Housing

Most of the concrete architecture projects we cover are luxury homes for the wealthy. Not the Affordable Housing Langgrütstrasse though, as this concrete apartment building offers some of the cheapest apartments to rent in Zurich, Switzerland, according to Gus Wüstemann Architects.

The American Institute of Architects has revealed the recipients of the 2019 Institute Honor Awards for Architecture. Featuring buildings and spaces by US-licensed firms, the winners include museums, affordable housing, and the restoration of an American icon.

We've covered a lot of shipping container-based architecture projects but this one, by New York City and Naples-based firm Lot-ek, is larger than most. Named Drivelines Studios, it's a residential project in South Africa that's made from a total of 140 recycled shipping containers.

Well-made low-cost housing is a tough nut to crack, but high-profile Danish firm BIG recently took on the challenge for a new project in its home country. Commissioned by a non-profit affordable housing association, Dortheavej Residence offers architect-designed homes to people on a low income.

​Further to opening our eyes to all kinds of new perspectives on our environment, we are beginning to see how drones can play very active roles in its construction. The latest example comes from a team of researchers that hope to use them to craft low-cost housing made from natural materials. ​

RIBA has unveiled its annual pick of the best new homes in the UK. Highlights include an agricultural shed turned into an impressively sustainable residence and an unusual circular house built on a plot previously used for the illegal dumping of waste.

Standard Studio was commissioned to turn an old office building into student housing consisting of 218 self-contained apartments. With little available floorspace to work with, the firm drew design inspiration from the space-saving designs pioneered by the tiny house movement.

Each year, the American Institute of Architectsdeclares the best new American homes. The awards provide a good opportunity to check out the current state of residential architecture by US-based firms ​and 2018's selection ranges from enviable luxury pads to housing for homeless war veterans.

Shipping container-based architecture seems like a bad idea. They'e cramped, offer no insulation, and often require heavy modification. That said, limitation occasionally proves fertile ground for innovation, as evidenced by the imaginative shipping container projects that we're highlighting here.

​They say constraint breeds creativity, and anybody looking to get into home ownership will be well familiar with the constraints that go with it. Here we take a look at some clever solutions to low-cost housing, including a few whose appearance far outstrips their price tag.

With concerns about rising sea levels and attractive land always in demand, there's something to be said for a house that floats on water. With this in mind, we highlight the best examples of floating homes we've seen so far – from classic prefabricated houseboat to luxury models for the ultra-rich.

Like many major cities, London can be a very expensive place to live. However, PUP Architects has a novel idea for low-cost housing in the form of a micro-house disguised as an air duct unit. The project, called H-VAC, skirts planning laws and could be installed atop existing rooftops.