10 Best Architects to Follow on Instagram Right Now
Though based in far-flung locales from Ljubljana to Buenos Aires, these world-class architectural firms are united by their mastery over design.
Without a doubt, Instagram is a nearly endless resource of breathtaking design inspiration, and we’ve discovered some visionary feeds to follow from around the world. From minimalist dwellings to architectural feats, here are some award-winning ‘Grammers to add to your daily scroll.
1. OFIS | @ofis_architects
OFIS, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, consists of Rok Oman and Spela Videcnik. Their impressive repertoire of projects seems to defy gravity: structures teeter on the edges of cliffs, like the Winter Cabin on Mount Kanin and Alpine Shelter on Mount Skuta, or balance like Jenga pieces, as seen in their Parisian Basket Apartments and 3Shoebox House in Slovenia. Each design takes on a sleek, organic form, such as the writhing, snake-like Football Stadium Arena Borisov in Belarus and the smooth curves of the renowned Farewell Chapel.
2. Luciano Kruk | @lucianokruk.arquitectos
Buenos Aires native Luciano Kruk melds structured, modern design with the great outdoors in his individual and collective housing projects. His materials are concrete and wood, creating a balance of cool and warm tones complemented by greenery. Think blackened wood-wrapped walls, reflection pools, sand dunes against pine and acacia, timber-imprinted concrete, and massive sheets of glass.
3. Pitsou Kedem | @pitsou_kedem_architect
The Tel Aviv–based firm, led by Israeli architect Pitsou Kedem, creates user-friendly and accessible spaces that nevertheless bring a sense of drama. The team creates a continual motion between void and volume—barely there floating stairs, wood or metal panels pieced just tightly enough to be considered walls, an all-white room with texture from floor to ceiling. In everything there is an opening, a place to see through, and yet the space feels safe and enclosed.
4. Studio Saxe | @studiosaxe
If you’re seeking exotic resort vibes, look no further than the feed of Costa Rica–based Studio Saxe. Using sustainably sourced, local materials, they strive to build sensory experiences. Though contemporary in design, their stunning projects are one with the forest canopies and ocean stretches of the lush Central American getaway. One of the projects they’re currently working on are cocoon-shaped pods in the tiny coastal town of Santa Teresa. Situated in the treetops on a steeply inclined site, the structures are like fruit or nests hanging from a tree. The strategic development allows for the hotel to be above ground, while maintaining an environment that can be shared with the local wildlife.
The "Floating House" in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, consists of living pods that float above the forest floor, connected by flying bridges that hover over the landscape.
5. Nicholas Szczepaniak | @nicholas_szc
London–based Nicholas Szczepaniak can be best described as a bold minimalist. From bright, airy spaces like the updated Union Wharf in London with floor-to-ceiling windows and light wood, to the pitchy Chaps & Co Barbershop in Dubai with smoked oak wraps and black leather furnishings, their portfolio always maintains a luxurious elegance. They specialize in bespoke individual and commercial projects including buildings, interiors, furniture, and products. Just recently, they partnered with L’Occitane to create an sensory installation blending light and smell: over 2,000 Fresnel and Plano-Convex lenses were suspended to create a delicate veil that refracts and converges light, while scent diffusers emitted L’Occitane’s fragrance "Terre de Lumière."
6. Reiulf Ramstad Architects|@reiulframstadarchitects
Scandinavian culture permeates the bold, yet simple, designs of Reiulf Ramstad Architects. The Oslo–based firm creates structures with a sci-fi edge: a spiky roofline perched on the pine-clad Romsdal Folk Museum; the zig-zagging pathways of the Trollstigen Visitor Centre leading to concrete, steel, and glass viewing platforms in the mountains; and the geometric wonder that will be the Røldal Cabin, clinging to a steep, forested hillside.
7. Steffen Welsch Architects| @steffenwelscharchitects
Combining art with technology and social responsibility, Aussie practice Steffen Welsch Architects uses sustainable materials like hemp and rammed earth while embodying the ideals of Bauhaus architecture to staggering results. Just take a look at their underground pool created by harvesting rainwater. In addition to rammed-earth houses that generate their own energy and capture their own water, they also build gorgeous, modern abodes like the Glen Iris House.
8. Kengo Kuma and Associates | @kkaa_officialKengo
Architect Kengo Kuma is also an author and professor who runs research projects involving architecture, urbanity, and design with his own Kuma Lab. His firm spans over 150 architects in Tokyo and Paris, and their work is the stuff of dreams. They create with a goal to recover Japanese tradition in buildings and reinterpret them for modern-day structures. Kuma brings a sense of zen into his projects, as reflected in his seminal text Anti-Object: The Dissolution and Disintegration of Architecture, which discusses architectural relations, and respecting surroundings rather than dominating them. Some of his major projects include Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo, the Bamboo Wall House in China, LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) Group's Japan headquarters, and Besançon Art Center in France.
Based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia and Toronto, Ontario, Omar Gandhi’s firm has become a leading studio with an innovative, minimalist approach. The team begins with the landscape and delves into how the building can enhance it; if something needs to be cleared, they consider how the natural beauty can be salvaged or restored—and when there’s an interesting natural element, they incorporate it into their plans. With a belief that good architecture need not be expensive and that all structures should be "thoughtful, healthy, and elegant environments for its occupants," it’s no wonder that they’ve captured the hearts of design aficionados everywhere.
10. Saunders Architecture | @saundersarchitecture
Founded by Canadian architect Todd Saunders, the Norway–based firm has worked on residential and cultural projects across the country as well as England, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, and Canada. Honing in on architecture to attract people to remote and beautiful communities around the globe, the team creates anything from a base camp boutique hotel for backcountry skiers to personal projects like a two-building compound on Fogo Island for friends and family.
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