A new architectural roundup highlights eight remarkable houses from around the world that demonstrate the versatile beauty of earth-toned plaster and render finishes. From a micro home in India to a fortress-like residence in Greece, these projects showcase how traditional building materials can create stunning contemporary designs while providing both aesthetic appeal and practical benefits.
Plaster and render serve dual purposes in modern architecture, creating uniform wall finishes while adding protective, weatherproof layers to buildings. These materials can be modified with various additives like brick dust or hemp to alter their color properties and enhance insulation qualities, offering architects creative flexibility in both form and function.
In Greece, Kapsimalis Architects broke from Santorini's traditional whitewashed aesthetic with their House in Pyrgos, covering the fortress-style holiday home's exterior in earth-toned render. The reinforced concrete structure's angular form draws inspiration from rocky outcrops and the island's historic castle fortifications, creating a dramatic departure from typical island architecture.
Spanish architecture practice Nomo Studio designed Zenith House in Menorca, featuring a terracotta-pigmented render that cloaks both walls and roofs of the single-story holiday home. The colored exterior was specifically chosen to accentuate the building's geometric composition of eight connected square modules, topped with alternating flat green roofs and four-sided pitched roofs that blend seamlessly with the local arid landscape.
Addressing affordable housing needs in India, architects Harshit Singh Kothari and Tanvi Jain created Tiny House on the outskirts of Indore as a micro home prototype. The brick walls were externally covered in earth-colored plaster, while interior materials including marble flooring, teak window frames, and granite worktops were selected to give the compact space an 'aspirational' quality despite its modest size.
Portuguese practice Extrastudio employed a rough layer of earth-toned lime plaster to coat Casa Plaj's simple gabled form near a coastal village in the Lourinhã region. The home was strategically raised on a platform atop four concrete walls, allowing its overhanging terraces to extend gracefully over the surrounding landscape and create seamless indoor-outdoor living spaces.
In Kenya, Studio Mehta Architecture designed UA House in Kilifi with limestone-block walls covered in lime plaster mixed with quarry dust, creating a distinctive pink hue that complements the surrounding landscape. The design emphasizes natural ventilation, with rooms opening onto landscaped courtyards to ensure comfortable year-round living conditions in the tropical climate.
Spanish studio Raúl Sánchez Architects concealed the concrete structure of Casa Magarola with burnt orange-toned render, perching the blocky home on a steeply sloping site near Barcelona. The design creates a sense of discovery, unfolding from a minimal single-story street-facing facade to reveal a dramatic two-story elevation overlooking the valley below.
In Western Australia, architecture studio State of Kin wrapped Proclamation House in olive-toned hemp render, creating both an earthy aesthetic and improved insulation for the sculptural concrete residence. Designed for a couple and one of their elderly parents, the home features a landscaped courtyard with a small pool, demonstrating how sustainable materials can enhance both comfort and visual appeal.
Indian architecture studio Nowhere completed the transformation of Mayalogili in Hyderabad, covering the exterior renovation in rough red-brown plaster made from brick and marble dust generated during the construction process. This sustainable approach not only reduced waste but also introduced a tactile quality that connects the home's residents with nature while giving new life to a previously worn-down structure.
These eight projects demonstrate the remarkable versatility of earth-toned plasters and renders in contemporary architecture, showing how traditional materials can be adapted for modern design challenges while maintaining strong connections to local landscapes and building traditions.
