1456 Angelus Avenue in Los Angeles, California, is currently listed for $1,695,000 by Ellen Philips of Sotheby's International Realty.
The exposed solid cork blocks are gentle to the touch, and they even smell good. The acoustics are soft and calm, and the house only requires heating on the coldest days. The stove is fed with logs harvested from on-site tree maintenance.
"It is also possible to add a separate kitchen island in a different color than the rest of the kitchen," suggests Christensen.
The roof of the garden house and main extension have been built from metal decking, which is left exposed in the interior. "Metal decking is almost never used for domestic projects but it allowed us to create an articulated ceiling with linear ‘vaults’ or ‘waves’ instead of the boring more traditional ‘cover it with gypsum boards’ approach,
Dornier employed recycled Tetra Pak cartons as a siding material. “The reflective characteristics of the material help the architecture blend into the surroundings,” he says.
The materials for the prefab were chosen to help the lodge blend into the wood. According to the architects, “the lodge features an intentionally limited palette of natural materials, including the same species of timber, western red cedar, on the external cladding and internal lining. Left unfinished, the exterior will weather naturally to a silver-gray color that is reminiscent of the local landscape, which will contrast the cozy, warmer tones of the interior."
This 530-square-foot prefab in East Sussex, England, was designed by Michael Kendrick Architects for a family who wanted to build a woodland retreat/rental on their property. Immersing the lodge into the forest reflects the family’s intent to, as the architects explain, “enhance the ecological biodiversity of the area, protect wildlife, and enable guests … to understand and appreciate the fauna, flora, and unique history and nature of the area, while supporting and promoting the local economy.”
According to the architects iHouse Estudio, this prefab in Punto del Este, Urugay, aims to immerse the residents in the forested surroundings. “Continuing with this idea,” they add, “the house features a flowing interior with no interior walls. Inside, blocks contain bathrooms, a kitchen, and closets, freeing the rest of the spaces to connect with the setting. The forest is framed at all times."
The new palette utilizes white oak wood floors and tabletops, white plastic laminate, aluminum, Scalamandre fabric leftover from the couple’s home remodel, and surprisingly, Carrara marble.