Architecture is clearly an artistic endeavor — as the inventive August 2017 architecture trends show — but it is a unique form of art when compared to others. Whereas painting, writing, filmmaking, or other purely artistic enterprises are products in and of themselves with little to no material function, architecture needs to excel both aesthetically and functionally. The ever-present push and pull of form versus function is crucial to architectural practice.
The August 2017 architecture trends show up on both sides of the form-function divide. On the former, there are buildings like SAMYN and PARTNERS' fire station design, which is designed as a big circle to increase the efficiency of trucks leaving the terminal. For the latter, 'Splendour' is a fictional city master plan designed to highlight China's cultural significance.
Top 75 Architecture Trends in August

75
Hanging Treehouse Homes
The 'Sequoia Shelter' is a Practical Solution for Off-the-Grid Living

74
Self-Constructing Buildings
These Self-Deploying Buildings Can Pop Up in Eight Minutes

73
DIY Prefab Cabin Homes
The Ecokit Prefabricated Cabins Can be Erected without Professional Help
72
Asymmetrical Sloped Roof Homes
The Single Family House by Andrii Ortynskyi is Irregularly Chic
71
Diversity-Celebrating Architectural Installations
WE ARE THE REMIX Represents Fluid Connections
70
Floating Water Cities
The Seasteading Institute Unveiled Plans to Build the First Floating City
69
Timber-Slatted Summer Homes
Kget Has a Spectacular Balcony Overlooking the Meditteranean
68
Disguised Modern Homes
The IVRV House's Standard Front Facade Gives Way to Modern Forms
67
Cantilevered Treetop Houses
The Skywalk Treehouse Lets Inhabitants Walk Right Out to the Canopy
66
Colorful Amorphous Playgrounds
The Mountain Lake Park Playground is a Joyous Playscape
65
Blooming Floral Pavilions
'Look! Look! Look!' is an Artistic Structure in an English Estate Garden
64
Isolated Modern Homes
Waikanae House is a Modern Design in the Midst of Nature
63
Sun-Soaked Oceanside Suites
The Redesigned Porto Fira Suites are Inspired by Monastic Simplicity
62
Cavernous White Homes
'The Cave' is a Stark White Home With Ample Open Space
61
Fitness-Fused Retail Stores
'Runner Camp' Fuses Fitness with Retail in Shanghai
60
Parted Office Buildings
'Chapultepec 500' Looks Like a Curtain Being Drawn Apart
59
Traditional Chinese Hotels
The Ya Gu Quan Shan Hotel is Inspired by Historical Heritage
58
Architectural Home Rentals
BoutiqueHomes Offers Holiday Rentals in Design-Focused Homes
57
Exaggerated Red Brick Houses
31/44 Architects' 'Red House' Teases Victorian Tropes
56
Lawn-Topped Houses
'South Coast of Landes House' Makes Use of All Its Facets
55
Mirrored City Viewpoints
M+ Pavilion Offers Impressive Views of Hong Kong
54
Controversial Iron Ring Sculptures
George King's Walkway at Flint Castle is Bristling Locals
53
Vertical Urban Forests
The Hawthorn Tower is Set to Be Holland's First Vertical Garden
52
Metallic Architecture Posters
These Detailed Posters Celebrate Chicago's Greatest Buildings
51
Salmon-Viewing Centers
The Kvasfossen Visitor Center Offers Views of a Salmon Ladder
50
Urban Architectural Graphic Novels
'No Small Plans' is About Urban Planning in Chicago
49
Meditative Treehouses
The Quiet Treehouse Promotes the Health Benefits of Noise Reduction
48
Stilted Hiking Shelters
Le Haut Perche is on the Banks of a River Outside Bordeaux
47
Sliding Glass Roofs
This Environmentally Friendly Shopping Center is Illuminated by Natural Light
46
Smooth Swiss Cottages
'Swiss House XII' is a Slick Version of Its Neighbors' Architecture
45
Brutalist Victorian Houses
'Soupcon Brut' Has Been Renovated to Reflect a Neighboring Estate
44
Interlocking Timber Funnels
'Y' is a Stretching Timber Funnel Built by an International Team
43
Rusted Steely Housing Developments
Kiel Steel House is Clad in Corten Steel
42
Gradated Translucent Facades
XYZ Formula's See-Through Facade Has a Grid-Like Design
41
Artistic Construction Site Photography
Ben Gowertt's New Project Spotlights Calm Urban Areas
40
Portable Adaptable Dwellings
The 'SCARAB' Remote Living Habitat Can be Placed Virtually Anywhere
39
Inverted Boat Houses
The Houseboat by Mole Architects Resembles a Capsized Hull
38
Japanese Homeware Retailer Hotels
The Ginza MUJI Hotel will Start Welcoming Guests in Spring 2018
37
Sustainable Cannabis Houses
The Walls of This Home in Israel are Made Out of Hemp and Concrete
36
Airy Steel Arches
Oskar Zieta's NAWA Pavilion is Inflated with Air
35
Wind Turbine Residences
The Wind Pecker Residential Spaces are Perched on the Stands of Windmills
34
Multi-Seasonal Covered Gardens
'The Garden of the Four Seasons' Uses Climate-Control Technology
33
Architect-Honoring Kirigami
Marc Hagan-Guirey's Art Highlights Frank Lloyd Wright's Work
32
Pop-Up Train Carriages
AART's Redesigned Train Carriages Serve a Variety of Purposes
31
Shifted Ventilation Towers
The Northern Link Towers Blend Into Stockholm's National City Park
30
Surfing Holiday Homes
Casa Tuman Offers Convenient Access to Chile's Puertecillo Beach
29
Modernist Estate Pavilions
The St. Gerlachus Pavilion is on an Historic 17th Estate in Holland
28
Rain-Inspired Hotels
The Zander K Hotel in Bergen, Norway Embraces the Region's Rainy Weather
27
Dump Truck-Inspired Homes
Budi Pradono's 'Clay House' is Topped With a Titled Shipping Container
26
Concrete Cliffside Homes
g3arquitectos' 'Casa G' is a Cubist Structure Overlooking a Mexican Town
25
Undulating Plastic Pavilions
SelgasCano Designed an Artistic Public Pavilion in Cognac, France
24
Curtain-Wrapped Home Extensions
Matt Gibson's Home Addition is Wrapped in Metal-Mesh Curtains
23
Circular Fire Stations
This Fire Station Design Reduces Vehicle Response Times
22
Updated Industrial Offices
751 creative's Office Marries Vintage Machinery and Minimalist Finishes
21
Treed School Complexes
The Cornebarrieu School Complex Tackles Environmental Challenges
20
Space-Maximizing Museum Revamps
Casson Mann Recently Adjusted the Natural History Museum's Foyer
19
LEGO-Built Concert Halls
'Brickmonkey' Made a Small-Scale Replica of the Hamburg Concert Hall
18
Airy Covered Marketplaces
IMPLUVIUM is an Open-Air Marketplace in Reinosa, Spain
17
Hidden Bunker Museums
BIG's Tirpizt Bunker is Touted as an Invisible Museum
16
Porcelain Public Courtyards
The Sackler Courtyard is the First of Its Kind in the World
15
Emergency Temporary Schools
Portakabin Built a School for Those Near Grenfell Tower
14
Curvilinear Roofline Designs
The Avocado Acres House was Inspired By LA's Case Study Homes
13
Perspective-Shifted Windows
'Modelia Days' Features Windows With Illusive Indentations
12
Serrated Hotel Buildings
M89 Hotel in Italy Has a Sharp Series of Teeth on Its Roof
11
Stark Medieval Museums
The Medieval Mile Museum is in a Renovated 13th Century Cathedral
10
Precariously Stilted Art Centers
Centro Botin was Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop
9
Converted Sex Shop Studios
Persimmon Hills Architects Transformed a Sex Shop into a Tiny Studio
8
Fictional Cultural Capitals
Splendour is a Fictional City Master Plan to Improve China's Image
7
Iconic Landmark Renovations
The Seattle Space Needle Renovation Revealed its Intended Design
6
Ship-Shaped Commemorative Pavilions
The Kohtei Pavilion Honors Those Lost at Sea
5
Capacious Tiny Homes
The Traveler XL Limited Easily Sleeps Ten Guests In An Eco-Friendly Space
4
Smooth Stark Building Restorations
C Plus Architects Renovated a 1950s University in China
3
Colossal Sound Chambers
Studio Gang's 'The Hive' Features Three Massive, Hive-Like Domes
2
Filament-Covered Towers
This Hotel by Zaha Hadid Architects Looks Like a Series of Stacked Vases
1
Anachronistic Concrete Extensions
The National Museum Zurich has a Juxtaposed Modern Wing
Related Ideas
Venetian-Inspired Museum Designs
The Conceptual Floating Glass Museum is AI-Generated
Innovative Modern Living Spaces
Gestalt New York Has Unveiled The Gestalt Haus
Nostalgic 70s-Inspired Apartments
The House Special Studio Designs a Compact Apartment
Artful Doghouse Design Exhibitions
The Architecture for Dogs Exhibition Opens at ADI Design
Nature-Connecting Warm Apartments
Baranowitz + Kronenberg Designs the Urban Refuge Apartment
Origami-Inspired Sleek Cabins
A.L.P.S. Designs the Infinity Mobile Architecture System
Artful Updated 70s Apartment
Oikonomakis Siampakoulis architects Forms the Art Curator's Apartment
Extreme Space-Saving Architecture
A 74-Square-Foot Apartment is Redefining Urban Living
Sculptural Photocoltaic Theater Designs
BIG Designs the Opera and Ballet Theatre of Kosovo
Discreet Architectural Polish Homes
Mobius Architekci Designs the Loop House in Rural Poland
Charred-Wood Tranquil Pavilions
Temp Designs the 3-to-1 Pavilion in a Rocky Shanghai Garden
Power-Producing Home Designs
'House W' but the Florian Busch Architects is Barn-Shaped
Architecture-Inspired Structural Speakers
Philipp Emrich Designs the Brutalist Agnes Speaker
Beautifully Sculptural Concrete Museums
Qatar Museums Unveils Official Images of the Lusail Museum
Dynamic Installation Science Museums
MAD has Designed the New Hainan Science Museum
Everyday Material Colorful Pavilions
Foster + Partners and NEON Create Two Pavilions in London
Paper-Inspired Artful Museums
Bjarke Ingels Group Designed the Museum for Papirkunst
Curved Translucent Experimental Apartments
NEUHÄUSL HUNAL Designs the Sculptor's Apartment
Black-Timber Stealthy Pavilions
Aptdotapt Designs the Drop-Stop Pavilion in the Mountains
Ever-Changing Japanese Houses
CHOP+ARCHI Designs the Kumagaya House Nodding to Japanese Dynamics
Sculptural Geometric Formed ADUs
Cover Architecture Has Unveiled its New Moongate ADU
Renovated Victorian Toronto Homes
Dubbeldam Architecture + Design Renovates the Flow House
Townhouse Transformed Retail Spaces
Schemata Architects Designs the Le Labo Kyoto Flagship
Colorful Rooftop Unified Buildings
Urbanus' Nantou Hybrid Building is Comprised of Five Buildings
Cutting-Edge Design Programming
Triennale Milano Offers an Array of Events for Milan Design Week
Gallery-Like Elevated Retail Designs
Format Architecture Office Designs the Leica Store & Gallery
Architecture-Inspired Furniture Capsules
SeungBum Ma Designs the Form-Functional Archi-Furniture
Swooped Museum Roof Planes
BIG Designs the Waterfront Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art
Modern Office Environments
The MOL Campus Project Was Designed by Architecture Firm Kinzo
Sculptural Water Tower Structures
White Arkitekter Designs the Våga Water Tower
Abstract Colorfully Vibrant Playscapes
100architects Designs the Wired Scape Playground
Sweeping Culture Centers
Zaha Hadid Architects Presents the River Culture and Art Centre
Intricate Architectural Puzzle Sets
LEGO Drops the Trevi Fountain Model to the Architecture Series
Lotus Plant-Inspired Skyscrapers
Aedas Designs the Pair of One Future Buildings Lined with Bronze
Trio Cuboid Music Buildings
SANAA Designs a Building for the Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building
Parking Lot-Transformed Homes
Maritau Arqui Completed the Octa House on a Japanese Island
Found Objects-Formed Art Collections
LMU Joins Benchmark to Create the Aldgate Gold Project
Affordable Social Housing Campuses
Studio Libeskind Creates The Atrium at Sumner Houses
Garden-Topped Sunken Museums
Kengo Kuma & Associates Design the CMP Inspiration Museum
Sculptural Art-Detailed Store Designs
Halleroed Designs the Flagship Toteme Store in Mayfield
Y-Shaped Community Pavilions
Sam Crawford Architects Creates a Red-Roof Pavilion in Sydney
Clever Townhouse Renovations
Light and Air Architecture Design the Void House in New York
Viewing Box Cultural Centers
The Center for Arts & Innovation Hosts Events and Education Spaces
Sea-Facing Mass-Timber Houses
Architecture Discipline Designed the Vagator Residence in India
Nature Blending Modern Homes
MODU Designed the Mini Tower One Residence in Brooklyn
Heritage-Preserving Cultural Centers
WAU Design Completes the Wuyang Cultural Station in China
Sustainable Vibrant Work Environments
LEGO Group Shows Off its Innovation Campus in Denmark
Robust Monolithic Walled Homes
H Arquitectes Completes the Casa 1736 in Barcelona
Geometric Prefabricated Pavilions
Heams & Michel Architectes Presents the 7 Kiosks Project
Contrasting Facade Clad Apartments
Messner Architets Designs the RVTK Apartments in Italy
Simplistic Timber Warehouses
Aretz Dürr Architektur Designs the Structures of Halle S 46
Tile-Cladded Chinese Clay Museums
Kengo Kuma and Associates Designs the UCCA Clay Museum
Geometric Garage Pavilions
Marc Fornes / THEVERYMANY & Porsche Create My Two Cars Garage
Skylight-Centric Home Renovations
SHED Architecture & Design Leads the Portland House Renovation
Pyramidal Concrete Japanese Homes
IGArchitects Completed the Pyramid Hut Concrete Home
Art Expo Village-Esque Pavilions
Foster + Partners Create a Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Osaka 2025
Natural Material-Crafterd Holiday Homes
Johan Sundberg Arkitektur Designs the Sommarhus E
AI Tool Youth Competitions
My ArchiSchool Hosts the Annual Youth ArchiDesign Competition
Curvaceous Artful Play Pavilions
Peter Cook Designs the Play Pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery
Neon Illustation-Donned Buildings
OMA Adorns a Building for the Crafted World Exhibition
Log Cabin-Inspired Minimal Homes
Gartnerfuglen Arkitkter Designs the Årestua Home in Telemark
Local Craft-Shown Bamboo Pavilions
AtArchitecture Designs the Northeast Pavilion for an Art Fair
Brutalist Concrete Tower Apartments
Archmongers Renovates the Trellick Tower in London
Metal-Wrapped Exhibition Spaces
Trace Architecture Office Creates a Structural Steel Wrap
Artfully Inspired Home Renovations
Reflect Architecture Designs the North Drive House in Toronto
Whimsical Urban Hotel Extensions
Neri&Hu Complete the Artyzen New Bund 31 Hotel Design
Modern Interpreted English Homes
Threefold Architects Designs the Eight Gables Home
Monolithic Sleek Summer Homes
Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter Creates the Vollerup Atrium Home
Architecture-Inspired Building Blocks
James Paulius Designs the Blockitecture® Frank Lloyd Wright
Woodland-Inspired Timber Office Spaces
Atelier du Pont Completes the Pavilion Jardins Building
Pier-Side Dynamic Office Spaces
The New BIG HQ is a New Office on the Industrial Harbour
Textural Brick Structures
Bennetts Associates & Citizens Design Bureau Create BEAM Cultural Center
Public Sculptural Pergola Barbecues
H30 Architects Designs the Communal Barbecue in Costa Brava
White Concrete Boxy Museums
Thomas Phifer Designs the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
Temple-Inspired Striking Galleries
Abin Design Studio Designs a Gallery with Temple Themes
Star-Shaped Structural Pavilions
Mass Studies Unveils the Visuals for the Archipelagic Void
Inclusive Social Housing Projects
Peris + Toral Arquitectes Design 85 Social Dwellings in Cornellà
Textured Local Stone Residences
Point27 Architects Designed the Atrium House in Greece
Modern Art Design Auctions
BILLINGS is Set to Hold Its Summer Modern Art + Design Auction
Structural Concrete Arts Centers
DUO Finishes the Nanchang OCT Contemporary Arts Centre
Wooden Cubic University Buildings
BIG Designs the Makers' KUbe at the University of Kansas
Parametric Style Video Games
Zaha Hadid Architects and Epic Games Add to Re:Imagine London
Hand-Bent Steel Performance Pavilions
Trahan Architecture Completes the Performance Pavilion
Subway-Lined Waved Panels
Ateneo Used 3D Tech to Form Sculptural Walls Around Wuyuanwan Station
Concrete Cultural Visitor Centers
UAD Completes the Villagers' Home Center in Zhejiang Province
Cascading Aluminum Pipe Museums
Kengo Kuma Design the Audeum Museum with an Aluminum Facade
Red Concrete Exhibition Centers
Mix Architecture Designs the Red Box Exhibition Center
Cross-Laminated Timber Renovated Warehouses
Lever Architecture Created the 843 N Spring Street
Duplex-Appearing Home Designs
Atelier ST Designs the Duplex House for a Family in Leipzig
Lighthouse-Functioning Concrete Structures
Lin Architecture Creates the Concrete Pavilion in China
Aegean Architecture-Inspired Home Designs
Studio Kali Designs the Arkhe Collection of Furniture
Organic Striking Tower Designs
David Macullo Architects Designs the Leaves Tower
Latticed-Steel Transport Hub Columns
Tremend Designs the Metropolitan Station in Lublin
Tree-Lined Striking Modern Residences
Palette Architecture Designs the Shift House in New York
Contemporary Art Puzzle Sets
LEGO's Modern Art Building Set is a Great Buildable Decor
Pale Tonal Brick Homes
Fletcher Crane Architects Designs the Kingston Villa in Richmond
Curved Facade Canadian Residences
Architecture Building Culture Designs the Piano House
Alleyway-Inspired Art Centers
Neri&Hu Completes the New Bund Performing Arts Centre
Efficient Architecture Design Tools
Architecture Helper Provides Design Insights in Seconds
Caribbean-Inspired Retro Home Extentions
Artefact Designs the Triangle House in London's Epsom
Atrium Stacked Toronto Courthouses
Renzo Piano Building Workshop Creates a Justice Building
Brick-Centric Art Exhibitions
Floris Wubben Designs the Brick Collection at the Future Perfect
Transformed Disused Steelwork Structures
Delugan Meissl Designs Expo Cultural Park Greenhouse
Rustic Cultural Architectural Buildings
Abin Design Studio Designed the Gallery House in Bensberia
Mass-Timber Transport Hubs
BIG and A+ Architecture Build the Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub
Roman Architecture-Themed Pavilions
Pratique and Fanum Design the Forum des Vestiges Pavilion
Clear Glazing Compact Residences
IGArchitects Designs the Check Patterned House in Japan
Interconnected Brick-Clad Buildings
David Chipperfield Architects Blends Three Housing Typologies
Architectural Pottery Museums
1+1>2 Architects Designs the Bat Trang Pottery Museum
Gold-Tonal Metal Building Extensions
Rørbæk og Møller Arkitekter Extends a Skylab at a University
Dynamic Military Archive Buildings
Jahn Completes the Pritzker Military Archives Center Design
Vast Wooden Structural Pavilions
Sou Fujimoto Architects Showcases Progress of the Grand Ring
Multifunctional Cross-Disciplinary Buildings
The BLOX Building in Represents Joint Thinking
Dynamic Sculptrual Research Hubs
The Ragon Institute Rests on Top of a Triangular Site
Paper-Like Art Museum Roofs
BIG Expands the Museum for Paper Art in Denmark with a Folded Roof
Building Block Art Exhibits
LEGO will Host The Art of the Brick Expo in Singapore
Green Terracotta-Donned Buildings
SOM and Gensler Completed the Robert A Iger Building
Dual Level Concrete Galleries
Morphosis Designs the Crow Museum of Asian Art in Dallas
Asian Designer Furniture Exhibitions
This Year's Emerge Exhibition Marks the Third Annual Showcase
Compact Red Wooden Homes
Studio TEST Presents the Prefab House Changeover Structure
Steel Structural Dynamic Workspaces
Skylab Architecture Builds a New Skylab Office in Oregon
Square Structural Canadian Homes
PARTISANS Designs the Canvas House in Toronto, Canada
Whimsical Sculptural Furniture Series
Micah Rosenblatt Presents the City Block Series in Art Show
Star-Shaped Structural Pavilions
Minsuk Cho Designs the Archipelagic Void Shelter in London
Dynamic Concrete Modern Buildings
Atelier Matias Mosquera Designs the Shire Building
Sloped Concrete Roofed Restaurants
RAD+ar Completes the Aruma Restaurant Design in Jakarta
Art Center Sweeping Canopies
Kengo Kuma & Associates Extend the Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian
Water Flow-Inspired Art Buildings
MAD Designs the Waterfront Nanhai Arts Center in Guangdong
Artful Dockside Installations
London Festival of Architecture Gets Benches for Pews and Perches
Port Building-Nestled Museums
Colectivo C733 Installs a Museum inside of a Mexican Port Building
Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings
Civic Architects & VDNVP Elevate a Series of Workspaces
Asymmetrical Sculptural Apartment Blocks
LOHA Designs the South E8 Housing Block in Raleigh
Distinctive Airlifted Structures
Arête Architects and Makers Fabrication Design the Karka Tower
Groundbreaking Design Exhibitions
The Mindcraft Project Channels Progressive Bold Designs
Warm-Tonal Urban City Apartments
General Assembly Creates a Comforting Palette in New York
Translucent Mesh-Wrapped Art Center
Wutopia Lab Designed the Flickering Peak in Hainan, China
Arched Garden-Topped Cultural Centers
Atelier Apeiron Creates the Hengqin Culture and Art Complex
Philosophically Designed Modern Homes
c.dd Designs the Boundaless Residence in Guangdong
Large Passive House Buildings
Handel Architects Builds the Harmony Commons at UofT
Modern Sculptural Garden Homes
A01 Architevts Completed the Priyam Home in Hyderabad