Rammed earth

Rockin’ the suburbs. Forest Road House breaks the suburban cookie-cutter mould creating a lifestyle block oasis. The design explores the family’s love of native timbers and local materials while reflecting their values and living requirements, as the retired couple age in place with their daughter with special needs. Ben Hosking CONCEPT This home creates a self-contained retreat for the owners, reinforcing the notion of a bush garden property that attracted them to the then-rural area 40 years ago. Inspired by the work of Australian architects, particularly Glenn Murcutt’s work, the house references his approach to spatial layout, order of structure and clarity of intent. Local materials were used throughout, inclu... More

ACT! with Rikke Winther, together with Ask Holmen and CLAYA won the first place of the international open call of the Færderbiennale 2024 (dance and architecture festival), and designed and built the architecture installation ‘Borrowed land’. ‘Borrowed land’ explores the relationship between the built environment, climate crisis, and environmental degradation. Central to the project is the recognition of the natural landscape as a finite resource as well as the issues created by extractivism. Using local materials, such as clay and stones deposited by ancient glaciers, the crafted architectural components are deeply rooted in the land, to which it can decay and merge back into after it has served its purpose.... More

Not immediately evident or present from approach, Earth House reveals itself as an intimate retreat, thoughtfully designed to respect its surroundings while asserting a distinct architectural presence. The decision to proceed with a single-storey structure, crowned by a skillion roof, complements the landscape without imposing on it, encouraging the architecture to insert itself harmoniously within the natural surroundings. This subtle integration of built form amongst the elements further emphasises a desire to live consciously and deliberately by the owners.  Katherine Lu Katherine Lu Katherine Lu At the core of the uniqueness of Earth House lies a commitment to material integrity and sustainable design. The centrepie... More

The “room for birth and senses” is a walk-in clay structure that makes it possible to experience the influence of space and surroundings on birth and health. Light, smell, colour, temperature, material, and surface properties all play an important role in our perception.  Frauenmuseum Hittisau Lorenz Feinig Frauenmuseum Hittisau Lorenz Feinig It is an art project, at the same time a conversation opener for a larger vision where rooms and materials can support physiological and regenerative processes in healthcare environments. Inspired by Maggie’s Centres, offering non-clinical support, this prototype is a small segment of a larger concept idea of a contemporary maternity home in hospital proximity, by the... More

The property is located at 1250 m altitude in the Mantiqueira mountain range, in the municipality of Camanducaia, with a mountain climate. The land, sloping towards the north face, favors the positioning of the house, which opens up to the views of the mountain range and closes to the cold wind from the south. Pedro Kok Pedro Kok Pedro Kok The resident, newly moved from São Paulo, has extensive experience in environmental education. The pleasure of teaching and hosting visitors combines into a larger life project. Living in the countryside seeks this reconnection with nature. For this, the guest rooms can be used by the family or by visitors who rent them, generating income that helps maintain the property. Activitie... More

The choice of this name is linked to the courtyard shape of the structure, which is reminiscent of a common feature in traditional rural and agricultural architecture. In Latin, 'Cohorte' underscores the historical and practical significance of such spaces as gathering points for various activities, reflecting the building's commitment to embracing these traditions. Caption On the ground floor, there is an expansive event space equipped to host various types of gatherings. Adjacent to it is a kitchen for meal preparation or catering for groups. Additionally, there is a workshop for creative activities or courses. Caption Upstairs, three guest bedrooms are available, suitable for accommodating event attendees such as weddings or... More

Son of Iemanjá, Father of Saint, Son of Candomblé... it could be a story about religion of African origin, as well as the elements coming from terreiros (houses and community complexes) to give rise to a shelter. Refúgio do Sol, as the name suggests: a small cozy shelter that protects users from the scorching sun in the heart of the Brazilian hinterland. Igor Ribeiro The drums gave space for the body movements of piling and throwing the earth: the rammed earth and the wattle and daub, respectively. Stringed instruments gave way to sewing thread to fix the plastic mesh, the skeleton of the reinforced mortar that makes up the hydraulic block. Igor Ribeiro Refúgio do Sol emerges as an elegant country hou... More

The Linden Centre Shaxi Community Campus sits in a new national park, in Shilong village, on a trail from the historic town of Shaxi, in the high mountains of Yunnan, southwest China. The campus contains community and cultural facilities as well as small dwelling cabins for visitors involved in economic development and cultural education. The project is funded by the governmental Development-Oriented Poverty Reduction Program for Rural China, developed and managed by The Linden Centre, a local cultural and environmental education program. Caption Caption Caption The remote village of Shilong has been largely untouched by modern development, maintaining a traditional logging, hunting, grazing and subsistence agriculture econo... More