ArchDaily.com

For an architect, every project begins as an act of reading – reading the land, the light, the materials, the intentions, and even the intangible: that which dwells between space and spirit. To interpret the world and then translate it into form may be the most delicate and enduring exercise in architecture. And when that translation approaches the sacred, the gesture takes on another dimension – a search, through matter, for a language that ascends.

Overlooking Victoria's Southern Ocean near Anglesea surf beach, this minimal two-storey house draws on the simple modernism of 1950s–60s coastal homes. Designed for a couple with extended family, it balances retreat with shared experience.

The project is located in the core landscape area of the Silk Road Friendship Garden at the Dingzhou Garden Expo. The overall landscape design of the garden centers on the theme of auspicious clouds, with a circular landscape boulevard connecting the entire garden and a centripetal layout creating a diverse array of scenes. Among them, the restaurant unfolds gently along the curved shoreline of the central lake, its woven wooden structure forming a free and stretching curved form that resembles the undulating forest canopy. Blending seamlessly with the surrounding natural environment, it appears as if dancing gracefully.

Our recent project, 'q.d.c', reimagines a small café tucked within one of Gangnam's dense office clusters as a place of pause and reflection — a "second office" for those who move to the rhythm of work. The name takes inspiration from the medical abbreviation *qd*, meaning "once a day," here reinterpreted as Quick Daily Coffee — a ritual celebrating everyday productivity and calm.

Vespa is a striking subtropical retreat that masterfully balances privacy, openness, and connection to nature. Designed as a sanctuary for a young family, the residence offers a dynamic interplay of raw concrete, warm timber, and striking black detailing—an architectural language rooted in biophilic principles and crafted to foster a deeper connection with its environment. Emphasising natural light, passive ventilation, and material authenticity, the dwelling becomes a tranquil retreat softened by cascading greenery and an abundance of daylight.

Set on a steep terrain, Casa GM was designed based on a longitudinal layout that enhances the view of the mountains and ensures privacy from future neighboring constructions.

The interior of Auga, an optical salon with specialist consulting rooms, was inspired by the process of seeing – a complex and precise biological mechanism. The shape of the space echoes the natural form of the eye, and elements within the interior reflect its internal anatomy. The color palette, shapes, and materials draw from the physiology of vision, creating a coherent visual narrative.

The project in Chr. Tomter's veg in Rælingen represents a careful and deliberate expansion of a modest traditional home into a rich and spatially complex residence for a large and active family. The original house, a small red-painted wooden dwelling with white-framed windows in a popular and romantic vernacular style, was cherished by the owners for its character and familiarity. Their ambition was to preserve that charm while increasing the living area and creating a variety of new spaces suited to contemporary family life.

The historic city of Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria has had more than its fair share of calamity after the outbreak of the war in 2011. After seeing destruction caused by fierce battles between armed groups and the central government, as well as occupation by ISIL, the earthquake in February 2023 brought further damage. Behind the headlines, however, is an ancient city tracing its founding to the dawn of civilization on the banks of the Euphrates River, with living architecture from the Ottoman and French Mandate periods. A winner of the ArchDaily 2025 Next Practices Awards, the

De Hartenrust is a new social housing building on the bend of the River Rotte in Rotterdam. The building consists of tower apartments, townhouses, and corner houses. Together they form a versatile sculpture that marks the connection between the densely populated Oude Noorden neighborhood and the green, livable riverbanks. The building contains 36 affordable social housing units, including family homes and apartments.