This former church in Haarlo, the Netherlands has been transformed into a unique loft. The starting point for the design were the retained (mostly with a need for restoration) qualities of the 1928 dating monument; the façade, the bell tower with clock, the volume, the iconic location on the outskirts of the village and nice details like the wooden roof construction, the old panel doors and arch windows with leaded glass.

This project demonstrates that a transformation of a church with limited resources is possible, when using a smart design and an efficient plan. The concept was; strip, isolate and furnish. The execution represents the motto of the owners: “Cherish your inner child; remain pure, playing, exploring and a little bit naughty!”

It was a conscious choice, not to fill the volume of 1100 m3 completely with as many rooms as possible, but to minimize the demands, in order to retain the spaciousness of the building. The only architectural additions are the mezzanine for the relaxation room (couch, bed and bath) and the multifunctional “stairway to have fun” (stairs, room divider, closet, kitchen, acoustic element and exhibition wall).

The used materials are pure, sober, functional and budgetary; concrete on the floor, the original wooden floorboards from the church as cladding for the “stairway to have fun”, stainless steel kitchen elements, a hard glass partition to retain openness, white stucco for making the space light inside and strategically chosen red accents.

This project shows great passion, humor, respect, love and creativity. This is being reflected in the, specially for this project realized, elements like the swing “swinging sister”, the “KROONluchter” (inspired by the original organ), the “gate of heaven” flanked by a wall of guardian angels, the “stairway to have fun”, the “holy shit” on the toilet, birdhouses with lamp for strange birds that have seen the light and the wooden “lost sheep” in the garden.

The modern garden has large plastered planters, made by left-over-bricks. There is a herb garden, a vegetable garden, a flower garden and an orchard; a contemporary nod to the old monastery gardens. The outside shed with a porch is a 40ft container, integrated into the wooden fence and equipped with a green roof. By deepening the garden, a private garden is created yet still a view at the church is remained intact.

This project by LKSVDD Architects is an exemplary example of architectural transformation and sustainable conservation of religious heritage.

The interior designer, Shirry Dolgin and the builder Boaz Siton managed to transform an old auto body shop into a live/work space. The idea was to create a space where they could feel relaxed when they were working and have a place of their own where they could rest after a long working day. Their jobs allowed them to do all the necessary changes, bring the pieces they needed and use their own style. The new space appeared to be dominated by a contemporary industrial style which offered them the perfect ambiance for a place which they could also use as a working area.

Thus they tried to combine the idea of home and work and all their pieces could have multiple uses. For example the dinner table could be used as a conference table and many other items had the same double use in their house. As their work was really important little space was left for the bathroom, bedroom or kitchen. They even built a wood slat divider to separate the areas of this huge space where many large scale pieces were introduced to fill it.

This project in Montreal by Jean-Maxime Labrecque certainly has a few unique twists, but what sets it apart from similar interiors is, in part, the fact that most photos show someone actually occupying the spaces.

In some cases, this shows off neat functionality, like a sleek metal surfacing concealing a huge and useful walk-in close, or what it might be like to sit at this table or lean on that counter.

In others, it perhaps reveals more than the architect wished to share – how uncomfortable those benches might be, or the comfortable nature vs. awkwardness of bending over to get something out of certain cabinets.

The attention to detail on this triplex penthouse is unusual, thanks to a successful collaboration with a client interested in unique solutions without compromise. This meant traveling with architect Wayne Turrett to a remote quarry in the Swiss alps to handpick the stone for the double-height wall around the 15-foot-wide fireplace. It meant creating a seamless walk-in soaking tub within an all glass room, made alternately opaque for privacy or perfectly clear at the flip of a switch. And it meant a soaring, meandering triple-height stair with laser-cut steel supports and translucent resin treads, cantilevering in places like stiff diving boards and bridging at higher levels, casting warm, orange-tinted shadows through the halls.

This penthouse is breathtaking, really beautiful and elegant. The wide spaces, bright colors, stone and wood combinations are amazing and create a modern and cozy place.

Here is a description from the architects: The design takes advantage from the difference between the street level and the lower level of the plot, by positioning the living room in this lower level which ensures the required privacy and maintains the view of the distant landscape through the void. This simple home adopts simple constructive solutions, reducing the actions required for its achievement. The structure of the volume is resumed to masonry walls and reinforced concrete. Installations are apparent and performed without interference. After that the finishes are simple: monolithic concrete flooring and white Portuguese Stone. The walls without finishes are ready as it built. A single exception: the wall with books, finished with time and history. We find this home truly spectacular and educational from all points of view. But we just have to wonder how long it would take to clean it up from top to bottom.