A series of elaborately curved houses designed for Eindhoven will rest like large boulders in the Dutch landscape, illustrating the complex forms made possible by new and evolving 3D-printing technologies.

The first single-story house will be around 1,000 square feet and allow for process refinements for the multi-story units to follow – research and innovation are part of the mandate of the Eindhoven University of Technology and other project partners.

The goal, in part, is to optimize for quality, comfort and cost, with each phase building on the previous iteration, a marriage of experimentation and architectural creation.

Construction will begin this year and the first unit should be occupiable sometime next year. While the ideas are bigger than creating a single small neighborhood of homes, having them be functional in the end is also a key aim of the project.

Tucked into an historic winding Hutong of Beijing, this work of convertible architecture featuring a modular moving wall to make maximum use of flexible interior and exterior space on demand.

The so-called Humble Hostel by Chinese architect Cao Pu is a tiny 130-square-foot apartment with beds that can be rented out for just $20 a night. Its novel modular nature is a reflection of complex courtyard politics of these intertwined neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, over the centuries in China the lines have become blurred regarding ownership of communal open pedestrian space shared by the aged dwellings that surround them, attached organically over time to branching streets, paths and alleys.

In pulling back the facade of the structure, the design effectively gives space back for public use when the interior volume is not needed, creating space for seating and socializing in otherwise cramped quarters. The resulting roofed patio can host card games, a tea table, pop-up shop or temporary bar.

This prototype could herald potential applications in all kinds of close-proximity housing situations involving small-space dwellings. Future buildings might include this technology from the ground up, reshaping the way we think about architectural flexibility.

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Wall On Wheels Sliding Facade Swaps Indoor For Outdoor Space

Cut. Print it. That’s a wrap. One section (or scene) at a time, these designers are turning areas of Brooklyn into fashionable products that abstract the motion and colors of a place, converting them into a physical scarf.

First they film a given neighborhood; next they stretch out and process the results; finally they print it out along the length of the scarf. So far they have five to sell but hopefully more to come.

The Brooklyn Block “are a passionate bunch with back ground in interaction, architecture and urban design” whose “goal is to create remarkably thoughtful and exploratory products.”

One could accuse them of being a bit gimmicky, but a few brief rebuttals for would-be critics: first, on the aesthetic side, the scarfs are quite attractive, and second, on the conceptual side, there is something to be said for the patterns and colors of a place, whether the memories they conjure are consciously or subconsciously recognized. Finally, “The Brooklyn Block offers products that tell stories” – if nothing else, these are neat conversation pieces for those curious about their origins.

Previous efforts of Favela Painting transformed 34 buildings in Rio de Janeiro via huge rainbow-colored community mural, creating jobs and beautifying an area often feared by outsiders. This time they are raising funds on Kickstarter to head back to Brazil and paint an entire favela with over 100 hillside homes.

The results of work by Haas&Hahn to date have been multifaceted, including international recognition for dilapidated and under-served neighborhoods and positive attention to these as destination landmarks rather than faceless slums. Using a spectrum of colors, each building receives a distinctive and unique design, yet a sense of unification is achieved across an area at the same time.

This ongoing project has a series of parallel goals – it both empowers and employs locals, and provides an opportunity to shore up and plaster shanty-style structures to make them more energy efficient and safer. “Visual beautification, job creation and positive attention boost pride and self esteem and help bridge social gaps in a creative and artful manner. The projects create a voice for the inhabitants, influence public opinion and media, and can help to change perception and remove stigma.”

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Multi Building Murals Repainting A 100 Home Neighborhood

Brazil is no stranger to paint-based urban interventions, of  whichRio de Janeiro is frequently the focus, but the scope and scale of this project in particular truly boggles the brain.

The Favela Painting Project founded by Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn of Haas&Hahn (via DesignBoom) has turned an entire neighborhood into a dynamic spectrum of color, coating walls from ground to sky with a rainbow of bright paints.

The project “aims at turning public urban spaces in communities facing social difficulties into monumental works of art. the art of favela painting is not about cosmetically ‘camouflaging’ an area, but rather rejuvenating deprived areas of a city and creating a positive social effect on the general district at hand. it is a means of imagination and rethinking, redesigning and rebranding a community at whole.”

About the artists: “Jeroen Koolhaas studied graphic design at the Design Academy in Eindhoven and has been working as a freelance audio-visual designer and illustrator for the New Yorker magazine since graduation. Dre Urhah has worked as a journalist, copywriter, and art-director and has set up successful companies specializing in different fields, from event management to television production.”