The 1969 summer house needed a gut remodel—so Carisa Salerno and Aaron Levin rebuilt it piece by piece: “In the end, we feel like we built a sculpture, not a house.”
Take a look at some of the most exciting, sustainable buildings around the world, and you may notice something they have in common: green roofs, or rooftops covered with a thin layer of soil to allow for grasses and other low-lying plants to grow.
The mid-section of the siding was done in a shou-sugi ban method. Custom brass was used for the awning, alongside a standing-seam metal roof.
In addition to being surrounded by olive trees, the property is also bordered by a stream and dotted with ancient rock formations, enhancing the overall sense of peace and privacy.
The concrete-and-steel home by Faulkner Architects gives one family a refined escape in the mountains of Northern California.
Wenes chose to keep the original brick floors to tie the older building to its past.
Located off paved roads, across a river, and up a mountain, Pablo Pérez Palacios’s cabin in the Mexican wilderness has a rooftop terrace designed for entertaining.
“In this house, the roof is the only facade—the rest is dissolved beneath it.” —Architect Aljoša Dekleva
The home, which is located on waterfront property, sits atop cement columns as both a safety measure and to take advantage of the ocean views.
Singer-songwriter-producer Mayer Hawthorne purchased this home in 2020 and queued up a pitch-perfect revamp.
A Cor-Ten steel planter running along one side is filled with Carex Ice Dance. “The plantings are minimalist, yet rich in color and texture,” says landscape architect H. Keith Wagner. The wood planters on the top level were custom designed by Kelton Woodwork.
Michael Waldron created this sketch of the Away Frame to inform the design of the completed project.
A third of the house and deck cantilever out toward the stream, and the void beneath the deck provides a place for wood storage. The cabin sits just 100 feet from the water, and with the windows open you can hear the ambient rush of the stream from throughout the house.
An oak beam spans the room, and a custom fireplace was created by Noor El-Mohandes.
Capped with a soaring roofline, the home appears to be emerging from its desert setting.
In the living room, a new wall of glass connects the house to its landscape, while a family-heirlume Persian rug adds softness to the new ceramic tile floor.
The Shinomotos have filled their Southern California home with furniture by Taku and pieces by some of the artists and craftspeople whose work they also showcase at their Tortoise shops and showroom. The couple worked with architectural designer Ken Tanaka to remodel the house, once a cramped, two-bedroom rental. A sofa and tables by Taku join Jasper Morrison’s Three Sofa De Luxe sofa for Cappellini. The sliders are by Western Window Systems.
Shipping container architecture is certainly nothing new—but this upcycled shipping container nestled into a hillside site in Terrasini, Italy, is an impressive interpretation of the typology. Dubbed the “Container Suite”, it’s surrounded by prickly pears and features an enormous glazed facade overlooking the landscape.
Le MICA is a strikingly sleek micro-home located in the Maelström recreational forest, just 25 minutes from Old Quebec. The tiny home comprises two simple rectilinear forms stacked atop each other and inserted in an open “box” form that functions as a covered deck area and frames the panoramic views of Laurentian Park. Wood burning heaters in the living area and on the deck keep the home cosy even in the depths of winter.
Ample glazing frames views of the surrounding landscape, further connecting the living spaces to nature.
The rear of the home unfolds around a central patio and lawn. The windows and doors are stained in an ebony color to match the dark cedar cladding and black metal roof.
The home’s entryway opens into a large great room with 12-foot ceilings and expansive windows overlooking Baker Park Reserve. Throughout the home, a simple material palette of stone and wood contrasts with bold matte black finishes.
For this Long Island project, architect John Patrick Winberry rotated the back of the home ninety degrees, designing the main living spaces around an L-shaped corner. This allowed the building to follow the path of the sun and “interact with the interior,” as Winbury puts it, through an abundance of carefully placed Marvin windows.
In addition to the Turkel Design signature post-and-beam construction, the Axiom Desert House also features a spacious great room breezing out to a private courtyard. The floor-to-ceiling windows allow the home to effortlessly blend indoor/outdoor living, while infusing the spaces with an abundance of natural light.
Adair and Kopp carefully studied each window opening in model form, testing the light quality and making adjustments as needed. At the rear façade, customized Marvin Special Shapes gave them the freedom to create the stunning showcase of symmetric gabled glass. The pair forewent a slick curtain wall in favor of multiple glass panes with visible mullions, to add coziness and maintain the scale and feel of a cottage.
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