While modern in style, Heva channels the beauty of nature.

This writer’s studio features ample lighting and carefully chosen windows and openings—essential elements of an uplifting she shed or other outbuildings.

Miguel Angel Aragonés is seen in the cantilevered second-floor bedroom that overlooks the rear courtyard.

The lower level is clad in locally sourced stone. The punched windows feature weathered steel accents.

When Alex or Bruce leave the island, closing up shop is as simple as sliding panels of corrugated metal into place to protect the windows.

A custom-tailored mechanism allows six floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors to open along the entire width of the living space, creating a seamless transition from indoors to out.

The hallway wraps around the courtyard below. Sliding windows blend the divide between the interior and exterior spaces.

Although the master suite overlooks the back street, shutters offer privacy.

The addition rises above the original shack’s 400- square-foot concrete foundation, which is partially visible in the living room. A Cricket patio chair by Hershy Way is used for indoor seating opposite a Morsø wood-burning stove.

A traditional Japanese tatami room.

The interior is spare and modern. The cabinets and chairs are from IKEA. So is the table, which has a DIY laminated-ash top. Suzanne Rochon bought the cabin in 2002 and spent a decade fixing it up before calling on YH2 Architecture. In 2005, she added five acres, doubling the property.

Designed by Vincent Yeuh of YJP, the Seaside House was created to act as an experience, rather than simply a building. The continuous flow of the home between indoor/outdoor is intended to highlight man's connection to nature, while allowing for a seamless shift between inside and outside living. Located a few steps from the beach, the two buildings that make up the home are constructed of wood and concrete, with elements of traditional Japanese minimalism and echoes of bygone barn structures throughout.

A look at one of the painting that hangs on the glass wall.

The house features Bayerwald sliding windows and highly insulated fixed glass; low-VOC paint from Benjamin Moore; and big overhangs to the south to shield summer sun and allow winter light. It was important to the family to integrate sustainable materials and strategies.

Dappled light streams in through the louvers, avoiding overheating from the sun but still providing enough daylight to reduce the need for electrical lighting during the day.

One of the home’s many sliding cedar shutters opens to reveal a spectacular vista.

“I wanted it to feel almost like you’re in a helicopter when you’re on the top floor,” adds Clive.

With his son, William, watching, architect Noah Walker tries out the floor-to-ceiling Schüco glass doors he integrated into a guesthouse he designed off an existing barn for Nathan Frankel, an amateur violinist, in Beverly Hills, California. The new portion features an open living-dining area. See more glass houses we love!

"As the windows are oriented in different directions, various daylight atmospheres fill the room throughout the day," Unemori explains.

This mid-century modern house was transformed from a municipal garage into a private house in the late 1950’s by renowned modernist architect Paul Rudolph. At project start the house was in pristine condition, virtually untouched since it won a Record Houses award in 1960. Ruhl Walker Architects in Boston were tasked with bringing the house up to current energy efficiency standards and with reorganizing the house to accommodate the new owners’ more contemporary needs, while also respecting the noteworthy original design.

Upon entering the home, a central gathering of clerestory windows immediately focuses the view. Architects Bridgett Shank and Megan Carter refer to this architectural feature as a ‘light monitor.’

Bi-fold sliding Marvin doors recall steel-framed factory windows, yet are actually built of black-painted wood and insulated glass.

“There have been so many cool things we’ve done in this home that we’ve been wanting to do with our clients for a long time, but it’s difficult to sell an idea to someone when you haven’t done it before yourself,” explains Joel. “Take for instance the living platform. If you describe the notion of a living platform to a client, they might think you’re a bit off your rocker, but when they see it and they see the kids playing on it and how it interacts between indoor and out, it instantly opens up new possibilities.”

Some of the large planes of glass are sliding doors that open to the outside.

“One of the great things about the Marvin lift-and-slide doors is how they disappear into the pockets,” notes Meelena. “It’s not a typical solution, and it offers exactly what we hoped to achieve with this home. We wanted to foster an intimate connection with the outdoors.”

Milgard sliding doors were added with the future in mind. “We really wanted it to feel big since we planned to live in it full-time,” Brian says.

Douglas fir-framed windows by Dynamic Architectural Windows & Doors offer layered indoor-outdoor views.

The architects installed Luxal aluminum glazing, which allows the interior space to be flooded with natural light. In addition, the floor-to-ceiling windows are perfectly positioned to frame the breathtaking views over North London and Alexandra Palace.

Living and leisure room

Kathrin is also a stained glass artist and this piece is from her collection called Bands of Color.