Photographer: Koji Fuji / Nacasa & Partners Inc | ArchDaily

Refracting Light and Redefining Space: Glass Bricks in Contemporary Interiors

Moises Carrasco — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Glass bricks have been widely used in architecture, eventually becoming a staple of the 1980s architectural styles. Some examples of construction with this material could be the classic "Maison de Verre" by Pierre Chareau and Bernard Bijvoet in Paris or the more modern take of Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP with the Optical Glasshouse in Japan. In recent years, glass bricks are becoming increasingly popular, no longer relegated to older aesthetics. Instead, they have evolved into versatile design elements that bring light, texture, and character into contemporary interiors. Their ability to diffuse natural and artificial light while maintaining privacy has reignited interest among designers seeking innovative ways to enhance indoor spaces while taking advantage of natural light.

Buildings Are Not Sacred, but We Can Find Beauty Through Them

Duo Dickinson — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 03:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

Optical Glass House / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Rayen Sagredo — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 15:00:00 +0000

This house is sited among tall buildings in downtown Hiroshima, overlooking a street with many passing cars and trams. To obtain privacy and tranquility in these surroundings, we placed a garden and optical glass façade on the street side of the house. The garden is visible from all rooms, and the serene soundless scenery of the passing cars and trams imparts richness to life in the house. Sunlight from the east, refracting through the glass, creates beautiful light patterns. Rain striking the water-basin skylight manifests water patterns on the entrance floor. Filtered light through the garden trees flickers on the living room floor, and a super lightweight curtain of sputter-coated metal dances in the wind. Although located downtown in a city, the house enables residents to enjoy the changing light and city moods, as the day passes, and live in awareness of the changing seasons.

The 50 Most Inspiring Architecture Photographs of 2018

María Francisca González — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Because, for all the inspirational works across the world, we would be lost without the photographers dedicated to sharing this inspiration with us. Here we present to you the 50 most influential architectural photographs of the year.

18 Fantastic Permeable Facades

María Francisca González — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Recently, a new trend in architecture has emerged: Several of the latest projects highlighted by ArchDaily, including some winners in the Building of the Year Awards, are using permeable facades as an attractive option for their exterior finishes.

Better lighting, ventilation, and visibility are some of the advantages brought by this type of façades. Below is a selection of 15 images from prominent photographers such as Andrés Valbuena, Pedro Nuno Pacheco, and Koji Fuji Nacasa & Partners Inc.

Winners of the 2018 Building of the Year Awards

Rory Stott — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 23:00:00 +0000

With nearly 100,000 votes cast during the last two weeks, we are happy to present the winners of the 2018 ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards. This peer-based, crowdsourced architecture award showcases projects chosen by ArchDaily readers who filtered thousands of projects down to the 15 best works featured on ArchDaily in 2017.

Birds's Nest Atami / Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Rayen Sagredo — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 22:00:00 +0000

I am often struck by the nests that crows build using clothes hangers. Hangers are not only durable but also highly elastic, and they offer more hooks to connect than branches and hence are easier to assemble. Crows, flying deftly across the dichotomy of natural and artificial, are creating a functional and comfortable environment.