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Architect: Jordi Badia /Josep Val Location: León, Spain Project: 1999 Construction: 2000 Collaborators: Elena Valls, Tirma Balagué, Albert Cibiach , Marcos Catalán, Juan Carlos Castro, Frans Massana, Lorena Maristany, Rafael Berengena, Francesc Belart, Santi Vinuesa, Bárbara Camarero, Ginés Egea, Josep Martínez, Luis Victori, Sergi Serrat, Lluis Carreras, Jordi Mercadé Structure: Eduard Doce, architect Engineering Assistance: Mariano Fernández, José Manuel Pérez Budget Consultant: Francesc Belart Services: Consulting Lluís Duart Client: SERFUNLE/Ayuntamiento de León Photographs: Eugeni Pons

Ubicación: Calle Holanda Nº64, Providencia, Santiago, Chile Mandante: Los Héroes Caja Compensación Arquitectos: Murtinho y Asociados Arquitectos Arquitecto Encargado: Santiago Raby Pinto Colaboradores: Arquitectos Miguel Angel Contreras Ch. y Alejandra López Constructora: ALTIUS Superficie a Remodelar: 3.350 m2 Fotografía: Pedro Mutis Johnson

This striking slate gray structure unfolds from its verdant environs with a low-profile envelope that rises out from under a grassy hill. Constructed by G ateliers Architecture in Guatapé-Antioquia, Colombia, it’s one of a series of 8 ecological shelters that make strident efforts to seamlessly integrate modern architecture with local topography.

One-Way Street (Einbahnstrasse) was Walter Benjamin's first effort to break out of the narrow confines of the academy and apply the techniques of literary studies to life as it is currently lived. For Benjamin criticism encompasses the ordinary objects of life, the literary texts of the time, films in current release, and the fleeting concerns of the public sphere. Following Benjamin's lead, this blog is concerned with the political content of the aesthetic and representations of the political in the media. As Benjamin writes in One-Way Street, "He who cannot take sides should keep silent."

Humlegård House is the stark-looking, year-round residence of a former Finnish TV documentary producer. He moved to this house, located in the town of Fiskars, 78 kilometers west of Helsinki, from a central-Helsinki heritage apartment. Many aspects of Humlegård, especially its placement to respond to the forces of nature, resemble the owner’s childhood  home, a large country manor in central Finland.Designed by Kimmo Friman of Friman Laaksonen Architects of Helsinki, Humlegård House is situated on a small, flat hill so that the north-south line runs diagonally through the building. This is the traditional way of placing a building so that it functions optimally as an energy efficient and comfortable dwelling in the harsh, Finnish climate. Protection from the wind and maximum use of sunlight are primary considerations, and the placement of rooms is as much dependent on how much the room needs heat and daylight as it is on how the residents use each space.The floor plan resembles the layout of a traditional peasant farmhouse, split lengthwise into two. The house consists of three multi-function areas: two large living rooms linked by a loft with a bathroom and walk-in closet below.In a typically Finnish fashion, the building appears simple, stark and utilitarian yet exudes a harmonious and stylish form & function sensibility. The owner and architect selected each building material carefully, opting for traditional, natural materials. “I did not want materials of which we did not have decades of experience,” said the owner. Horizontal spruce board – left untreated for maximum structure breathability -- is the main feature of the interior.The spruce-clad outer facade weathers into a beautiful gray color that matches the stark surroundings. The east-facing facade is clad with galvanized corrugated-steel that protects the wall from rain and sun and also reflects excessive sun away in the summer. The placement of windows was determined by the requirements of the interio...

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The stunning 700 Palms Residence is a prime example of site-specific architecture. Designed by Steven Ehrlich Architects, the striking structure mixes raw industrial materials with a polished modern aesthetic, making it a monument to eponymous SoCal style and a sustainable marvel in its own right. Its breezy construction seamlessly integrates outdoor spaces with a flowing interior floor plan that was carefully considered to address the freedoms and constraints of residential design in Venice, Los Angeles.

In Rotterdam there is more than one obsolete post office. The privatization of the post has even added some more in the past years. There is for instance a huge sixties building next to Rotterdam Central Station. It is a relic from the time post was still shipped through the country by train. Currently it is being transformed into offices for ‘creative’ businesses. Rumors go the top-level is being transformed for OMA Rotterdam. It is an office space to envy: it is basically an enormous warehouse with massive open floors and a floor-to-floor height one could only dream of.

The world should have known that the spawn of Jef Raskin, the “father” of the Macintosh computer, would one day revolutionize a genre of his own - office furniture. Enter the Bloxe, interlocking pieces of cardboard that click together like a life-size lego set to form walls, benches and tables. Aside from its green credentials (far superior to the toxic particle board that most office furniture is made of), the air spaces within the Bloxes help to dampen sound, so you won’t ever have to hear your cubicle mate fighting with her fiancee again! Plus the assemble process looks like a bit of fun if you are mechanically inclined.

From Andreas Fuhrimann and Gabrielle Hächler comes this award-winning apartment building in Berlin. I like the wall and ceiling treatment they did, in raw plywood and the layout of the floorplan. A little too austere for my taste but there’s no way you can go wrong with steel+glass+concrete.