Offgrid

Since the clients’ property is situated on the slopes of Crni Vrh Mountain, in the untouched nature of the Homolje Mountains, this house represents a true sanctuary of peace, quiet, and tranquility. For clients living in the capital, it was particularly important that the house be surrounded by dense, expansive forests, offering an escape from the urban hustle and fast pace of modern life—a perfect retreat to relax and reconnect with nature. The location is completely off-grid, with no possibility of connecting to electricity, water, or sewage. The lower section of the western part of the property falls into the third and second zones of protection of the newly established Kučaj-Beljanica National Park, while the area where the... More

Water farm is a modern off-grid family home by Studio Bark for London leavers moving back to the family farm. The Paragraph 84 house was designed to nurture the needs of a young family of five, with strong historic ties to the site and off-grid living. The result is a unique and functional five bedroom off-grid home. The home is on the edge of Dedham Vale National Landscape, and has been designed with sensitivity to local character. Many of the key design features were informed by traditional farmsteads and traditional timber frame buildings. Integrity is achieved using traditional, natural materials, and the form is logically inspired by the surrounding landscape. A heavy weight plinth defines the ground floor, contrasting with the sculptu... More

In Tanzania, roughly 8% of children under the age of 18 are orphaned, with an estimated 90,000 orphans in the northern region of Kilimanjaro alone. Ranked 154th out of 187 countries in the UN Human Development Index, Tanzania remains one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world.  Article 25 Children are driven away or leave their homes due to poverty, neglect, family crises, abuse, or the death of one or both parents. Burdened with a lifetime of suffering, they often arrive at the existing Kao La Amani orphanage malnourished and in need of medical care.  Article 25 These vulnerable children of all ages need a home, a place to learn, be loved, and develop into healthy members of the community. Despite h... More

  A new off-grid house makes geometric allusions to the clients’ love of the abstract formal qualities of modernist houses by Myron Goldfinger and Charles Gwathmey. Based on a 4m x 3.8m structural grid, the design pin-wheels a series of private and public rooms around a central courtyard to provide a modest internal floor area of 100 sqm with a low environmental footprint of only 129 sqm on the site. Pop-up roof projections at each corner amplify the pin-wheel to offer expanded volumes and varying connections to tree canopies and sky views. Matthew Fonda Aside from requisite living, dining, kitchen, and bathroom spaces, it accommodates a dedicated office, a covered entry terrace for outdoor dining, 2 bedrooms with ensuite... More

At the heart of the Owner’s objectives for this project were preservation and protection of the natural environment. Located on one of the last remaining undeveloped coastal areas in California, this modern guest house resides on a wildlife preserve; exemplifying a successful balance of residential development and ecological preservation. Nestled into a steep hillside, the residence was designed with low visual and environmental impact on the surrounding landscape. Disguised by a low profile and green roof, the home itself invites sweeping (nearly 360 degree) views of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding rolling hills, through a generous amount of sliding glass and expansive decks, which cantilever over the foundation’s steep rock... More