Design Inspiration Blog — Breeze Blocks

Some projects carry a meaning that goes far beyond the materials used in their construction. The Peace Pavilion at Lake Ponca in Ponca City, Oklahoma is one of those spaces.

Set along Sailboat Side East near the shoreline, the pavilion was created as a place for reflection, healing, and community remembrance. It honors the life of Dr. Stephanie Husen as well as all innocent victims of gun violence, offering a quiet, intentional space where visitors can gather, remember, and find moments of peace.

For one Rebuild Altadena project, Justin Low chose Sun Breeze Blocks by Trina Turk to help create a safer and more beautiful outdoor living space. The design respects the 5-foot vegetation-free area now commonly referred to as Zone 0 or the ember-resistant zone. Sun Breeze Blocks create a patio perimeter that adds privacy, pattern, and airflow without completely closing off the space.

In researching the history of breeze blocks, we found that their story is less of a straight line and more of a shared architectural idea that appeared in different places, climates, and materials over time.

Mojave East in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a very special event venue with a strong design story. Tesselle Shamrock Breeze Blocks were used for several indoor feature walls, adding pattern, depth, and architectural interest throughout the space. Built in 1950, the 11,000-square-foot industrial building has been transformed into a modern venue for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings. The design keeps the character of the original structure while adding California desert inspiration, west coast ease, and a little Palm Springs glam. Inside, Mojave East features polished concrete floors, high ceilings, soft draped fabric, greenery, floral installations, modern lighting, and bright white...

This is not your typical New York City brownstone.  In Manhattan’s Lenox Hill neighborhood, architect Edward Durell Stone took a traditional 19th-century house and gave it a bold new midcentury face.