The series of pitched white buildings was inspired by the work of architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen. “The shell of the house is a very simple form,” says Matthew Ford, “no turns or intersecting roof sections. This allowed me to use solid but inexpensive framing and roofing crews. We are always looking for the point where simplicity and luxury meet.”
For a cost-conscious 2,000-square-foot renovation located 30 minutes outside of Austin, Texas, architect Nick Deaver took a look around for inspiration. He spied galvanized metal cladding on the region’s sheds and co-opted the inexpensive, resilient material for his own design.
The home consists of three cottage-inspired forms that are connected by a more contemporary, flat-roofed central structure. “One of the main challenges was how to bring the competing aesthetics the clients desired—they sought a simple, historical vernacular architecture with a more contemporary aesthetic,” says architect Matthew Erickson.
“I envision people writing their books, music, refuelling their creative flow,” says Castillero. He should know about its energizing power more than anyone, really: it brought him back to his love of architecture, after all. “It’s truly my new happy place.”
Today, a California live oak blocks a view from the street, and a massive pine sits in the front courtyard—in addition to a Japanese maple, bamboo, and other specimens. Here is a look into the second courtyard and a covered patio off the kitchen.
The house is part of a working agrarian landscape, with its three distinct volumes—day pavilion, night pavilion, and shed—inspired by the local vernacular architecture.
The house is hidden from the road and sits on a hilltop clearing that overlooks the rolling farmland of the Mississippi River bluffs in Western Wisconsin. From this vantage point, there is a 270-degree view, with dramatic sunsets over the distant hills.
Located in La Unión, a city and commune in Chile’s Los Ríos region, Refugio 3x3 is set in a forest on the side of a new lot of residential houses that were built in response to the recent expansion of city limits.
This barn-like residence enjoys sweeping views from all sides to the picturesque Northern California landscape that surrounds it: Mayacamas Mountains, roaming sheep, and Monterey pines. An L-shaped ipe deck connected the main residence to an art studio and forms a cozy courtyard, complete with pool.
Protected by an overhang, and floating above ground level, this tertiary space is known in traditional homes as the "engawa." To sustain a unified look throughout, the floor and ceiling are clad in ipe wood.
The house faces the east, so in the evening, sunsets can be enjoyed from the roof terrace but the view of the city below is visible from nearly every room in the house.
Photo by Aldo Lanzi
The exposed rafters were carried into the exterior areas, including the covered patio.
Bifold sliding doors seamlessly open the dining space to an outdoor deck, which also cantilevers over the backyard. The space is covered by a balcony off of the master suite.
This Cypress-clad farmhouse by Workaday Design nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia was a family affair.
Maria Milans del Bosch’s Catskills home is attuned to the changing seasons. Sunlight pours into the double-height living room, where a Stûv fireplace and radiant floors keep the space warm in winter.
A cedar fence, porch, and chimney and a Minerit panel driveway syncs with the materials inside the courtyard.
Perkins & Will designs a mountaintop Passive House that takes energy efficiency to the next level.
To avoid excavating the land, Pang and Boyle designed a structural platform to keep the cabin level.
We'll be continually working on the landscape, keeping it as natural as possible,
A centuries-old blue oak stands near the intersection of the two wings of the house, which is clad in Alaskan yellow cedar. “We decided to split the house into two volumes to let in light and allow us to be more nimble with where we placed the structures.” Jess Field, the architect.
The upper volume of the blackened pine–clad home juts out toward the horizon for sweeping views of the ocean.
Located within walking distance to the coastal village of Matanzas, the two Maralto cabins are named La Loica and La Tagua after local bird species.
Built entirely from teak harvested on-site, this breezy solar-powered home in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, ticks all the right boxes for a pair of avid environmentalists who love surfing.
A striking compound in the 9,500-acre Galisteo Basin Preserve acts as a refuge for a retiree with her family and friends. It even has a stable for her treasured horses, too.
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