This house by São Paulo architects Denis Joelsons and Gabriela Baraúna Uchida is built against the steep terrain of the Mantiqueira Mountains in south-east Brazil and sheltered beneath a large sloping roof (+ slideshow). More about Half-Slope House nestles against a hillside in Brazil's Mantiqueira Mountains
From the death of fashion to the scandal-ridden Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Dezeen's social media editor Ross Bryant selects 10 of the most controversial architecture and design stories from 2015. More about Dezeen's top 10 controversial stories of 2015
Design Haus Liberty has converted a building with an triangular footprint in London's Shoreditch into rental apartments that fold around awkwardly shaped internal walls (+ slideshow). More about Design Haus Liberty squeezes three flats into angular period property in east London
The facades of this university building in the Spanish city of Getafe feature angled bays formed from a zigzagging arrangement of terracotta-hued ceramic panels (+ slideshow). More about Terracotta panels create zigzagging walls for Madrid university building by Estudio Beldarrain
London office Rick Mather Architects has completed an extension to the city's Lyric Hammersmith theatre, adding a new wing that houses facilities including studios for film, dance and theatre (+ slideshow). More about Rick Mather Architects refurbishes and expands London's Lyric Hammersmith theatre
Dezeen editor Anna Winston picks the quotes that sum up the year in architecture, covering the changing status of refugee camps, the relationship between New York's skinny skyscrapers and inequality, and the blurring lines between designers and architects. More about The top 10 architecture quotes of 2015
This Danish summer house by Norwegian studio Jarmund/Vigsnæs Architects is split into five buildings "like a miniature village" to enclose a wind-sheltered courtyard in the middle (+ slideshow). More about Five buildings surround a courtyard to form Danish summer house by Jarmund/Vigsnæs
A spectacular staircase can transform even the most average building, and this year we've seen them in a huge variety of materials and sizes. Dezeen editor Anna Winston chooses 10 of the best from 2015. More about Dezeen's top 10 staircases of 2015
A zigzagging concrete screen separates this refurbished toll house in the Dutch city of Zaltbommel with a living room extension designed by architecture studio Bekkering Adams (+ slideshow). More about Bekkering Adams adds concrete extension to a traditional Dutch toll house
This house near the French town of Caen spirals around an internal courtyard to provide privacy for the owners in an area surrounded by new homes (+ slideshow). More about Maison Spirale wraps around a central courtyard to offer residents privacy and light
Pininfarina and AECOM have beaten proposals from Zaha Hadid and Moshe Safdie in a contest seeking a design for an air-traffic control tower at Istanbul's new airport. More about Pininfarina and AECOM win competition for air-traffic control tower at Istanbul New Airport
Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has developed plans for a city of futuristic ocean buildings made from 3D-printed plastic waste which extend 1,000 metres below the water's surface (+ slideshow). More about Vincent Callebaut proposes underwater "oceanscrapers" made from 3D-printed rubbish
The final addition to our alphabetical countdown of contemporary bridges is Zaha Hadid's Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion, which formed the gateway to the World Expo in 2008. More about Dezeen's A-Zdvent calendar: Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion by Zaha Hadid
London studio Archmongers has remodelled and extended a 1960s terrace house in the city, refreshing the facade with glazed tiles similar to those found on London's tube stations (+ slideshow). More about Archmongers revamps 1960s London terrace using glazed tiles and an elaborate staircase
Our second featured bridge of the day is the Yangtze River Bridge in Wushan, China, which is one of the longest tied-arch bridges in the world. More about Yangtze River Bridge in Wushan, China
It's Christmas eve, which means today we're featuring three projects in our bridge-themed A-Zdvent calendar! First up is the Xiying Rainbow Bridge in Taiwan – a simple bridge by day that transforms into a rainbow by night. More about Dezeen's A-Zdvent calendar: Xiying Rainbow Bridge
Built near the heart of Melbourne's historic brick-making district, this block of apartments and shops has walls of black bricks that are arranged to create perforated patterns and provide privacy for residents (+ slideshow). More about Ola Architecture Studio's housing block in Melbourne designed as an "ode to brick"
SHoP Architects has partnered with two nonprofit organisations to rebuild 50 public schools in areas of Nepal that were devastated by the April 2015 earthquake (+ slideshow). More about SHoP designs schools for earthquake-ravaged areas of Nepal
A trio of wavy bridges created by Dutch landscape firm West 8 in Toronto provide the letter W in our Christmas countdown of iconic contemporary bridges. More about Dezeen's A-Zdvent calendar: WaveDecks by West 8
Property developer Landream has unveiled designs by Zaha Hadid Architects for a 54-storey skyscraper in Melbourne, featuring a volume broken up into four curved segments. More about Zaha Hadid plans Melbourne skyscraper made up of stacked "vases"