Simas Lucas Castillo

Even as the square footage of this cottage in Fayston, Vermont, shrank in response to budget constraints, architect Elizabeth Herrmann remained focused on making the space feel warm and functional for a family of four and their dog and cat. "I think the trick to making small spaces feel much larger is to design the experience of being there,

Light pours through clerestory windows in the master bathroom. Staying true to the home’s overall aesthetic, Sweet used simple, contrasting materials—white oak for the cabinets and Ann Sacks white tiles for the walls.

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.

The second-story studio overlooks oak, maple, and birch trees to the east. The Ypperlig table lamps are by Hay for IKEA, and the desk and floors are made of Viroc, a composite material formed from cement and wood fiber.

“We gave the architect a hard time by being ourselves, by being very stubborn,” adds Roi.

Remarkable for its walls of triple-glazed glass, Snorre Stinessen Architecture’s Ejford Cabin straddles two stone ridges on northern Norway’s Hallvardøy Island. Perched on a concrete slab, it intentionally capitalizes upon passive solar conditions and features thick insulation to minimize energy output.

Constructed of geometric shapes that are both soft and free of sharp corners, the Wing sofa gracefully rests on an almost out-of-sight cast-metal base, giving off the impression it’s floating on air. Designed by Antonio Citterio, the sofa’s sleek proportions make it a contemporary style statement in both residential and hospitality projects.

A modest, gabled 1965 hut on the outskirts of Guatemala City was transformed into an expansive 4,467-square-foot getaway. Blurring the indoors and out, architect Alejandro Paz adhered to the original architectural elements while adding modernized touches. The roof maintains the same angle as the original hut, but reversed, while new modules give the space a new identity. With floor-to-ceiling glazing, the home allows for the residents to take in the Guatemalan forest from all angles.

One of the main goals of the construction was to do as little harm as possible to the existing environment, which includes waterways that salmon depend upon. Herrin and his team created a garden roof that covers the full extent of the home to meet this objective. “This helps control storm water runoff and also replaces lost insect habitat—insects being a critical food source for juvenile salmon,” he says.

Langston-Jones, who grew up in Malaysia and Hong Kong, was attracted to corrugated metal for its its unique edges and visible flecks of material. He left the original 1920s corrugated steel roof and filled the interior with panes of the same material, as well as walls of sanded concrete and a concrete slab. “Inside and outside, there’s only one set of finishes, which succeeds in drawing the outside inside,” he says. “The climate here is wonderful, you can virtually live outside.”

Though the retreat is clearly meant to afford the solitude writing so often requires, Kathleen reports that "it's very lively. Deer approach, birds bathe. The sun warms my desk and you can hear the rain."

This 191-square-foot cabin near Vancouver and its glass facades "forces you to engage with the bigger landscape," architect Tom Kundig says, but it seals up tight when its owner is away. The unfinished steel cladding slides over the windows, turning it into a protected bunker. Read the full story here.

Stained cedar, ipe, and concrete form the palette of this modern, verdant 2,500-square-foot home in Kansas City. Indigenous wildflowers and native grasses grow on top of the structure; this planted roof also helps insulate the home and limited its energy needs.

A stepped concrete garden planted with herbs and flowers marks the descent to the house. The courtyard is the focal point of the U-shaped structure; there is clear visibility between the kitchen on one side and the children's bedrooms on the other.

The back patio is bordered by boulders picked up on the Gambys' land. Tanya says that particular design element will be repeated in the next home they build: "We've actually unearthed one the size of a minivan that we're going to use in the bigger house."

The building process was a collaborative one, with the Gambys and their architects engineering the house to meet building codes as the pieces were being installed. In the middle, a glass hallway containing the dining room connects to the kitchen.

A Bright Idea After build-out, the family realized they needed a light for their dining room. Tanya and Jackson took to their storage container, where they found fake flower branches they had bought at Ace Hardware, and paired them with a crumpled string of old Christmas lights. “We plugged it in and that was that,” says Tanya.

The view from the dining area extends across the lanai to the lawn, which never needs watering—it stays green from the island’s frequent rains.

Just off the kitchen is the lanai, which serves as the family’s main gathering spot. The polycarbonate roof lets light through but keeps the rain at bay.