Rokko Housing by Tadao Ando (1983)

 

Architect: Tadao Ando

Location: Kobe, Japan

Completion: 1981-83

Rokko Housing I, II & III, designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando and completed in 1983 in Kobe, Japan, is a landmark example of modern residential architecture integrated into a steep natural landscape. The complex consists of 20 modular housing units, each measuring 5.8 × 4.8 meters, carefully arranged along the slope of Mount Rokko. The building adapts precisely to the terrain in section, while maintaining a symmetrical plan that reinforces structural clarity and balance. As the structure ascends the hillside, intentional voids are introduced. These interconnected spaces unify the entire complex and function as shared plazas, encouraging social interaction and visual continuity. Each unit opens onto private terraces oriented in different directions, offering panoramic views of the ocean and a strong connection to nature. Rokko Housing reflects Ando’s architectural philosophy, where architecture is not merely a response to function or context, but an independent system of thought. Through concrete, geometry, light, and space, the project invites residents to experience discovery, contemplation, and harmony with the environment — values central to Ando’s vision of human-centered architecture.

“We must create architectural spaces in which man can experience, as he does through poetry or music, surprise, discovery, intellectual stimulation, peace and the joy of living.”

— Tadao Ando

Voxan Wattman by Sacha Lakic Design

WATTMAN, the symbol of a new era and of Voxan’s renewal, is the most powerful electric motorbike made to date. A huge step forward in personal electric transport, it is blazing the trail for the motorbikes of tomorrow. WATTMAN’s most striking technical attribute is undoubtedly its one-piece aluminium frame, which is at once an aesthetic signature and a key structural element. This piece of raw aluminium, shaped in three dimensions, contains the batteries, motor, gearbox, and electronic components. Like a sophisticated exoskeleton, it supports other vital parts of the bike, such as the saddle, rear, and front end.

The “Made in Monaco” motorcycle delivers a phenomenal 150 kW (203 HP) of power at up to 10,500 rpm, generating instant torque of 200 Nm. At the time, it staked a claim to be the most powerful electric motorcycle ever built, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds.

The teams at Venturi and Voxan’s facilities in Monaco also designed a special, high-performance version of the Wattman using state-of-the-art technology. This unique machine has now sealed its place in history as the fastest electric motorcycle on the planet. With a speed of 455.737 km/h (283.182 mph), Max Biaggi and the Voxan Wattman broke 21 world speed records in the ‘partially streamlined electric motorcycle under 300 kg’ class at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility, at Kennedy Space Center (United States).

A-Frame House by Breus Oleksii

The project of a frame house on the banks of the Dnieper is made in the modern flow of A-frame. Classical geometry is complemented by an adjoining master bedroom and bathroom unit. Placing at the level of the second floor makes the viewpoint ideal. The overhanging volume also plays the role of a canopy over the terrace, which has a connection with the kitchen.

Year: 2017 | Built Area: 290 m2  | Area: 5200 m2  | Location: Kyiv  | Architect: Breus Oleksii | Visualizer: Nastya Kischcenko | Source: Breus Oleksii Architecture