Ample windows cut into the north elevation of the Valentine House, behind which live the architects. The openings reveal lofty double-height spaces inside. The ground-floor garage often serves as a shop for architectural model-making. Photos by: Roger Davies  Photo 4 of 12 in Material Spotlight: 11 Hardworking Uses of Western Red Cedar from Modern Boston Homes

Material Spotlight: 11 Hardworking Uses of Western Red Cedar

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Completed in 2002, this Boston project is clad in Western red cedar and copper, which is slowly acquiring a green patina. Named the Valentine House for its street—which was named for the soap factory—the structure cuts a striking figure in Cambridge.