Introduction to the Intelligent Garden

In a quiet corner of London’s Chelsea Flower Show, Studio Weave’s Avanade Intelligent Garden pulses beneath the textures of bark and lush foliage. The project gathers and interprets signals from its plants, soil, and air to form an AI-driven ecosystem that listens as much as it grows. The English architects, in collaboration with landscape designer Tom Massey and natural materials expert Sebastian Cox, has created an architectural presence within the garden that reflects both ecological knowledge and digital intuition. The result is a place of learning, adjusting, and responding that’s alive with signals and wrapped in a facade of mushroom mycelium.

This year’s gold medal-winning entry comes from a carefully tuned partnership. Massey’s planting scheme, Cox’s material intelligence, and Studio Weave’s architectural framing find coherence through a shared interest in craft and care. Rather than standing apart, the building acts as a lightly held edge. It folds around the perimeter, creating an inner clearing that functions like a micro-courtyard — a calm interior within the lush density of the Intelligent Garden.

images © Daniel Herendi

A Form Informed by Mushroom Mycelium

Studio Weave‘s shed structure within the Intelligent Garden rises from materials that carry their own narratives. Ash timber, harvested from diseased trees in local forests, has been woven and curved to shape the outer skin. Between the slats, natural light lands on the softly undulating surface of mycelium panels. These fungal forms, grown in Sebastian Cox’s Kent workshop from agricultural byproducts, bring both tactile richness and a low-impact material footprint. Together they form a type of garden architecture that feels grown as much as it is built.

This intervention carries more function than its restrained form suggests. It provides shelter and workspace for its gardener-custodians — people tasked with tending the Tom Massey-designed garden and managing the technology embedded within it. Avanade’s AI platform gathers live data on soil health, humidity, and light exposure, offering caretakers a nuanced picture of how each tree and plant responds to its environment. The table inside serves both workshop and observation, reinforcing the idea that care and technology must coexist at a very human scale.

Studio Weave collaborates with Tom Massey and Sebastian Cox to create the Intelligent Garden

Studio Weave Designs for Disassembly

Tucked within the structure is a shaded, humid corner that leans into the mystery of the mycelium. Here, in conditions designed for growth rather than display, the garden shows its quieter work. Fungal fruiting bodies emerge in their own time, fed by a microclimate that speaks to forest understories. It is a moment of architectural pause, and a reminder that some processes can be invited but never controlled.

Though the Intelligent Garden is a temporary installation, the building’s afterlife has been carefully plotted. Prefabricated in four volumes, it was assembled quickly on-site and will move to Manchester’s Mayfield Park after the show. The building’s construction avoids permanence in favor of adaptability. Every joint, weave, and panel has been designed with disassembly in mind. The entire structure is biodegradable or recyclable, with nothing left as waste. It is, in essence, a compostable building.

locally-sourced Ash and mycelium emphasize sustainability and material storytelling

The Impact of the Intelligent Garden

Beyond the structure, the Intelligent Garden makes a pointed case. Trees in urban areas are under threat from poor planting conditions, neglect, and environmental stress. Nearly half fail within ten years. The garden does not offer a single fix. Instead, it puts forward a layered system — where AI is a tool, not a substitute, for long-term stewardship. Through sensors and predictive models, the technology here helps direct limited resources where they’re most needed, supporting both survival and growth over time.

This is the second year Studio Weave and Tom Massey have collaborated at Chelsea. Their previous entry also received gold, but this year’s work pushes further into a cross-disciplinary space. Known for projects that engage civic and natural contexts with unusual sensitivity, Studio Weave brings architecture into conversation with planting and performance. The firm’s ability to work fluidly between disciplines is evident in how the structure holds the garden without overwhelming it.

the garden integrates AI technology to support the long-term care and survival of urban trees

June 4, 2025

Introduction to Raw House

Tucked into a dense neighborhood on the east side of Seoul, Raw House by architecture studio Order Matter is a compact concrete structure that combines a street-level café, private flats, and a top-floor penthouse doubling as office space — all within a restrained, sun-oriented shell that frames lush hillside views.

Designed from the inside out, the mixed-use building organizes space around light, tactility, and human experience, based on passive design principles. The southern facade opens generously toward the wooded slope, capturing warmth and light for communal areas. By contrast, the northern side buffers the home from street-level intensity with fewer openings and a more introspective character. This push-pull in orientation is echoed in the material palette, composed of uncoated raw concrete, natural stone, and timber.

all images by Simone Bossi

Design Approach

From the outset, London- and Seoul-based Order Matter rejects the noise of overdesign. Euroform lines in exposed concrete are drawn with intent, plywood and stone surfaces are composed to read as singular masses, and even timber flooring follows a grid that aligns across rooms. This adds a spatial rhythm to the project, where furniture feels placed, not built-in, and walls feel positioned, not imposed. Joints are minimized, ceiling lights are omitted, and indirect lighting washes down from concealed coves to preserve a sense of openness and allow future occupants to shape the mood on their own terms.

Passive Strategies

Beyond its pared-down aesthetics, Raw House employs passive strategies to elevate daily life. Living and kitchen spaces bask in southern sun while bedrooms retreat to the cooler, quieter north — reducing cooling demands and supporting sleep. The thermal mass of the building stabilizes interior temperatures and moderates humidity naturally. Even the staircase becomes a design device with its semicircular landing opening up a view to the geometry of the structure.

tucked into a dense neighborhood on the east side of Seoul

Building Features

Raw House by architecture studio Order Matter is a compact concrete structure that houses a street-level café, private flats, and a top-floor penthouse doubling as office space. The building’s design features include:

Raw House by architecture studio Order Matter is a compact concrete structure

Raw House houses a street-level café, private flats, and a top-floor penthouse doubling as office space

reflective surfaces complete the interiors

June 4, 2025

Revitalizing Urban Spaces: A Harmonious Blend of Past and Present

At the intersection of a boulevard and a backstreet in Seoul, architecture studio DRAWING WORKS reimagines a site where two buildings from different eras— a 1949 hanok and a five-story concrete commercial structure extended in 1968—stand side by side. Rather than preserving or replacing, the studio superimposes contemporary elements onto the existing fabric, creating a layered dialogue between past and present.

Key Architectural Features

Key architectural features of the renovation project, dubbed Giwa, include a modular metal facade on the commercial building that reinterprets the rhythm of traditional hanok roofs, a luminous hanok interior animated by light and spatial voids, and an exterior stairwell inserted like a narrow alleyway to stitch the two structures together. Together, these interventions establish a rich interplay of memory, material, and movement—threads unraveled in the sections that follow.

all images courtesy of DRAWING WORKS

Stairwell, Metal Facade, and Light-Filled Hanok

Between the two buildings, architecture studio DRAWING WORKS has inserted a narrow stairwell designed to function more like an alleyway than a conventional circulation space. This mediating void channels movement, light, and the layered textures of the city. Evoking the slim alleys of old Seoul, the stairwell stitches together the hanok and its concrete neighbor while establishing a spatial rhythm that blurs the boundary between architecture and urban life.

The Commercial Building: W1

The commercial building, W1, presents a striking facade to the street. Modular metal panels reinterpret the wave-like rhythm of hanok tiled roofs, transforming historical reference into a contemporary expression. Factory-fabricated and quickly assembled, the panels offer both construction efficiency and visual richness—subtly embedding memory into the modern streetscape.

The Renovated Hanok: W2

In contrast, the renovated hanok, W2, is inward and luminous. The Korean studio preserved the original wooden structure wherever possible, while carefully placed gaps allow light to filter through the layered roofs and deep into the interior. These voids do more than illuminate; they create a quiet dialogue between structure, atmosphere, and the passing of time, inviting the city’s rhythms to gently permeate the space.

the project is characterized by luminous hanok interiors

the space is animated by light and spatial voids

the renovated hanok is inward and luminous

the original wooden structure is preserved wherever possible

Conclusion

The Giwa project showcases a thoughtful and innovative approach to urban renovation, weaving together memory, material, and movement to create a unique and captivating space. By preserving the essence of the past while incorporating contemporary elements, DRAWING WORKS has successfully revitalized a forgotten corner of Seoul, demonstrating the potential for architecture to transform and enrich the urban experience.

Bjarke Ingels Group Takes on Gowanus

Where the edges of the Gowanus Canal meet the streets of Brooklyn, a new geometry is set to emerge. Rising from a former industrial plot along Third Street, the latest contribution from Bjarke Ingels Group offers a distinctive composition of stepped forms and sculpted voids. Though built on a gridded structural logic, the residential building does not feel rigid. Instead, it opens, literally, to its environment, bending and folding toward light, air, and water.

The design stacks a sequence of block-like volumes, cascading from a peak of 27 stories down toward the canal’s edge. This stepped massing avoids a monolithic presence and instead creates a porous, almost courtyard-like composition that mediates between Gowanus’s historic masonry and its shifting skyline. The eastward-facing U-shape frames the water as a central anchor, forming a spatial relationship that foregrounds the site’s transformation from post-industrial terrain to waterfront destination.

visualizations © Bucharest Studio

Toward a More Resilient Brooklyn Waterfront

With its tower at 175 Third Street, the team at Bjarke Ingels Group builds on the momentum catalyzed by the 2021 Gowanus rezoning, which unlocked large-scale residential development throughout the neighborhood. Here, that ambition translates into more than 1,000 residential units, including roughly 250 designated affordable. It also continues a lineage of design study by BIG in this part of Brooklyn — an area that has drawn attention for its layered urban character and long-overdue reinvestment.

Chamfered entries pull the building away from the sidewalk in strategic moments, revealing sheltered corners and entryways that invite foot traffic and neighborhood circulation. Along the ground floor, artist studios and retail help integrate the building into a creative district anchored by the Powerhouse Arts facility and punctuated by landmarks like the Coignet Stone Company building. There is an attentiveness to how the new mass meets the street, revealing BIG’s ability to balance scale with intimacy.

the building’s stepped form responds to the canal and surrounding context

High Performance and High Living at 175 Third Street

Bjarke Ingels Group imagines 175 Third Street’s exposed concrete structure as a reference to the rough textures of the Gowanus Canal’s industrial past. Large openings carve through its facade, offering visual relief while allowing for generous windows and terraces. The texture, scale, and tone of the material choices bring a tactile quality to the project that resonates with the surrounding neighborhood, without replicating it.

A central element of the project is the public waterfront esplanade, designed by Field Operations. The sloping edge does more than extend access to the canal; it creates a buffer, a place that absorbs floodwaters and anchors the development in ecological reality. Unlike other stretches of the Gowanus Canal, this section offers a rare proximity to the water’s edge, which the landscape design by James Corner Field Operations emphasizes with recreation spaces, shaded seating, and a resilient meadow aimed at boosting biodiversity.

the project includes more than 1,000 units with around 250 designated affordable

175 Third Street is designed as an ultra-low-energy building, fully electric and projected to outperform city code by a meaningful margin. Its entire footprint is elevated to withstand flood risk. Inside, residents will find amenities that range from family-friendly to skyline-facing: fitness areas, lounge spaces, and a rooftop pool are all part of the offering. The views extend toward Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty — reminders of the city beyond, framed by the quiet flow of the canal below.

This project deepens Bjarke Ingels Group’s presence in New York, joining works like VIA 57 West and Wildflower Studios. It also links to BIG’s growing focus on resilient urban design, as seen in the East Side Coastal Resiliency project. In Gowanus, that ethos plays out through a hybrid of form, infrastructure, and landscape.

the east-facing U-shape frames the canal and opens up internal courtyards

Project Information

Name: 175 Third Street

Architect: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) | @big_builds

Location: 175 Third Street, Brooklyn, NY

Collaborating Architect: dencityworks | architect | @dencityworks

Client: Charney Companies | @charneycompanies, Tavros

Landscape Design: James Corner Field Operations | @fieldoperations

Collaborators: AKRF, DeSimone, Ettinger engineering associates, Field Operations, Fried Frank, Hatfield Group, Impact Environmental, Jenkins and Huntington

Size: 1,080,000 square ft

Visualizations:  © Bucharest Studio | @bucharest.studio

Team

Introduction to Casa Aroeira

Brazilian studio FGMF Arquitetos designs its Casa Aroeira to rise confidently from the slopes of Bragança Paulista. Set within a residential neighborhood outside São Paulo, the home occupies the higher portion of a steep corner lot, making full use of its elevated position. From here, the views open toward surrounding farmland, while the building maintains a discreet relationship with its neighbors and the street below.

Rather than contending with the incline, the architects embraced it. Casa Aroeira meets the street at two distinct levels — pedestrian access slips in from the side, while vehicles descend to the lower edge. This dual entry supports the house’s layout across two linear floors. The ground level accommodates the social and service spaces, along with two guest bedrooms. Above, the private quarters retreat into a more intimate register, still oriented toward the panoramic view.

images © Fran Parente

Structural Expression and Transparency

At its core, Casa Aroeira takes form through its structure as the team at FGMF Arquitetos approaches the residence as an exercise in clarity. Exposed concrete pillars, beams, and slabs are expressive of their materiality to serve as not just support but as architectural expression. The main volume is defined by a rhythm of round columns and tall, slender walls, their materiality consistent throughout. These elements hold the upper floor while also delineating the suites, giving mass to the otherwise open layout.

While the concrete lends permanence, transparency is achieved through large sliding glass panels. These define the social spaces without enclosing them, allowing the main floor to extend seamlessly toward the landscape. The transitions between living areas and terraces are fluid, as the structure opens toward the pool and beyond, always acknowledging the horizon.

June 2, 2025

RV House: A Renovated 1930s Apartment in Cantabria, Spain

Introduction to RV House

RV House is a renovation project by BIAN that transforms a compartmentalized 1930s apartment into a flexible, sea-facing residence in Cantabria, Spain. Located along the Bay of Santander, the intervention reconfigures a 120 sqm layout to establish a spatial strategy centered on openness and adaptability.

The original 1932 structure featured long hallways and enclosed rooms that restricted natural light and view corridors. The redesign removes internal partitions to create a central, non-hierarchical core that functions as a multi-use area, combining kitchen, dining, living, and workspace zones into a single, continuous volume. This central zone establishes direct visual and spatial relationships with the bay, while the surrounding bedrooms form a peripheral arrangement that maintains connection to the maritime context.

all images by Hiperfocal

Design Approach and Spatial Strategy

Materially, the project team at BIAN employs a limited palette to emphasize surface integrity and spatial continuity. A linoleum floor unifies the interiors with a consistent tone, blending with raw finishes such as exposed concrete elements. Blue, a color associated with Santander’s identity, is introduced through custom cabinetry and furniture to anchor the design to its geographic setting. Wet areas are finished in standard white ceramic tile, providing a neutral backdrop to contrast the chromatic intensity of selected surfaces.

Bathrooms are treated as distinct spatial episodes within the home. Their bold finishes in yellow and orange contrast with the otherwise restrained palette, reinterpreting traditionally secondary spaces as areas of focus and energy.

Key Design Elements

The outcome is a domestic environment defined by flexibility and spatial fluidity, allowing programmatic uses to evolve over time. This approach reflects a departure from rigid spatial compartmentalization, promoting a more open and integrated mode of living.

BIAN employs a limited palette to emphasize surface integrity and spatial continuity within RV House

June 1, 2025

Introduction to Habitat 0

The design of Habitat 0 by RA Design Studio begins with a simple circle. Sited in India, among a neighborhood of vacation homes, the community hub is organized radially around a central courtyard. The community hub draws energy from its continuous shape, allowing the space to unfold gradually and offering each dwelling generous access to the surrounding landscape. This orientation fosters a subtle rhythm, one that moves between privacy and exposure without interruption.

A Circular Concept

A central, terraced amphitheater moves between function and gesture. It is at once a gathering space and an architectural hinge for both passage and pause. The steps rise to meet a garden rooftop and double as seating, observation point, and informal meeting ground. The architecture engages gently with the land, inviting movement through shared space without requiring a prescribed use.

images © Vinay Panjwani

RA Design Studio’s Dual-Skin Envelope

The defining form of Habitat 0 emerges through its layered skin. An outer shell of arches shields the structure, carving shadows that animate the interiors throughout the day. These shadows sometimes echo natural forms, casting curves that appear momentary and alive. Inside, a transparent glass wall maintains openness, drawing light into the homes while sustaining a visual dialogue with the gardens beyond.

The community center carries a deliberate continuity between architecture and landscape. The route from exterior garden to inner courtyard and eventually to the roof garden reflects a sequence that never breaks from its natural surroundings. RA Design Studio reinforces this relationship through an alignment of pathways, views, and transitions that celebrate the landscape and feel inherently grounded in place.

A semi-sheltered pool anchors one side of the building. Designed as part of the building’s circular plan, the space slips partially into shade beneath the curving roof. Light enters through roof cutouts, animated by the movement of water. Sloped walls around the pool guide the eye and the body into this carved retreat, which remains both secluded and open to the sky.

Studio Sangath’s Alloa Hills Weekend House: A Harmony of Nature and Architecture

Just outside Gandhinagar, India, the Alloa Hills Weekend House folds gently into the land, allowing the terrain to dictate its rhythm. Studio Sangath approached the residential project with quiet attentiveness, designing a retreat that prioritizes stillness and intimacy with the surrounding topography. Tucked into a bend in the Sabarmati River’s landscape, the house offers its residents a reprieve from the acceleration of city life, but also extends its welcome to artists, writers, and filmmakers seeking time away to create.

Studio Sangath’s Courtyard as Compass

At the core of the brick and terracotta residence is a courtyard that both divides and anchors the interior spaces. The inner garden draws the horizon inward, reframing nature as a constant companion rather than a distant view. This spatial arrangement extends outward into a stepped terrace that spills into the surrounding terrain, intended to host everything from quiet evenings under the sky to informal performances. Studio Sangath’s design orients the home to receive the landscape with open arms, dissolving barriers between shelter and scenery.

images © Vinay Panjwani

A House Shaped by Recycled Earth

Designing its Alloa Hills Weekend House, the architects at Studio Sangath choose materials with consideration for the natural context. Beginning with compressed bricks composed of recycled brick kiln waste, the team brings a tactility to the structure and grounds the project in its environment. This thoughtful approach lends a sense of stewardship to the project, as the walls themselves seem to speak to the layers of earth they emerged from. The result is a home whose material story resonates with the cycles of renewal around it.

Along its longitudinal axis, the home is bordered by wide verandahs that mediate between enclosure and exposure. These shaded galleries soften the edges of the building, giving the living spaces breathing room to interact with sun, wind, and rain without confrontation. When the doors are left open, the home becomes a quiet pavilion, with air and light moving unimpeded through its rooms. Morning enters with a softness, while the evening light brushes the courtyard from within, establishing a rhythm of illumination that changes by the hour.

Studio Sangath sites its Alloa Hills Weekend House near Gandhinagar, India

A Language of Terracotta in Alloa Hills

Material continuity defines the sensory experience of Studio Sangath’s Alloa Hills Weekend House. Terracotta finds its way into nearly every surface, from the pigmented concrete walls to the red-toned brick floors and sun-warmed pavers. This shared language of texture and tone allows the architecture to unfold slowly and cohesively, offering a lingering, tactile warmth. In the Alloa Hills, the architects craft a home that moves with the day, is generous with its thresholds, and is fluent in the language of the land.

the open terrace extends the interior outward and creates space for stargazing or small gatherings

a central courtyard brings the surrounding landscape into the heart of the home

the home welcomes not only its owners but also artists and creatives seeking quiet inspiration

Conclusion

Studio Sangath’s Alloa Hills Weekend House is a testament to the power of thoughtful design and its ability to harmonize with nature. By prioritizing stillness, intimacy, and material continuity, the architects have created a home that not only provides a peaceful retreat for its residents but also serves as a haven for artists and creatives seeking inspiration. As a paradigm of sustainable and responsible architecture, this project sets a precedent for future designs that strive to blend seamlessly into their surroundings, fostering a deeper connection between humans and the natural world.

Introduction to Curved Mediterranean Staircases

A staircase with a curved Mediterranean theme adds beautiful and lasting style to any house. The beautiful curves, artistic tiles and strong metal railings mix old-style grace with today’s conveniences. The staircases draw their design from homes facing the Mediterranean, like those in Italy, Spain and Greece, where focus is on warmth, beauty and nature.

It looks at the process of designing a Mediterranean staircase with metal rails and tile finishes. We’ll go over important points, advantages, design suggestions and tips to implement this concept in your home.

What Makes a Staircase “Mediterranean”?

The easygoing and earthy way of life in coastal Europe is seen in Mediterranean design. It includes:

• Materials made from stone, wood or terracotta
• Curved or curving forms in modern buildings
• Additions made of wrought iron
• Red, blue and black handmade tiles.

When added to a staircase, these components become a dramatic and warm centre of attention.

Benefits of a Curved Staircase

What Benefits Does a Curved Staircase Have?

A spiral staircase brings a curved and gentle look to any home. It is built so that instead of being straight, it gently curves, starting at the entrance and going up.

Benefits:

• Improved movement – Rounded edges help the area look less enclosed.
• Elegant focus – Designed for large hallways.
• Higher home value – The house gets a sophisticated atmosphere.

Designing a Curved Mediterranean Staircase

What Sets Curved Mediterranean Staircases Apart

For more details visit here – Bohemian Brick Red Wall Paint Design with Textured Finish

To build a genuine Mediterranean staircase, concentrate on the following points:

1. Tile Finishes

In Mediterranean homes, tiles shape much of the design of the stairs. Most of the time, they get installed on the stair risers facing upward.

Tiles come in many different styles:

• Mosaic tiles include small bits of colored material arranged in a shape.
• Talavera tiles are Mexican tiles made by hand, mimicking Spanish style.
• Warm and earthy terracotta tiles are one choice.
• Blue and white ceramics are meant to look like the seas and coastlines around Greece.

Useful guidelines for choosing tiles:

• Depending on your style, use either strong patterns or designs common to your culture
• Choose blue, rust, olive green and yellow when it comes to colours.
• Add a different pattern to the tile on every riser to achieve a DIY design.

2. Metal Rails

Adding metal railings finishes the Mediterranean style of the home. Most railings are constructed from wrought iron, which allows them to be moulded into attractive shapes.

Design ideas:

• Scrollwork– The shape is formed by swirling, commonly inspired by plants
• Geometric shapes depend on just using simple lines and curves.
• A bronze or black finish– Preserves its classic and rustic style
• Texturing or hammering iron on your product– Gives it a refreshing and attractive feel

Advantages of using metal rails:

• Items that keep working and require little upkeep
• It matches well with both tiles and wooden surfaces.
• Charm and a bit of storytelling are added to the space.

3. Wood or Stone Steps

Steps for a staircase may be made from one of these materials:

• Both oak and walnut, or reclaimed wood, are types of natural wood.
• The flooring can be limestone or marble.
• Tile on the wood– To create a unified Mediterranean appearance

Tips:

• For warmth and visual interest in your design, decide on wood.
• A solid appearance can be achieved by choosing stone.
• Use stone treads with tiled risers to make your stairs more visually appealing.

Colour Palette

Most colours found in Mediterranean design are inspired by the natural surroundings:

• Brown, tan, terracotta– these earth tones are popular.
• Blue, turquoise, and sea green are common ocean colours.
• The main colours in summer fashion are yellow and golden orange.
• White, beige and cream help to temper the effect of bold-colored rooms

Make sure to use them when picking out tiles, rail colour or paint for the walls by the staircase.

5. Lighting for the Staircase

Introduction to Ravine House

Tucked into a steep gully northwest of Sweden‘s Skurusundet strait, Kolman Boye Architects‘ newly completed Ravine House finds its footing between two rock faces. With cliffs rising sharply to the east and west, and limited road access, the site posed difficult questions. The design team approaches the challenge with measured restraint, allowing the contours of the landscape to guide the design.

The area surrounding the residential project was once dotted by modest red cottages, seasonal dwellings built for city residents seeking to escape into nature. Over time, many of these have been replaced with permanent homes. On this plot, evidence of a former house remains — granite retaining walls step down through the terrain, ending in a half-moon pond. Rather than erase these fragments, Kolman Boye Architects allowed them to shape the new timber intervention.

images © Johan Dehlin, KBA

Spatial Clarity and Connection

Built across three levels, the house by Kolman Boye Architects occupies a narrow footprint that threads through the ravine. By embedding the lower story into the hillside, the architects make room for an additional floor while maintaining a discreet profile. This vertical approach allowed ravine house to meet height and zoning regulations while preserving the layered topography of the site.

Circulation is organized around a timber staircase that connects the home’s stacked levels. The bottom floor houses utility spaces, while the middle level holds bedrooms and the main entrance. At the top, an open-plan living area, enclosed by glazing, captures panoramic views of the Stockholm port inlet. Each floor opens to a different part of the terraced garden, deepening the connection between interior and exterior.