Truth to materials is a major tenet of modern architecture. Concrete is one place we see this axiom in action. Historically concrete that was used in construction would be clad to make it appear as something other. Modern architecture uses concrete where appropriate and then exposes it. The Brutalist Movement was the height of concrete celebration.

Ingenious New Building Method Replaces Concrete Block with Rammed Earth
A new spin on rammed-earth construction aims to bring the method to the masses.
A Sustainable Rammed Earth Home in New Mexico
Studio eM Design’s rammed-earth home in Corrales, New Mexico, updates the regional adobe archetype into a hallmark of sustainable...
New Kid on the Block
With sensitivity to local building typologies, fresh construction finds a place in Amsterdam.
New Kids on the Block
We asked five households that recently switched Los Angeles neighborhoods what they had in mind when picking a new place to live.
A Rammed-Earth Dwelling in New Mexico Welcomes Spectacular Sunsets
A striking compound in the 9,500-acre Galisteo Basin Preserve acts as a refuge for a retiree with her family and friends.
Two Rammed-Earth Buildings Host a Sustainable Live/Work Space For a Colorado Artist
Serving as an art studio/residence for artist Rebecca DiDomenico, Swoon Art House has been built from 100-percent renewable...
11 Glorious Rammed-Earth Homes That Celebrate the Landscape
These resilient, rammed-earth homes show the soil’s true stripes.
A Rammed Earth Home Rises on a Breathtaking Site in New Zealand’s Southern Alps
The use of rammed earth ties the home of a vintner to the terroir.
Earth Work
A French architecture firm carves out an earthen shroud for the modern extension of a home located in the foothills of the...
A Rammed-Earth Home in Texas Echoes the Landscape in Mesmerizing Fashion
The ombré hues of this earthen ranch house are taken directly from Texas Hill Country.
A Dramatic Floating Roof Crowns This Rammed-Earth Home in Arizona
With an angular roof canopy that glows with the sun and striated, rammed-earth walls, Dancing Light House delights in its desert...
Rammed Earth Walls Tie This Eco-Friendly Home to the Desert
Spanning a desert wash, a modern residence in Arizona embraces its natural surroundings with minimal impact.
A Curving Rammed Earth Addition Expands a Family Bungalow in Melbourne
Steffen Welsch Architects juxtapose a rammed earth extension with a 1930s bungalow in order to create a flexible family home.
A West Texas Couple Get a Rammed-Earth Addition That Syncs With the Landscape
Tucson-based Dust Architects returns to Texas to design a compact stand-alone for a home in the Chihuahuan Desert.
An Australian Architect Builds a Rammed Earth-and-Steel Home For His Family
Bush House by architect Paul O’Reilly takes a page from California’s Case Study houses, and is inspired by the family’s love of...
The New Home on the Block That Uses 90% Less Energy
A Seattle engineer builds an energy-efficient house with an assist from a prototype smart-home system.
These 4 Modern Homes Around the World Take Advantage of Local Stone
The benefits of using local stone in a building's structure are multifold.
The PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea Debuts the Darkest Building on Earth
London-based architect Asif Khan reveals his latest project at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea.
New York City Passes Bill Requiring Green Roofs on New Buildings
The city's new green building legislation will result in the equivalent of taking more than one million cars off the road by 2030.
A Concrete Guesthouse in Upstate New York Is Decidedly “Bunker Chic”
With inspiration from the creative homeowners, architects David Leven and Stella Betts design a bunker-like backyard structure...
A New Kit Home Made From Hemp Blocks Starts at $27K
Coexist Build launches a DIY tiny home that’s designed to be built in just a week.
A Cinder Block Duplex in Charleston Is Recast as a New York–Style Loft
The industrial-modern Metamorphosis House is now a showcase for art.
A Mexico City Apartment Building Offers Lush Terraces Clad in Concrete and Steel
Local architecture firm Vertebral designs four greenery-lined apartments next to an ancient jacaranda tree in the Roma district.
These New Sherbet-Colored Sheets Are Your Earth-Friendly Alternative to Basic Bedding
Buffy takes the next step forward in their journey to bring earth-friendly ingredients into the bedroom.
A New Slant
In Seattle, where others saw only a severe slope and lack of municipal hookups, one couple spotted their ticket to their dream...
An Ingenious, Multistory Bookshelf Organizes a Sleek Madrid Home
Spanning multiple floors, the open shelves designed by Zooco Estudio morph to provide storage and define spaces.
New Prospects
A Brooklyn architect shows what a little elbow grease, a healthy dose of naïveté, and a decade can accomplish.
10 Ingenious Home Renovations in China That Defy Expectation
These crafty interventions in China and Hong Kong are a testament to out-of-the-box thinking.
The Lowest Utility Bill on the Block
Hybridization is hit or miss (i.e., the jackalope).
An Ingenious Gold Island Transforms an Industrial Apartment in Paris
Completed for about $120,000, a custom aluminum insertion reinvents a loft in a 1920s industrial building by adding privacy...
New Beginnings
Uni, an international group of designers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is riding out a self-professed renovation high that never...
A New Concept For Modular, Affordable Housing Is Coming to London's Vacant Buildings
A forward-thinking architectural practice partners with a premier property guardian to create a concept for high-quality housing...
11 Examples of How to Incorporate Traditional Building Materials Into Your Modern Home
Cement tiles, terrazzo, and exposed shiplap boards are just a few traditional building materials that are experiencing a...
A New Book Explores 25 of the World’s Most Sensuous Buildings
“The Touch​” shows that great design is not just visually appealing—it engages all of the human senses.
France Requires All New Public Buildings to Contain 50% Wood
While the Trump Administration is poised to mandate neoclassical architecture, France is building for a sustainable future.
Dwell and Concrete Collaborative Announce a New Line of Tiles Inspired by Surfboard Design
The partnership builds on each company’s design-focused ethos to create encaustic patterned tiles in versatile shapes and colors.

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