An interesting technique: adding visual permeability to a façade not through separate elements, but by changing the way the boards are attached.

This chaotic, deliberate naivety, like a child reaching for a hammer the moment his parents look away, takes courage to pull off.

The boards shade the fully glazed volume of the façade and create a play of light, making the house look appealing from both outside and inside.

When it's +33℃ in Moscow (like right now) and you still have to go to the office, you want it to look like this.

It turns out the workplace solutions made for tropical climates suit us pretty well too.

You have to head into the office, and you want it to look like this.

What's the trick?

First, effective shading from the sun's slanting rays, thanks to projecting boxes of wooden slats across the façade. Second, a move away from rigid structures and toward open-air space for greenery. And third, an abundance of plants that make the façade look interesting not only from the outside but also from the inside.

What does contemporary residential design look like in India?

Rapid urbanization and housing demand, new technologies and folk traditions, climate and culture — all of it has to be weighed and balanced as the country finds its own way after the long dominance of Western influence in architecture.

Here are a few examples of contemporary residential projects that are setting a new tone.

A Dutch house built in 2007.

Even though it's almost 15 years old, it still looks current and fresh.

The lower part of the building is finished in dark brick, giving it a powerful, grounded, rugged look. The top floor, by contrast, is light — wood, with geometric patterns. Especially striking is the band of glass running around the entire perimeter, separating the floors and letting daylight into the house.

On the upper floor, in particular, the light is remarkable.

You'll also notice the corner window and the original shape of the roof.

The first sketch for the new project.

The client likes the modern style and light colors. With that in mind, we suggest finishing the main body of the house in several shades of plaster and adding rustication on the bay window for decoration. We would keep the plinth fairly narrow, in graphite-colored stone, and combine it with vertical groupings of planken inserts in places.

A home in Latvia, in the small fishing town of Pavilosta.

In keeping with the region's traditional house-building, the home has a triangular shape, wood cladding and a roof finished in wooden shingles as well.

One of the local rules in Pavilosta is to maintain a house's signature gray color, which is why we chose Siberian larch, a wood that takes on a refined gray tone over time.

Architects: Open AD.

One of our latest projects.

A contemporary house with clean planken and brick tile finishes. The combination looks so good and is so widely used that it could be considered a well-established classic. The wide balcony band and stoneware plinth reinforce the building's horizontal lines, while the intricate lighting system, with its different scenarios, accentuates the geometric volume.

A house with a clear Japanese aesthetic influence on the island of Java, by y0 Design Architect.

The main feature of the chosen site — direct sunlight from the west, which is a challenge at an average temperature of 22–29°C.

The team chose a simple geometric form for the house, but with an abundance of detail. Concrete — the main building material — is used for both the foundation and the walls. Wood, tile, and steel are used for the finishes. To cut down the heat on the west side, the walls are broken up with voids and architectural details. Plenty of openings are also used for maximum ventilation and natural light.

The Manhwaricano house in South Korea by Rieuldorang Atelier.

A house-manifesto that proclaims a new normality. The classic roofline is hidden inside a cubic volume. The through-passage — the central element of the design — is the result of evolving the idea of the «patio». Almost all of the windows face inward rather than outward, conveying a message of turning inward and reflecting.

How do you build a new commercial building while keeping the character of the old city?

This project highlights the preserved historic facade, in keeping with the style and scale of the surrounding buildings. The new structure tries to stay out of the spotlight: the architecture is functional, and the fiber-cement cladding is Swisspearl Largo in soft colors. It's deliberately understated so that the facade preserved in front of it stands out and keeps the traditional character of the street.

The Blumenthal Building office complex in São Paulo, Brazil. Architects: Kruchin Arquitetura.

A nominee in the «Office Buildings» and «Renovation» categories at ArchDaily’s 2021 Building of the Year Awards.