January 30, 2013

House of the Week 161: Casa Rosenda

 previous Tejaban made from disused roof materials

The house in Guadalupe, Mexico was rebuilt through 10x10 a social service programme, which provides decent housing for the poor, by reusing waste materials to create high quality structures. The client, Rosenda lived in a 30m2 foil Tejaban with her two daughters and three grandchildren, was redesigned by local architectural practice Covachita. The design features a 3 story tower accessible from the street with outdoor service and family areas to the rear of the tiny site.

January 28, 2013

blog wunderlust: 28th January 2013

We will never solve the housing problems of Africa if architects do not shift their concerns to the development of locally manufactured systems and materials that inform design and improve our way of life.
Joe Addo


Architects apply high design to high tides | Is an Architect Entitled to Copyright Protection? | Architect Eduardo Souto de Mouro among Wolf Prize winners | The shipping container: now a 3-storey house | Five Facts on the Housing Construction Rebound | Learn Architect-Speak Online | Graffiti Church: Artist Hense Gives Place Of Worship A Wildly Colorful Makeover | Sketch + Draw + Model - The Coffee House

controversy: University of Minnesota Launches New Degree: High School to Licensed Architect in Seven Years

last word: Architect Brian Lewis (acla:works) has launched his architectural photography website, called Lumis Photography

January 25, 2013

Oyler House - Movie Villains

Oyler House - Movie Villains from Mike Dorsey on Vimeo.

Clip from the documentary "The Oyler House: Richard Neutra's Desert Retreat."

January 24, 2013

On the Boards: Interfaith Chapel

A proposed Interfaith Chapel at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL designed by architects Brooks + Scarpa and KZF Design. The dramatic gown like shape of the structure will be a created by employing a wooden lamella truss system in an egg-like pattern.

January 23, 2013

House of the Week 160: Jewell Box

photo credit: Gary Payne Photography

The Jewell Box in San Diego, California designed by Architects Magnus is composed of two buildings bridged by a two-story latticed verandah. The first building, located at the front of the site, is the main living space for the young family with the kitchen and bedrooms and affords views of the bay and distant foothills. The other building is at the rear yard and is a guesthouse with framed views to an existing tree.

January 21, 2013

blog wunderlust: 21st January 2013

I believe in God, only I spell it Nature
Frank Lloyd Wright


Amazing Cliff Houses: Literally Living on the Edge | A Great Way to Break Ground | Glenn Murcutt Masterclass – First Hand Experience | The Stuart Hall Project | Fishing for Architecture with John Lurie | AJ 2013 Small Projects Award | Creative converted homes | Dutch architect to build ‘endless’ 3D printed house | Bristol's architect mayor wants the city to be a 'laboratory for change' | Mike Holmes: The blueprint on hiring an architect

controversy: London architect firm designs $1bn Iraqi parliament building after being named winner of international competition

last word: Atelier Vidal named the Dream Team, and the ones to watch in 2013 by the Jamaica Observer.

January 18, 2013

A Day with Zaha Hadid



Zaha Hadid discusses her current work with Michael Blackwood Productions taking the camera through her retrospective exhibition "Zaha Hadid has Arrived" at Vienna's MAK, a museum for design and contemporary art held in 2004.

January 14, 2013

blog wunderlust: 14th January 2013

Each material has its own potential and we seek the most eloquent expression of it
Paul Rudolph

Champion of livable architecture and pioneering critic Ada Louise Huxtable has died at 91 | Why green labels boost real estate values | 9 city building projects to watch for in 2013 | Eero Saarinen: Furniture for Everyman | Vietnam chooses an ‘architect of the year’ for the first time | Cyclorama building at Gettysburg will be demolished | An Unlikely Success Story For Modern Architecture, Mies, And Detroit

last word: The Rise Of Indie Architecture

The blog wunderlust is a weekly round up summarizing the architectural highlights, news and web links, that don't otherwise fit the format of this blog. If you have any to share feel free to drop me an email

January 11, 2013

The ABC of Architects

The ABC of Architects from fedelpeye on Vimeo.


This has gone viral, but it is too good not to share

On the Edge of Modernism

Richard Meier x Massimo Vignelli on Nowness.com.

Richard Meier and multi-disciplinary creator Massimo Vignelli reflect on their respective crafts, city life, their enduring friendship and their collaboration on a forthcoming architectural monograph on Meier in this film by Johnnie Shand Kydd.

January 10, 2013

On the Boards: Notre Dame de l’Assomption

images courtesy of Architecture for Humanity

The origami-like form of the proposed cathedral, Notre Dame de l’Assomption was inspired by traditional fishing boats common in Haiti, recalling the former cathedral’s role as a lighthouse. The competition hosted by the archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, invited architects worldwide to "discover the new Notre Dame" the proposal by Architecture for Humanity, led by architect Andrea Panizzo (YCF Group) embraces the spirit of the cathedral and outlines its footprint with a channel to collect water that leads to a Reflection Garden. More of this project via.

January 7, 2013

blog wunderlust: 7th January 2013

a utopia is neither a chimera nor an illusion but a forward thinking plan, a hopeful anticipation
Jorge Glusberg

Ruins of Modernity: The Failure of Revolutionary Architecture in the 20th Century | Zaha Hadid designs pirated by Chinese contractors, more here & here | The Future of the New York Public Library | 10 Breathtakingly Beautiful Art School Campuses | hip hop mogul Pharrell Williams to Collaborate with Zaha Hadid | Wanmokku by Japan-based Torafu Architects | Elegant work inspired generations | The Story of a Tilted Lawn and a Revisionist Ouroussoff

last word: Building the Pentimento House

January 5, 2013

A Prefab Vertical Gym For Urban Slums


Working with the community in Caracas, Venezuela, interdisciplinary studio Urban Think Tank designed a 4,000m2 prefab vertical recreational centre to address local need for a safe place for sports and activities for limited sites. More via

On the Boards: National Museum of Afghanistan

(c) Matteo Cainer Architects

The new National Museum of Afghanistan was envisioned to safeguard the wealth of its cultural heritage and provide a symbol of the strength, pride and traditions of the Afghan people, providing visitors with a better understanding of the country. The façade of the proposal by Matteo Cainer architects, acts as a reflection of our society whilst the monolithic walls embody history and culture. More

January 4, 2013

Future Perfect


Future Perfect: The Midcentury Modern Paintings of Danny Heller, who paints Palm Springs architecture in near photorealistic form, explains the attraction.

Greening Sacred Spaces


Greening Sacred Spaces is a practical programme developed by Faith & the Common Good to assist faith communities with both the educational and spiritual dimensions of greening as well as the "how-to" side of audits, retrofits and generally reducing the faith community's footprint.

January 3, 2013

On the Boards: CNM Headquarters

A competition entry for the CNM/Municipality National Council in Brasilia, Brazil by Atelier UM+D (Utrabo Monteiro). The 5000 m2 building is spread over 8 floors with 4 public areas above ground and 4 levels below for parking.


On the Boards: New Holland Island

The NHI is a new cultural centre for a 20 acre island bordered by two canals and a river in the heart of St Petersburg, Russia. Designed by architects WorkAC the cultural “city within the city” programmes public spaces for the visual and performing arts, new technologies, education, markets as well as a hotel. More here

January 2, 2013

House of the Week 159: Crabhill Modern


Located on a five-acre property in Hillsborough, North Carolina, the Crabhill house was designed and built by Tonic Design and their sister company Tonic Construction. Made of simple and inexpensive materials, the house revisions an agri-industrial aesthetic into a modern family home. The external layer of the house made of perforated Cor-Ten steel, peals away like shedding skin to create a barrier for sun and rain.