This beautifully simple, compact summer house in Hamra, Sweden was designed by architecture studio DinellJohansson. The client initially asked for an existing barn to be converted into a summer house. Instead, DinellJohansson designed them a barn-like home. Don’t you love it when architects don’t just listen to their client’s brief, but rather go on to create something even better. I love that shit! The house is a simple rectangular structure with single open space, focusing on sustainability and minimisation of waste. Unique furniture and joinery assembled from remaining or reused building material and clever use of space make this house one of a kind.

Japan-born London-based young womenswear designer Natsumi Zama holds a BA Honours in Fashion Design and Technology from London College of Fashion. Since graduating in 2009 Zama has launched her own fashion label while working as a freelancer machinist. Her most recent collection entitled “2→3” (two to three) is a series of garments that explore how material can be transformed from it’s two dimensional form to a three dimensional object. Each garment, when laid flat, looks as though it is mounted on a large expanse of square fabric, but when worn on the body this backdrop transforms into sweeping folds that dress the figure in pleats and fluted shapes.

Sitting at the peak of a hill in the Moroccan mountain ranges, Villa E rises up from the landscape, like a form extruded from the earth. The locally sourced Oika stone walling reads like an extension of the landscape. From the road in the valley, only the tiniest window openings pierce through the structure, veiling the life that occurs inside. Hidden within is a private mountain retreat by Studio KO. With studio bases in both Paris and Morocco, Villa E represents the convergence of ideas from both design cultures. Studio KO weave together the contemporary minimalism of Paris with the earthy textures of the Moroccan aesthetic.

It’s cool y’all – chill. Yellowtrace hasn’t become a blog about Buddhism. We are still all about crazy cool design and “What Happens in Buddhism Stays in Buddhism” is nothing more than a little bit of left-of-field thinking wrapped up with clever design which we hold so close to our hearts. Bangkok based 56thStudio is a creative collective that deals with quirky design and cutting-edge graphical matters. According to these guys, a piece of furniture can be inspired by and conceived from the strangest circumstances – even from a scandal. Their latest series “What happens in Buddhism stays in Buddhism” takes it’s cue from a story of a Buddhist monk who turned out to be a monumental crook.

Nick Olson and Lilah Horwitz built a recycled window house made entirely out of salvaged materials and found objects set in the West Virginia Countryside.

Amongst over 400 entrants Figureground Architecture has been awarded the 2014 Hospitality Design Award and the 2014 Best of State Commercial Design Award for transforming a concrete shell warehouse in Fitzroy into a busy café and roastery. Inspired by the intimacy of Melbourne laneways, the design took advantage of the high ceilings to create a long narrow ‘dining hall’ experience. Economic materials such as operable black painted pallets and corrugated polycarbonate define the space and create a playful sense of habitation. The language of operable panels is also used in the external seating area which can be completely open during the day or securely closed down after business hours.