Architecture remains in constant tension with natural forces. Designed around gravity, climate, and time, buildings are always part of larger systems. Throughout the world, designers have tried to mitigate natural forces by constructing hybrid spaces and structures, artificial areas where nature meets the manmade. Embodying this relationship, canals reflect a desire to direct nature and its flows. Today, these fluid spaces are opening up to new programs, projects that explore modern life and urban vitality.

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Single family homes are undergoing a quiet transformation in recent years. Increasing land costs, the growth of urban settlements, and the lack of available space for construction have triggered an increase in the development of mixed-use housing. The result is that architects have begun to incorporate more community programs within private residential projects. We can now find homes that integrate commercial, cultural, educational, or industrial uses. This not only provides diversity and efficiency, but also allows surrounding neighborhoods to be revitalized through mixed programs that foster social engagement, interaction and connection.

These type of projects can be created both vertically - in a 2 or 3-story house - and horizontally, using two neighboring lots or around an open space. The following are 12 examples of modern mixed-use homes.

As architects rely heavily on imagery to convey abstract information to a broad audience, there is a recurrent conversation on the role of visualizations in architecture and how they impact the general perception of the built environment. 

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