Order Matter’s Raw House Champions Honest Architecture in Seoul’s Dense Urban Landscape.

In Seoul’s buzzing east side, Order Matter has delivered a mixed-use building that ditches architectural showboating for pure, honest design. Raw House is a compact spot that packs in a café, residential flats, and a penthouse office, but what really matters is how it handles the tricky dance between city living and actual comfort. The architects played with contrasts: the south side opens wide to catch views of green hills, while the north side stays reserved, keeping street noise and chaos at bay.

Raw House runs on a simple but powerful idea. “In an age of blurred realities and overstimulation, where people are increasingly pushed to perform or pretend, this project offers a retreat—a home where one can feel real and at ease,” say the architects.

That honesty shows up everywhere—concrete, stone, and timber all stay true to what they are, no fake finishes or fancy disguises.

A Home of Civic Proportions: Gottlieb House by Wood Marsh.

Gottlieb House isn't an obvious representation of a typically Melbourne home. But what it does capture is Wood Marsh’s enduring approach to materiality and form.

The layout is seriously smart. Take that curved stair landing—it kills dead corner space, acts as a street marker, and creates a north-facing window that frames the building’s own shape. It’s clever problem-solving that lifts Raw House way beyond basic minimalism.

The green stuff isn’t flashy tech—it’s just good sense. Living spaces grab the south sun for warmth and light, bedrooms hide on the cooler north side.

The concrete soaks up heat during the day and releases it at night, naturally keeping things comfortable.

Tactile Brutalism: MS5 House in Madrid by Malu de Miguel.

Young architect's first ever commission, this Madrid house features two separate buildings designed for three generations, linked by a maze-like terrace and light-capturing courtyards.

What’s really cool is that there are no ceiling lights anywhere. Instead, hidden strips wash the walls with soft light from where the ceiling meets the wall. It’s calmer, easier on the eyes, and lets people add their own lamps and personality.

Raw House flips the script on what makes architecture valuable. Instead of cramming in more stuff, Order Matter shows how stripping back can create spaces that actually feel good to live in. Every square metre works hard, every joint is thought through, and everything connects.

This isn’t Instagram architecture—it’s architecture for real life.

Villa RA in Calabria, Italy by MORQ Architecture.

Contemporary and distinct amongst its rural landscape, Villa RA is set 300m above sea level, atop a mountainous ridge. Aiming to feel ingrained as part of the landscape...

[Images and architectural drawings courtesy of Order Matter. Photography by Simone Bossi.]