Wood is a natural building material that has been used for centuries in construction. It is a strong and durable material that is widely available and relatively inexpensive, making it an attractive choice for many types of construction projects.
Wood is often used as a structural element, such as for framing the walls and roof of a building, or as support beams and columns. Wood is also used as a finish material, such as for flooring, walls, and ceilings.
One of the key benefits of wood as a construction material is its versatility. It can be used in a wide range of applications and can be easily shaped and molded to fit the needs of a specific project. Wood is also relatively lightweight, which makes it easier to handle and transport during the construction process.
In addition to its functional properties, wood is also valued for its aesthetic appeal. It can add warmth and natural beauty to a building, and can be used to create a range of different looks and styles.
Wood is a popular and widely used construction material that has a number of modern applications in the construction industry such as framing, mass timber or cladding.
Burke house
the staircase
The stairs take on prominence by visually connecting the interior spaces and establishing the formal language of the building’s exterior. This promenade is a contrast between the warm interior and the lushness of the Irish landscape that can be contemplated along the way.
Burke house
the courtyard
The inner courtyard articulates the space planning of the house while infusing perfectly with the countryside surrounding the property. It provides intimacy to the bedroom, abundant natural light to the living room and depth to the staircase.
Allison house
the back garden
The rear elevation of the house is designed with restrained and contemporary language. The sophisticated façade of wooden slats blends with the traditional brick walls. The simple, functional landscaping of the back garden together with the white wooden fences bring even light into the interior.
Xu Beihong foundation
the top terrace
The upper part of the building leads to the terrace, a space where the tour of the exhibition rooms ends, where visitors can enjoy the natural surroundings where the museum is located.
Pedraza house
the porch
The cantilevered canopy that covers the porch of the house frames the view of the landscape. The living room becomes a glass enclosure, which opens a corner to see the horizon.
physical models
Physical models are copies to scale of structures or buildings ‒ with the aim to study design features, analyse a building or space within its context, and convey conceptual ideas.
wavescape pavilion
the interior view
The interior of the pavilion has a large central column supporting the fungiform roof. Around the circular hall, there is a raised walkway that connects the different pavilions and allows a view of the sea through the façade.
Pedraza house
the dinning area
The dining area is linked to the open kitchen and the comfortable lounge area. The courtyard and the presence of the landscape flood the generous space, creating a visual connection with nature.
Ashley Gardens
the open kitchen
The kitchen opens onto the living room thanks to a large opening with structural reinforcement in the load-bearing wall. The kitchen units combine dark wood, marble worktop and matt white lacquered doors.
connecting riads
the riad facade
The massing of the building is a balance of filled and empty spaces. The large openings are balanced with the rotundity of the hanging balconies, cantilevering over the inner courtyard.
finishes specification
Finishes specification involves detailing a list of all the materials in the final parts of the project. The file contains commercial products available in the market following technical, functional, aesthetic, and economic criteria ‒ price and maintenance costs.
performing arts complex
the birdview
The bird’s eye view of the performing arts complex shows the radial layout of the master plan, with buildings covered with undulating roofs around the marina.
next stop: hutopolis
the detail of the exhibition desk
The long tables are high and allow you to comfortably read the information contained in the catalogues for each project. The ‘city visions’ edition of the exhibition was sponsored by Flos, which supplied the D’E-light lamps designed by Philippe Starck.
hospital in the forest
the main elevation
From the main road, the building looks like a floating volume above a podium. The exposed basement provides access to the emergency room while the main lobby can be seen through the transparency of the ground floor.
connecting riads
the boulevard view
From the broad boulevard, the building presents a resounding and iconic image. The silhouette is reminiscent of the archetype of the gabled-roofed house, providing an exciting play of scales.
Dehan village
the dining room
The dining room on the first floor is a generous space that is linked to the service area and kitchen located behind the stairwell. The different levels seem to float in the space, an effect reinforced by the glass railings protecting them.
Burke house
the main facade
The building facade conveys in a simple and elegant gesture the interior layout and the control of natural light, privacy and views. The concrete slabs create a continuous enclosure carefully protected by the glass and the wooden slats.
Pedraza house
the kitchen
The kitchen is a generous space full of light. The continuity of the polished concrete pavement, the large windows and the distribution around an island make this room blend with the surrounding landscape.
Shoreditch hotel
the hotel room
The hotel is designed for young people looking for an urban experience. The industrial-style interior design combines concrete, metal and wood to create a minimalist and functional atmosphere.
Dehan village
the living room
The living room has a large window to enjoy the views of the landscape. This double-height space is connected to the dining room through a spiral staircase and also has access to the guest room on the ground floor.
Ashley Gardens
the reception room
The living/dining room enjoys views of the street, and has access to the balcony. The herringbone wooden flooring contrasts with the white walls and ceilings and the neutral colours of the furniture.
Bolaños house
the kitchen
The kitchen is separate from the living room and is open to the garden. The modular furniture is minimalist and made of dark natural wood and white lacquered doors.
folded auditorium
the view from the stage
From the stage, you can see the configuration of the acoustic ceiling, formed by curved surfaces mounted on top of each other, like the shell of an armadillo. The stage lighting is placed between the suspended planes of the ceiling, while the hall receives light from the small recessed spotlights that resemble a starry sky.
Burke house
the north elevation
The master bedroom of the house opens to the north with a large opening of sliding doors. The vertical rotating wooden slats function as a shutter, controlling the lighting and privacy of the space.
Allison house
the kitchen peninsula
The white Silestone kitchen worktop creates a generous peninsula in front of the window. This high table surrounded by ‘tractor stools’ is a perfect dining and breakfast corner.
W salon
the detail of the backlit mirror
The backlit mirror is mounted on a white wall recess niche lined with birch wood, which creates a warm light and a natural look.
Burke house
the living room
The living room is the heart of the house and visually articulates all the spaces. The double-height offers a generous amplitude that extends to the staircase leading up to the office on the upper floor.
acoustical design in auditoriums
The high sonic quality of the classical amphitheatres provided the basic acoustic principles of contemporary auditoriums. As technology improves, certain acoustic design principles are augmented. For example, the geometry of the stepped stalls can now be retracted and lifted using air castor technology.
Burke house
the kitchen
The existing kitchen is refurbished and expanded to form part of the living room. A central island articulates the space, which includes a work area, a bar and a dining table.
Ivy foundation
the entrance
The entrance has a waiting room that connects to the workshop area. The interior design is bright and combines translucent glass partitions with simple coloured furniture.
folded auditorium
the auditorium acoustic ceiling
The overlapping wooden strips that wrap around the ceiling create a dynamic and contemporary image of the auditorium’s interior. The texture of the curved wood together with the random arrangement of the ceiling lights creates a warm atmosphere with excellent acoustic conditions.
next stop: hutopolis
the table and screen module
The spatial planning of the exhibition space allows several groups of people to enjoy the content simultaneously in a calm and evocative atmosphere. Each table is associated with a screen on which a documentary is projected to expand on the information shown in the books and rotating panels.
Pedraza house
the inner courtyard
From the entrance of the house, and through the inner courtyard, you can perceive the spaciousness of the living room, whose profusely illuminated double-height space gives a pleasant sensation of spaciousness and comfort.
fragmented house
the dressing room
On the first floor of the house is the master bedroom, a large space with bathroom, solarium and dressing room overlooking the front garden.
K house
the living room
The living room, located at a slightly lower level than the rest of the ground floor, defines a functional, welcoming and relaxed space with large, custom-made sofas. The large windows capture the light of the sunset and make the outside garden part of this lounge area.
Dulwich house
the bench
The rough texture of the old brick party wall of the house becomes a distinctive element enhanced by the zenithal light from the skylight. Along this wall, there is a wooden seat, it’s an informal piece of furniture that serves as a sofa, bookshelf and tv bench.
Pedraza house
the cantilever
The house is an open viewpoint that captures and forms part of the landscape. With a simple gesture, the flat green roof is extended to form a cantilevered porch. The simple materials are combined with pure lines and the transparency of the large windows.
K house
the slatted wooden facade
The wooden slatted façade of the upper floor, topped by the line of the flat roof slab, cuts out the lush vegetation at the back.
the illusion of weightless architecture
High-tech advancements in structural engineering give birth to the reality of intricate architectural designs. Building typologies now exceed what was once compromised because of traditional methods. The advent of Information Age will continuously break ground for the optimisation of structural systems. As innovations surge, the potential for growth in the industry provides more opportunities.
wrap manifesto
the entrance lobby
The main entrance hall is a generous, well-lit double-height space with a large reception desk and serves as a foyer for the multifunctional conference room.
Pedraza house
the lounge area
The living room is the heart of the house. The double-height space vertebrates the areas of daily use and connects it with the outdoor landscape. The kitchen is separated by recessed sliding glass doors that open up space, so the living is linked to the bar located there.
next stop: hutopolis
the desk with rotating panels
The exhibition tables have rotating panels that allow the public to interact with the content and discover information and images of the projects. The subtle lighting of the space, which focuses attention on the content rather than the continent, creates a mysterious and evocative atmosphere.
Ivy foundation
the cabinet detail
The furniture in this school management centre is made of colourful lacquered wood. They are simple and functional cupboards with concealed handles and hinges.
social club completed in Tabuyo
The works for the interior design of this social club in Tabuyo have been recently completed. Characterized by simple materials and indirect lighting, this project comprises a multipurpose room, a dining room, storage, and toilets.
using authentic eco-friendly building products
Advanced technologies in materials engineering continuously pave the way for the manufacturing of synthetic materials. Building typologies which once exhibited natural and organic surface materials are now replaced with composites, plastics and resins. However, specifications on the form, particularly on the façade itself, channel directly into its users the perception, character and function of the […]
Pedraza house
the open-plan ground floor
The ground floor is a mosaic of interconnected spaces through glass partitions. The visual relationship between them gives a sensation of amplitude, and the simplicity of the forms and finishes create a serene atmosphere in connection with nature.
Ashley Gardens
the kitchen from the reception room
From the living room, the kitchen is perceived as an extension of the space. The threshold separating the two rooms is delimited by a peninsula worktop with stools. This breakfast table makes the kitchen a perfect place to socialise with guests.
Ivy foundation
the multifunction room
The multifunctional room of this educational management centre has a sliding door and a blackboard wall.
folded auditorium
the cafeteria
The cafeteria is located under the auditorium stands, as can be seen in the curved reinforced concrete ceiling. This open-plan space is fragmented by a combination of fixed wooden counters and an arrangement of informal loose furniture so the space works also as a waiting room.
cuña house
the ground floor
The ground floor comprises the common areas of the house, the kitchen, the living room and the dining room, from which you can access the garden through a large sliding glass door.
K house
the entrance
The entrance of the house is made through a sloping walk on the side of the plot. The upper floor faces the meeting point. The access can be seen through the curved walls.
Ivy foundation
the bookcase
The bespoke white wall-mounted bookcase has an original and functional design, with shelves at different heights, creating a rhythm of recesses.
Burke house
the office space
The work area on the upper floor has the best views of the house. Linked to the patio and the rear garden, the office is a quiet space with a sober and unique design.
Ivy foundation
the children’s library
Near the waiting room there is a reading corner for children. This children’s library consists of modular cubes where children can sit.
cuña house
the view from the top floor
From the first floor of the Cuña house, you can see the living room through an interior balcony. This space serves as a work area and lobby before entering the master bedroom.
spliced towers
the office towers
The four office towers have a façade clad in wood, natural stone and glass. The composition forms a pattern of irregular vertical lines in shades of brown and ochre.
cuña house
the exposed concrete stairs
The concrete stairs have been carefully cast to create a sculptural and minimalist element whose silhouette can be seen through the translucent glass of the window.
next stop: hutopolis
the table with rotating panels
The exhibition space is a dark room featuring long tables with interactive rotating panels, books and video screens. The lighting consists of spotlights from the ceiling and table lamps from the Italian brand Flos that create a warm and cosy atmosphere.
Pedraza house
the master bathroom
The rational and pure design of the bathroom is based on easy-to-clean surfaces, naturally textured materials and cosy indirect lighting.
Pedraza house
the staircase
The staircase is defined by the profile of its steps, lined with oak wood. The light sets the rest of the space, where the doors and railings are concealed to give prominence to the ascending path.
K house
the balcony
The facade of the upper floor, covered in Canadian cedarwood, gives a warm and natural character to the building. Seen through the abundant vegetation, it almost looks like a wooden house hidden in the forest.
self-fab house
This publication features a selection of experimental projects about self-fabrication, with articles written by Vicent Guallart, Lucas Capelli and Willy Müller among others.
cuña house
the reception room
From the garden, the living room occupies a central position between the open kitchen, the travertine windbreak at the entrance and the concrete stairs leading to the upper floor.
Bolaños house
the entrance hall
The house is distributed around the kitchen and the garden. The sloping roof gives more height to the ceiling in the living room and descends towards the bedrooms. The entrance hall articulates the spaces for daytime use, from where you can also go out into the garden.
Harvest Home awarded by the IaaC
The self-sufficient house Harvest Home has been given an award in the ‘2nd Advanced Architecture Contest’, an international competition organized by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia.
performing arts complex
the promenade towards the marina
The undulating concrete roofs and meandering walls of wooden slats characterise the pavilions that make up the building. The pedestrian walkways leading to the marina are landscaped with lush bamboo shrubs.
Ivy foundation
the workshop area
In the central part of the premises is the workshop area, which has a low unit of pink lacquered wood and a shelving unit built into the wall.
K house
the open space
The free form that the house adopts can be appreciated in the interior, a fluid and diaphanous space that is defined by the views and the light.
W salon opening
The interior of a hair salon in Beijing designed by AQSO has been recently completed.
K house
the rear garden
The living room has views towards the west, to capture the sunset light. A large window with curved glass opens to the rear garden, which has a comfortable space to gather around the fire.
folded auditorium
the auditorium
The acoustic ceiling of the auditorium hall is formed by several curved wooden planes that create a shell covering the grandstand. The wood also extends to the steps and floor, creating a cosy and elegant interior.
Dulwich house
the staircase
The stairs are designed as a sculptural piece of furniture. Made of natural and lacquered wood, they provide wide steps towards the second floor while hiding a small toilet underneath. On the side, and following an orthogonal composition, they form a bookcase in front of the dining room.
connecting riads
the top terrace
The building is lower towards the urban park located behind the boulevard, so the roof is formed by a series of staggered terraces, with abundant vegetation, which enjoys the pleasant views.
Dehan village
the master bedroom
The master bedroom enjoys not only the wide exterior views but also the spaciousness of the double-height interior space that connects the living room and the dining room.
Ivy foundation
the children’s library detailed view
The children’s library is made up of a composition of wooden cubes that can be clustered together to form a scalable piece of furniture in which to store books and sit and read.
Dehan village
the spiral staircase
A secondary spiral staircase connects the living room with the dining room on the first floor. The relationship between the two is enhanced through the double-height space and the staircase adopts a sculptural presence reinforced by the light from the window.
connecting riads
the big facade openings
The housing blocks have large holes or perforations that allow light to enter the courtyards. These semi-public spaces have abundant vegetation and allow residents to enjoy a garden with views.
building products for sustainable design
As architects, we have a social responsibility to promote environmental equality. To fight climate change, we need to cut back on energy consumption costs for buildings. We start by designing for sustainability.
connecting riads
the urban facade
The facade towards the boulevard has a series of balconies protected by sliding panels. These wooden shutters have a Moroccan tracery design that suggests a traditional reference to the contemporary design of the building.
Burke house
the recessed headboard
Architecture and interior design are considered as a whole, so the bespoke furniture is perfectly integrated into the configuration of the space. The bed headboard, the bedside tables and the lights form a proportionate and elegant composition recessed in the wall.
hospital in the forest
the night view
The sober form of the building is wrapped in translucent louvred skin. This permeable layer allows seeing the inner facade, made of large openings and courtyards with greenery.
Ivy foundation
the reception desk
The reception desk is a two-height piece of furniture with a PC keyboard tray and several drawers made of pink lacquered MDF.
Zain tower
the twisted figure
The central core of the tower and the ring of columns around it allow the rotation of the floor slabs. This suggestive movement, gradually decreasing towards the top, is well appreciated from the street level, where the building leaves space for a public plaza.
connecting riads
the street view
The ground floor of this residential building includes retail units facing the boulevard, and townhouses on the side facing the urban park. From the welcoming access to the inner block, courtyard, you can see the abundance of this hidden oasis.
Burke house
the master bedroom
The bedroom is a spacious and functional space open to the landscape. The furniture merges with the architecture to create a warm and cosy atmosphere governed by light and textures.
spliced towers
the landscape design
The landscape design combines pedestrian areas, gardens and a man-made stream separating the residential area from the commercial area. A network of streets connects the buildings to facilitate vehicle access.
performing arts complex
the cafeteria
The cafeteria of the performing arts centre is enclosed by an undulating façade made of twisted wooden slats that form a dynamic and protective envelope.
Ashley Gardens
the bathroom mirror
The bathroom vanity unit is made of dark teak wood. The lighting comes from the circular backlit mirror and the globe lamp suspended from the ceiling.
Burke house
the walking wardrobe
The dressing room is a warm and comfortable space with large floor-to-ceiling wardrobes on both sides. The window to the garden provides abundant natural light sifted by the wooden slats, close enough to give privacy but separated to appreciate the landscape.
connecting riads
the south courtyard
The large block courtyards are pedestrian areas with abundant vegetation. The gardens have fountains and tropical trees, giving the perception of a fresh oasis in the heart of the residential compound.
maragato lofts
the living room and kitchen
In contrast to the orthogonal rigidity of the exterior, the interior spaces are wrapped in soft, rounded corners. The oak flooring and the concrete ceiling offer a warm visual tone while a featured wooden slats partition serves as a transition and articulates the space.
spliced towers
the detail of the towers façade
View of the office towers. The façade is formed by a curtain wall of stone, glass and wood in dark colours to form a modern and contemporary design.
next stop: hutopolis
the booklet display table
Each project in the exhibition is displayed on a table with a book containing graphic content and a screen with a documentary video. The project developed by Tsinghua University in Beijing explains the reuse of collective housing buildings in the hutong.
maragato lofts
the view from the plaza
From the public space of the plaza, the design of the facade offers a playful arrangement of openings and balconies. These are perfectly aligned with the levels of the nearby buildings, and they keep the same proportion.
next stop: hutopolis
the main hall
The main exhibition hall is a dark cubic space with four illuminated tables corresponding to the principles of urban research. Above these displays is an illuminated three-dimensional graphic.
connecting riads
the view from the top
From the top of the roof terrace, you can see the winding silhouette of the building and the view of the city in the background. The image conveys the symbolism of the building’s shape, its relationship with the landscape and the functionality and comfort of the apartments.
K house
the main facade
The white concrete slab path leads to the intermediate level of the plot where the house is located. From this point, the elegant silhouette of the building can be observed, a symbolic form that invites to be explored in harmony with nature.
hospital in the forest
the view from the plaza
The comprehensive transplantation centre is a building that, despite its powerful form, has a friendly appearance thanks to its wooden louvred façade. This double envelope protects and unifies it, allowing a highly functional interior space planning.
hospital in the forest
the view from the urban park
The park connecting the campus and the new transplant centre slopes up towards the south. The landscape provides access through stairs and ramps, so the building is discovered through the forest on the way up to the main plaza.
Dulwich house
the reception room
The kitchen is the heart of the home, so the central island is conceived as a workspace, meeting area and dining table. The ground floor is an open and luminous space, where white finish predominates in contrast with the wood and concrete flooring.
K house
the courtyard
The house closes in on itself to embrace a small courtyard. This concave space opens up to the swimming pool, which dominates the slope on which the house is situated.
K house
the dining area
The dining area is a bright and spacious space. The windows with curved glass form a sort of modern conservatory or veranda overlooking the garden, protected by the cantilever of the upper terrace.
W salon
the main room
The hairdressing salon has a minimalist interior design that creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Indirect light is achieved with backlit mirrors against a background of birch plywood.
connecting riads
the inner facade
The building envelope overlooking the inner courtyard has a simple and functional design. The regular arrangement of the windows contrasts with the position of the sliding shutters protecting them.
Burke house
the garden
The facade towards the garden is an iconic element of the building. Its unique elevation expresses the function of the interior spaces, and the view of the courtyard adds depth to the structure.
possible architecture
The project for a music centre in Soria has been selected for inclusion in the ‘Arquitecturas posibles’ exhibition organized by agoras.arq. The exhibition will be held in the MUVa Museum, Santa Cruz Palace, Valladolid, Spain, from October 3rd.
K house
the front garden
The front elevation of the house encloses a small patio between the dining room and the office area. This front garden is a transition space to the pool that captures the morning light.
Pedraza house
the kitchen and the courtyard
The timeless design of the kitchen is based on the warmth of the wood and the simplicity of the white surfaces. The furniture is modular and functional with large oak drawers.