The form of U-House by Jorge Graca Costa was inspired by traditional Mediterranean courtyard houses to protect it from the windy climate of western Portugal and it's the twenty-first door on our A-Zdvent calendar. Read more about U-House »
More about Dezeen's A-Zdvent calendar: U-House by Jorge Graca Costa
Two chunky concrete storeys are perched above a living room without walls at this house in São Paulo by Brazilian architects Studio MK27 (+ slideshow). More about Casa Cubo by Studio MK27
London and Tbilisi firm Architects of Invention has completed a public services building on stilts for a city that doesn't exist yet in Georgia. More about Lazika Municipality by Architects of Invention
More doomsday preparations: earlier this year we published this survival kit for tomorrow's predicted apocalypse, containing practical items such matches and water as well as chocolate and hard liqueur. It's designed by Mexican branding company Menosunocerouno and you can read our story about it here »
More about Just in Case by Menosunocerouno
In case the ancient Mayan prediction turns out to be true and the world does end tomorrow, Central Saint Martins fashion graduate Minki Cheng has created a collection of apocalypse apparel for surviving extreme conditions in style (+ slideshow). More about Doomsday Survival by Minki Cheng
Danish studio BIG has designed an observation tower shaped like a honey dipper for Phoenix, Arizona (+ slideshow). More about Phoenix Observation Tower by BIG
This gymnasium in Utrecht by Dutch studio NL Architects has no windows but features walls that swell outwards to let light in from above (+ slideshow). More about Gym Hall Nieuw Welgelegen by NL Architects
Product news: a clock with disappearing hands and pen pots made of heat-shrink tubing are among the objects in the first collection from La Vague, a new online shop and collective offering work by young designers. More about First collection by La Vague
Huge rectangular holes puncture the walls and ceilings of this four-storey split-level house in Tokyo by Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects, the next window of our A-Zdvent calendar. Read more about House T »
More about Dezeen's A-Zdvent calendar: House T by Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects
Designer Philippe Malouin describes how the Olympics has changed Hackney in this movie we filmed at Dezeen Live during 100% Design. More about "Hackney is changing" - Philippe Malouin at Dezeen Live
News: German car brand Audi has announced a new design strategy, bringing the interior and exterior design studios together to encourage faster innovation and stimulate greater dialogue between the teams. "You can't survive if you just depend on one brain to do a complex thing like a car," said Audi head of exterior design Achim Badstübner. More about Audi announces new design strategy
News: UK firm Foster + Partners has unveiled plans to overhaul New York Public Library's flagship branch on Fifth Avenue by inserting a contemporary lending library into unused reading rooms and stacks at the back of the building. More about Foster + Partners unveils plans for New York Public Library
Sunken cruise ship the Costa Concordia would be transformed into a watery memorial garden in this competition-winning conceptual design by London architecture graduates Alexander Laing and Francesco Matteo Belfiore. More about New Concordia Island by Alexander Laing and Francesco Matteo Belfiore
New Habitat creative director Polly Dickens has unveiled her first full collection, 18 months after the household furnishings chain went into administration and closed all but three of its UK stores (+ slideshow + interview). More about New collection aims to take Habitat "back to what it was many years ago"
These seven star-shaped lights appeared in the flat expanse of Nevada's Black Rock Desert during the 2012 Burning Man festival (+ slideshow). More about Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle
Product news: British furniture designer Bethan Gray has created a collection of oak and linen lamps for department store John Lewis. More about Noah lighting by Bethan Gray for John Lewis
House S in Osaka by Suga Atelier has a concrete facade that looks like a rockface and it's the latest addition to our A-Zdvent calendar. Read more about House S »
More about Dezeen's A-Zdvent calendar: House S by Suga Atelier
Berlin and Shanghai-based studio Playze stacked up perforated shipping containers to create offices for an organic farm in Shanghai, China (+ slideshow). More about Tony's Farm by Playze
French architecture practice Tetrarc has applied a camouflage print onto the walls of this social housing complex in Saint-Gilles Croix de Vie to create the impression of shadows cast by trees (+ slideshow). More about Mervau housing by Tetrarc
Following MAD's spiralling towers in Canada (top left) and proposals for contorted buildings by BIG (bottom right), our latest archive contains all our stories about twisted buildings. See all the stories »
More about Dezeen archive: twisted buildings