Local materials
An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about local materials
Project • By ZArchitecture Studio • Primary Schools
Jacques Majorelle School in Benguerir
The Jacques Majorelle School in Benguerir’s Green City embodies a climate-sensitive approach to educational design, executed through a collaborative partnership between Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and OSUI, the Moroccan branch of the French Secular Mission. With an ambitious one-year timeline from concept to completion, the project responds to a rapidly expanding community while integrating phased flexibility to accommodate future growth.
Design Inspiration and Key Concepts :
Inspired by the traditional Moroccan approach to educational architecture, the design focuses on courtyards as multifunctional spaces for natural ventilation, visual continuity, and communal engagement. These light-filled patios form buffer zones between... More
Project • By NU architecture & design • Showrooms
TDX Ice Factory
Tucked away in a quiet alley of Ho Chi Minh City, a 4,000m² former ice factory has been reimagined as TDX Ice Factory — a compound comprising a showroom, office, and event spaces. Designed by NU architecture & design for the Vietnamese furniture brand District Eight, the project embraces adaptive reuse, transforming an abandoned industrial shell into a place grounded in material honesty, cultural memory, and craftsmanship. NU architecture & design was responsible for the public-facing components of the project, including the entrance, façade, exterior event space, and restrooms. More than a functional upgrade, the design had to reflect District Eight’s identity, defined by precision, cultural continuity, and... More
Project • By Aldebert Verdier Architectes / AVA • Visitor Center
Grande Dune du Pilat Visitor Centre Refurbishment
The Dune du Pilat is both powerful and fragile, a source of fascination, hence the high standards imposed for its conservation and for receiving the public. The surrounding infrastructure carries the Grand Site de France label, so the restoration project had to embrace a sustainable development dynamic and welcome visitors in a quality environment. It was important that its rehabilitation lived up to its exceptional nature.
Agnès Clotis
The project would bring the site up to standard and included a diagnosis, with a view to proposing various design and planning scenarios. Rehabilitation objectives included: upgrade of existing huts; development of administrative, reception, educational and commercial functions; and improved flo... More
News • News • 31 Aug 2023
Hotel Jaufentalerhof extension by DEAR Studio is a modern Alpine tribute to traditional hay barns
Nestled amidst the serene landscapes of northern Italy, Residence Ambros designed by DEAR Studio is a harmonious blend of tradition, materiality and modern architecture. An extension of Hotel Jaufentalerhof, the structure pays homage to its namesake, Ambros Girtler, a vigorous ancestor of the hotel owner who originally resided in the breathtaking ‘Jaufental’ valley.
Hannes Niederkolfer
Ingeniously conceived, the design pays homage to South Tyrolean tradition, seamlessly interwoven with modern alpine living. Drawing inspiration from the typical hay barns that embrace the steep slopes, the extension adapts these time-honoured building processes to the hotel’s needs.
Crafted in massive larch logs layered in an over... More
News • News • 31 Aug 2023
NO crafts a temporary modular housing solution for inaccessible sites using local materials
In a bid to reshape the architectural landscape, NO Architects, Designers, and Social Artists unveil an innovative temporary modular structure that deploys as a housing solution for sites with accessibility challenges.
Divya Rajesh
Going beyond conventional architectural projects, the initiative showcases a profound commitment towards understanding society’s needs and providing technical solutions that align with the context, climate and human requirements.
The output is a swift-deploying modular structure with multifaceted applications. One of its primary functions is providing housing solutions for sites plagued by accessibility issues.
Divya Rajesh
Divya Rajesh
Exhibiting impeccable adaptabilit... More
Project • By ORGANOID GmbH • Offices
Therapie Luttinger
PHYSIOTHERAPY IN A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT
The WILDSPITZE MARGERITTA by Organoid creates an optical highlight in the therapy centre Luttinger. The untreaded materials on the breathable and 100% natural flax backing positively impact the indoor climate.
The health benefits of a natural interior design underline the effect of physiotherapy on people’s well-being.
Therapie Luttinger
CONSCIOUS AND HEALTHY INTERIOR DESIGN
Design spaces for the healthcare sector with a true focus on well-being – with Organoid surfaces. The scent of various natural materials can positively impact one’s inner state and the look of the untreated plants creates visual interest and a sense of relaxation.
The surface WILDSPITZE MARGERITTA a... More
News • News • 29 Jun 2022
Izar Houses in Mexico celebrate the natural landscape, light, and rainfall
On a steep site in Mexico, Izar Houses by Taller ADG Alonso de Garay pay exceptional attention to energy in terms of their approach to natural light and rainfall. Green roofing, use of local stone, and a façade lattice made of specially-treated wooden slats contribute to the integration of house and landscape.
Onnis Luque
Entry to the houses is located through an access plaza where the inclusion of water and vegetation fosters a sense of connection with the natural environment. Once inside, private areas are located on the lower level with more public and social areas upstairs. A skylight made of locally-sourced stone and vegetation connects the two floors.
Onnis Luque
The lobby acts as a type of distributing space to he... More
News • News • 31 Mar 2022
Zaha Hadid Architects completes net-zero headquarters for sustainability company BEEAH
Zaha Hadid Architects shaped the new headquarters into a series of interconnecting dunes. Orientated and sculpted to optimize the climatic conditions of Sharjah, the Emirates third largest city.
© Hufton + Crow
The building is powered by a solar array and makes use of a smart management system that automatically adjusts lighting and temperature depending on occupancy and time of day.
© Hufton + Crow
The BEEAH Group operates in waste management and recycling, clean energy, environmental consulting, education and green mobility. The new headquarters becomes the base of operations to diversify into new, future-critical industries. The building acts as a benchmark to show how technology can scale sustainable impact.
&co... More
News • News • 2 Feb 2022
BLOCO Arquitetos completes off the grid house and studio located inside world’s most biodiverse tropical savanna
The house and studio for a landscape architect and her family are an experiment about how to live inside Brazil’s second-largest biome while leaving a small ecological footprint. The two buildings designed by BLOCO Arquitetos are 120 meters apart on opposing sides of a hill.
Joana França
The structures are suspended from the ground in order to minimize ecological intrusion and at the same time prevent small wild animals from entering. The buildings are made up out of an exposed concrete core, solid brick walls, and a Glulam roof.
Joana França
The aim for the structural design was to combine local labor and traditional building materials with a lightweight structure. The elements are prefabricated... More
News • News • 28 Jan 2022
Water is the key element in URBANA’s design for 2021 RIBA International Prize winner Friendship Hospital
Set in a water-laden area of south-west Bangladesh, the remote hospital aims to bring relief to the cyclone stricken communities of Satkhira. The low-cost structure responds innovatively to the challenging environmental conditions of Bengal.
Asif Salman
The area of the coast was once filled with grain fields. With the rising of the sea the land had to be converted into shrimp fisheries. NGO Friendship commissioned the project to strengthen and empower the remote rural area.
Asif Salman
Because of its importance in the area, water became the central theme for Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA. A canal runs through the length of the site separating inpatients and outpatients and at the same time help with cooling during the brutal summers.... More
News • News • 28 Jan 2022
TEJ House by Neogenesis + Studi0261 achieves a striking contemporary expression with conventional, locally available materials
On the urban fringes of Surat City (India), the 1600 square foot TEG House by Neogenesis + Studi0261 achieves a contemporary expression with clever use of conventional, locally available materials.
The fishy project-Ishita Sitwala
The building comprises three distinct blocks that vary in dimension but are connected and architecturally unified by a common plinth and parabolic roof. The result is a monolithic elevation expression that nevertheless still affords functional separation of uses. One block contains a home theatre and family area, the second and central block the living spaces, and finally utilitarian spaces in the third block.
The fishy project-Ishita Sitwala
By minimizing openings to the west and maximizin... More
Project • By Studio Zung • Apartments
Maison 7
A complete renovation, this design-and-build luxuriously minimal two-bedroom residence incorporates the usage of local and handcrafted materials throughout its design.
Robert Banat
Robert Banat
Featuring stone culled from the oldest quarry in the Eastern United States, Vermont grown and milled white oak, American walnut cabinetry, and Italian venetian plaster – each material was sourced from an artisan.
Robert Banat
Robert Banat
More
News • News • 18 Jun 2021
10 highlights in the work of Kengo Kuma
At 10 years old Kengo Kuma decided he wanted to become an architect when his father took him to see the Yoyogi National Gymnasium by Kenzo Tange. By the time he reached college he traveled to search for something to replace the predominant building materials concrete and steel. After visiting sun-dried brick houses in the Sahara and modest wooden houses on Japanese islands, he became convinced that the age of large tall buildings had come to an end, in place for small- scale architecture informed by rural villages.
In the 90s during the Japanese economic downturn Kuma had the chance to work on small buildings in the countryside. Working with local craftsmen he noticed the stark contrast between them and the building managers in Tokyo... More
News • News • 1 Jun 2021
Inward looking La Cas del Canto uses materials and volume to connect with its surroundings
While looking inwards to its courtyards, this contemporary house in Foios, Spain by Piano Piano Studio connects with its surroundings with a use of local materials and repeating volumetric forms which can be found in adjacent houses.
Milena Villalba
The wishes of the clients focused on three main elements: a large terrace to enjoy the pleasant winters in Valencia, a more sheltered and fresh patio, and a large interior space where life in the house and daily chores take place.
Milena Villalba
Taking this program, the elongated shape of the corner plot and two existing party walls to be retained could have suggested the conventional typology of the area, that is two pieces separated by a patio. The highest part, accommodating the... More
News • News • 19 May 2021
Lucky Chan utilizes local materials and traditional Indian craft techniques in a modern context
In Bangalore, India, the ground floor of a two-storey home was leased for this trendy, casual Asian restaurant. With a total area of 150 square meters, MAIA sought to use local materials and traditional Indian craft techniques in a modern context.
Gokul Rao Kadam
A 250 module wooden installation was created in collaboration with local artisans in the nearby township of Channapatna. Specialising in hand lathe woodwork and natural lacquering for over two centuries, this art form is 100% eco-friendly and handmade. The lacquer colours are derived from natural sources and include red (manjista root), yellow (turmeric & tesu flower), green (Indico extracted from Indigo dyes) and brown (walnut bark). The modules are fixed 450mm apart in... More