Two-Story Concrete Home by Nobbs Radford Architects
A two-story extension to a more conventional house, designed by Nobbs Radford Architects, pairs concrete with warm-toned wide-plank wood and lots of large windows and skylights. Built-in wooden elements like the sculptural stairs in the living room add to the welcoming air.
House in Brissago by Wespi de Meuron Romeo Architetti
House in Brissago is another remarkable concrete structure from Wespi de Meuron Romeo, once again set into a cliff with its rooftop level with street access for privacy. Blocky and geometric, the home leads visitors through a series of transitional spaces planted with greenery, where giant glass walls can open and close to connect the interiors to the courtyard. You can’t really go wrong with those oversized windows looking out onto spectacular Swiss views.
Refugi Lieptgas by Nickisch Sano Walder Architekten
Swiss practice Nickisch Sano Walder Architekten preserves a disappearing agrarian vernacular in concrete with ‘Refugi Lieptgas.’ The diminutive home mimics the look of overlapping logs on a rural cabin using molded concrete formed from the negative space on an actual cabin wall, and the interior is nearly solid concrete. But these simple, unfussy planes are designed to spread warmth and light throughout the space, and the subterranean bedroom looks out onto a window well set beside a wall of boulders.
Koshino House by Tadao Ando
Built in 1984, Tadao Ando’s Koshino House is officially a classic, featuring two partially-buried concrete volumes carefully placed into a national park site to avoid disturbing existing trees. A below-grade tunnel connects the two structures, which contain communal spaces and the master bedroom on one side and a series of children’s bedrooms on the other. The dramatic double-height living room and strategic skylights add a sense of warmth and spaciousness.
