Set within a volcanic expanse in southern Iceland, a recent project by Sp(r)int Studio brings a nuanced response to the Stöng ruins, one of the country’s most significant archaeological sites. Excavated in 1939 and protected since 1957 by a modest shelter, the Viking-era longhouse in scenic Þjórsárdalur stands as a rare and remarkably complete remnant of early Icelandic domestic architecture. The restoration builds upon this legacy, extending the site’s function and form and remaining attentive to the surrounding terrain.

The new intervention introduces a spatial framework that protects the ruins without enclosing them. The studio preserves the original 1957 structure, cladding it in untreated larch that will weather naturally with the climate. A translucent roof of polycarbonate floats above the exposed ruins, diffusing light across the excavated stonework and dissolving the boundary between interior and exterior. The result is a structure that shelters without overpowering, prioritizing legibility and atmosphere over monumentality.

images © Claudio Parada Nunes

adapting to iceland’s volcanic Topography

The site geography of the Stöng ruins informs Sp(r)int Studio’s intervention. Rather than imposing a singular gesture, the architects design the structure to unfold across the valley floor, adapting to changes in elevation and framing natural contours. Carefully laid paths, a footbridge, and a new entry platform stitch together the disparate elements of the site, subtly choreographing the visitor’s experience while limiting physical intrusion on the landscape.

From the raised entrance, visitors are led onto a viewing platform that hovers above the longhouse remains. This shift in elevation positions the ruins in their full spatial context, granting clarity without encouraging contact. The intervention privileges alignment between visitor and view, and between architecture and terrain.

the Stöng ruins sit within a volcanic valley of southern Iceland

Light, Material, and Permeability

With its Stöng ruins shelter, Sp(r)int Studio’s design language remains sparse and deliberate. Larch cladding and polycarbonate are joined by concrete footings and steel connectors, each expressed with care and intention. The structure allows air to pass through and light to shift across the surfaces, sustaining the atmospheric conditions that have shaped the ruin for centuries. Glazed apertures and roof openings are positioned to capture views of specific artifacts and architectural traces, offering points of orientation and pause.

By emphasizing porosity and restraint, Sp(r)int Studio brings a sense of continuity between the original dwelling, the previous shelter, and the new construction. Nothing is obscured. Instead, the layers of intervention remain legible, forming a cumulative archive of preservation efforts across time.

a translucent polycarbonate roof hovers above the Viking-era longhouse remains

The renovation treats the 1957 shelter as an artifact worth conserving in its own right. Rather than replacing this earlier structure, Sp(r)int Studio extends its relevance by adapting it. In this way, the project foregrounds preservation as a living process which is neither finished nor frozen. Each design move seeks to extend the life of the site, resisting erasure in favor of architectural continuity.

This approach to heritage architecture emphasizes adaptability and engagement over interpretation. The architecture leaves room for temporal shifts and environmental variation, rather than imposing a fixed narrative. This way, the project becomes an open framework through which the past can be accessed without being finalized.

Sp(r)int Studio preserves the original 1957 shelter and re-clads it in untreated larch

elevated walkways and platforms guide visitors while protecting the excavation

interior spaces remain permeable to light and air, preserving atmospheric continuity

framed apertures direct views toward key archaeological details in the ruins

the shelter’s design by Sp(r)int Studio emphasizes restraint and continuity

project info:

name: Stöng Ruins

architect: Sp(r)int Studio

location: Iceland

area: 385 square meters

completion: 2024

photography: © Claudio Parada Nunes | @studiocapn

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On the former site of Gorami Village, now called Goam-dong in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, architect Youngbae Kim of DRAWING WORKS renovates a 50-year-old farmhouse as Gorami House. Embracing the irregularity of the original timber structure, Kim transforms the aging home with subtle spatial recalibrations and a new undulating roofline that echoes the mountain ridges behind the site. The project respectfully layers material, memory, and light to preserve a deeply personal relationship to the space.

all images ©Yoon, Joonhwan

plywood and white walls finish Gorami House

Instead of erasing the past, Youngbae Kim, founder of Korean architecture studio DRAWING WORKS, amplifies it by framing, preserving, and, in some cases, patching crooked pine rafters, thick layers of daub, slanted mud walls, and mismatched construction methods with discreet interventions. The architect opts for a traditional L layout in the main building. One of the three rooms became part of a new living area, and the kitchen was reorganized into a linear arrangement, retaining existing rafters beneath newly insulated ceilings. Smooth white walls and plywood finishes enhance spatial clarity.

The original property — composed of a main house and adjacent servants’ quarters arranged around a yard—had belonged to the family for decades. When the current owners, a couple who lived in a Bundang apartment, returned to care for an elderly parent and tend an 8,250-square-meter plot of land, they chose not to demolish the house but to restore it. The design began with a conversation over sweet potatoes and omija tea in the winter sun, in a meeting of generations that set the tone for what would follow.

architect Youngbae Kim of DRAWING WORKS renovates a 50-year-old farmhouse

original elements reused for landscaping

The adjacent linear arrangement of servants’ quarters — now used as a guesthouse—was treated as a facade to the street, providing privacy while preserving their function as a threshold to the yard. Despite the changes, DRAWING WORKS maintains original elements like the timber doors and flat foundation stones and reuses them as landscape elements. A metal-framed ceiling flows like a wave between old beams, while the new roof, clad in natural slate, ties the two volumes together, its form echoing the slope of the nearby mountains.

Gorami House aims to demonstrate how structure, memory, and material can be composed like a folk song—simple, layered, and full of texture. What began as a disorderly farmhouse is now a grounded living environment that celebrates the site’s deep familial history.

embracing the irregularity of the original timber structure

a new undulating roofline that echoes the mountain ridges behind the site

the project respectfully layers material, memory, and light

preserving a deeply personal relationship to the space

DRAWING WORKS frames, preserves, and, in some cases, patches original elements

the architect opts for a traditional L layout in the main building

smooth white walls and plywood finishes enhance spatial clarity

DRAWING WORKS maintains original elements like the timber doors and flat foundation stones

the new roof, clad in natural slate, ties the two volumes together

what began as a disorderly farmhouse is now a grounded living environment

project info:

name: Gorami House
architect: DRAWING WORKS | @drawingworks_architects

location: 93-1 Goam-dong, Jecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea

area: 105 square meters

principal architect: Youngbae Kim
photographer: ©Yoon, Joonhwan | @yoon_joonhwan

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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Nestled in the forested hills of Karuizawa, Japan, The Cone by Kamiya Architects redefines the boundary between structure and nature through an inverted-conical roof that blends into its sloped terrain. Designed as a timeshare villa—straddling the line between a private residence and a boutique hotel—the project sits on a steep 3,000 sqm plot, responding to both topography and forest with fluidity. From above, the building presents as a sweeping arc that responds directly to the site. The gently curving plan mirrors the slope of the land, and the uniform, dark roof surface forms a powerful inverted conical shape, tapering inward toward a central point and culminating in a subtle protruding chimney.

images courtesy of Kamiya Architects

KAMIYA ARCHITECTS BALANCE ENGINEERING WITH ATMOSPHERE

Though legally a wooden structure, The Cone employs steel-reinforced beams to achieve a generous 15-by-12 meter span in the main living area, eliminating the need for bulky wooden columns. Instead, slim iron columns discreetly support the architecture, allowing for panoramic openings that blur the division between interior and landscape. By minimizing structural expression, Kamiya Architects emphasize spatial experience over tectonic display, allowing the architectural presence to feel quietly powerful.

Inside, the inverted cone becomes a luminous volume. The white-painted ceiling acts as a gentle reflector, amplifying daylight and diffusing indirect lighting at night. The result is a soft, ambient glow that enhances the cone’s concave geometry, creating an atmosphere that is both introspective and expansive. The Japanese architects use this reflective ceiling to transform the structure into a sensory landscape, where light and form heighten the emotional resonance of the space.

from above, the building presents as a sweeping arc

A CHOREOGRAPHY OF SPACE AND STONE

A curved central corridor arcs through the building like a hidden spine. Its full extent never immediately visible, the corridor evokes a sense of mystery. Radiating from it are variously scaled rooms that engage with the forest in different ways—sometimes framing, sometimes opening fully to the surrounding trees. At the heart of the communal living area sits a three-ton boulder, found in the nearby mountains and repurposed as a fireplace. This uncut, unshaped stone introduces an element of natural randomness that defies human authorship, grounding the otherwise controlled architecture.

the gently curving plan mirrors the slope of the land

the structure serves both as a private residence and a boutique hotel

the uniform, dark roof surface forms a powerful inverted conical shape

the project sits on a steep 3,000 sqm plot

the design responds to both topography and forest with fluidity

a subtle protruding chimney completes the roof design

the structure opens to panoramic views of the surrounding forest

inside, the inverted cone becomes a luminous volume

the white-painted ceiling acts as a gentle reflector

at the heart of the communal living area sits a three-ton boulder

the boulder serves as a symbolic anchor within the space

project info: 

name: The Cone
architects: Kamiya Architects | @kamiya__architects
location: Karuizawa, Japan

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The design of Habitat 0 by RA Design Studio begins with a simple circle. Sited in India, among a neighborhood of vacation homes is organized radially around a central courtyard, the community hub draws energy from its continuous shape. Rather than imposing direction, the circle allows the space to unfold gradually, offering each dwelling generous access to the surrounding landscape. This orientation fosters a subtle rhythm, one that moves between privacy and exposure without interruption.

A central, terraced amphitheater moves between function and gesture. It is at once a gathering space and an architectural hinge for both passage and pause. The steps rise to meet a garden rooftop and double as seating, observation point, and informal meeting ground. The architecture engages gently with the land, inviting movement through shared space without requiring a prescribed use.

images © Vinay Panjwani

RA Design Studio’s Dual-Skin Envelope

The defining form of Habitat 0, conceived by the architects at RA Design Studio, emerges through its layered skin. An outer shell of arches shields the structure, carving shadows that animate the interiors throughout the day. These shadows sometimes echo natural forms, casting curves that appear momentary and alive. Inside, a transparent glass wall maintains openness, drawing light into the homes while sustaining a visual dialogue with the gardens beyond.

The community center carries a deliberate continuity between architecture and landscape. The route from exterior garden to inner courtyard and eventually to the roof garden reflects a sequence that never breaks from its natural surroundings. RA Design Studio reinforces this relationship through an alignment of pathways, views, and transitions that celebrate the landscape and feel inherently grounded in place.

A semi-sheltered pool anchors one side of the building. Designed as part of the building’s circular plan, the space slips partially into shade beneath the curving roof. Light enters through roof cutouts, animated by the movement of water. Sloped walls around the pool guide the eye and the body into this carved retreat, which remains both secluded and open to the sky.

RA Design Studio’s Habitat 0 is organized around a circular courtyard that connects each unit to nature

habitat 0 draws from its community

RA Design Studio curates the materiality of its Habitat 0 to demonstrate a commitment to its context. The architects sourced local materials and engaged nearby artisans to realize the project, noting that the construction process embeds the community in its environment both economically and culturally. The stone, concrete, and timber used in the project speak to their origin, anchoring the homes to the landscape with both familiarity and durability.

The smaller gestures throughout Habitat 0 amplify the whole. RA Design Studio treats each surface as an opportunity for interaction between shadow and light. Arches project patterns on walls and floors, while frameless glass panels dissolve the boundaries between inside and out. Openings above the amphitheater and pool draw in the sky. At night, lighting is restrained and intentional, giving weight to stillness and reflection.

the central amphitheater serves as both a gathering space and a circulation path

arched outer walls provide shade and texture while the inner glass skin allows transparency and light

paths through gardens, courtyards, and terraces maintain a fluid transition between indoors and outdoors

the semi-sheltered pool is lit by cutouts in the roof and framed by sloping walls

shadows from the arches and skylights animate the interiors and change throughout the day

local materials and regional craftsmanship ground the project in its setting

project info:

name: Habitat 0 Community Hub

architect: RA Design Studio | @radesign_ahmedabad

location: India

lead architect: Radhika savani Dutt
landscape design: Arpit Dutt

area: 855 square meters
completion: 2024
photography: © Vinay Panjwani | @panjwani.vinay

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Beijing and Rotterdam-based architecture studio MAT Office takes to a rural community outside Chengdu to design a temporary bookstore dubbed the Pyramid Book House. The project’s site on the edge of Wanchun Town sees rows of agricultural fields yield to the city’s spreading suburbs. Standing within a greenbelt along Tuanjiequ Road, the book house settles into this setting, shaped by the rhythms of its context and a belief in quiet transformation. MAT Office brings a clear sensitivity to site, allowing architecture to emerge from what the place invites, rather than what a program demands.

The architecture adopts a composition of three steeply sloped geometries, each assigned a different purpose — reading, display, and leisure. These forms resemble simple pyramids, pitched high enough to catch sunlight through carefully positioned skylights. Each structure is linked by a transparent roof, forming a sheltered corridor that opens both visually and atmospherically to its surroundings. The project takes its name from these volumes, but the real architecture lies in the way they modulate light and define space

images © Arch-Exist

mat office draws from rural chinese vernacular

The Pyramid Book House by MAT Office uses humble, local materials in a deliberate expression of place. Wooden tiles line the exterior, creating a tactile surface that connects with the vernacular textures of the Chengdu Plain. Pine plywood defines both the walls and ceiling inside, where the same surfaces that support the structure also shape the spatial experience. The wood-framed structure reveals itself without disguise, allowing each joint and surface to participate in both the building’s appearance and its function.

The architects design with a focus on economy, and this constraint is handled as a design strategy rather than a compromise. Construction avoids complexity where simplicity will do. Columns and beams are expressed as straightforward wooden members, placed with care rather than ornament. The structural frame is exposed, but it doesn’t strive for austerity. Instead, it feels open and generous, defined by clarity rather than minimalism.

the Pyramid Book House by MAT Office is located in a greenbelt on the rural edge of Chengdu

a glowing lantern

MAT Office’s Pyramid Book House is part of a larger initiative that aims to embed reading spaces into the daily life of Chengdu’s outer communities. Here, the architecture acts as a gentle interrupter, a pause in the ordinary. Its small scale creates intimacy, while its form stands out just enough to arouse curiosity. Within weeks of completion, it became a gathering point. Locals stopped to peer inside, then lingered, then returned. A new ritual took hold — reading in the sunlight, and lounging on the grass.

As daylight fades, the building’s skylights dim and its interior lighting begins to glow. From the road, it looks like a warm flicker in the agricultural fields, a gentle presence offering something intangible. Though its footprint is small, its radiance extends. Architecture becomes hospitality, and the book house becomes a place where people stay longer than they planned.

its three pyramid-shaped volumes define spaces for reading display and leisure

wooden tiles and pine plywood reflect the traditional materials of the Chengdu Plain

the project emphasizes low-cost construction with exposed wooden structural elements

the building uses skylights and glass connectors to create a bright and open interior

it has become a social hub for both residents and visitors from nearby towns

though temporary, the Pyramid Book House encourages lasting cultural engagement

project info:

name: Pyramid Book House

architect: MAT Office | @matoffice.architects

location: Chengdu, China

area: 78 square meters

completion: 2023

photography: © Arch-Exist | @archexist

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Atelier Alter Architects weaves architecture into nature with the Sunner Museum, a striking landmark located in the verdant foothills of Fujian’s Wuyi Mountains in China. Designed for the Chinese food brand Sunner Group, the museum marks four decades of agricultural innovation, functioning as a knowledge hub and public space. Set within the eco-industrial base of the company in Guangze County, the building mirrors the terrain with three interlocking, curved roof forms that rise from the ground like a continuation of the mountains.

The project draws inspiration from the retaining walls and folded steel plates commonly found on industrial sites, reinterpreting them in concrete folded-plate facades. These vary in function, some grounded and massive, others opening into transparent curtain-walled entrances. Diagonal grooves serve multiple purposes. They add rhythm, enable drainage, and hide ventilation systems.

all images courtesy of Atelier Alter Architects

the sloped roof helps the building maintain its temperature

Through the Sunner Museum, the Chinese team of Atelier Alter Architects reimagines how industrial buildings coexist with their surroundings. Suspended courtyards float beneath the roofscape, while a public path lets visitors ascend to the top, where panoramic views of the factory, forest, and Futun River unfold. At the museum’s heart, four silo-shaped shear walls support a column-free exhibition hall, with a 25-meter-high vertical atrium flooded with soft northern light, ideal for large-scale agricultural exhibits and immersive experiences.

Adapting to Fujian’s hot, humid climate, the sloped roof supports fast water runoff and is covered in thick soil for thermal insulation. Technical equipment is hidden in a service layer beneath, reinforcing the illusion of a natural hill. During the day, the museum showcases modern agriculture; at night, its green roof becomes a public park—free and open to all. 

the Sunner Museum is a striking landmark located in the verdant foothills of Fujian’s Wuyi Mountains in China

the building mirrors the terrain with three interlocking, curved roof forms

the building rises from the ground like a continuation of the mountains

the project draws inspiration from the retaining walls and folded steel plates

concrete folded-plate facades shield the museum

some plates open into transparent curtain-walled entrances

Atelier Alter Architects reimagines how industrial buildings coexist with their surroundings

suspended courtyards float beneath the roofscape

a public path lets visitors ascend to the top

four silo-shaped shear walls support a column-free exhibition hall

the sloped roof supports fast water runoff

at night the green roof becomes a public park

technical equipment is hidden in a service layer beneath

project info:

name: Sunner Museum
architect: Atelier Alter Architects
location: Wuyi Mountains, China

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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At the entrance to an agricultural community in Chengdu, China, the quiet yet monumental Heilongtan Dome Music Hall rises from the semi-slope of the landscape. The project by Studio Dali might not shout for attention, but it sings — softly, openly, and with the calm resolve of a place that was always meant to be there. Wrapped in trees, light, and acoustics, this timber-framed structure, with its sweeping rooftops, evokes the gathering space under a village banyan tree, where stories, music, and memories naturally take root.

Situated in Heilongtan, Renshou County, the Heilongtan Dome Music Hall greets visitors and residents alike at the threshold of the development. Its location — set against a gentle hillside and framed by young trees — blends the domestic with the bucolic, and the designed with the natural. Here, the building doesn’t just announce arrival; it quietly sets the tone, embracing the surrounding lake, the hillside, and the daily rhythms of a semi-rural life.

images © Arch-Exist

A Banyan Tree Reimagined in Architecture

The Heilongtan Dome Music Hall draws conceptual strength from the banyan tree, a familiar icon at the edges of many Chinese villages. Rather than mimic the form literally, the team at Studio Dali abstracts its essence — protection, openness, rootedness — into a semi-outdoor performance space. It’s a pavilion for concerts and classes, yes, but also for casual chats, daydreaming, and solitude. A spiritual anchor to the community, its atmosphere is as important as its program.

At the heart of the project lies a gently inward-sloping wooden dome, designed like an inverted tree canopy. Light filters in through over a dozen skylights, with three tallow trees piercing the roof itself — an architectural moment that marries landscape and structure. This openness to growth, literally and symbolically, allows the music hall to remain in continuous dialogue with its environment.

the Heilongtan Dome Music Hall is located in a rural community in Chengdu, china

Columns That Root and Float

Inside the Heilongtan Dome Music Hall, Studio Dali creates a fluid space defined by a sloping floor that points toward the lake. This topography forms curved steps that alternate between amphitheater seating and quiet alcoves. Whether hosting a string quartet or a lone meditator, the dome adapts — its timber structure shaping not just physical space but also a gentle acoustic field, tuned for both expression and introspection.

Supporting the dome are twenty-four slender steel columns, their polished surfaces catching the light like dew-draped vines. With diameters between 60 and 100 millimeters, they mimic the scale of nearby tree trunks. Some touch down lightly, while others extend directly from the structure to the earth — column bases subtly filled with gravel, encouraging drainage and giving the impression they’ve grown there.

Studio Dali is inspired by village Banyan trees, symbolizing gathering memory and shelter

Technically, the Heilongtan Dome Music Hall achieves a lightness that belies its presence. The steel-wood hybrid dome uses tightly spaced wooden beams intersecting at 60 degrees, their dimensions reduced to preserve an airy feel. Even the insulation system is hidden within the dome’s curvature, eliminating bulk and emphasizing the continuity between architecture and sky.

The Heilongtan Dome Music Hall is a space of constant attunement — to weather, to people, to the shifting balance between performance and pause. Hidden amid woods and water, it doesn’t frame nature as a backdrop, but as a co-author. Skylights adjust the interior’s brightness with the time of day. Openings offer framed glimpses of landscape. Every decision suggests reciprocity.

Though anchored in rural tradition, the project resists nostalgia. It is at once civic and intimate — a concert hall without walls, a living room without limits. It flexes between solo contemplation and collective gathering, not through grand gestures but through patient, careful detailing that prioritizes experience over iconography.

a semi-open wooden dome hosts concerts, performances, classes, and daily community use

three skylights allow trees to grow through the roof

the dome’s interior includes sloping curved steps that double as seating and casual lounging areas

light enters through more than a dozen skylights to creatie a bright, layered interior

twenty-four slim, chrome-plated steel columns support the roof and mimic tree trunks

project info:

name: Heilongtan Dome Music Hall

architect: Studio Dali

location: Chengdu, China

area: 345 square meters
completion: 2024
photography: © Arch-Exist

lead architects: Ye Li

design team: Ye Li, Zeng Xianming, Lan Lan
engineering: LuAnLu Partner Structure Consulting
category: Installations & Structures
clients: China Railway Sichuan Ecological City Investment Co., Ltd.

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Casa BFF, designed by OBR – Open Building Research, is the new headquarters for BFF Banking Group in Milan, Italy. The project integrates public space, urban infrastructure, and architectural form within the broader context of ongoing urban transformation in the northwest area of the city, specifically along Viale Scarampo.

Located on a previously underutilized plot formerly used as a parking area, Casa BFF redefines its surroundings by incorporating a publicly accessible plaza and integrating with its urban context. The design responds to site constraints, including the presence of an underground metro line, by creating a raised structure supported by a 40-meter-high pronaos. This structural solution enables the formation of an open civic space at ground level. The project includes a large rooftop element, the ‘fifth elevation,’ comprising approximately 2,300 sqm of photovoltaic panels. This energy infrastructure contributes to both passive and active environmental performance, producing up to 360 Megawatt-hours annually. The canopy provides solar shading and supports the building’s achievement of LEED Platinum and WELL Gold certifications.

all images by Nicola Colella unless stated otherwise

OBR Merges Modular Office Space with Public Infrastructure

The architectural volume is organized over eleven levels (nine above ground and two below), totaling around 15,000 sqm. The internal layout is based on principles of flexibility and modularity, supporting various configurations, from individual workstations to collective and informal spaces. A continuous emphasis on spatial adaptability addresses changing workplace needs. The design team at OBR Open Building Research developed the structural and envelope systems using DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) principles. The facade features transparent glazing on all sides, with a floor-to-ceiling height of 4.2 m, enabling extensive daylighting. Vertical serigraphed glass fins provide additional solar control.

The design incorporates environmental strategies based on orientation, natural lighting, and renewable energy integration. While commissioned as a private facility, the project includes public components, namely, the open plaza, which are intended to support urban continuity and contribute to the surrounding civic fabric. The integration of accessible space and energy infrastructure positions the building as a functional component within a larger framework of urban regeneration.

Casa BFF sits at the intersection of architecture, infrastructure, and urban regeneration

the rooftop element forms a ‘fifth elevation’ visible from above

a previously underused lot is reimagined as a civic and corporate space

a public plaza is formed beneath the raised volume, open to the city

environmental strategies inform the building’s orientation and massing

interior layouts support a range of functions from work to informal gathering | image by Martina Simonato

eleven levels house approximately 15,000 sqm of adaptable workspace | image by Martina Simonato

renewable energy systems are integrated into the building envelope | image by Martina Simonato

project info:

name: Casa BFF
architects: OBR – Open Building Research | @obr.eu

location: Viale Lodovico Scarampo, 15 – 20148 Milano, Italy

site area: 3,100 sqm

built area: 17,500 sqm

client: BFF Bank S.p.A.

lead architects: OBR Paolo Brescia e Tommaso Principi

OBR design team: Paolo Brescia, Tommaso Principi, Andrea Casetto, Mariagrazia Acconciamessa, Biancamaria Dall’Aglio, Hadrien Delanglade, Luigi Di Marino, Paolo Dolceamore, Federico Iannarone, Giorgia Marigo, Alessandra Roncadori

design manager: Andrea Casetto

structures: Ceas

MEP: Deerns Italia

fire prevention: Gae

cost control: Gad

site surveyor: S.C.E. Project

landscape: AG&P

project manager: Jacobs Italia S.p.A.

contractor: Ediltecno Restauri, Pichler Projects

photographer: Nicola Colella | @nicola_colella, Martina Simonato | @martinasimonato

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Located in Tongzhou, Beijing, House of Cross is a single-story residence designed by chaoffice to accommodate multi-generational living while integrating work and domestic space. In response to local building codes, which restrict eave heights to under three meters, the house adopts a low, horizontally oriented profile that aligns with the surrounding village typology. The structure is configured in a cross-shaped plan, with four wings extending from a central core and terminating in individual rooms designated for different family members and guests. This layout supports both shared and independent functions, balancing spatial proximity and separation.

The plan emphasizes continuity with the surrounding courtyard. To maintain the proportions of the main open space, side wings were consolidated and repositioned away from the perimeter, forming a secondary rear courtyard. The main hall, originally facing north, was shifted southward to create a backyard. These adjustments allow each wing to receive daylight from both sides and establish uninterrupted visual connections across the central courtyard. The architectural massing is characterized by extended gabled rooflines that reach toward the site boundaries. At the structural level, elements recede toward the ridge line, while shear wall cores act as central anchors. This allows the perimeter facades to remain flexible, reducing the number of visible load-bearing elements. The design facilitates a gradual visual transition from interior to courtyard, with sightlines that overlap between spaces and extend across the site.

all images by Yumeng Zhu – Coppak Studio

chaoffice reinterprets courtyard living through a modern lens

The design team at chaoffice decided to lower the eaves to 2.4 meters to moderate interior heat gain by limiting vertical glazing and to create a defined spatial edge. This gesture establishes a sheltered condition along the perimeter, mediating between interior and exterior environments. Internally, the central spine accommodates public functions such as circulation and gathering, while the terminal rooms provide quieter, private areas. The cross-shaped layout enables efficient zoning, and the recessed structural cores and cantilevered roof system allow for open, column-free perimeter zones.

Material choices and construction strategies respond to the rural context, with the outer facades remaining opaque and introverted. The only external-facing elevation belongs to one of the terminal volumes. An entrance sequence transitions from a semi-outdoor area under a sloped roof to an interior defined by stepped brickwork along the site’s natural gradient. Rather than replicating traditional forms, the design addresses climatic adaptability, spatial permeability, and domestic routines. It interprets the courtyard house as a spatial framework responsive to contemporary patterns of living while remaining grounded in its physical and regulatory context.

cross-shaped plan organizes the house into four distinct wings

gabled rooflines extend toward site boundaries, defining the massing

the structure remains low-profile in response to local height regulations

opaque outer facades maintain privacy and respond to rural context

the central core acts as the main circulation and gathering space

recessed structural cores support the cantilevered roof system

the courtyard remains visually open from all interior angles

daylight enters from both sides of each wing for balanced illumination

main hall is shifted south to create a dedicated backyard

perimeter conditions create sheltered zones along interior edges

column-free edges enhance openness between inside and out

interior zoning supports multigenerational living and working

the house reinterprets courtyard living through a contemporary spatial framework

project info:

name: House of Cross
architect: chaoffice | @chaoffice

location: Tongzhou, Beijing, China

area: 334 sqm

lead architects: Cheng Zhi

design team: Shao Jinrui

manufacturers: Dongfanggang Wood Industry, Jingchi, Nvc Lighting

engineering: Gao Xuemei

collaborator: Zhang Youjiang

client: Feng Fenggang

photographer: Yumeng Zhu – Coppak Studio | @Yumeng_Zhu_coppakstudio

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Set to be carved into the olive-dotted hills of Crete, Mykonos Architects designs a home titled N’Arrow to respond directly to the steep topography and slender dimensions of its site. The underground, rammed-earth project is designed to avoid imposition, and instead works with the natural contours of the land, inviting the surrounding environment to shape its form. Olive groves and rolling terrain are not backdrops but rooftops, and but co-authors in the architectural narrative, pushing the residential space toward harmony rather than dominance.

A fifteen-meter setback regulation, typically a limiting factor, sparked the defining concept behind N’Arrow. Mykonos Architects saw not a constraint but a creative opportunity, transforming the elongated form of the plot into a narrow, wedge-like structure that nestles into the hillside. This bold, linear geometry sets the tone for the home’s identity, drawing attention to the power of architectural adaptation when guided by site-specific conditions.

images © Marinkovic Marco

Mykonos Architects composes Layers of Light, Shade, and Space

At the heart of N’Arrow lies a spatial system which the team at Mykonos Architects defines by three solid walls. Two serve as corridors of movement, tracing the staircases that flow across levels, while the third outlines the private zones of the home. These boundaries are not rigid but intentional, shaping how inhabitants circulate through and interact with the residence. The descent from entry to living spaces mirrors a gradual immersion into the landscape, with the external staircase choreographing this transition.

Split across three levels, the home uses vertical layering to offer both intimacy and openness. The first level introduces a shaded outdoor sitting area that acts like a hidden courtyard — part-threshold, part-retreat. Inside, living areas orbit around a central, circular volume that houses auxiliary functions, while a sculptural metal shading device projects outward, framing views of the hills and softening the sunlight. This interplay of exposure and enclosure recurs throughout the home.

setback regulations are transformed into a guiding principle for the home’s linear form

Quiet Interiors Beneath the Earth

On the second level of N’Arrow, Mykonos Architects employs glass partitions to separate sleeping areas, maintaining openness while preserving privacy. A sun shaft pierces through the structure, bringing light and ventilation into the more subterranean spaces. Canopies and slanted walls draw the eyes outward while regulating sun and shade. The deliberate framing of views through these angled elements echoes the sculptural quality of the terrain itself.

The third and uppermost level is conceived as a flexible zone — a space that can shift in function through movable panels. The line between inside and outside blurs here, as the pool and planted sun shaft stretch across the design’s axis, linking the building’s gesture to its context. This continuity reinforces the narrative of a house embedded in the land rather than placed upon it.

circulation and privacy are defined through three strict walls that structure movement and living areas

Materially, N’Arrow is literally grounded in its surroundings through the use of rammed earth. Mykonos Architects chose the material for its low environmental footprint and its resonance with the local geology. By using compacted natural soils, often sourced directly on site, the home minimizes transportation and processing impacts. More than sustainable, the material choice expresses a deeper ethos of belonging.

The thermal mass of rammed earth brings passive cooling and warmth, enhancing comfort without mechanical intervention. Its ability to regulate humidity and temperature is both practical and poetic, contributing to an atmosphere that feels connected to seasonal rhythms. Visually, the warm, earthy tones of the walls reinforce the home’s embeddedness in the terrain, making it appear less like a foreign object and more like a geological evolution.

an external staircase choreographs the descent through the home’s layered spaces

sculptural metal elements and slanted walls frame views and shade interiors

natural light and airflow enters through a central sun shaft and open-air passages

rammed earth reduces the structure’s environmental impact and connects with the terrain

project info:

name: N’Arrow

architect: Mykonos Architects | @mykonosarchitects

location: Heraklion, Crete, Greece
lead architects: Mazelin Aude, Alysandratos Nikolas, Karatzali Xara

gross built area: 280 square meters

completion: expected 2027

visualizations: © Marinkovic Marco

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