WINDOOR

Arkup Livable Yacht

Rotermann Grain Elevator

The Rotermann Quarter occupies a historically significant location in central Tallinn, situated between the Old Town, the harbour, and Viru Square, which has been the city’s central point since the 19th century. Established in 1829 by Christian Abraham Rotermann, the compact industrial district once thrived as a hub of trade and industry, though it suffered damage during the Soviet era and fell into disrepair in the years that followed. In 1979, the decaying district served as the set for Andrei Tarkovsky’s film "Stalker." Recognized for its historical value by the National Heritage Board in 2001, the quarter today integrates old industrial buildings with contemporary architecture. Notable examples include the historic supervisory building in front of the grain elevator, which now houses a restaurant; its roof was raised by one metre to bring in natural light and create usable space on the second floor. The grain elevator on Hobujaama Street, completed in 1904, stretches over 100 metres with long, windowless limestone facades reinforced by metal straps that once contained expanding grain. Its ground floor hosts business premises while preserving the original grain hoppers, and an arcade provides access to the inner street and district centre. Dance studios occupy the windowless floors, and attic offices feature skylights with views across the quarter and the Old Town, blending historical industrial character with modern functionality.

Enchanting Waters

Jahu Apartment Building / RAAM Architecture

The Jahu apartment building, located in Kalamaja, occupies a unique position between two distinct architectural contexts: one with well-preserved historical wooden houses and the other with modern structures. The 5-storey building, which houses 37 apartments and spans a footprint of 840 m2, is carefully integrated into the site to preserve valuable trees and create a south-facing garden with lilacs, apple, and cherry trees—reflecting the characteristic gardens of Kalamaja's historic courtyards. Ground-floor apartments feature terraces with small gardens, providing privacy from the public spaces. The building's design takes inspiration from the historical Kalamaja houses, with the roof's angles and dormers mirroring the neighboring wooden structures. To blend the 5-storey building into the predominantly 3-storey context, the upper floors are set back starting from the 3rd floor, creating roof terraces with sea views for the apartments. The facades are clad in Siberian larch, with the street-facing side in a darker hue and the courtyard side left in its natural wood color. The ground-floor facade along Jahu Street is adorned with custom art perforated Liberta Cor-Ten 700 TM cassettes, reflecting the historical context of the street's name—“Jahu,” meaning flour, referencing the flour warehouse that once stood on the site in the late 19th century. These perforated panels also feature in the parking lot signs and the common garden pergola, with motifs representing crops, further tying the building to its rich local history.

Aquas Perma Solar Firma House / CplusC Architectural Workshop

Located in a former light industrial area, AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA reconsiders the terrace typology stamped along Sydney's streets and provides a site sensitive response to a functional brief. The clients were keen to experiment how their site might work harder for them in the realms of energy and food production. AQUAS PERMA SOLAR FIRMA is a home tailored to the needs of a modern, environmentally conscious and socially responsible couple. One of CplusC Architectural Workshop's most sustainable projects, it includes an aquaponics system for fish harvesting, rain water storage for use throughout the home, a wicking bed to filter water, compost, a worm farm and chicken coop working in harmony with a productive vegetable garden, an evacuated glass tube solar hot water system and a 3KW photovoltaic power generation system to run the home and charge the couple's electric car. Vertical circulation is shifted to the front façade and a circular stair is formed by an array of glass and timber battens which doubles as an internal garden. The house combines innovative architectural design with off grid green initiatives. A central courtyard provides all internal spaces with superior natural light and access to green spaces despite site restrictions, while planting beds are integrated into the home to improve internal air quality. The home also has a versatile primary living space; it is an entertaining space, a 'work from home' space and can transform into a blank canvas at a moment's notice. Seamless integration of green spaces within the home was a key design objective. Vertically hung sliding doors operated via a rack and pinion crankwheel paired with a custom concrete counterweight open the interior of the house to the courtyard and the kitchen has an unobstructed connection to the rear yard with sliding, stacking doors that disappear from view.