The Casa Ballena Art Center in Los Cabos, Mexico

Casa Ballena is an art center designed for Mexican and international artists in Los Cabos, Mexico. Its design takes advantage of the topography in order to play with different heights and create a natural buffer that allows both views and private space. The earth that was removed to create the platforms was reused to build … Read more

Vertical Gardens for Small Spaces

Growing upward, or vertically, can help you make the most of your gardening space by utilizing the area above your garden plot or containers.  It is also good for better disease control on vining crops that need good air circulation. From hanging pockets to living walls and trellises these small garden ideas will make you … Read more

The Organic Architecture of Mickey Muennig

The longtime Big Sur residence of late architect Mickey Muennig comprises three curvaceous, glass-roofed structures situated on 30 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Muenning was a pioneer of California’s organic architecture movement; from the early 1970s, Muennig amassed a portfolio of striking houses with unconventional forms that frame scenic views and blend in with the … Read more

Intermediate House in Paraguay

Intermediate House in Paraguay, designed by Equipo de Arquitectura, is a fusion between the inside and outside, light and shadow, natural and artificial. A vaulted roof made with compressed earth blocks covered by a thin layer of concrete rests on floor-to-ceiling furniture, making up the perimeter of the property. The favorite space in this region … Read more

Tour a Unique Pocket Neighborhood in Spokane, Washington

On an empty lot next door to a popular craft brewery, the Blockhouse team wanted to build housing that would fit a buzzing Spokane (WA) neighborhood. They carefully placed micro and skinny units around some old-growth trees to create a pocket neighborhood with interior gathering spaces for the community, leaving just a few parking spaces … Read more

A Garden House in Ecuador

The Garden House in Ecuador obscures the boundary between nature and the built space. The occupant must travel outside to access the washroom areas from the living spaces and the shower is located in a greenhouse and is nestled among its plant life. The design team says, ‘There are places where people do not know … Read more