The top August 2019 architecture designs offer an exploration of repurposed spaces, temporary structures and even future-proof building concepts. To make the most of abundant and sustainable materials, architects are exploring the use of materials like cork and even single-use water bottles to form hurricane-proof structures.
Shipping containers remain a popular shell for living and commercial spaces alike and East London will soon be home to the world's tallest shipping container building once the construction of the 118 VR has been completed.
Moving away from conventional rectilinear forms, designers are turning to the natural world for inspiration to create eye-catching designs that reference everything from clouds and icebergs to stingrays to form organically inspired modern structures centered on sharing art and entertainment experiences.
Top 40 Architecture Innovations in August
From Sustainable Cork Houses to Futuristic Concert Halls:
Laura McQuarrie — Sep 2, 2019 — Art & Design
40
Shipping Container Micro Homes
Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects Has Permission to Build in the UK
39
Compact High-Tech Prefab Offices
The PLACES Studio Cube 'OFFICE' Features Solar Glass and More
38
Low-Cost Furniture Designs
Esrawe Studio's Project is Intended to Improve Living Conditions
37
Rapper-Backed Housing Projects
Kanye West's Yeezy Home Project is Focused on Social Good
36
Minimalist Sloped Concrete Residences
Yalin Architectural Design Uses Materials in Their Entirety
35
Versatile Fiberglass Sheds
Richard John Andrew's Practice Will Operate from a Garden Shed
34
Accessible Multi-Generational Households
AZL Architects Designs a House That is Not Age-Specific
33
Playfully Colorful Kindergarten Designs
Kientruc O Designs a Dynamic Facade for a Kindergarden
32
Multi-Generational Housing Designs
Marshall Homes' FlexHouz is Spacious and Strategically Divided
31
Illusory Brick House Facades
For This Bold Project, Brooks + Scarpa and Studio Dwell Collaborate
30
Sculptural Seaside Residences
The 'On the Rocks' House by David Tajchman Has a Wave-Like Design
29
Apartment-Inspired Hotel Designs
Studio Tamat and Sabina Guidotti Curate a Boutique Hotel in Rome
28
Ivy-Covered In-Garden Studios
Matt Gibson's Writer's Shed is Compact, Sweet, Functional & Tranquil
27
Incredibly Tiny Rooftop Buildings
El Sindicato Arquitectura's Casa Parásito is Ultra-Compact
26
Cockpit-Themed Hotel Rooms
Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu's 'Superior Cockpit Room' is a Cockpit Replica
25
Whimsical Kid-Friendly Cafes
The Fairyland Premium Kids Cafe Has a Carousel, Ball Pit & Slide
24
Sustainable Bamboo Meditation Temples
The Luum Temple Offers a Tranquil Space for Mindfulness
23
Sustainable Cork Houses
This Cork House Project is on the Shortlist for the 2019 Stirling Prize
22
Politically-Charged Architectural Proposals
Vilius Vizgaudis Debuts a Sustainable Utopian Concept
21
Naturalistic European Observation Towers
The 'Ascension' Concept Observation Tower is Organic
20
Sculptural Dancer-Friendly Pillars
Concrete Choreography is a Stunning Project by ETH Zurich
19
Temporary Worship Space Proposals
Gensler Pushes for a Temporary Pavilion Alongside Notre-Dame
18
Elevated Chilean Retreat Homes
Guillermo Acuña Outfits This House with Sizable Wooden Entry Stairs
17
Illusory Entertainment Bars
Unlocked's Board Game Bar Includes Its Own Escape Room
16
Seaweed-Based Prefab Panels
Kathryn Larsen is Interesting in Utilizing Seaweed for Construction
15
Iceberg-Inspired Opera Buildings
Henning Larsen Designs a Waterfront Performance Venue in China
14
Futuristic Concert Hall Designs
Steven Holl's Zinc-Clad Building is a Future-Forward Addition
13
Repurposed Historic Post Offices
OMA New York is Creating a New Entertainment Space in Houston
12
Future-Proof Building Complexes
Perkins and Will is Designing the European Commission Office
11
Dreamy Architectural Explorations
Peter Tarka Embraces Pastel Colors, Geometry and Surrealism
10
Stingray-Inspired Cafe Kiosks
Mizzi Studio Embellishes Hyde Park with a Place to Grab a Coffee
9
Eco Hurricane-Proof Houses
JD Composites Created a Home Made from 600,000 Plastic Bottles
8
Removable Roof Tiny Homes
The 'Tiny House Franck' by Optinid Has a Sliding Sunroof
7
Extended Museum Sculpture Gardens
The NOMA Extension by Reed Hilderbrand is Wholesome and Artistic
6
Ethereally Bubbly Pavilion Sculptures
The Very Many's 'Pillar of Dreams' Looks Like Clouds
5
Repurposed Adaptable University Buildings
Grimshaw Overhauls a Herman Miller Factory from the 70s
4
Record-Breaking Shipping Container Offices
The 118 VR Building will Feature a Sustainable Design
3
Waste-Powered Thermal Baths
June Tong Proposes an Thermal and Eco-Friendly Bath for the Arctic
2
E-Commerce Office Towers
A New Amazon Skyscraper Wll Come to a Seattle Suburb
1
People-Centric National Football Stadiums
Tabanlioglu Architects Focuses on the Use of Space
Related Ideas
Venetian-Inspired Museum Designs
The Conceptual Floating Glass Museum is AI-Generated
Architectural Luxury Handbags
The Louis Vuitton x Frank Gehry Collection is an Exploration of Form
Pink-Hued Shipping Container Homes
These Pink Shipping Container Homes by Ishita Ganguly are Chic
Shipping Container Tiny Homes
UnContained Dreams Designs the Rising Sun Tiny Home
Off-Grid Timber Tiny Homes
The 'Horta' Tiny House Has 107-Square-Feet of Living Space
Plant-Filled Latticed Buildings
Wallflower Architecture + Design Creates the Touching Eden House
Origami-Inspired Sleek Cabins
A.L.P.S. Designs the Infinity Mobile Architecture System
Serenely Stilted Houses
This Sustainable Tiny Home is Situated On An Elevated Platform
Cactus-Inspired Urban Skyscrapers
This Danish Skyscraper Features a Spiky Facade Design
Prefabricated Miniature Home Concepts
i29 Creates the Câpsula Concept for Dutch Design Week
Eco-Friendly Offices
Office@27 by Sanjay Puri Architects is Enhanced by Ancient Indian Principles
Sustainable Airport Terminal Designs
This Lush Green Terminal is Powered By Renewable Energy
Treehouse-Inspired Norwegian Residences
This House Aesthetically Connects With its Surroundings
Extreme Space-Saving Architecture
A 74-Square-Foot Apartment is Redefining Urban Living
Sustainable Bathroom Design Collections
Agape Debuts the 'Vis-à-Vis' and 'Rendez-Vous' Collections
Sustainable Off-Grid Minimal Cabins
Marc Thorpe Presents the Fremont House in New York
Flexible Pre-Fabricated Homes
Rabih Hage Introduces His Latest Design — Muudo
Tranquil Elevated Tiny Homes
Jan Tyrpekl Designs the Cozy Zen House in Austria
Sustainable Solid Surface Materials
DURAT Returns to Milano Design Week with PORTA DEI COLORI
Bendable Bio-Inspired Materials
The HygroShell is a Self-Constructing Timber Building System
Beautifully Sculptural Concrete Museums
Qatar Museums Unveils Official Images of the Lusail Museum
Local Culture-Honoring Beach House
The Skagen Klitgaard Beach House by PAX has Historic Background
Ultra-Compact Bungalow Designs
Satish Jassal Architects Completes the Haringey Brick Bungalow
Transparent Climate Classrooms
Forma Transforms a Century-old Glasshouse in Copenhagen
Everyday Material Colorful Pavilions
Foster + Partners and NEON Create Two Pavilions in London
Artful Cork Installations
Liz Diller, Eduardo Souto de Moura & Yves Béhar Present City Cortex
Vibrant Multi-Level Office Designs
Gensler Reimagines the Accenture Office Space in Chicago
Curved Translucent Experimental Apartments
NEUHÄUSL HUNAL Designs the Sculptor's Apartment
Wooden Textural Furniture Series
Hanneke Lourens Designs the Corrugated Furniture Capsule
Renovated Compact Loft Apartments
Metre Architects' Vessel Project Renovates a Small Space
Landscape-Integrated Hill Homes
Elías Rizo Arquitectos Designs the Casa AV in the Hills
Music Festival Bright Pavilions
Re:Right Design Created the Hayes Pavilion for Glastonbury
Energy-Efficient Office Buildings
This Czech Office Complex is Outfitted With Eco-Friendly Designs
Vibrant Adaptable Workplaces
Ester Bruzkus Architekten Designs a Modern Workspace for Relaxound
Outdoor-Blended Summer Houses
Erling Berg Studio Designs the I/O Cabin in Risør, Norway
Modernism Birdhouse Exhibitions
Andu Masebo and Rio Kobayashi Create the Dwellings Project
Off-Grid Oceanside Homes
Campos Studio Designs a Sculptural Cliffside Home in Mexico
Paper-Inspired Artful Museums
Bjarke Ingels Group Designed the Museum for Papirkunst
Large Headquarter-Transformed Housing
Studio Egret West Designs Hayes Park Central and South
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
Sustainable Furniture Capsule Shops
Light and Dwell Open up a Store of Furniture Designs
Eco-Conscious Slim Skyscrapers
Muraba and RCR Arquitectes Join to Design the Muraba Veil
Bamboo-Inspired Cultural Buildings
This Cultural Center Seamlessly Blends Into its Surroundings
Vaulted Glass Structure Additions
A Vaulted Roof is Added to the Domino Sugar Refinery
Sail-Shaped Skyscapers
Hill West Architects Completes the Olympia Dumbo Building in Brooklyn
Subterranean Courtyard Galleries
Buzz Designs the Hermit Space Yards in Beijing Park
Fiji Ocean-Front Estate Homes
A Tesm of Designers Join Forrces to Create the Reef House
Economical Modular Wooden Homes
The Cake House Reinvents Housing in the Czech Republic
Elevated Timber-Clad Homes
Habitable Form Designs the Victory Bay House on Kiawah Island
Greenhouse-Topped Residences
Moe Architecten Adds a Greenhouse on Top of the Wooden House
Eucalyptus Wood Curved Pavilions
Unknown Works Creates the Armadillo Pavilion in London
Viewing Box Cultural Centers
The Center for Arts & Innovation Hosts Events and Education Spaces
Sustainable Visitor Pavilions
NU Architectuur Atelier Designs the Green Arc in a Garden
Nature Blending Modern Homes
MODU Designed the Mini Tower One Residence in Brooklyn
Recycling-Centric Waterfront Homes
Measured Architecture Designs the Shor House Project
Robust Monolithic Walled Homes
H Arquitectes Completes the Casa 1736 in Barcelona
Rustic Ruin-Inspired Aquariums
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio Designs The Sea of Cortez Research Center
Simplistic Timber Warehouses
Aretz Dürr Architektur Designs the Structures of Halle S 46
Sustainable Futures Exhibitions
SCI-Arc is Presenting 'Views of Planet City' in September
Timber-Framed Croatian Homes
OFIS Arhitekti Designs the Light House Project in Croatia
Natural Light-Centric Timber Homes
Studio Varey Architects Designs the Huron House in London
Concrete Boxes-Overlapping Homes
FujiwaraMuro Architects Designs the House in Tsurumi-ku
Natural Material-Crafterd Holiday Homes
Johan Sundberg Arkitektur Designs the Sommarhus E
Hempcrete-Crafted Sustainable Workspaces
Commonbond Architects Designs the Gardenhide Studio
Crystalline Chinese Museum Buildings
The 'Space Crystal' Building Looks Like An Otherworldly Rock
Welcoming Prefabricated Student Housing
Ignacio Prego Architectures Designs New Student Housing
Sustainable Tall Japanese Skyscrapers
Pelli Clarke & Partners Designs the Mori JP Tower
Brutalist Concrete Tower Apartments
Archmongers Renovates the Trellick Tower in London
CLT Sunken Hungarian Homes
Hello Wood Completes the Sunken House in Budapest, Hungary
Self-Cooling Exterior Buildings
Modu Creates the Promenade Building to Control Air Temperature
Elevated Miami Office Spaces
Arcadis' In-House Team Designs a New Office Space in Miami
Floating-Style Classroom Designs
Ennead Architects & Rockwell Group Completes the Bloomberg Center
Metal-Wrapped Exhibition Spaces
Trace Architecture Office Creates a Structural Steel Wrap
Woven Upholstery Textile Capsules
The Elemental Wright Collection Highlights Organic Architecture
Monolithic Sleek Summer Homes
Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter Creates the Vollerup Atrium Home
Raw Concrete Industrial Homes
Studio Cochi Architects Designs the House in Nishizaki
Sustainable Vivid Installations
Durat Unveils the PORTA DEI COLORI Installation
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
Tree-Centered Cubic Home Designs
Moises Sánchez Designs the Tonalli House in Jocotepec
Office-Transformed Co-Living Spaces
HUB & Bridges Fund Management Present its Cornerstone Project
Sustainably Designed Mumbai Offices
Sanjay Puri Architects Designs the Office@27 Workspace
Sustainably Crafted Pavilions
Shigeru Ban Introduces the Paper Log House in the Glass House
Clover-Style Conference Center Designs
MAD Designs the ZGC International Innovation Center
Hidden Garden Timber Pavilions
Tikari Works Designs A Room Around a Tree in London
Cutout Roof Cement-Clad Homes
Edition Office Designs a Home with a Focus on Tree Views
Wooden Cubic University Buildings
BIG Designs the Makers' KUbe at the University of Kansas
Poetic Habourfront Nature Centers
3XN Created the Centre for Coastal Nature and Sport Fishing
Traditional Sustainable School Designs
Heatherwick Studio Showcases Plans for Universidad Ean
Industrial-Inspired Housing Units
Conen Sigl Designs the Westhof Housing Block in Zurich
Red Concrete Exhibition Centers
Mix Architecture Designs the Red Box Exhibition Center
Waved Metal-Wrapped Buildings
SO-IL Designs the 9 Chapel Residences Located in Brooklyn
Bright Red Timber Buildings
Office ParkScheerbarth Designs the Compact Haus 2+ in Berlin
Spine-Based Central Design Buildings
Foster + Partners Designs the Hangzhou Center
Lighthouse-Functioning Concrete Structures
Lin Architecture Creates the Concrete Pavilion in China
Latticed-Steel Transport Hub Columns
Tremend Designs the Metropolitan Station in Lublin
Tranquil Subdued House Extensions
Heliotrope Architects Adds a New Extension to a Historic Home
Copper-Accented Apartment Blocks
Edition Office Designs the Fenwick St Project in Australia
Heritage Timber Rowing Clubs
Henning Larsen Designs the Klaksvik Row Club in Faroe Islands
Copper-Extended Brutalist Building
BVN Extends the Sirius Building with a Copper-Pod Structure
Rural Cork Block Residences
Gurea Arquitectura Cooperativa Designs the Cork and Wood House
Mass-Timber Transport Hubs
BIG and A+ Architecture Build the Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub
Thick-Walled Coastal Buildings
KLG Architects Designs the Hytte Riverview in South Africa
Recycled Ship Sail Pavilions
The Breeze Installation is Installed at Chart Art Fair
Sustainable Custom Luxe Homes
Schenkar and GA Arquitectura y Construcción Join on a Structure
Dynamic Military Archive Buildings
Jahn Completes the Pritzker Military Archives Center Design
Optimal Energy Research Centers
Zara Hadid Architects Designs the Alisher Navoi Research Center
Multifunctional Cross-Disciplinary Buildings
The BLOX Building in Represents Joint Thinking
Compact Infill Residences
Gró Works Designs an Infill Home in Dublin, Ireland
Open-Air Perforated Concrete Homes
MM++ Architects Designs the Anchor House in Vietnam
Botanical Visitor Pavilions
NU Architectuuratelier and Archipelago Create the Green Ark Pavilion
Paper-Like Art Museum Roofs
BIG Expands the Museum for Paper Art in Denmark with a Folded Roof
Trapezoidal Coastal Beach Houses
Emergentes Architectures Sàrl Designed the Dreal House in Chile
Industrial Warehouse-Inspired Offices
Carr Designs a New Office Block with Industrial Themes
Oversized Thatched-Roof Health Resorts
Ingenhoven Architecture Designs the Lanserhof Sylt Resort
Ice Block-Formed Pavilions
BIAD Creates the Ceremonial Falling Hours Pavilion for Visitors
Textured Concrete Tiered Homes
Nomo Studio Designs the Shift House Holiday Residence
Vibrantly Designed German Lofts
Sabine Marcelis Designs the VitraHaus Loft in Rhein, Germany
Water-Surrounded Summer Homes
Akb Architects Designed the Whistling Wind Islands in Ontario
Mass-Timber Expansive Buildings
Anttinen Oiva Architects Designs the Katajanokan Laituri
Textile-Inspired Skyscraper Designs
Snøhetta Unveils the Airside Skyscraper at the Kai Tak Airport
Expansive Roofs Concrete Homes
Studio MOB Creates a House in the Farm in Coimbatore
Naturally Ventilated Bright Houses
Kiron Cheerla Architecture Designs the Pott House
Steel Structural Dynamic Workspaces
Skylab Architecture Builds a New Skylab Office in Oregon
Warped Stacked Residence Buildings
Contaminar Designs the Dynamic Quinta do Rei in Leiria
Sawtooth Roof Apartment Blocks
Six Degrees Architects and Hip V Hype Design Ferrars & York
Star-Shaped Structural Pavilions
Minsuk Cho Designs the Archipelagic Void Shelter in London
Monolithic Custom Residences
Laboratorio de Arquitectura Designs the Casa Catedral Project
Dynamic Concrete Modern Buildings
Atelier Matias Mosquera Designs the Shire Building
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
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
Stacked Pebble-Inspired Towers
Atelier 9.81 Designs the Calaid Port Tower Building
Futuristic Factory Rooftop Extensions
MAD Transforms a Factory with the Ark Extension in China
Distinctive Airlifted Structures
Arête Architects and Makers Fabrication Design the Karka Tower
Transformed Disused Steelwork Structures
Delugan Meissl Designs Expo Cultural Park Greenhouse
Large Passive House Buildings
Handel Architects Builds the Harmony Commons at UofT