Sensationally designed home in Singapore

The Sun House was designed by Guz Architects and is a beautiful green home located in Singapore. According to the architects, the residence “is a relatively compact house for Singapore on a roadside corner plot in an established bungalow area. We endeavored to make the most of the site by pushing the main ‘L’ shape of the building to the rear. This then created an open courtyard which was private but with still a feeling of openness on the relatively densely constructed site, thus still allowing for good views and airflow. We used the ponds and pool as cooling elements for the building as well as visual focal points. Volumes and space were maximized as much as possible by sharing the open staircase and double height living space with the courtyard area. At the end of the day the house was also designed around the owner, who had a lovely collection of artwork and sculptures and this inspired the creation of a large solid wall with niches which housed his artworks as well as giving the building an anchor on which to expand other spaces.” Via

Visit the website of Guz Architects here.

Enchanting zen villa in St. Barts

La Maison Jade is the culmination of several years of design and construction by the owners, blending a Zen sensibility with modern luxury and natural materials. Set discreetly into the hillside above beautiful Marigot Beach and Bay in St. Barts, Caribbean. This five bedroom villa (plus an extra kid’s room interconnecting to one of the bedrooms and an additional staff room) and 8.5 bathrooms (7 ensuite) takes maximum advantage of the privileged, private setting.

A small wooden bridge straddles a pond of water lilies and reeds where koi carp peacefully swim. This is bordered on one side by a wall of pebbles with cascading water – a memorable entrance into a unique and memorable villa. From the entrance, enter the large living room through a spectacular round glass door containing fuchsia pink orchids within, giving an amazing visual effect at dusk when they are lit up. Behind this door, two 17th century samurai soldiers guard the living area where 14 black, fringed Moooi lamps hang at varying heights.

The unique TV stand, the only of its kind in the world, was specially commissioned for the residence – as in fact were most of the other decorative furniture in this residence. Above a carpet of black pebbles, an enormous bed made from open slats of wenge wood has the pride of the master bedroom. The Hermes orange headboard was meticulously created by the famous Alexandre Marueil in Bordeaux.

Three superb cottages, each decorated with a specific theme of Asian culture, await guests. The icing on the cake is the enchanting view from the terrace and mirror-like pool that plunges into the Bay of Marigot in the direction of Turtle Island. A Jacuzzi interrupts the uniformity of the immense deck, where huge jars in shades of grey and black add to the grandeur of the surroundings. This villa is as exceptional as it is luxurious – truly unforgettable!

An incredible sultry beach house sanctuary

This incredible home was designed by Kontrast Arquitectura for a couple from Los Angeles who love the beach and natural beauty of Huatulco, Mexico. He lives to surf and she has a passion for architecture. The 2,930 square foot house boasts a superior location on the beach directly in front of a surf break, with a spectacular view of the beach, rocks, and nearby river mouth. The home’s open spaces create the frame for the magnificent setting and allow the ocean breezes to keep it cool during the tropical days in Huatulco. The challenge was to design a house that allowed views of the ocean from all the main spaces on a site only 39 feet wide. The first decision was to raise the house above the level of the beach to create privacy and safety from the ocean, but still have easy access to the beach. This was accomplished by adding a stairway alongside the pool. The house is built on a flag lot, thus the main entrance leads you down the driveway to a oversized, hand tooled solid wood door, that opens effortlessly on its pivot hinge into a new world of long wide stairs flanked by lush tropical plants leading to a reflecting pond complete with water fall and planked bridge for your final approach into the house. This passage brings you to a place that shakes your senses and promotes a strong connection with nature. You are captured by a desire to relax and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere.

Modernist swimming pool house

New York-based Hariri & Hariri Architecture has designed a 1,200 square foot pool house which rests upon the 3.5 acre property of a suburban Connecticut residence. The design of the pool house serves as a contrast to the traditional architecture of the existing home. The dominate extended ceiling provides shelter for those lounging around the pool, enjoying the water, or sitting on the patio.

Designed as “a minimalist sculpture in the landscape,” the pool house is characterized by its long angular archway of wood which spans the length of the pool and then bends to provide cover for an outdoor seating area. The frame is made of Brazilian Walnut and makes “the place warm, nautical and sculptural at the same time.” Via

The wood floors extend past the interior of the home to create a hovering deck above the pool allowing users to lounge right above the surface of the water.

Inside, the pool house contains a living/entertainment room, kitchen and bar area, and a simple bathroom. Glass sliding panels enclose the structure allowing it to be transparent and light. By opening the interior spaces, the areas do not detract from the wrapped wooden component.

Immense beauty lies within the canopy jungle

Triangulo House [Spanish for Triangle], is a 5,920 square feet geometrical home located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Designed by Ecostudio Architects, the home has been conceptualized by merging indoors and outdoors, generating spaces that completely open to the outside allowing a perceptual feeling of being immersed in the tropical canopy.

The architecture has been designed in a way where few walls exist to keep the spaces throughout the home light and airy. The staircase is a main focal point to the home and has been designed as a sculptural element. The use of color materials and textures is subject to creating integration and a contrast with the environment at the same time. This ranges from the tonality chosen for the windows to the volumetric language conceptualization and its corresponding characteristics. Via

Attention is drawn towards the sea that merges with the swimming pool and its endless edge. The upper level further explores the relationship with the panoramic view of the ocean, framed by hidden evidence that show the project’s constructive lightness. Besides, the dry gardens over flagstones and the upper sun deck stand out as an extension and complement to the interior in order to make a better use of the visuals.

The home has been designed with sustainability in mind. To be energy efficient, solar panels have been implemented for water heating, wide monitors for temperature control that crown spaces with more use, such as the kitchen and the master suite, and they allow extraction of hot air providing cross natural air flow, thus minimizing the use of air conditioning. The windows have large sliding panes from floor to ceiling to allow for maximum opening. Generous overhangs have been used to reduce sunlight exposure and work as protection of heavy and constant rains typical of the place.

Photos: Anny Leiva

Zen house features striking lake views

This beautiful contemporary house located in Commerce, Michigan, has an amazing zen feeling right as you step inside the front door and bare witness to the amazing custom water feature with rocks and tall grasses. With its clean lines and use of neutral materials and bold pops of color, the home feels very tranquil. Featuring multiple roll up doors, the house has unencumbered views of the surrounding Union Lake. Designed by AZD Associates, this 5,100 square-foot house also boasts a green roof, fire pole, glass floors, enclosed screen porch, outdoor guest house and custom amenities around every corner. There is also a third floor office space for the homeowner to work from home, which features large glass windows lending way to incredible views of the lake for inspiration.    

This powder rooms features a custom made bath with waterfall faucet, concrete sink basin and great looking industrial hardware and foot pedal controls.

 

Beautiful architectural zen gardens

Eckersley Garden Architecture from Australia creates beautiful low-maintenance gardens using drought-tolerant plants. While low-maintenance and drought tolerant is the ecological way to go, it also means you worry a lot less about your yard. Plants keep their natural foliage and require infrequent or no trimming, leaves that fall add to the natural vibe instead of needing to be cleaned up, and less water consumption means a smaller water bill, which means less pressure on your budget. This romantically inspired garden expands around a large Victorian style home. The garden plan was designed to be in sections according to activities, such as recreation, entertainment and passive reflection. Each of the garden rooms is joined together by pathways and arbors to allow for wayfinding throughout the spaces. The plants have been carefully planned out according to seasons mixing annuals, perennials and biennials so there is always something blooming.