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lattice skin encloses casa xcumpich’s red volumes by taller mexicano de arquitectura

Casa Xcumpich merges local tradition with contemporary design

Located in the northern area of Mérida, Yucatán, Casa Xcumpich, designed by Taller Mexicano de Arquitectura, seeks to reinterpret its context through a contemporary style. Also known by the Mayan word Chac, due to the reddish color of its walls, the residence aims to integrate at the pedestrian level with the neighboring residential typologies. The project, like those traditional typologies, seeks to replicate the functional dynamics of a small village house, taking advantage of its orientation to capture natural ventilation and lighting. To achieve this, the team employs a lattice as one of the project’s key elements. It serves a dual purpose: it ventilates and provides indirect light, while also creating a connection to the park in front of the house without overexposing the residents’ privacy. The ground floor opens to the exterior from the common area in an open-plan layout, extending the views to the edge of the property. This design allows it to function as a large covered space, blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors.

all images by Manolo R. Solís

Taller Mexicano de Arquitectura combines craft and context

Enclosed areas within Casa Xcumpich house the service rooms and a private textile workshop for the owner. The family room is sunken, using the level difference to integrate built-in furniture. The design team at Taller Mexicano de Arquitectura applies the same strategy for the area beneath the staircase, creating additional storage space for the kitchen. The upper floor is a cubic volume that contains the private areas of the house. Natural light streaming through the skylights becomes the central feature, with shifting shadows moving along the smooth chukum walls throughout the day, until nightfall. Both levels of the house are defined by variations in texture and tone of the pigmented cement walls, while all other fixed elements, such as countertops, stairs, floors, and bathtubs, are made of natural gray concrete, creating a material contrast throughout the home.

a lattice facade filters light and air while preserving privacy from the street

open-plan layout blurs the line between indoor and outdoor living

the upper floor is a cubic volume housing private bedrooms and bathrooms

pigmented cement walls create tonal and textural variation inside and out

the living space extends to the property’s edge, embracing the landscape

the main staircase provides access to the second floor of the house, which contains all the bedrooms

soft shadows move across chukum walls as daylight shifts throughout the day

skylights bring natural light deep into the core of the home

project info:

name: Casa Xcumpich

architect: Taller Mexicano de Arquitectura | @tallermexicanodearquitectura

design team: Salvador Román, Carlos Rebolledo, Manuel Rodríguez, Felipe Díaz
location: Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

area: 312 sqm

photographer: Manolo R. Solís | @manolorsolis_fotografia

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: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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metallic ceiling tops fully reconfigurable venue by T+E+A+M. and stock-a-studio in the US

T+E+A+M. and stock-a-studio’s performance venue in the us

Sonic artist Ash Fure collaborates with two architecture studios, stock-a-studio and T+E+A+M., to open the Warehouse, at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, US. The architects transform a former administration building into a flexible performance venue dedicated to spatial sound, designed to support Dartmouth’s new Master of Fine Arts in Sonic Practice. The 232-square-meter space combines advanced sound technology, adaptable architecture, and modular furniture to create a space where students, artists, and audiences can experiment with how sound is made and shared.

The design of the Warehouse makes the infrastructure of the building visible and part of the experience. Ducts, pipes, cables, and lighting are left exposed, while the metallic-painted ceiling highlights the raw identity of the space. A network of steel rigging points allows artists to hang speakers, lights, or materials from above, turning the structure into an active part of the performance. At its center is a 24.2-channel Meyer sound system, which can support a wide range of sonic practices, from loud, bass-heavy events and dance parties to subtle multichannel compositions, live improvisation, and deep listening sessions. ‘Whether it’s dance parties or deep listening sessions,’ says Fure, ‘The Warehouse is designed to be a generative engine of sound.’

all images by Brooke Holm

modular systems make the warehouse flexible and adaptable

The architectural design of the Warehouse builds on long-standing creative relationships between Ash Fure and the two design studios involved. Xavi Aguirre, founder of stock-a-studio and director of the Future-Flex Lab at MIT, is known for creating modular systems that allow for flexibility and sustainable reuse of materials. Adam Fure, Ash’s brother and a partner at T+E+A+M architecture practice, has collaborated with her on several past projects that combine architecture and performance. These ongoing partnerships made it possible to develop an architectural language that responds to both artistic experimentation and educational use. ‘Designing a permanent home for Ash’s multifaceted work was a unique opportunity to translate the scenographic architecture of performance into brick and mortar,’ notes Adam Fure.

custom furniture that can be reconfigured to fit various modes of performance

exposed materials and rough textures shape the interior

Rather than aiming for a polished or finished look, the design embraces a sense of openness and ongoing transformation. The ceiling is painted metallic silver to highlight exposed materials and the rough textures left behind after demolition. Many surfaces are left intentionally unfinished so they can be adapted or reused in the future. A set of bespoke furniture pieces can be easily moved or reconfigured, allowing the space to shift quickly between different uses, such as a classroom, a rehearsal studio, a concert venue, or a setting for late-night events. ‘We wanted to create a space of total adaptability, one ready for action, experimentation and play,’ Aguirre comments.

Ash Fure sees the Warehouse as a space for people to come together. ‘I think of sound as a sensory and social technology,’ she shares. ‘It works on the body and the body politic. My hope is that The Warehouse helps open people up to the visceral richness of sonic experience and the simple, profound power of listening together in our fractured age.’

Sawtooth acoustical foam is placed throughout the venue to provide selective sound absorption.

plastic curtains line the entryway, producing a natural orange glow

three size of speakers are hung from the steel structure or moved on mobile carts to ‘tune’ the spatialized audio

7. View from the central glass room into the main space in Warehouse mode

audio equipment is stored in small glass rooms on both sides of the main workspace

a suite of custom furniture provides flexibility in seating, teaching, storage, and sound

a central glass room on one end of the venue serves as dedicated work and performance space

Teaching mode is accommodated by moveable desks and podiums that allow flexibility in format of instruction

project info:

name: The Warehouse

architect: T+E+A+M | @tpluseplusaplusm, stock-a-studio | @stock_a_studio

location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

area: 232 square meters (2,500 square feet)

creative direction: Ash Fure

T+E+A+M’s lead architect: Adam Fure
stock-a-studio’s lead architect: Xavi Aguirre

photographer: Brooke Holm | @brookeholm

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Æ motion’s tilting electric motorcycle has four wheels that bend when turning corners

Bending Four wheels on Æ motion’s tilting electric motorcycle

Æ Motion’s tilting electric motorcycle comes with four wheels that can bend when the vehicle turns corners. First introduced in late 2024, the team brought the ride to the annual technology conference VivaTech in Paris, France, between June 11th and 14th, 2025. Visitors then were able to see Æ Motion’s tilting electric motorcycle in person, which resembles a microcar because of its enclosed frame and four wheels. The doors swivel upward, which makes the entry and exit spacious, and inside the vehicle, there’s enough seating for two people, just like a two-wheeled motorcycle. The first seat folds down so the rear passengers can sit at the back.

The rear seat is modular, too. If there’s no other passenger, the rider can ‘stow’ the back seat, meaning push it forward and then push it down a bit, to allow for storage space at the rear, enough for grocery bags and a small piece of luggage. The neon seatbelts attach to both sides of the rider and passenger, similar to those in a pilot’s seat. Inside Æ Motion’s tilting electric motorcycle, the crash boxes are located at the front and rear, and for the model, the team installs removable batteries, positioned just under the front seat and between the rider’s feet.

all images courtesy of Æ Motion

‘Thin’ vehicle to navigate traffic and tight roads

Æ Motion says that its tilting electric motorcycle lasts long in a way that owners can take it to an authorized garage for easy swaps and repairs of its sub-assemblies. The main feature that the team highlights the most is the bending chassis, which tilts up to 35 degrees when the vehicle turns or takes a sharp turn. The user naturally manages the angling using the handlebar, which is the same dynamics as a two-wheeler. The team adds that the electric powertrain installed in the model delivers immediate torque, so the speed is consistent even after a turn.

Another evident feature of the ride is how thin it is. The vehicle’s width is 79 centimeters, sort of similar to a standard motorcycle or scooter, which means it’s easy for the rider to navigate traffic, narrow streets, and tight roads. It helps that the entire frame is covered, so there’s a reduced risk of road accidents, especially with impacts. Specs-wise, Æ Motion’s tilting electric motorcycle can run up to a maximum speed of 115 km/h, and the swappable batteries offer up to 70 kilometers of autonomy. So far, there’s no news yet on the commercial availability of Æ Motion’s tilting electric motorcycle, but the pre-order pool has already opened for interested riders.

the doors of the vehicle swivel upward

rear view of the four-wheeler

the vehicle’s width is 79 centimeters

the bending chassis tilts up to 35 degrees when the vehicle turns or takes a sharp turn

there’s enough seating for two people, just like a two-wheeled motorcycle

the headlights are around the square-shaped front

detailed view of the wheel

project info:

name: Tilting electric motorcycle

startup: Æ Motion | @aemotion.official

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seating furniture pod and metric lead B&T’s evolution with new showroom in clerkenwell

B&T celebrates 30 years with London showroom and design debut

As it celebrates three decades in design, B&T opens a new chapter in London. The Istanbul-based brand is marking its 30th anniversary with the inauguration of its latest showroom in Clerkenwell, London’s beating heart of creativity, which opened during Clerkenwell Design Week 2025. The launch aligned with Clerkenwell Design Week, one of the UK’s most anticipated events in the architecture and design calendar. Alongside the showroom debut, B&T introduces two seating collections: the sculptural Pod series by acclaimed Japanese designer Jin Kuramoto, and the modular, expressive Metric by B&T’s own Design Director, Alp Nuhoğlu. This expansion signals the brand’s growing international footprint and reaffirms its commitment to spaces that unite design with emotion, craft, and culture.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, B&T adds two designs to its collection, and simultaneously opens its new showroom in London Clerkenwell | all images © Creafilm London; courtesy of B&T

A new space in clerkenwell, two new stories

Founded in Istanbul, B&T has grown over three decades into a global voice in contemporary furniture, creating designs that traverse aesthetics and performance. With a philosophy rooted in interaction and creative synergy, the company continues to evolve, celebrating its 30th year by extending its reach into London with a new showroom in Clerkenwell. Known for curating shared environments that foster dialogue between disciplines, B&T’s latest showroom mirrors the ethos of its Istanbul-based B&T House— a design hub launched in 2022. The Clerkenwell location is both a destination and a canvas, hosting the brand’s latest work while inviting engagement across industries and cultures.

At the centre of B&T’s Clerkenwell debut are two compelling new releases. From Jin Kuramoto comes the Pod family’s latest additions: Quad and Tri— geometric seating designs that investigate the harmony between light, form, and space. In contrast, Metric, designed by Alp Nuhoğlu, offers a modular solution with a rhythmic visual identity, ideal for both private and public interiors. Unveiled together during Clerkenwell Design Week and housed in the brand’s new showroom, these collections are a testament to B&T’s approach: sculptural yet functional, personal yet universal.

during London’s Clerkenwell Design Week, B&T exhibited Pod by Japanese designer Jin Kuramoto and Metric by B&T’s own Design Director, Alp Nuhoğlu

b&t reveals pod by Kuramoto and metric by Nuhoğlu

Kuramoto’s Pod series is a study in purity and proportion. Quad and Tri, shaped after the square and triangle, combine a cylindrical outer frame with generous, voluminous cushioning, resulting in seating that floats slightly above the floor. Made with high-resilience foam over a wooden core, the pieces appear soft yet structured, delivering tactile comfort while projecting architectural clarity. The thoughtful inclusion of piping details along the upholstery elevates their presence, whether in monochrome palettes or playful color contrasts. The designs respond to spatial dynamics: they scale with grace in airy interiors and create intimate focal points in tighter spaces. Light interacts effortlessly with the forms, activating both shadow and surface, turning each seat into a sculptural object.

The design narrative behind Pod also stretches beyond form. Kuramoto’s process was shaped during a creative retreat in Istanbul— a journey documented by B&T in a visual campaign titled 3 Days of Discovery. Through filmed diary entries and reflective storytelling, the campaign reveals how the textures, moments, and rhythms of Istanbul translated into the lines and atmosphere of Quad and Tri. The approach exemplifies B&T’s belief that inspiration is rooted in place, and that good design is an exchange between memory and material.

Kuramoto’s Pod series includes Quad and Tri, shaped after the square and triangle

In contrast, Nuhoğlu’s Metric carves out a language of contrast and cadence. With vertical carriers in alternating heights and seamless backrest cushions, the system offers modular seating that defines the character of a room. Each configuration introduces rhythm—almost musical in its repetition—while maintaining the comfort and durability expected of B&T’s work. The optional side table module adds a layer of tactility and utility, making Metric equally suited to hotel lobbies, offices, or residential lounges.

Nuhoğlu’s Metric carves out a language of contrast and cadence

Clerkenwell Design Week’s setting, an intersection of architectural heritage and cutting-edge design, provided a fitting platform for B&T’s next chapter. The new showroom, much like the Istanbul B&T House, is envisioned not just as a retail destination, but a collaborative environment for designers, architects, and clients. By positioning its latest collections within this context, B&T signals a direction that is outward-looking yet deeply personal, rooted in discovery, and guided by a clear design philosophy.

With a presence in one of Europe’s most influential design districts, B&T strengthens its global dialogue. The anniversary, the London launch, and the new designs together echo the brand’s forward-looking ethos: celebrating the past not by standing still, but by continuing to move, boldly and creatively, into the future.

B&T also proudly presents its new showroom, envisioned not just as a display space, but as a collaborative environment for designers, architects, and clients

the 30-year anniversary, the London launch, and the new designs together echo the brand’s forward-looking ethos (Pod Series)

B&T’s approach exemplifies the company’s blief f that inspiration is rooted in place, and that good design is an exchange between memory and material

discover the showroom on 116-120 Goswell Rd. London EC1V 7DP

project info:

brand: B&T | @btdesignglobal

products: Pod; Metric

showroom location: 116-120 Goswell Rd. London EC1V 7DP

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philadelphia pop-up ‘frankie’s summer club’ reinterprets lost vision by louis kahn

A New Public Space pops up in philadelphia

Frankie’s Summer Club, a pop-up bar and gathering space designed by Scout and ISA Architects, is set to open on June 20th in the courtyard of the Frank Furness building in Philadelphia. Located on the site of the former University of the Arts campus, the open-air venue offers a temporary transformation of this storied urban block, all with inspiration from an unrealized proposal by legendary architect Louis Kahn.

Set against the carved stone and ornamental ironwork of Furness Hall, the intervention marks the beginning of Scout’s broader redevelopment of the South Broad Street campus. The courtyard has been reshaped as a convivial urban room, welcoming visitors with a palette of curved wooden seating, light metal canopies, and tactile materials. A soft network of paths and perches guides circulation through the space and creating a lush, fluid atmosphere.

images © Bre Furlong

Echoes of an Unrealized Proposal by louis kahn

Frankie’s Summer Club draws direct inspiration from an unbuilt 1964 proposal by Louis Kahn for an expansion of the University in Philadelphia. Though never realized, Kahn’s concept was radical in its use of form to harvest northern light — monolithic structures with flared bases surrounding a central light shaft. That sense of sculptural clarity and atmospheric intent shapes Frankie’s Summer Club in spirit if not in material.

Rather than recreate Louis Kahn’s monumental massing, Scout and ISA Architects reinterpret its spatial logic as a network of low-slung forms, organized to modulate light and invite pause. The result is a space that channels the unrealized past into a lively present, offering a setting that invites discovery without spectacle.

Frankie’s Summer Club opens in the courtyard of Philadelphia’s historic Frank Furness building

the Collaborative Vision Between Scout and ISA

To carry out the design of Frankie’s Summer Club pop-up, Scout partnered with Interface Studio Architects (ISA), a Philadelphia-based practice known for projects that balance experimentation with contextual sensitivity. The installation at Frankie’s reflects ISA’s ongoing interest in adaptive reuse and interim programming — architecture that engages urban life through phases, with responsiveness built into its structure.

ISA’s approach supports Scout’s broader vision for the former UArts campus as a site of generative reuse. Their collaboration honors the lineage of figures tied to the space — from Frank Furness and Louis Kahn to generations of students and artists who shaped its creative legacy — while reintroducing the site as a setting for contemporary cultural life.

For Scout, Frankie’s is the first public-facing gesture in what will become a broader cultural district rooted in making and convening. ‘This is an invitation,’ says Scout Managing Partner Lindsey Scannapieco. ‘An invitation to reconnect with this historic space, to celebrate Philly’s creative energy, and to get a glimpse of what’s coming next.’

the pop-up bar is part of a phased redevelopment of the former UArts campus

the project reclaims a disused courtyard as a welcoming and flexible public space

its design is inspired by Louis Kahn’s unrealized 1964 proposal for a University of the Arts expansion

Scout and ISA reinterpret Kahn’s ideas of daylight and sculptural form through site-specific interventions

archival photograph of a preliminary model by Louis Kahn for the Philadelphia College of Art, 1965 | image courtesy Scout

project info:

name: Frankie’s Summer Club

architect: Scout, ISA Architects

location: 355 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, USA
fabrication: North Standard
food, beverage: Michael Ferreri

opening: June 20th

hours: Wednesday 4pm – 9pm, Thursday – Saturday 4pm – 10pm, Sunday 2pm – 8pm

photography: © Bre Furlong

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european metro stations unfold as mirrored worlds of calm in thibault drutel’s photo series

Thibault Drutel frames european metro stations with his lens

With Symmetric Subway, French photographer Thibault Drutel embarks on a visually precise and unexpectedly poetic journey through the underground arteries of Europe. His photographic series, captured across numerous subway systems, transforms transit spaces, normally associated with speed, stress, and anonymity, into studies of form, light, and balance. Focusing on the overlooked symmetry of metro platforms and tunnels, Drutel reframes these utilitarian environments as architectural stage sets where geometry and motion subtly align.

The series spans a diverse visual spectrum, from the brutalist vastness of Eastern Bloc infrastructures to the sleek minimalism of Scandinavian platforms and the retro-futuristic accents of Central European systems. Each image reveals the architectural intentionality that often goes unnoticed in the blur of daily commutes. Drutel’s lens lingers on mirrored surfaces, repeated patterns, and vanishing points, highlighting the quiet discipline embedded in metro design across cultural and political borders. ‘What attracted me to subways around Europe was the diversity of their visual language. Each city takes a different approach to underground architecture, mixing brutalism, futurism, minimalism, or unexpected ornamentation,’ shares the photographer.

Munich | all images courtesy of Thibault Drutel

Symmetric Subway chases still moments in a moving system

Beyond symmetry as a visual motif, the Strasbourg-based photographer Thibault Drutel is after the moment of stillness within a system engineered for movement. Shot across metro stations in Munich, Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg, and Brussels, his photographs are captured at that elusive intersection of calm and chaos. This precision, as he notes, requires both technical control and meditative patience, as he waits for the perfect alignment of architecture, light, and human activity. ‘Architecture is, to me, a form of silent storytelling. It reflects intention, function, and culture – but it’s usually overlooked in the rush of daily life,’ notes the artist. ‘Through photography, I try to freeze those fleeting moments when space, light, and movement align. In this series, I’m especially drawn to the intersection of stillness and motion – the brief instant when a train slices through a static frame, adding life to an otherwise controlled composition.’

Stockholm

Munich

Stockholm

Stockholm

Brussels

Hambourg

Berlin

Munich

Munich

Munich

project info:

name: Symmetric Subway

photographer: Thibault Drutel | @tee_bo67

locations: Munich, Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg, Brussels

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