LAXUS House / APOLLO Architects & Associates

Located in a quiet residential neighborhood not far from downtown, this striking house on a corner lot is comprised of two stacked cubes made of contrasting materials: exposed concrete on the bottom and composite lumber on top. The wood-frame second-floor volume juts out 2.7 m over the parking area adjacent to the entrance in a dynamic columnless design. To ensure privacy in the first-floor master bedroom and children’s bedroom, the building is enclosed by a high concrete wall imprinted with the Japanese cedar formwork used to make it, which blocks views of the interior from the street.