This project won the 2013 Architizer A+ Jury and Popular Choice Awards in the hotel/resort category, along with the architecture + sustainability category. See the full list of winners here.

Chile-based AATA Arquitectos was working on designing prefab modules for the local mining industry when a slightly different commission came along: Easter Island, a special territory off Chile and home to Rapa Nui National Park needed an ecologically sensitive new tourist complex, and AATA stepped up to the challenge.

While the firm’s first impulse was to utilize the exact modules produced for mining, the concept was abandoned when further research revealed that the site required something different. The concept of using prefabricated modules, however, stayed with AATA. “Easter Island or Rapa Nui is a very fragile ecosystem,” explained the firm, “which is why our approach to the design, construction, and operation of the cabins was to be as minimal[ly] invasive to the environment … as possible.” Learn more about the project after the jump.

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Project: Omnibus House

Architect: Gubbins Arquitectos

Location: Cachagua, Chile

Situated in the woods away from the urbanized area of Santiago, the warm, natural tones of the Omnibus House’s façade fits perfectly in its surroundings. Rough sawn timber, sourced by a local retailer, adorns the large roof and complements the concrete and the colors of surrounding trees. Inside, the architects sought to deconstruct the typical layout of a family home, constructing a more playful circulation by opening up the walls and letting rooms flow into one another. The open-plan interior serves as a constant reminder of the home’s context, framing new views of the landscape as one walks from room to room.

Read more about this project in the Architizer database.

Photos: Marco Mendizabal

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Phil the Groundhog at the Garden Shed; All Photoshop work: Peter Levins

The frost of winter is on the thaw, and spring will come early this year! At least, that’s our take on the results from this year’s Groundhog Day. No, the furry little prognosticator—that would be Phil—will not see his shadow this coming Saturday (Feb. 2), and that’s that.

So what better way to welcome the new season than with the best of “spring architecture”? It’s something we just made up, but by which we mean houses that photograph real well in the springtime, when flowers are coming into bloom, the sky is blue, and the sun hasn’t reached its greatest intensity yet. We’ve gone ahead and added Phil in there just to be festive, so see if you can spot him in the following 10 projects. Click through for the slideshow.

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Project: Pangal Refuge

Architect: Etcheberrigaray – Matuschka Arquitectos

Location: Casablanca, Chile

Function: The architect designed this 60-square-meter “refuge” in the countryside of Chile, with the aim of simplicity and efficiency. This escape from busy city life of Santiago is covered in wood panelling, calling to mind the local Quillayes, Cactus, and Espinos trees of the area. Read more about this project in the Architizer database.

Photo © Marcelo Cáceres

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Building: Casa O
Architect: 01ARQ
Location: Colina, Chile
Why We Liked This:

Another pool house for ya. This one, though, is couched in a valley in the Chilean Andes, with the smooth, finished concrete of the house and the pool’s cerulean sheen playing nicely off the rugged terrain. The house consists of two long volumes: a concrete base, the corner of which is demarcated by pilotis, themselves wrapped in a retractable glazed wall (the architects call it a “pool mirror”); the upper volume, encased in an ajustable wooden screen is positioned a third of the way onto the concrete shell and extends past the line of columns to suggest the drama of a larger cantilever. A central stairwell connects the interiors to a roof terrace that puts you in the middle of the landscape, while funneling out hot air in the summer months. See more of this project in the Architizer database here.

You think you’ve got a better project? Submit it for an Architizer A+ Award!

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It’s midterm season at American universities, which means looming deadlines, epic cramming sessions, and lots of time cooped up in the library for college students hoping to ace their classes. But you know what would help these poor souls with their academic angst? Floor-to-ceiling windows, green plazas, and some cool design (duh!). So, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite university buildings, places where we wouldn’t mind holing up for several hours as we scramble to finish that impossible project or memorize arcane facts. Click through to see all our picks, and be sure to share your favorites in the comment section below!

Think you have a better university building, or any project for that matter? Submit it for an Architizer A+ Award here!

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The Elrod House by John Lautner

2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the 007 films, and tomorrow, November 9, will see the release of the latest Bond film, Skyfall. As astute film fans, we know that a Bond movie isn’t a Bond movie without some exotic locales, an interminably long car chase, and, of course, plenty of spectacular architecture–the latter sometimes rendering even the most boring of the movies watchable (we’re looking at you Diamonds Are Forever).  Skyfall promises to live up to and even exceed these standards. Safe to say, there will be explosions, including the bombing of MI6 (aka the SIS Building).

Strangely enough, Iam Fleming, the creator of the series, was a harsh critic of modern architecture, going so far as to name Bond’s greatest villain, Goldfinger, after the English Brutalist architect, Ernő Goldfinger. Nevertheless, the films are littered with sculptural concrete and steel marvels, and we couldn’t think of 007 without them. Click through for all the modern architecture the Bond films have to offer!

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Paola Antonelli, senior architecture and design curator and director of R&D at MoMA. Photo via Bloomberg

Paola Antonelli is arguably one of the most powerful people in the arts. As a senior architecture and design curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Antonelli can make a young designer’s career as well as shape audiences’ views with her populist, ambitious exhibitions that range from celebrating humble objects to examining the ways in which design protects and shelters us. Recently, MoMA announced that Antonelli—an Architizer A+ Award juror!—will be taking an additional role in the museum, as director of research and development, a position created just for her. Antonelli sat down with us to talk about her new job, her career at MoMA, and the future of architecture. Click through to read a condensed version of our conversation!

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Building: Sauna in the Woods

Architect: Panorama

Location: Lago Ranco, Chile

Why We Like This:

Yesterday we posted a top 10 of our favorite saunas and baths around the world (view all our picks here). Unfortunately, we had to rule out some incredible projects to keep the list at just 10 sites. But we decided that one of the structures we left out, the Sauna in the Woods by Panorama, was just too good to go unnoticed. The project, situated in Chile’s Lago Ranco, consists of a sauna with roofed terrace and changing room, all of which look in different directions to offer visitors views of everything from the rock to the lake. Read the complete project description here.

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The incredible Tierra Patagonia Hotel and Spa in Torres del Paine, Chile is truly the best of all worlds. Situated on a cliff in the southern most reaches of Patagonia, the hotel not only offers panoramic views, but opens up the complex to all that nature has to offer. From outdoor excursions across mountaintops to a day at the private beach, this place is a cozy cabin-meets-ultimate luxury resort that’s on the top of our wish list. Read More.

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