Retreats

“The house is kind of crooked, with rough floors, and no fancy finishes—but it has lots of personality,” says architect Francisco Mesquita Moura.

A series of “stacked boxes” laid the foundation for this Sea Ranch–inspired home on a narrow site set on two flood zones and filled with protected redwoods.

When the residents of Sinfonía Verde bought their property in 2002, they had expected to spend most of their time on the beach. But the land changed in the twenty years since the initial purchase, and—drawn to the sounds of the regenerating rainforest—they found themselves spending more and more time inland. They asked Ben Saxe to design a house immersed in the canopy because of the studio’s “beautiful designs that work with the environment rather than against it,” the clients say.

A structure built in a Polish ROD cannot be permanent, nor can it exceed 375 square feet.

This 2,520-square-foot home in Los Angeles is a vibrant residence for a production designer and an artist.

"It's not close to highways,

Upon relocating to the Methow Valley, a family finds their compact cabin to be a little too cozy—so they roll up their sleeves and break ground.

RJ Guillermo and Francis Aquino outfit their 1951 L.A. home with a backyard oasis—and roughly 350 potted plants.

The three arms of the Apfel House stretch out to catch the best views of Ranco Lake and the Andes Mountains.

In 2020, Isabel and David Yahng bought their Portland house, which was originally designed by architect Saul Zaik in 1963.

As Nicolás Tovo and Teresa Sarmiento of La Base embraced modular design as part of their architectural practice, they noticed that prospective clients were wary of prefabricated construction. So the duo teamed up with Place, an Argentine prefab builder, to make a proof of concept just outside the Patagonian resort town of Bariloche.

The sleeping cabin perches on a rocky rise near the Floating House; Meredith imagines these two as a start of a string of buildings that will wrap around the island.

Whether it’s cross-country skiing in the winter or trail running in the summer, the 330-foot home’s minimalist design encourages Catherine to be outside in the surrounding landscape throughout the year.

The home is currently being rented out to recoup some building costs, and the owners are considering a permanent move after their daughter leaves for college.