Many building projects rely on cement blocks, underscoring their significance as a sustainable and enduring infrastructure cornerstone. Also, architects and builders have extensive design flexibility due to their ability to easily mold cement blocks into a wide variety of forms and sizes.
(Photo : Dezeen/Iván Salinero)
1. Textile House by Ghezzi Novak
Located on a level terrain, Textile House offers panoramic vistas of the ocean and arid landscapes in the distance, which are situated in Paracas. The Lima studio selected concrete blocks to produce a geometric dwelling that echoed the pattern and texture of woven fabrics. On the rooftop, home to a jacuzzi, a pool, and gardens, a cylindrical volume stands out and conceals a spiraling forest stairway. The dark, gray interiors of the house are brightened by the large glass windows and sliding doors positioned across the face of the building. These windows and doors also provide views of the gorgeous surroundings.
(Photo : ArchDaily/Renzo Rebagliati)
2. Paracas II House by Llosa Cortegana Arquitectos
To maximize the spaciousness of the land, which is experienced as an uninterrupted green blanket from the entrance gate, Pachacamac House was designed within an intimate two-level volume positioned in a rear corner. As mentioned, the way that leads to the arrival through the garden acts as a filter, similar to a very subtle sieve, which enables one to perceive the peaceful passage of time along the path. In addition to being accompanied by refined sensations, the interior rooms are open to the rural environment around them, which may be admired from a new perspective. Moreover, utilizing concrete block masonry for the first floor and timber for the second floor and ceilings, the mixed construction method maintained the rustic and inviting country house aesthetic while ensuring resource efficiency.
(Photo : Architizer/Woodbury School of Architecture)
3. Woodbury School of Architecture by Rios Clementi Hale Studios
The new studio facility at the Woodbury School of Architecture is designed to accommodate open workplaces, and it also features support spaces, critique spaces, and a double-height multi-purpose area. Diverse patterns of piled blocks comprise the south-facing CMU wall, which features a dynamic interplay of delicate tones. All of the brick colors and patterns already present on the campus buildings were considered when selecting the block colors and horizontal banding. Aside from that, this facade serves the purpose of filtering sunlight and sound from the streets that are near it.
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(Photo : Architizer/Mummy Mountain Residence )
4. Mummy Mountain Residence by Chen + Suchart Studio
The architectural design of the Mummy Mountain Residence is influenced by the surrounding Sonoran Desert environment and the viewpoints that it offers. The alignment of parallel sandblasted concrete block barriers with the Superstition Mountains, McDowell Mountains, and Four Peaks ensures uninterrupted views. Through carefully crafted apertures within the walls of the CMU, the surrounding landscape, including the mountains and the desert sky, is captured.
(Photo : Architizer/Lianyuan Retreat )
5. Lianyuan Retreat by JYCArchitect + DCDAssociates
The Lianyuan Retreat was established on agricultural land outside Alian Village, at the base of Dagan Mountain. In addition to providing a striking visual for the property, the CMU structure and outer layer blocks wrap around the entirety of the house. The blocks surrounding a linear reflecting pond that runs beside the open face of the courtyard mediate between private space and farmland. Modules of CMU blocks regulate the equilibrium between enclosure and permeability between land and living space.
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