Project: IN 3 Location: Montreal, Canada Firm: Jean Verville architecte, Canada

Few can match the concept-driven formality of Montreal’s Jean Verville for sheer rigour. In this 160-square-metre Montreal apartment, a trio of palettes – the sparkling white of the quartz-composite kitchen countertops, ceramic bathroom fixtures and marble tiles; the opulent brushed brass of the monolithic floor-to-ceiling cabinets and wall panels; the muted grey of the painted mechanicals, raw concrete ceiling, stained wood floors and heavy curtains – skilfully straddles exuberance and minimalism. Designed for a composer, the apartment both functions as a backdrop for the art of living and serves up plenty of theatricality – a work of art unto itself.

Team: Jean Verville with François Bodlet, Stéphane Gimbert and Steve Tousignant

Project: A White House Location: Shanghai, China Firm: RIGI Design, China

This Shanghai lane house – long of site, short of daylight – began as little more than a stack of enclosed boxes. RIGI Design completely remapped the interior plan, tearing out a dark, narrow staircase relegated to one corner and replacing it with a central open stair that wanders across all three levels and acts as a well to channel daylight throughout the building. But it’s the details that make A White House so exquisite: The white-painted, perforated-steel stair treads are ethereally light, the playful pitched roof and circular motifs add whimsy to door frames and windows and custom modular shelving adapts to the family’s evolving needs.

Team: Kai Liu with Junyi Yang