Wave House
Rio de Janeiro, âBrazil – Mareines Arquitetura Year: 2016 Developed Area: 1.000m² Photographs: Leonardo Finotti and Jacques Paul Barthelemy In the heart of Rio de Janeiro sits the Wave House – an imposing structure perched atop a monolith facing the ocean, seemingly inviting lost ships to come home. The house is an eye-catcher. It is no […]
The Bear Stand – Luxurious living away from home
Canada – Bohlin Grauman Miller + Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Project Year :Â Â Â 2015 Developed Area :Â Â Â 305.56 m2 Photographs :Â Â Â Nic Lehoux Three hours away from the hustle and bustle of urban Toronto is a woodside retreat near Contau Lake. The Bear Stand has large glass walls that provide sweeping views of […]
Search and rescue helicopter holiday home
Thornhill, Scotland This helicopter may be retired from its military service but it’s far from going to the scrap heap. The search and rescue aircraft is now lodged in its new home, serving a new and unusual purpose! This 17m-long Sea King ZA127 helicopter originally retired from active service in 1994 even though it was still […]
Cliff Face House
Palm Beach, NSW Australia  – Fergus Scott Architects and Peter Stutchbury Architecture Project duration:   2007 – 2011 Completion:   2011 Photography:   Michael Nicholson Awards:   Winner 2012 AIA Wilkinson Award There are many ‘Palm Beaches” around the world, but I doubt that any can claim to have the extraordinary natural beauty of […]
Alone on an island – a summer home
Bohuslän, Sweden – Mikael Bergquist Architects Ltd Photography:   Mikael Olsson Here’s a quick quizz… how many islands are there in Sweden? a) 221 b) 2210 c) 22,100 d) 221,000 You’ll find the answer below the album but a clue is lots! Most of them are uninhabited for much of the year, but many are summer holiday havens […]
Arkiboat Houseboats
Sydney  Australia – Drew Heath Architects While the design and build may take place in Sydney, there is no doubt these are very mobile homes! Apparently frustrated by the lack of design thought invested in available houseboats, architect Drew Heath went from saying ‘Somebody should design a better houseboat’ to actually doing it. There are […]
Summerhouse in Gata Hrunamannahreppur
Gata Hrunamannahreppur, Iceland – ASK arkitektar Year Built: 2003 A home embraced by nature… This summer house located in Iceland is a nice example of a home that draws beauty by working with nature rather than standing out against it. Though the house alone is attractive from the aesthetic perspective, its true beauty comes from the fact that it respects its […]
Shell House
Kitasaku, Nagano, Japan –Â ARTechnic architects Site Area: Â Â 1,711 m2 (18,417 sq. ft.) Built Area:Â Â 329 m2 (3,541 sq. ft.) Year Built: Â Â 2008 Photography: Â Â Nacasa & Partners Inc. This innovative vacation home sits in the woods of Karuizawa, Japan. Â Designed by architect, Kotaro Ide, of ARTechnic, the house was designed […]
Off-the-Grid Strawbale Cabin
Nevada City, California – Arkin Tilt Architects Built area: 872 sq. ft. Â (81 m2) Photography: Eric Millette Off-the-grid in every sense, this home, is a great example of sustainability. Heating, cooling, all power and even the water are generated or pumped on-site. It’s a vacation home for a young, active family. From the architect: Located […]
Pallet House
Mallarauco, Melipilla, Chile  –  CristiĂĄn IrarrĂĄzaval Andrews Site area:  Large acreage Built area:  120m2  (1,296sf) Year Built:  2007 The project called for farm accommodation that would be used only a few days each week. Budget was a major consideration as was the remoteness of the location which would typically add to costs. An existing, […]