with terraced cliffs, interspersed by a landscape of wild-growing shrubs and trees. During dry seasons, visitors can climb up the cliffs to marvel at its rocky expanse. “If Pongour represents a natural landscape that looks like an artificial […]
Read More… from The Falls by Akitephile: Recreating a natural marvel
This home for a young family of four exemplifies how “basic is best”, focusing on necessities when faced with constraints. Designed with a limited budget, and constructed remotely during the pandemic with local builders, the architects concentrated on key elements of residential buildings. “The basics are the organisation of daylight, natural ventilation, and creating functional […]
Read More… from Multi-functional basics: Binh Thuan House by MIA Design Studio
How does the architect balance their larger ecological/social responsibilities as stewards of the built environment with the client’s personal goals? This question is especially interesting in the context of private residential houses, because architects and owners have a more direct working relationship for such projects—no layers of bureaucracy or multiple stakeholders to deal with—and hence […]
RELATED: Private Houses, Public Good? An Architect’s Perspective Placed on a site wedged between a residential neighbourhood of an informal building fabric and a public beach used by fishermen from the same community, this building design attempts to morph socio-physical pressures from both sides: i.e., the fragmented spatial sprawl and the culture of everyday constructions […]
