45 Examples Of Cool And Unique Architecture & Design

We all have some innate feeling that we could design a perfect space if given the time and resources. Generally, this is not the case, and we should leave it to the experts. Fortunately, the internet allows us to see what world-class architects are doing and designing.

The “Architecture & Design” online magazine is devoted to finding and sharing the best examples of concepts and actual, existing builds from around the world. So if you have plans to do significant renovations or need some inspiration, scroll through and be sure to upvote your favorites and comment on your design ideas.

01. Bedroom Skylight Idea: Room Full Of Stars By Amin Moazzen

02. Almaty Cafe And Restaurant By M.serhat Sezgin, Zebrano Furniture And Mkg

03. Casa Lorena, A Small Oasis In The Center Of Merida, Mexico By Workshop Diseño Y Construcción

Most of these images are just concepts, created in some software and edited and beautified to look more like an actual image and not just a CAD drawing. This isn’t just for our eyes’ pleasure, although we appreciate it; it’s to help sell the design. While many architects make things for themselves, the ultimate goal is getting clients to buy the design.

This doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some excellent interior and room concepts since a pleasing design is still good. Some might decry computer imagery, but architects have been using computers since the 70s, probably saving hundreds of hours. Of course, this also means they create something that occasionally gives engineers and builders a headache, but that’s just part of the process.

04. Silence And Contemplation Design And Visualization By Luís Fernando

05. Ludwig Godefroy’s Casa To In Punta Zicatela, Oaxaca, Mexico Photographed By Levi Wells

06. Tiny Home In Deylaman, Iran By Ev Design Office

While these are just static images, the future of viewing designs might even allow us to walk through them and evaluate them. With technology like VR, you could probably “demo” a few designs for a room or business before settling on one. Technology is in the works to integrate a variety of tests, from heating, cooling, and even wind resistance. This is important, as the wrong material in a particularly hot or cold region will create many problems.

07. Fallingwater House, Pennsylvania, By Frank Lloyd Wright, 1935.

After its completion, Time called Fallingwater Wright’s “most beautiful job,” it is listed among the Smithsonian’s “Life List of 28 Places to See Before You Die”.

Photo by: Dr. Tim Vernier

08. Tagh Pelleh Office Building In Tehran, Iran By Hossein Kalantari And Amirhossein Rezaei

09. Renovation Of Mill And Conversion Into Housing By Stempel & Tesar Architekti

More contemporary designs, which most of these would fit into, see a building not as a separate entity but as a part of a larger city ecosystem. This isn’t new, as many older cities even have ordinances ensuring that buildings maintain the style of the area if they are in more historic districts. Modern architects also consider how the building will influence the area’s urban landscape, traffic, and ecology.

10. A School In The Deserts Of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

11. Vertebral Designs Erasto House In Lomas De Chapultepec, Mexico City

12. Luxury Wellness Hotel Acro Suites Fuses A Sense Of Place, Design, And Serenity

While 20th-century architects focused mainly on form, with slogans like “a rationally designed structure may not necessarily be beautiful, but no building can be beautiful that does not have a rationally designed structure,” written by American architect Louis Sullivan, it’s clear that many modern people prefer some degree of beauty. “The elimination of ornament” was seen as cutting edge, but people still obsess over older forms of architecture, from art deco to art nouveau and even classical construction.

13. Fantastic Bathroom With Skylight Designed And Visualized By Maximiliano Carbonell

14. Amazing Organic House In Moscow Designed By Niko Architect

15. Old Mountain House In Ankara, Turkey, By M.serhat Sezgin And Zebrano Furniture

On the one hand, travel has never been more accessible, and internet access more ubiquitous; on the other hand, this has, in some circles, created a mish-mash of styles that many feel remove the uniqueness of a place’s type. Even in this list, readers can find similar interior designs from different continents. However, it’s important not to overestimate these designs’ standards, as most buildings still tend to incorporate local techniques and materials.

16. Thousand Oaks Residence In Berkeley, California, By Sogno Design Group.

Photo by: Michele Lee Willson

17. Green Castle Eco-House In Harlem, New York City, By Luis De Garrido

18. Ga On Jai House In Bundang-Gu, South Korea, By Iroje Khm Architects

Instead of committing to one specific style, as we see with the internationalists and modernists, many architects experiment, often leading to them being “placed” in the post-modern school. This is a fancy way of saying they blend ideas and styles and are generally less formal than their contemporary counterparts. Famous examples include the Ally Detroit Center in, you guessed it, Detroit and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.