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frank lloyd wright’s spring house, his sole florida design, hits the market

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Lewis Spring House lists for sale

Frank Lloyd Wright’s only design in Florida, the Lewis Spring House, has officially hit the market. Located on the outskirts of Tallahassee, the property spans 10 acres of hardwoods and showcases Wright’s late-career hemicycle style, defined by sweeping curves and fluid forms. Its distinctive boat-shaped layout was created as a tribute to the Lewis family’s love of nature and the water. The three-bedroom, two-bath residence offers 2,040 square feet of living space and was conceived in 1952, completed in 1954, during the same period Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum. Both projects share a bold geometry of arcs, reflecting his focus on organic architectural forms.

all images courtesy of NAI Global

a rare ship-shaped home in Florida 

The house is one of only 11 hemicycle-style homes that Frank Lloyd Wright ever completed and one of just two designed with a ship-like form. Its curved walls, extensive glazing, and natural materials blur the line between interior and exterior spaces, creating a continuous sense of openness.

Built from Ocala block, a concrete material common in mid-century Florida, and finished with tidewater red cypress both inside and out, Spring House reflects the legendary architect’s principle of harmonizing architecture with its surroundings. The plan includes mezzanine levels and large windows that open views across the wooded site. Although some exterior elements, such as the reflecting pool and terrace wall, were never realized, the structure remains a notable example of Wright’s experimentation during the final decade of his career.

the house features a distinctive boat-shaped layout

curved walls, extensive glazing, and natural materials blur the line between interior and exterior

the residence was conceived in 1952 and completed in 1954

the house is built from Ocala block, a concrete material common in mid-century Florida

the plan includes mezzanine levels and large windows that open views across the wooded site

the house is one of only 11 hemicycle-style homes that Frank Lloyd Wright ever completed

the home is finished with tidewater red cypress both inside and out

Spring House reflects the architect’s principle of harmonizing architecture with its surroundings

project info: 

name: Lewis Spring House

architect: Frank Lloyd Wright | @wrighttaliesin

location: 3117 Okeeheepkee Rd | Tallahassee, Florida

year built: 1954

lot area: 10 acres
real estate agency: NAI Global | @nai.global

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miniature metro system by xing’s world carries first feline passengers in cat town

Xing’s world builds functioning subway system for cats at home

After two years of experimenting with small-scale architecture for his pets, Chinese YouTuber Xing’s World unveils his most ambitious miniature project to date: a fully operating subway system for cats. Built over the course of four months, the tiny infrastructure introduces a complete underground station and moving train, adding a new chapter to his long-running series of playful designs for Cat Town.

The metro joins a growing portfolio of miniature environments that Xing has created, including a pool for cats, a private island, a parking garage, a pet supermarket, a home, and even a small movie theater. What distinguishes the subway is the engineering detail behind it. To realize the design, the designer relied on both his woodworking skills and 3D printed parts, which allowed him to construct the complex station elements with precision. Xing faced the challenges of synchronizing the opening of train and platform doors, as well as constructing a functioning escalator. Instead of letting those hurdles stall the project, he committed to tackling each problem step by step until the full system came together.

images courtesy of Xing’s World

mini metro Transit for Furry Commuters

The final station includes realistic details that echo urban transit environments, from the train’s arrival sequence to the boarding process. Platform screen doors line the edge, complete with signage and warning strips, while overhead maps and directional boards recreate the look of a real metro concourse. Even escalators, staircases, and waste-sorting bins are carefully crafted to scale. ‘Welcome to Cat Town Station, please give way to alighting passengers before boarding,’ content creator Xing’s World announces in the video tour, where his cats, Mr. Nice and his family, become the first passengers to explore the new underground world. Like his earlier projects, he conceives the subway as a way of reimagining everyday infrastructures on a miniature, pet-friendly scale.

While the subway shows intricate craft and engineering, the process also reveals the ongoing interaction between design and daily life in Xing’s home. Training the cats to use the miniature system became part of the process, mixing playfulness with problem-solving. Xing even jokes that the usual headaches of post-construction cleanup were made easier this time thanks to a robot that was part of the project. 

a fully operating subway system for cats

built over the course of four months

the tiny infrastructure introduces a complete underground station and moving train

Xing faced the challenges of synchronizing the opening of train and platform doors

training the cats to navigate the miniature system becomes part of the narrative

blending humor with technical ingenuity

Xing committed to tackling each problem step by step

cats become the first passengers to explore the new underground world

the subway was conceived as a way of reimagining everyday infrastructures on a miniature scale

project info:

name: Cat Town Subway

designer: Xing’s World 

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siterwell develops sleek and portable detectors for carbon monoxide safety

SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY PROTECTS FROM CARBON MONOXIDE

Siterwell’s plug-in Carbon Monoxide Detector is a device that defies the stereotype of the clunky, obtrusive home appliance. It offers a design-conscious approach to home safety, providing a critical layer of protection in a sleek, compact, and intuitive form. As a piece of smart home technology, the portable CO detector is designed to be effortlessly integrated into a wide range of settings, including residential homes as well as rental properties, hotels, schools, daycare centers, or out camping. Its presence is subtle, yet its function is absolute, providing essential safety from leaking gas appliances, faulty heaters, or malfunctioning fireplaces.

More information on how the Siterwell CO detector merges essential protection with portability and intuitive function is available here.

Siterwell CO detector brings more safety to homes and public facilities | all images courtesy of Siterwell

SITERWELL ENSURES SMART SECURITY ECOSYSTEMS

In the US, a growing number of states and municipalities have passed legislation or updated building codes that mandate the installation of CO alarms in residential homes, rental properties, and other public facilities. What was once seen as an optional safety measure turned into a non-negotiable requirement, because the danger of this odorless, colorless gas is more threatening than previously understood. Even a small leak can cause severe symptoms like headaches, nausea, or fatigue without warning. This is especially critical for households with children and pets, who breathe faster than adults and are therefore affected by carbon monoxide more quickly.

In response, Siterwell, a professional manufacturer of Smart Security Ecosystems, is dedicated to a path of independent innovation that merges IoT technology with sophisticated security solutions. The company‘s state-of-the-art laboratory, certified by prestigious bodies like TÜV in Germany and China’s CNAs ISO17025, ensures every device meets the highest standards of reliability and performance.

a precise electrochemical sensor accurately detects dangerous CO levels

PORTABLE  CO DETECTOR FOR 24/7 SAFETY

Without any complex wiring or setup, the Siterwell Carbon Monoxide Detector transforms an essential safety device into a portable tool, allowing for immediate protection by just unfolding the plug and inserting it into any 120V wall outlet. The CO detector also features a replaceable backup battery, ensuring the device remains operational even during power outages. 

The product’s portability extends its utility far beyond a fixed installation. Its compact and lightweight form makes it an ideal travel carbon monoxide alarm. Whether in an RV, a hotel room, or a rented Airbnb, this device can be easily packed and used to provide 24/7 protection. The advanced electrochemical sensor offers highly accurate CO detection with a loud 85dB alarm, while a soft breathing light and a one-touch silence button ensure the device is intuitive to use without disrupting sleep. A simple glance at the LED indicators (green for normal, yellow for fault, red for alarm) provides immediate status updates.

For a deeper look into the device, see the full details here or purchase on Amazon.

the sleek, compact design ensures this device blends seamlessly into any space

a backup battery ensures constant safety even during power outages

a soft breathing light and a one-touch silence button ensure the device is intuitive to use without disrupting sleep

the Siterwell detector is a new essential for homes, rentals, and travel

project info:

name: Carbon Monoxide Detector

brand: Siterwell | @siterwell_electronics

The post siterwell develops sleek and portable detectors for carbon monoxide safety appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

la miradora house by taller general opens to volcano views in machachi, ecuador

la miradora views ecuador’s páramo landscape

Ecuador-based studio Taller General completes a residential project, La Miradora, in the rural landscape of Machachi. The home is sited at 3,403 meters above sea level within the Páramo ecosystem, a tropical wetland of the Andes. Perched along the highest point of its elongated plot, the dwelling opens broadly outward to overlook a steep ravine, with the expansive and fragile landscape backdropped by meadows and volcanoes on the horizon.

The siting responds to the land’s natural slope, allowing the structure to open toward the views while organizing its interior in two distinct levels. The upper floor contains the main living spaces for a couple, while the lower level — smaller due to the terrain — accommodates visiting family members. A loft on the upper floor faces north and south, framing the nearest volcanoes.

images © JAG Studio

taller general designs a house on a vast slope

With the layout of La Miradora, the architects at Taller General seek to encourage moments of gathering while maintaining privacy. Everyday life unfolds on the upper floor, where wide windows gather light and air from multiple directions. The lower floor extends this arrangement when guests arrive, offering additional rooms and service areas without altering the compact presence of the house above the slope.

Outdoor circulation is carefully integrated into the architecture. A covered ramp runs along one side, ensuring direct exterior access to the main level while providing a sheltered path that mediates between inside and out. From here, the Páramo landscape is experienced as a sequence of framed views and open exposures.

La Miradora sits at the highest point of its plot in Machachi, Ecuador

integration into the fragile ecosystem

Taller General designs La Mirador with a strong focus on ecological performance. Solar panels supply electricity, while gray and black water undergo staged treatment with grease traps, a biodigester, and a wetland before reaching a small lagoon and reentering the ground. This closed system echoes the Páramo’s role as a vital water source, aligning the house’s operations with its environment.

The design also minimizes construction waste by avoiding coatings or plasters. Materials are left exposed, making their structural role evident while reducing unnecessary layers. This approach required precise detailing and collaboration with local craftsmen skilled in wood, metal, ceramics, and textiles. Their work extends to integrated lamps, furniture, and partitions that reinforce the project’s expressive materiality.

the house overlooks meadows, volcanoes, and a deep ravine in the Páramo ecosystem

The house’s structure is defined by an array of ten wooden ribs arranged every 2.44 meters. Each rib consists of four inclined elements that meet upward, shaping protective eaves and supporting the upper level. On the north side, the ribs rest on a brick base that follows their slope. On the south side, they extend into durable metal members that withstand sun and rain and adapt to the gradient of the land.

This repetitive system adapts to spatial needs, shifting its rhythm to support the loft and open wider views. The interplay of wood, brick, and metal expresses a careful balance of shelter and exposure, durability and lightness. The roofline and eaves extend generously, protecting the timber while filtering sunlight into the interiors.

a covered ramp runs along one side, linking the interior to the landscape

the upper floor contains the main living spaces and a viewing loft

solar panels and a water treatment system integrate the house with its environment

project info:

name: La Miradora

architect: Taller General | @tallergeneral.ec

location: Machachi, Ecuador

area: 300 square meters

completion: 2024

photography: © JAG Studio | @juanalbertoandrade.ec

collaborators: Santiago León, Cerrotecec, Las Manos Sucias

structure: Miguel Morales

construction manager: Taller General

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stone walls and reflecting pools shape renovated residential complex in crete by VAstudio

stone walls and serene pools define VASTUDIO’s cretan residence

VAstudio’s Threshold is a residential complex in Pazinos, near Chania, Crete, designed to amplify the latent qualities of an existing structure. Its stone walls, vaulted ceilings, and interplay with light create a home where daily living is infused with memories. The renovated complex is organized into three interconnected volumes, each anchored by a reflecting pool, and designed to guide circulation as a series of contemplative thresholds that frame views, mark time, and structure spatial experience.

images courtesy of VAstudio

curved geometries shape light and recall the original building

Set within a village defined by olive groves, terraces, and dry stone walls, Threshold engages with its landscape through materiality, which includes locally sourced stone, timber, and lime plaster, and spatial gestures. Vaulted ceilings, preserved and highlighted throughout the interiors, act as spatial anchors with their curved geometries shaping light and acoustics while recalling the layered history of the original building. 

Pools reflect the sky and olive groves, structuring the composition of the site, while skylights and carefully positioned apertures animate surfaces, casting shifting patterns across stone, plaster, and timber throughout the day. Pathways, level changes, and framed views transform movement into a reflective experience, where thresholds act as pauses in the journey through the home.

The Greek architects at VAstudio restored the existing stonework, timber beams, and vaults, while modern systems were integrated discreetly, and wherever possible, materials were reused to maintain continuity and reduce environmental impact. The resulting residence accommodates contemporary living while preserving the historic essence of its architecture. 

VAstudio’s Threshold is a residential complex near Chania, Crete

stone walls, vaulted ceilings, and interplay with light create a home where daily living is infused with memories

existing structure, part of the complex in Pazinos

the renovated complex is organized into three interconnected volumes

each volume is anchored by a reflecting pool

set within a village defined by olive groves, terraces, and dry stone walls

Threshold engages with its landscape through materiality

VAstudio restored the existing stonework, timber beams, and vaults

pathways, level changes, and framed views transform movement into a reflective experience

vaulted ceilings, preserved and highlighted throughout the interiors, act as spatial anchors

curved geometries shape light and acoustics

project info:

name: Threshold
architect: VAstudio | @vastudio_architecture
location: Pazinos, Chania, Crete, Greece

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: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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