House

They say that walls can talk and if the cold, windowless metal exterior of the Rooftecture OT2 house in downtown Osaka, Japan says anything, surely it's "Leave me alone." Those lucky enough to make it through the front door (complete with forbidding chainlink door handle), however, are in for a bit of a shock. In stark contrast to its outer shell, the family home offers a warm and welcoming diffused light and mixed wood interior comfortably spread over three levels.  Read More

Japanese architectural firm Kengo Kuma & Associates recently demonstrated its ethos of design inspired by light and nature with an experimental house in Hokkaido called "Même." The structure is designed for cold climates and whilst based upon the local Ainu people's “Chise” (House of the Earth), it uses modern materials for an insulated double skin membrane that promotes convection and maintains a comfortable internal environment due to heat circulation from its continually lit fire.  Read More

Whisper the words "prefabricated home" to yourself, and the image you'll conjure (if you're of like mind to me) is a distinctly modern arrangement of single-story cuboids made of cutting edge lightweight materials (or if not then of reclaimed or sustainably-grown natural matter instead), probably with scant decoration or adornment. Method Homes' Cottage Series comes as a welcome twist on the prefabricated house, adopting as it does a more traditional late 19th century American style.  Read More

An Amsterdam-based architecture firm has ambitions to take 3D printing to the next level, by building the world's first 3D-printed house as early as 2014. The team at Universe Architecture, led by Janjaap Ruijssenaars, hope to use a D-Shape 3D printer to form a Möbius strip-shaped structure and create a home that is "endless" in its design, where occupants can walk continuously through the building.  Read More

Different people have different sets of desires for the houses they live in. For some it's all about location, being close to the things that matter to them. For others it's the building itself, whether it be a period property or a modern build with minimalist features. For others still, it's all about the views ... and it's this last group of people who will likely be blown away by the X House from Cadaval & Solà-Morales.  Read More

The Hobbit is a story that has endured for more than seven decades, with children and adults alike drawn into the fantasy realm created by J.R.R Tolkien. Thanks to Peter Jackson, who previously brought The Lord Of The Rings to the big screen, a whole new generation of fans is likely to be created. Reading the book and watching the movies is one thing, but having your own real-life Hobbit Hole in the back garden is quite another ... one that's now possible thanks to Wooden Wonders.  Read More

Sturdy, convenient to transport and relatively cheap – these are some of the factors that have made the conversion of shipping containers into modern living and working spaces an ever growing trend. Maziar Behrooz is no stranger to this process and Gizmag recently caught up with the Manhattan-based architect to discuss his latest project.  Read More

Madrid-based architectural studio CSO Arquitectura teamed up with prefab construction specialists Torsan to create SAVMS, a modular housing system designed to maximize adaptability while minimizing ecological footprint. The flexibility of the system allows customers to choose a house of their own design, while the prefabricated approach means costs are kept more or less fixed.  Read More

Architectural outfit The D*Haus Company has unveiled a design for a remarkable transforming house, the D*Dynamic, which, taking cues from a mathematical problem posed at the turn of the 20th century, can fold itself into eight different configurations. The design's adaptability makes it ideally suited to extreme climates, D*Haus claims.  Read More