This issue of DETAIL magazine shows six international projects that were clever in cutting costs.

In Mechelen, Belgium, even the client stepped in to lend a hand: its timber facade shows off the high-quality woodwork crafted in the on-site workshop. Other measures include the use of modular elements and low-cost materials. The modest budget of Petr Stolín’s kindergarten in the Czech Republic is hard to imagine.

Behind its translucent fibreglass shell is a solid construction whose dynamic spatial structure features varying room heights and open spaces. In Portugal, Summary architects designed a housing estate with modular room units. In Paris, Mao architectes finished prefabricated concrete facade elements with steel railings and wooden shutters.

This issue of DETAIL magazine shows six international projects that were clever in cutting costs.

In Mechelen, Belgium, even the client stepped in to lend a hand: its timber facade shows off the high-quality woodwork crafted in the on-site workshop. Other measures include the use of modular elements and low-cost materials. The modest budget of Petr Stolín’s kindergarten in the Czech Republic is hard to imagine.

Behind its translucent fibreglass shell is a solid construction whose dynamic spatial structure features varying room heights and open spaces. In Portugal, Summary architects designed a housing estate with modular room units. In Paris, Mao architectes finished prefabricated concrete facade elements with steel railings and wooden shutters.