Our Top 10 residential projects of 2024 are as diverse as the living arrangements made possible by great design: From stunning new builds on tight urban lots to co-living spaces in converted commercial buildings and renovations of single-family homes into multigenerational sanctums, we celebrate residential projects that brim with ingenuity. We also applaud works that make sustainability a central focus – as important as creating a warm, cozy and inspiring home. And we still love an aspirational cottage, especially an exceptionally graceful one crafted by the perfectionists at Akb Architects.

Here are AZURE’s Top 10 residential projects of 2024:

• Roco Co-Living, Liverpool, by SODA
• 144 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn, by SO–IL
• Northcote House, Melbourne, LLDS
• Brar Residence, Toronto, by Omar Gandhi Architects
• Whistling Wind Island, Pointe au Baril, by Akb Architects
• Ararat House, Australia, by SJB
• Casa Emma, Morelia, Mexico, HW Studio
• Casa dos Ripados, Cape Verde, by Oficina de Utopias
• Laval, Montreal, by Francois Abbott and Table Architecture
• Flow House, Chiang Mai, Thailand, by Out & About Architects

Roco Co-Living, Liverpoool, by SODA

While working from home became popular post-pandemic, living at the office never had quite the same appeal — until recently. With office vacancy rates at an all-time high, decimating city life in central business districts, plus an ongoing housing crisis, commercial-to-residential conversions offer a plausible solution. Roco, a co-living complex in Liverpool designed by London firm SODA, is a shining example. It started with choosing the right building: The deep floor plates of most commercial properties make them challenging to convert, but this 1970s edifice on James Street was a great candidate with its slim footprint and generous windows.

“We love working with existing buildings…It allows the city to retain its identity and saves a lot of carbon that gets wasted when perfectly good buildings are torn down,” Ryan Holland, director at SODA, told us in our original coverage of the project.

SODA broke the space down into 120 residential units, in a variety of furnished studio, one- and two-bedroom layouts — plus a handful of hotel-style short-term rentals. To make up for the units’ modest size, the complex boasts an extensive suite of amenities — from resident lounges and communal kitchens, to screening rooms, co-working spaces, a gym and a rooftop terrace — which all foster a sense of community. All that was left was to highlight the beauty of the brutalist structure: In the common spaces, the existing cast concrete waffle slabs were left exposed, further reducing the project’s carbon cost.

A floating timber “activity wall” serves as a central spine that carves out zones for work, rest and play, and is complemented by a palette of warm neutral tones that nods to the building’s ’70s style. With all the charm of a retro office and the functionality of a contemporary residence, Roco demonstrates the untapped potential of unused commercial spaces — and serves as an exciting precedent for this emerging typology.

144 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn, by SO–IL

It’s pink! That’s the first thing you notice about this condo complex in Fort Greene, Brooklyn — the latest collaboration between architecture firm SO–IL and boutique developer Tankhouse. But behind 144 Vanderbilt Avenue’s high-impact precast concrete facade (which, apart from its bold colour, also features a textural scalloped finish achieved with acid washing and sandblasting) lies an ingenious layout. The building’s 26 residences are connected via a network of covered exterior corridors that place a unit’s front doors along one side, and open up to the outside world on the other — a refreshing alternative to the traditional double-loaded corridor that all too often feels dark and soulless.

Sure enough, SO–IL envisioned its wide communal hallways more akin to a city street, allowing for neighbourly encounters or even the sort of “stoop parties” that occur among Brooklyn brownstone owners. These openings also provide better natural ventilation, with windows on multiple sides bringing better cross breezes into many units. Adding to the design’s focus on outdoor space, each condo includes its own private patio, and the building’s staggered design also creates space for a series of terraced communal gardens. In a serious sustainability boon, the all-electric building is one of the first in the US to have a QAHV all-electric hot water pump, which uses CO2 as a natural refrigerant.

Earlier this year, Brooklyn design studio General Assembly opened the doors to the building’s first residence, a model suite that doubled as a pop-up gallery (appropriately named The Residence) highlighting local talents like Fort Standard, Bowen Liu, and Fern — as well as General Assembly itself. By casting a spotlight on Brooklyn’s creatives, it reiterated 144 Vanderbilt Avenue’s community-centric ethos. And, inspired by the building’s façade, General Assembly even finished a couple of The Residence’s walls in soft pink. Well, technically, they painted them “Raw Cedar,” from General Assembly’s Ressource collection of limewash paints. But let’s just call it pink.

Northcote House, Melbourne, LLDS

Now for something different. Melbourne studio LLDS has transformed a compact space – a former car park measuring 22 metres long and 4.6 metres wide to be exact – into both an impressive feat of spatial innovation and a remarkable new home for the studio partners. In such a tight footprint, the architects squeezed in two bedrooms, a full-size kitchen, and even a library. But the real showstopper is the architectural language, which is perhaps best experienced face-on: The entrance veranda, which borrows from the Japanese “Engawa” concept as well as Victorian church halls, exposes the bent plywood ribs of a roof structure supporting a striking green canopy.

Inside, Northcote House is arranged around a central feature called a “snug,” that funnels natural daylight and ventilation deep into the house and divides the ground floor into the east and west bedrooms (and their auxiliary spaces). While the entire home revels in eclectic expressionism, the spiral plywood staircase here is a standout feature on its own. And that’s before you get to the back of the house. Designed as a trellis for climbing plants, the rear is enclosed in a lattice comprising 385 steel tubes that integrates an exterior staircase.

Yet Northcote House feels anything but fenced in. And its green gestures show that the home is more than an opportunity for the architects to experiment in form-making. The team employed only reusable formwork to erect the structure, which features only FSC-certified woods (many of the custom elements were made only five kilometres from the house by LLDS’ sister company, Power To Make), captures rainwater for irrigation and can be completely disassembled. The phrase “go big or go home” comes to mind. Here, LLDS does both.

Brar Residence, Toronto, by Omar Gandhi Architects

While century-old Edwardian homes are a common feature of Toronto’s urban landscape, what lies beyond the traditional facade of the semi-detached Brar Residence is far from expected. The owners – a professional couple with two young children – had a rather succinct but still challenging brief: They wanted a home that would accommodate not only themselves but also his mother, who has restricted mobility and uses a wheelchair, and they wanted to weave in elements that reflect their Punjabi and Trinidadian cultural heritage. To achieve this, they turned to Toronto- and Halifax-based Omar Gandhi Architects, who devised a bright and airy multigenerational home that is nothing short of spectacular.

Gandhi and his team’s main move involved the introduction of a vertical core. Positioned centrally, it houses an elevator that lets the owners’ mother navigate multiple levels freely in her wheelchair, taking her from the ground floor to her own second-storey accessible suite complete with bathroom. (An exterior lift attached to the back deck gives her full access to the backyard.) This manifold intervention also rejigged the layout, which in turn allowed for a stacked multi-level staircase that formalized a more efficient use of space on the upper two storeys. A sinuous steel guardrail unfurls like a ribbon as it meanders upwards; at the top, a new dormer and skylight flood the home with natural light.

In signature Gandhi style, the home employs a restrained yet effective materials palette (mainly warm white oak, lime-washed walls and crisp white paint) and high-level craftsmanship, both of which celebrate the original character of the house while making it completely of the moment. Riffing on the existing millwork, ribbed white oak panelling clads portions of the open kitchen/dining area, stairwell and the exterior of the elevator, while expansive glazing in the dining area creates a seamless transition to the large deck and outdoor space.

Thoughtful touches throughout infuse the home with the owners’ personalities and cultural background. One such detail is the perforated window screens fashioned after jalis (latticed stone screens common to Indo-Islamic architecture); they feature a repeated motif influenced by Phulkair, the colourful embroidered fabrics of Punjab. Elsewhere, colour, geometry and a sense of playfulness are stitched in through curated lighting, rich textiles and the owners’ art collection. Programmed with large communal spaces for family gatherings and connection on the first floor and private quarters on the upper two, Brar Residence is a study in successful multigenerational living, one that celebrates both people and place.

Whistling Wind Island, Pointe au Baril, Ontario, by Akb Architects

This past fall, Akb Architects marked its 20th anniversary with an exhibition that collected models of 20 past residential projects. (Shortly after, we spoke to Robert Kastelic about both that milestone and his Parkinson’s diagnosis.) The firm’s lovely retrospective was a reminder of just what makes an Akb house so special: a high level of geometric precision balanced by a deep sense of comfort. All of this is on full display in one of the firm’s latest projects, a cluster of four pitched-roof structures spread across a one-acre site on Georgian Bay’s Whistling Wind Island.

The main property — the owner’s cottage — sits at the highest elevation, while two auxiliary structures (a sauna and a boathouse that doubles as a fitness studio) are positioned in front of it on opposite sides of the rocky landscape. At the other end of the archipelago, a guesthouse affords visiting friends and family their own private retreat. While each of the four structures features its own, distinctly asymmetrical roof line, all are linked by a common palette of silver-weathered Western red cedar shingles. The two residential buildings (both built on the footprints of preexisting structures) also include wraparound wooden decks, while a system of bridges facilitates access to the various bunkies.

Inside the main cottage, whitewashed cedar cladding puts a modern spin on traditional wood cabin coziness, while a Muskoka granite fireplace surround further heightens the retreat’s connection to its rugged setting. Throughout, windows feature deep overhangs that help to reduce solar gain, while triple-pane glass panels slide open for natural cross breezes. The area’s strong summer winds were a big part of what drew the owners to the area, and the project shows great care for the surrounding nature: Rather than installing mechanical heating or cooling, the cottage relies on just wood-burning fireplaces for early autumnal heat. A tankless, on-demand hot water system powers the laundry machine and a dishwasher, but an outdoor shower and the lake serve as the only places to bathe. Something tells us the cottage’s kite-surfing owner wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ararat House, Australia, by SJB

Last year, SJB director Adam Haddow stole our hearts with his whimsical, low-waste residence in Sydney’s Surry Hills. This year, his parents’ more modest home in Ararat stepped into the spotlight. After 50 years of living in the Australian hinterlands, his parents decided to move into town, a walkable tight-knit community where they could comfortably age in place. They settled in Haddow’s brother’s first home, a humble 1950s-era abode clad in cream-coloured brick. SJB opted for a surgical approach that respected the embedded carbon of the original while giving it a much-needed makeover to better suit the couple’s needs — both present and future.

To the original three-bedroom layout, the architects added two new bathrooms, a kitchen, living and dining space with a veranda and private courtyard — plus a “good room,” a living room used mainly for entertaining. Accessibility is woven into the design, rather than added as an afterthought: steps were eliminated and walkways were widened to make room for mobility devices, and a tiled shower bench stands in for unsightly grab bars and a stability chair. “This house isn’t tricky – it’s just good, with a bit of delight and joy thrown in,” Haddow explains.

With few superfluous finishes, the focus remains on the simplicity of the architecture, the interior embracing the rich warmth of the red brick walls. Most of the materials were sourced within 100 kilometres of the site, and where possible, SJB enlisted local craftspeople (including Haddow’s father) to make bits and pieces. The result is a home with a keen atunement to the local culture and a profound sense of place. It’s made for proud parents, and very happy clients: “Truly, we love it. It’s beautiful — the light, the colour, and the intimacy of spaces. We’ll live out our lives here, surrounded by friends and family – what more can you ask,” they say.

Casa Emma, Morelia, Mexico, HW Studio

The old adage holds true: Good things come in small packages. Tucked into a lot measuring four by 10 metres, Casa Emma both blends into the streetscape and stands out from its surroundings. Its ultra-minimal form and materiality signals a refined sensibility, one enhanced by a narrow entrance that lines up with the fenestration of its neighbours, yet bearing an uber-rational expression – similar to that of the square window carved into the upper floor – that playfully subverts the norm.

Inside, the starkness of the architecture gives way to an envelopingly warm interior. The architects at HW Studio, known to conjure magic with their sublime residences, were particularly inspired by a visit to Lisbon’s Paula Rego museum, designed by the Pritzker Prize–winning Portuguese master Eduardo Souto de Moura. “Light filtered gently through a high skylight, cascading like golden rays on the museum’s surfaces. It felt as if every corner of the building was bathed in soft, velvety, warm light that touched everything and brought it to life,” the firm explains. That feeling of being “embraced and protected” by a space is what they most sought to capture with Casa Emma. Its all-wood interior is bathed in natural light (and benefits from natural ventilation) from a skylight that lends the carved interior, fashioned after a traditional granary, a painterly quality.

The centre of the home features an open-plan space with a living room, dining room, and kitchen, while a staircase at the back leads up to the bedroom and bathroom on the mezzanine – a floating white volume that pops against the wood tones. “The choice of changing material aims to blur its presence or make it appear lighter,” say the firm, “as if it were a piece of cotton floating in space.”

Casa dos Ripados, Cape Verde, by Oficina de Utopias

Since 2015, architects Ângelo Lopes and Rita Rainho have been creating projects rooted in social responsibility. These include the Outros Bairros Initiative (IOB), focused on the rehabilitation of three unplanned urban areas: Alto de Bomba, Covada de Bruxa and Fernando Pó.

Slat House, one of our Top 10 residential architecture projects of 2024, is a collective housing project that features five apartments on three floors. Its design, with two street fronts on different levels, is predicated on maximizing light and ventilation in each unit. “The project seeks to make better use of these two fronts by developing the apartments over the entire length of the plot,” the architects explain. Access to the main apartment is via the east-facing street, while entrance to the remaining four – two across as many floors – is through the west-facing side, where they are accessed through a stair corridor that also bridges the street.

The most evocative aspect of the housing design are protruding balconies enclosed by the wooden slats after which the project is named. They animate the building’s facade and filter sunlight into the common living/dining area. “Inspired by the colonial architecture of the city, they assume a disruptive language that creates different configurations within these spaces in the four apartments,” the architects explain. The gesture announces the building as a new presence on the site and gives its residence a dynamic perch from which to enjoy the streetscape.

Laval, Montreal, by Francois Abbott and Table Architecture

You’d never know it from the street. On a quiet residential stretch of Montreal’s historic Plateau neighbourhood, the same handsome rows of late 19th-century homes — defined by grey frontages of locally quarried stone — still shape the urban fabric. But from the back? It tells another story. Reimagined by architect François Abbott in collaboration with Table Architecture, an 1887 heritage home has been artfully expanded and renovated, introducing light-filled new living spaces and an unapologetically contemporary yet contextually attuned architectural language.

Alongside a new basement entry, the modernist addition creates more open circulation throughout the two-storey residence, while inviting natural light deep into the home. The subtle intervention replaces a series of ad hoc — and partially unfinished — former renovations, which made for a somewhat chaotic space. Alongside the newly finished and accessible basement, the new space features a tranquil ground floor reading room — which also bridges a gap between the kitchen and dining room — and the project’s piece de resistance, an upstairs fabric studio.

And while every space welcomes generous natural light, the studio is topped by a slanted skylight, which almost dissolves the boundary to the outdoors. Shaped by exceptional rigour and a well-honed sense of proportion, François Abbott and Table Architecture’s modest glass volume is Miesian in its simplicity yet gracefully contextual in its urban setting.

Flow House, Chiang Mai, Thailand, by Out & About Architects

In a climate like Chiang Mai’s, it’s easy to fantasize about an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Yet, while the Thai metropolis’s low latitude and slight elevation make for a pleasantly moderate tropical savanna setting, the bustling city’s density means privacy — and residential tranquility — comes at a hefty premium. Thankfully, it’s a challenge that designers Out & About Architects met with aplomb, carefully negotiating spatial constraints to create a multi-generational home that welcomes peaceful outdoor living and thoughtfully engages with an eclectic local vernacular.

Built for a sustainably-minded homeowner and her parents, the 150-square-metre home is contoured to bring natural ventilation into every room. Organized in two volumes joined by an indoor-outdoor corridor, the design pairs a trio of bedrooms alongside a smaller living room structure, which is framed by outdoor spaces on both sides.

The plan clusters private spaces into the larger volume, while creating a more sociable central hub that opens out to its surroundings. In both the corridor and the living space, the boundary to the outdoors is gently delineated by simple — yet elegantly geometric — walls of ventilated blocks. “As architects working in a tropical climate, our goal is to design a home where every room benefits from full cross-ventilation — a vital feature for keeping the house cool and maximizing natural airflow,” note the designers.