Located a short commute from Sydney's centre, Alexandria is a burgeoning suburb with industrial origins, observable by its skyline of sawtooth roofs, exposed trusses and utilitarian facades. For local Australian architect William Smart, creative director of Smart Design Studio, the conservation movement at the northern end of the precinct offered immense appeal.

Dressed in a fit-out inspired by filmmaker Wes Anderson’s celebrated style, The Budapest Cafe in Carlton, a student-dense suburb of Melbourne, follows the popularity of its predecessor in Chengdu, China. Brought to life by local Australian design studio Biasol, led by practice principal Jean-Pierre Biasol, the interior of the 94-square-metre cafe is imaginative and evocative, showcasing offbeat design elements punctuated by compelling blocks of colour.

Guided by property developer Lendlease, One Sydney Harbour sees the reunion of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano and interior designer Daniel Goldberg, founder and creative director at State of Craft. The two design visionaries previously collaborated in 2012 on both The Shard and Shard Place in London. The One Sydney Harbour site is already known as the home to the most expensive residence in Australia – the penthouse of Residences One was sold for over AU$140 million. But it’s the buzz that surrounds Residences Two, the next step in the harbourside development, that’s capturing renewed attention.

Overlooking a bustling street corner in Tokyo’s historic business district, the Arakawa building site and the commercial ventures it has cultivated have long contributed to the fabric of the surrounding cityscape. When the original building reached its expiry date, Japanese architects Nikken Sekkei focussed on creating a new gesture that would continue this legacy and contribute to the Tokyo of the future. The architects generated a landmark volume where a vertical network of stairs and balconies line its exterior, linking the owner’s private residence and office space with commercial levels available for lease.

The architects behind Monaco-based studio Humbert & Poyet have assembled an inimitable portfolio that spans the global stage. The duo is internationally renowned for the striking interiors of the Beefbar restaurants, The Hoxton hotel in Paris and the Aquazzura boutique in New York City, and are well-regarded for their recent work at the Ultimate Provence vineyard estate in the south of France, bookended by a line-up of prestigious private residences.

Occupying a 19th century brewery site, the Pfefferberg project in Berlin is testament to Germany’s reputation for spearheading avant-garde concepts. The innovative venture, conceived in 1990, was sparked by the desire of local residents to converge in the same arena where social, cultural and commercial activities take place. Today, more than thirty years after the project broke ground, it’s one of the city's most fashionable spots.

Located in Portugal, in the heart of Lisbon’s charming Estrela district, a formerly vacant commercial space has undergone the ultimate 40-week transformation, revealing itself as a health-centric fitness and social hub called The Gladstone. Designed by local architecture practice Studio Gameiro, the soul-soothing space corrals a private gym, yoga studio, lounge, bar, cafe, spa and therapy facilities under the one worldly roof. “Our client sought to bring an international vibe to the club,” says architect and studio founder João Gameiro. “We proposed an earthy, warm and global aesthetic, where local craftsmanship and Portuguese materials are shown subtly throughout.”

Spotlighting Scandinavian design amid an international line-up, Stockholm Design Week recently ran its course in the Swedish capital from February 8 to 14. One of the highlights among the seven-day program was the third instalment of 24-Hours, an event series delivered by British design house Tom Dixon.

Initially engaged to formulate the brand manual and visual strategy for Resa – one of Spain’s premier student housing providers – Valencia-based creative consultancy Masquespacio was later invited to design the university residence Resa San Mamés in Bilbao, a northern port town of Spain. “During the development phase of the brand manual, next to the definition of the visual strategy, we sought to establish the essence of [future] residences,” says Christophe Penasse, co-founder of Masquespacio. “During this investigation it was clear that it was important to augment the possibilities for the students to share experiences as a community in this new space.”

Causing a scene in a palette of dramatic blue and minty-fresh green, with mostly hidden hints of vivid red, the Studio Kitchen is the third experimental space designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Kennedy Nolan in collaboration with Australian surface-manufacturing company Laminex. This time around, the architects have put Laminex’s luxurious matt-finished products through the wringer, highlighting the immense versatility of the fingerprint-resistant range.