Kengo Kuma and Associates have recently completed this Chikujō Town Public Library, reworking a former public hall into a timber-filled civic space in rural Fukuoka, Japan.

Set within a quiet landscape, the new library presents a low, extended form whose edges are softened by a field of vertical wooden louvers. These slender members gather along the facade and entrance canopy, where they tilt and fan outward, forming a porous threshold between town and interior. Their spacing allows light to pass through while tempering the scale of the existing structure.

the Chikujō library entrance is framed by timber louvers that rise into a canopy | images ©︎ Masaki Hamada / kkpo

a timber canopy shapes arrival

Approaching the Chikujō library’s entrance, the louvers rise and bend into a broad canopy which the team at Kengo Kuma and Associates design to frame the main access point. The structure reads as both enclosure and filter, offering shade while guiding movement toward the doors. The rhythm of timber elements creates a shifting pattern across the ground, marking the passage from open plaza to covered approach.

This exterior intervention carries through to the interior, where the same language of vertical timber defines the central atrium. Here, Keichiku cypress (hinoki) is arranged in angled arrays that extend upward from floor to ceiling, tracing a series of branching geometries that organize circulation.

vertical wooden members shape a soft threshold between town and interior

kengo kuma transforms a concrete hall

Within the former public hall, Kengo Kuma and Associates’ insertion of timber alters both scale and atmosphere. The original concrete frame remains legible, yet it is softened by the density and warmth of wood. Light filters through the upper levels and moves across the angled members, producing a layered interior that shifts throughout the day.

Stairs and walkways pass between these timber clusters, offering varied vantage points across the library. From the upper floor, the arrangement reveals itself as a continuous field rather than discrete elements to guid visitors through reading areas and open seating without fixed boundaries.

the atrium is defined by angled hinoki slats that guide movement through the building

spaces for movement and concentration

On the ground level, the Chikujō library introduces a series of circular and stepped platforms integrated with low bookshelves. These elements support reading, play, and informal gathering, allowing children to move freely while remaining connected to books. The surfaces are finished in warm wood tones, with soft edges that encourage sitting and climbing.

Above, the second floor shifts in tone. Open stacks are arranged with greater regularity, and seating areas are positioned for longer periods of study. The ceiling grid and exposed services remain visible, giving the space a straightforward character that contrasts with the more animated ground level.

timber structures extend from floor to ceiling across the central space

children interact with books through stepped platforms and integrated shelves

curved seating and low shelving create spaces for play and gathering

circulation paths move between wooden elements and open reading areas

upper level stacks are arranged for quiet reading and longer stays

project info:

name: Chikujō Town Public Library ‘Kizuki no Mori’

architect: Kengo Kuma & Associates | @kkaa_official

location: Chikujō, Kyushu, Japan

area: 2,846 square meters

completion: November 2025

photography: ©︎ Masaki Hamada / kkpo

team: Hironori Nagai, Shota Kobayashi, Yoshinori Yaguchi, Yoo Shiho (Graphic)
construction: Matsuyama Kensetsu
structure: Kozo Keikaku Engineering
lighting: Electric Works Company, Panasonic Corporation

The post kengo kuma sculpts radiating hinoki louvres throughout new library in chikujō, japan appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In Nanping Village near Huangshan, China, Atelier Guo transforms a centuries-old ancestral hall into a functioning cinema and public living room, without altering its protected structure. The project demonstrates how preservation can operate as a framework for new collective life. The intervention is minimal in physical impact yet expansive in cultural ambition, positioning the building as a shared platform for film, reading, and everyday gathering within a rural context increasingly shaped by migration and change.

The Cheng Family Ancestral Hall is preserved intact through a pivoting panel system that introduces all new functions. Developed by the architects, this pivoting panel system sits lightly within the three-bay layout. Inspired by traditional Huizhou construction logic, where structural and infill elements operate separately, it allows new spatial divisions to emerge without compromising the original fabric. Panels open and close to recalibrate thresholds between public and private zones, improving ventilation and protecting the existing timber surfaces from moisture.

The structural rhythm of the ancestral hall frames multiple modes of watching, including eye-level seating within the second bay, or from a distance across the entrance courtyard. The screen is never isolated but always embedded within layers of columns, panels, and circulation. Above, an operable shading system enables screenings during the day, turning the courtyard into an adaptable auditorium that shifts with light and activity.

all images by Qingshan Wu

a library woven into the structure

A mezzanine-level library occupies the upper layer of the hall, where the Shanghai-based team at Atelier Guo  matches high windows and generous proportions with detachable, modular furniture. This flexibility allows the space to host reading sessions as well as informal gatherings, aligning with the broader ambition of the project to support cultural programming and everyday use.

Steel elements are wrapped in wood, aligning with the hall’s existing textures, while furniture dimensions are carefully calibrated to sit comfortably within the historic envelope. The project combines off-site prefabrication with on-site assembly by local craftsmen, ensuring both precision and adaptability. Even technical systems, such as the shading mechanism and café services, are integrated with minimal intrusion, preserving the integrity of the heritage structure.

As panels pivot and spaces expand or contract, the building continuously redefines itself. Its operation relies on active participation from villagers, proposing a shift in how rural heritage is understood. 

the village fabric leads toward the hall, positioning the cinema within everyday life

the ancestral hall exterior is preserved intact

the courtyard becomes an open-air cinema

the main screening space is defined by minimal intervention within the ancestral hall

new insertions organize exhibitions and circulation

a compact café is inserted as a freestanding volume near the entrance

prefabricated furniture and shelving align with the rhythm of the existing structure

pivoting panels and display elements introduce flexible layers without touching historic walls

interior views reveal shifting spatial configurations as panels open and close

pairing bookshelves with continuous seating

reading platforms overlook the courtyard

mezzanine library integrates modular shelving

warm daylight reveals the dialogue between new timber insertions and aged materials

a horizontal opening reconnects the interior with the courtyard and surrounding roofs

a window-like opening frames the tiled roofs

the hall becomes a gathering point

project info:

name: Village Cinema

architect: Atelier Guo | @atelierguo

location: Nanping Village, Huangshan, Anhui, China

area: 323 square meters

lead architect: Liaohui Guo

team: Liaohui Guo, Min Wu, Bang Zhang, Wenkai Wang, Huan Chen, Tengxin Sun, Ruiqi Situ, Jingyi Ren

project architects: Min Wu, Bang Zhang, Wenkai Wang

site architect: Wenkai Wang

client: Village Cinema Temporary Party Branch, Nanping Village Committee

photographer: Qingshan Wu | @wuqingshan.archphotographer

The post atelier guo inserts cinema into an ancestral hall in china without touching its past appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects shapes this Lost Shtetl Jewish Museum as a tranquil space among a sloping meadow in Šeduva, Lithuania. The museum has been realized in honor of a village and its Jewish community that vanished in August 1941. It draws its meaning from the execution of 664 residents in nearby forests and from the disappearance of a culture that had shaped the town for generations.

Rather than reconstructing Šeduva in literal terms, the architects assemble a cluster of abstract houses with hip roofs. Each volume approximates the scale of a single family dwelling. Together they form a compact settlement that suggests a village, or ‘shtetl’, through proportion and proximity. In this way, the Lost Shtetl Jewish Museum reads as a small village gathered in humble conversation across a landscape by Enea Landscape Architecture.

image © Kuvatoimisto Kuvio

facades of gleaming aluminum shingles

The facades of the Lost Shtetl Jewish Museum are clad in marine aluminum, a material chosen by the architects for its durability and recyclability. Sheets are cut and layered in a pattern that recalls wooden shingles. The surface takes on a scale like texture that catches light differently over the course of the day and through the seasons. In overcast weather the volumes appear muted and matte. Meanwhile, under low sun, the metal flickers with a soft sheen.

This reference to weathered rural buildings typical of the Lithuanian countryside grounds the museum in its setting. The material does more than protect the structure. It establishes a visual dialogue with barns and farmhouses in the surrounding fields, and translates vernacular memory into a contemporary envelope.

image courtesy the architects

A clustered museum designed for expansion

Short, narrow passageways connect the individual ‘houses’ of the Lost Shtetl Jewish Museum. Moving between them, visitors experience a subtle compression before entering the next gallery. The sequence reinforces the sense of walking through a village, passing from one interior to another.

This clustered layout also allows for future expansion as additional volumes can be introduced without disturbing the overall composition. The museum was conceived with the possibility of growth in mind, which ensures that its physical form can evolve alongside its growing curatorial ambitions.

image © Kuvatoimisto Kuvio

The grounds extend the narrative beyond the walls. Conceived as a memorial park, the landscape traces what has been described as the last journey. A birch alley leads through flowering meadows and wetlands before reaching an orchard. These elements reflect terrains that residents of Šeduva might have encountered on their way to the forests where they were killed.

The entrance hall opens toward this cultivated expanse across a meadow. Large openings frame views of grass and trees, allowing interior and exterior to remain in steady visual contact. The setting tempers the threshold between remembrance and exhibition to offer a moment of stillness before the descent.

image © Aiste Rakauskaite

Visitors enter at the upper level and then move downward to the exhibition spaces below. This strategy, used by the architects in earlier museum projects, follows the natural slope of the site. The main lobby feels intimate, with open service counters and a small café arranged in a space that resembles a living room in scale and atmosphere.

Inside the galleries, the roof geometry becomes visible again. Although the exhibition follows a black box concept, each space mirrors the hip roof profile overhead. Skylights set along the ridge admit controlled daylight, bringing a measured glow to the displays.

image © Aiste Rakauskaite

The curatorial script for the museum was drafted before the building design began. The architects were tasked with creating a setting for a narrative centered on one Lithuanian shtetl, while acknowledging the broader network of 294 such towns that once existed across the country.

A memorial wall made of mouth blown glass pieces embedded in a wooden grid lists the names of those communities. Light filters through the translucent glass, activating the surface and giving depth to the engraved names. The detail work in joints and built in furnishings demonstrates a high level of precision, reinforcing the sense of composure that defines the interior.

The lower level includes a narrow, tall dark space known as the Canyon of Holocaust. Its vertical proportions intensify the passage through the story of destruction. The sequence concludes in a similarly tall white space called the Canyon of Hope, oriented toward the cemetery and open fields.

image © Aiste Rakauskaite

image © Aiste Rakauskaite

image © Aiste Rakauskaite

project info:

name: The Lost Shtetl Jewish Museum

architect: Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects | @lmarchitects_fi

location: Šeduva, Lithuania

landscape: Enea Landscape Architecture | @enealandscapearchitecture

area: 4,900 square meters

completion: 2025

photography: © Aiste Rakauskaite | @aiste.rakauskaite, © Kuvatoimisto Kuvio | @kuviophoto, © Andrew Lee

The post lithuania’s ‘lost shtetl jewish museum’ takes shape as a gleaming, clustered village appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In China‘s Nanhai District, this Yongping Warehouse has seen a renovation by Atelier cnS which reworks a row of riverfront industrial buildings into a landscaped rooftop public space. Once tied to river trade, the warehouses now occupy a stretch of waterfront that is gradually opening to residents, with access and visibility taking on new importance.

From a distance, the project is defined by a series of translucent, domed canopies that gather across the roofline. Their low, clustered profile reads as a continuous form hovering above the existing brick volumes. The gesture is simple and easy to read, and gives the site a recognizable presence along the river while drawing movement upward.

images © Siming Wu

placing the park above the building

The Yongping Warehouse Renovation organizes its program vertically. The architects at Atelier cnS reserves interiors and ground level for commercial use, while the roof becomes the primary public space. This arrangement responds directly to the narrow footprint, and allows the project to expand outward without increasing its base.

Circulation follows the existing structure. The gaps between warehouse blocks are preserved and widened into passageways that connect the street, interior spaces, and roof. Moving through them, the river appears intermittently, framed by walls and stairs before opening fully at the top.

the project transforms former river trade warehouses into a landscaped public space

working with the existing fabric

The original masonry facades remain in place, carrying the texture and scale of the former warehouses. Their surfaces show the logic of straightforward construction, which the project keeps visible rather than covering with new finishes. Against this, new elements — concrete slabs, steel framing, and the canopy system — introduce a lighter layer that sits above.

Inside, the removal of the original roof structure allows for increased ceiling height, making the spaces more usable for current tenants. This shift is legible above, where the former pitched roofs are translated into an uneven ground condition across the rooftop.

a series of faceted canopy structures creates a recognizable presence along the river

shaping the roof as terrain

The roof is treated as a continuous surface that rises and dips in response to the underlying structure. Grassy slopes, stepped seating, and play areas are distributed across it, encouraging movement across different levels rather than along a single path.

The materials reinforce this connection to the site’s past. Reclaimed stone appears along the river edge, while salvaged timber is reintroduced in small installations. These elements sit alongside new concrete and metal surfaces, creating a layered condition without trying to match the original construction.

the rooftop is converted into a continuous public park above active commercial spaces

a canopy that gathers activity

The canopy structures define the atmosphere of the rooftop. Built from a hexagonal frame and covered with translucent panels, they provide shade while allowing light to pass through. Their scale creates covered zones that support seating, play, and circulation.

Underneath, the space feels open but moderated. Light is diffused, and the river remains visible through the structure and beyond the edge. The Yongping Warehouse Renovation brings together these conditions into a single continuous sequence, where former industrial buildings support a new pattern of use along the water.

circulation moves through preserved gaps between buildings to link the street and roof

new concrete and steel elements sit lightly against the existing masonry

the roof is reshaped into slopes steps and play surfaces inspired by former pitched forms

the canopy filters light and gathers people beneath a shaded open structure

project info:

name: Yongping Warehouse Renovation

architect: Atelier cnS

location: Foshan, China

area: 4,311 square meters
completion: 2025
photography: © Siming Wu

design direction: Zhiyuan Zhu, Gang Song, Guanqiu Zhong
project director: Hairui Lin
design team: Ziqi Zhang, Xiaoyin Chen, Dongyan Lin, Yaqian Cai, Haixin Lin, Wenyuan
engineering, structural consulting: Shengyi Architectural Design Studio

The post clustered domes dot this landscaped rooftop park atop reworked warehouses appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Northcote House sits within a compact site in Melbourne, Australia, designed by LLDS as a reworking of a Victorian terrace. The narrow plot runs east to west, with a design that raises the ground plane to form a roof garden, giving back outdoor space within a dense urban condition.

This elevated landscape carries a brown roof that supports local ecology while extending the life of the house beyond its footprint. Beneath it, a hall-like volume gathers kitchen, dining, and entry within a single continuous space. The scale recalls nearby factory lofts and church halls, where openness supports shared occupation.

Designed as the architect’s own home, the project reflects a preference for smaller gathering spaces distributed across the plan. Each area supports a different mode of occupation, from the compact kitchen and dining space to the double-height ‘snug’, an intimate space encircled by a sculptural stair. The rooftop terrace opens out to offer views across surrounding rooftops toward distant landscapes surrounding the city.

image © Tom Ross

a fluid staircase centers the northcote house

At the center of the Northcote House, the team at LLDS sculpts a circular ‘snug.’ A void above draws daylight deep into the house and allows air to move through its full depth. Surrounding this fluid element, bedroom suites sit to either side. Movement flows around this snug, with stairs wrapping its edge and creating a gradual descent into a more enclosed, tactile space.

The absence of internal doors between primary rooms allows continuous movement, shaped instead by material shifts and level changes. Dark green finishes sit against timber stairs and wall linings, creating a consistent atmosphere.

Within the snug, locally sourced kangaroo and deer hides introduce a heavier, grounded texture against the concrete surfaces. The east bedroom carries a vaulted concrete soffit, transferring loads from the roof while shaping the ceiling with a distinct curvature.

the Northcote House reworks a Victorian terrace within a narrow inner city Melbourne site

llds designs the facade as a living surface

Both east and west elevations act as trellises for climbing plants, drawing vegetation into the depth of LLDS’s Northcote House. These planted surfaces extend the roof garden’s ecological intent downward, creating a layered interface between interior and street. At the front, a raised veranda overlooks the laneway and adjacent car park, offering a quiet form of observation tied to the neighborhood.

This threshold space takes cues from the Japanese engawa, or porch, where interior and exterior meet through a loosely defined edge. It supports informal use while maintaining a connection to public life. At the rear, a smaller courtyard introduces privacy and includes an outdoor shower, adding another dimension to how the house engages with open air.

trellis facades carry climbing plants that extend greenery across the structure

Material logic and construction methods

The project is guided by material selection tied closely to fabrication and long-term performance. Components were chosen for their texture, durability, and ability to be handled by an owner-builder. Many elements were produced within a short radius of the site, integrating digital fabrication methods such as CNC milling and robotic processes.

PIR sheets were milled to form the textured concrete wall, then reused as insulation within the roof assembly. Point cloud scanning informed the construction process, aligning concrete textures across joints and guiding the fabrication of the free-form plywood roof. This roof, developed in collaboration with TGA Engineering, spans the main volume with an exposed soffit that expresses its geometry directly.

a hall-like living space brings kitchen, dining, and entry into a shared volume

a circular snug organizes the plan and draws daylight deep into the house

digital fabrication and local production guide the timber roof and concrete construction

stairs wrap the snug to shape a continuous path of movement without corridors

a textured concrete wall improves thermal performance and softens interior acoustics

project info:

name: Northcote House

architect: LLDS | @llds_architecture

location: Melbourne, Australia

photography: © Tom Ross | @tomross.xyz

The post LLDS reworks ‘northcote house’ in melbourne with robotically-milled interiors appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

A housing project by H&P Architects, dubbed Flying Vegetation, rises among Vietnam‘s Thai Binh city where a dense urban fabric is opened up by a shared neighborhood garden. The house is recognized at once by its planted facade that mediates the threshold between interior space and the street and uses vegetation as both screen and living surface.

Across the front elevation, rows of terracotta pots are held within a light steel frame that rises the full height of the building. The pots are spaced to allow growth and airflow, forming a permeable screen that softens light, reduces dust, and introduces a shifting layer of green. Seen from the street, the facade reads as a continuous field of plants, while from inside it becomes a calibrated filter that frames views outward.

images © Le Minh Hoang

H&P integrates food production into the structure

The planting system is designed by the team at H&P Architects as an adaptable framework rather than a fixed composition. Each pot sits within a circular metal holder that can be opened for maintenance, allowing residents to replace soil, adjust plant types, and respond to seasonal change. This approach treats the facade as an evolving surface, shaped over time through use.

Material choices reinforce this logic. Clay pots and brick walls share a similar tonal range, grounding the building in familiar construction methods while extending them into a vertical landscape. Soil and vegetation become part of the architectural assembly, aligning with H&P Architects’ broader interest in ‘agritecture’ as a way to integrate food production and living space within the city.

a vertical field of terracotta pots forms a planted facade across the full height of the house

interior spaces flooded by filtered light

Inside H&P Architects’ Flying Vegetation, the presence of the planted screen is immediate. Light enters through layers of leaves and ceramic, casting soft, irregular patterns across floors and walls. Balconies and circulation zones run alongside the facade, creating spaces where planting, movement, and rest overlap.

At ground level, a small courtyard extends the garden inward and introduces water and additional plantings. Brick surfaces are textured and tactile, while timber floors and simple furnishings keep the interiors restrained. The architecture remains quiet, which allows for the growth of plants and the passage of light to define the atmosphere.

the house faces a shared neighborhood garden, extending greenery into the urban fabric

an urban model for cultivation

Combining private living areas with spaces for tenants, the program is organized across multiple floors with shared zones on the upper levels. The house also functions as a small-scale model for urban agriculture. Residents grow and maintain plants directly on the facade, integrating everyday routines with food production and care. In a context where agricultural land continues to shrink, this approach offers a way to reintroduce cultivation into dense urban conditions, connecting inhabitants to familiar practices through the materials of soil, clay, and vegetation.

the planted screen filters sunlight, breezes, and views from the street

a steel frame system allows each pot to be accessed replaced and maintained over time

interior spaces receive softened light through layers of leaves and ceramic pots

plants are spaced to support growth, creating a breathable layer across the elevation

external corridors behind the planted screen connect living spaces with vegetation

project info:

name: Flying Vegetation

architect: H&P Architects | @hp_architects

location: Phu Xuan commune, Thai Binh city, Vietnam
design team: Doan Thanh Ha, Nguyen Hai Hue, Tran Van Duong, Luong Thi Ngoc Lan, Vu Minh Dien, Nguyen Van Thanh, Nguyen Van Thinh
completion: December 2022
photography: © Le Minh Hoang

The post lush facade of potted plants screens this vietnamese residence by H&P architects appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In Hoengseong, South Korea, BRBB Architects’ Shin-Dae-Ri House is positioned between a cultivated foreground and a wooded slope, and stands as a transition from village to mountain life. Designed for an elderly couple leaving Seoul, the home reflects a shift in pace, where gardening and seasonal change guide the spatial experience.

The site extends gently upward toward the rear, with distant ridge-lines forming a layered horizon. The architects place the house close to the mountain edge, allowing the open front portion to remain available for a garden and small field. This decision establishes a clear foreground for cultivation while giving the house an elevated vantage point over the valley and stream beyond.

images © Seokgue Hong

BRBB Architects extends the terrain

Designing the home, Korea-based BRBB Architects begins with a continuous concrete base that follows the slope of the land. Cast in place, this lower level reads as a horizontal extension of the terrain, grounding the building through its weight and scale. Deep overhangs project outward, forming shaded exterior zones that temper sunlight and provide sheltered areas for rest or work.

This base operates as both structure and threshold. Its extended walls define a courtyard along the southern edge, enclosing an outdoor room that maintains privacy while admitting light. The courtyard sits slightly below the upper volumes to create a subtle sense of enclosure that contrasts with the openness of the surrounding fields.

two timber gabled volumes sit above the base with slight rotation

Timber volumes and shifting orientation

Above the concrete plinth, two timber-clad volumes rise with distinct orientations. Each takes the form of a simple gable, yet their slight rotation introduces variation in view and light. One volume opens more directly toward the valley, while the other engages the slope and trees behind. Together, they establish a dialogue between outward views and more introspective moments.

The separation between the two forms remains legible from both inside and outside. Rather than merging into a single mass, the volumes maintain their independence while sharing a common base. This arrangement allows each interior space to respond to a specific direction.

a concrete base extends horizontally and engages directly with the terrain

inside south korea’s Shin-Dae-Ri House

Inside, the transition between levels is shaped by BRBB Architects through material continuity. Birch plywood lines the stair and extends into the upper rooms, carrying a consistent tone that softens the shift from the concrete base to the timber volumes above. The stair itself becomes a place of gradual adjustment, where light enters from a high window facing the mountain.

As one moves upward, the landscape is revealed in fragments. A glimpse of trees appears along the ascent, followed by broader views once inside the upper rooms. This sequencing reinforces the relationship between movement and perception, allowing the surroundings to register through time rather than all at once.

The Shin-Dae-Ri House frames a way of living that remains closely tied to its setting. The contrast between the solid base and the lighter volumes above establishes a balance between permanence and openness, while the placement of the building supports both cultivation and retreat.

a south facing courtyard is enclosed by extended concrete walls

deep overhangs create shaded outdoor areas for rest and work

birch plywood lines the stair and connects the interior spaces across levels

each volume opens to different views and light conditions across the landscape

the building overlooks an open field and valley beyond

project info:

name: Shin-Dae-Ri House

architect: BRBB Architects

location: Hoengseong, South Korea

area: 317 square meters

photography: © Seokgue Hong

The post this home in korea is shaped by twin timber gables atop a concrete base appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Perched on a secluded mountainside in Bahía Ballena, Costa Rica, Ojo de Nila is a private residence by Studio Saxe, led by Benjamin Saxe, that explores what it means to live fully outdoors in a tropical climate. Designed for a Swiss couple seeking a deeper relationship with their surroundings, the 300-square-meter home opens toward the Pacific Ocean, relying on natural ventilation. 

The most defining element of Ojo de Nila is its organic roofscape. Moving in soft waves, the roof echoes the surrounding topography while providing shade and directing airflow through the house. Its sinuous profile replaces a conventional pitched form with a continuous gesture that unifies the different living areas beneath it. Constructed from welded metal structures and finished with brown shingles, the roof reads as an extension of the landscape.

all images by Alvaro Fonseca – Depth Lens

Living without boundaries between inside and outside

Set within the biodiverse landscape of Costa Rica’s Osa region, the home responds directly to its site. The architects at Studio Saxe follow the natural contours of the land through a repetitive structural module that allows the building to hover above the terrain. This elevated stance preserves existing water flows and vegetation while positioning the living spaces among the treetops, where ocean breezes and shifting daylight define everyday life.

All primary spaces open toward the Pacific, with windows and doors removed on the ocean-facing side. This openness allows the house to remain naturally cooled by sea breezes during the day and mountain air at night. Daily routines unfold in close contact with the environment, as shifting light, wind, and sound become part of the spatial experience rather than conditions to be excluded.

the undulating roofscape weaves through the forest canopy

Ojo de Nila adapts to its environment to reduce energy use

Sustainability at Ojo de Nila is driven by bioclimatic design. Cross-ventilation, shading, and elevation work together to maintain thermal comfort without mechanical cooling. The use of teak and other durable materials supports longevity in the coastal climate, while the lightweight construction minimizes impact on the sensitive ecosystem below.

The clients describe their home as the result of a long search for an architecture aligned with their values. Their experience of Costa Rica led them to seek a house that could remain open year-round, be cooled naturally, and be shaped by organic forms. As they note, daily rituals such as making coffee while watching the sea or waking to the forest canopy have become integral to the architecture itself, confirming the ambition of the project to merge living space with environment.

Extending toward the horizon, the pool becomes an anchor for the project. Seen from above, the circular reflection formed by water and sky resembles an eye, a gesture that inspired the name Ojo de Nila. This symbolic moment reinforces the idea of the house as an observer of its surroundings, open and attentive to the rhythms of the landscape.

the wavy roof geometry wraps around a central courtyard and pool

the shingled roof flows in soft curves

Ojo de Nila sits lightly on the hillside

layered roof planes create moments of enclosure and openness

curved roof edges frame views of the landscape

an open walkway follows the arc of the building

the pool extends toward the horizon

dining areas remain fully open to the landscape

expansive openings frame the ocean and forest

elevated among dense vegetation

the roofline curves around open-air living spaces

at dusk, the undulating roof reads as a continuous surface floating above the forest canopy

project info:

name: Ojo de Nila

architect: Studio Saxe | @studiosaxe

location: Osa, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

area: 300 square meters

design director: Benjamin Saxe

interior & color design: Atelier Sandra Richard

builder: New Age Construction

structural engineer: Robin Alpízar Leiva

electromechanical engineer: Dynamo

photographer: Alvaro Fonseca – Depth Lens | @depth.lens

video: production Alvaro Fonseca – Depth Lens | film/edit Hansel Alfaro, HANZFARO | music by Andres Soto Marin

The post wavy roofscape crowns open-air residence by studio saxe along costa rica’s pacific coast appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Stockholm-based design studio Halleroed arrives in Hong Kong for a new retail project, a Schiaparelli salon realized with glimmering gold interiors. The opulent space is found within the Landmark Prince’s Building, and is fronted by a curved brushed-gold facade.

The facade’s metal surface bends inward, and is punctured by oval openings that allow for partial views inside. Reflections from the corridor soften across the brushed finish, while the apertures frame glimpses of darker interiors beyond.

Inside, spaces are organized as a linear array of connected rooms rather than a single open floor. Each room holds a distinct character, while visual connections remain intact through mirrored surfaces and aligned openings.

Schiaparelli Hong Kong fronted by a curved, brushed gold facade | images courtesy Schiaparelli

glowing finishes of gold, lacquered wood, and mosaic

The team at Halleroed lines the walls of its Schiaparelli Hong Kong with lacquered wood surfaces, integrating shelving, vitrines, and storage into a continuous layer. The finish carries a subtle sheen that reflects light softly, adding depth to the narrow rooms, while floors are finished in dark marble with a veined pattern which grounds the interior and absorbs ambient sound.

Metal appears throughout in polished and brushed finishes. These surfaces interact with mirrored planes to extend visual depth and allow the compact space to feel layered and complex.

Display elements are treated as part of the architecture rather than applied fixtures. Recessed niches clad in gold mosaic punctuate the plan, offering moments of focus along the circulation path. Their scale relates closely to the body, encouraging close viewing and physical engagement.

the boutique is organized as a sequence of connected rooms

domestic objects adapted into jewelry displays

One recessed alcove incorporates a sculptural bathtub form adapted as a jewelry display. Its placement transforms a familiar domestic object into a fixed interior element, reinforcing the boutique’s salon-like proportions and sense of enclosure.

Overhead, the ceiling carries hand-drawn illustrations by Creative Director Daniel Roseberry, rendered directly across the surface. The drawings reference motifs associated with the house and extend across rooms, providing continuity throughout the interior. Their presence remains subtle at first, becoming more apparent as visitors move deeper into the space.

Lighting remains restrained and evenly distributed. Fixtures wash surfaces gently, allowing materials and drawings to register gradually. The ceiling operates as an orienting plane, tying together varied rooms through a shared visual field.

gold mosaic niches integrate display directly into the architecture

lighting remains soft and even to support close viewing

interior surfaces are finished with lacquered wood and dark marble

the ceiling features hand drawn illustrations by Daniel Roseberry

mirrored surfaces allow the compact space to feel layered and complex

circulation encourages a slower pace through compression and release

project info:

name: Schiaparelli Hong Kong

architect: Halleroed | @halleroed

location: Landmark Prince’s Building, Shop M29, Hong Kong

client: Schiaparelli | @schiaparelli

creative director: Daniel Roseberry | @danielroseberry

photography: © Schiaparelli

The post from paris to hong kong: opulent schiaparelli salon opens in glimmering gold appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Berdenesh Hills by NOA in Saranda, Albania, is a residential and hospitality development set along the southern Mediterranean coastline, where hillside terrain and sea views guide the project’s architectural logic.

The project occupies a sloping site within a quieter rural landscape outside Saranda. Approaching the area, the road traces low hills marked by scrub vegetation and exposed stone, with the sea appearing intermittently before opening fully toward the horizon.

NOA distributes the program across a group of terraced volumes that step with the topography. The ensemble reads as a compact development, shaped by the slope and oriented toward long views across the water and the distant outline of the Greek island of Corfu.

visualizations © Aleksey Mokhov (unless otherwise stated)

a clustered neighborhood for a new ‘citadel’

In designing its Berdenesh Hills project, the architects at NOA keep in mind the context of Southern Albania, which carries a layered architectural history. Here, remnants of castles and fortified settlements are scattered across the landscape. These structures often occupy elevated positions, their forms shaped by defensive logic as well as by the terrain.

The new development draws from this legacy through the idea of a contemporary citadel, interpreted as a clustered neighborhood rather than a closed perimeter.

Buildings are arranged around a central piazza that acts as the social and spatial core of the project. From this shared space, paths extend outward toward homes and gardened terraces. Meanwhile, the perimeter remains visually porous to maintain views of the surroundings.

Berdenesh Hills occupies a sloping Mediterranean site along the coast of southern Albania

the stepped architecture of berdenesh hills

The architecture of NOA’s Berdenesh Hills relies on stepped roof planes and varying building heights to mirror the slope of the site along the coast of Albania. Volumes rise and fall in section, creating a rhythm that feels closely tied to the terrain. From above, the roofs form an articulated surface that blends into the hillside, while from below, the terraces emphasize horizontality without dominating the view.

Facades are finished in warm, earthy plaster tones that echo the colors of the surrounding soil and rock. Subtle projections and recesses animate the surfaces by catching light differently throughout the day. This modulation reduces the visual weight often associated with multi level residential construction in Saranda.

the project organizes housing and hospitality as a compact hillside development

private terraces for sweeping sea views

Outdoor space plays a central role across the development. Each apartment includes a private terrace, designed as an extension of the interior living area. Along the edges of the buildings, these terraces widen, offering large exterior rooms oriented toward the sea. Parapets are lowered and detailed with slender metal elements to maintain open sightlines from inside the apartments.

At the center of Berdenesh Hills, the main square unfolds across multiple terraced levels, accommodating circulation, gathering, and a small community pavilion. A Mediterranean park weaves through the site, planted with species adapted to the coastal climate. Together, these shared spaces reinforce a sense of collective life while preserving privacy within individual dwellings.

Preliminary design approval has been secured and construction is planned to begin in 2026.

terraced volumes follow the terrain and preserve long views toward the sea

a central piazza structures movement and shared life across the site

private terraces extend living spaces outdoors | visualization © NOA

warm plaster facades respond to light, stone, and plantlife

the architecture draws from historic fortified landscapes

project info:

name: Berdenesh Hills

architect: NOA | @we.are.noa

location: Berdenesh, Saranda, Albania

local architect: Atelier 4 | @atelier4studio

status: preliminary design approval

visualizations: © Aleksey Mokhov, © NOA

The post berdenesh hills: NOA plans ‘contemporary citadel’ along albania’s southern coast appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.