Photographer: Haruo Mikami | ArchDaily

More Than Gray: 15 Projects That Explore Red Pigmented Concrete

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Concrete is often seen as the material of modernity, defined by its structural strength, raw finish, and unmistakable gray tone. It became the default palette of 20th-century architecture, a symbol of functionality and permanence. Yet, concrete is not bound to this chromatic identity. Its color is a byproduct of the cement, aggregates, and chemical composition used in its mix, and it can be intentionally altered through pigmentation. Among the many hues explored, red stands out — not only for its visual intensity, but for its ability to root buildings in place, evoke cultural references, and imbue architecture with a material presence that feels both elemental and expressive.

OIT Brasil Offices / Juliana Santana Arquitetura

Andreas Luco — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 11:00:00 +0000

The scope for the modernization of the headquarters building was based on the following design guidelines: Safety: External agents, environmental phenomena, vandalism, attacks, and urban violence; New cementitious board covering for the protection of electrical installations. Health: Indoor air quality; Use of materials that are not harmful to users; Ergonomic environments. Soundproofing: New cementitious board covering; Acoustic treatment ceiling; Double glazing in special environments; Individualized environments. Ergonomics: Furniture with better ergonomic performance. Sustainability: Dry construction; Replacement of facade glass; Structure and materials that facilitate maintenance; Collection and reuse of rainwater; Roof painting with reflective paint; Air conditioning system with better energy efficiency; Lighting with better energy efficiency. The project has as its main elements in its conception the preservation of some constructive and formal elements of the original building, such as the overhead steel structure, water mirrors, exposed concrete, and modulation of the facade frames and also the circulation of the central courtyard. To isolate the building's installations, a new roof was created over the existing beams and a ceiling below them. The specified material for the ceiling meets the specific function of each space.

Casa 350 / BLOCO Arquitetos

Susanna Moreira — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The project started from the demand for a house that could be built in the shortest possible time. All its modularity, finishing options and choice of structural materials are based on this premise. The option for the use of metal structure was therefore due to the available budget, the availability of raw materials in the market at the time of the project and the speed of assembly of the structure. On the other hand, other secondary items of the work, such as wooden ceilings and ground floors, were assembled and/or built by local labor. Thus, the Casa 350 project combines a predominantly prefabricated construction with small sections built in an artisanal way.

Bars and Restaurants: 50 Examples in Plan and Section

Fabian Dejtiar — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 07:30:00 +0000

The spatial distribution of a restaurant or bar is essential to its success. Faced with this design challenge, several architects have experimented and proposed configurations that both enhance the use of space in different culinary experiences.

17 Projects With Colorful Cabinets and Built-in Furniture

Giovana Martino — Sun, 30 Jul 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Many architectural projects have been giving special attention to cabinetry and built-in furniture. These custom-made wood pieces are designed for specific purposes and can be used to organize the space, which can be living rooms, bedrooms, studies, kitchens, and bathrooms. Besides functionality, these elements also introduce different materials, textures, and colors into the environments. This article will explore some examples of how colorful cabinets and furniture can make architectural projects more vibrant.

Ghibli House / Nuevo Arquitetura

Susanna Moreira — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Located on the outskirts of the Pilot Plan of Brasilia. Where the humidity of the air varies from 70% to 80% in the rainy season to less than 20% in the dry season.

Naves House / BLOCO Arquitetos

Andreas Luco — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 17:00:00 +0000

The roof of the Naves House is formed by a sequence of parallel beams and exposed concrete slabs. The misalignments between these elements create crevices that allow direct and indirect natural light to enter.

Fischgold House Renovation / BLOCO Arquitetos

Pilar Caballero — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 14:00:00 +0000

The renovation project of this house built in the 1980s kept and complemented the concrete structure of the lower floor and part of the structure of the existing pool. The roof slab on the upper floor was demolished and replaced by a new one, which made it possible to increase the total area, raise the ceiling height and reconfigure the internal layout.

FG House / Bernardes Arquitetura

Susanna Moreira — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

FG House was designed for a condominium about an hour and a half from São Paulo downtown for a couple and their children and arises from the fragmentation of the program through four trapezoidal volumes of pigmented concrete, in a harmonious arrangement on the 12,152 square meter plot and joined by the same linear axis.

How to Design Functional and Multipurpose Kitchen Islands

Lilly Cao — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Islands are an essential part of any larger kitchen layout, increasing counter space, storage space, and eating space as well as offering a visual focal point for the kitchen area. Serving a variety of functions, they can be designed in a variety of different ways, with some incorporating stools or chairs, sinks, drawers, or even dishwashers and microwaves. To determine which elements to include and how to arrange them, designers must determine the main purpose or focus of the island. Will it primarily serve as a breakfast bar, a space to entertain guests, an extension of the kitchen, or as something else? And with this function in mind, how should it enhance the kitchen workflow vis-à-vis the rest of the area? These considerations, combined with basic accessibility requirements, necessitate that the design of the island be carefully thought out. Below, we enumerate some of the essential factors of kitchen island design.

How to Divide Spaces Without Traditional Solid Partitions

Hana Abdel — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 08:30:00 +0000

Functionality, good ventilation, comfortable lighting, and access to views are some of the important required characteristics that make for human comfort in inhabited or occupied spaces. Nonetheless, those elements are becoming harder to achieve within smaller city dwellings. Architects and individuals, therefore, turn towards design solutions to create more agreeable and personalized settings.

House 05 / com/c arquitetura

Susanna Moreira — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Residential reforms always come with challenges, for the project home 05 was no different. The young couple with two children had the need to turn the house into 04 suites, one of them being an office with an independent entrance.

Gallery of Invisible Heroes / SAINZ arquitetura

Pilar Caballero — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000

The project is an Art Installation, made at the invitation of the direction of Casa Cor Brasília for the entrance hall of the 2021 exhibition, initially, the program was to create a façade for the exhibition, but instead, we proposed an art installation and exhibition that was very well accepted and we went from there to the project for the Gallery of Invisible Heroes.

Colina House / BLOCO Arquitetos

Susanna Moreira — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 06:00:00 +0000

The construction was implemented on the highest level of an existing landfill. Its “U” plan organization defines two wings interspersed with a central access garden. In the rest of the lot, almost all the existing trees were kept or relocated.

Law Firm Headquarters / BLOCO Arquitetos + Renata Dutra Arquitetura

Susanna Moreira — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 15:00:00 +0000

The building for the headquarters of this law firm that works with the renewable energy sector reuses the partially demolished concrete structure of an existing house. The project used a metallic structure and steel deck slabs to expand by 50% the area of the existing construction through additions and “grafts” of parts that were used even in the reinforcement needed to remove pillars from the original concrete structure.

Green Walls, Trellises, Flower Displays and Plant Pots: Integrating Vegetation Indoors

Antonia Piñeiro — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Not every architectural project can incorporate a landscaping project, consider a garden or access to ample green space. Smaller spaces need more creative strategies to incorporate vegetation. Regardless of the context, plants offer benefits in all types of spaces, such as indoor temperature regulation, an option for sustainable production on a smaller scale than a greenhouse, in addition to their aesthetic qualities. In this article, we present 4 simple strategies and a selection of examples for incorporating plants in small-scale spaces, all of which can be found in Architonic's Planting section.

Loft RLO / ME Arquitetura

Susanna Moreira — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Loft RLO was designed as a pavilion that seeks to capture a life inherently connected to living outdoors. A single-story residence with generous proportions, with just one suite, one bathroom, and two half-baths, that values being and living together, blurring the lines that separate the outdoors from the indoors. The project explores the relationship between occupied space and voids, from the entrance pathway to the glass doors that open up completely and vanish into the walls. This creates a single large living space out of a dining room, kitchen, porch, and pool deck.

Apartment 02 / Hugo Oliveira Arquitetura

Andreas Luco — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Located in the most iconic trio of residential buildings in Brasília, Apartment 02 has been completely renovated to meet the needs of the owners. The main points of the project were the open plan, restoration of the exposed concrete, and the functionality of spaces and elements.