Located on the outskirts of Monterrey, in the colonial town of Villa de Santiago, Casa en Santiago by S-AR reinterprets the regional rural building language through a monolithic concrete structure wrapped in local stone. Conceived as a weekend residence within the mountainous landscape of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the house uses patios, terraces, and views to connect interior and terrain.

The house is formed primarily by reinforced concrete elements. Walls, corbels, floors, and roof merge into a single structural and material system. The finish reveals different explorations in the execution of concrete, allowing textures and subtle variations to register across surfaces. Only one metallic column interrupts the otherwise rocky, monolithic mass, marking a structural inflection and subtly recalling the steel embedded within the concrete frame.

As daylight shifts, shadows move across lines, grids, planes, stone, wood, steel, and ceramics.

all images courtesy of S-AR

a house between mountain and town in mexico

Villa de Santiago sits 37 kilometers from Monterrey and is a gateway to rivers, waterfalls, and forests that attract visitors for canyoning, climbing, and trekking. The site, positioned with direct views toward the nearby mountains, continues a local tradition of cottages and weekend homes embedded in nature, and the house extends the rural typology of thick stone walls and muted facades. From the street, a large stone wall shields the private areas while the whole facade remains mostly closed, allowing only the doors to punctuate the surface. Built with local stone, Villa de Santiago echoes the enduring walls of adobe and masonry that still define the area.

Behind this protective exterior, the Mexico City- and Monterrey-based architects at S-AR organize space around a generous central patio. A metallic lattice enclosure separates the private from the social areas while maintaining visual continuity toward the courtyard. The public program opens toward the garden through a covered terrace that extends daily life outdoors. This shaded platform becomes the social heart of the house, complemented by a pool and grill area that support weekend gatherings.

Casa en Santiago by S-AR reinterprets the regional rural building language

spatial axis and ascent toward the landscape

Internally, the plan is divided by a service nucleus that acts as an axis between public and private domains. Glass partitions and open patios dissolve strict boundaries, generating layered transparencies. Spaces expand and contract through controlled openings, framing fragments of sky, vegetation, and distant mountains.

Circulation is articulated through a spiral staircase and a ramp that ascend from different points of the house toward the roof terrace. This upper platform becomes the culminating spatial moment. From here, the nearby mountains dominate the horizon, encouraging pause and observation. The ascent reinforces a continuous movement between interior and exterior, house and landscape, and user and surroundings.

the house is formed primarily by reinforced concrete elements

the finish reveals different explorations in the execution of concrete

a monolithic concrete structure wrapped in local stone

textures and subtle variations to register across surfaces

walls, corbels, floors, and roof merge into a single structural and material system

spaces expand and contract through controlled openings

glass partitions and open patios dissolve strict boundaries

a timber island contrasts with exposed concrete ceilings and dark cabinetry

dining and living areas unfold beneath a textured concrete slab

a corridor lined with wooden slats and white storage panels filters light toward a rear opening

project info:

name: Casa en Santiago
architects: S-AR | @stacionarq

location: Villa de Santiago, Mexico

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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dongqi Design has transformed three existing structures in downtown Shanghai’s Jing’an District into a mixed-use complex integrating retail, exhibition, food and beverage, and office programs. The project reconfigures a three-story brick–concrete building facing the street to the north, an 8-meter-high former factory building, and a single-story brick-concrete structure to the south into an interconnected yet functionally distinct ensemble.

The northern three-story building accommodates a leisure area on the ground floor, with office spaces on the second and third levels. A dark gray external sunshade curtain system has been added to the facade, with its tracks and electromechanical components enclosed in horizontal stainless steel tubes. These tubular elements unify the elevation and establish a consistent proportional order. The upper-floor window openings have been reconfigured with operable steel plates on the interior side and fixed glazing on the exterior, allowing the windows to function as display surfaces. Integrated lighting enhances their visibility. The varying positions of curtains and illuminated openings generate shifting facade compositions and alter the building’s presence along the street.

The ground-floor leisure space is organized around tall elm tables designed for standing use, encouraging circulation and informal interaction. Existing wall textures are retained, while a hot-rolled steel counter serves both interior and exterior areas. Large hopper windows along the street lift upward toward the ceiling, integrating the interior with the public realm when open. Their tracks are concealed within stainless steel wall and ceiling surfaces, reinforcing material continuity.

external tracks and electromechanical equipment are wrapped in steel tubes | all images courtesy of dongqi Design

Integrated Steel Systems Shape the Retail Hall by dongqi Design

The central factory building houses the primary retail and exhibition functions, along with an independent VIP room. Within the double-height volume, eleven cross-shaped display racks and a suspended overpass structure define the spatial organization. The overpass employs an ultra-thin, beamless steel system composed of a single 12-millimeter-thick stainless steel plate. It is suspended from the central columns of selected display racks using stainless steel stay cables. The cable connection fittings are folded extensions of the steel plate itself, forming an integrated structural assembly.

Each cross-shaped display rack consists of four metal frames arranged orthogonally around a central axis. Shelving elements are inserted within the frames, and in some cases, a secondary upper layer is supported by steel cables. The bases of the racks are aligned flush with the floor and connected to embedded structural beams. Together, the display racks, stay cables, and suspended overpass operate as a unified structural system. Stairs, platforms, racks, and connection fittings are designed to appear as if cut and folded from continuous steel plates, reinforcing a cohesive tectonic language.

The designers at dongqi Design select materials that emphasize exposed metal surfaces, including stainless steel plates, hot-dip galvanized finishes, and metal mesh. The partition between exhibition and bar areas is formed by a double-layer dark metal mesh that allows visual permeability while maintaining spatial separation. The mesh produces a moiré effect that changes with movement and light conditions. Doors are assembled from galvanized plates fastened with visible straight-head screws, with stainless steel inserts applied at high-contact areas for durability.

when the sunshade curtains are lowered, the building facade is enveloped in a dark veil

the design introduces Structural Rhythm and Material Contrast

Detailing reinforces structural clarity and user comfort. Wider vertical joints on the finished metal plates of the display racks establish a measured rhythm, while beveled undersides and recessed flanges of shelving components refine their profiles. Stainless steel strips are embedded along accessible mesh edges to prevent abrasion and accentuate linear continuity within the space. The overpass railing is formed from stainless steel round bars that interlock with the steel plate edges, while similar round elements are used in the suspension system and lighting supports. Linear lamp tubes are mounted to metal plates using stainless steel straps and arranged across racks and ceilings, contributing to the industrial spatial character.

The southern single-story building contains the food and beverage area. Auxiliary spaces are concealed behind metal sliding doors treated with oxidized metal powder patterns referencing traditional landscape imagery. The enclosed bar counter is constructed from hot-rolled steel plates, and seating booths are upholstered in orange fabric, introducing contrast within the predominantly metallic interior.

the oversized hopper windows along the street can be lifted upwards to be nearly flush with the ceiling

a dark gray external sunshade curtain system is added to the three-story building facade

the enclosed bar counter is made of hot-rolled steel plates, while the booths are upholstered in bright orange

the overpass adopts an ultra-thin beamless steel structure system, which is the result of precise calculation

the overpass is made of one piece of solid stainless steel plate, which is suspended from display racks’ columns

the stairs, the overpass, the display racks and the steel cable connection fittings are seamlessly integrated

the lamp tubes, with round elements as well, are fixed to metal plates with stainless steel straps

the stairs, the overpass, the display racks appear cut and folded from a single solid steel plate

straight-head screws assemble metal plates, installed at the front of the overpass steps for anti-slip purposes

the cable connection fittings on the edges of the overpass are an integral part of the overpass steel plates

metals define the material language, with stainless steel plates, hot-dip galvanized finishes, and metal mesh

racks of different heights spread out on both sides, while diagonal lamps flare like mechanical wings

project info:

name: Architectural Renovation Project in Jing’an District, Shanghai
architect: dongqi Design | @dongqi_design
location: Jing’an District, Shanghai, China

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Concrete Utopia by designer Hyunje Joo reconfigures discarded concrete pipes into an open-ended public pavilion at the Museum of Contemporary Art Busan in South Korea. The project examines the environmental implications of concrete, one of the most widely used and carbon-intensive construction materials, and proposes reuse as a spatial and conceptual strategy.

Concrete, second only to water in global consumption, generates significant greenhouse gas emissions during production. In response to the climate crisis and the material dominance of contemporary cities, the project addresses the condition of the ‘concrete city’ through the adaptive reuse of abandoned infrastructure. Rather than introducing new materials, the installation reclaims discarded concrete pipes found in urban environments and reorganizes them into inhabitable play structures.

Pipes of varying diameters are assembled into a flexible configuration that accommodates multiple forms of occupation. The arrangement allows for climbing, sitting, circulation, and gathering, transforming industrial components into spatial devices. By retaining the original identity of the pipes while altering their function, the project shifts perception from infrastructure to architecture.

all images by Hyunje Joo

reclaimed industrial materials compose Concrete Utopia

Conceived as a micro-scale urban environment, Concrete Utopia operates as both pavilion and metaphor. Its open-ended composition avoids fixed hierarchy, enabling visitors to navigate and interpret the space in different ways. The repetitive circular geometries reference standardized construction systems while simultaneously disrupting their original purpose.

Through direct engagement with reused concrete elements, the project by designer Hyunje Joo frames urban resilience as a matter of material reconsideration and spatial reorganization. By extending the lifecycle of construction waste, Concrete Utopia positions reuse not only as an environmental strategy but also as a means of rethinking how cities are built and inhabited.

Concrete Utopia reassembles discarded concrete pipes into a public pavilion at the Museum of Contemporary Art

the installation reuses abandoned infrastructure instead of introducing newly manufactured materials

varying pipe diameters generate a layered and inhabitable spatial composition

circular geometries define the pavilion’s spatial identity

the pipes are arranged to support climbing, sitting, and gathering

industrial components are transformed into interactive urban elements

reclaimed pipes form a flexible configuration open to multiple uses

the pavilion operates as a micro-scale interpretation of the concrete city

the installation encourages physical engagement with reclaimed materials

the structures retain the raw texture and weight of concrete

open-ended arrangements avoid fixed hierarchy or prescribed routes

spatial reorganization extends the lifecycle of construction waste

Concrete Utopia positions reuse as a framework for urban resilience

project info:

name: Concrete Utopia
designer: Hyunje Joo | @hyunjejoo

location: Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, South Korea

client: Museum of Contemporary Art Busan | @moca_busan

photographer: Hyunje Joo

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Italian studio Ceresa Grandis Architetti builds its Casa Punta Spartivento atop a rocky point along the coastline of Lake Como. The house occupies this exposed strip of land with a series of low, stepped concrete volumes that align with the shoreline. From across the water, its pale mass echoes the muted tones of stone and sky, holding its ground against wind and current.

Exposed concrete defines both structure and surface. Cast in timber formwork, it carries the imprint of boards and joints, giving the walls a tactile density. Copper downpipes trace vertical lines against the grey facades, while flat roofs edged in gravel extend outward to form deep porticos that project toward the lake.

images © Andrea Ceriani

casa punta spartivento opens broadly onto the landscape

To front Casa Punta Spartivento, the team at Ceresa Grandis Architetti designs a shaded, lake-facing portico. Beneath its overhang, a narrow pool sits parallel to the shoreline, its still surface set against the shifting water beyond. Stainless steel steps descend directly to the lake to tighten the connection between house and horizon.

Large folding glass doors open entire corners of the facade, allowing the stone floor to continue onto terraces and clipped grass panels arranged in strict rectangles. The disciplined geometry of walls and paving contrasts with reflections on the water and the movement of trees, all of which creates a tension between fixed form and changing environment.

Casa Punta Spartivento stands at the narrow tip of Bellagio where Lake Como widens toward the mountains

Ceresa Grandis Architetti echoes the rocky coast with concrete

Inside Casa Punta Spartivento, openings are treated as deliberate frames. A wide horizontal aperture in the living area captures the lake and mountains as a single band of water and rock, contained by concrete floor and ceiling. The panorama reads as part of the architecture, shifting in tone as light glances off the surface of Lake Como.

The interiors remain spare, with grey stone flooring, white walls, and built-in concrete benches beneath windows. Circulation moves through thick walls and compressed passages toward brighter perimeter rooms. Each transition heightens awareness of scale and exposure, reinforcing the relationship between body and landscape.

The strength of the site calls for material gravity. Ceresa Grandis Architetti answers with mass and proportion, shaping concrete into horizontal planes and vertical blocks that stand firm at the water’s edge. This way, the architecture holds a fragment of lake within its perimeter while acknowledging the larger force beyond.

exposed concrete volumes step along the shoreline in a horizontal composition

folding glass doors open entire corners to connect interiors with terraces

a narrow pool sits parallel to the shoreline, holding a fragment of still water

wide horizontal openings frame the lake and mountains as part of the architecture

deep porticos extend toward the lake and create sheltered exterior rooms

timber formwork imprints give the concrete walls a tactile and structural presence

project info:

name: Casa Punta Spartivento

architect: Ceresa Grandis Architetti | @ceresagrandisarchitetti

location: Bellagio, Italy

design team: Andrea Negrini, Stefano Ceresa, Laura Grandis, Giulia Balconi, Giulia Negrini

completion: 2025

photography: © Andrea Ceriani | @andrea.ceriani

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Encasa Archstudio completes its Vault House in Kerala, India as a three story tropical residence that brings exposed concrete vaults into dialogue with sunlight and greenery. Conceived for a multi generational household comprising a couple, their daughter, and parents, the home reflects a clear client ambition for a unique yet livable environment shaped by daylight, breezes, and plant-life.

Located in the heart of town, the house precisely negotiates level changes of its sloping site. A basement is woven into the terrain rather than concealed within it to create an additional layer of sunlit living space.

images © Turtle Arts Photography

the sunlit, underground swimming pool

The team at Encasa Archstudio designs its Vault House with a below-grade swimming pool and courtyard. Here, an arched grill above filters light while ensuring security, casting curved shadows that shift across cement surfaces throughout the day. An elongated cement bench reinforces the raw language of the project, offering a place to pause within an otherwise utilitarian setting.

The presence of water at this level sets the tone for the house, as light reflects off the pool and onto surrounding concrete, mediating the heaviness of the material. The courtyard planting softens the edges of the structure and introduces a sense of enclosure that’s both intimate and open to the sky.

the residence is shaped by four exposed concrete vaults

a koi pond at the home’s core

The Vault House’s ground floor is organized by Encasa Archstudio as a fluid living environment that includes two bedrooms, living and dining spaces, and a family area. Circulation moves easily between these zones, guided by sightlines and the presence of water at the center. The dining area forms the emotional core of the home, arranged around a koi pond that introduces sound, movement, and reflection into everyday routines.

On the first floor, Encasa Archstudio introduces two split levels. One level contains the child’s bedroom with an attached study, while the raised level houses the main suite.

A defining gesture appears in the form of face to face balconies positioned directly above the koi pond. A bedroom balcony cantilevers outward over the water, while another is enveloped in greenery. This arrangement creates a visual dialogue across generations and allows connection across voids while preserving seclusion. The spatial relationship between pond, balconies, and dining area creates a vertical thread that binds the house together.

grey cement textures and tropical planting define the atmosphere

four vaults of exposed concrete

The project takes its name from four exposed concrete vaults that define both structure and character. Left in an unfinished texture, the vaults reveal the marks of construction and the rhythm of formwork. Their mass is lightened by teak-framed glass windows that puncture the concrete shell, introducing transparency and cross ventilation.

These vaults give the residence a strong silhouette while shaping interior volume. Light slides along curved ceilings and emphasizes their geometry. Like the swimming pool, tropical plantings around and within the house further balance the weight of the concrete.

teak-framed windows puncture the concrete vaults

face-to-face balconies encourage visual connection between bedrooms

tropical plantings balance the heaviness of the concrete structure

a floating staircase links all floors with visual continuity

soft sunlight slides along the curved ceilings to emphasizes their geometry

a basement level integrates a swimming pool and sunlit courtyard

project info:

name: Vault House

architect: Encasa Archstudio | @encasa_archstudio

location: Kerala, India

lead architects: Sulaiman Javad, Jasim Jaleel

completion: 2024

photography: © Turtle Arts Photography | @turtlearts_photography

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Bergmeisterwolf inserts Incised, a project that accommodates employees of the nearby hotel, into a narrow Alpine valley shaped by the highway, train tracks, state road, and nearby river in Franzensfeste, Italy. The concrete volume aligns itself parallel to the road, forming a sloping edge that establishes presence within what is described as ‘a place without a place.’

The site is shaped by constant movement and tight spatial limits. The team responds with an elongated concrete body that traces the line of the state road, its pitched roof carving a distinct silhouette against the steep terrain. Diamond-shaped windows puncture the monolithic shell, their deep yellow frames projecting outward like controlled incisions in the grey mass. The yellow recalls traffic lights and mobility, echoing the infrastructural surroundings, while red elements build a bridge to the history of the adjacent hotel. 

all images by Gustav Willeit

osb-lined interior creates protective shell

The architects at Bergmeisterwolf split the volume into two parts to play with the tightness of the site, introducing rhythm and proportion. Through this articulation, they allow the building to negotiate its limited footprint and preserve a strong form. An oversized gutter system sculpturally channels rainwater into a basin, engaging the project further with the slope of the site, rainfall, and the river nearby. 

A continuous shell of OSB panels inside, painted in gradients of green, blue, and grey, encloses the living spaces, introducing warmth and texture against the raw concrete exterior. Pops of the same yellow used on the facade reappear indoors, highlighting selected furniture details. The interior shell defines a spatial envelope that both protects and invigorates, resulting in a layered construction that is steadfast and protective on the outside and warm and secure within. In this way, the staff house transforms its infrastructural condition into a controlled domestic environment.

the angular concrete volume aligns parallel to the state road

establishing a clear presence within the narrow alpine valley

Incised sits between infrastructure and landscape

diamond-shaped windows cut into the sloping roof

the diamond skylight brings filtered daylight deep into the interior

an oversized yellow gutter element accentuates the roofline

built-in shelving and desk elements integrate yellow accents that echo the facade’s window frames

simple OSB furniture pieces with yellow detailing

OSB-lined interior surfaces painted in muted green tones form a protective inner shell

built-in OSB desk elements

deep red window reveals and compact washbasin detail reference the adjacent hotel’s tones

project info:

name: Incised Staff House Sachsenklemme

architect: Bergmeisterwolf | @bergmeisterwolf

location: Sachsenklemme, Italy

photographer: Gustav Willeit | @sangu

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Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the University of Tokyo have made a prototype of botanical cement made of desert sand and plant-based additives in hopes that it can be used to build houses and roads. Once mixed, the team adds tiny pieces of wood together and presses them all with heat to produce the cement. The researchers have already tried other ways to create the botanical cement with desert sand by testing different temperatures, the force used to press the materials, and what types of sand were used.

The one they’ve developed is sturdy enough that it can be used to make paving stones for pavements and walkways, the researchers say. At the moment, the researchers are still testing if it’s possible to use the material for construction, but in case it is suitable, the team believes it can reduce the need to crush mountains and collect river sand, which in turn can reduce the harmful impact on the environment. For them, it’s also a way to ‘exploit’ sand resources that are currently abundant and pose challenges in the desert areas.

image by Hassan Ouajbir, via Pexels

plant-based additives and wood make up the material

It’s not the first time that researchers have explored using desert sand to produce (botanical) cement. It’s just that this kind of sand is so fine-grained that it doesn’t bind so well in concrete. In that case, the concrete can collapse or be powdered again. By mixing the desert sand with plant-based additives as well as tiny wood pieces, the university researchers are able to produce and test a prototype that can result in a refreshed construction material. Concrete is a widely used building material next to water, and the team says that more than four billion tonnes of cement are produced every year around the world, amounting to eight percent of the world’s carbon emissions.

Part of the concrete’s ingredients is sand, but not just any. It has to be the right size and shape, so in this case, rock is crushed into gravel and sand, and river sand is excavated on a large scale, resulting in major environmental impacts and an increased scarcity of suitable sand. The researchers hope to avoid this harmful practice by offering a potential solution in the form of botanical cement while still using desert sand. The team sees that sourcing the desert sand must come from where it is already found so that shipping it around the world doesn’t become the new environmental culprit. At the moment, they’ve published their study and are running tests to see if the botanical cement with desert sand can be used indoors and, later on, for constructing houses and roads.

image by Oksana Ti, via Pexels

image courtesy of Norwegian University of Science and Technology, via Colourbox

image by Boris Ulzibat, via Pexels

image by Denys Gromov, via Pexels

project info:

name: Botanical sandcrete: An environment-friendly alternative way to the mass utilization of fine (desert) sand

institutions: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), University of Tokyo | @ntnu, @utokyo_pr

researchers: Ren Wei, Tsukamoto Atsuki, Guomin Ji, Yuya Sakai

study: here

The post can desert sand with plant-based materials be used to build houses and roads? appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Peacock Ha’il is a café project by Movs Studio located in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia, within an evolving urban context shaped by new construction and prominent geological formations. The site originally consisted of an unfinished concrete structure positioned directly beside a tall rock formation, which became a defining condition for the project and a central design constraint.

Rather than treating the rock as a backdrop or decorative feature, the design integrates it into the architectural logic of the café. Part of the rock was carefully removed during construction to create a small interior courtyard planted with trees. This intervention required close coordination between structural requirements and design intent, ensuring that the natural formation remained integral to the spatial organization rather than a superficial focal point.

The courtyard functions as the core of the project. Large panoramic openings establish visual continuity between the interior and the rock, allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the café and softening the boundary between enclosed and open spaces. The spatial arrangement is organized around this central void, reinforcing a sense of orientation and calm within the interior.

all images by Ilya Ivanov

Extracted stones are reused in Peacock Hail café’s interior

Material continuity between architecture and landscape is further reinforced through the reuse of stones extracted during the rock excavation. Selected pieces were refined by polishing their horizontal surfaces and were reintroduced as sculptural elements that also function as standing-height tables. These elements operate at the intersection of furniture and architecture, extending the presence of the site’s geology into the interior environment.

For the interior design, architects at Movs Studio avoid excessive ornamentation and complex bespoke detailing. Furniture was designed with a utilitarian approach and fabricated by local artisans, reflecting available production methods and prioritizing clarity, durability, and ergonomic performance. This strategy supports consistency across the interior while reinforcing a sense of material honesty.

The material palette combines exposed ceilings and visible mechanical systems with smooth gray plaster walls, dark-stained wood, polished concrete floors accented with brass inlays, and deep burgundy finishes in upholstery and bar-area tiles. These materials are applied in a restrained manner, emphasizing texture, construction logic, and contrast rather than surface decoration.

Peacock Ha’il by movs studio is located in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

Through the integration of natural rock, controlled material selection, and handcrafted elements, Peacock Ha’il establishes an interior defined by spatial clarity and contextual responsiveness. The project demonstrates how architectural restraint and site-specific interventions can shape a contemporary café environment grounded in local material conditions and human scale.

the café occupies a site defined by an unfinished concrete structure and a tall rock formation

the existing rock became a central architectural constraint and design driver

the project integrates the rock into the spatial logic rather than treating it as decoration

stones from the rock excavation were reused within the interior

panoramic openings connect the interior visually to the rock formation

extracted stones were refined and repurposed as standing-height tables

the stone elements function as both furniture and architectural features

dark wood and burgundy finishes add contrast within a restrained palette

furniture throughout the café was handcrafted by local artisans

Peacock Hail café balances geological presence and material restraint

project info:

name: Peacock Hail

architect: Movs Studio | @movs.studio
design team: Ruben Movsisian, Catherina Tarasova, Artem Lebedev, Ivan Gorbunov, Tatiana Kurochkina.

location: Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

photographer: Ilya Ivanov | @photoivanov

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post open planted courtyard organizes a café carved directly into rock in saudi arabia appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Set at the edge of a protected forest in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, overlooking the Medongaule botanical garden, REST is a restaurant by Pezo von Ellrichshausen that reads as a piece of infrastructure embedded in the landscape. Designed for Les Jardins de Medongaule, the project unfolds as a monumental concrete structure that hosts culinary programs ranging from intimate dining to large social gatherings.

The entire structure is constructed in reinforced concrete, finished with a soft green tint that subtly echoes the surrounding vegetation. Dark oak and terrazzo claddings introduce warmth and tactile contrast, grounding the heavy structure in a restrained material palette. 

A regular grid of sixteen rectangular columns defines the building; their exaggerated thickness transforms them into inhabitable elements. Space exists not only between the columns but also within them. Below the main structure, a fully buried, specialized kitchen supports the entire operation, freeing the upper levels from service constraints and allowing the architecture above to remain spatially abstract.

images © Pezo von Ellrichshausen

a concrete infrastructure shaped by inhabitable columns

REST asserts itself as a dense, almost archaic presence. The Concepción-based architects at Pezo von Ellrichshausen describe it as a ‘mute monument’, cornered against the forest and grounded on a gentle slope. Its position allows the building to mediate between cultivated garden and protected nature. The ambiguity of the structure is intentional, leaving its meaning open and its spatial reading unresolved.

The building is organized into three distinct strata that respond to both topography and use. The lowest level follows the natural slope of the site, forming a covered amphitheater that funnels activity toward the valley. Above it, an intermediate layer is suspended beneath a thick horizontal slab, structured around a diagonal symmetry created by open corner terraces at opposite ends. The uppermost level sits atop a non-directional platform, where ten-meter-tall, obelisk-like columns frame panoramic views in multiple orientations, turning the surrounding landscape into a shifting backdrop.

freestanding columns frame panoramic views of the surrounding forest

abstraction as a framework for use

The massiveness of the columns and slab establishes a sense of permanence and intensity. Light and shadow move across an environment that oscillates between opacity and transparency, evoking what the architects reference as Nietzsche’s ‘X factor’, something fundamentally inaccessible and undefinable. The abstraction of the project is not detached from experience but operates as an extension of a ‘native feeling’.

By keeping the columns formally inexpressive, REST introduces a deliberate vacancy. Furniture and temporary elements become the agents that activate the space. Tables and chairs configure everyday meals or exceptional events within the suspended salon, while columns on the lower and upper levels act as supports for garlands, candles, or canopies, accommodating rituals, celebrations, and social assemblies without prescribing their form in advance.

a curved ramp connects the different strata

the regular grid of green-tinted columns establishes a non-directional field

a terrazzo platform unfolds among ten-meter-tall concrete columns

a non-directional field of ten-meter-tall concrete columns

the lowest stratum follows the site’s natural slope

exaggerated column thickness creates inhabitable voids within the structure

a central opening cuts through the concrete mass

the intermediate layer is suspended beneath the slab

circular openings and dark timber ceilings introduce moments of light and material contrast

the suspended dining salon remains formally restrained

the restaurant presents itself as a mute concrete monument

the monumental slab rests on a forest of columns

the project reads as a compact concrete platform set against the surrounding wooded landscape

project info:

name: REST

architect: Pezo von Ellrichshausen | @pezovonellrichshausen

location: Medongaule Garden, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

building surface: 1,563 square meters indoor, 1,813 square meters outdoor, 3,376 square meters total

site surface: 5,208 square meters

client: Les Jardins de Medongaule

lead architects: Mauricio Pezo & Sofia von Ellrichshausen

collaborators: Emilie Kjaer, Francesco Caminati, Masha Arnold, Manuel Heck, Beatrice Pedrotti, Lukas Vajda

local architect: See Architects

structure: Chang Minwoo

construction: C&O

consultants: Macand Mec Inkok Enc, Rainbowscape

landscape: Jardins de Sericourt / Dongsimwon Landscape Design

photographer: © Pezo von Ellrichshausen

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Casa Senderos is located in Costa Esmeralda on the sand dunes of the Buenos Aires coast. The site is characterized by a harmonious coexistence between native grasslands, a young forest of acacia and maritime pine trees, and areas of mature forest that the project seeks to preserve. The design brief put to Besonías Almeida for this residential project called for a versatile home, suitable both for use by its owners and for temporary rental at any time of year. The plot had a unique circular shape, with a narrow 12-meter frontage that widens to 53 meters at the rear and borders a forest reserve. The topography also presented an additional challenge: a depression near the entrance followed by a 2.5-meter elevation, then a steep descent towards the reserve. Exposed concrete was chosen as the main material, even extending to the fixed fittings. This decision responded to a search for formal synthesis and minimal maintenance. The program was organized around three bedrooms with private bathrooms to allow different family groups to live together. Meanwhile, an integrated social area (living room, dining room and kitchen) acts as the heart of the house, closely linked to the natural environment. The layout is completed with services, storage area, a swimming pool with bathroom and parking spaces.

all images by Hernán de Almeida

Besonías Almeida creates dynamic INdoor-outdoor perforations

In order to respect the topography and existing tree cover, Besonías Almeida proposed access via a sloping bridge that bridges the initial difference in level and defines the semi-covered garage. From this point, the route forks: a gently sloping staircase leads to the social area, while a secondary path connects to the barbecue area and the rest of the lot. The floor plan fits organically among the trees, defining two clear areas. To the right, the dining room and kitchen are integrated in open connection with a concrete pergola for outdoor use. To the left, the living room feels more secluded, in visual contact with an intimate courtyard.

Accompanying the elevation of the dune, the bedrooms are developed in three independent volumes, ensuring privacy and unique views of the landscape. The team at the Argentinian studio conceive of natural light not only as a functional requirement, but as a design material that adds spatial richness. The openings at Casa Senderos are thus not standardised elements, but strategic perforations that blur the boundary between interior and exterior. Throughout the project, the interplay of perforations, concrete pergolas and skylights creates changing atmospheres that frame the forest and bring dynamism to each room.

Besonías Almeida proposed access via a sloping bridge

the interplay of perforations, concrete pergolas and skylights creates changing atmospheres

the floor plan fits organically among the trees, defining two clear areas

the openings at Casa Senderos are not standardised elements, but strategic perforations

an integrated social area is closely linked to the natural environment

exposed concrete was chosen as the main material

large openings frame the forest and bring dynamism to each room

the kitchen acts as the heart of the house

the layout is completed with services, storage area and a swimming pool

the house was organised around three bedrooms with private bathrooms

the bedrooms are developed in three independent volumes, ensuring privacy and unique views of the landscape

project info:

name: SENDEROS HOUSE
architects: Besonías Almeida | @besoniasalmeida, María Victoria Besonías, Guillermo de Almeida

location: Costa Esmeralda, Argentina

photography: Hernán de Almeida

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edited by: claire brodka | designboom

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