Geological Viewpoint of the Saliencia or Farrapona Valley / PUERTO & SÁNCHEZ ARQUITECTOS

At the highest point of the Saliencia Valley, in Somiedo, Asturias, stands the Farrapona summit, from which one can contemplate one of the most geologically significant locations in the Cantabrian Mountain Range. The Somiedo Town Council called for an ideas competition through the Sustainable Tourism Plan for the construction of a geological viewpoint near La Farrapona.

La Sirène Pavilion and Madeleine Pelletier Youth Residence / Avenier Cornejo Architectes

The project began with La Sirène de Paris, one of the oldest independent amateur orchestras in France, founded in 1874. For decades, it rehearsed at 20 Rue Dareau, a space that had become obsolete. To secure its future, the association envisioned a mixed-use building, combining a music auditorium with housing for students and young workers, ensuring both cultural continuity and urban vitality. The design was guided by the need to anchor this historic institution within the city. Inspired by the Art Deco details of the district and the modernist horizontality of Le Méridien, the project balances solidity and permeability, with sculpted concrete, terraces, and framed openings, creating a space where music and daily life intertwine.

Bundle House / NOMO STUDIO

Nestled within an elongated trapezoidal plot, this villa of 350m2 boasts a design that ingeniously navigates the contours of its surroundings to offer unparalleled views of the Mediterranean Sea. Initially challenged by the site's oblique orientation towards the sea, the architects strategically crafted open corners that unveil breathtaking sunset vistas, transforming initial difficulties into design opportunities. To harmonize with the natural surroundings, the design strategy involved subdividing the extensive program into nine rectangular volumes of varying heights, artfully stepping down the slope and weaving around majestic trees. The stair-like setbacks follow the plot's trapezoidal shape, creating intimate pockets of privacy in the garden, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces.

Atelier Matière Première – Nu Drom / Matière Première Architecture

Matière Première Architecture is an architecture studio based in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Closely partnered since 2016 with its sister company, Nu Drom, a construction firm, the two teams had long been seeking a permanent site to root their shared identity, one built on the seamless integration of design and construction. The opportunity to jointly acquire a site at the gateway of the town of Magog, alongside a third partner from the woodworking industry, marked the starting point of a foundational project. Two buildings were designed by Matière Première Architecture and constructed simultaneously by Nu Drom: one dedicated to artisanal production, and the other conceived as a space for work, reflection, and public engagement. While focusing here on the office building, both structures were envisioned as part of a unified architectural ensemble, coherent in both materiality and placement.

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