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Architecture

Feel the Burn: 6 Strategically Scorched Buildings That Celebrate Shou Sugi Ban

By Zarkon Group,26/09/2023

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Fire can cause unfathomable destruction, yet when its power is harnessed, it can be a source of extraordinary creativity too. Shou sugi ban, originally known as yakisugi, is an ancient wood-burning technique developed in Japan centuries ago. The surface of the wood is exposed to a flame and charred, rendering it a striking charcoal black. Far from merely decorative, the practice preserves and fortifies the wood — the carbon surface layer forms a natural defense against the elements, wood rot and insect damage, as well as acting as a fire retardant.

Prized for its dual protective and aesthetic qualities, this time-honored material treatment is now utilized all over the world. While it’s commonly seen across exterior wood siding, its applications are wide-ranging and extend to interior paneling, furniture, decking and other architectural elements. At the 11^th A+Awards, architects embraced the burn with contemporary twists on this storied technique. From firehouses to restaurants and residences, discover the exceptional new spaces rising from the ashes…

By NICOLEHOLLIS, Napa, California

Popular Choice Winner, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Residential Interiors (<3000 sq ft)

Napa Valley Residence by NICOLEHOLLIS Sequestered in Napa Valley’s verdant wine country, this daring guest house combines a natural material palette with dark and dramatic hues. From a distance, the structure reads like an agricultural barn, its charred wooden cladding seemingly patinated and matured into the rural landscape. Yet up close, it’s a different story…

The exterior shou sugi ban siding seeps inside this remarkable retreat. The charcoal living areas feel striking modern, yet they’re deeply rooted in the organic environment, complemented by raw wood furnishings and light fixtures crafted from thick cotton. Conceived as a flexible space for hosting and entertaining, multifunctionality is built into the bold design. At the back of the lounge, the blackened wall panels can conceal or reveal a built-in kitchenette thanks to an innovative triple-folding door system.

By Design Opera Architects, Tijuana, Mexico

Special Mention, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Restaurants (S <1000 sq ft)

Kemuri by Design Opera Architects This extraordinary new restaurant in an up-and-coming Tijuana neighborhood seeks to transport the culinary and architectural traditions of Japan onto the streets of Mexico. Inspired by the chef’s passion for culinary smoking, shou sugi ban siding offers an eloquent, material articulation of this cooking technique, while paying homage to the restaurant’s cultural heritage.

Inside, black wood-clad walls envelop patrons and create an intimate, cocooning atmosphere. The restaurant’s exceptional material details summon the topography of historic Japan. Cobblestone flooring conjures up the ancient, meandering streets of Ichinenzaka and Ninenzaka, while the exposed grain of the cypress butcher-block bar evokes the country’s native woodland terrain. 6,700 miles away from its roots, a palpable inner world unfurls.

By Laney LA, Inc., Concept

Jury Winner, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt – Private House (L >3000 sq ft)

SQ Residence by Laney LA, Inc. Rising like a boulder on a wooded incline in Lake Tahoe, this ambitious concept envisages a monolithic residence that’s at one with its natural surroundings. A shell of charred cedar siding encases the home, a skin that will shift and weather in tandem with the adjacent trees. Meanwhile, vast apertures frame snapshots of the domestic spaces within.

An evocative interplay of dark and light takes center stage throughout the floor plan. A swathe of glass divides the external covered deck, clad in shou sugi ban, with the pale oak walls of the main living space. Patagonia granite defines the kitchen surfaces, another tactile anchor that cements the home’s positioning as an architectural extension of the mountain.

By IwamotoScott Architecture, Burlingame, California

Finalist, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Small Projects

Geode ADU by IwamotoScott Architecture This compact ADU was designed as a guest studio and writing retreat that would fit snuggly alongside the site’s main dwelling. At once a “place apart” from the primary property and quietly referential of its mid-century modern architecture, the result is a striking, sculptural space that makes a big statement across a small square footage.

The 1950s butterfly roof has been artfully reinterpreted to maximize the site’s views. One wing follows the slope of the neighboring bank, while the other angles the roofline upward, lifting a section of the building above the ground. Viewed as a two-dimensional line, it’s an inversion of the gabled roof of the main Eichler house. Sleek shou sugi ban siding contrasts with white stucco across the cantilevered face and overhang, imparting an effortlessly contemporary edge.

By OPN Architects, Marion, Iowa

Special Mention, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Government & Civic Buildings

Marion Fire Station No. 1 by OPN Architects The first responders that staff this innovative new fire station in Iowa are all too familiar with the devastating effects of fire. However, the building’s tactile façade somewhat subverts the narrative of destruction. Clad in rich, charred timber, the structure demonstrates the creative potential of fire too, when utilized in a controlled environment.

Organic materials are just one facet of the station’s pioneering biophilic design. In a bid to support firefighters’ physical and mental health, pockets of connection with the natural world have been skillfully inserted throughout. A series of terraces are framed by trellises that let dappled sunlight filter in, while a green roof punctuates the voids between living and sleeping zones. This thoughtful scheme expands the firehouse’s life-saving infrastructure to address the well-being of first responders too.

By Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada

Popular Choice Winner, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Private House

Shor House by Measured Architecture Inc.
A magnificent architectural melting pot, this astonishing residence perched on the shoreline of Mayne Island takes its cues from the principles of alchemy: transforming discarded materials into something rare and valuable. By salvaging the wood from the house and barn that originally stood on the plot and reassembling these elements in a striking, modern form, the project sets out a blueprint for truly sustainable construction.

Glimmers of the past structures are still visible across the weathered internal cladding and floorboards. Where new timber was required, it was treated with shou sugi ban, the scorched surface analogous to the home’s dark corten steel exterior. The blackened surface not only imparts character to the younger wood, but also seals the grain from moisture and insects. Here, materials and techniques of the past intermingle in an exciting new iteration.

Reference

five wooden house-shaped volumes compose himawari nursery school in tokyo

Architecture

five wooden house-shaped volumes compose nursery school in tokyo

By Zarkon Group,25/09/2023

himawari nursery school reimagines early childhood education

Akaike Tohyama Architects designs Himawari Nursery School in Musashimurayama City, Tokyo, relocating and expanding the original structure. Situated in the residential expanse extending toward the Musashino Plateau and Sayama Hills, the project reimagines early childhood education.

Departing from the previous two-story RC structure that segmented children’s activities, a single-story wooden structure rises to enrich interactions among children of varying ages. To achieve this, the design strategically places the nursery room, hall, and childcare functions on the first floor, while staff facilities, including the reception desk, are arranged on the second floor. This zoning strategy eliminates the division of children’s activities and fosters an environment conducive to cross-generational interaction.

all images by Kawasumi & Kobayashi Kenji Photo Office

nursery school becomes a dynamic playground

The entire site becomes a ‘playground’ where children are encouraged to explore both indoor and outdoor realms. Given the necessity for a single-story wooden structure, coupled with considerations for bicycle parking, childcare areas, and site conditions, the design team forms a compact schoolyard. Rather than opting for a single expansive playground, the approach scatters smaller play areas across the site. This arrangement integrates the ‘playground’ within the architectural volumes, culminating in a circulation system that seamlessly connects the interior and exterior. The plan offers a variety of play activities facilitated by accessible openings from nursery rooms and the hall, uneven terrain, diverse yard pavement textures, and pockets of green.

Himawari Nursery School is situated in a residential area of Musashimurayama City in Tokyo

House-Shaped Volumes Embrace a Child-Friendly Atmosphere

At the heart of the School’s plan lie five wooden house-shaped volumes that echo the scale of surrounding detached houses. The design maintains a low flat roof height, complemented by high ceilings, creating a gentle structure that seamlessly blends into the local townscape. Exposed wooden beams envelop the space in warmth, and each volume boasts a distinct structure, lending character to individual areas. Wood extends to the exterior and walls, enveloping the entire building in a child-friendly, inviting ambiance.

To seamlessly integrate the kindergarten into the neighborhood, the building’s volume is thoughtfully dispersed throughout the site, with the yard nestled within the architectural margins. The design introduces a walkway that connects the small garden with an alley-like path, allowing children to roam both indoors and outdoors. The small yard fosters unrestricted play for daily childcare. Himawari Nursery School redefines early childhood education, promoting childhood exploration and community integration.

five wooden house-shaped volumes that echo the scale of surrounding detached houses

the site becomes a ‘playground’ where children are encouraged to explore both indoor and outdoor realms

the small yard fosters unrestricted play for daily childcare

exposed wooden beams envelop the space in warmth, and each volume boasts a distinct structure

Reference

Architecture

Serpentine Bookhouse library by Atelier Xi “unfolds like a scroll painting”

By Zarkon Group,24/09/2023

The spiral shape of a conch shell informed the Serpentine Bookhouse in Shenzhen, China, a library that has been designed by local architecture studio Atelier Xi.

Located in the Dasha River Ecological Corridor, the 300-square-metre building by Atelier Xi provides a children’s reading room, public restrooms and a viewing balcony with seating areas for visitors and residents.

“The building performs like a rising spiral art sculpture, returning as much ground spaces as possible for plant growth and tourist activities,” founding principal Chen Xi told Dezeen.

“The spiral spatial structure both shapes the interior terraces and creates a 360-panoramic view of the surrounding landscape through expansive windows,” he continued.

Atelier Xi created the structure’s distinctive shape using a steel framework of Vierendeel trusses – a truss with no diagonal members – and tensile reinforcement.

This structure allows the inner and outer edges of the spiral to be lined entirely with full-height windows, providing a changing view of the surrounding landscape as visitors move up the building.

“The starting point of the spiral touches ground, meandering among the trees,” Xi told Dezeen. “Meanwhile, the second floor at the end of the spiral path eventually opens up the vista, offering a different perspective overlooking the park.”

“For visitors, walking along the interior space provides a view that unfolds continuously, elevating their perspective like an unrolling scroll painting,” he added.

High-level windows provide cross-ventilation to the interior, with sun-shading provided by vertical aluminium louvres that cover the building.

A staircase wraps the inner wall of the spiral, while the outer wall is lined with bookcases that are aligned to a series of stepped platforms.

At the top, wood-framed glass doors open onto a small, sheltered balcony area with seating overlooking the landscape.

Each end of the spiral, as well as its underside, has been finished with panels of corten steel that were chosen to mirror the colour of the wooden finishes used throughout the interior.

“Aluminum is chosen for the sunshade grille to ensure durability in the hot coastal climate, and is finished with a color scheme closely resembling the wood tones used in the interior,” explained Xi.

“Corten steel plates with darker color are used as facade end caps, symbolizing the beginning and end of the spatial movement inside,” he added.

Atelier Xi chose to retain the existing pathways surrounding the building and introduce new planting and a concrete bench that sits beneath the spiral, sheltered by its upper storey.

The Serpentine Bookhouse was recently longlisted in the civic project category of Dezeen Awards 2023. Fluid forms feature regularly in the work of Atelier Xi, with previous projects including a sculptural pavilion in rural China and a curving concrete extension to an abandoned library.

The photography is by Zhang Chao.

Reference

Architecture

What’s So Luxurious About Luxury Vinyl Tile, Part II: How LVT Supply Chains Are “Built on Repression”

By Zarkon Group,23/09/2023

This article was written by Burgess Brown. Healthy Materials Lab is a design research lab at Parsons School of Design with a mission to place health at the center of every design decision. HML is changing the future of the built environment by creating resources for designers, architects, teachers, and students to make healthier places for all people to live. Check out their podcast, Trace Material.

This article is Part II of a three-part series on the hazards of vinyl flooring.

Part I explores “dirty climate secret” behind the popular material and shares some healthier, affordable alternatives.
Part II, this article, the long history of worker endangerment by the vinyl industry and how this legacy continues in China today.

Part One: Import Limbo

Warehouses and docks at the Port of New York and New Jersey are filled to the brim with shipping containers full of products like solar panels, textiles and flooring. These containers are stuck in import limbo. The bottleneck has had a particularly dramatic impact on the booming vinyl flooring industry as hundreds of millions of dollars worth of “luxury” vinyl tile collects dust or is returned to sender. They are being meticulously inspected by Customs and Border Protection–part of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act recently passed by the federal government. Customs is looking for products whose life cycles begin in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

This region has become the center of human rights abuses against Uyghurs [pronounced WEE-gur], an ethnic minority group indigenous to Xinjiang. The XUAR is an industrial hub for electronics, pharmaceuticals, apparel and technology fueled by state-sponsored forced labor of Uyghurs. A recent report called “Built on Repression” from the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University and Materials Research L3C highlights a new and concerning industry in the region: PVC production. According to the report, The Uyghur Region has become a world leader in the production of PVC plastics in recent years. The seven PVC manufacturers in the XUAR produce 10% of the world’s PVC. China, as a whole supplies 63% of U.S. vinyl flooring.

There are many products coming out of the XUAR that are manufactured using forced labor, but none compare to PVC flooring when it comes to human and environmental health effects. According to “Built on Repression” author Jim Vallette, “There’s nothing like it on Earth in the combination of climate and toxic pollution. And workers are living there 24/7.”

Part 2: A History of Abuse

Image generated by Architizer using Midjourney

The toxicity of vinyl production has been a well documented fact for decades and labor abuses have been part and parcel of the industry from the start. As the chemical industry began ramping up PVC production in the ‘60s and 70’s, laying the groundwork for its eventual widespread use, they discovered that vinyl chloride monomer (the building block of PVC) was a carcinogen. They chose to hide these findings from the public and their workers. The story of this global coverup is revealed in the groundbreaking book, “Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution” by historians Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner. By the 1970s, PVC workers across the U.S. contracted a rare form of liver cancer and the pattern forced industry leaders to go public about the dangers they had kept hidden. For more on this story, take a listen to the episode of HML’s podcast, Trace Material, entitled “The House of Documents” that features interviews with Gerald Markowitz and other key players that pulled back the curtain on the early PVC industry.

While working conditions have improved in the U.S.,there is unfortunately no safe way to produce, use or dispose of PVC. Workers, residents and fenceline communities continue to be exposed to cancer-causing chemicals. In China, the situation is even more dire. Chinese makers of PVC use an outdated and extremely toxic production method that is far more dangerous to people and the planet. The Uyghur Region has become a locus of PVC production in part because of the plentiful coal resources in the region. Factories are set up adjacent to coal mines and use coal fired power plants as an energy source. They incorporate an incredibly toxic mercury-based catalyst in the production process. This is one of the last remaining places on the planet where this method of production is utilized. The plants in the XUAR will release an “estimated 49 million tons of global warming gasses, each producing more than any other similar plant” and the estimated air emissions are equal to more than half of the air releases of mercury (14.8 tons) reported in all manufacturing in all of the United States in 2020, according to the “Built on Repression” report. At grave cost to our planet and bodies, XUAR-manufactured PVC and the products made from it have become absurdly inexpensive. U.S. manufactures are unable to compete and Chinese PVC has become the most common material in all new floors sold in the U.S.

Global demand for luxury vinyl tile has meant massive growth for a toxic industry in China. To keep up with demand, the government of the People’s Republic of China has instigated a sweeping program of forced labor in the XUAR. One of the primary methods used by the government are “labor transfer” programs. According to the “Built on Repression” report, “Through state agency labor recruiters, the PRC government compels people to be transferred to farms and factories across the Uyghur Region. Others have been ‘transferred’ thousands of miles into the interior of China to work in factories. The XUAR government estimates that it has deployed these programs 2.6 million times.”

The report states that refusal to participate in these programs can be considered “a sign of religious extremism and punishable with internment or prison in the Uyghur region.” Uyghurs are effectively unable to refuse a “transfer” or leave a job assigned to them. Millions have been separated from their families in what is tantamount to human trafficking and enslavement.

Part 3: New Cancer Alleys

Image generated by Architizer using Midjourney

The U.S. government has responded to these atrocities by passing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The act effectively bans all imports whose origin can be traced to the Uyghur region. Tracing the origins of LVT has become increasingly difficult as China has made their supply chains even more complicated and opaque. PVC resins created in the XUAR are shipped to Thailand or Vietnam to be turned into flooring before export. The U.S. flooring industry has responded by returning as much production to the U.S. as possible. But, without forced labor and cheap coal, manufacturers can’t match price and capacity demands. While the steps to divest from an industry propped up by forced labor are certainly positive, ramping up domestic production of PVC brings risks to the health of U.S. workers and communities living near the factories. The heart of plastics production in the U.S. sits along the Mississippi River in Louisiana. The area has become known as Cancer Alley because residents are about 50 times more at risk of developing cancer than the average American. As the plastics industry vacates China and returns to the U.S., it’s building new cancer alleys in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Our demand for inexpensive flooring outsourced cancer, now that demand is bringing cancer home.

So what should be done? According to Gerald Markowitz, we need to stop using PVC altogether. Here are his suggestions:

“The United States should begin eliminating PVC by categories of use. Legislation has been floated in California to prohibit PVC in food packaging — a ban that could be expanded to other nonessential needs. Though PVC is inexpensive, it is replaceable in most cases. Alternatives include glass, ceramics, linoleum, polyesters and more.

Also, discarded PVC should be labeled a hazardous waste. The designation would put the burden on users for its safe storage, transportation and disposal, creating an incentive to accelerate its elimination.”

We at Healthy Materials Lab agree. LVT is durable, easy to install and maintain, inexpensive and toxic. Its low purchase price is outweighed by a massive cost to human and planetary health. By refusing to specify LVT, architects and designers act as advocates on behalf of the health of all communities. Attractive, affordable, healthier flooring products exist. Take a look at part one of this series (or the healthy flooring materials collection on our website) for a list of some alternatives that include healthy materials like cork, hempwood and linoleum. And, stay tuned for the final installment of the series where we will take a closer look at what happens to LVT at the end of its life and the limits of its circularity.

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 11th Annual A+Awards! Interested in participating next season? Sign up for key information about the 12th Annual A+Awards, set to launch this fall.

Reference

© Shomali Design Studio (Yaser Rashid Shomali & Yasin Rashid Shomali)

Architecture

30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran

By Zarkon Group,22/09/2023

Iran is the second largest country in the Middle East. It is vastly characterized by its diverse cultural heritage and history and distinct landscape topology. Being a descendant of many advanced ancient civilizations and part of the Persian empire, as well as deeply influenced by Islamic culture, Iran holds a rich architectural tradition. After becoming an independent country in 1979, Iranian architects had to find ways to preserve this vivid historical fabric while also satisfying society’s growing needs. Currently, their designs are a blend of tradition and modernity that has introduced a new, contemporary layer to Iranian architecture.

Iran is also a country with a strategic geographical location and valuable natural resources, which, unfortunately, has led to many geopolitical and economic challenges. In this context, architecture played a definitive role, especially under the umbrella of cultural and environmental sustainability. Responding to the vastly changing urban and natural landscapes as well as the water scarcity and desertification, Iranian architects have prioritized topographically as well as socially impactful architectural designs that aid local communities.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Iran based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Iran architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Iran:

30. Shomali Design Studio (Yaser Rashid Shomali & Yasin Rashid Shomali)

Shomali Design is a studio of designers based in Tehran, Iran. We consider architecture to be a form of cultural production. Our work extends across the globe and engages the realms of art and architecture.

Some of Shomali Design Studio (Yaser Rashid Shomali & Yasin Rashid Shomali)’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Shomali Design Studio (Yaser Rashid Shomali & Yasin Rashid Shomali) achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	1

29. EZ Studio (Pedram Ezadi)

A multi-disciplinary practice based in Iran-Esfahan which specializes in architecture, interior architecture, to the landscaping and curation of art work to create an integrated complete environment for clients. Our processes bring us into contact with many skilled trades which enable us to fabricate many bespoke items for our client’s projects where an item may not be available off the shelf. Founded in 2015, the practice manifests architecture across diverse scales of design with superlative craft, detail and materiality.

Architectural discourse is applied in equal measure to each of the disciplines — architecture, interior and design to create highly resolved buildings, spaces and objects beautifully balanced in form, function and detail. Our unique architectural approach to design traces context, environment, sustainability and human behavior to create spaces and experiences individual to each project, location and client. As a boutique design driven office, we are recognized through consistent high quality of design and professionalism at optimized budget.

Some of EZ Studio (Pedram Ezadi)’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped EZ Studio (Pedram Ezadi) achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

28. ArmaniArchitects

Λrmani Λrchitects is an innovative multidisciplinary collaborative practice founded by Amir Armani Asl and Kiana Ghader that focuses on architecture, interior design, landscape design, custom fabrication and parametric design and design objects.

Some of ArmaniArchitects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ArmaniArchitects achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	5

27. Boozhgan Architectural Studio

Boozhgan Architectural Studio was established in 2007 By Hamed Badri Ahmadi. Boozhgan has been involved in various projects with different scales, such as: residential buildings, offices and workspaces, commercial complexes as well as renovation and reconstruction of private houses and public historical buildings, which are either built or are under construction and have been awarded and honored by national and international architectural competitions. In our design process, we try to benefit from all the positive capacities of the site and the project and convert it to a simple and clear solution.

Some of Boozhgan Architectural Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Asef Office Building, Tehran, Iran
Haiat- e – Elahie Residential Building, Tehran, Iran
Renovation Of a House, Zanjān, Iran,
NEGAH OFFICE BUILDING, Tehrān, Iran,
Baranoosh Residential Building , Tehrān, Iran

The following statistics helped Boozhgan Architectural Studio achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	8

26. FEASTUDIO

The office of “Fundamental Architectural Experience” [FEASTUDIO] was founded by Arash Nasiri and Ensieh Khamse in 2006. The office has tried so far to achieve a consistent, coherent language in their work based on their progressive experiences and the relations between the ideas and the work, a distinctive language by which to avoid architectural production being merely in the line of exigency and to push boundaries in order to let creativity and active, multilateral strategies in.

Some of FEASTUDIO’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped FEASTUDIO achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

25. Cedrus Studio

© Studio DeeD (Masih Mostajeran / Hakim Hemadi )

Cedrus is a Tehran-based, research-driven design and construction studio founded by Mohammad Mehdi Saeedi in 2017. The studio supported by a passionate team of skilled architects, landscape architects and interior designers. The studio’s projects range from single-family villas to residential, commercial and mixed-use large-scale complexes.

Some of Cedrus Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Peyvand Residential Building, Tehran, Iran
Cedrus Residential Building, Tehran, Iran
Villa 174, Babolsar, Iran
Elite Cafe, Tehran, Iran
Shariat Villa, Karaj, Iran

The following statistics helped Cedrus Studio achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	9

24. KA Studio (Khavarian Architecture Studio)

Mohammad Khavarian is an Iranian architecture firm that practices architecture, urbanism, interior design and research with a team of seventy plus Iranian architects and designers working together worldwide. Through its intensely involved and focused practice. Mohammad Khavarian applies critical thinking to a process that extends beyond the boundaries of architectural production to realize specific and unexpected solutions. It seeks to engage people and cultures, technologies and materials, psychologies and experiences. and recognizes architecture as a connective and Fundamental social construct. Architectures imaged as a matrix from which to construct future realities — conceptual, spatial and experiential — and a rigorous search for new potentials to realize specific unexpected solutions inhabited by the lives of people and cities

Some of KA Studio( Khavarian Architecture Studio)’s most prominent projects include:

Yast Khaneh, Yazd, Iran
IMPI Office building, Tehran, Iran
Variant house, Tehran, Iran
Dehnou school, Jiroft, Iran
Tabriz university metro station, Tabriz, Iran

The following statistics helped KA Studio( Khavarian Architecture Studio) achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	5

23. ReNa Design

Founded in 2012, ReNa Design is a young architectural group active in design, architecture and research. The office is primarily concerned with issues of functionality and context. This approach is easily seen through the firm’s projects, ranging in different categories and types. ReNa Design pays a great amount of attention and care to materials and construction technology which are in turn applied to completely innovative and non-conventional conditions. Since its inception, ReNa Design has won many national awards and competitions in fields of architecture, design and interior design.

Some of ReNa Design’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ReNa Design achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	3

22. Arsh4d Studio

Arsh4d, a team of designers led by Alireza Sherafati and Pantea Eslami, seeks select projects that fundamentally re-think how buildings interact with people and the natural environment. Starting with intensive research, we seek to understand each project in its environmental, cultural, and contemporary context, so that our work may engage with layers of time and a strong sense of place. We believe our projects are part of a larger whole, acting as a joint helping to bind and enhance their context for human experiences. We’re passionate about human-centered design, and how design can impact our lives through sustainability, resilience, well-being, diversity and inclusion, and mobility. And we’re committed to advancing design through research.

Our portfolio includes a wide range of projects from the small scale of a private home to the large scale of urban design. Many projects are highly recognized public facilities, such as plazas, shopping malls and headquarters, and they have completed distinguished private projects including offices, public entertainment facilities and apartment buildings.

Some of Arsh4d Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Stacked Garden Villas`, Namakabrud, Iran
Candy Shop, Tehran, Iran
Villa Residential, Tehran, Iran
UP VILLA, Abali, Iran
ARG Shopping Mall, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped Arsh4d Studio achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	5

21. ayeneh office

Since its inception in 2001 by Ali Soltani and Atefeh Karbasi, the Ayeneh Office officially started its architectural activities in 2003. Architects of the Ayeneh Office believe that architecture like a mirror should reflect the context or the surrounding environment in the general sense. Context in this regard refers to the setting that a project begins to happen. Architecture welcomes the good way of living in a place and accepts its goodness.

In other words, architecture, in one sense, acts as mirror to reflect the life of its context, and broadly speaking, it even reflects many features of the context (such as technology, crafting skills, economics, politics, crafting duration, and culture). The approach and design method in the Ayeneh office is to delve into the heart of both the subject and the place in order to reflect or increase their desirability. We try to excavate the project subject — which is the life that is going to flow in it — as well as its location to find the initial concepts shaping the design and then epitomize it in our architecture.

Some of ayeneh office’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ayeneh office achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	3

20. BRACKET Design studio

Bracket Design Studio is a full-service design firm founded in 2006 by Shervin Hosseini. We offer services in urban design, interior space planning, furniture design and architecture from micro to macro scale. Our highly collaborative staff comes from wide-ranging theoretical and practical backgrounds, including designing, scripting, planning and construction of public and private projects.

Offering innovative insights, materials and technology into our projects, we strongly consider the available possibilities of the site and the needs of clients in order to find the best solutions by constantly revising and redefining the projects. Each project, for us, entails its own singular approach which is essentially developed out of experience and intuition.

Some of BRACKET Design studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped BRACKET Design studio achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	6

19. Alidoost & Partners

Founded and directed by Shahab Alidoost and Sona Eftekharazam, Alidoost and Partners is a multidisciplinary office that focuses on architecture and design, from large scale planning to furniture. Rich with multiple expertises, our office is fueled by talented designers and experienced architects that jointly develop projects from early sketches to on-site supervision. All of which, regardless of scale, outlines an approach that is affirmatively social in its outcome, enthusiastic in its ambition and professional in its process.

At the core of our architecture is the ability to take a fresh look at design issues through experienced eyes. Our approach aims at turning intense research and analysis of practical and theoretical matters into the driving forces of design. By continuously developing rigorous methods of analysis and execution, Alidoost & Partners is able to combine innovative thinking and efficient production.

Some of Alidoost & Partners’s most prominent projects include:

GOLIRAN Flower Shop, Rasht, Iran
3×2, Tehran, Iran
MIKA-911, Tehran, Iran
“NILOOFAR” Residential Building, Tehran, Iran
Facade Renovation of ALVAND Office Building, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped Alidoost & Partners achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	12

18. HABIBEH MADJDABADI Architecture Studio

HABIBEH MADJDABADI, born in 1977, is an Iranian architect, author, designer, and speaker. In 2002 she graduated by a Master’s degree in Architecture from Azad University of Tehran and started her professional career in 2003 by establishing her design studio in Tehran right after winning first prize in the design competition of restoring a historical building (belonging to Zand dynasty) in Iran.

Madjdabadi emphasizes the role of culture and geographical matters in her designs as well as putting a vast attention into choosing the materials and methods of fabrication. Materials are important means of ‘expression’ in her works and she considers them from a poetic point of view.

Some of HABIBEH MADJDABADI Architecture Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Genetic Mutation II (Villa CHAR BAGH ), Karaj, Iran
VALIASR Square, Tehran Province, Iran
Mahtabi House, Golpayegan, Iran
40 Knots House, Tehran, Iran
Mellat Bank Pilot Façade, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped HABIBEH MADJDABADI Architecture Studio achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	13

17. KanLan [Kamran Heirati, Tallan Khosravizadeh]

Kamran Heirati Architects was established to enhance the architecture and human experience by incorporating Iran’s authentic culture into its designs and respond to today’s community challenges. Established in 2001, this office has produced award-winning architectural and interior design projects across Iran and other countries.

Some of KanLan [Kamran Heirati, Tallan Khosravizadeh]’s most prominent projects include:

A+Awards Finalist	”1″
Featured Projects	”3″
Total Projects	”4″

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16. 35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office

35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office was founded by Hamid Abbasloo, Abbas Yaghooti, Neda Adiban Rad in 2014. They are involved in architecture, interior design and landscape projects in the Iran and beyond.

Some of 35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped 35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	2

15. Davood Boroojeni Office

As a technically competent architecture firm with over 15 years of professional experience, we have been involved in different stages of architectural projects including the conception of preliminary design ideas, schematic design and design development, as well as producing submittal packages, visual presentations, construction documents, layouts and details through close dialogue with clients, producers and other engineers. We believe that our communication skills, public relations and problem-solving experience, combined with our background in related software, and our ability to research, schedule and coordinate design in various stages of the project, has made us a firm to depend on, and a key team member.

Some of Davood Boroojeni Office’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Davood Boroojeni Office achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	4

14. Rvad Studio

RVAD Architecture Studio is co-founded in Tehran, Iran in 2020 by two young Iranian architects, Ms. Hannaneh Misaghi and Mr. Hasan Dehghanpour. The studio’s design ideals are focused on extending the relationship between architecture and humanity with consideration of history and culture so as to produce designs appropriate for each site and in service of both the society and its citizens. RVAD Studio aims to present architectural solutions focused on the needs of future generations and their potential in view of each project’s benefit to present a new perspective on social relationships. The design projects range from single-family houses to residential, commercial and mixed-use large-scale complexes, to urban master plans.

Some of Rvad Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Rvad Studio achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	2

13. BonnArq Architects

Behzad Atabaki Studio is an architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, interior design and furniture design studio. It was founded by Behzad Atabaki in 1999 and is currently a team of professionals such as architects, model makers, landscape designers and fine artists. The studio has adopted a multidisciplinary approach towards its projects, becoming involved in all stages of design and construction.

Some of BonnArq Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Niayesh Office Building, Tehran, Iran
Park residential, Tehran, Iran
Villa Didaar, Nowshahr, Iran
Aftab Office Building, Tehran, Iran
ChaharGah House, Mosha, Iran

The following statistics helped BonnArq Architects achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	6

12. RYRA Studio

RYRA Design and construction studio was founded in 2000 with a goal of creating unique spaces by using new aspects of contemporary architecture. It seeks to develop designs that encompass in an expressive way the spatial needs, the spirit of the location and the constructive solution of the project. Artistic view is a key factor in RYRA design approach.

The work of RYRA in these years resulted in a collection of varied types in different fields of architecture which have been widely published and exhibited; this firm won several prizes in the most prestigious competitions held in Iran and abroad for its innovative designs. Vali-Asr building of this studio has been selected as the best office building of the year in World Architecture Festival in 2010.

Some of RYRA Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped RYRA Studio achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	5

11. Admun Studio

Considering contemporary lifestyle requirements while having future in mind, we believe in diagrammatic approaches toward tradition rather than formal repetition.

Some of Admun Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Cloaked in Bricks, Tehran, Iran
Aperture, Bumehen, Iran
Chooji restaurant, Tehran, Iran
Tiraje Cinema, Tehran, Iran
Laico Showroom, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped Admun Studio achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	8

10. AshariArchitects

Ashari Architects was founded by Iranian architect and university professor Amir Hossein Ashari. It is an Architecture Office firm designing primarily Residential Architecture.

Some of AshariArchitects’s most prominent projects include:

Sadra Library, Shiraz, Iran
TRIANGLE CAFE, Shiraz, Iran
THE PAUSE, Shiraz, Iran
Life Bridge, Shiraz, Iran
Urban Bridge, Isfahan, Iran

The following statistics helped AshariArchitects achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	28

9. Marizad Architects

Mohsen Marizad Architects bases its design process on the understanding of systems and relationships which are derived from the project criteria, translating these systems into computational parameters from which the design is developed. The practice is not only involved in large-scale architectural projects but product design and academia as well. However, all activities are based on a process of experimentation, discovery and implementation which encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and a bottom-up approach to design.

Some of Marizad Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Marizad Architects achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	7

8. New Wave Architecture (Lida Almassian / Shahin Heidari)

Founded in 2006, New Wave Architecture is a 150 person innovative architecture design firm in Tehran, Iran. It has been nationally and internationally honored with architecture‘s prestigious awards, publications, competitions and citation for design excellence with extensive experience in the campus and educational faculties, specialized hospitals and health care facilities. Other projects include retail design, residential work and recreational facilities. Over 120 projects has been designed, accomplished or due to be completed.

New Wave architecture seeks for global language of architecture to approach an innovative and challenging contemporary movement.It explores the new ways of emerging ideas, demanding and distinctive spaces regarding the aesthetic aspects, humanity and global communication.

Some of New Wave Architecture (Lida Almassian / Shahin Heidari)’s most prominent projects include:

Polour Rock Gym, Polour, Iran
Meygoun Residential Complex, Meygun, Iran
Turbosealtech New incubator and Office building, Tehran, Iran
Three Views / A House, Mosha, Iran
Iran Pavilion – Expo 2015, Milano, Italy

The following statistics helped New Wave Architecture(Lida Almassian / Shahin Heidari) achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	11

7. Nextoffice

Alireza Taghaboni, a practicing architect since 2004, founded Next Office in 2009. Taghaboni is also a painter and holds a PhD degree in Architecture. A frequent contributor to Iranian architecture and urbanism magazines and periodicals, he is a tutor and partner at the center for contemporary architecture, a private institution in Tehran that offers an alternative architectural education program.

Next Office, based in Tehran, aims to provide a contemporary alternative to traditional Iranian architecture, responding to the climate conditions, economic, socio political and cultural context of each project. The practice’s work ranges from single-family houses to residential, commercial and mixed-use large-scale complexes, to urban master plans. Over the past decade, the practice has won several Memar Awards, a prestigious national award for architecture in Iran held annually, making it one of the top prize-winning practices in the country.

Some of Nextoffice’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Nextoffice achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	10

6. CAAT Studio

Mahdi Kamboozia established CAAT Studio (C/KambooziA ArchitecTure Studio) in 2015. The CAAT Studio activity can be construction engineering in the context, to the closer the distance from the idea of the design to the construction. The opinion that future architecture is not only about the advancement of design and construct technology but also in proposing ideas tailored to the new conditions in social relations. This look has evolved over the years to deal with different projects and the growth and development of the studio. We are looking forward to confronting the projects with design problems and come up with a solution. Each assignment defines a different story which shows there are varying answers to each task.

Some of CAAT Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Private Jewelry Retail office #04, Tehran, Iran
Kamyaran City School, Kamyaran, Iran
Forgotten spaces / Anthropology Open Air Museum / under the Mirdamad Bridge, Tehran, Iran
Isfahan H to V House, Isfahan, Iran
Kahrizak Residential #01, Kahrizak, Iran

The following statistics helped CAAT Studio achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	7

5. Farshad MehdiZadeh Design | FMZD

Farshad MehdiZadeh Design | FMZD was founded by Farshad Mehdizadeh in 2012 in Tehran. In our opinion architecture cannot be designed outside of context, urban activities and relevant interactions. Actually, the context is what brings interactions and life into architecture and redefines the architectural elements. This leads us to design and define the border between the private and public domains. The context gets its particular character from defining the border between inside and outside, Public and private or architecture and metropolis in response to the situations around.

In all my projects my practice has tried to realize architecture not as an icon added to a site, but as an extension or combination of behaviors, events and urban interactions which organize and manipulate the landscape. This is the way that we make our design more sustainable and related to the context. During these projects my design team has also focused on the context to use the local material, construction techniques and apply local and traditional construction workers who sometimes compel us to go to the site and teach them how to improve and apply their local techniques to the project.

Some of Farshad MehdiZadeh Design | FMZD’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Farshad MehdiZadeh Design | FMZD achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	17

4. Kalbod Design Studio

Kalbod Design Studio is one of the subsets of Kalbod Construction Group, which works in the field of execution and design, was established by Mohammad Rahimizadeh in 2016. During his years of activity, he has designed various projects with a variety of uses. With the aim of providing a contemporary alternative to traditional Iranian architecture, tries responding accurately to challenges of the climatic, economic, political, social and cultural conditions of each project. In addition to creativity and quality, the kalbod studio knows the needs and limitations of its projects well and designs beyond nationalities and specialized disciplines, regardless of borders.

Some of Kalbod Design Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Kalbod Design Studio achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	19

3. ZAV Architects

ZAV’s Practice of Architecture: An Unfinished Plan to challenging the earth defining our theoretical framework of ZAV, making us realize that the structure and spaces organizing the work of ZAV need to be reconsidered in the actual building of the office. In 2018 our office was redesigned in accordance to the framework. Each title represents a space inside the office and states its mission.

Architecture can redefine its capacities beyond the limits put in place by the building industry and is able to shift its operation field from that of a passive object to designing an entire process to get engaged as a socio-political agent. ZAV’s solution for attaining social optimum in a developing economy is incorporating architecture in the GDP.

Some of ZAV Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped ZAV Architects achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	3
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	12

2. Hooba Design

Born in 1978, Hooman Balazadeh is the founder and executive director of HOOBA Design Group. Gaining his Master of Architecture in 2003, Balazadeh started working at Shirdel & Partners, where he was a design member for two years, active on several projects. Balazadeh established HOOBA Design in 2007 with the aim of developing projects in harmony with the cultural and geographical characteristics of the site so that each project forms a new platform for research and investigation. This office has focused on various topics such as light, color, relation between architecture and the city, building materials, development of spatial diagrams in the Persian Architecture, etc.

Some of Hooba Design’s most prominent projects include:

Sharif Office Building, Tehran, Iran
Espriss Café, Tehran, Iran
Ozgol Residential Apartment, Tehran, Iran
Valiahdi Office Building, Karaj, Iran
Aptus Factory Showroom, Karaj, Iran

Top image: Hitra Office & Commercial Building, Tehran, Iran

The following statistics helped Hooba Design achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	5
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	20

1. Mado Architects

The Tehran-based MADO STUDIO was founded by Maziar Dolatabadi on 1998. In the beginning it was working under the title AXIS when it changed its name to MADO on 2017. During these years MADO has designed and executed over 300 projects with different usages around the world, with the purpose of designing and creating new and distinguished architectural spaces. In these years of nonstop activities, we have created numerous imaginative ideas with executable solutions for our projects. With these ideas and solutions, we have continuously managed to utilize spaces in the best way possible while minimizing our clients’ cost and implementation time.

Some of Mado Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Mado Architects achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Iran:

A+Awards Winner	3
Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	35

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.

Reference

restoration unveils centuries-old wooden roof structure inside portuguese residence

Architecture

restoration unveils centuries-old roof structure inside portuguese residence

By Zarkon Group,21/09/2023

Combo Studio revives Casa São Victor in Porto

Combo Studio breathes new life into Casa São Victor, a historical building in Porto dating back to 1880-1881 that had lost its original charm due to ill-fated interventions that compromised its architectural integrity and spatial essence. The profit-driven alterations convert the building into collective housing, overshadowing its intrinsic character. The renovation aims to uncover the building’s original attributes preserving its heritage. Originally conceived as a single-family residence, the house features high ceilings, intricate carpentry, and a central staircase crowned by a conical skylight. The project revives the original spatial quality and comfort by subtracting any intrusive elements from the interior.

The project centers primarily on the revitalization of the building’s interior, excluding the untouched ground-floor commercial space. Spanning four floors, the dwelling’s layout unfolds connecting the various levels through the central staircase. The first floor houses the living area and kitchen, while the second floor offers a bedroom and bathroom. Ascending to the third floor reveals another bedroom and bathroom.

all images by Alexander Bogorodskiy

renovation reinterprets original architectural attributes

Originally conceived for an artist, a flexible studio-bedroom is devised on the top floor, offering versatility for combining sleeping areas with artistic pursuits. Along the entire length of the main wall, the design team installs a tripartite folding table, an adaptable centerpiece that can assume multiple configurations tailored to the workspace’s needs, discreetly folding into a wall paneling when not in use.

The restoration extends to the replacement of certain carpentry elements, such as craft baseboards and doors with their respective jambs. A restored partition wall within the water closet, unveiled during demolitions, now serves as a statement piece. In the top-floor bedroom, the removal of a false ceiling unveils the entire roof structure and a petite mansard, infusing the space with an airy expanse and natural light. Traditional materials like wood, Estremoz marble, and azulejos, along with a palette of light hues are thoughtfully chosen to visually amplify the interior’s sense of space. The aesthetic and formal features of the building’s original period act as a guide for the renovation project as elements from the past resurface, reinterpreted with a modern touch. The kitchen echoes old kitchens with grand chimneys and stone sinks, simplified for contemporary living.

in the top-floor bedroom, the removal of a false ceiling unveils the entire roof structure

the project revives the original spatial quality by subtracting any intrusive elements from the interior

the house features high ceilings, intricate carpentry, and a central staircase crowned by a conical skylight

spanning four floors, the dwelling’s layout unfolds connecting the levels through the central staircase

Reference

Architecture

Mork-Ulnes creates house in San Francisco that “breaks from tradition”

By Zarkon Group,20/09/2023

Mork-Ulnes Architects has completed the Silver Lining House, a crisp, gabled home clad in black-stained cedar that was designed for an architectural photographer and interior designer.

Located on a sloped site in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighbourhood, the house sits among Victorian and Edwardian homes that line the area’s hilly streets.

The project was designed for architectural photographer Bruce Damonte and interior designer Alison Damonte, who have long been friends with architect Casper Mork-Ulnes, founder of Mork-Ulnes Architects.

The couple, who are avid collectors, desired a home that showcased their treasured belongings and supported their creative work.

Gabled home by Mork-Ulnes — Mork-Ulnes Architects designed the home with a gabled roof

“We knew from the outset that this project would be an interesting collaboration, balancing our reductive tendencies with the more exuberant and maximalist impulses of our client/friends, whose style we had always admired and wanted to celebrate,” said Casper Mork-Ulnes.

The architect and his team at Mork-Ulnes Architects – which has offices in San Francisco and Oslo – conceived a home for the Damontes that “conceptually functions as a container for their furniture and art collections and a laboratory for their work”.

Penthouse-style white kitchen with gabled roof — The top level was envisioned as a penthouse-type space

Rectangular in plan, the home rises three levels and features a crisp, gabled form. Facades are clad in strips of black-stained cedar and are punctured with openings of varying sizes.

The architects took cues from the surrounding context when deciding on key design elements such as scale, massing and cladding – but they also strayed from the norm.

Living room interior design in San Francisco home by Mork-Ulnes — It feature a living space

“While replicating the roof forms, entry portal/stoop and massing of the Victorian homes, the new house also breaks from tradition with a black-painted facade and ribbon windows that visually connect the interior of the house to the neighbourhood,” the team said.

“Tradition is reinterpreted here with a decidedly contemporary perspective, where formal research and construction techniques are integral to creating an original and innovative outcome that engages its surroundings while also prompting further inquiry,” the team added.

Totalling 2,818 square feet (261 square metres), the home has a “flipped floor plan”, in which private quarters are found on lower levels and communal spaces are placed up high.

The ground level holds a garage, primary bedroom suite, laundry room and sunken garden. The main entrance is found on the first floor, where the team placed a guest suite, a home office, two bathrooms and intimate spaces for relaxing and entertaining.

Rooftop terrace — A terrace offers sweeping views of the city

The top level – envisioned as a penthouse-type space – encompasses a kitchen, dining area, living room and powder room. A terrace offers sweeping views of the city.

Floors are linked by a curved staircase topped with a skylight. Half-polished chrome slats bounce reflections around the stairwell, an effect meant to “mimic the experience of walking through a disco ball”.

Mirrored surfaces are found in other parts of the house, lending a feeling of playfulness while also producing spacial and light-generating effects, the team said.

Overall, the home’s interior design – overseen by Alison Damonte – offers a mix of colours, textures and patterns that “reflect the owners’ collective creative spirit”, the team said.

Sustainability was in mind throughout the project, leading to the inclusion of elements such as high-performance windows, exterior solar shading and energy-efficient appliances.

Rooftop solar panels generate electricity that can be stored in a Powerwall battery system, and unused electricity is sent back to the power grid.

Interior design by Alison Damonte — The home’s interior design was overseen by Alison Damonte

The home’s completion marks the end of a journey spanning more than a decade.

In 2010, the Damontes purchased a modest residence in Bernal Heights dating to the early 1900s.

Colourful table inside Silver Lining House by Mork-Ulnes Architects — Silver Lining House includes various colourful accents

Several years later, they enlisted Mork-Ulnes to renovate the house, and just when plans were being finalized in 2017, the house caught fire and was partly destroyed.

The team salvaged what they could and reworked the design.

Silver Lining House by Mork-Ulnes Architects — The home’s completion marks the end of a journey spanning more than a decade

“While the incident forced a reevaluation of scope and scale of the redesign, the couple’s goal remained the same – to create a home that acted as a capsule of art and inspiration,” the team said.

Other projects by Mork-Ulnes include an eight-sided house in Oregon that was built using cross-laminated timber and a California residence clad in Corten steel to protect the building from wildfire.

The photography is by Bruce Damonte.

Project credits:

Architect: Mork-Ulnes Architects
Project design team: Casper Mork-Ulnes, Lexie Mork-Ulnes, Phi Van Phan, Gregoriy Ladigin
Interior designer: Alison Damonte
Construction manager: Raffi Nazarian
Landscape architect: Terremoto
Structural engineer: Santos & Urritia
Lighting design: PritchardPeck
General contractor: Rico’s General Construction, Inc
Cabinetmaker: Hopebuilt

Reference

Architecture

Architectural Details: Why Metal Is the Perfect Material for Dynamic Educational Projects

By Zarkon Group,19/09/2023

As designers imagine the future of educational buildings, the values and materials of today will inform school environments for decades to come. With priorities around durability, longevity, cost-efficiency, and ease of installation, metal plays a starring role in high-traffic education spaces.

For its renewability, durability, and ever-evolving versatility, architectural metal offers long-term solutions that bring beauty, reliability and safety to schools. At Presidio Knolls School in San Francisco, and the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences in Seattle, Washington, leading metal manufacturer BŌK Modern’s solutions have set a new standard for how educational spaces are designed and experienced.

Presidio Knolls School. Photo by Ken Gutmaker

Nestled in San Francisco’s SoMa District, Presidio Knolls School is a serene escape from the bustling city. Studio Bondy Architecture was tasked with renovating the PKS campus, including two historic buildings and the main U-Wing building containing the interior courtyard.

The team wanted to design a new public-facing identity while creating a safe, enduring environment for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. They called on BŌK Modern to design custom metal treatments for the building’s exterior façade, front gate, interior stairs, and balcony guardrails to strike that balance.

Presidio Knolls School. Photo by Kevin Quach

The distinctive element of the façade and interior courtyard is the perforated metal screen used across all solutions. The pattern is based on a Chinese ice-ray design, a common motif in wood lattice window designs in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,” says Laura Rambin, Principal at Studio Bondy Architecture. “On the street-facing façade, the pattern decreases in density as it rises to the third story of the building, giving a feeling of lightness. Within the interior courtyard, the pattern creates dynamic shadows and has the effect of standing in a bamboo forest.”

Presidio Knolls School. Photo by Kevin Quach

Designing patterns for kid-centric environments can be challenging, so BŌK and Studio Bondy Architecture carefully selected a pattern that didn’t prohibit climbing but naturally discouraged them from doing so. The custom ice-ray design also has holes too small for toes and feet to fit, and narrow vertical openings prevent anyone from crawling through.

Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences. Photo by Rachel Godbe

In the common areas of the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences’ new STREAM building, The Miller Hull Partnership tapped BŌK Modern to collaborate on guardrails, stairs, and louver covers for the school’s interior. The fun and open patterning, combined with a consistent look, helped to unify the space for students and faculty alike.

Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences. Photo by Rachel Godbe

Turning structural staircases into textural focal points, BŌK Modern fabricated their panels from 14GA steel with a primer and powder-coated finish for durability. Specified in the A26 pattern across all solutions, the finished products elevate the staircases beyond essential elements of the complex while letting the student’s art installations shine.

Providing architects and designers with endless possibilities to create engaging and resilient educational environments that can withstand the test of time, architectural metal provides sustainable, cost-saving solutions that will be part of a school’s identity for decades to come. Inspiring creativity and enhancing learning, BŌK Modern’s educational projects embrace metal materials as catalysts for resilient structures and compelling design.

To see more architectural case studies and learn more about how metal could be utilized in your next project, visit BŌK Modern’s website.

Credits & Key Information

Presidio Knolls School

Architect / Designer: Studio Bondy Architecture
Contractor: Plant
Construction Photography: Ken Gutmaker and Kevin Quach
Location: San Francisco, CA
Product Type: Wallscreen, Stair Guardrail, Gate, Balcony Guardrail

Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences

Architect / Designer: Miller Hull General
Contractor: GLY Construction
Photography: Rachel Godbe
Product Type: Stair Guardrail, Balcony Guardrail, Louver Cover
Location: Seattle, WA

Reference

Architecture

25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom

By Zarkon Group,18/09/2023

The United Kingdom is a treasure trove of architectural gems, with diverse buildings across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The four countries that make up the larger sovereign state each have their own unique history, which plays out in an architecturally unique way. So while London-based firms may be more heavily represented in ranked lists, many of the designers working in the city’s offices come from further afield, bringing knowledge and culture from more distant parts of the islands.

The United Kingdom’s strength is the sum of its parts. Firms commissioned with projects in the state’s more rural areas are forging a uniquely modern rural aesthetic. At the same time, growing cities in the north and south alike have served as fertile ground for new civic designs. As a result, both established and younger UK firms alike are finding ways to design more sensitive to context and typologically innovative.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in United Kingdom based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of United Kingdom architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 25 best architecture firms in United Kingdom:

25. Sheppard Robson Architects

The practice’s work is underpinned by fully integrating a sustainable design methodology that balances efficiency and performance with form.
In the practice’s 75-year history, Sheppard Robson has designed award-winning architecture, interior design and masterplanning projects around the world, building a strong reputation across numerous typologies – including office, education, residential, healthcare, science and retail projects.

From our head office in London and studios in Manchester, Glasgow and Abu Dhabi, the founding principles of innovation and sustainability continue to shape the work of the practice and its interior design group (ID:SR), reinterpreted and enlivened by the creative talent of our designers. The work of the practice benefits from an ability to have a constructive dialogue with clients and end-users, as well as collaborating closely with other members of the project team throughout the design and delivery of a project.

Some of Sheppard Robson Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Siemens Middle East Headquarters, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
BBC Broadcasting House, London, United Kingdom
The Avenue, Manchester, United Kingdom
St Ambrose College, Manchester, United Kingdom
Waingels College, Wokingham, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Sheppard Robson Architects achieve 25th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	10

24. 6a architects

6a architects was founded by Tom Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald in 2001. They are best known for their contemporary art galleries, educational buildings, artists’ studios and residential projects, often in sensitive historic environments. 6a architects rose to prominence with the completion of two critically acclaimed public art galleries, Raven Row (2009), which won a RIBA Award in 2011, and the expanded South London Gallery (2010). Recently completed projects include a new 68-room hall of residence at Churchill College, Cambridge (2016), which garnered a RIBA Regional East Award (2017), and a new studio complex for photographer Juergen Teller (2016), which was winner of both RIBA London Building of the Year (2017) and a RIBA National Award (2017).

Some of 6a architects’s most prominent projects include:

Tree House , London, United Kingdom
Façade for Paul Smith, Mayfair, London, City of London, United Kingdom
V&A Gallery 40, London, United Kingdom
Photography Studio for Juergen Teller, United Kingdom
Cowan Court, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped 6a architects achieve 24th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	6

23. Carl Turner Architects

Carl trained at the Royal College of Art, gaining a first class honors degree and a RIBA Bronze Medal (runner-up) before undertaking an MA at the Royal College of Art in London. The RCA provided a foundation for collaboration and working across platforms with an integrated approach; Carl sees his approach to design and construction as an extension of his time there as a ‘maker’.

User-focused design was embedded as a founding principle for practice, through a two year research post for the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the RCA, investigating new strategies for wayfinding for BAA plc at Heathrow’s Terminal 5. After working for Norman Foster on the Citibank Tower (Canary Wharf), and Penoyre and Prasad on various community-based projects, Carl formed a partnership (TurnerCastle).

Some of Carl Turner Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Carl Turner Architects achieve 23rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	5

22. Atelier Chang

Atelier Chang is an international design praxis based in South Kensington, London and Zurich since 2011. Our design philosophy is to create innovative design through focusing on the unembellished basics – basics of nature, social behavior and urban phenomena. To achieve this absolute simplicity of content through impactful forms takes extra effort in researching the context, a devotion to material and technology, and active interaction with other industries. Currently we work on projects in Asia and Europe at multiple scales of design, covering master plans, architecture, interior design, installations and products.

Some of Atelier Chang’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Atelier Chang achieve 22nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	4

21. Levitt Bernstein

As architects, landscape architects and urban designers, Levitt Bernstein creates award winning buildings, living landscapes and thriving urban spaces, using inventive design to solve real life challenges. Putting people at the heart of our work, each of our projects is different but the driving force behind every one is the desire to create an environment that is beautiful, sustainable and functional.

Some of Levitt Bernstein’s most prominent projects include:

Vaudeville Court, London, United Kingdom
Sutherland Road, London, United Kingdom
King’s School, Bruton, Somerset, United Kingdom
The Courtyards, Dovedale Avenue, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France

The following statistics helped Levitt Bernstein achieve 21st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	10

20. mcgarry-moon architects

McGarry-Moon Architects are a RIBA and RSUA Award Winning Practice located near Kilrea, Coleraine, Northern Ireland. At McGarry-Moon we specialise in contemporary, sustainable, environmentally conscious architecture which is of its time and place

Some of mcgarry-moon architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped mcgarry-moon architects achieve 20th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	10

19. Fraher and Findlay

Fraher Architects was founded in 2009 by Joe and Lizzie, delivering small scale and award winning residential projects throughout London. Since then, our practice has grown in size and project scope, with the aim of constantly improving areas of our expertise, and where possible, beyond those boundaries, toward even broader fields.

This has been achieved by consciously evolving our practice, and we’ve done this by placing learning, improving, and refining every aspect of what we do, at the very core of our business. This means being aware of opportunities as they arise, and being proactive in making positive change. Most visibly, it is this philosophy that led to our joining forces with Findlay Construction.

Some of Fraher and Findlay’s most prominent projects include:

The Green Studio, London, United Kingdom
The Lantern, London, United Kingdom
Fan House, London, United Kingdom
The Ladder Kitchen, London, United Kingdom
The Signal House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Fraher and Findlay achieve 19th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	16

18. John McAslan + Partners

We create architecture that improves people’s lives.We do it like this: we aim for an architecture which is rational and poetic, robust and delightful; we tread carefully and build with conviction; we tackle problems head on and think laterally; we deconstruct a brief and let a design emerge from close examination of the pieces; we don’t necessarily take ‘no’ for an answer; we believe the power of architecture extends much further than the dimensions of individual buildings; we believe architecture is about making life better. We believe that buildings should be underpinned by a powerful idea; that the idea should be an intelligent and logical response to functionality and a sense of place; and the power of that idea should be embedded in the built form.

Some of John McAslan + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

UK Holocaust Memorial
Void Practice Rooms, London, United Kingdom
King’s Cross Station, London, United Kingdom
Library + Student Hub, Ambleside Campus, University of Cumbria, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Lancaster University Engineering Building, England, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped John McAslan + Partners achieve 18th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	13

17. Hawkins\Brown

The first time someone decided to mix sweet and salty popcorn, their guests must have been horrified. Minutes later though they would be guzzling the lot. That’s the thing about new combinations — you have to be a bit odd to consider them in the first place, but when they pay off you’re left wondering how you managed before they existed. Admittedly, this isn’t a usual sort of About page for an architectural practice, but we’re not a usual sort of practice. We believe that projects come alive through uncommon combinations of ideas and people. In fact, we think that’s the only way they really come alive at all.

Some of Hawkins\Brown’s most prominent projects include:

1235 Vine Street, Los Angeles, California
Corby Cube, Corby, United Kingdom
Student Village, Royal Veterinary College, Brookmans Park, United Kingdom
Beecroft Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Park Hill, Sheffield, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped HawkinsBrown achieve 17th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	19

16. Bennetts Associates

Bennetts Associates creates sustainable and enduring architecture. As one of the UK’s leading practices, their diverse portfolio has been celebrated with more than 150 awards over 30 years and covers education, cultural and workplace projects in both the public and private sector, ranging from masterplans to small historic buildings. They are an employee-owned trust of 70 people with studios in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, and have recently earned Building Design’s Higher Education Architect of the Year 2019 Award. Bennetts Associates also leads in their field in sustainability — in April 2019 they became the world’s first architects to secure Science Based Target approval and commit to the UN’s Climate Neutral Now campaign.

Some of Bennetts Associates’s most prominent projects include:

The Royal College of Pathologists, London, United Kingdom
Storyhouse, London, United Kingdom
Jaguar Land Rover Advanced Product Creation Centre, Gaydon, United Kingdom
Bennetts Associates’ London Studio, London, United Kingdom
London Fruit and Wool Exchange, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Bennetts Associates achieve 16th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	4
Total Projects	18

15. Andy Martin Architecture

Our mission at ama is to carry out ambitious building projects at multiple scales and programmes, with a commitment to innovation, design and sustainability. We build within the city as if it is our own, and we are proud of the result and conscious of the effect that our buildings have on both the city around and the inhabitants within.

AMA was established in 2000, is a dynamic practice blending youth with experience and creativity with control. The studio takes a holistic approach to architecture and design – incorporating architects, interior designers, craftspeople, furniture, lighting and product designers.
The design of projects aims to become a ‘gesamtkunstwerk’, a totally integrated work of art, with architecture, interior design, furnishings, equipment and selected art pieces receiving equally dedicated consideration to become a cohesive whole.

Some of Andy Martin Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Andy Martin Architecture achieve 15th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	9

14. Allies and Morrison

We are architects and urbanists. We strive to design beautiful buildings that have long life and can adapt over the generations. We also shape enduring places whether new pieces of city or settlements at any scale. All our projects are concerned with the crafting of every detail and an appreciation for the uniqueness of each context.

As architects, we are known for the rigor of our technical delivery, a commitment to quality, to embedded environmental performance. As urbanists, we are known for developing plans that are flexible and pragmatic, inspirational in vision, responsive to the local climate and character. Based in London and Cambridge, we come from around the world and our diversity is one of our fundamental strengths.

Some of Allies and Morrison’s most prominent projects include:

Sir Michael Uren Hub, London, United Kingdom
100 Bishopsgate , London, United Kingdom
2150 Lake Shore, Toronto, Canada
The Design Museum, London, United Kingdom
South Place Hotel, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Allies and Morrison achieve 14th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	7
Total Projects	23

13. Alison Brooks Architects

Founded in 1996, Alison Brooks Architects has developed an international reputation for delivering design excellence and innovation in projects ranging from urban regeneration, masterplanning, public buildings for the arts, higher education and housing. ABA’s award-winning architecture is born from our intensive research into the cultural, social and environmental contexts of each project. Our approach enables us to develop pioneering solutions for our buildings and urban schemes, each with a distinct identity and authenticity.

Combined with rigorous attention to detail, ABA’s buildings have proved to satisfy our client’s expectations and positively impact the urban realm. Our approach has led ABA to be recognized with both national and international awards including Architect of the Year Award 2012 and Housing Architect of the Year 2012.

Some of Alison Brooks Architect’s most prominent projects include:

The Smile, London, United Kingdom
Lens House, London, United Kingdom
Newhall Be, Harlow, United Kingdom
Quayside, Toronto, Canada
Severn Place, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Alison Brooks Architects achieve 13th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	5

12. AL_A

Architecture studio AL_A was founded in 2009 by the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete with directors Ho-Yin Ng, Alice Dietsch and Maximiliano Arrocet. Their designs are conceived not just as buildings, but as urban propositions. Spaces that promote reciprocity between nature and neighbourhood; projects that express the identity of an institution, reflect the ambitions of a place, and hold the dreams of a community. Recently completed projects include an undergraduate and outreach centre for Wadham College at the University of Oxford and a new centre for the cancer care charity Maggie’s within the grounds of University College Hospital in Southampton.

Some of AL_A’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped AL_A achieve 12th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	10

11. Studio Seilern Architects

Studio Seilern Architects is a London based international creative practice established in 2006 by Christina Seilern with the intent of producing exceptional architecture that lasts, working across geographies, building sizes and typologies. Our diverse portfolio of built work spans the UK, Europe and Africa.

While we tackle a diversity of projects, it is our conscious decision to keep working on the smaller and larger scales both simultaneously and continuously: from new build to restoration works. Irrespective of size or context, each project we undertake informs another. The smaller scale keeps our pencils sharp on questions of intricate detailing and the unraveling of the human condition both on the living and working fronts.

Some of Studio Seilern Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Andermatt Concert Hall, Andermatt, Switzerland
El Gouna Plaza, Hurghada, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt
G.W.Annenberg Performing Arts Centre, Reading, United Kingdom
Boksto Skveras, Vilnius, Lithuania
Kensington Residence, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Studio Seilern Architects achieve 11th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	3
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	9

10. Steyn Studio

Steyn Studio is a collaborative architecture practice. We believe that design has the power to solve problems, inspire and improve lives and work hard everyday to realize this ambition. We always aim to do this honestly and with the freedom to creatively explore meaningful design solutions. Designs that make a real difference to the end-user and the client; culturally and commercially.

Some of Steyn Studio’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Steyn Studio achieve 10th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	4
Featured Projects	5
Total Projects	4

9. bureau de change

Bureau de Change is an award winning architecture practice founded by architects Katerina Dionysopoulou and Billy Mavropoulos. Its work is a direct product of the founders’ upbringing, passions and experiences — combining the pragmatism and formality of their architectural training with a desire to bring a sense of theatre, playfulness and innovation to the design of spaces, products and environments. The result is a studio where rigorous thinking and analysis are brought to life through prototyping, testing and making.

Some of bureau de change’s most prominent projects include:

The Interlock, London, United Kingdom
Homemade, London, United Kingdom
Folds House, London, United Kingdom
Slab House, London, United Kingdom
Step House, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped bureau de change achieve 9th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	16

8. Hopkins Architects

Hopkins Architects is an international architectural practice with studios in London and Dubai. Led by its five Principals, the practice’s work is rooted in clear and logical design thinking, a deep understanding of the potential of materials and craft, and consideration of context. A consistent and rigorous approach has resulted in a portfolio of ground-breaking, beautiful and functional buildings across Europe, the US and Asia which have added tangible value for both clients and users. The practice has designed and delivered a portfolio of renowned, award-winning projects, including Portcullis House at Westminster and the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome.

Some of Hopkins Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, Colby College, Waterville, Maine
Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Eton Sports & Aquatics Centre, Windsor, United Kingdom
Khor Kalba Turtle and Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
London 2012 Olympic Velodrome, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Hopkins Architects achieve 8th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	18

7. Haworth Tompkins

Photo: Helene Binet - © Haworth Tompkins

Haworth Tompkins is an award-winning British architectural studio united by a commitment to integrity, intellectual quality and the art of making beautiful buildings. Founded in 1991 by Graham Haworth and Steve Tompkins, the rapidly-growing London-based studio consists of 70 people, and specialises in bespoke buildings in the public, cultural, private and financial sectors. Acclaimed projects include the Everyman Theatre, winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2014, Young Vic Theatre, Royal College of Art campus in Battersea, Coin Street housing development and the London Library, for which they received the prestigious American Institute of Architect’s Excellence in Design award. The studio is currently working on a number of highly anticipated schemes including the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Fish Island Village, Bristol Old Vic and Kingston University.

Some of Haworth Tompkins’s most prominent projects include:

National Theatre ‘The Shed’, London, United Kingdom
Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Dovecote Studio, Snape, United Kingdom
Open Air Theatre, London, United Kingdom
Park View School, Birmingham, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Haworth Tompkins achieve 7th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	9
Total Projects	10

6. AR Design Studio

AR Design Studio is an award-winning RIBA certified contemporary architectural practice, based in Winchester, Hampshire, specializing in elegant modern new homes, extensions, renovations and multi-plot developments. Established over a decade ago by Andy Ramus, AR Design Studio is a modern architecture practice with a talented, young and ambitious team creating an exciting hub of contemporary architects. After spending four years working for several large scale practices in London on a wide variety of projects, Andy set up his practice in Winchester, Hampshire and Dorset.

Some of AR Design Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Black House, Kent, England, United Kingdom
The Climber’s Cabin, Hampshire, United Kingdom
4 Views, Winchester, United Kingdom
The Lighthouse 65, Fareham, United Kingdom
Manor House Stables, Headbourne Worthy, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped AR Design Studio achieve 6th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

Featured Projects	14
Total Projects	29

5. Adjaye Associates

Since establishing Adjaye Associates in 2000, Sir David Adjaye OBE has crafted a global team that is multicultural. The practice has studios in Accra, London, and New York with work spanning the globe. Adjaye Associates’ most well-known commission to date, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), opened in 2016 on the National Mall in Washington DC and was named “Cultural Event of the Year” by The New York Times. Further projects range in scale from private houses, bespoke furniture collections, product design, exhibitions, and temporary pavilions to major arts centers, civic buildings and master plans.

Some of Adjaye Associates’s most prominent projects include:

Winter Park Library & Events Center, Winter Park, Florida
130 William, New York, New York
Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, Skolkovo, Russia
Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, Washington, DC
Silverlight, London, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Adjaye Associates achieve 5th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	3
Featured Projects	13
Total Projects	32

4. Squire and Partners

Squire & Partners is an architecture and design practice with experience spanning four decades, earning it an international reputation for architecture informed by the history and culture of where it is placed. Their award winning portfolio, for some of the world’s leading developers, includes masterplans, private and affordable residential, workspace, retail, education and public buildings.

In addition, the practice has a series of dedicated teams for modelmaking, computer generated imaging, illustration, graphics and an established interior design department, which has created a number of bespoke product ranges. Squire & Partners’ approach responds to the unique heritage and context of each site, considering established street patterns, scale and proportions, to create timeless architecture rooted in its location.

Some of Squire and Partners’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Squire and Partners achieve 4th place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Finalist	2
Featured Projects	11
Total Projects	48

3. Heatherwick Studio

Heatherwick Studio is a team of 180 problem solvers dedicated to making the physical world around us better for everyone. Based out of our combined workshop and design studio in Central London, we create buildings, spaces, master-plans, objects and infrastructure. Focusing on large scale projects in cities all over the world, we prioritise those with the greatest positive social impact.

Working as practical inventors with no signature style, our motivation is to design soulful and interesting places which embrace and celebrate the complexities of the real world. The approach driving everything is to lead from human experience rather than any fixed design dogma. The studio’s completed projects include a number of internationally celebrated buildings, including the award-winning Learning Hub at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. The studio is currently working on 30 live projects in ten countries.

Some of Heatherwick Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Coal Drops Yard, London, United Kingdom
Maggie’s Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
Bombay Sapphire Distillery , Hampshire, United Kingdom
1000 Trees Phase 1, Shanghai, China
Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, South Africa

The following statistics helped Heatherwick Studio achieve 3rd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	11
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	20
Total Projects	13

2. Foster + Partners

Foster + Partners is a global studio for sustainable architecture, engineering, urbanism and industrial design, founded by Norman Foster in 1967. Since then, he, and the team around him, have established an international practice with a worldwide reputation. With offices across the globe, we work as a single studio that is both ethnically and culturally diverse.

Some of Foster + Partners’s most prominent projects include:

Ombú, Madrid, Spain
Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar
The Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
House of Wisdom, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Apple Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Foster + Partners achieve 2nd place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	6
A+Awards Finalist	8
Featured Projects	42
Total Projects	91

1. Zaha Hadid Architects

Internationally renowned architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects works at all scales and in all sectors to create transformative cultural, corporate, residential and other spaces that work in synchronicity with their surroundings.

Some of Zaha Hadid Architects’s most prominent projects include:

Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing, China
KnitCandela, Mexico City, Mexico
Leeza SOHO, Beijing, China
Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan
Striatus 3D Printed Bridge, Venice, Italy

Top image: Investcorp Building, Oxford, United Kingdom

The following statistics helped Zaha Hadid Architects achieve 1st place in the 25 Best Architecture Firms in United Kingdom:

A+Awards Winner	17
A+Awards Finalist	11
Featured Projects	62
Total Projects	64

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

Reference

CCY architects hides a remote, copper-clad cabin deep in the colorado rockies

Architecture

CCY architects hides this DNA alpine cabin in the colorado rockies

By Zarkon Group,17/09/2023

a mountain hideaway for nature-lovers

Deep into the rugged wilderness of Colorado‘s San Miguel County, this newly completed house known as DNA Alpine has been crafted by CCY Architects. This secluded retreat high in the Rocky Mountains offers a tranquil retreat for a family who had owned and loved the 70-acre plot of land for over two decades. Their wish for a permanent dwelling — from which they could hike, snowshoe, and cross-country ski — led to the design of this humble trio of cabins. Perched along the northern edge of a gentle bowl and backdropped by towering spruce trees, the copper-clad dwelling results from the owners’ intimate knowledge of the site. Their commitment to preserving the environment led to the structure’s minimal footprint on the land.

‘Accessible by car only in summer, occupants must reach the cabins by snowshoe in the winter months,‘ writes CCY Architects, describing the unique remoteness of the forested site.

ccy architects clusters a trio of cabins

In a thoughtful response to the hidden site’s challenging topography, CCY Architects divided DNA Alpine into three distinct buildings: the main house, garage, and sauna. This division allowed each structure to respectfully adapt to the natural contours of the land, weaving between the existing trees. These buildings are linked together by a network of walking paths.

To ensure space for gatherings across generations, the architects employed a clever strategy of multi-functional areas. Instead of allocating space for four dedicated bedrooms, a flexible room serves as an office or sleeping area with two daybeds, while a sleeping loft is nestled beneath the sloping roof. The outcome is a beautifully designed home that accommodates both the family and the environment it inhabits.

‘The clients wanted a generational house that respected their land, so we paid close attention to the scale of the structures,’ Consulting Principal John Cottle, FAIA tells designboom. ‘The house lives large, with flowing spaces, but because of the folded roof the highest point is only fourteen feet above the undulating topography. It’s a statement of deference to the beauty of the landscape.’

the copper cladding pattern mirrors the DNA sequence of the site’s heritage spruce trees

dna alpine’s namesake copper cladding

For the cladding of its DNA Alpine, CCY Architects turned to copper sheeting, which was carefully formed into four profiles that could be arranged in any pattern. Inspired by the client’s interest in synthetic biology, the chosen pattern mirrors the DNA sequence of the heritage spruce trees that encircle the house. This non-repetitive sequence wraps the structure, creating a dynamic and slightly reflective facade that interacts with the changing daylight. As seasons pass, the cladding will gracefully patina, further harmonizing the house with its natural surroundings.

the angular, sloping roof is expressed along the interiors the trio of cabins are linked by a network of footpaths

Reference

Architecture

By NICOLEHOLLIS, Napa, California

Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Residential Interiors (<3000 sq ft)

By Design Opera Architects, Tijuana, Mexico

Special Mention, 11th Annual A+Awards, Restaurants (S <1000 sq ft)

By Laney LA, Inc., Concept

Jury Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt – Private House (L >3000 sq ft)

By IwamotoScott Architecture, Burlingame, California

Finalist, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Small Projects

By OPN Architects, Marion, Iowa

Special Mention, 11th Annual A+Awards, Government & Civic Buildings

By Measured Architecture Inc., Mayne Island, Canada

Popular Choice Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Private House

himawari nursery school reimagines early childhood education

nursery school becomes a dynamic playground

House-Shaped Volumes Embrace a Child-Friendly Atmosphere

Part One: Import Limbo

Part 2: A History of Abuse

Part 3: New Cancer Alleys

How are these architecture firms ranked?

30. Shomali Design Studio (Yaser Rashid Shomali & Yasin Rashid Shomali)

29. EZ Studio (Pedram Ezadi)

28. ArmaniArchitects

27. Boozhgan Architectural Studio

26. FEASTUDIO

25. Cedrus Studio

24. KA Studio (Khavarian Architecture Studio)

23. ReNa Design

22. Arsh4d Studio

21. ayeneh office

20. BRACKET Design studio

19. Alidoost & Partners

18. HABIBEH MADJDABADI Architecture Studio

17. KanLan [Kamran Heirati, Tallan Khosravizadeh]

16. 35-51 ARCHITECTURE Office

15. Davood Boroojeni Office

14. Rvad Studio

13. BonnArq Architects

12. RYRA Studio

11. Admun Studio

10. AshariArchitects

9. Marizad Architects

8. New Wave Architecture (Lida Almassian / Shahin Heidari)

7. Nextoffice

6. CAAT Studio

5. Farshad MehdiZadeh Design | FMZD

4. Kalbod Design Studio

3. ZAV Architects

2. Hooba Design

1. Mado Architects

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

A Guide to Project Awards

Combo Studio revives Casa São Victor in Porto

renovation reinterprets original architectural attributes

Credits & Key Information

How are these architecture firms ranked?

25. Sheppard Robson Architects

24. 6a architects

23. Carl Turner Architects

22. Atelier Chang

21. Levitt Bernstein

20. mcgarry-moon architects

19. Fraher and Findlay

18. John McAslan + Partners

17. Hawkins\Brown

16. Bennetts Associates

15. Andy Martin Architecture

14. Allies and Morrison

13. Alison Brooks Architects

12. AL_A

11. Studio Seilern Architects

10. Steyn Studio

9. bureau de change

8. Hopkins Architects

7. Haworth Tompkins

6. AR Design Studio

5. Adjaye Associates

4. Squire and Partners

3. Heatherwick Studio

2. Foster + Partners

Popular Choice Winner, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Residential Interiors (<3000 sq ft)

Special Mention, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Restaurants (S <1000 sq ft)

Jury Winner, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt – Private House (L >3000 sq ft)

Finalist, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +Small Projects

Special Mention, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Government & Civic Buildings

Popular Choice Winner, 11^th Annual A+Awards, Sustainable Private House