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concept by sowe roots ugaoo’s flagship plant store in biophilic design in pune, india

concept by sowe’s nature-inspired ugaoo flagship store

As India’s largest plant nursery and gardening brand, Ugaoo commissioned a flagship retail space in Pune, India to embody their biophilic values and create an immersive experience. The result, designed by Concept by Sowe, is a vibrant, evocative destination that forges a deeper connection between people and plants. The biophilic design approach for the store focused on a seamless dialogue between nature and architecture, where organic materials, spatial flow, and lush plant displays converge into a cohesive environment.

Ugaoo’s Pune flagship by Concept by Sowe features a lush, arched façade where greenery flows through terracotta-toned frames, merging biophilic design with the urban street edge

 

 

plant-centric retail design

 

Concept by Sowe‘s design for Ugaoo’s Pune flagship storie is inspired by the brand’s deep commitment to nature, evident in the integration of earthen aesthetics and natural textures. The visual identity is defined by the consistent repetition of key architectural motifs – arches and branches – which guide visitors through the store with an intuitive, rhythmic flow. The building’s prominent façade features a series of arches framing lush greenery on each level, creating a powerful visual statement that reinforces Ugaoo’s plant-centric ethos.

the arched façade frames the urban streetscape while terracotta textures and lush indoor plants create a seamless dialogue between the exterior and biophilic interior

 

 

The journey through the store is an invitation to explore. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a custom reception table beneath an elegant archway, which frames a pyramid-shaped shelving display. This design subtly demarcates zones while preserving an open, flowing atmosphere. The shelving systems, custom-designed to complement the space, integrate terracotta-inspired finishes and organic curves, displaying plants in an artful and accessible manner.

solid wood shelves and terracotta-toned archways guide visitors through the store, creating a warm, intuitive pathway that enhances both flow and user experience

 

 

The first floor is anchored by a tree installation crafted from structural steel and timber, serving as both a sculptural element and a display hub. Plants cascade from its branches, creating a dynamic yet airy atmosphere. This space, along with a communal table, fosters interaction and hands-on engagement with plants. The top floor houses a flexible workshop and event space, encouraging community activities like terrarium making and educational sessions. This curated journey through the store gradually deepens engagement, transforming it from a traditional retail environment into an immersive destination.

arched pathways and solid wood shelves guide movement, while small nooks throughout the store foster community, inviting visitors to pause, engage, and connect within the biophilic space

pyramid-shaped shelves offer easy access and display, thoughtfully designed to house smaller plants while creating a sculptural focal point within the store’s layout

a central tree-like installation anchors the space, its branching structure designed to showcase hanging pots and plants, adding height, drama, and a sense of organic movement

multiple arches along the facade enhance the urban streetscape and create an ideal space for product displays, blending architecture with functional design

terracotta textures, indoor plants, and flowing arches together embody the brand’s essence, creating a seamless and inviting journey through the space

community tables across floors offer inviting spots to pause, enjoy the plants, and connect with others, fostering interaction and shared experiences

 

 

project info:

 

name: Ugaoo Store

location: Pune, India

design studio: Concept by Sowe
designer: Shamna Stranc / Rujuta Killedar / Wojciech Stranc

 

 

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.

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design methodology that puts architecture at intersection of craft, play, and AI

new architectural methodology overlays craftsmanship with AI

 

Mind Design Studio, in collaboration with the digital platform Dom World, is developing a new architectural methodology that overlays traditional craftsmanship with immersive technologies and machine learning. Their work emerges from the belief that architecture can no longer operate in isolation from the digital and cultural forces transforming everyday experience, but it must evolve its practices without abandoning its principles. Through hybrid workflows that merge hand-modeled forms, real-time collaboration, and AI-driven iterations like Midjourney, the team is building environments that are both visually striking as well as emotionally resonant, participatory, and intelligent. 

the vision of the LA28 Olympic Village, developed in collaboration with Studio Tim Fu, combining hand-modeled massing studies with AI-augmented iterations | image © Studio Tim Fu, all images courtesy of Mind Design Studio

 

 

transforming architecture into a living, participatory medium

 

Founded by Miroslav Naskov, who is also the co-founder of Dom World, Mind Design Studio is an experimental architecture and design practice based in London. The studio focuses on projects that fuse digital innovation with deeply human design values. Its work spans across architecture, immersive environments, and research-driven installations, exploring how emerging technologies, particularly AI, can coexist with intuitive, craft-based processes.

 

Through platforms like Dom World, the studio creates shared design experiences that transform architecture into a living, participatory medium. This topic matters now more than ever as the architecture field grapples with the increasing role of automation, the need for more inclusive design processes, and the call for emotionally intelligent spaces in both physical and digital realms. As Miroslav Naskov puts it, ‘This is where craft, play, and AI converge — not as tools, but as an integrated methodology.’

Stair Design at the intersection of craft, code, and play, blending tectonic clarity with generative logic | image © Mind Design

 

 

the fusion of hand sketching and AI refinement

 

Mind Design’s process begins with physical intuition. Using tools like Maya and Rhino, the team sketches by hand—sculpting curves and volumes that prioritize sensuality, beauty, and clarity. These forms aren’t just geometry, they are expressions of emotional intent, shaped with precision and passion, making design a way of thinking through making, allowing the studio to shift between the physical and digital, abstract and built. ‘We use curves not just for geometry, but for their sensual quality, searching for legibility in new ideas, for pure beauty driven by nature,’ explains the founder of Mind Design and co-founder of Dom World.

 

Once these early models take form, the studio incorporates AI platforms such as Midjourney, Runway, Kling, and mnmi to explore a wider set of possibilities. ‘AI doesn’t replace intuition — it expands it. The hand still leads, but the machine helps it see further,’ adds Naskov. But the final result is always guided by the designer’s eye, making this hybrid process a fluid, iterative workflow that is analytical yet poetic, computational yet crafted.

Art Of Emotive Architecture Exhibition, an interactive exhibition collecting real-time participant feedback to shape spatial design logic | image © Mind Design

 

 

Architecture, in this methodology, becomes a space for dialogue. Instead of presenting static renderings, Mind Design brings concepts into Dom World – the multiplayer digital environment where teams, clients, and collaborators can enter and experience designs together. This transforms architectural development into something collective and open-ended where visualization becomes a laboratory for shared exploration and not just a tool.

 

In Dom World, decisions are shaped through interaction. Adaptive features powered by AI personalize the experience, suggest refinements, and keep the process responsive. The space itself becomes a playground for design thinking, one where users move freely, test ideas, and generate insight. During the Play phase, feedback isn’t added at the end but built into the beginning; this is how Mind Design reframes authorship – they don’t just design for people, they design with them.

Future Of Learning seen in a multiplayer environment where education becomes an immersive adventure | image © nVisual Studio

 

 

AI plays a dual role in this process both as a generative tool, and as a learning system. After every interactive session, the studio collects real-time feedback, seeing how participants move, respond, or engage with the space, and feeds it back into their AI models. The system then refines its logic, identifies patterns, and informs future iterations. Over time, the process becomes more intelligent and more adaptive.

 

Rather than diminishing the designer’s role, this feedback loop enhances it and AI becomes a collaborator that provides insight, optimizing decisions, and supporting emotional and functional clarity in the final design. As seen in their work on the LA28 Olympic Village (developed in collaboration with Studio Tim Fu), and projects shown at Venice Design Week, Mind Design demonstrates how AI can expand authorship rather than dilute it. Through sculptural clarity and computational logic, they are pushing the boundaries of what architecture can be. 

a sculptural product developed through hybrid sketch–AI–craft workflows, presented at Venice Design Week | image © Mind Design

 

 

project info:

 

company: Mind Design Studio | @mind.designed

collaboration: Dom World | @domworld.io

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zaha hadid architects’ 21-story tower leads neighborhood regeneration proposal in malaga

zha’s residential tower to anchor neighborhood regeneration

 

As Malaga continues to transform its former industrial port into a vibrant urban quarter, Sierra Blanca Estates (SBE) unveils a major proposal for the El Bulto neighborhood, anchored by a Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)-designed, 21-story residential tower. The scheme introduces 153 market-rate apartments along with 80 units of subsidized housing (VPO) earmarked for long-term residents of the working-class community, signaling a shift in how Spanish coastal cities are planning for inclusive, sustainable, and future-facing growth.

all images courtesy of ZHA

 

 

the sculptural tower introduces a landmark presence in malaga

 

Located beside the port’s railway line, the El Bulto proposal is the first in Andalusia to be implemented under a new urban development model focused on co-management and sustainable integration. Spearheaded by Marbella-based SBE as the area’s designated Urban Planning Agent, the project extends into broader urban planning, proposing a network of public squares, landscaped gardens, shaded courtyards, and new recreational and sports facilities. These additions aim to open up the portside area to the city at large, fostering community interaction while improving quality of life for both residents and visitors.

 

The sculptural, high-density residential building, designed by the team at ZHA, centers the proposal and intends to provide much-needed housing in the city while introducing a landmark presence on Malaga’s evolving skyline. Designed by Patrik Schumacher with project lead Manuela Gatto, the tower reflects ZHA’s signature dynamism, integrating sustainability principles through a team led by Carlos Bausa Martinez. 

 

Crucially, the proposal includes the preservation and relocation of several heritage assets in the area, including the Cottolengo Diocesan Residence – an important gesture towards cultural continuity in a district often overlooked in the city’s touristic image. While construction timelines have yet to be confirmed, the proposal mirrors how the city envisions its future.

21-story residential tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) to rise in Malaga | render by Atchain

the scheme introduces 153 market-rate apartments along with 80 units of subsidized housing

the El Bulto proposal is the first in Andalusia to be implemented under a new urban development model | render by Morean

the sculptural, high-density residential building centers the proposal

the tower reflects ZHA’s signature dynamism

 

project info:

 

name: El Bulto proposal

architect: Zaha Hadid Architects | @zahahadidarchitects

location: Malaga, Spain

client / developer: Sierra Blanca Estates | @sierrablancaestates

urban planning agent: Sierra Blanca Estates

 

design lead: Patrik Schumacher

project director: Manuela Gatto

project team: Alicia Hidalgo, Armando Bussey, Jessica Wang, Jose Pareja Gomez, Laizhen Wu, Massimo Napoleoni, Thomas Bagnoli, Veronica Erspamer

sustainability team: Carlos Bausa Martinez, Aditya Ambare, Aleksander Mastalski, Bahaa Alnassrallah, Disha Shetty, Shibani Choudhury

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MATERIA + gustavo carmona narrates emotion of architecture in venice exhibition

MATERIA + gustavo carmona’s crafting atmosphere exhibition

 

In an exploration of architecture’s emotional and cultural dimensions, Mexican studio MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona presents ‘Crafting Atmosphere’ at Palazzo Mora, Venice. This exhibition, part of the European Cultural Centre’s ‘Time Space Existence’ exhibition during Venice Architecture Biennale 2025, serves as an immersive spatial narrative, distilling the firm’s design ethos into a powerful experience. It is a meditation on how architecture can transcend mere form and function, inviting visitors to engage with space as a layered and deeply felt construct.

all images by Patricia Parinejad unless stated otherwise

 

 

The ‘Crafting Atmosphere’ exhibition, presented by MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona, is structured around three core design strategies, each articulated on a distinct wall to form a conceptual triptych: ‘Transitional Thresholds’, ‘Subtractive Light’, and ‘Transformative Skins’. ‘Transitional Thresholds’ explores the power of liminal spaces – the portals and pauses that create temporal resonance. ‘Subtractive Light’ emphasizes the sculpting of space through voids, allowing light to become a primary material that frames and intensifies experience. Finally, ‘Transformative Skins’ showcases envelope systems where a single tectonic unit becomes a modulating surface, expressing both identity and permeability.

MATERIA + gustavo carmona narrates emotion of architecture in venice exhibition

 

 

emotional and cultural layers of architecture

 

A luminous line encircles the installation, binding the diverse elements into a continuous perceptual loop. On the floor, tactile models invites slow, deliberate observation, while a suspended linen canvas above unfolds a constellation of architectural drawings and sketches. This vertical archive of thought and process – part exhibition, part spatial poem – affirms architecture as a cultural act: a vessel for memory, ritual, and transformation. ‘Crafting Atmosphere’ is a counterpoint to the relentless pursuit of efficiency and abstraction in contemporary architecture. It is a powerful call for presence, for sensual intelligence, and for the creation of spaces that remember and resonate long after they have been experienced.

 

The ‘Crafting Atmosphere’ exhibition, presented by MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona as part of  the European Cultural Centre’s ‘Time Space Existence’ exhibition, can be viewed at Palazzo Mora from May 5 – November 23, 2025 during Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.

it is part of the European Cultural Centre’s ‘Time Space Existence’ during Venice Architecture Biennale 2025

visitors are invited to engage with space as a layered and deeply felt construct

image by MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona

drawings by MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona

drawings by MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona

drawings by MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona

 

 

project info:

 

exhibition: Crafting Atmosphere
designer: MATERIA + Gustavo Carmona | @_materia

curator: European Cultural Centre

venue: Palazzo Mora, Venice

dates: May 5 – November 23, 2025

photography: Patricia Parinejad

sponsors: Zordan, Arozarena y Páramo, Predecon, Factor Eficiencia, Poesía Glass Studio, Kendu, Cristal + Diseño, Asintelix

 

 

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.

 

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general motors brings out futuristic space-age designs for buick electra orbit concept car

space-age designs around GM China’s buick electra orbit

 

General Motors (GM) China introduces the Buick Electra Orbit electric concept car, drawing from space-age and 1950s designs with its proportions and exterior. Its shape includes a low front section, a wide central body, and a stretched rear, design choices that come from old jet aircraft and Buick vehicles from the mid-20th century. The wheels are 24 inches in diameter, fitted within specially shaped fenders. These fenders help shape the side view of the vehicle. GM China’s Buick Electra Orbit also includes scissor-style doors that open in an upward motion. 

 

These doors allow for more space when people enter and exit the vehicle. There are also deployable aerodynamic parts that activate at high speed to control air movement around the car. The front trunk area opens in the middle using a dual-pivot system, and inside, there is a storage space that includes specially designed luggage. The theme of space age continues through the neutral metallic tone and finish on the concept car’s exterior. This shade is rightfully called ‘space’, and the color is designed to reflect the environmental tones and light conditions surrounding the concept car, as if the electric vehicle were in space. 

all images courtesy of General Motors (GM) China

 

 

Electric Concept car with Digital Illusion Carpet

 

Inside the vehicle, GM China’s Buick Electra Orbit follows a 2+2 seating layout with two seats each in the front and back. The cabin uses an orbit-inspired design, and there’s even a display known as The Ring, which stretches from the left to the right side of the vehicle. It is a large digital screen that provides information and media for both the driver and passengers. The cabin is also flexible because the steering wheel and dashboard can change their shape depending on the driving mode. In manual mode, they are designed for the driver’s use, while in autonomous mode, the focus shifts to allow the driver to be more like a passenger.

 

In the center of the dashboard is an AI assistant that uses a design shaped like a wormhole, and the center console includes a round controller that provides physical control of the concept car’s functions. The materials used in the cabin include fabrics with traditional brocade patterns. The color scheme comes through as a red clay tone combined with other natural textures, and for the Buick Electra Orbit concept vehicle, the GM China team adds crystal parts in the cabin and a light-based floor surface, called the Digital Illusion Carpet, to create a space-themed atmosphere. The concept was designed with input from GM’s Technical Center Korea and completed by the GM China Advanced Design Center. So far, the Buick Electra Orbit concept car by GM China is a concept car.

its shape includes a low front section, a wide central body, and a stretched rear

the design choices come from old jet aircraft and Buick vehicles from the mid-20th century

the theme of space age continues through the neutral metallic tone and finish on the concept car’s exterior

side profile of the concept vehicle

the model includes scissor-style doors that open in an upward motion

view inside the concept vehicle’s cabin

there’s a 2+2 seating layout installed

side view of the cabin

 

project info:

 

name: Buick Electra Orbit concept vehicle

company: General Motors China | @generalmotors

teams: GM’s Technical Center Korea, GM China Advanced Design Center 

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studio museum in harlem to reopen november 2025 with adjaye-designed building

a new landmark soon to open in harlem

 

In Harlem, New York, a new building for the Studio Museum will take shape as a significant addition for the institution. The contemporary structure, designed by Adjaye Associates, is currently under construction on its original site. The museum’s new home replaces the adapted commercial building designed in 1982. This project, the museum’s first custom-built facility, is a result of a public-private partnership with the City of New York. It will enable the museum to expand its exhibitions, programs, and public spaces while establishing a prominent architectural presence in the Harlem community.

 

The design of the new Studio Museum draws inspiration from Harlem’s rich cultural and architectural heritage. Adjaye Associates looked to the neighborhood’s churches, theater stages, and brownstone stoops to shape the building’s relationship with its surroundings. A facade of dark grey precast concrete, with sandblasted and polished finishes, is interspersed with glass elements. This design plays with apertures, frames, and doorways, creating a visual collage that references the masonry architecture of the neighborhood. With its porous nature, the building allows the street life of Harlem to connect with the activity inside, breaking down barriers between the museum and the community.

 

 

UPDATE August 6th, 2025: The Studio Museum in Harlem announces November 15th, 2025, as the public opening date for its long-awaited new home at 144 West 125th Street. The 7,600-square-meter building is set to open with a full-day community event, inviting visitors to explore the reimagined spaces of the museum, from state-of-the-art galleries and rooftop terraces to education workshops and the monumental public stoop designed for talks and performances. The inaugural season will feature exhibitions by Tom Lloyd and the museum’s artist-in-residence program, alongside archival material and new commissions by artists of African descent. 

exterior view of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new building | image © Dror Baldinger FAIA | , courtesy of the Studio Museum in Harlem

 

 

studio museum: a welcoming link to the community

 

At street level, a large, double-height window blurs the boundary between the sidewalks of Harlem and the Studio Museum’s interior. This transparency reflects the institution’s goal of being open and accessible to the public. Inside, a prominent feature is the ‘reverse stoop,’ a stepped area at the front of the building that leads visitors down into the museum. This architectural element creates a generous public space for gathering and socializing while paying homage to the social significance of Harlem’s stoops and churches.

 

The new Adjaye & Associates-designed building offers 82,000 square feet of space across five stories, representing a significant increase in exhibition and public areas. The architects organize the galleries to accommodate a wide range of artworks, from large-scale installations to smaller, intimate pieces. By integrating the exhibition spaces with educational areas, the museum fosters an organic flow between creativity, production, and learning. The expanded facilities also include artist-in-residence studios, communal spaces, and flexible areas for programs and events.

 

One of the museum‘s most exciting features is its rooftop terrace, which offers sweeping views of Harlem and the city beyond. This outdoor space will host events and programs, designed in collaboration with landscape firm Studio Zewde. The terrace enhances the museum’s role as a community hub, providing a unique vantage point for visitors to experience Harlem.

images © Albert Vecerka

 

 

Inaugural Exhibitions: Celebrating the Museum’s Legacy

 

Opening in the fall of 2025, Harlem’s Studio Museum will inaugurate its new home with a series of exhibitions that pay tribute to its legacy. A major highlight is a comprehensive look at the work of artist Tom Lloyd, whose solo show opened the museum in 1968. This exhibition, the first institutional solo show of Lloyd’s work since that time, will include a range of pieces, from his pioneering electronic sculptures to found-object artworks and archival materials documenting his activism.

 

The museum will also present a survey of its permanent collection, featuring works by artists of African descent from the 1800s to the present day. The collection highlights the museum’s longstanding commitment to fostering the careers of Black artists and shaping conversations around contemporary art. Public spaces throughout the building will also feature works by artists such as David Hammons, Glenn Ligon, and Houston E. Conwill, integrating art into the fabric of the museum.

interior view of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new building, featuring the Stoop and the lobby | image © Dror Baldinger FAIA, courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem

interior view of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s new building, featuring the Stoop and the Grand Staircase | image © Dror Baldinger FAIA, courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem

images © Albert Vecerka

Tom Lloyd standing in front of unknown artwork, 1968. courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem

Tom Lloyd, Moussakoo, c. 1968. aluminum, light bulbs, and plastic laminate, dimensions variable. Studio Museum in Harlem; gift of The Lloyd Family and Jamilah Wilson 1996.11; courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. photo by John Berens

Tom Lloyd and apprentices in the artist’s studio in Jamaica, Queens, c. 1968. courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem. photo by Reginald McGhee

Barkley L. Hendricks, Lawdy Mama, 1969. oil and gold leaf on canvas, 53 3/4 × 36 1/4 in. Studio Museum in Harlem; gift of Stuart Liebman, in memory of Joseph B. Liebman 1983.25; © Barkley L. Hendricks. courtesy the Estate of Barkley L. Hendricks and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. photo by Adam Reich

 

project info:

 

project title: Studio Museum in Harlem | @studiomuseum

architecture: Adjaye Associates | @adjayeassociates

location: 144 West 125th Street New York, NY

opening date: November 15th, 2025

photographers: Albert Vecerka | @albertvecerka, Dror Baldinger FAIA | @drorbaldingerphotographer

 

project team, Adjaye Associates: David Adjaye, Russell Crader, Christina Yang, Pascale Sablan, Camaal Benoit

project team, Cooper Robertson: Erin Flynn, Scott Newman, Jonathan Pietro, Alfia White

landscape: Zewde Studio | @studio_zewde

landscape team: Sara Zewde, Rae Ishee, Naomi Fassil

facade: Thornton Tomasetti

structural (design): Guy Nordenson & Associates

structural (EOR): Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

civil engineer: Langan

vertical transportation: VDA

lighting: Fisher Marantz Stone

sustainability: Socotec

theater: Fisher Dachs Associates

acoustic: Longman Lindsey

construction manager: Sciame Construction

diversity inclusion, compliance: McKissack & McKissack

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of. studio embeds concrete home ‘brutal honesty’ into argentina’s mendoza landscape

of.brutal honesty: a monolithic home in argentina

 

London-based Of. Studio completes a residential project, titled Of.Brutal Honesty, in Mendoza, Argentina. Located within the mountainous area of Pedemonte, the house occupies a sloping site where the south-facing views toward the canyon compete with the northern orientation preferred for sunlight in the Southern Hemisphere. The design team shapes the dwelling as a concrete monolith which emerges from the rocky outcropping like an extension of the landscape.

images © Of. Studio

 

 

the house Embedded in the Hill

 

The architects at Of. Studio embeds its Brutal Honesty residence into the natural slope. The structure is strategically oriented to capture the sunlight while facing toward the most compelling views in the opposite direction. The architecture unfolds across three perceptual strata: the lower level is set into the ground, the main level sits within the terrain, and the upper level opens to the sky. Native vegetation was left intact, and no trees were removed in the construction process — a decision that reinforces the house’s physical and visual integration with the land.

 

Each level responds to different modes of inhabitation. The basement establishes a grounded, introverted zone. The main level, anchored by the kitchen and surrounded by communal spaces, opens laterally to the landscape. Three staircases mediate between levels, producing varied sequences of movement and access. At the top, the roof is used not just for energy collection but as an occupiable plateau, with a fireplace, jacuzzi, garden beds, and a designated area for yoga.

the London-based studio builds the monolithic house in Mendoza, Argentina

 

 

spaces unfold with stepping terraces

 

Of.Brutal Honesty extends outward through a series of terraces that adapt to the social and topographical context. The main terrace continues the living and dining rooms outdoors, while an adjacent BBQ area is set up to accommodate larger gatherings. A smaller terrace linked to the playroom supports children’s activities with a degree of autonomy. Above, the rooftop offers long views over the canyon, supporting both recreation and retreat.

 

To the south, the house presents a mass of earth-toned concrete that shields against harsh exposure while anchoring the form to the hillside. This protective and open gesture articulates what the architects call ‘Of. Abstract Nature,’ which is a design language where geometry and material expression coexist with the contours of the land.

Of.Brutal Honesty is embedded into the slope and built without removing a single tree

 

 

exposed concrete architecture by of.studio

 

Of. Studio worked closely with local builders to fine-tune the concrete mix, calibrating color and texture through on-site mockups. The result is a material palette that echoes the surrounding geology without mimicry. Exposed concrete provides thermal mass and durability, but also speaks to a regional building tradition that prioritizes permanence and resourcefulness.

 

Sustainability is treated as integral rather than supplementary. Passive strategies such as natural ventilation, thermal insulation, and calibrated shading reduce operational energy needs. Active systems — including solar panels, solar water heaters, and a greywater recycling unit — support the home’s long-term performance and resilience.

 

The clients’ brief emphasized a desire for both connection and solitude, for openness to the landscape and the possibility of retreat. This balance is achieved through careful sectional planning and spatial layering, allowing moments of overlap and withdrawal without resorting to visual barriers.

Of. Studio organizes the home across three levels

four terraces extend the house outward offering areas for gathering play and retreat

concrete walls facing the canyon shield from the elements and echo the surrounding geology

 

project info:

 

name: Of.Brutal Honesty
architecture: Of. STUDIO | @of.studio_

location: Pedemonte, Mendoza, Argentina

completion: 2023

photography: © Of. Studio

 

project lead: Sebastián Andia

team: Valentina Cerrone Chaar, Carlos Fernando Andia, Daniel Carrera Ferreyra, Ana Paula Ridi, Alejandro Marchetti

structures: ABAX – Gustavo Manresa, Alejandro Carosio, Pablo Martin

sanitary, greywater systems: Daniel Giandinotto Gas Installations: Daniel Giandinotto

electrical installations: Daniel F. Ridi Landscaping: Elina Llaver

sustainability, thermodynamic studies: SOLAR – Alfredo Estévez

cooling, heating systems: Marcelo Gassibe, Gabriel Rover

construction management, administration: Felipe Deshayy

assistant: Teo Rodríguez Artistic

supervision: OF. STUDIO – Sebastián Andia, Valentina Cerrone Chaar

 

technical directorships:

architecture: Jimena Andia

structures: ABAX – Gustavo Manresa, Alejandro Carosio, Pablo Martin

heating systems: Marcelo Gassibe, Gabriel Rover

passive systems: ENERGE

landscaping: Elina Llaver

main wooden staircase manufacturer: Miguel Gandolfo
lighting consultancies: ASPEN – Juan Pablo Balaña

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