A Rotating Tiny House by Path Architecture. Portland Oregon

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Similar to a sunflower, The 359 is a home that rotates to follow the sun.
Designed by Portland-based architecture firm, Path Architecture, the home sits on a base that allows the home to be manually rotated to face (or face away from) the sun. An energy-efficient design that would allow you to either warm or cool your home naturally.
The home measures 12′ x 12′ with 144-square-feet on the ground floor and about another 120 on the top floor for a grand total of around 264 sq ft .  The 359 comes equipped with a fully functional kitchen, living/dining room area, bedroom, and a full bathroom.
via architecturepath.com

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Apartment in Milan, Italy. By Westway Architects.

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Milan’s modern architecture has always been characterized by inner courtyard buildings and the typical case di ringhiera (tenement with communal balconies). This consideration has led the Rome based studio Westway Architects (Architects Luca Aureggi and Maurizio Condoluci) to conceive an original renovation project of a building dating back to 1882, at the time intended for popular housing for rent, at Viale Montegrappa 16.
The new residential complex located in the area between Porta Nuova and Porta Garibaldi, which has become the symbol of the Milan of today, seems to connect the past with the present.
he surprise that one can experience when opening the door of a historic Milanese building, is confirmed in this prestigious building at Viale Montegrappa, whose court is divided horizontally by a suspended garden that separates the commercial ground floor, from the residential area. The residential part develops vertically in different buildings with different heights, from four to six floors above the court. The continuity between the two levels, commercial and residential, is given by two trees that pierce, with two large elliptical eyes, the suspended terrace cover overlooked by 25 apartments of different sizes and shapes.
via westway.it

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Office Greenhouse by OpenAD Riga Latvia

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The Latvian firm  produced an interior design project for an office which makes greenery its focal point in the creation of a serene and healthy working environment.It is a well-known fact that the architectural quality of the working environment influences the psychological and physical well-being of the workers. Office Greenhouse in Riga, Latvia, is an example of how to design a pleasant open-plan space for professional use. In the open-plan area, multipurpose furniture has been specially designed to allow the integration of both the workstations (desks) and the dining area surrounded by the presence of large potted trees. The whiteness of the furniture complements the natural wood colour of the floor and overhead beams. White painted walls alternate with bare brick walls as a tribute to the original appearance of the building materials where the office is located. Not surprisingly, the office designed by Open AD is called “Greenhouse” because it is extremely bright, like a greenhouse, thanks to large windows looking out onto a view of the city which also adds to the comfort of the working area.
via livegreenblog.com

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142 Park St by Brenchley Architects. Melbourne, Australia

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Located in the exciting inner city suburb of Melbourne, the Park St apartments involved the conversion of an existing motel building circa 1960 into a high end apartment building.
A high level of environmental sustainability was pursued with early indications of a NATHERS 8.0 star rating being achievable. The 5 whole floor apartments and ground floor garden apartment are enhanced by the communal, covered and landscaped roof terrace with views to the local park opposite and views to the city.
The project serves as a prime example of the “adaptive re-use” of existing, low grade building stock into high-end environmentally sustainable development. The combination of sustainable planning principles and a range of environmental technologies enable this project to achieve a high level of environmental sustainability whilst utilising much of the existing structure.
The ‘second skin’ to the building, made up of black aluminium batten and vertical garden panels, to the existing masonry external skin improves the thermal performance of the building. This second-skin protects the existing masonry walls from fluctuating environmental conditions which in turn creates a more constant internal environment. Building occupants enjoy this thermal stability, reducing energy costs which would otherwise be required to heat or cool the building.
via architizer.com

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Clear Lake Cottage by MJMA. Parry Sound, Canada

IMG_1IMG_5 The Clear Lake Cottage proposes a simple tent-like envelope to house both program and outdoor spaces under a single vernacular form.  A singular roof presents a child-like impression of house; rectilinear and ordered in symmetry while playfully skewed in volume.  Nestled within a forest, the building is sculpted and stepped to take advantage of the land; modeling the natural grade. Open and closed faces respond to shoreline views or quiet wooded depths.  Like a tent the porosity of the building’s envelope strengthens the experience of ‘cottage’.
Three volumes: a communal space, a bedroom bar, and a master suite are registered in response to the site to achieve views, separation, and privacy.  The roof peak creates a sleeping loft, and enhances the communal space.  The plan aligns a series of large sliding windows for summer cross ventilation.   The tent-like ‘big top’ of the Douglas Fir interior has three exterior spaces carved into it to create sheltered outdoor areas.   The relationship to site, the transition spaces, and operable transparent skin connects to this privileged landscape.
via mjmarchitects.com

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