Scale of Ply

Like a giant origami box or an exercise in geometry this remodel and extension of a Victorian house in Dublin by Noji "uses plywood as a primary and secondary structural material to replace an aged conservatory that acted as the main light source for the ground floor. The prefabricated plywood structure allows for a series of interconnecting triangular plains positioned to allow light deep into the plan as the sun moves through the day." Love the intersecting lines and the tumble of triangles but the math involved in its design would have blown my mind.

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Pretty pastels in a home in Paris

Jo has featured the work of Paris design firm GCG Architectes a few times here on the blog (like here, here and here) and I am totally smitten with this talented crew. Style out the wazoo, an unwavering need to add random colours, patterns and architectural details throughout their projects...their unique approach is unlike anything I have ever seen. Yep, safe to say I am their biggest fan. And this home in the Boulogne Billancourt suburb of Paris decked out in mostly pastels is fabulously random, as I would expect from GCG. Photos: Robin Petillault

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Working on a Saturday

Week after week I chant my mantra. If you have to drag yourself into work on a Saturday it helps if it's somewhere stylish. (It also helps if it's the designer's own office space.) Studio 45 in Manly, Sydney is the home of Marston Architects. Two work zones connected by a plywood cube housing the kitchen, all contained within a heritage listed terrace house.

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A Scottish cottage makeover

Not at all what you would expect within the walls of this traditional Scottish stone cottage in Aberdeen. Light, bright and contemporary with a Scandi meets mid century vibe. Heath Cottage by Brown + Brown Architects.

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The luxury of lo-fi

"Purposefully lo-fi, The Retreat embraces a low-tech aesthetic towards the operation of the building itself, fully embodying the idea of retreat and slowing down. Celebrating craftsmanship and integrity of materiality instead of technology, every wall of the building have been designed to contain components that manually fold, open and close to manipulate the space and transform the program of the building."

More and more these days I don't need large and ostentatious. I don't need transplanted and often inappropriate design styles. I do need quality and craftsmanship, beauty and a sense of purpose and place. I do need a slow building for slow living. I would love this multi-use private retreat/studio, not as a stylish folly but as my home. (I'd just need a storage shed conveniently out of sight or the willpower to divest myself of the treasure and junk I have accumulated over the years.) The Retreat in Balnarring, Victoria by Branch Studio Architects.

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