The open-plan area is lined with custom plywood cabinets.

This Victorian-era home in Melbourne, renovated by OOF! Architecture, maintains privacy from the street, but does so in an unusually "friendly" manner—with a giant brick wall that spells out "Hello," a collaboration with local artist Rose Nolan. The residents wanted their house to appeal to passersby, since it sits on a well-trafficked block near a café.

A garage-style door separates the patio from the street.

The front of the house was originally a storefront, with large windows overlooking the street.

By knocking down walls, Dominguez was able to open the previously cramped kitchen and add extra cabinetry and counter space. He was also able to make room for a peninsula with a waterfall edge.

The kitchen’s original galley layout was retained, and the walls and utilities were kept in place.

While the back part of the house originally housed the bathroom and laundry rooms, all but making the adjacent garden inaccessible, the new design places the living and dining spaces in this area to maximize natural light. Commonly available materials are used throughout the home, such as plywood and the industrial tresses that criss-cross the open-plan living area.

A polished concrete floor adds an industrial touch. The oven is Siemens, and the cooktop and dishwasher are Miele. The kitchen island is a concrete benchtop resting on a custom steel frame. The pendants are refurbished “Saturn” pendants by Fog & Morup. Curtains allow the residents to divide the space.

Built in the late 1950s, the National Art Museum of China is a typical example of Soviet-style architecture with a Chinese-style roof. French architect Jean Nouvel has designed a second location scheduled to be built near the Olympic Park.

Donghai Bridge, China-For two years after its completion in late 2005, the Donghai Bridge was the longest cross-sea bridge in the world. Photo by: Wikipedia

Runyang Bridge, China-Part of the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway, crossing the Yangtze River. Fourth-longest span in the world. Photo: sjiong

This Beverly Hills kitHAUS is comprised of modernist prefab modules that can accommodate a variety of uses: from yoga studios to home offices, and from weekend retreats to pop-up kiosks and guest rooms.

Wedge by Wheelhaus

100 Contemporary Green Buildings, Volume 1 is available through Taschen

100% Bollocks by The Wooden Truth, approximately 17 x 12 inches, $38

100 Quotes By Charles Eames, $25

WFH House (Wuxi, China) Copenhagen-based Arcgency made something special out of a rigid skeleton of shipping containers—a gorgeous, bamboo-clad modular home that offers stylish customization options and environmental features (solar cells, water cistern, green roof) that push this project beyond mere recycling. Photo by Arcgenvy

A full-service kitchen is nestled under the dome’s loft. Clad in stainless steel, its custom-made cabinets match the appliances and the wine glass holder that hangs over the island. The kitchen’s black marble countertops echo the surface of the dining table.

The developer of Three on the Bund gallery gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of the creative side of Shanghai. Photo by: Andrew Rowat

Temple Restaurant does European fine dining on the grounds of a 600-year-old temple that was used as a television factory during the Cultural Revolution. The beautiful lot is also home to a boutique hotel and gallery.

This exhibition space in Chengdu, China features numerous interior courtyards to let light enter.

The CCTV tower designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas was meant to be the headquarters for China Central Television when builders broke ground in 2004, but it was only over the past year that CCTV staff started moving into the building in significant numbers.

Opting for a lightweight, super stable design that eschews traditional weighty materials, the architects created steel-reinforced panels of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS)to form each of the addition’s seven modular parts. They now top a preexisting concrete garage that the architects had previously converted into a three-bedroom home.

Interior designer Cathie Hong transformed the kitchen of this San Jose Eichler into a bright open space, but kept the wood paneling in the adjacent room, to preserve the warm, midcentury feel.

The luxe prefabricated hotel offers an almost off-grid experience and is fitted with a curated collection of Vipp products.

Jade Screen Peak, taken at Heavenly Capital Peak in 1979

Unité d'Habitation in Marseille, France

A sweeping spiral staircase occupies the center of the self-supporting dome. Its reclaimed pine treads echo the dome’s ceiling and contrast pleasantly with the raw steel railing. PAK LED lights installed in the floor add an extra touch of drama to the home’s showpiece.

Linked Hybrid Beijing, China Steven Holl Architects Eight bridges totaling 1,004 feet The Linked Hybrid bridges harness color and under-lighting to animate and reflect off the pool below. The eight enclosed bridges connect eight buildings at slightly differing levels and with varying interactions—including a swimming pool, auditorium, and cafe.

The Pinch, a library and community center in Shuanghe Village, Yunnan Province, China, is notable for a series of trusses that drop down from the ceiling to double as a set of suspended bookshelves.

The library as seen from atop the 13-foot retaining wall.

'Poetic Plastic' by Zhuo Wang, China