Architect designed and built- this steel structure is tucked into a group of mature hardwood trees. High ceilings and big, clean spaces with tons of natural light.

Modern, radical, custom built lofts- way up in the trees-tall ceilings and big open floor plans make it a huge hotel room or as event space for small gatherings, meetings, retreats.

Clean, bright and beautiful, this building is made of steel, wood, glass and plaster- with no unhealthy adhesives or off gassing materials- for healthier air quality and to prevent mold growth.

Large windows, and giant doors open out onto a 200sq-foot deck surrounded by treetops. The huge balcony off the kitchen has two grilles- gas and charcoal- built into the guardrail.

The stainless kitchen is minimal- a gas cook top, a small oven, a small sink and a mini-fridge and toaster.

Do you like it? You can rent it at Airbnb, where I’ve found it.

The loft apartment is located in Vilnius, Lithuania in a former radio factory that has been abandoned for several years. The space was transformed and repurposed. It was an ambitious project by Dmitriy Kudin. Given the original structure of the building, the space dictated an open plan. While transforming the factory, its original structures were also exposed. Most of the main elements were preserved as a testimony of the past but the smaller details and everything else had to be reorganized and redesigned.

The loft has a contemporary design. The remains of the factory also give it an industrial touch. The rooms have high ceilings and there’s a sense of openness everywhere you look. The living areas are large, open spaces. The furniture is minimalist and the décor is simple and casual. What’s surprising is that the apartment feels cozy despite the fact that it’s inside an old, abandoned factory. It’s amazing what a few changes can accomplish.

Just a few steps from the historic center of Turin, near the river Dora, in a former industrial area, there is an old factory that produced CEAT tires in the last century. This Italian loft is characterized by large bright spaces that interact continuously on both views of, on the one hand and the other on the way to the communal garden through the large terrace which is accessed by large windows placed over the entire development of the living area and the master bedroom.

As you enter you are attracted by the green of the terrace that looks like an oasis of relaxation with 12 olive trees. The entrance introduces at once to a large relational space divided into three areas with a double opening that connects to the kitchen.

The entire project is played on contrasts: past / present, inside / outside, hard / soft, light / dark, natural / artificial.

Resins with a rough surface are opposed to the wood in a dialogue between texture and color. In contrast to the light the choice of colors of the dense interior materials and fixtures, custom-designed. The covers of some of the walls in black metal oxidation controlled turn into hard lines of furniture, desk and bookcases.

 

The conservation of the structure of the pillars and ceiling beams and exposed concrete structure of the building is the memory of the past. The wood chosen for some of the floors are cut and laid on design and appear as soft tissue.

Access to the sleeping area is through an enamel red corridor characterized by the irregular shape of the ceiling from which emerge assemblages recovered from ex neon signs. The sleeping area incorporates warm colors and dense in the rooms and bathrooms that as the entire apartment collect vintage items, art and contemporary design.

The terrace has three areas well divided and dedicated to the various guest activities such as conversation, dining and fitness with the addition, for the latter, a gym in a modern greenhouse made on commission, which also includes a Jacuzzi under the open sky.

  

This renovation looks amazing. The neutral palette, the wood and the bricks create a beautiful and modern place, definitely a great place to live.

The house has had a series of renovations over the past century; the original Edwardian home was converted into apartments in the 1930s and then a substantial family home in the 1980’s. The brief was to restore the Art Deco facade, retain the existing footprint and add a third level.

The house is located directly opposite the beach in Middle Park and is constantly filled with beautiful light. Morning sun strikes the garden aspect, and at the end of the day the sun sets across the bay.

The planning has been carefully considered to create a series of distinct rooms, rather than an open plan. Joinery is placed to create spaces, but still allow views to flow from room to room and then to the horizon.

Materials have been selected to provide understated tones within a neutral palette. The neutral colour palette supports the play of light at different times of day. The overall feeling is extremely soft and one feels visually and emotionally connected at all times to the expansive sea, sky and garden views. At the same time the house has a feeling of intimacy & warmth, perfect for family living.

The client’s original intention was to demolish the existing house and build a completely new structure. After living in the house for a year, the architects thought the existing building worked well with the views and light and had a distinct ‘personality’. In short, it would be a shame to demolish a house which had stood for 100 years.

Trades that existed 100 years ago, don’t exist anymore, or are considered too expensive. The architects therefore chose to restore the existing building and protect the craftsmanship of the Art Deco period.  So, the most substantial decision regarding sustainability was to work with the existing fabric of the house.

Once this decision was made, materials and servicing were all designed around principles of sustainability, including a smart managed hydronic heating system, double glazed windows, and positively shaded windows with curtains and screens.

The building uses only natural materials such as stone, and stained (not painted) timber, windows are either steel or timber, and not aluminium. Additional ESD attributes include solar hot water booted system, solar pool heating and rainwater harvesting for drip feed garden irrigation systems.

 Photographs  © Derek Swalwell

Designed by Kokai Studios, the penthouse apartment occupying the 48th and 49th floors of a high-rise building displays a splendid residential structure spreading over 616 square meters. A planted tree thrones in the middle of this high interior space, creating a dreamy connection between the outdoors and the light-flooded residential space. The design of these dynamic interiors were possible after tearing down walls and reorganizing the space. Created from two separate apartments, this dream space combines public and private functions in a glamorous suite of spaces culminating with an outdoor terrace pierced by a swimming pool.

Following its construction in 1885, the Mowbraytown Presbyterian Church became a focus point for the East Brisbane community, and a key feature of the streetscape. The church interior, including timber joinery, leadlight windows, the organ, memorial boards and inscriptions reflect the aesthetic values of the congregation and the community at the time, and today form a unique and cohesive image of the era.

The client was drawn to the historical significance of the building, and the brief was to provide an office environment that was functional and contemporary, yet respectful to the existing structure. The client was drawn by the opportunity for adaptive re-use within the city fringe suburb, simultaneously preserving the cultural value of the existing structure, while also making it relevant and meaningful to the community today.

Throughout the re-development, the majority of the existing structure was left untouched so as to preserve the significance of the building within the streetscape. External finishes and applied cladding that were added to the structure following its initial construction were stripped back to expose the original 1885 weatherboard. The dominance of the bell tower to the streetscape was revived by restoring it to its original colour.

The internal redesign of the space was governed by the preservation of the original structure, while also sustaining the requirements of a working office. The church nave was repurposed as an open plan office, featuring the original intricate timber work and stained glass fittings. A steel and glass mezzanine structure was constructed, which both emphasizes and utilizes the volume of open space within the church. Half height glass walls draw attention to the original timber structure within this space, which houses a new boardroom and individual offices.

The organ was a key component of the building during its time as a working church so the instrument has been left untouched and now sits centrally as a feature of the office space. In addition, the roof trusses form a significant part of the original church both aesthetically and functionally. The use of internal up-lighting and individual task lights left the ceiling space untouched, and allows the trusses to remain a focus within the structure.

The tower has now been restored and turned into a residence. It sits in a very beautiful area, overlooking Siddington Village. The tower blends beautifully into the surroundings, especially since it also got an underground extension. The extension is currently used as a main living area and is connected to the central open sunken courtyard and a lateral ‘landscape scoop†concealing the new swimming pool and associated sun terraces.

The tower is definitely a very impressive and dominant structure. It has been turned into an unconventional but beautiful family house that features four lovely bedrooms. It also got a new roof terrace that provides panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. A detached building has also been included on the site and it serves as a guest studio.

Itâ€s situated adjacent to the entrance to the site and it also includes the garage. Even though itâ€s unusual, the Round Tower is a lovely family home. Itâ€s basically not that different from regular homes except that the circulation is vertical and not horizontal and it might take a little more effort to get to the bedroom than usually.

The client’s lifestyle is utilitarian, blending professional, technology-based investigations with domestic functions. The design draws heavily on the client’s desire for a space exuding a practical, modern simplicity, and was influenced by his aesthetic sensitivities and emphasis on the adaptability, prefabrication and modularity of the project components. Functional insertions into the existing concrete shell created an efficient, adaptable “armature” for his evolving needs and lifestyle. In this respect, the space is a residential laboratory.

The one-bedroom, two-floor warehouse is located in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and encompasses a large, airy open-plan living area, an overlooking kitchen located on the mezzanine storey and an uniformly-white Corian-lined bathroom. Interestingly, the existing structure of the house has been repainted white while the new elements have been developed in black creating this monochrome, undeniably modern interior.

This project is the conversion of a late 19th century former grocery warehouse into a 2 level, one bedroom residence. In the mid 20th century it had 35 years of use as an engineering workshop before being converted to an artistâ€s studio and residence in the 1970s.

Internally a 1.7 metre height difference between the 2 streets is utilised to create the tall volume of the living space, with its†floor to ceiling wall of books. The kitchen occupies the half level above, overlooking the living area and is screened by a black steel plate structure incorporating a built-in black leather bench seat.

All existing structure has been retained, lined and painted white, while all new elements are painted black. This concept is carried through to the black and white rubber flooring. All joinery is finished in black anodised aluminium, including the bathroom on the upper level, which maintains the datum established by the height of the original window openings.

The clear glazing above allows light from the new clerestory window to illuminate the formerly dark centre of the deep open planned space. Internally the bathroom is lined with Corian on both walls and floor.

The property has 2 street frontages, allowing clear separation of pedestrian and vehicle entries. The new front door is located in the former loading dock at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, adjacent to a heritage listed sandstone wall. The entry is defined by a full height steel plate portal, adding to the palimpsest of former window openings and recycled brickwork that make up this façade.

The main street façade reinterprets the original but in steel rather than timber, with the address spelt out in water jet cut steel letters reflecting the original engineering workshop signage. The contrast between the precision of the steelwork and the patina of the original brickwork summarises the transformation from 19th to 21st centuries and from industrial to residential.

Strelein Warehouse by Ian Moore Architects; photo by Iain D. MacKenzie

And let’s talk about color here : look at this sumptuous palette used throughout the loft. So subtle, yet deep and strong and delicate all at once. Now that’s what I call a color statement. This loft is full of personality.