Dead oak tree returns to life as sound sculptures, musical instruments, and playable records by artist Steve Parker. On display in an exhibition named Funeral for a Tree, the project began when a 65-year-old live oak tree in the artist’s yard died from oak wilt, a disease that slowly kills trees. Instead of removing the tree and moving on, Steve Parker chose to listen to it by transforming the oak tree into sound sculptures, allowing the tree to perform its own memorial. At the heart of the exhibition are the wood cookies, which are round slices cut from the oak’s trunk. 

The artist carefully turned them into playable records, similar to vinyl records, and each wooden record is engraved with recordings of migratory birdsong. These are sounds from bird species that once rested in the oak during different seasons of its life. When placed on a custom-made wooden turntable, the records spin and play, letting the tree remember the life it once supported.

all images courtesy of Ivester Contemporary and Steve Parker

Other instruments include medical breathing bags and brass

The records shown in the exhibition are made directly from the tree itself, and as the wood continues to dry over time, it naturally cracks and changes shape. This affects the sound quality, causing the music to fade, distort, or fill with static. The artist allows this to happen instead of fixing it, so in this way, the sound slowly disappears, just like memories change over time. Sound in the exhibition is also shaped by the sheng, a traditional Chinese mouth organ linked to ideas of rebirth and the phoenix. Sheng musician Jipo Yang performs the birdsongs, and throughout the gallery, sheng instruments appear in many forms. Some are played live, while others are connected to machines like ventilators and CPAP devices. These machines gently push air through the instruments, giving them breath. 

Other sound sculptures fill the space as well, still made of recycled oak tree. One includes a live oak branch connected to a camshaft that slowly moves and brushes against a wind chime. Another features a large bass drum covered in wood shavings. When birdsong plays, the shavings gently shake, making the sound visible as well as audible. There are also abstract turntables fitted with horn speakers, turning sound into something you can feel in the room. There’s even a plant-like instrument made from salvaged brass, medical breathing bags, and sheng reeds. It looks part machine, part organism, and each performance rearranges and activates the sculptures in new ways. The exhibition Funeral for a Tree by artist Steve Parker was shown at the art gallery Ivester Contemporary between November 29th, 2025 and January 10th, 2026.

at the heart of the exhibition are the wood cookies, which are round slices cut from the oak’s trunk

detailed view of the playable records

view of the turntable made from oak tree

exhibition view

there’s even a plant-like instrument made from salvaged brass, medical breathing bags, and sheng reeds

detailed view of the musical instruments

other sound sculptures fill the space as well, still made of recycled oak tree

the sound sculptures shown in the exhibition are made directly from the tree itself

exhibition view at Ivester Contemporary

project info:

name: Funeral for a Tree

artist: Steve Parker | @steveparker

gallery: Ivester Contemporary | @ivester_contemporary

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Newly-designed mountain stations and an alpine hut by Peter Pichler Architecture are set to be built in Ponte di Legno, Italy, along the Valbione-Corno d’Aola-Angelo corridor at elevations reaching 2,200 meters (7,218 feet). Envisioned as part of a broader renewal of mountain mobility, the project brings together ski lift infrastructure, public interiors, and welcoming gathering spaces within a single project.

Set within the historic alpine terrain of the Valbione Mountain area, the intervention continues a long lineage of technical and touristic development that has shaped this landscape for decades. The design approaches this context with restraint, aligning new timber construction with existing routes, slopes, and tree lines, while maintaining a design-minded presence against the snow-covered terrain.

visualizations courtesy Peter Pichler Architecture

Peter Pichler Architecture frames a series of ascending views 

Peter Pichler Architecture’s mountain station project replaces two separate ski lifts with one continuous gondola line, streamlining the ascent from the valley to the Angelo summit. This infrastructural decision establishes a legible vertical journey, marked by a sequence of stations that register scenic changes in altitude and view.

The architects plan each stop along the route to function as a spatial pause rather than a purely mechanical node. Platforms widen, roofs extend outward, and framed openings orient visitors toward distant ridgelines. Movement through the system becomes gradual and perceptible, shaped by both terrain and structure.

the project plans new mountain stations and a hut along a gondola route in Ponte di Legno

Timber structures shape alpine design

Across all mountain stations, Peter Pichler Architecture employs timber as the main structural and interior material. Slender wooden columns rise at slight angles, supporting deep pitched roofs that echo familiar alpine profiles while remaining rigorously contemporary. The construction emphasizes precision and repetition, allowing the buildings to read as light frameworks set into the snow.

Roof geometry plays a central role in defining both exterior silhouette and interior atmosphere. Broad overhangs temper light and snowfall, while exposed structural rhythms guide circulation and sightlines. The architecture draws strength from consistency, even as each station adapts to its immediate surroundings.

timber structures define a consistent design language across all stations

the alpine hut at the summit

At the highest point, the alpine hut operates as both destination and refuge. Positioned near the gondola arrival, the building offers sheltered seating, dining areas, and expansive views across the surrounding peaks. Large glazed surfaces open the interior to the landscape, while timber surfaces soften acoustics and light.

Inside, the spatial sequence favors openness and continuity. Long tables, benches, and circulation paths align with the roof structure, reinforcing a sense of collective use without imposing hierarchy. The atmosphere remains calm and tactile, shaped by wood grain, filtered daylight, and the steady presence of the mountains beyond.

slender wooden columns and pitched roofs respond to alpine construction traditions

at the summit, the Alpine Hut will bring a warm gathering place with mountain views

interior spaces emphasize openness and Alpine design tradition

project info:

name: Valbione Mountain Stations and Hut

architect: Peter Pichler Architecture | @peterpichler_architecture

location: Ponte di Legno, Italy

design team: Peter Pichler, Daniele Colombati, Amir Sajadifar, Ludovico Capestro, Filippo Ogliani

status: ongoing

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Located on a stationary pontoon along the Sava River in Mačvanska Mitrovica, Serbia, Sava River House is a compact floating cabin designed by Studio MARSA for leisure use and weekend stays. Measuring eight by six meters, the project is conceived as a flexible open-plan structure that supports both everyday retreat and occasional gatherings.

The cabin’s architectural form is shaped by its orientation toward the river. A mono-pitch roof slopes toward the shoreline, allowing the interior volume to increase in height upon entry and enhancing the sense of spatial expansion. Views are carefully framed throughout the interior, ranging from broad river perspectives visible from the lounge to more controlled glimpses of the shoreline through smaller openings, such as the horizontal kitchen window.

Constructed on site, the cabin employs a timber skeletal structure with mineral wool insulation. The roof is formed using laminated teak beams, while the exterior is clad in wood. The structure is mounted on a 10-centimeter aluminum base welded to the pontoon, creating space for a double-layered insulated floor system. As a floating structure, the project required careful attention to load distribution, influencing both material selection and construction methods without altering the intended spatial or functional qualities.

all images by Ivona Petrov

Timber Floating River Cabin is Designed for Flexible Leisure Use

Material continuity between the exterior and interior reinforces the relationship between the building and its riverside setting. Wood and metal are used consistently throughout, referencing both the natural landscape and the site’s maritime history. Interior joinery adopts deep green tones drawn from the color of the river, while restrained red accents reference nautical navigation markers, further situating the cabin within its water-based context.

The interior layout is organized with service functions concentrated in the first third of the plan, accommodating the kitchen, bathroom, and utility space. The remaining area is dedicated to a combined lounge and dining zone, which opens directly toward the river. This spatial arrangement prioritizes openness while maintaining functional clarity within a limited footprint.

The project is situated in a town with a long shipbuilding tradition, including the historically significant Sava Shipyard. Drawing on this context, the design by Studio MARSA references the relationship between modernist architecture and nautical construction, combining principles associated with Corbusian open planning and functional clarity with the archetype of a river cabin. Nautical influences are reflected in the emphasis on clean-lined interiors, natural light, and direct engagement with the surrounding water.

cabin at day, as seen from the river

dining zone with the corner window to access water for downstream swimming

corner window in late afternoon

green tone of the kitchen joinery referencing the river hues

entrance area joinery

interior as a single, reconfigurable space

lounge corner window framing the view of the pedestrian bridge

‘service-zone’ joinery inspired by the riverside colors and pioneers of modernist design

atmospheric lighting in the lounge

cabin at night

cabin at night as seen from the river

project info:

name: Sava River House
architect: Studio MARSA | @studio__marsa

lead architect: Aleksandar Stanković

location: Sava River in Mačvanska Mitrovica, Serbia

photographer: Ivona Petrov

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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From the Upper Valley in the Foothills is a group exhibition at Marta in Los Angeles, on view through January 31st, 2026. Co-curated and co-organized by Vince Skelly, with material support from Angel City Lumber, the exhibition brings together 22 artists and designers working in and around greater Los Angeles, using reclaimed wood sourced from Altadena, the foothill region most profoundly impacted by the 2025 Eaton Fire. Marking one year since the devastating wildfires that reshaped vast portions of Los Angeles County, the show positions material as a carrier of memory, loss, and regeneration.

At the center of the exhibition is wood, framed as a specific, sourced, and transformed substance. Each participating artist selected a section of lumber milled by Angel City Lumber, a Los Angeles–based operation that salvages fallen and removed trees for reuse in community projects. The wood originates from Altadena and includes species such as Aleppo pine, cedar, coastal live oak, and Shamel ash, a mix of native and naturalized trees that reflect the biome of the region. These materials are shaped into functional forms: chairs, stools, benches, bowls, and containers. In this context, function becomes a way of imagining how devastated spaces might once again support everyday life.

Vince Skelly

the material embraces traces of its previous life

On January 7th, 2025, the Eaton Fire broke out in the San Gabriel Mountains, burning for twenty-five days before being contained on January 31st, 2025. It claimed nineteen lives and destroyed over nine thousand structures, becoming the second most destructive wildfire in California’s history. At the same time, the Palisades Fire raged across the county, ultimately taking twelve lives and destroying nearly seven thousand structures, making it the most destructive wildfire in the history of the City of Los Angeles.

The works are installed throughout Marta’s Silver Lake gallery in a loose, forest-like arrangement. The objects are positioned so that visitors must walk through them, navigating the space as one might move through a wooded landscape. This curatorial decision reinforces the central premise of the exhibition: trees are not passive scenery but active participants in lived environments. They offer shade, structure, boundaries, and orientation. In their transformed state, now furniture or vessels, they continue to hold and support bodies, possessions, and gestures of rest.

Across the exhibition, the material retains traces of its previous life. Some works incorporate charring, visible grain, knots, or irregularities, resisting the idea of total refinement. The artists approach wood as a collaborator, shaped by time, climate, and fire. This shared material origin creates continuity between the works, even as they diverge in form, scale, and intention. On the anniversary of the fires, the exhibition becomes both a monument and a proposition, a collective act of attention toward what remains and what can be reused.

Ryan Belli

the exhibition brings together 22 artists and designers

Asher Gillman Left Over Chair, 2025 Cast Aluminum, Aleppo Pine

Dan John Anderson Circle the Square Chair, 2025

Sam Klemick Dressed Stool, 2025

Vincent Pocsik Five Ears in Cedar, 2025

the show positions material as a carrier of memory, loss, and regeneration

Tristan Louis Marsh Floral Stool, 2025

Mark Morones Everybody Gets a Guitar, 2025

Vince Skelly Assembled Foothills Side Table, 2025

Max Hertz Petal Stool, 2025

Noah Cohen Small Chest (Forever Changes), 2025

Nik Gelormino Hitchhiker (No. 03), 2025

Brian Guido of Barni Goudi McNally Stool #1, 2025

Brian Guido of Barni Goudi McNally Stool #2, 2025

Jonathan Synder & Alejandro DePass of Snyder DePass Santa Rosa Chair, 2025

project info:

name: From the Upper Valley in the Foothills

designers: Dan John Anderson, Ryan Belli, Noah Cohen, Nik Gelormino, Asher Gillman, Brian Guido (Barni Goudi), Max Hertz, Sam Klemick, Tristan Louis Marsh, Doug McCollough, Mark Morones, Lindsey Muscato & Joshua Friedman (Base 10), Christopher Norman, Dave O’Brien, Shin Okuda, Vincent Pocsik, Ellie Richards, Josué da Silva, Vince Skelly, Rachel Shillander, Jonathan Snyder & Alejandro DePass (Snyder DePass), Marley White

venue: Marta | @marta.losangeles

location: 3021 Rowena Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039

dates: January 10th – 31st, 2026

curation: Vince Skelly (co-curated and co-organized)

material partner: Angel City Lumber

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Cappella del Suono is a small-scale architectural installation located in the grain fields of Italy’s Marche region. Positioned on a hillside, the pavilion is designed as a lightweight wooden structure that maintains a close relationship with its surrounding landscape. Developed by Studio Carraldo, the project was realized independently in the summer of 2025 after being selected as the winning entry of the Festival di Microarchitettura. The pavilion is also among the twelve nominated projects for the Klimahouse Wood Architecture Prize 2025.

The structure is composed of a regular grid of vertical wooden slats that define the spatial enclosure while remaining visually permeable. The slats are suspended at varying lengths, forming an irregular lower edge that softens the boundary between architecture and landscape. Perforations integrated at the ends of selected elements introduce an acoustic dimension, allowing the pavilion to respond to wind conditions. As air moves through the structure, the wooden components interact to produce layered sound effects, which vary in intensity depending on wind strength and direction. Under certain conditions, the sound recalls the distant bells of the nearby Convento di Monte Illuminato.

all images by Jonas Zauels

Studio Carraldo’s Pavilion is Defined by Light and Landscape

Light and shadow play a central role in shaping the spatial experience. The open arrangement of the slats allows sunlight to pass through the structure, creating changing patterns throughout the day and reinforcing the pavilion’s temporal and environmental responsiveness. Structurally, the installation rests on slender vertical supports anchored directly into the ground, minimizing impact on the site and reinforcing the project’s temporary character. Studio Carraldo’s material choices further support this approach. The use of untreated wood allows the structure to weather naturally and visually integrate with the surrounding grain fields. Rather than asserting itself as an object, the pavilion maintains a low visual profile and reads as an architectural extension of the landscape.

Cappella del Suono is conceived as a permeable architectural space, defined enough to establish a place while remaining open to environmental forces. A built-in bench extends from the interior toward the exterior, supporting different modes of occupation and allowing visitors to engage with the pavilion through rest, observation, and listening.

participation with a local piano maker from Lunano

when the wind is calm, the Cappella del Suono reads like a monolith

dynamic interplay of light, shadow, and transparency

the structure appears to grow directly out of the surrounding grain fields

in interaction with the wind, the structure comes alive

the bench encourages resting and experiencing the surrounding field of slats

through varying lengths and precise perforations, the slats create a layered acoustic effect

the sound slats are suspended by delicate threads, letting them sway freely in the wind

the pavilion creates an permeable architectural space open to environmental forces

project info:

name: Cappella del Suono

architect: Studio Carraldo | @studio.carraldo
design team: Franka Ruhnau, Jonas Rosenfelder, Luis Navarro, Valentin Fick, David Zauels
location: Marche, Italy

photographer: Jonas Zauels | @blackbvrds

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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Situated within the rice fields of Anabanua Village, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, the PADI Rest Area transforms a former industrial excavation pit into a multi-functional architectural and ecological site. The project, developed by MIV Architects, redefines the traditional rest area by combining transit utility with community engagement and environmental restoration. The site originally functioned as a landfill excavation for a gas station, which, over time, filled with water and became overgrown with lotuses. The design repurposes this condition, converting construction waste into a central water feature around which the project’s four main building volumes, public toilets, a management office, a restaurant, and a musholla (prayer room), are organized. The buildings are arranged to follow the contours of the pond, facilitating natural cross-ventilation and creating a visual and spatial focus on the water element.

A floating wooden decking path along the pond guides visitors through a transitional experience, shifting from the high activity of the Trans-Sulawesi road to a quieter, more contemplative environment. The two-story management building functions as both a screen for staff dormitories and a visual buffer, delaying the main view of the rice fields until visitors reach the restaurant, reinforcing a controlled spatial sequence and a layered approach to sightlines. The architectural language draws on vernacular Buginese traditions, particularly the concept of the ‘Rumah Panggung’ (stilt house). Elevated floor plates protect the buildings from ground moisture while wide roofs shelter semi-open spaces, combining cultural references with contemporary construction methods. Exposed steel structures, zinc roofing, natural stone, and wood elements integrate industrial efficiency with local material aesthetics.

all images courtesy of MIV Architects

PADI Rest Area serves as both a transit stop and a community hub

The project by design studio MIV Architects also prioritizes socio-economic and community engagement. Construction followed a self-management (swakelola) model, enabling local artisans to take primary responsibility for building execution. This method reduced costs, circulated investment locally, and facilitated technical knowledge transfer. The participation of local labor extended to operational staffing, reinforcing community ownership and ensuring the facility functions as a shared resource.

Circulation throughout the site is designed to encourage interaction with the café and restaurant areas before reaching the musholla, supporting local economic activity while maintaining the integrity of the worship space. By integrating ecological restoration, vernacular references, and community involvement, PADI Rest Area operates as both a transit facility and a public hub, blending utility with cultural and environmental engagement.

PADI Rest Area is located within the rice fields of Anabanua Village, South Sulawesi

the project transforms a former industrial excavation pit into a public rest area

the architectural language draws on vernacular Buginese traditions

a lotus-filled pond forms the spatial center of the project

an abandoned landfill site was repurposed as an ecological water feature

four building volumes are arranged around the pond’s contours

a floating wooden deck guides visitors along the pond’s edge

building placement supports natural cross-ventilation in a tropical climate

elevated floor plates protect interiors from ground moisture

the rest area functions as both a transit stop and a community hub

the material palette balances industrial construction with local aesthetics

exposed steel and zinc roofing are paired with wood and natural stone

circulation routes lead visitors through café and restaurant areas

project info:

name: PADI

architect: MIV Architects
design team: Ikhsan Hamiru, Alfachri Kamarullah, Andi Nindyah Ekananda, Izan, Syahrul Hidayat, Chairil Ismi
location: Anabanua Village, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

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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Simone Veil school group stands in Tremblay-en-France, on the edge of a quiet residential neighborhood, as a new learning center designed by French practice Le Penhuel & Associés. Built for kindergarten and elementary students, the project replaces an earlier leisure-center model with an arrangement of classrooms, gathering spaces, and outdoor areas.

From the street, the school presents a low profile. Load-bearing stone facades define volumes that feel settled within their context, their pale surfaces punctuated by deep-set wooden openings. The massing reads as a series of connected forms rather than a single block. This eases the transition between the surrounding homes and the civic program that includes eight classrooms, shared facilities, and a rooftop sports field.

images © Vladimir de Mollerat du Jeu

architecture by Le Penhuel & Associés

The architects at Le Penhuel & Associés shape the Simone Veil school building with two intersecting axes. A north-south lobby forms the heart of the building and extends from the entrance toward the playground. This interior street acts as a lived space rather than just a corridor, with alcoves carved into its edges that support reading and small group work. 

Meanwhile, the east-west classroom street organizes the teaching areas. Each classroom opens from a small vestibule that softens the threshold from the corridor. Patios introduce daylight and fresh air, and an interior play area at the crossing of the two routes can be used throughout the day, from early-morning arrivals to after-school activities.

the Simone Veil school opens in a quiet residential neighborhood in Tremblay-en-France

inside the luminous timber school

Teaching spaces within Le Penhuel & Associés’ Simone Veil school benefit from dual orientations for ever-shifting atmospheres. To the north, light enters through patios and washes over shared timber-built zones between paired classrooms, where scale and material encourage quieter activities while, to the south, larger windows face the playground.

Each classroom extends toward a shaded exterior zone that mediates between inside and out. These covered areas support fluid circulation and play. The playground itself stretches along the southern edge of the site beneath a line of trees.

Material decisions play a central role in the project’s character. Stone quarried in Bonneuil-en-Valois, less than sixty kilometers (37 miles) from the site, forms the structural envelope and provides thermal mass that moderates interior temperatures. Inside, the timber structure is expressed throughout, and is paired with earthen bricks placed between classrooms to reinforce a tactile, legible construction.

stone and timber volumes create a calm civic presence at street level

a rooftop playing field is open to the neighborhood

a central lobby functions as an ‘interior street’ for students and staff

classrooms receive daylight from patios and the playground

carved alcoves support reading and small group work

material choices emphasize local stone and visible wood construction

environmental strategies are integrated into the building fabric

project info:

name: Simone Veil school group

architect: Le Penhuel & Associés | @lepenhuel_associes

location: Tremblay-en-France, France

photography: © Vladimir de Mollerat du Jeu | @vladimirdmdj

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Located in a village in Urla, İzmir, Turkey, between olive-covered hills and the Aegean Sea, this family house is situated within a landscape shaped by climate, agriculture, and long-standing settlement patterns. Urla House by Studio Irmak Turanli responds to its setting through material choices, spatial organization, and environmental strategies informed by local conditions.

The house is conceived as a contemporary interpretation of regional Aegean architecture, drawing on the area’s vineyards, olive groves, and gently sloping coastal terrain. The design references vernacular forms and construction methods while adapting them to present-day domestic use. The layout supports everyday activities and collective use, accommodating extended stays and shared cooking and living practices typical of Mediterranean domestic culture.

Sustainability informed the project from the outset through the use of locally sourced and climate-responsive materials. Limestone, wood, lime plaster, and hemp define the material palette, with stone sourced within a 150-kilometer radius and installed by local craftspeople. Urla’s climatic conditions, hot, dry summers and mild but windy winters, shaped the building’s orientation and spatial configuration. A pre-existing ground-floor structure was incorporated into the design and now functions as a bedroom opening onto the terrace. The terrace and its deep roof overhang are positioned to provide shade from direct sunlight and protection from prevailing winds, supporting outdoor use throughout the day.

terracotta arches open the house to the olive tree–covered hills | all images courtesy of Studio Irmak Turanli

Irmak Turanli collaborates with Local craftspeople

Local craftsmanship played a central role in the construction process. A carpenter experienced in traditional boat building contributed lightweight timber structures for built-in elements such as the library and bedroom fittings. Rammed-earth benches and table bases were constructed on site using soil, clay, and sand excavated during construction. Large terrace planters were developed in collaboration with a pottery studio in Menemen, İzmir, using locally sourced clay whose coloration aligns with the lime-washed facade.

Studio Irmak Turanli’s spatial organization reflects the domestic program. The ground floor functions as a shared living zone, with an open kitchen and living area extending toward the terrace. A long kitchen island serves both food preparation and dining, replacing a formal dining room and supporting collective use. The upper floor contains private bedrooms, each oriented to capture natural light and views of the surrounding hills, with direct access to terraces that provide more secluded outdoor spaces.

The landscape strategy prioritizes continuity with the existing site conditions. Mature olive trees were retained as part of the spatial composition. A water element is integrated through the placement of the pool, which reflects light onto the terrace arches and ceilings. From within the pool, views toward the sea visually extend the water surface beyond the site boundary, reinforcing a connection between architecture and the surrounding terrain.

warm light fills the terrace at sunset as terracotta arches reflect in the pool, casting shifting patterns on the walls

locally sourced limestone, wood, lime plaster, and hemp define the material palette

the terrace’s deep overhang offers shade and protection, while the infinity pool extends toward the Aegean Sea

large terrace planters were produced using locally sourced clay from İzmir

the pool reflects light onto the terrace and visually extends toward the sea

vernacular forms and construction methods inform the architectural language

the facade is built from limestone sourced within 150 km, laid by local craftspeople

warm lighting emitted from within the arches illuminates the trees and planting, while the pool reflects the forms

project info:

name: Urla House
architect: Studio Irmak Turanli | @irmakturanli

location: Urla, İzmir, Turkey

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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Habitario by Brenda Isabel Pérez is an art and research project presented in the format of a board game that examines domestic space in Mexico through narrative construction and spatial speculation. The project defines habitarios as both physical and symbolic environments in which everyday life unfolds, social relationships are formed, and collective memory is shaped. Within this framework, domestic space is treated as a site for rethinking existing structures and imagining alternative spatial models. Developed with the support of the Jóvenes Creadores grant (formerly FONCA), Habitario forms part of U/Topías domésticas, the project awarded the 2024 Jóvenes Creadores grant in the Architecture category. The work operates at the intersection of research, narrative, and material assembly, translating literary and social analysis into a participatory spatial system.

The game draws on four short stories written by Mexican women authors, Inés Arredondo, Amparo Dávila, Elena Garro, and Gabriela Damián Miravete, whose writing addresses domestic interiors as spaces shaped by care, control, and gendered expectations. Rather than directly illustrating these narratives, Habitario abstracts their themes into a set of spatial and narrative prompts. Players construct speculative houses using wooden components, acrylic figures representing characters, and action cards derived from scenes of domestic life.

Each participant begins by drawing a character defined through recognizable domestic roles, such as daughter, mother, or guest. These archetypes establish initial relationships to space without requiring prior knowledge of the literary sources. Gameplay unfolds through the gradual placement of components and the interpretation of narrative fragments, resulting in a collectively assembled domestic environment. Sessions conclude either when all cards are drawn or when a spatial configuration is completed, producing different outcomes each time.

game table and table set | all images by Amy Bello unless stated otherwise

women’s reflection on memory, trauma, and domestic labor

Designer Brenda Isabel Pérez’s literary references underpinning the project include La sunamita, El anillo, El huésped, and Espanto del mundo nuevo. Research for the project extended beyond the texts themselves to include the authors’ biographical and geographic contexts, examining the houses they inhabited, regional climates, and social conditions that informed their writing. This research shaped both the character archetypes and the conceptual framework of the game, which also draws on Marcela Lagarde’s Los cautiverios de las mujeres, a study of social structures that restrict women through prescribed domestic roles.

The speculative houses generated through Habitario operate as a living methodology. Using wooden components and acrylic figures, participants without architectural training assemble complex spatial configurations that prompt reflection on domestic memory and spatial practice. The process raises questions about past living environments, such as the presence of courtyards, circulation patterns, and spaces for domestic labor, as well as potential transformations, omissions, or removals. It also opens broader inquiries into alternative forms of living that emerge when housing is no longer structured around the traditional family model, and how domestic space might be reorganized to support different modes of use and care. As gameplay progresses, participants construct imagined domestic elements, including an always-open zaguán, a plant-filled corridor for hiding, or a window made for shouting, in a way to rework the traumatic experiences of characters such as Guadalupe or Luisa, women constrained by reproductive and domestic expectations in the twentieth century, whose conditions remain painfully current.

Habitario positions architecture as an affective and social practice, emphasizing how spatial organization influences labor, intimacy, and collective life. The project avoids predetermined narratives, instead offering open-ended configurations that allow each session to operate as an independent exploration of domestic space and its possibilities. Habitario is currently exhibited at Centro Cultural San Roque, where it will remain on view until March 22, 2026.

resulting houses, instructions and postcards

Habitario activation

play as a tool for imagination and resilience

game table and board game

folding instructions | image by Paulina Ojeda

resulting houses, instructions and postcards

character cards | image by Julieta Catalan

characters and vegetation | image by Julieta Catalán

spatial variants | image by Julieta Catalán

the artist, Brenda Isabel Pérez, and her table board game | image by Paulina Ojeda

project info:

name: Habitario
designer: Brenda Isabel Pérez

collaborators:
Marcos Popotla, Montserrat Quintanar, Julieta Catalán, Carpintería Samuraí

photographers: Amy Bello, Julieta Catalán, Paulina Ojeda

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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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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