Modern Concrete House

This minimalist house with a façade of concrete was designed by Atelier Zhanglei, sometimes also referred to as AZL. The house is located in the city of Nanjing in China. It was built using a new technology thanks to which the entire structure, including the roof, could be made of concrete. The architects took inspiration from the massing of adjacent garden houses from the 1920s. They transformed their best elements into the minimalist form using only concrete instead of gray bricks. The reason being gray bricks are no longer made in Nanjing, but concrete is available. As to the material the interior contrasts the exterior because it is dominated by wood, material radiating warmth and the nice smell of forests. Not only all the floors and ceilings but also all the furniture is made of the horizontal wood. Strips of wood just 2 inches wide give the material a very unique texture that looks like a fine textile.