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      Eight neutral-hued homes patterned with intricate herringbone flooring

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      From a 1970s apartment renovation in Lisbon to a converted shop in Montreal, our latest lookbook collects eight residential interiors characterised by decorative herringbone parquet flooring.

      The herringbone pattern is made of rectangles or parallelograms, arranged to resemble the bones of a herring. It is often used for wallpaper, textiles and floors.
      Herringbone is a type of parquet flooring, the umbrella term for wooden battens slotted together in various geometric and mosaic arrangements to create decorative surfaces – a trend that emerged in the 1600s.
      Each of the eight homes in this lookbook showcases herringbone parquet, either preserved as a period feature or created to emulate the age-old flooring style.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring converted barns, zellige tiles and bathroom design ideas.

      Photo by Oni StudioWarsaw apartment, Poland, by Dawid Konieczny
      Polish architect Dawid Konieczny maintained the original herringbone flooring in this 20th-century Warsaw building, which houses a petite studio apartment he designed to echo “the ease of a good hotel room”.
      Dark oak-panelled walls were chosen to match the timber floors, while veiny Palomino quartzite was applied to the open-plan kitchen countertop.
      Find out more about this Warsaw apartment ›
      Photo courtesy of Aurora ArquitectosLisbon apartment, Portugal, by Aurora Arquitectos
      Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves characterise this Lisbon apartment renovated by local studio Aurora Arquitectos to illuminate its interior.
      Three wood-lined skylights were added to the 1970s home, which features a mix of marble and pine herringbone flooring to delineate public and private spaces.
      Find out more about this Lisbon apartment ›
      Photo by Janis NicolayVancouver townhouse, Canada, by Falken Reynolds
      Canadian firm Falken Reynolds transformed the ground floor of this 100-year-old townhouse in Vancouver.
      While the team added significant contemporary design details, they also preserved historic accents including oiled oak herringbone floors and an exposed red brick wall.
      Find out more about this Vancouver townhouse ›
      Photo by Alex JamesCourtyard House, UK, by De Rosee Sa
      Local architecture studio De Rosee Sa had to follow strict planning regulations when creating Courtyard House, a London home built to mirror the exact height of the old timber store it replaced.
      A trio of internal courtyards separate the floor plan into three light-filled spaces, which feature minimalist interior design such as herringbone-patterned parquet flooring and bright white walls.
      Find out more about Courtyard House ›
      Photo by Radek BruneckyZurich house, Switzerland, by Rafael Schmid
      Swiss architect Schmid overhauled his 1920s home in Zurich to combine period and contemporary details.
      Schmid maintained the open-plan living space’s original herringbone floors, but chose a contrasting pale grey surface made from mineral anhydrite for the adjacent kitchen.
      Find out more about this Zurich house ›
      Photo by Fernando AldaPanama City apartment, Panama, by Sandra Robles Boesler
      Located in the capital city of Panama, this concrete apartment was stripped out by architect Robles Boesler to make way for softer details including oak flooring arranged in a herringbone pattern.
      The architect also chose pastel-hued furniture to add warmth to the spaces, which are split between two levels accessed via a wood-lined staircase.
      Find out more about this Panama City ›
      Photo by Maxime DesbiensRésidence Villeneuve, Canada, by Atelier Barda
      Local architecture office Atelier Barda converted a Montreal shop into a two-storey house and a separate, rentable flat.
      Wooden herringbone flooring creates a backdrop for the understated ground floor characterised by light timber furniture and sandy-hued drapes.
      Find out more about Résidence Villeneuve ›
      Photo by Luuk KramerThe Hague townhouse, the Netherlands, by Antonia Reif
      Oak parquet was laid in a herringbone pattern across the floor of this early 20th-century townhouse in The Hague.
      In contrast with the honey-hued flooring, a grey kitchen island was placed in the centre of the home’s atrium. The bespoke feature was created from a type of composite stone called Silesto.
      Find out more about this townhouse in The Hague ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring converted barns, zellige tiles and bathroom design ideas.

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      Twelve scenes froms America’s “hidden” industrial world

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      Pencil production in New Jersey and the fabrication of massive turbines for wind power in North Dakota feature in this roundup of American industrial facilities photographed by Christopher Payne.

      Payne has spent the last decade exploring factories in America, ranging from “traditional industries” like wool carders to the production of contemporary technological machines that he says are often “hidden from view”.
      His reasons for creating Made in America stem from the lack of awareness of where products come from, and from American manufacturing “making a comeback” after Covid-19.
      “Most people I know have never set foot in a factory,” said Payne. “Decades of global outsourcing and a flood of cheap imports have decimated sectors of American manufacturing and hollowed out once-thriving communities.”
      “Yet, we still live in a physical world, and we surround ourselves with material things, and many of these things are still made in America. As environmental concerns and the pandemic have become urgent wake-up calls for us to rethink global supply chains, US manufacturing is making a comeback.”

      Nine municipal buildings in North America that reject bland utilitarianism

      The book includes close-up photography gathered from Payne’s personal exploration and editorial commissions and has an introduction from British author Simon Winchester.
      Payne said that he wanted to preserve the legacy of certain industries while showing the continued innovation and skill of workers – many of whom are featured in the photography.
      “All of these places share a commitment to craftsmanship and quality that can’t be outsourced,” he said.
      “There is, for sure, a certain romance in the idea of making our own goods here in the US, but it is no longer entirely nostalgia; it is also necessity and opportunity.”
      Read on for Payne’s commentary on scenes from twelve industrial facilities in the United States:
      Wool carders at the S & D Spinning MillS & D Spinning Mill, Millbury, Massachusetts
      “In 2010 I discovered an old yarn mill in Maine that reminded me of the state hospital workshops that I photographed for my book Asylum. While most such places had long been abandoned, this mill was fully operational, a scene from the past miraculously coexisting with the present.”
      “I learned of other mills around New England, remnants of a once-dominant industry that had moved south long ago, and then overseas, in search of cheap labor. I befriended mill owners, who, in addition to opening their doors, would inform me of a colorful production run, an invaluable tip that transformed a drab, monochromatic scene into something photogenic and magical.”
      A tipping machine adds metal ferrules and erasers to pencils General Pencil Company, Jersey City, New Jersey
      “General Pencil is one of two remaining pencil companies in the US, and it took five years to win the trust of the owners and gain access to the factory.”
      “I focused on essential steps in the manufacturing process to reveal a fresh look at this humble, everyday object.”
      Wafer (a thin slice of semiconductor material used to make microchips) sorterGlobal Foundries, Malta, New York
      “There is a familiarity to traditionally made objects like pianos and pencils that makes them easier to photograph than tiny microchips [featured above] or complex, one-of-a-kind spacecraft; they’re recognizable in all stages of production and we know exactly what they do.”
      “Whenever possible, I try to include people in my pictures to humanize a subject that might otherwise seem incomprehensible.”
      Vertical assembly of a CFM LEAP jet engine core
      GE Aerospace, Lafayette, Indiana
      “From the window of a plane, it is impossible to appreciate the size and complexity of a jet engine.”
      “Seen up close and uncovered, it becomes an intricate, dazzling work of art, the perfect balance of form and function.”
      Inspection of a low-pressure steam turbine rotorGE Gas Power, Schenectady, New York
      “Gaining access to modern factories is never easy. There are concerns about safety and intellectual property that didn’t exist in the 1940s and 50s, when American companies spent lavishly on annual reports and were eager to pull back the curtain for popular magazines like LIFE and Fortune.”
      “Sometimes I’ll make a beautiful picture only to find out later that I can’t use it, prompting me to look elsewhere for a replacement, like this one, which was my second – and successful attempt – at photographing a turbine rotor.”
      A technician tracing a part template for optimized glass utilization on a boule of Corning HPFS fused silica Corning Inc, Canton, New York
      “Glass is an ancient material continually being pushed to new limits, but it is not easily photographed. It’s transparent, reflective, and often quite thin and fragile.”
      “Finding this technician hovering over a massive circle of glass, lit up like an ice sculpture, was something I had never seen before, and it remains one of my favorite pictures.”
      An R1 vehicle hood in the closures area of the body shopRivian, Normal, Illinois
      “Car factories are so vast that a golf cart is needed to get around. The environment is visually overwhelming and everything beckons the camera.”
      “I never have enough time to show even a fraction of the production process so I search for quiet, simple moments that serve as stand-ins for the larger story.”
      Workers weld parts to the steel frame of an electric public transit busBuild Your Dreams (BYD) factory, Lancaster, California
      “I approach industrial subjects and busy, cluttered factories the same way I do buildings: I try to find an underlying order within the visual chaos.”
      “Here, I was able to use the bus frame as a geometric backdrop upon which the action could unfold, like a stage set.”
      Gathering yarn to be fed into a carpet tufterInterface, LaGrange, Georgia
      “New technologies are often integrated seamlessly into everyday products in ways that are indiscernible, as is the case here, where captured carbon dioxide will be fused into the backing of a commercial carpet.”
      “Even though the product is ‘high tech’, the manufacturing process still requires the deft touch of the human hand.”
      Sanding infused fiberglass inside a wind turbine blade shellLM Wind Power, Grand Forks, North Dakota
      “Clean energy is another booming sector in manufacturing. Wind turbine blades are 200 to 300 feet long (60 to 91 metres), so there’s no elegant way to show their length without including a lot of distracting context.”
      “Seen in section, though, the half circle of a blade shell becomes a pleasing composition that fills the frame.”
      Inside Stargate, the world’s largest metal 3D printer, prints a Terran 1 rocketRelativity Space, Long Beach, California
      “Essential technologies like aerospace have been reenergized by the private sector and new technologies, like 3D printing, and some factories I visited had the buzz of tech startups.”
      “Relativity Space 3D prints rocket engines, reducing the time to do so from years to months. To work around the UV light of the laser we had to wear protective gear to avoid a nasty sunburn.”
      American flags in production on a rotary screen printerAnnin Flagmakers, South Boston, Virginia
      “Even in its unfinished state the American flag is instantly recognizable, a whole greater than the sum of its parts.”
      “I like to think that a factory is similar, a whole that is only complete when everyone works together as a team. These are the people who make the stuff that fuels our economy, and in this time of social polarization and increasing automation, they offer a glimmer of hope.”

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      Twelve scenes from America’s “hidden” industrial world

      by

      Pencil production in New Jersey and the fabrication of massive turbines for wind power in North Dakota feature in this roundup of American industrial facilities photographed by Christopher Payne.

      Payne has spent the last decade exploring factories in America, ranging from “traditional industries” like wool carders to the production of contemporary technological machines that he says are often “hidden from view”.
      His reasons for creating Made in America stem from the lack of awareness of where products come from, and from American manufacturing “making a comeback” after Covid-19.
      “Most people I know have never set foot in a factory,” said Payne. “Decades of global outsourcing and a flood of cheap imports have decimated sectors of American manufacturing and hollowed out once-thriving communities.”
      “Yet, we still live in a physical world, and we surround ourselves with material things, and many of these things are still made in America. As environmental concerns and the pandemic have become urgent wake-up calls for us to rethink global supply chains, US manufacturing is making a comeback.”

      Nine municipal buildings in North America that reject bland utilitarianism

      The book includes close-up photography gathered from Payne’s personal exploration and editorial commissions and has an introduction from British author Simon Winchester.
      Payne said that he wanted to preserve the legacy of certain industries while showing the continued innovation and skill of workers – many of whom are featured in the photography.
      “All of these places share a commitment to craftsmanship and quality that can’t be outsourced,” he said.
      “There is, for sure, a certain romance in the idea of making our own goods here in the US, but it is no longer entirely nostalgia; it is also necessity and opportunity.”
      Read on for Payne’s commentary on scenes from twelve industrial facilities in the United States:
      Wool carders at the S & D Spinning MillS & D Spinning Mill, Millbury, Massachusetts
      “In 2010 I discovered an old yarn mill in Maine that reminded me of the state hospital workshops that I photographed for my book Asylum. While most such places had long been abandoned, this mill was fully operational, a scene from the past miraculously coexisting with the present.”
      “I learned of other mills around New England, remnants of a once-dominant industry that had moved south long ago, and then overseas, in search of cheap labor. I befriended mill owners, who, in addition to opening their doors, would inform me of a colorful production run, an invaluable tip that transformed a drab, monochromatic scene into something photogenic and magical.”
      A tipping machine adds metal ferrules and erasers to pencils General Pencil Company, Jersey City, New Jersey
      “General Pencil is one of two remaining pencil companies in the US, and it took five years to win the trust of the owners and gain access to the factory.”
      “I focused on essential steps in the manufacturing process to reveal a fresh look at this humble, everyday object.”
      Wafer (a thin slice of semiconductor material used to make microchips) sorterGlobal Foundries, Malta, New York
      “There is a familiarity to traditionally made objects like pianos and pencils that makes them easier to photograph than tiny microchips [featured above] or complex, one-of-a-kind spacecraft; they’re recognizable in all stages of production and we know exactly what they do.”
      “Whenever possible, I try to include people in my pictures to humanize a subject that might otherwise seem incomprehensible.”
      Vertical assembly of a CFM LEAP jet engine core
      GE Aerospace, Lafayette, Indiana
      “From the window of a plane, it is impossible to appreciate the size and complexity of a jet engine.”
      “Seen up close and uncovered, it becomes an intricate, dazzling work of art, the perfect balance of form and function.”
      Inspection of a low-pressure steam turbine rotorGE Gas Power, Schenectady, New York
      “Gaining access to modern factories is never easy. There are concerns about safety and intellectual property that didn’t exist in the 1940s and 50s, when American companies spent lavishly on annual reports and were eager to pull back the curtain for popular magazines like LIFE and Fortune.”
      “Sometimes I’ll make a beautiful picture only to find out later that I can’t use it, prompting me to look elsewhere for a replacement, like this one, which was my second – and successful attempt – at photographing a turbine rotor.”
      A technician tracing a part template for optimized glass utilization on a boule of Corning HPFS fused silica Corning Inc, Canton, New York
      “Glass is an ancient material continually being pushed to new limits, but it is not easily photographed. It’s transparent, reflective, and often quite thin and fragile.”
      “Finding this technician hovering over a massive circle of glass, lit up like an ice sculpture, was something I had never seen before, and it remains one of my favorite pictures.”
      An R1 vehicle hood in the closures area of the body shopRivian, Normal, Illinois
      “Car factories are so vast that a golf cart is needed to get around. The environment is visually overwhelming and everything beckons the camera.”
      “I never have enough time to show even a fraction of the production process so I search for quiet, simple moments that serve as stand-ins for the larger story.”
      Workers weld parts to the steel frame of an electric public transit busBuild Your Dreams (BYD) factory, Lancaster, California
      “I approach industrial subjects and busy, cluttered factories the same way I do buildings: I try to find an underlying order within the visual chaos.”
      “Here, I was able to use the bus frame as a geometric backdrop upon which the action could unfold, like a stage set.”
      Gathering yarn to be fed into a carpet tufterInterface, LaGrange, Georgia
      “New technologies are often integrated seamlessly into everyday products in ways that are indiscernible, as is the case here, where captured carbon dioxide will be fused into the backing of a commercial carpet.”
      “Even though the product is ‘high tech’, the manufacturing process still requires the deft touch of the human hand.”
      Sanding infused fiberglass inside a wind turbine blade shellLM Wind Power, Grand Forks, North Dakota
      “Clean energy is another booming sector in manufacturing. Wind turbine blades are 200 to 300 feet long (60 to 91 metres), so there’s no elegant way to show their length without including a lot of distracting context.”
      “Seen in section, though, the half circle of a blade shell becomes a pleasing composition that fills the frame.”
      Inside Stargate, the world’s largest metal 3D printer, prints a Terran 1 rocketRelativity Space, Long Beach, California
      “Essential technologies like aerospace have been reenergized by the private sector and new technologies, like 3D printing, and some factories I visited had the buzz of tech startups.”
      “Relativity Space 3D prints rocket engines, reducing the time to do so from years to months. To work around the UV light of the laser we had to wear protective gear to avoid a nasty sunburn.”
      American flags in production on a rotary screen printerAnnin Flagmakers, South Boston, Virginia
      “Even in its unfinished state the American flag is instantly recognizable, a whole greater than the sum of its parts.”
      “I like to think that a factory is similar, a whole that is only complete when everyone works together as a team. These are the people who make the stuff that fuels our economy, and in this time of social polarization and increasing automation, they offer a glimmer of hope.”

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      Webb Yates creates structural stone frame for Royal Academy summer exhibition

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      A post-tensioned stone frame by engineering firm Webb Yates is among the exhibits in the architecture rooms of this year’s Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibition, curated by London studio Assemble.

      Webb Yates worked with The Stonemasonry Company to create a frame made from cored cylinders of waste limestone joined together with tensioned steel rods, aiming to showcase stone as a modern, low-carbon structural material.
      It is one of the many pieces displayed at the annual Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibition, which is open until 18 August, and is part of the architecture section curated by Assemble around the theme “spaces for making”.
      A post-tensioned stone frame is on display at the Royal Academy summer exhibition”Webb Yates and The Stonemasonry Company have been advocating a return to stone structure to reduce carbon and pollution,” Webb Yates cofounder Steve Webb told Dezeen.
      “Many people construe this as a suggestion to return to the massive stone structures of the past but we want to reimagine how stone can be used by modern engineers and stone masons.”

      “The pylon demonstrates how post-tensioning slim stone elements can achieve strength and rigidity at a fraction of the carbon cost,” he continued.
      Webb Yates Engineers used steel rods to connect cored limestone cylindersDisplayed in the octagonal central hall at The Royal Academy of Arts, the stone structure is imagined as an alternative to building with steel, Webb explained.
      “Imagine crane masts, bridges or space frames like the Eden Centre and Stadium Australia being formed with stone elements instead of steel,” he said.
      “With a world-saving 75 per cent carbon reduction, inherent durability and fire resistance, we can put waste stone to use and make some really pretty structures.”
      Assemble curated two rooms at the exhibitionThe stone structure is displayed alongside architectural models, material samples, drawings and photographs in the architecture rooms – a regular feature at the annual summer exhibition, which also showcases various mediums of art.
      Other stone pieces in the show included a model of Artefact’s Brick from Stone installation and a column segment designed by Palestinian architects AAU Anastas, which is made up of a bulging piece of stone sandwiched between two stone fragments taken from a demolished building in Bethlehem.
      One gallery is designed as an industrial storage spaceAssemble, which was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2022, arranged the architecture exhibit across two rooms.
      Aiming to reflect the profession’s working processes, the central hall is curated as a studio-like display of works and the adjacent gallery is designed to appear like an architectural storage space, with exhibition pieces displayed on industrial shelving.

      Why aren’t more architects using stone as a building material?

      “We wanted to approach the two rooms slightly differently and show architecture in the space that it’s usually made,” Assemble’s Kaye Song told Dezeen.
      “We’re used to seeing architecture models and drawings presented in such a pristine way but that’s not usually the context you view finished architecture works,” Song added.
      “One gallery we’ve turned into an industrial storage-like space using off-the-shelf products like palette racking and wall-mounted brackets, and the other room has taken an artist’s studio approach.”
      Exhibits are displayed on industrial shelvingHanging from a skylight in the central hall are sheets made of biomaterials by artists Jessie French and Shanelle Ueyama. Surrounding them are mosaic panels by volunteers at the Hackney Mosaic Project and a glass sculpture by designer Yinka Ilori.
      In the adjacent room on the industrial shelving, which will be reused elsewhere after the exhibition closes, is a set of tools by sculptor James Capper, architecture models and casts by architecture studio Stanton Williams and rammed-earth stools by ceramic artist Lyson Marchessault.
      AAU Anastas also contributed stone exhibits to the exhibitionAssemble founding member Maria Lisogorskaya explained that a wide range of designs from different types of makers, not just architects, were chosen to create an engaging exhibition.
      “We wanted to showcase the breadth of the profession with models, tools, material samples and community projects, not just individual projects,” said Lisogorskaya.
      Tools by James Capper are among the other exhibits”There’s a range of people; there’s architects, product designers, structural engineers, fashion designers, musicians, scientists, community organisations,” Lisogorskaya continued.
      “We wanted to have a really broad net of people together under one roof to make for a more dynamic show.”
      Also taking place is the London Festival of Architecture, for which an eclectic range of benches has been installed on the Royal Docks and Unknown Works has constructed The Armadillo pavilion from eucalyptus wood.
      The photography is by Kaye Song.
      The Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibition takes place from 18 June to 18 August 2024 at Burlington House in London. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Halleroed contrasts colour and texture inside Boygar’s Tbilisi store

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      Design studio Halleroed has combined rustic, earthy tones with bold colours and glossy finishes for online retailer Boygar’s first store in Tbilisi, Georgia.

      Set across three floors in a historic building on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, Halleroed worked within the framework of the building’s existing features when designing the store.
      Halleroed has designed a three-storey retail space for Boygar’s in TbilisiCharacterised by a series of tall arched doorways and openings, the ground floor space features circular bronze-toned chandeliers, decorative wall and ceiling elements and Versailles parquet flooring.
      To preserve the existing ceiling details, chandeliers designed by Cristian Miola were hung with minimal intervention.
      Bronze ring-shaped chandeliers hang from the ceiling on the ground floor”The inspiration for the chandeliers was from the Greek Orthodox Georgian churches that we visited during our stay in Tbilisi,” Halleroed told Dezeen.

      To create a striking visual contrast against the more neutral tones and materials, Halleroed added a velvet green sofa and a matching curved green screen with a high-gloss finish.
      “For the ground floor and first floor, we had a decorative, old, existing environment which we wanted to be the backdrop to the new additions,” Halleroed explained.
      A high-gloss green screen divides the ground floor spaceHalleroed also incorporated half-height curved partition walls that weave through the ground floor space. These have integrated mirrors, as well as floating shelves to display Boygar’s products.
      “The walls and ceiling of the existing building have a darker beige tone while the new, lower, curved walls are in a textured bright wallpaper to create a contrast between old and new,” said Halleroed.
      Burgandy, ochre, green and black contribute to the colour palette on the first floorA marble staircase leads up to the first floor, where the material and colour palette echo that of the ground floor.
      “The colours and fixtures are from a more earthy, in our eyes, Georgian palette with burgundy, ochre, green and black accents,” said Halleroed.
      Halleroed juxtaposed elements including oak window and door frames with a burgundy lacquered side table and a curved glossy black screen.
      Seating units by Gaetano Pesco add colour to the lower-ground floor spaceThe store’s lower level is a “more contemporary area”, according to Halleroed.
      Here, modular seating by Italian designer Gaetano Pesce stands out in bright pops of solid colour against the neutral palette used for the walls and carpet.

      Halleroed mixes French and Japandi influences inside L/Uniform’s Paris boutique

      “Downstairs we used a more modern approach since the space didn’t contain any decorative elements,” Halleroed explained.
      Work by contemporary Georgian artists including Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili and Shota Aptsiauri line the walls.
      Tubular lighting contained inside circular niches illuminates the spaceGarments presented on mannequins and minimal clothes rails are illuminated by tubular lighting contained in circular niches in the ceiling.
      “Tubular lighting is very typical for art galleries and we wanted that feeling downstairs but in a more interesting, spatial way,” said Halleroed.
      A coral-coloured shoe display area takes cues from paintings by Georgian artist PirosmaniA bright red archway frames a women’s shoe display area, with the same gloss finish used elsewhere.
      “The strong coral red colour was inspired by the famous Georgian artist Pirosmani’s paintings,” Halleroed explained.
      A local Georgian marble features in the bathroomsIn the bathrooms, a green-hued local Georgian marble was used, which matches the building’s facade.
      “We always try to work with local materials where possible,” Halleroed said. “We played with the stone and illuminated ceiling to create a visually intense, almost scenographical effect.”
      Other store interior projects recently published on Dezeen include a flagship store for fashion brand Totome in London and a boutique in Paris for French bag brand L/Unifirm.
      Photography is by Ludovic Balay.

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      Eight compact studios embedded into residential gardens

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      From converted garages to compact new-builds, we have rounded up eight studios that provide retreat and solitude for their owners in their own back gardens.

      Featuring reclaimed materials, charred-timber facades and pared-back interiors, this list of garden spaces includes a converted workshop completed by designer Paul Westwood in the UK and a studio centred by a tree-shaped concrete structure in Belgium.
      Photo by Lorenzo ZandriShou Sugi Bangers, UK, by Unknown Works
      Charred timber wraps around this music studio completed by Unknown Works in the garden of a London home.
      Named Shou Sugi Bangers, the studio’s scalloped wooden cladding provides a series of nooks for external seating space, while the workspace is housed inside.

      Find out more about Shou Sugi Bangers ›
      Photo by James RetriefGardenhide Studio, UK, by Commonbond Architects
      Commonbond Architects designed and built its own studio at the end of a garden in London that aims to showcase the potential of hempcrete as a building material.
      The space was constructed from a cuboidal timber frame and reclaimed materials and is topped with a mono-pitched roof.
      Find out more about Gardenhide Studio ›
      Photo by Johnny UmansT(uin)Huis Atelier, Belgium, by Atelier Janda Vanderghote 
      Situated at the end of a garden in Ghent, Atelier Janda Vanderghote used simple materials such as concrete, brick and timber to create the T(uin)Huis Atelier.
      The studio features a rhythmic facade made up of copper-toned framing, while the interior is defined by an open-plan layout organised around a tree-shaped concrete structure.
      Find out more about T(uin)Huis Atelier ›
      Photo by Loes van DuijvendijkStudio Shed, The Netherlands, by LMNL Office
      Architecture studio LMNL Office completed the Studio Shed outbuilding as an addition to a home in Brabant, the Netherlands.
      Crafted from prefabricated timber panels, the garden studio features a rectangular, compact form that was clad with earth-coloured clay tiles to echo the tiles of the main house.
      Find out more about Studio Shed ›
      Photo courtesy of TEDSThe Garden Retreat, UK, by The Environmental Design Studio
      Reclaimed materials were used to create The Garden Retreat, which was added to a compact site in Cambridge by London practice The Environmental Design Studio.
      The studio’s facade is finished with stacked slate tiles bordered by concrete slabs. A waterfall feature and bird bath were also integrated into the facade to enhance biodiversity.
      Find out more about The Garden Retreat ›
      Photo by Daniel MulhearnBush Studio, Australia, by Dane Taylor Design
      Dane Taylor Design completed this multipurpose garden studio in New South Wales, which features a compact form clad with charred wood.
      Named Bush Studio, the space serves as a private retreat nestled into the surrounding landscape and is complete with clerestory windows and a mono-pitched roof.
      Find out more about Bush Studio ›
      Photo by Simon KennedyDark Matter, UK, by Hyperspace
      Converted from a suburban garage, this garden studio in Hertfordshire, England, features a charred-timber facade formed of 850 pieces of wood that doubles as an insect hotel.
      A pivoting door opens up to the studio interior which contains a spacious workspace animated by two perforated “light chimneys”.
      Find out more about Dark Matter ›
      Photo by Chris WhartonGarden Office, UK, by Paul Westwood
      Architect Paul Westwood used a pared-back material palette to complete the conversion of the dilapidated garage of his London home into a workshop and studio.
      The existing garage was stripped back to its structural shell and features a large skylight, underfloor heating and a natural material palette.
      Find out more about Garden Office ›

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      Modul 28 transforms fortified church in Transylvania into guesthouse

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      Romanian studio Modul 28 has updated and extended the rectory of a church in Transylvania, transforming it into a guesthouse that “balances preservation with innovation”.

      Located in the village of Curciu, the building was renovated as part of an initiative led by the Fortified Churches Foundation, which exists to preserve the region’s large number of fortified churches dating from the 13th to 16th centuries.
      The converted chapel and rectory contains a guesthouseRather than turn these sites into museums, the programme looks to introduce “contemporary functions” that will reintegrate them with the surrounding communities, Modul 28 said.
      At this site in Curciu, the studio has converted the adjacent rectory and chapel into a guesthouse, while the large church at the centre of the site remains open to the public.
      The main living area is housed within the old chapel’s apse”The initiative is based on the belief that turning heritage buildings into museums does not serve their long-term wellbeing, especially in the case of secondary importance constructions such as annexes,” said architect Andra Nicoleanu.

      “The design process for this project could be characterised by a meticulous approach that balances preservation with innovation, drawing inspiration from the historical and architectural context of the site,” she told Dezeen.
      Doorways and window shutters have been updated with pale woodA series of minimal and reversible alterations were made to the existing rectory, creating space for a double bedroom alongside a kitchen and dining area.
      Projecting out of the site’s boundary wall, the polygonal apse of the former chapel now houses the main living area. Three gothic windows surrounding this space, which had been partially destroyed, have been restored with thin-profile metal frames.

      Medprostor tops 12th-century church in Slovenia with folding roof

      The old rectory has been replastered and its doorways and window shutters have been updated with pale wood, contrasting the rough masonry exterior of the chapel and the gatehouse.
      “Our proposal, especially for exterior interventions, emphasises reversibility and the temporary nature by utilising lightweight materials, namely wood and metal inserts,” explains Nicoleanu.
      “Essentially, this approach serves as an exercise in contemporary materiality, contributing to the contrast between what already exists and what is currently being constructed,” she added.
      A temporary timber structure sits beside the guesthouseA temporary, pavilion-like timber structure tucked between the guesthouse and the site’s external wall provides bathrooms, with a shower lined with yellow corrugated metal.
      “The most significant gesture in the design was perhaps the decision to add a temporary construction to the exterior, that arises from the desire not to alter the volume of the interior spaces,” said Nicoleanu. “Although it fits contextually, in terms of plan resolution and resulting image, it stands out through contrast.”
      A shower is lined with yellow corrugated metalAnother recent project involving renovations of historic church buildings include the repair of a 12th-century structure in Slovenia by local practice Medprostor, designed as a space “between a ruin and a reconstruction”.
      In London, Tigg + Coll Architects converted an abandoned mission church into its own workspace and, on the Isle of Sheppey, Hugh Broughton Architects transformed a 19th-century church into a community hub.
      The photography is by Vlad Pătru.

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      Sabine Marcelis creates colour-blocked scenography for VitraHaus loft

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      A mint-green lounge pit and custard-yellow home office are among several colourful set pieces installed by designer Sabine Marcelis on the top floor of Vitra’s Herzog & de Meuron-designed flagship store in Weil am Rhein, Germany.

      Marcelis, who is known for her work exploring colour, translucency and reflection, was invited to create a series of domestic scenes within the VitraHaus loft that feature some of the furniture company’s most iconic products.
      The scenography immerses visitors in a world of colour, with the various spaces providing a vision of domestic life that aims to be both practical and imaginative.
      Sabine Marcelis has transformed the VitraHaus loft showroom in Germany”The philosophy behind the design closely mirrors how we created our family home,” said Marcelis, who organised Vitra Design Museum’s archive into a colour-coordinated exhibition called Colour Rush in 2022.
      “It features a large open space divided into functional zones, delineated by colour. We then blended my creations with those of other designers, artists and, of course, Vitra furniture to create a cohesive whole.”

      A series of domestic scenes showcases colour-blocked furnitureMarcelis worked closely with Vitra to transform the loft of the flagship store on the Vitra Campus, also home to Zaha Hadid’s dynamic Fire Station and Frank Gehry’s swirling museum building.
      The loft, with its gabled openings framing views of the surrounding countryside, has a domestic scale that is accentuated through the choice of furnishings and the layering of colour and materials.
      Marcelis is known for her experiments with translucency”The VitraHaus loft is the perfect canvas to display the diversity of Vitra furniture,” said Till Weber, the company’s creative director of interiors and scenography. “It provides a collage where we can mix and match furniture for the characters that live within it.”
      “The tones and hues Sabine has used are recognisable from the natural, organic world and they have a rich interaction with the various spaces – things are connected but do not all perfectly match,” he continued.
      Limited edition food-inspired colours of the Panton Chair are displayed throughoutVisitors arriving via a lift enter a cool-green living area featuring a large lounge pit created using Jasper Morrison’s Soft Modular Sofa. The sofa is complemented by a green rug and Marcelis’s floor-standing Curve Light.
      “The original sofa system is generally used to create L shapes and we’ve just merged it all to form this enveloping pit,” the designer said.
      “I think it’s so important to have a good lounge. It can be really fun – I have a lounge pit at home as well and it’s the core of the house. It’s so good to just jump in there.”
      Reflective surfaces are another hallmark of Marcelis’s workThe lounge space is one of seven distinct areas, each designed to celebrate a different colour. These include a soft-pink bathroom with a custom onyx tub, sink and vanity.
      Other zones include a small seating area with caramel-coloured carpeting that matches the leather upholstery on a pair of George Nelson’s Coconut Chairs, as well as a minimalist kitchen with shelving and stools in a plum hue.
      A custard-yellow home office is also among the colour-blocked set pieces”The colours used in the VitraHaus Loft are personal favourites,” Marcelis said.
      “I like these colours and never tire of them, which makes them timeless for me. I think this attitude is important for anyone creating their own home.”
      The bathroom features a soft-pink onyx tub and vanity unitIncorporated within the scenography are iconic pieces from Vitra’s archive including two of Verner Panton’s midcentury furniture designs, which Marcelis has updated in seven new colours.
      The limited edition versions of the Panton Chair Classic and the Visiona Stool are produced in food-inspired hues including bubble gum, butter, honeydew and plum that match the colour scheme used in the VitraHaus Loft.
      Along with upholstery in the seven new colours, Marcelis specified different types of finishes for the cylindrical Visiona pouf, including faux fur and untreated leather.
      Also on show are Marcelis’s own designs including the Candy Cube side tableThe designer also selected artworks by friends and collaborators that help to create a homely feel throughout the spaces.
      Pieces by Maria Pratts, Johnny Mae Hauser and Carolijn Jacobs feature alongside printed bedsheets by Ehsan Morshed, which were created for the VitraHaus Loft and are available to purchase at the VitraHaus.
      Caramel-coloured carpeting matches Coconut Chairs in one seating areaMarcelis has worked on numerous projects in recent years that display her innovative take on colour and materiality.
      Most recently, she created colourful plinths for the match balls of the Euro 2024 football tournament and designed a conceptual version of the Renault Twingo car featuring a semi-transparent exterior and raspberry-coloured interior.
      The photography is by Clemens Poloczek.

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