Choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop can be nerve-wracking, and we understand why—they can be one of the most expensive aspects of a renovation, with the added responsibility of impacting the aesthetics of a space. Read on as we work our way through the pros and cons of seven of the most common countertop materials.

"We’ve developed a great working relationship where we understand and respect what each brings to a project. Bear understands the architectural intent and interprets it skillfully and successfully. This not only enhances the finished building, it ensures a seamless process along the way," says Bornas.

The Homegrown Village was one of the outside themed areas. Greywater Action was on hand helping people understand water reuse.

“Throughout the renovation, it was important to understand the cultural heritage of the Japanese elements and bring them back to life, and also understand what Taiwanese contractors can do,” says Chu. “There is an amazing relationship between the house, the contractors, and us.” The multipurpose family room connects, through a sliding wall, to the master bedroom, which leads out to the garden courtyard.

Our staff is finishing the physical model. The physical model is now being used outside in the field to understand the paths of the rope in each section. Photo by Clifford Ho.

The family’s backyard features a grape arbor and a vegetable garden. “I began gardening so our son could understand where his food comes from,” says Onna.

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"We wanted to help many people to understand that an option like this [exists], that people could consider it when building a second home, or primary residence, or even a home for retirement," says Claire.

“Our approach [to designing a home] is first and foremost trying to see and understand the dynamic in the family, their needs, the atmospheres that we want to create, and how that can work in an integral way with the site and the elements,” says Sundberg.

The team at Ecospace Studio understands that sometimes clients have very specific design and functional requirements. Their bespoke projects such as this home called Spinney Retreat in Surrey, allow clients the flexibility to create the space they want using the Ecospace concept.

One of the most classic ways to understand a space is through an architectural drawing, which can take the form of a plan (a flat aerial view of a space) or an elevation (a flat view of an interior wall or exterior side of a building).

Casteñada explains, “Everything starts with an interview that I personally conduct with the owner in order to understand his lifestyle and expectations. The final result needs to satisfy the owner’s lifestyle, dreams and expectations, as well as my firm’s vision and design concepts.”

A Taxonomy of Transitions show the demographic breakdown of Chicago, Illinois. Maps like these help planners and policy makers understand their cities better. From Radical Cartography.

Drawings by Tighe Architects show various representations of the built space. One features the spectogram from which the structure was created. Another shows the structure from below and an elevation. They are meant to help visitors understand the process of building the structure without overtly revealing the intricacies behind the construction. Photo by Joshua White/Courtesy of SCI-Arc.

“A summer house is every Swede’s dream,” says Duncanson, who was born in Scotland. “At first I couldn’t understand how they could take four or five weeks off in summer but after my first year, I couldn’t believe how relaxed and hungry I was when I came back.”

The hardest part of the installation was the programming of the robot, admits Tighe. Tighe’s team provided 25 different “sound paths” that Machineous founder Andreas Froech translated into a programming language the six-axis robotic arm could understand. Photo by Joshua White/Courtesy of SCI-Arc.

This 530-square-foot prefab in East Sussex, England, was designed by Michael Kendrick Architects for a family who wanted to build a woodland retreat/rental on their property. Immersing the lodge into the forest reflects the family’s intent to, as the architects explain, “enhance the ecological biodiversity of the area, protect wildlife, and enable guests … to understand and appreciate the fauna, flora, and unique history and nature of the area, while supporting and promoting the local economy.”

At Under, a Snøhetta-designed restaurant balanced on the Norwegian coast, guests dine 16 feet below the ocean’s surface. The tilted concrete tube gives the impression that it’s sliding into the sea. “The idea was to make a tube that would bring people from above sea level down under the sea,” lead architect Rune Grasdal told Dezeen. “That transition is easy to understand, but it’s also the most effective way to do it. It also feels secure, but you don’t feel trapped.” The angle was also designed with the building’s aquatic neighbors in mind. Over time the structure will become part of its environment, acting as an artificial reef. Marine research tools like cameras have been installed outside the restaurant to help scientists learn about the population, behavior, and diversity of the species living in this part of the North Atlantic.

Neither of us have any training as architects or draftspeople. Learning to read and understand site diagrams and drawings became a necessary skill, since we spent a considerable amount of time researching options on house location, site setbacks, and forest practices along the way.

The flooring throughout the interior is maple. A vintage Ercol sofa and arm chair, Eclipse coffee table by Stua, Wide Wale rug by Bev Hisey Textile Design, and Moon floor lamp by Estiluz Spain furnish the living room. "Extensive planning went into ‘aging in place’ forecasting a host of different scenarios about what that meant physically and psychologically," architect Alex Tedesco says. "We did ‘day in the life’ modeling to understand all the various barrier free requirements that might arise."

In the living room, the vertical timber columns that support the roof are in plain sight. Stevens wants his children to understand how their house stands up. His building method was partly inspired by Walter Segal, a mid-20th-century German architect who spent most of his life in London.

Edgar referred to several precedents when working on the renovation. "I love Chad Randl’s book on the A-frame typology, which allowed me to understand what I had on my hands with its copious illustrations and drawing documentation," he says. "The lovable architect Andrew Geller did at least two seminal A-frame homes during the midcentury in the Hamptons, the Betty Reese houses I and II. I took the catwalk notion from Reese house II."

"The backyard home space prior to the Dwell House was fragmented and difficult to navigate and understand,

A tall and narrow window separates the new brickwork from the historic building, making its lines and profile clearly understandable.

It takes a second to understand why the images in Rumi Ando’s “Tokyo Nude” are so serene—and yet disquieting.

VERDICT: "I understand why logos go for lowercase appeal, but an organization like a post service adopting its official name in lowercase seems awfully useless and unprofessional, even something more trendy like bPost would help it stand out in written communications. The new logo is also rather odd, now an abstraction of the previous abstraction of a horn—an abstraction that is well known and often used."

This project is a combination of extensive research and analysis that created informed decisions. From this, we completely understand the target market. We understand that our target market wants to come to a sanctuary where they can grow with their family. We designed the layout around existing large trees and kept 90% of them. This has become an asset for the complex.

This project is a combination of extensive research and analysis that created informed decisions. From this, we completely understand the target market. We understand that our target market wants to come to a sanctuary where they can grow with their family. We designed the layout around existing large trees and kept 90% of them. This has become an asset for the complex.

This project is a combination of extensive research and analysis that created informed decisions. From this, we completely understand the target market. We understand that our target market wants to come to a sanctuary where they can grow with their family. We designed the layout around existing large trees and kept 90% of them. This has become an asset for the complex.

This project is a combination of extensive research and analysis that created informed decisions. From this, we completely understand the target market. We understand that our target market wants to come to a sanctuary where they can grow with their family. We designed the layout around existing large trees and kept 90% of them. This has become an asset for the complex.

Danilowitz completed a series of sunlight studies to understand how sunlight would move through the space over the course of days and seasons.

A demonstration pneumatic tube system ran throughout the exhibition, so visitors could better understand the technology.

“Certain things are best to do when living room is out,” says Demetrios. “The floor, the windows, the built-ins—we must fully understand what’s happening. And we need to take a close look at the long-term impact from the ocean.” At left are built-in drawers and cabinets near the corner banquette beneath the bedroom. Photo courtesy the Eames Foundation; © 2011 Eames Demetrios.

"When we released Taro the first time in 2018, I didn't understand how gracefully and sweetly it'd integrate into every corner of my home,

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