The Pond Retreat is designed to exist in harmony with its natural surroundings, using raw, sustainable materials and a layout that blurs the line between indoor and outdoor living. The central pond, once an eroded and leaking dam, has been regenerated into a thriving wetland ecosystem.
Project name
The Pond Retreat
Architecture firm
Biotope Architecture and Interiors
Location
Tasmanian, Hobart, Australia
Photography
Natasha Mulhall
Principal architect
Rosa Douramanis
Design team
Rosa Douramanis
Collaborators
Oiwah Tham; Documentation Team: Melika Nejad, Fiona McMullen
Interior design
Biotope Architecture and Interiors
Civil engineer
JSA Engineers
Structural engineer
JMG Engineers
Landscape
Susan McKinnon, Ben Harrison
Construction
TasCity Builders
Material
Rammed Earth, charred timber, reclaimed timber, corten
Typology
Hospitality › Accocmodation
The commission presented a dual challenge: to intervene in and transform an architectural work of our own authorship - two lodging blocks built two decades ago within the grounds of Hotel Lagomar el Peñón. To redesign what has already been designed demands a dual perspective—technical precision and emotional insight.
Project name
Hotel Lagomar El Peñon
Architecture firm
Obreval
Location
Girardot, Colombia
Principal architect
Fernando Zarama
Collaborators
Karen Bello, Nicolás Velasco
Interior design
Pablo Zarama
Civil engineer
Carlos Castro
Structural engineer
Carlos Castro
Visualization
Nicolás Velasco
Tools used
Revit, D5 Renderer
Material
Concrete, Wood, Plaster
Typology
Hospitality › Hotel
Two emblematic properties located in historic neighborhoods—Casa Amate 61 and Casa Amate 62—offer an authentic experience that blends vernacular architecture, Art Deco aesthetics, local craftsmanship, and curated activities for travelers, digital nomads, and locals seeking cultural connection and contemporary comfort.
Lim + Lu's latest design, "An Artist's Teahouse," unveils a serene sanctuary where creativity intertwines with tradition. Nestled within a quaint village in Foshan, this 2000 sqft tea house stands as a testament to artistry and architectural finesse.
Project name
An Artist's Teahouse
Architecture firm
Lim +Lu
Photography
Free Will Photography Studio
Principal architect
Vincent Lim, Elaine Lu
Design team
Vincent Lim, Elaine Lu
Material
meticulous craftsmanship, predominantly constructed from wood slats with sleek metal portals that elegantly frame views and focal points. The wooden frame windows, adorned with Chinese paper—a nod to traditional Chinese paper windows—add a touch of heritage and timeless elegance to the space
Typology
Hospitality › Teahouse
Architectural order is created when the organization of the parts of a building makes visible the relationships between them and its structure as a whole.
Project name
Chaos is Calling - Harmony in Entropy
Architecture firm
THIS IS IMDA
Location
Santorini, Greece
Photography
Vasilis Iliades ClearLine Photography
Principal architect
Ioanna Tsagkouli
Interior design
Ioanna Tsagkouli
Collaborators
Proentasi Technical Studio
Civil engineer
George Sapiridis
Structural engineer
George Sapiridis
Landscape
Ioanna Tsagkouli
Lighting
Ioanna Tsagkouli
Construction
THIS IS IMDA
Supervision
Ioanna Tsagkouli
Visualization
Ioanna Tsagkouli
Client
Anestis and Faidon Apostolides
Typology
Hospitality Architecture
Jingle Design Institute has just completed a catering project in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. The dining experience is improved with materials including metal net, Rodda paint, stone, and stainless steel, and the sense of boundary of food is reduced, so that customers coming to the restaurant can experience the food culture in an all-around way.
Architecture firm
Jingle Design Studio
Location
Taiyuan, Shanxi，China
Design team
Zhou Bo, Cai Yuyang
Material
Texture paint, Stone, Mirror stainless steel
Typology
Hospitality › Restaurant, Art Installation
In hospitality, loud design once signalled luxury. From the 1990s to early 2010s, spectacle sold – with features like grand entrances, oversized lobbies, and expansive glass façades. But as daily life accelerates, travellers are increasingly looking for spaces that offer calm.
In the heart of Safavi Villa, a delightful contrast unfolds between the solidity of modern Brutalism and the unparalleled elegance of Safavid Iranian architecture. This is not merely a structure, but an embodiment of the daring fusion of two eras; a place where the decisive lines of exposed concrete.
Project name
Safavid Villa
Architecture firm
Norouzdesign Architecture Studio
Tools used
Midjourney AI, Adobe Photoshop, Flux Ai Adobe Photoshop
Principal architect
Mohammadreza Norouz
Collaborators
Visualization: Mohammadreza Norouz
Typology
Hospitality › Tourist Complex
