designboom 2012 top ten: residential structures

few spaces can be more personal than those in which we live and in most cases experience the important daily events that define a large part of our lives.residences should not only be comfortable functional, but they are ideally also extensions of the owner’s own character. as a reflection of self, residencesdiffer greatly in material, privacy and spatial organization depending on their region and client. the following ten dwellings exhibit a mastery in all of the intimate aspects of architectural design, creating unique structures that magnify all the qualities of the site and the owner.

1. ‘house on the cliff’ by fran silvestre arquitectos

overlooking the mediterranean sea, the ‘house on the cliff’ is positioned upon an abrupt plot of land in calpe, alicante, spain. designed by valencia-based fran silvestre arquitectos, the living spaces of the residence are spread over four floors to minimize adjustments to the topography.

‘house on the cliff’ by fran silvestre arquitectos, calpe, alicante, spain

2. ‘drew house’ by simon laws

‘drew house’ by australian firm simon laws anthill construction is a single family dwelling within a town just south of gladstone, along the eastern queensland coast near the great barrier reef. two pavilions containing the living, bathing and sleeping areas create a luxury camping atmosphere.

‘drew house’ by simon laws, gladstone, queensland, australia

3. ‘houseboat on the eilbek canal’ by sprenger von der lippe

the floating residence situated between two bridges along a waterway in hamburg, with the moorings positioned significantly lower than street level and the sloped banks lined with natural vegetation, this dwelling offers an introverted experience for inhabitants within the quiet and secluded area.

‘houseboat on the eilbek canal’ by sprenger von der lippe, hamburg, germany

4. ‘a21 house’ by a21 studio

recently shortlisted for the house category for the 2012 world architecture festival, the ‘a21house’ designed by vietnamese practice a21studĩo is a residence and office located ten minutes from the center of hochiminh city, vietnam. positioned upon a small 40-square meter plot, the polygonal shape only offers a 1.5 meter wide street frontage.

‘a21house’ by a21studĩo, hochiminh city, vietnam

5. ‘the edge summer house’ by react architects

the building consists of two dwellings with guest areas that overlook the sea and neighboring island of antiparos. situated on the highest point of the lot, terraced courtyards and wide stairs lead to the plateau landings with roof top gardens which extend into the indoor and outdoor spaces.

‘the edge summer house’ by react architects, paros cyclades, greece

6. ‘V4 house’ by studio mk27

the one-storey sub-grade dwelling stretches to the extremities of the site benefiting from the interior program as much as the exterior garden. along one axis, a wooden box enveloped in perforated timber panels contains the private bedrooms shaded from direct light and therefore more easily acclimated.

‘V4 house’ by studio mk27, sao paulo, brazil

7. ‘estate in extremadura’ by abaton

transformed from an abandoned stable, the contemporary intervention is respectful of the environment just the structure was in its original state. the orientation of the building exposes an elongated southern facade to the sloping terrain and valley, introducing daylight throughout the entire day.

‘estate in extremadura’ by abaton, extremadura, caceres, spain

8. ‘summer house in southern burgenland’ by judith benzer architektur

surfaced with untreated larch planks, the external faces of this dwelling may be closed during winter months becoming an unobtrusive silhouette in the landscape. typical of the region, the volume’s exterior appearance is derived from the ‘kellerstöckel’ or ‘wine house’.

‘summer house in southern burgenland’ by judith benzer architektur, oberbergen, austria

9. ‘150 m weekend home’ by shinichi ogawa & associates

a linear structure fronted with a glass facade overlooks the nearby forest, offering panoramic views of the landscape. a single lineup of rooms begins with an entry gate at the eastern end, welcoming inhabitants with a waterfall.

‘150m weekend house’ by shinichi ogawa & associates, thailand

10. ‘four eyes house’ by edward ogosta architecture

californian practice edward ogosta architecture has designed ‘four eyes house’, a weekend residence within the desert of the coachella valley, outside of los angeles, california. derived from the specific site location, four towers dedicated for sleeping are oriented towards spatio-temporal experiences including the morning sunrise in the east, southern mountain range, evening city lights to the west and the celestial sky overhead.

‘four eyes house’, edward ogosta architecture, coachella valley, california