This home in Portland, Oregon has simple, boxy forms starkly contrast with surrounding residences, its compact shape and modest scale help it fit into the traditional neighborhood without calling attention to itself. The house was built around a large birch tree, with dwarf fountain grass and porcupine grass planted in front. A weeping blue atlas...
Modern Family Lake House With Clutter-Free Interiors
What used to be the family’s campsite on Lake Superior in Wisconsin is now a fascinating family retreat. The interiors of the 1,280-square-foot main house are dressed in clear basswood, reflecting warmth and evoking closeness to nature. Simple decor creates a clutter-free environment. Its unusual shape is framed by a storage building and woodshed made...
Natural Vacation Escape Of Three Wooden Cabins
Three small pavilions connected by a deck form a summer retreat that balances privacy with a panoramic view—all in less than 900 square feet. Working around the site’s unique topography, design-build firm GO Logic created each structure at varying elevations. Among the three pavilions are the standard comforts of any home: a kitchen, living space,...
Halbhaus: 17th Century Modest Alpine Chalet Makeover
Halbhaus is a 17th-century timber-frame Swiss chalet located in the historic Swiss mountain village of Andermatt. Halbhaus (‘half house’ in German) originally stood next to a house that was its mirror image, but was lost to a fire several decades ago. The heart of the house is a double-height kitchen and living area. Whitened wood...
Bachelor’s Tahoe Ski Retreat Wit Industrial Touches
Diverse and welcoming, the contemporary Tahoe Ski Retreat in Truckee, California, USA captured our attention with its many appealing design highlights. A large open-plan living and dining area serves as the social core of the retreat as it belongs to a bachelor who likes to invite a lot of friends. Stacked wood adjacent to the...
Sustainable Home Design With Solar Panels And Collectors
A collaboration between architecture firm Snøhetta, research company SINTEF, Zero Emission Building (ZEB) partner Brødrene Dahl, and Optimera, led to the award-winning Plus House Larvik, which was designed to generate an energy surplus that can power an electric car year-round. The goal was to demonstrate solutions to improve comfort along with consuming low amounts of...
Small Moonlight Cabin That Embraces Outdoors
Jackson Clements Burrows Architects built a small shelter overlooking the coast of Victoria, Australia. Envisioned as a place to get away, the structure allows inhabitants to engage with its natural surroundings. Sized at only 60 square meters, the small footprint aims to explore how small is too small, questioning what is really necessary in a...
Stylish Modern Take On A Traditional Mountain Chalet
Znameni Ctyr Architekti created this adorable mountain chalet in the Czech Republic that combines traditional and modern details. The adapted staggered profile with angles outwards on both of its end walls protects the walls from rainwater. The house contains four storeys: two set into the sloping ground and two upstairs. Granite flagstones give the building...
Floating Cedar House On The Side Of Lake Huron
Named Floating House by MOS Architects, the two-storey building provides a summer residence on the Canadian side of Lake Huron. Thanks to its pontoon base, the house adapts to the changing water levels of the lake, which rise and fall throughout the year. Externally the building is clad in a rainscreen of cedar planks. Living...
Cantilevered Lake Cottage With Airy White Oak Interiors
This cantilevered lake cottage by Christopher Simmonds Architect is nothing less than beauty in harmony. The home was designed to maximize airflow and take advantage of the natural cooling qualities of the lake. The softness and shadows of the filtered forest light creates an intimate relationship between the exterior and the interior. White oak boards...