Blog TSK

atienza maure converts barcelona warehouse into live-work space using industrial systems

Atienza Maure renovates printing warehouse near barcelona

Atienza Maure transforms a 450-square-meter printing warehouse into La Nave, a hybrid environment that combines work and home in the post-industrial fringe of Sant Adrià de Besòs, Spain, just outside Barcelona. The project houses both the headquarters of a tech company and the personal residence of one of its founders. Developed on a shoestring budget, the architects achieve spatial richness through the inventive reuse of low-cost industrial systems, reminiscent more of server racks and shelving than conventional construction, resulting in a labyrinthine landscape of metal and plywood.

all images by Simone Marcolin

La Nave hosts living and working in flexible industrial shell

The warehouse, tucked inside a mixed-use block still bearing traces of its industrial past, sits among carpentry workshops, storage depots, independent churches, and even a spa. With no access to new openings or skylights, the Barcelona-based team at Atienza Maure opted for a radically open floor plan, introducing a series of mobile and double-access volumes that act as programmatic buffers between work and life. These units, accessible from two separate points, are designed to be claimed by either zone as needed.

Circulating through La Nave feels more like drifting through a game level than walking through a building. A network of raised platforms, switchback staircases, and intersecting routes offers multiple ways to move through the space. This non-hierarchical layout, with no central corridor or dominant axis, encourages movement guided by use, habit, or convenience. This open and layered approach allows the residential and work areas to overlap without needing clear separations. 

Atienza Maure transforms a 450-square-meter printing warehouse

white concrete elements anchor the fluid layout

To meet a strict budget of under €380 per square meter, the architects relied on low-cost, prefabricated components typically used in industrial settings. The main structure is made from galvanized steel L-profile shelving, a system more often associated with storage than construction. These elements support metal trays and threaded rods, which function both as walkable surfaces and as areas for storage. Plywood is used for floors and wall enclosures, while translucent polycarbonate panels provide internal openings that let in daylight without compromising privacy between zones.

This systematized construction approach is balanced by a few more fixed elements, most notably, built-in pieces made from white concrete. These points introduce a sense of weight and stability within an otherwise flexible framework. 

a hybrid environment that combines work and home

the project houses both the headquarters of a tech company and the personal residence of one of its founders

the architects achieve spatial richness through the inventive reuse of low-cost industrial systems

a labyrinthine landscape of metal and plywood

the architects relied on low-cost, prefabricated components

translucent polycarbonate panels provide internal openings

letting in daylight without compromising privacy

the main structure is made from galvanized steel L-profile shelving

project info:

name: La Nave

architects: Atienza Maure Arquitectos | @atienzamaure

location: Sant Adrià de Besòs, Barcelona, Spain

area: 450 square meters

photographer: Simone Marcolin | @simoneemarcolin

The post atienza maure converts barcelona warehouse into live-work space using industrial systems appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

MA+HG completes fluevog house in east vancouver with bold color and geometric cutouts

an eccentric home for a shoe designer

The Fluevog House by MA+HG Architects is located in East Vancouver and serves as a primary home for a local shoe designer known for his eccentric design sensibilities. Distinctive in appearance yet informed by its residential context, the house introduces a vivid palette and expressive forms into a residential neighborhood defined by pitched roofs and quiet repetition.

A sea green gable anchors the street-facing elevation, punctuated by triangular and circular windows that lend rhythm and clarity to the facade. The geometry feels deliberate, the result of controlled subtraction — such as the circular opening cut from the yellow roof deck overhead. This approach, which MA+HG describes as carving from pure form, extends to the use of stucco control joints, which trace lines across the exterior like the stitchwork of a handcrafted shoe.

images © Janis Nicolay

vibrant interiors by MA+HG architects

Inside the Fluevog House, the team at MA+HG Architecture continues its dialogue between convention and creative expression. The entry is marked by a blue foyer leading to a vividly patterned powder room, wrapped in custom wallpaper that nods to the client’s footwear brand. The kitchen is rendered in fluted millwork and anchored by a continuous window backsplash, which introduces daylight while maintaining privacy from the street.

The main living area opens to the backyard through large doors as a central hub for family life. Upstairs, a bright yellow stair leads to a flexible second-floor space that accommodates a library, family room, and concealed guest quarters. Materials are chosen for their expressive quality — tile patterns shift playfully across walls and floors, and cabinetry remains vibrant.

the Fluevog House is designed by MA+HG Architects as a home for a local shoe designer

inside east vancouver’s ‘fluevog house’

On the top floor, the principal suite is shaped by views and geometry. Triangular and circular apertures frame both interior moments and distant landscapes, while clerestory glazing brings natural light into circulation spaces. The bathroom is organized around a skylit bathing zone with a walk-through shower, and the adjacent study connects directly to the yellow roof deck.

At the edge of the deck, a blue clawfoot tub faces outward through the circular roof cutout, offering a framed view over gabled rooftops, tree canopies, and the suggestion of mountain peaks beyond. This elevation becomes a point of quiet drama in the project, open to sky and softened by the curved roofline.

Fluevog House is a Net Zero building, with performance criteria embedded from the outset of the design process. MA+HG shaped the home’s volume to meet the technical demands of its solar array, with an offset gable form that supports optimal photovoltaic performance. The compact massing supports energy efficiency by maintaining a clean air barrier and consistent insulation strategy throughout.

stucco control joints on the facade echo the craftsmanship of shoemaking

interiors unfolds through boldly colored rooms and custom patterned wallpaper

fluted cabinetry and a long window backsplash define the kitchen and living space

a yellow roof deck with a circular cutout offers views across rooftops and treetops

project info:

name: Fluevog House

architect: MA+HG Architects | @mahgarchitects

location: Vancouver, Canada

contractor: Rain City Homes 

photography: © Janis Nicolay | @pineconecamp

The post MA+HG completes fluevog house in east vancouver with bold color and geometric cutouts appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

timber nest pavilion anchors dubai masterplan, the wilds, envisioned as woodland sanctuary

aldar reveals plans for nature-first community in dubai

Envisioned as a woodland sanctuary, The Wilds is an upcoming masterplan in Dubai featuring nearly 1,700 residences and inclusive, sensorial public zones. A timber-lined structure, called The Nest and tucked within the woodland canopy, will serve as its visual and social anchor. The shaded pavilion marks a threshold between architecture and landscape, housing a community gathering space and children’s exploring area for observing birds, insects, and the surrounding ecosystems.

Around it, homes of various scales are integrated alongside adaptive plantings, small-scale habitats, and multispecies infrastructure — such as duck houses, bird nests, beekeeping zones — that attempt to retain and support the UAE’s native biodiversity within an urban framework.

all images courtesy of Aldar

a residential development Envisioned as a woodland sanctuary

The project, developed by Aldar, is conceived as a low-rise, family-focused community that features five- and six-bedroom mansions designed by Nabil Gholam Architects, along with a range of villas and apartments distributed across an ecologically sensitive masterplan. Each home is bordered by green corridors and planting zones, with internal landscaping arranged to intertwine private properties and shared habitat.

Throughout, pond, lawn, and dry stream typologies shape the larger hydrological landscape, with water features doubling as natural drainage and informal play. The team has also embedded outdoor learning through a dedicated international school campus, while daily needs are served by a retail center, wellness zones, community clubhouses, and small-scale civic infrastructure such as a clinic, nursery, and two mosques.

Aldar reveals plans for nature-first community

the uae’s first leed platinum certified residential community

While The Wilds is Aldar’s third residential initiative in the city, it is the generally the first residential community in the UAE to achieve both LEED Platinum and Fitwel 3-Star certification — the highest levels awarded under their respective frameworks. These accreditations reflect Aldar’s broader goals to embed sustainability and public health benchmarks into residential development, something it has also foregrounded in its Haven and Athlon communities.

With walking and cycling trails threading through the plan, shaded hammocks, meditation decks, and areas for sport and swimming, the development promotes a slower, ecological form of suburban living that can coincide with habitat retention.

The Wilds is an upcoming masterplan in Dubai

a timber-lined structure, called The Nest, anchors the masterplan

homes are integrated alongside adaptive plantings, small-scale habitats, and multispecies infrastructure

an attempt to retain and support native biodiversity within an urban framework

featuring mansions designed by Nabil Gholam Architects

project info:

name: The Wilds

developer: Aldar | @aldar

location: Dubai, UAE

The post timber nest pavilion anchors dubai masterplan, the wilds, envisioned as woodland sanctuary appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

drawing robot allows users to sketch floating illustrations inside liquids

Lidris robot by Suntory draws 3d illustrations inside soft drinks

At Expo 2025 in Osaka, Suntory debuts Lidris, a robot that creates three-dimensional illustrations directly inside liquids using drink-drawing technology.

At Suntory’s Park Café pavilion, a glass of lemonade served at Expo 2025 includes the image of the fair’s mascot Myaku-Myaku suspended within the drink, not printed on the surface but formed directly in the liquid in real time. This unexpected moment is made possible by Lidris, the robot that injects food-safe inks with precise fluid control to transform an ordinary drink into a drinkable illustration.

The system behind Lidris combines elements of robotics, food science, and fluid mechanics. A compact drawing device, about the size of a standard coffee machine, uses a specialized nozzle system to inject colored liquids into a soft drink base, layering lines with enough control to maintain their shape within the fluid. The beverage itself is specially formulated to hold the drawings in place, with the right thickness and flow to keep the image clear and stable. According to Suntory, the resulting images can last over an hour indoors, even if the glass is gently moved or shaken.

images courtesy of Suntory

Customizable Beverages on Demand at expo 2025 osaka

While it may appear like a novelty, Lidris by the Japanese beverage company Suntory, is positioned as a broader rethinking of beverage service. The platform is designed to be flexible and customizable, with adjustable flavors, colors, and alcohol content to suit a wide range of occasions, from birthday parties and seasonal events to more commercial applications like branded drinks or themed entertainment. Serving the drink is intended to be part of the experience, with the machine completing the drawing in real time, allowing customers to watch as the design forms in their glass.

Beyond hospitality, the potential use cases for Lidris extend into education and science communication. The technology can serve as a tool for exploring fluid dynamics, food chemistry, and design in interactive and accessible ways. The pigments used to create the designs are made from natural sources, such as lycopene derived from tomatoes, and the machine is compact enough to be installed in small cafés or event venues, requiring just a 50-centimeter square space and a standard power outlet. Operation is simplified through a manual system designed for part-time staff. While still in development, Lidris offers a glimpse into how food, technology, and user experience might intersect in the near future.

Lidris creates three-dimensional illustrations directly inside beverages

the robot injects food-safe inks with precise fluid control inside drinks

the system behind Lidris combines elements of robotics, food science, and fluid mechanics

the device uses a specialized nozzle system to inject colored liquids into a soft drink base

the resulting images can last over an hour indoors

the pigments used to create the designs are made from natural sources

project info:

name: Lidris

developer: Suntory | @suntory_jp

The post drawing robot allows users to sketch floating illustrations inside liquids appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.