The Millbrook house designed by Thomas Phifer architects is situated in Millbrook, New York. Set on a 200 acre site, the house maximises its spacious position by employing discreet geometric structures that complement its idyllic countryside setting. The main structure, a cantilevered weathering-steel box, hovers elegantly above the car park, whilst elsewhere in the structure, a glass pavilion flows out seamlessly to the lawn. The living space which combines the kitchen and dining areas, is dressed with classic furniture and floor to ceiling windows. The bedrooms face east for the morning sun with their own respective bamboo gardens out to the fields beyond.

This house, which pays homage to the style of Richard Neutra sits proudly in Mexico by architects Parque Humano. The AA house, was designed as a man-made pavilion so that the owners could observe and live in close proximity to nature. The L-shaped structure of the house utilises modernism's presiding aesthetic, whilst keeping the house enormously functional. All the rooms are centered around the central living areas, and back onto an adjacent courtyard and swimming pool. Floor to ceiling glass windows flank most rooms, enabling the interior and exterior of the home to seamlessly integrate, whilst brick is utilised throughout to provide insulation in winter, and protection from the intense high summer temperatures. The soft wooden tones of the interior enable this house to feel light and airy, maximizing its spacious interior.

Design kitch at its very best. Auto-Wed, the rather unique take on the gumball machine concept is probably most suited for the lobby of a Vegas hotel. The coin-operated wedding machine is an idea coined by British designers Concept Shed. Once you insert your money, it plays a specially composed intro version of the wedding march and asks you to select your union type from one of four options. The bespoke ‘Auto-Wed’ machine then asks asks if you take each other as lawful wedded partners and to press one for ‘I do’ or press two to ‘Escape’. It then takes you through the rest of your ceremony and vends two plastic eggs with rings in and prints out your personalised wedding receipt from a thermal printer. It finishes by offering you a 10% discount for AutoDivorce with your receipt.

The team at Concept Shed say that despite how cruel and mechanised it sounds (the machine has about the same emotional feeling as a parking meter) that somehow putting in your $1, getting a pair of plastic rings and a personalised wedding receipt still feels special when you share it with the one you love. The future of matrimonial celebrations? We certainly hope not.

The newly launched Shanghai’s Museum of Glass, has opened to help Shanghai relaunch as a cultural and creative centre, having opened 100 museums in a decade. German architectural firm Logon (based in Shanghai) handled the architecture of the museum, whilst Coordination Asia was in charge of the overall concept. The Museum has been created within a former glassmaking workshop with black lacquered glass used for the interior whilst the existing structure has been left untouched. The interior’s black glass reflects the LED lights and screens positioned throughout the museum. This effect emphasizes the transition glass has taken throughout time. Various medias have been used in an effort to create an interactive and participatory museum where the story of the glass is the main attraction.

For more information go here.

Story by Sarah McKenzie

Who better to revamp the existing La Maison Champs Elysees hotel than design house Maison Martin Margiela. With two historic buildings making up the one hotel, it's a hotel of material juxtapositions. Margiela plays with light and dark, with some suites embracing tranquil white, and others, settling on a moody black colour scheme. The hotel explain that their aim was for 'Maison Martin Margiela [to create] a theatrical environment where reality and trompe-l'oeil blend into a surreal atmosphere.' Equipped with 17 guest suites, a restaurant, a smoking bar, and reception area, we're guessing this will be on the hit list for fashionistas and design enthusiasts alike.

Visit their site for more information.

Having designed and renovated homes that have a modernist sensibility, it's fair enough to say that Californian architect Bruce Bolander has well and truly caught our attention. The Bleakley home, situated in California, comprises a poolside cabana for lazy summer afternoons with bespoke furniture, alongside a stunning modernist pool reminiscent of work by Richard Neutra - one of modernism's most acclaimed architects. The interior utilises expected materials like tiling, wood paneling and wooden floors to complement its modernist appeal. It's a beautiful example of modernism restored to all its original glory.

For more of his work go here.

Blurring the line between horticulture and art, landscape and architecture, the Square Bar at the new Hotel Novotel Auckland Airport is has quite literally, taken on a life of it’s own. Sitting at the centre of this bar is a stunning array of native New Zealand flora in the form of a two story ‘green’ wall, created by Natural Habitats.

With a track record of successful green wall projects (including the Stephen Marr Wall inside Takapuna’s Department Store and Britomart East wall) Natural Habitats director Graham Cleary believes that this wall, which was installed earlier this month, ‘could be our best yet.’ Not only visually interesting and environmentally beneficial, the wall was designed to add a sense of balance and harmony that is difficult to achieve by other means.

The emphasis on indigenous foliage, a composition of ferns and pan pacific creepers, complements the new hotels distinctive New Zealand style. Designed by Warren & Mahoney, the hotel incorporates sustainable Southland Beech woodwork, black sand inspired marble and its 263 rooms combine New Zealand’s distinctive cultural heritage with modern architecture.

The benefits of real, living plants in places where you don’t expect to see them don’t end at the aesthetics. The 60m2 of vertical vegetation will improve the bar’s indoor air quality by increasing humidity levels and removing air pollutants, not to mention inspire conversation. As if we needed another reason to go to the bar anyway...

 Story by Louisa Penney

 A 250 square metre modern villa has been designed by John Robert Nilson in Sweden. With clean lines and a breathtaking view, all vantage points within the home point towards the sea. Limestone has been utilised throughout, with white used as the predominant interior colour palette. Very few materials have been used in the construction of this design. The architect has also favoured a dark brown exterior establishing a decent divide between the interior and exterior of the home.

Madrid architect Javier de Anton Freile has designed this house in Zamora, Spain. With a very narrow footprint, the entire house is only one room wide, with floor to ceiling windows on either side that flood the entire interior with light. The focus of the outdoor area is around a concrete slab that leads to a large swimming pool. Large shutters can be used to completely close off the windows for further privacy by simply sliding them across. The concrete exterior and streamlined aesthetic of the house enable it to fit inoffensively in with its expansive landscape. A nice piece of refined architecture for low maintenance living.

Completed in 2009, the Tribeca Loft by Fearon Hay Architects located in Manhattan, New York is a 550 square metre loft conversion. Located in the historic Green Industrial Building in Tribeca, it offers a bespoke and innovative response to the challenges of residing in Manhattan. The existing 3.6 metre high space is defined by the exposed reinforced concrete frame and the large multi-paned windows offering panoramic views of the skyline on three sides.

Fearon Hay describe their design below:

The insertion of steel framed, glazed volumes with raised timber floors provides elevated sleeping platforms within the loft space. The glazed volumes are accompanied by blank, white, volumes containing bathing, service and scullery functions. These service components are arranged in a linear sequence in the centre of the space. Both of these insertions are carefully placed amongst the existing structural elements of columns, beams and corbels, freeing the structure and the perimeter of the loft from division. Further layering and configuration of the space is offered by layers of operable fabric screens and sliding panels. The various areas of the residence may be separated from one another or connected to each other as desired. Collaborating with artisans of both New Zealand and New York has enabled the creation of custom fittings such as blown glass pendant lights, treated steel and freestanding stone washbasins and bath, resulting in a highly crafted and bespoke construction.

Furnishings include Boffi tapware, Christian Liaigre rugs and floor lamps, Fearon Hay custom furniture and blown glass pendant lights (a collaboration between Fearon Hay and Katie Brown).