Doors

Sunshine flows through a large gridded skylight to illuminate an atrium at the heart of the home.

The texture of the reclaimed timber door contrasts with the industrial corrugated steel facade. “We rebuilt the exterior with dark grey corrugated steel and a tall front door to distinguish it a bit on the street from its neighbors,” says architect Aniket Shahane.

The pedestrian facade at 2 Voss Street gives little indication of the cheery interior.

The architects designed the home’s expansion with the knowledge that the owners plan to continue the renovation when their budget allows it. "We wanted to put everything in the right place so it doesn’t have to be undone later," says Corti.

Architect Johan Sundberg looked to Japanese architects like Kengo Kuma for inspiration for the design of a holiday home in southern Sweden. "We call it the Katsura typology, but that's probably sacrilegious," he says. The eaves of the gently sloped hipped roof extend generously in all directions, turning the deck into a covered retreat that’s part veranda, part engawa, the Japanese version of a porch.

The master suite also features a private living room, giving Antonio and Estela their own completely separate space to relax in.

On a trip to Naoshima, Japan, the Houston newlyweds behind Robertson Design fell in love with Tadao Ando’s concrete-composed museums. This led the couple to create a residence of their own comprised of a low concrete wall, concrete cube, and box clad in Siberian larch. The indoors are rounded out with white oak, marble, and leather-finished granite.

The irregular gable roof and black cladding make for a contemporary building.