Haus Elise by Synn Architects is a beauty. White walls and concrete really gets my heart going! The way the home office looks from the street at night makes it look like a doll house. I can assure, though, that blinds are installed for privacy. The zebra wood-looking stairs become a design element leading upstairs. The only change I would have made would be to make a sliding partition for the tub in the master… just for privacy.

This log home in the Spanish mountains close to the Valdelinares ski resort was built in 2009 by Nordicasa Design & Construction. The home is made of 165 mm laminated wood beams using wood from Finland. The dovetail corner joints and other wood details in the home are what make it so unique.

Joshua Tree is a mobile compact home designed by Italy-based Hangar Design Group combining the warmth and cozy wood structure of mountain home, the size and look of a cabin, and the flexibility of an RV.

More from the architects:

With a sophisticated and demanding clientele in mind, this mobile home designed by Hangar Design Group overturns the concept of ephemeral temporariness traditionally tied to prefabricated structures, in order to present a true micro-house, able to offer functional solutions with a high design content.

In line with contemporary trends of nomadic living, this mobile home has been conceived to be flexible, reversible and customized. At the same time Joshua Tree is able to interpret the living needs of a permanent home with appeal, starting from an extremely rational planimetric layout, where there is room for everything: it does not sacrifice any of the functions of a permanent home, and it includes common living areas (kitchen and living room), space for rest and well being (bedrooms and baths) or relaxation (verandas), giving forms and functions to suit different moods.

Designed to be entirely built in the factory, like a true product of industrial design, Joshua Tree also incorporates elements of home automation that increase their potential in terms of management and control technologies for windows, air-conditioning and heating systems, if they exist, in order to obtain greater comfort and consequent energy savings.

An absolutely new aspect is also the territorial contextualization offered by the product, which puts the architecture – environment ratio first – in a way never before seen in the segment of mobile homes, and anchors design to the morphological aspect tied to the scenario type it was conceived for. Therefore, the visual concept considers mood as well as functionality as a critical issue.

Joshua Tree is the mobile home conceived for a vacation at a high altitude; it recovers the profile of an Alpine refuge, with its sloping roof and panoramic views of peaks, bringing to mind the mountain “baita”, also thanks to the use of combined stave wood that covers its warm soul on the interior.

The type of furnishing is chosen to create a stylistic code with a strong impact and recognizable elements characterized by clean lines, contemporary style and attention to detail.

The external covering strikingly interprets the technological mix used in the materials: steel, zinc and titanium make up large plates employing the method of traditional wooden shingles. Over time the material oxidizes, giving the structure a more opaque tonality, which better suits the snow-covered landscape.

From the inside, the spacious ceiling windows afford a lovely view of snow-clad peaks. The warmth of wood creates a unique inviting atmosphere. A reinterpreted version of mountain dwelling, an ideal mountain refuge for young families or couples: a continuous metal structure combined with a unique interior enhanced by the warmth of natural wood.

Created to accommodate from 3 to 4 people, Joshua Tree does not sacrifice the comfort of ample living space, with two bedrooms and baths it is perfect to host young families or groups of friends.

Oh, A-cero, what can I say about you other than you continue to create some of the most amazing homes I’ve ever seen. I really want to move to Spain. The water features in this home are truly spectacular.

From the architects:

This new house is situated in an exclusive state called “La Finca” in Pozuelo de Alarcon Madrid.

It is one of the hundred housings that you can find already built in this exclusive housing development: an area with wide green spaces, lakes and spectaculars houses, which have [also] been designed by A-cero.

The structure of this new house is made of clear volumes, straight lines and simple shapes. The house’s front is made of marble travertino and there are many windows in it. Both elements give a lot of lightness to the house.

It has a 1.600 m2 surface and three floors (basement, ground and high floor). The structure adapts itself to the slope ( 4000 m2) where the house is. The garage and service spaces are in the basement, while the most public spaces (lounge, dining room, living room…) are on the first floor. Bedrooms and more private rooms are on the [top] floor. A-cero has designed also a 80 m2 spectacular and geometric swimming pool. It harmonizes with the clean architecture of this A-cero project.

This week I had the opportunity to walk up these steps and into this amazing home at 1610 Carla Ridge in Beverly Hills, which was designed and built by Steve Hermann Design. As you walk into this masterpiece you are instantly greeted by the city lights, sparkling brightly, just beyond the edge of the infinity pool.

The view from this dining room has got to be one of the best in Los Angeles.

When you have a dining room with these views, I can bet there will be lots of dinner parties. This Poliform kitchen is sure to be put to good use!

This stunning 16-foot long fireplace mimics the flickering of the lights beyond and invites you to gather around and enjoy. I love how the seating in this room allows you just take in the exquisiteness from whatever vantage point you choose.

In the bedroom, the soft gray and white palette mixed with the floral wallpaper make it feel soothing and inviting. It is modern and elegant without being too stark or stuffy. I think I could pretty much spend my entire day relaxing in the bedroom.

…and this bathroom. The Antonio Lupi “Baia” bathtub is calling my name as the Jesse Faucet is just standing there looking gorgeous. The master bathroom is filled with all the luxuries you could want; steam shower with glass tile, faucets that look like fine jewelry, gorgeous Poliform vanities and storage cabinets, and a built-in plasma TV. I dream of this bathroom…

…when I’m not dreaming about this closet! I’m going to let you in on a little trick. The Poliform closet looks even bigger than it actually is by the use of a floor to ceiling mirror on the back wall.

The guest bathrooms are also filled with glass tile from Ann Sacks and Antoni Lupi bathroom compositions. The concealed drains on the shower floors and the vanity are such gorgeous details. The mixture of materials is done with such perfection that these sleek modern bathrooms take my breath away.

As designer and builder Steve Hermann says “…this home moves you emotionally. Absolutely perfect in every way.” I could not agree more. I honestly did not want to leave! This home is currently on the market and could actually be yours!

The combination of two apartments by Belmont Freeman Architects, located at the top of a landmark art deco tower, creates a flowing loft-like living space. A new kitchen is screened from the living room by a partial-height wall, while oversized glass doors open out onto large terraces. A blue-gray terrazzo floor is used throughout to unify the apartment.

The Folded Roof House by Claesson Koivisto Rune is located in Muskö, on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden.The roofline resembles a butterfly roof, and the vertical wood exterior reinforces the large vertical windows on all sides of the home. I like how the interior is very stark white but the pops of green from the foliage and the rug are the main focus.

From the architects:

The Folded Roof House (also known as AH#002) is our second design for the prefab home manufacturer Arkitekthus, (the Plus House is the first). It is a one-storey house with a folded roof plane. The plan provides for separation between private bedrooms and a communal kitchen and living room. The bedrooms are positioned at the gable ends and the living room is between, with an open main façade. The openings are fully glazed and inset into the house volume so that roof-covered terrace spaces serve as continuations of the interior. Another important visual feature is the framing of these insets by the thin wall and roof edges. This was possible because no insulation is needed in the sections located outside of the actual house.

Everything apart from the concrete foundation, the exterior panelling and roof covering is made in a factory and then transported and erected on site. This makes for better quality (prevents moisture damage). The fact that the exterior panelling is mounted on site avoids visible joints between different wall elements (a common feature on other prefab houses).

Photography by Louise Billgert.

My house has an extension, but it’s nothing like this box extension designed by Arhitektid Muru & Pere. The box is covered with crisscrossed sticks, making it look like a highly-structured rectangular, modern and stylish bird’s nest that even glows in the dark.

[via MoCo Loco and ArchDaily]