Hidden away on a wooded slope near Basel, a crystal-shaped building can be seen. Rising up from a small clearing, it is just high enough to remain at eye level with the surrounding trees. The “Casa Forest” home belongs to a family of five who love the “art of the clear line” as much as they love nature. This is also reflected in the view from the kitchen-living room into the garden.

The house is scarcely visible from the neighbourhood road. You can only see the multifaceted building, set back among the trees, as you approach across the light-coloured natural stone slabs made from local gneiss. “The earth-coloured outer skin and the angular form of the building are in a constant dialogue with the natural surroundings,” says Juan Gonzalez from the architectural firm DALUZ GONZALEZ ARCHITEKTEN. “In dialogue with the builders we have attempted to create a contrast as well as a harmony with nature – externally as well as internally.”

The heptagonal building and the nest-like roof terrace are clad in massive fine stoneware slabs in irridescent dark brown – polished above and below like gemstones. The front of the building is interrupted by large, sometimes room-height window facades. The south side is almost completely glazed, allowing the daylight to penetrate deep inside the building. In the open eating and living area, the walls are executed in cool exposed concrete. As a counterpoint to this, the window mouldings and the shelves are made from honey-coloured oak, and this is then is also carried through in the treads of the stairs and floors of the bedrooms, conveying a natural warmth.

This eight storey building, whose façade stands out in the landscape, is situated in the residential neighbourhood Aguas Férreas, in Lugo (Spain). For its design, “one of the basic premises of the developer, Dmanán Viviendas, was to design and execute an environmentally friendly building with an appearance that would stand out from its surroundings”, explains architect Patricia Montes from Aringal SL, the architecture and engineering firm in charge of the project. Therefore, from the very beginning of the project, Aringal’s work focused on combining the client’s objectives with the philosophy of its own company, which is very committed to incorporating sustainability into its projects.

The majestic appearance of the façades and their clean design gives this building a unique character. “The straight forms, terraces, window openings and materials used are its unique features”, says architect Patricia Montes. Two materials were combined in the façades of this building, creating a play of textures: Dekton Edora, a light grey shade with a minimalist look, and Corten steel.

In dialogue with the surrounding traditional architecture, rich in masonry façades, the luxury residential building ‘8X On The Park’ literally shines with its glass façade and the off-white colour of Dekton Halo. Located in the northeast of Emery Barnes Park in Vancouver, it is a symbol of the city’s luxurious and exclusive lifestyle. Not only for its design, by GBL Architects, but also for its interior design and complete facilities.

According to Joey Stevens, from GBL Architects, ‘Dekton was chosen primarily to establish a contextual dialogue with the adjoining building, using the heritage masonry, but giving it a more contemporary expression. Durability was also an important factor for the developer’. Thus, the grey shades on off-white Dekton Halo provide a soft and shiny tone like the reflection of a crystal. It is the perfect counterpart to the protruding windows, glass balconies and ‘X’ shapes that give the building its name.

Noli Studios is the first co-living project developed by NREP (Nordic Real Estate Partners) in the historic neighbourhood of Katajanokka, in Helsinki. For this first project, NREP wanted the best partners and therefore entrusted the renovation and interior design to dSign Vertti Kivi & Co, a company with extensive experience in office, restaurant and hotel projects.

The project involved a change of use of a 1940’s office building. Work began at the end of 2016 and was completed three years later, in October 2019. A total of 263 studios of between 18 and 24 m2 were built, with a total built-up area of 12,000m2. In short, a project of significant scale that needed to “do well” in order to be replicated in other Helsinki neighbourhoods. Indeed, NREP opened a second co-living in November 2020 and expects to expand to a further ten new hotels in the next five years.

The renovation process was not without its challenges. For the renovation of the façade, the dSign team was forced to completely remove the old brick façade, even out the different floor heights and level the original concrete pillars. For three years, architects, contractors, site managers and even the Finnish Heritage Agency made a huge effort to meet the deadlines.

The RS Arquitectura studio is the mastermind behind this impressive single family home located in Sant Julià de Vilatorta, in the province of Barcelona (Spain). The creators of this project, which was successfully completed in August 2020, explain the creative concept and the challenges they faced.

The house is located in a prestigious area of natural beauty that RS Arquitectura wanted to highlight from the beginning of the project. For this purpose, the studio planned an L-shaped volume with pure and simple lines, which opens onto the garden and views, maintaining the necessary privacy and intimacy. The house has three levels, perfectly connected with each other, creating a seamless connection between the interior and exterior spaces.

The façade features three different claddings: Dekton is used as the main cladding, bringing elegance and subtlety to the space; then there is aluminium on the lower parts of the façade; finally, glass makes it possible to achieve this connection between the interior and exterior.

The finish chosen was Dekton Blanc Concrete. It is a material from the Tech Collection, reminiscent of concrete, which features small grey and beige veins on a white background. Its availability in large format slabs of 320 cm make it a perfect choice for a façade.

Embora o lobby residencial da Casa Branca tenha sido totalmente concluído em março de 2020, o processo criativo estava fermentando na mente de seu designer, Shiri Levy, por muitos meses. Tudo começou durante uma visita à sede da Cosentino em Almeria. Levy foi convidado para ver as últimas inovações de produtos e suas inúmeras aplicações. A designer ficou tão fascinada por Dekton que, assim que voltou para Israel, decidiu voltar para as fábricas da Cosentino em Almeria, mas desta vez acompanhada de seu gerente local. Nesta segunda visita, eles escolheram os acabamentos e as quantidades necessárias para a execução do projeto.

Como não poderia deixar de ser, dois tons diferentes de branco foram usados ​​na Casa Branca: Dekton Aura, com forte veios cinza e com desenho desdobrável; e Dekton Zenith, um branco nórdico sólido, sem veios ou textura. Classicismo e modernidade andam de mãos dadas para criar um lobby elegante e imponente.

Desta forma, o designer conseguiu responder ao briefing do projeto: criar um espaço impressionante e atemporal que combina inovação e elegância.

A superfície ultracompacta de vanguarda Dekton foi especificada como a fachada de um edifício residencial premiado no coração de Londres. Dois blocos de torres de 23 andares em Greenwich, os Union Wharf Creekside Buildings, criaram 249 casas para alugar no sul de Londres. Um dos edifícios modulares mais altos do Reino Unido, o projeto foi o primeiro no país a atender única e especificamente as famílias, com isolamento acústico de ruído e um berçário no local para pais com filhos pequenos.

Envolvido do início à conclusão, Cosentino trabalhou em estreita colaboração com os arquitetos Assael e HTA por mais de cinco anos para ajudar a entregar o melhor design e acabamento. 3.000m2 de Dekton foram especificados para ambas as torres no desenvolvimento de Union Wharf, adornando o nível da cobertura superior e dois lados de ambos os edifícios. A Developers, Essential Living, utilizou Dekton em um grande projeto de remodelação, Vantage Point Archway Tower em 2017, tornando esta uma decisão fácil para projetos subsequentes.

O arquiteto Moshe Zion explica com orgulho a inspiração por trás de seu último projeto, Villa Rosh Hanikra, uma villa localizada em um kibutz no norte de Israel, na costa do Mediterrâneo. As vistas de mar da villa são uma parte indissociável da casa e o elemento unificador que liga o interior ao exterior. Tomando essa vista do mar como ponto de partida, Zion projetou um espaço aberto e transparente com vistas desimpedidas sobre o jardim e a piscina.

O objetivo? Criar um contraste entre a frieza dos materiais com a aparência do concreto e do vidro e o calor da madeira. Os diferentes padrões de Dekton Kelya e Dekton Soke respondem a este objetivo, criando também uma sensação de dinamismo na fachada.

A escolha de um material com aparência de concreto cria um visual bastante industrial e moderno. Grandes terraços com piso de madeira e balaustradas de vidro são o contraponto perfeito para o efeito concreto. O calor da madeira e o caráter da cozinha em plano aberto, com sua impressionante ilha Dekton Radium conectando o interior com a área da piscina, envolvem o visitante quando ele entra em casa.

Quando o arquiteto Jomana Lahham foi contratado para projetar o saguão do G-10 Nazareth, ficou claro que ele queria criar um efeito teatral. O átrio de um complexo residencial é um ponto de ligação entre o exterior e o interior e é a primeira impressão que o inquilino recebe após um longo dia longe de casa. Esta área deve aproveitar a luz natural durante o dia e ser iluminada por uma iluminação sutil à noite.

Inspirando-se em uma caverna gigante e usando materiais naturais ricamente texturizados, Lahham cria uma experiência poderosa de tetos altos e jogos de luz e sombra graças a uma parede maciça em Dekton Kelya. Os pequenos veios deste material proporcionam movimento e aquele aspecto da pedra natural tão apreciado pelo designer. Além disso, busca-se uma textura agradável ao toque que ofereça aconchego neste espaço acolhedor.

O arquiteto transforma a dificuldade de um pequeno e estreito saguão em sua maior força, gerando um efeito de profundidade e drama por meio do uso bem-sucedido de um material escuro com veios em grande escala.