Materiality

Ritual Suite began with a question: How can a primary bath become a restorative sequence rather than simply a collection of fixtures? Rather than approaching the project through aesthetics alone, BLOU INK reorganized the suite around spatial psychology, movement, and lived experience. Compression and release, material contrast, and intentional sequencing were used to transform a fragmented layout into an environment organized around restoration. Vera Blouin The project reframes the bathroom as more than a functional space. It becomes a ritual environment, one where atmosphere, movement, and materiality work together to support daily experience. Guided by BLOU INK’s philosophy, Before Design is Executed, it is Defined, Ritual S... More

The 180 m² office for SAN Holding was conceived as a workspace that conveys the institution’s identity through clarity of layout, controlled material use and spatial refinement. The design develops around a sequence of gradually increasing privacy. The reception and waiting area form the most public zone. These are followed by two meeting rooms positioned on opposite sides of the corridor. The plan then transitions into an open office aligned along the façade so that staff can benefit from daylight throughout the day. The sequence continues with a guest meeting room placed close to the façade and concludes with the executive offices. ZM Yasa Photography ZM Yasa Photography The  primary surfaces of th... More

Márcia Leal Studio is an interior renovation of a small commercial space in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil, conceived as a hair studio that prioritizes experience, permanence, and emotional comfort. Designed for a single professional, the project explores how spatial organization and material choices can transform a neutral interior into an environment with strong identity and a welcoming atmosphere. The layout is structured around a large multifunctional central table, which acts as the social and spatial core of the studio. More than a functional element, the table organizes circulation and daily activities, encouraging moments of pause, conversation, and waiting. All other functions — workstations, reception, storage, pantry... More

The house is located on the border that separates a suburban development of single-family houses and a protected forest area. The main strategy followed in the project is to let the house take advantage of this special location and make the most of its double condition by merging them both; the wild nature of the forest on the one hand and the built or suburban environment on the other. Alberto Amores Alberto Amores Alberto Amores For this, the proposal aims to combine the building and the garden in one single solution, which is to be understood as the continuity of the wild forest into the plot. Hence, different types of spaces are proposed: some are designed to be occupied by people, others by nature, and the rest by both... More

The semi‐detached urban residence built in 1910 on the slopes of Mount Royal, near the city center, was acquired in 2020 by the current owners. The residence had to be renovated given its age, the lack of maintenance and the state of degradation of several elements. The building had been the subject of several more or less interesting and successful interventions by the previous owners. Nevertheless, several original elements were still present and needed to be highlighted. It should be noted that the original building had undergone an extension in 1920 designed by the Montreal architectural firm Ross and Macdonald. Maxime Brouillet Maxime Brouillet Maxime Brouillet The owners, under the spell of their new residence, wanted... More

Woodland House is a private, bespoke replacement dwelling located in East Devoncompleted in late 2022 by award-winning Winchester-based Architects, AR Design Studio. The clients approached AR seeking to relocate from the hustle and bustle of London to the tranquillity of rural Devon. Their children had left home, meaning that they were able to downsize, and so they were presented with the opportunity to pursue their lifelong dream and create their dream contemporary home. Martin Gardner Martin Gardner Martin Gardner Having previously lived in Grade II listed London properties they were keen to create a high quality new build house that was warm, air tight and most importantly, energy efficient. With now grown up children th... More

Opening the entrance door of a house which has been closed for fifty years involves several expectations, that sometimes are disappointed; therefore, the challenge is approaching the project with an open mind, salvaging whatever can be salvaged and implanting new elements without awe. The project concerns the reconfiguration of a small building located in an interstice of a typical Sicilian old town, with the aim of turning it into a tourist accommodation. The small two-story building stands out for the unexpected lightness of the interiors, despite the few windows on the façade and the not good exposure to sunlight. Indeed the ground floor is lighted by a patio on the first floor, obtained from a hole in the roof and glazed on thr... More

The project is concerned with the renovation and transformation into a summer residence of a poor quality building, built in the Sicilian countryside at the beginning of the 1980s. aAhouse comes out of a wish to respond to extremely traditional requests related to shape and use, by interpreting them without upsetting them; by using natural material as a transition element between the “known” and the “designed” for the realization of an isolated house characterized by the need to remain, for bureaucratic reasons, partly “ancore” to the footprint of a preexisting shoddy house which was not recoverable. The volume, previously distributed in three floors, has been reused in a single level, formed by two per... More

This holiday home is designed on the hills of Sirumalai, Tamil Nadu to employ its sloped context, the incredible valley views, and the wilderness that surrounds it, blurring the line between man and nature. It was built on an existing foundation to minimize impact and cantilevers slightly over the edge. Large terrace and deck areas ensure the experiential fixity of nature. Building finishes are an amalgamation of rubble masonry, straw, thatch, terracotta, hand plaster, and laterite, all of which are sourced within close proximity of the site. Interiors are a cohesion of raw aesthetic, natural materials, and finishes that are contextually sensitive. Repurposed stems of old guava trees act as natural safety markers around the house. Apart fro... More

These live-work townhouses are located on a quiet street in Toronto’s rapidly densifying Riverdale neighbourhood. The project was separated into two phases. Phase 1, towards the South end of the block, consists of five deep units each with a mezzanine studio and an interior garden. Phase 2, towards the North end, consists of five shallower units and is serviced by a laneway at the rear.The townhouse blocks are developed on two existing, vacant, industrial properties separated by a residential building inbetween. One unique condition of Phase 1 is its landlocked nature; the site is bound by residential and industrial buildings on three sides. Phase 2 has a significantly different site condition: to the north, is an empty lot that has a seaso... More