Absence of light
Black Desert House, California, United States, by Oller & Pejic Architecture, 2012. The client’s brief was to “build a house like a shadow”.
Black Desert House, California, United States, by Oller & Pejic Architecture, 2012. The home is situated east of Los Angeles in the high desert near the Joshua Tree National Park.
Black Desert House, California, United States, by Oller & Pejic Architecture, 2012. Rooms are arranged around a protected central courtyard.
Whare Koa House, Mahurangi West, New Zealand, by SGA Architects. 2017. The open atrium is a multi-functional space that breaks up the scale and bulk of the home.
Whare Koa House, Mahurangi West, by SGA Architects. 2017. The house nestles into the New Zealand bush next to an idyllic bay.
Whare Koa House, Mahurangi West, by SGA Architects. 2017. The kitchen of the home looks out onto the surrounding bush and features black cabinetry.
TreeHouse, Melbourne, Australia by FMD Architects, 2009. Multiple private spaces, both indoors and out, respond to the client’s need for suitable spots to practice yoga.
TreeHouse, Melbourne, Australia by FMD Architects, 2009. A courtyard provides space for congregation as well as privacy from rear neighbours.
TreeHouse, Melbourne, Australia by FMD Architects, 2009. The home has a close connection with nature and works around several eucalyptus trees.
VillaSG21, Netherlands, by FillieVerhoeven Architects. 2017. Blackened timber has been used for the façade of this asymmetrical home near Rotterdam.
VillaSG21, Netherlands, by FillieVerhoeven Architects. 2017. The gabled house features large glazed openings on both sides in order to make the most of the lush green surroundings.
VillaSG21, Netherlands, by FillieVerhoeven Architects. 2017. The sloping roof fits with the local vernacular architecture but is also a turf roof which seems to extend the garden.
Villa Comano, Switzerland, by Attilio Panzeri & Partners. 2013. The house maximises the view over Lake Lugano and the surrounding countryside with extensive glazing on three sides.
Villa Comano, Comano, Switzerland, by Attilio Panzeri & Partners. 2013. Large openings encourage abundant light to gently enter the interior and diffuse throughout.
Villa Comano, Comano, Switzerland, by Attilio Panzeri & Partners. 2013. Black rough-grained wooden boards clothe the concrete skin, both inside and out.
Black Building – Mackelvie Street Precinct, Ponsonby, Auckland, by RTA Studio. 2017. A long, slender black form with a distinctive façade design.
Black Building – Mackelvie Street Precinct, Ponsonby, Auckland, by RTA Studio. 2017. The building houses RTA Studio’s offices, amongst others.
Black Building – Mackelvie Street Precinct, Ponsonby, Auckland, by RTA Studio. 2017. Dappled light hits RTA’s informal lobby/meeting space with a leaner table in the centre.
Black House, Highland, United Kingdom, by Rural Design Architects. 2013. This single-storeyed home was self-built to a very tight budget on the Isle of Skye.
Black House, Highland, United Kingdom, by Rural Design Architects. 2013. The small but cosy home includes 3 bedrooms, an artist studio and a study.
Black House, Highland, United Kingdom, by Rural Design Architects. 2013. The black corrugated cladding strongly identifies with the agricultural vernacular.
The Rock, Quebec, Canada, by Atelier General. 2017. The living room of this two-storey house is supported by slender columns that make space for a car port.
The Rock, Quebec, Canada, by Atelier General. 2017. Floor-to-ceiling glazing wraps around the dining area and provides a connection with nature.
The Rock, Quebec, Canada, by Atelier General. 2017. The home is clad in black-painted timber and is topped with a flat roof in order to merge in with the mountain surroundings.
Urban Cottage, Christchurch, by CoLab Architecture. 2016. Early colonial workers cottages were the inspiration behind this small contemporary home.
Urban Cottage, Christchurch, by CoLab Architecture. 2016. The house is open to external connections and is oriented north for maximum sunlight.
Urban Cottage, Christchurch, by CoLab Architecture. 2016. The home’s exterior is stained in Resene Waterborne Woodsman CoolColour™ tinted to ‘Pitch Black’.
Sunken House, Hackney, United Kingdom, by Adjaye Associates. 2007. This minimalist black box in central London features black timber rainscreen cladding.
Sunken House, Hackney, United Kingdom, by Adjaye Associates. 2007. A striking contrast between the exterior and interior.
Sunken House, Hackney, United Kingdom, by Adjaye Associates. 2007. A white interior features large windows that let in plenty of light.
Paddington Residence, Brisbane, Australia, by Kieron Gait Architects. 2017. In this addition, both the expressed timber framing on the exterior, and some interior surfaces, are painted black.
Paddington Residence, Brisbane, Australia, by Kieron Gait Architects. 2017. An addition to a four-bedroom cottage. The upper floor is clad in a black vertical timber veil.
Paddington Residence, Brisbane, Australia, by Kieron Gait Architects. 2017. Solid black vertical shutter windows act like gills to draw light and the breeze through.
Sleeve House, Hudson Valley, United States, by Actual Office Architects. 2017. This slanted black holiday house presents as two elongated volumes, a smaller one sleeved into the larger.
Sleeve House, Hudson Valley, United States, by Actual Office Architects. 2017. The wood used for the home has been charred using shou sugi ban, a traditional Japanese technique.
Sleeve House, Hudson Valley, United States, by Actual Office Architects. 2017. The ceiling is created by blackened wood, which contrasts perfectly with the exposed concrete flooring and walls.
Black is always on trend in the fashion world, and architecture is following suit. From a luxurious Swiss villa to a design studio in central Auckland, we’ve rounded up 12 examples of black architecture that have recently caught our eye.
