CIRCULUS Atelier is the working studio of Oka Architecture Design & Co., Ltd. (OAD) and a built application of the practice’s CIRCULUS architectural framework, which examines circularity, continuity, and long-term adaptability in design. Conceived as both a workplace in Yokohama, Japan, and a prototype, the project investigates how digital fabrication can inform architecture as a system that integrates exterior enclosure and interior spatial treatment within a unified material logic.

The building’s exterior is defined by KNIT, a modular facade system developed and fabricated by the practice using large-scale 3D printing. Rather than functioning as a conventional cladding, the facade operates as a woven surface composed of repeated printed units. Variations in geometry across the modules create depth and shadow, allowing the facade to respond to changing light conditions over time. The fabrication process remains legible, with the method of production directly expressed in the architectural surface.

all images courtesy of Oka Architecture Design & Co., Ltd. (OAD)

Suspended 3D Printed Elements Shape CIRCULUS Atelier’s interior

Inside the atelier, Studio Oka Architecture Design & Co., Ltd. (OAD) applies the same material approach in a different manner. Flexible 3D printed elements are suspended from the ceiling, forming a draped installation that introduces a soft overhead layer above the workspace. This suspended system filters daylight, moderates acoustics, and defines spatial zones without enclosing them. The ceiling is treated as a hanging field shaped by gravity and material behavior rather than as a rigid, fixed plane.

The interior installation relies on the inherent flexibility of the printed material, allowing elements to fold, overlap, and deform naturally. Through digital fabrication, softness becomes a controlled architectural attribute rather than a purely ornamental effect. Both the KNIT facade and the interior components are designed to be demountable, repairable, and reconfigurable, aligning with the CIRCULUS framework’s emphasis on reuse and adaptability.

overall view of the CIRCULUS atelier, wrapped in a 3D printed KNIT facade resembling a woven surface

a studio Designed for Adjustment, Reuse and Long-Term Flexibility

All elements are produced in-house using 3D printing, enabling precise geometric control while limiting material waste. Architecture is treated as an evolving assembly rather than a finished object, capable of adjustment and transformation over time. As a working studio, the atelier provides a setting in which material performance, spatial comfort, and durability can be evaluated through daily use.

CIRCULUS Atelier operates as both a functional workplace and a test site for architectural research. By integrating design, fabrication, and occupation within a single environment, the project presents an approach to architecture that prioritizes continuity, material behavior, and long-term flexibility within a circular design system.

detail of the KNIT facade around the window opening reveals the layered rhythm of the 3D printed components

the KNIT modules showcase subtle variations created through digital fabrication

interior view of the atelier workspace beneath a softly draped, textile-like suspended 3D printed installation

after 3D printing, the discharged material is reused as a wall-mounted object, reflecting circular principles

close-up of a soft, flexible 3D printed component used in the suspended interior installation

rejecting the fixed geometry of conventional shelving, 3D printed cells are assembled to form a unique shelf

light passing through the suspended elements creates a layered and atmospheric ceiling condition

a folded 3D printed screen resting on a chair, emphasizing the softness and flexibility of the material

the draped installation gently defines zones within the workspace without enclosing the space

oblique view of the suspended elements, emphasizing depth, repetition, and material softness

project info:

name: CIRCULUS Atelier
architect: Oka Architecture Design & Co., Ltd. | @o.a.d.co.ltd

location: Yokohama, Japan

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 modular 3D printed facade wraps workspace in japan like knit textile appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Ahead of its recent completion, Dymak’s new headquarters in Odense, Denmark, becomes the backdrop for a site-specific performance by local dance company KOMA Ballet, offering an early glimpse into BIG’s circular workplace designed around flexibility, material tactility, and high-energy performance. The 2,800-square-meter timber building serves as a spatial framework for both human and environmental movement, positioning the workplace as an adaptable ecosystem.

Designed by BIG LEAP, BIG’s in-house architecture, landscape, engineering, and product design studio, the headquarters is organized as a continuous loop that connects departments visually and spatially across floors. The circular configuration distributes volume to create varied spatial conditions, allowing employees to establish workstations according to changing needs. 

all images courtesy of PROFILE, unless stated otherwise

bjarke Ingels shapes climate-responsive workplace in denmark

Wood, clay, and cork line the interiors, chosen for their tactile qualities and their resonance with Dymak’s product portfolio. Recycled bricks extend across the ground floor and into the surrounding paths and courtyard. Acting as the green heart of the building, the courtyard pulls the surrounding landscape inward, forming an open-air amphitheater that supports informal gatherings, social events, and moments of pause throughout the day.

The facade opens northward to frame views of Funen’s manorial landscape, while the southern elevation integrates external lamellas for passive solar shading. Vertical stretched-metal panels gradually close off the glass surface to prevent overheating. Referencing Denmark’s half-timbered architectural tradition, the team at BIG composes a grid-like envelope using 44 radial cross-laminated timber frames, topped by an undulating roof fitted with 880 photovoltaic panels. Angled for year-round solar harvesting, the roof also mitigates noise within the inner courtyard, reinforcing the building’s role as a calm, climate-responsive workspace.

Set to achieve DGNB Gold and Heart certifications, the headquarters reflects BIG LEAP’s ambition to align environmental performance with social sustainability, creating a workplace that evolves alongside Dymak’s future growth while remaining grounded in material honesty, spatial generosity, and collective experience. Stay tuned for the full unveiling of the project, with more details, images, and spatial insights coming soon.

positioning the workplace as an adaptable ecosystem

the headquarters is organized as a continuous loop

allowing employees to establish workstations according to changing needs

wood, clay, and cork line the interiors

reflecting BIG LEAP’s ambition to align environmental performance with social sustainability | image courtesy of BIG

reinforcing the building’s role as a calm, climate-responsive workspace | image courtesy of BIG

an undulating roof fitted with 880 photovoltaic panels | image courtesy of BIG

project info:

name: Dymak Headquarters

architect: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) | @big_builds

location: Odense, Denmark

area: 2,800 square meters

landscape: BIG Landscape

engineering: BIG Engineering

certification: targeting DGNB Gold + Heart

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Studio Cochi Architects establishes its own woodworking studio in Gushichan, rural Okinawa, Japan. The compound combines the firm’s office and a production facility for wooden sashes and fixtures, elements they consider essential to the spatial and tactile quality of their buildings, yet increasingly difficult to source locally with consistent craftsmanship, precision, and timelines.

The compound sits about five minutes from the firm’s former home-office, Tamagusuku House, on a sloping plot surrounded by forest and farmland. The architects chose a steel-frame structure for its openness, speed, and economy, typical of industrial buildings. Construction unfolded in two phases. The workshop came first, followed by the office, whose fittings were fabricated on-site using the newly operational facility. The volumes step along the slope, responding to shallow bedrock conditions and minimizing excavation.

A semi-outdoor garden forms a buffer between the noisy, dusty production zone and the quieter office areas. This intermediary space extends the surrounding forest into the site, creating a gradual transition rather than a hard division. Ventilation plays a critical role throughout the project, since air conditioning is impractical for a woodworking shop. The building is designed to open almost entirely, using a double-skin system made from insect netting and roll-up vinyl sheets, materials commonly found in Okinawan agricultural greenhouses. The system allows air to flow freely while providing protection from sun, rain, and typhoons. 

all images courtesy of Studio Cochi Architects

why studio cochi brings wooden production in-house

In Okinawa, reinforced concrete structures paired with standardized aluminum sashes have become the norm. For the Japanese architects at Studio Cochi, however, openings are interfaces between body, climate, and space. They have long specified wooden sashes for their warmth, texture, and capacity to age gracefully. The decision to build their own workshop emerged from the scarcity of skilled woodworkers on the island, along with the lack of continuity between workshops, which made it hard to refine details, build long-term knowledge, or improve designs through iteration.

By internalizing production, the studio now controls the full cycle of design, fabrication, installation, and maintenance, allowing them to test new joinery systems, adjust details based on real-world performance, and respond more flexibly to the schedule of each project. Equally important is the proximity between designers and builders. Drawings and prototypes coexist in the same space, enabling constant dialogue between intent and material reality.

the office–workshop compound is embedded within dense subtropical vegetation

testing materials through use, maintenance, and iteration

Inside the office, simplicity prevails. Sliding doors are fitted directly between steel structural members, and polycarbonate corrugated sheets are used to reduce the weight of the fixtures. Throughout the project, the architects deliberately turned to materials and construction logics from outside conventional architectural practice, particularly agriculture. These everyday techniques, they argue, are often more climatically intelligent than standardized architectural solutions.

Studio in Gushichan is presented as a working prototype. Because the architects themselves will maintain the building, it becomes a testing ground for alternative materials, details, and construction methods. Through this hands-on process, Studio Cochi Architects explores how architecture in Okinawa might evolve by reinterpreting local practices, climates, and labor cultures into new spatial forms.

operable facades allow the building to open almost entirely to the landscape

the porous double-skin envelope allows light and air to pass through

wrapped in a translucent double-skin of insect netting and vinyl sheets

operable wooden panels tilt outward

a continuous roof unifies office and workshop beneath a shared shaded canopy

the semi-outdoor garden weaves between volumes

the garden acts as a spatial hinge between fabrication areas and quieter office spaces

a semi-outdoor workspace opens directly onto the garden buffer

translucent polycarbonate panels and sliding wooden frames define a lightweight interior envelope

maintaining protection from rain and debris

the open-plan office is organized beneath a lightweight steel structure

hinged wooden sashes frame views of the surrounding forest

sliding wooden frames and translucent polycarbonate panels create a layered transition

agricultural building systems inform the envelope 

project info:

name: Studio in Gushichan

architect: Studio Cochi Architects | @studiocochiarchitects

location: Gushichan, Okinawa, Japan

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Jo Nagasaka-led Schemata Architects completes the head office for Uchida Shōten, a hardware manufacturer with a 160-year history in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The team roots the two-story wooden structure in the spatial logic of the historic town that surrounds it. The site sits along the former Tōkaidō road, once Fujisawa-juku, the sixth post town of the Edo period, where narrow, elongated plots shape a distinctive townhouse culture that still structures the area today.

The building draws from the machiya model, an architectural style of traditional Japanese wooden townhouses, characterized by their narrow, deep layouts, wooden latticework, and integration of living and working spaces. For a manufacturer whose business revolves around building components, the project introduces a disruption to routine, while offering Fujisawa a small but active space for cultural circulation along the old Tōkaidō road.

The structure reflects budget constraints and conceptual clarity. A series of frames forms a single, large box, avoiding expressive formal gestures in favor of flexibility and longevity. Awning windows on the north facade open toward the street, letting light, movement, and the presence of people filter outward.

all images by Ju Yeon Lee

turning a former shopfront into Uchida Shōten head office

Urban memory becomes the main architectural reference of the project. During the Edo period, frontage taxation encouraged minimal street widths and deep plots, which were then subdivided into retail zones to the front, living quarters to the rear, and storage or sleeping spaces above or behind. Uchida Shōten’s previous buildings on both sides of the road followed this logic, with offices or shops facing the street and more private or utilitarian functions tucked away behind. While the initial plan was to renovate the historic main residence across the road, structural deterioration and seismic concerns shifted priorities. The new head office was built first, establishing a contemporary foothold that could continue to anchor activity on the site.

Tokyo-based Schemata Architects respond by reimagining the machiya model for present-day use. The building maintains a similar scale to the former office, as staff numbers remain unchanged, but reorganizes its program to introduce a layer of public and cultural engagement. An artist-in-residence space occupies the front of the building, directly addressing the street, while offices are placed toward the rear. This front space functions daily as the entrance and communal area of the area, but also opens to external users, artists, designers, students, and international creators, for production and exhibition. Behind typically closed shutters, a compact living area known as the ‘nedoko’ (berth) includes basic residential facilities and a generous loft accessed by a spiral staircase, allowing temporary stays on site.

operable awning windows articulate the street-facing facade

opening the interior toward the former Tōkaidō road

the facade alternates between closed metal cladding and open awning windows

allowing activity inside to register from the street

the building reads as a compact wooden structure inserted between neighboring commercial buildings

the ground-floor artist-in-residence space functions as both a communal entrance and a production area

the main office space is organized as an open-plan workplace

a compact living area, or ‘nedoko,’ includes basic facilities and a spiral staircase leading to a loft above

internal bridges and double-height voids connect different work areas

upper-level workspaces overlook the communal areas below

reinforcing the building’s layered front-to-back organization

shared seating and informal meeting areas are integrated into the circulation spaces

the rear elevation remains largely closed

the building reveals its compact wooden volume inserted between neighboring residential structures

project info:

title: Uchidashoten New Head Office

architects: Jo Nagasaka / Schemata Architects | @schemataarchitects

location: Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan

total floor area: 351.07 square meters

project team: Shoichi Sato

photographer: Ju Yeon Lee | @juyeonlee__

The post schemata architects transforms japanese machiya townhouse into flexible workspace appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

House in Nakano by Hiroyuki Oinuma / HOAA, a 96.38-square-meter urban dwelling set within a tightly packed residential district in Tokyo, doubles as the architect’s own residence and workplace. With buildings pressed up against the property line on three sides, the only opening was to the north, usually the least generous orientation for daylight in Japan. Instead of treating that limitation as a flaw, the project turns it into a defining gesture through a looping, elevated terrace called the Kazari Garden, which arcs toward the street to catch sunlight and frame a borrowed view for the interior.

The Kazari Garden stretches outward from a large second-floor window, curving along the road. Its smooth outline slips beyond the shadow of the house, allowing plants to thrive and daylight to spill into the dining space. Residents watering the terrace unintentionally strike up conversations with pedestrians, and passing children stop to watch. In this sense, the house behaves as a civic participant, an informal lookout, a micro-park, or a porch suspended above the street.

all images by Takuya Seki

House in Nakano layers split-level views around gardens

Inside, the Japanese team at HOAA organizes the home through a split-floor system responding to the site’s elevation change. Wood-clad interiors unfold in alternating views toward the Kazari Garden and the more protected Back Garden, creating a spiral circulation that continually reorients daily movement. Storage is displayed, with shelves lining the route, holding ceramics, books, photographs, and plants. The architects treat everyday belongings as lived archives, objects that introduce gentle friction and self-awareness, giving the home the atmosphere of a small, evolving art museum.

Oinuma positions Kazari, meaning ornament or decoration, as a social and psychological connector. The project pushes back against the idea that architectural decoration is superficial or regressive, instead suggesting that embellishment, especially through living matter, can enrich urban domestic life. 

a 96.38-square-meter urban dwelling set within a tightly packed residential district in Tokyo

a looping, elevated terrace called the Kazari Garden arcs toward the street

House in Nakano doubles as the architect’s own residence and workplace

the Japanese team at HOAA organizes the home through a split-floor system

responding to the site’s elevation change

the Kazari Garden stretches outward from a large second-floor window

windows frame views of the garden

a spiral circulation that continually reorients daily movement

storage isn’t tucked away but displayed

shelves line the route, holding ceramics, books, photographs, and plants

everyday belongings are treated as lived archives

objects introduce gentle friction and self-awareness

giving the home the atmosphere of a small, evolving art museum

Oinuma positions Kazari, meaning ornament or decoration, as a social and psychological connector

the terrace allows plants to thrive and daylight to spill into the dining space

project info:

name: House in Nakano

architect: Hiroyuki Oinuma / HOAA 

location: Tokyo, Japan

area: 96.38 square meters

structural engineer: Yuta Mino / MSE

contractor: Yamashita Construction

photographer: Takuya Seki | @takuyasekimonsieur

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A newly released short film, ‘To think conventionally at La Fábrica would be impossible,’ offers a look inside La Fábrica, presenting the former cement factory as the active working studio of Spanish practice Bofill Taller de Arquitectura it is today. Directed by Albert Moya, a filmmaker known for a series of architectural video portraits, the film moves between archival material and contemporary footage, situating the building within architects’ daily rhythms.

Early sequences draw from original photographs taken before renovation, showing the abandoned industrial structure in a state of decay. Concrete silos, conveyors, and load-bearing walls appear weathered and partially overtaken by dense vegetation, with trees and large plants emerging through openings in the structure and settling into its cavities.

all images via ‘To think conventionally at La Fábrica would be impossible’ by Albert Moya

Archival Drawings Trace the Cement Factory’s Transformation

Intercut with these photographs in the film are original hand-drafted architectural drawings of La Fábrica from the archive of Bofill Taller de Arquitectura. Elevations, axonometric views, and construction documents appear briefly on screen, their graphite lines and annotations conveying the precision of the initial transformation. The drawings register the building as a working document, with structure, circulation, and sectional depth rendered through measured linework.

These archival materials sit alongside footage by Albert Moya of the building as it stands today. The camera moves through tall interior volumes and exterior courtyards where concrete walls, staircases, and voids remain dominant. Light enters through large openings and irregular apertures, revealing the thickness of walls and the layered construction of the former factory.

archival photographs show the cement factory before renovation

bofill taller’s Contemporary Practice in a Historic Frame

The present-day sequences focus on the daily work of the studio’s architects. Teams gather around large tables, review drawings pinned to walls, and work at computer stations set against monumental concrete backdrops. Screens show three-dimensional models and augmented reality tools in use, while nearby, physical scale models are assembled by hand.

Throughout the video, the building remains an active workspace rather than a static backdrop. The long tables, shelves, and model-making areas sit directly within the former industrial volumes, their proportions shaped by the original factory layout. The coexistence of archival imagery, hand drawings, and contemporary digital tools situates La Fábrica as a site where past construction and present practice occupy the same physical ground, observed through its materials, spaces, and ongoing use.

concrete silos, walls, and voids define the character of the former industrial complex

the architects are shown working within La Fábrica’s monumental interiors

hand drawing remains part of the daily workflow inside the studio

digital modeling and augmented reality tools appear alongside physical models

daylight enters through large openings to reveal the thickness of the structure

historic architecture and contemporary practice occupy the same spaces

project info:

name: To think conventionally at La Fábrica would be impossible

architects: Bofill Taller de Arquitectura | @bofillarquitectura

location: Sant Just Desvern, Spain

filmmaker: Albert Moya | @albert__moya

The post ‘to think conventionally at la fábrica would be impossible’: bofill taller de arquitectura at work appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate is a single-occupancy office building in São Paulo, designed by Perkins&Will, that proposes an alternative to conventional high-rise corporate typologies. Rather than adopting a vertical glass tower model, the project responds to the scale, regulations, and residential character of its surroundings, establishing a low-rise architectural presence integrated with the urban landscape.

The building is located on Alameda Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, a street recognized as a central hub for Brazilian design, connecting the financial corridors of Avenida Paulista and Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima. The neighborhood is predominantly residential and subject to strict limitations on building height and typology, making contextual integration a key factor in the design approach.

The project consists of two upper floors supported by a permeable ground level defined by concrete pilotis and glass panels. This configuration strengthens visual and physical connections between interior and exterior spaces while allowing landscaping to extend through the site. Large, uninterrupted floor plates provide flexibility for office layouts and maintain a continuous relationship with the surrounding vegetation.

all images by Pedro Mascaro unless stated otherwise

a context-driven alternative to high-rise office typologies

Privacy and solar control are achieved through Corten steel brise-soleils, which also define the building’s edge along the sidewalk. Studio Perkins&Will utilizes these elements to establish a consistent facade rhythm through vertical metal fins that frame expansive windows and regulate daylight entry. Soft stone walls further articulate the building envelope, contributing to material continuity and referencing local architectural traditions.

Landscaping plays a central role in the project, reinforcing the integration of the building with its context and enhancing the environmental quality of the site. The garden areas contribute to thermal comfort and visual continuity between the building and the neighborhood.

Designed as a corporate boutique, the project reinterprets the corner lot by aligning architectural scale, materiality, and spatial organization with the surrounding Jardins district. The result is a contemporary office building that prioritizes contextual response, flexibility, and integration with nature while meeting the functional demands of a corporate environment.

Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate is a single-occupancy office building by Perkins&Will

the project proposes an alternative to conventional high-rise office typologies

a low-rise volume responds to the scale of the surrounding neighborhood

a permeable ground level is defined by concrete pilotis and glass panels | image by Pablo Castro

interior and exterior spaces are visually and physically connected | image by Pablo Castro

tthe building is integrated into the existing urban landscape | image by Pablo Castro

corten steel brise-soleils provide privacy and solar control | image by Pablo Castro

vertical metal fins establish a consistent facade rhythm | image by Pablo Castro

soft stone walls and columns articulate the building envelope | image by Pablo Castro

landscaping extends through the site at ground level | image by Pablo Castro

large, uninterrupted floor plates allow flexible office layouts | image by Pablo Castro

architecture, materiality, and landscape align with the Jardins district context

project info:

name: Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate

architect: Perkins&Will | @perkinswill_br

client: Jaguari

location: São Paulo, Brazil

photographer: Pedro Mascaro | @pedro.mascaro, Pablo Castro | @pcastrophoto

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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A House in Xueshan Village is a 350-sqm self-developed residential project designed by DL Atelier in Xueshan Village, Changping District, Beijing. Located at the urban-rural fringe, approximately 30 minutes from the city’s Second Ring Road, the building operates simultaneously as a private residence, a design office, and a space for community-oriented activities. The project explores how multiple programs can coexist within a single architectural framework while remaining adaptable to future change.

The site occupies a rectangular plot at the northeastern edge of the village, bordered by village roads to the north and west and neighboring courtyards to the east and south. Initially undeveloped, the plot was activated through a design process that addressed three potential uses: residential living, office operation, and rental or commercial activity. Rather than fixing a single function, the project was conceived as a flexible spatial system capable of supporting these different scenarios over time.

The architectural strategy reverses the typical rural housing model in which buildings enclose a central courtyard. Instead, the building volume is placed at the center of the site, allowing courtyards of varying sizes to surround it on all sides. This arrangement ensures that each room has direct outdoor access while improving daylight, ventilation, and spatial flexibility. Perimeter walls are raised to maintain privacy, and the building mass steps back at upper levels to form terraces for second-floor bedrooms. A three-car garage occupies the side of the site facing the village road, responding to both functional requirements and street conditions. A large sliding door allows the garage to open fully to the street, enabling its use for outward-facing programs while visually extending the street into the site. The garage is integrated with a workshop used for fabrication and prototyping, separating noisy or dusty activities from the living areas while maintaining operational efficiency.

all images by ©Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio

A Hybrid Interior Framework for Public and Private Activities

Interior spaces are organized as open, fluid zones that can shift between residential, office, exhibition, and commercial uses. On the ground floor, public interior spaces connect directly to the courtyard, allowing indoor and outdoor activities to overlap. The second floor combines private living areas with open workspaces accommodating over ten people. An independent office entrance, staircase, and restroom on the street-facing side allow work functions to operate separately from the residence or be connected as needed.

The building, developed by DL Atelier design studio, also incorporates exhibition and community functions. A former living room has been converted into a display space, while a ground-floor room currently operates as a small community library accessible from the street. The building itself serves as a demonstrative platform for rainwater harvesting and recycling systems, while ground-level and rooftop gardens are used for ongoing landscape and planting experiments. Anticipating future changes in village infrastructure, the east facade was designed with increased glazing to support potential street-facing commercial use once the adjacent road is widened. Throughout the project, architectural expression was intentionally kept neutral, prioritizing economical construction, standard materials, and ease of replication over individualized formal gestures.

House in Xueshan Village is a hybrid residence designed by DL Atelier in Beijing’s urban-rural fringe

Hybrid Program and Passive Design at the Urban-Rural Edge

The project employs a passive energy-saving approach aimed at reducing long-term operational costs and improving environmental performance. Building form, insulation, and orientation were carefully calibrated, alongside detailed studies of window placement, courtyard wall heights, and seasonal ventilation patterns. Courtyard walls help promote cross-ventilation in summer while shielding the building from cold winds in winter. Landscape and water systems were developed in collaboration with the homeowner, whose professional background informed the rainwater management strategy. Permeable paving, planted courtyards, and a partially soil-covered green roof work together as an integrated rainwater collection, infiltration, and reuse system. These elements support both environmental performance and ongoing research into water-efficient landscape design.

By accommodating residential, work, exhibition, and income-generating functions within a single structure, A House in Xueshan Village proposes a hybrid lifestyle model suited to the urban-rural fringe. The project positions architecture as a tool for flexible living and small-scale development, responding to changing professional patterns and housing needs. Rather than presenting a fixed solution, the building functions as a prototype for adaptable, self-developed housing. Its design supports phased growth, potential connections with neighboring plots, and the gradual formation of a small, mixed-use community. As such, the project frames architecture not as an isolated object, but as a scalable framework for future rural development at the edge of the city.

the project combines living, working, and community programs within a single adaptable structure

the building volume is positioned at the center of the site rather than enclosing a single courtyard

multiple courtyards of varying sizes surround the building on all sides

every room connects directly to an outdoor space for daylight and ventilation

raised perimeter walls provide privacy from neighboring properties

upper floors step back to form terraces for second-floor bedrooms

architectural expression is intentionally kept neutral, prioritizing economical construction and standard materials

a separate office entrance and staircase allow work functions to operate independently

ground-floor public spaces connect directly to the courtyard

the garage is combined with a workshop for fabrication and prototyping

courtyards and a partially soil-covered roof support passive cooling and water management

a ground-floor room functions as a community library accessible from the street

project info:

name: A House in Xueshan Village

architect: DL Atelier
lead architects: Liu Yang, Cai Zhuoqun

location: Beijing, Changping, China

area: 350 sqm

client: Mr.Zhao

structure: Gao Xuemei

HVAC: Guo Haifeng

landscape & rainwater energy conservation design: Beijing Yuren Runke Ecological Technology Co., Ltd.

photographer: Zhu Yumeng – Coppak Studio | @Yumeng_Zhu_coppakstudio

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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In Buenos Aires, Morsa Taller develops a 7-square-meter mobile office that treats construction like a puzzle of precision, composed of six prefabricated pieces that travel, assemble, and start operating within a day. Parked for now in the courtyard of a private home, the compact work unit is designed to be moved anywhere from a backyard to a rooftop and from a rural site to the next city block. The structure channels the visual DNA of Buenos Aires’ iconic buses through its softly curved roof, which directs rainwater away while giving the silhouette a familiar urban rhythm. Below, the base rests on wheels, making the whole volume nomadic by intent.

all images by Cecilia Gil

material testing and metalworking expertise

The office is composed of four detachable facade panels with strategic openings, the curved roof piece, and the wheeled base. Each component was fabricated in the Buenos Aires-based workshop of Morsa Taller and Santiago Legnini, disassembled for transport, and reassembled on-site using only a screwdriver and a riveter. Because every element needed its own insulation and mechanical junction, the design became an exercise in layered logic, crafted from modules that behave independently yet interlock seamlessly. Inside, every element of carpentry, storage, mechanism, and equipment is custom-built, responding to the internal logic of the inhabitable object rather than any external typology.

Morsa Taller develops a 7-square-meter mobile office that treats construction like a puzzle of precision

composed of six prefabricated pieces that travel, assemble, and start operating within a day

the compact work unit is designed to be moved anywhere

the structure channels the visual DNA of Buenos Aires’ iconic buses

a softly curved roof directs rainwater away

wheels make the whole volume nomadic by intent

the office is composed of four detachable facade panels with strategic openings

each component was fabricated in the Buenos Aires-based workshop of Morsa Taller and Santiago Legnini

the design became an exercise in layered logic

modules behave independently

project info:

name: Castillo Mobile Office

location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

project development: Morsa Taller | @morsa_taller

execution: Santiago Legnini | @son.cintas & Morsa Taller

area: 7 square meters

photographer: Cecilia Gil | @ces_gil

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The newly presented design for the headquarters of the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Frida Escobedo establishes a prominent presence along Doha’s Corniche. Sited along Doha Bay, the 70,000-square-meter complex combines new construction with the adaptive reuse of the 1985 General Post Office, a familiar modernist landmark distinguished by its projecting concrete ‘pigeonholes.’

The project introduces a more visible civic identity for the Ministry while opening portions of the site to public programming. The coastal area north of the Amiri Diwan has seen few major constructions in recent decades, giving the headquarters a defining role in reshaping the waterfront.

visualizations © Frida Escobedo Studio

Adaptive reuse anchors the design to local heritage

Qatar’s leadership frames the project, designed by the team led by Frida Escobedo, as part of a wider effort to support the nation’s diplomatic mission. 

Adaptive reuse anchors the complex to local heritage. The General Post Office will house public cultural programming connected to the Ministry’s work, extending from restored interiors to shaded gardens along the bay. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani noted that Escobedo’s design ‘furthers our commitment to heritage preservation through sustainability and adaptive reuse.’

Escobedo’s proposal emerged from an invited global competition that began with forty teams and concluded with a shortlist of seven. Working with Buro Happold and Studio Zewde, her studio’s plan aligns with Qatar’s investment in cultural infrastructure and architecture.

the complex combines new construction with the adaptive reuse of the 1985 general post office

a sequence of terraced volumes

Frida Escobedo organizes the new complex around a sequence of courtyards that temper Qatar’s coastal climate and create defined spatial intervals between Ministry functions. Terraced volumes rise gently to preserve sightlines of the post office, while the exterior composition of vertical pillars shapes an enclosure that balances shade, privacy, and permeability.

Landscape spaces by Studio Zewde reinforce this spatial rhythm. Patios, planted corridors, and covered gardens introduce quieter zones throughout the complex, guiding circulation with a steady interplay of light, texture, and vegetation. Inside the post office, a new exhibition hall will transition into a sheltered garden, reinforcing the idea of the complex as a cultural and civic destination.

courtyard sequences organize the new buildings around shaded, climate responsive spaces

video © ATCHAIN

project info:

name: Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters

architect: Frida Escobedo Studio | @fridaescobedo

location: Doha, Qatar

structure: Buro Happold

landscape: Studio Zewde

visualizations: © Frida Escobedo Studio

video: © ATCHAIN

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