Each of Vogel’s pieces are free-form turned by hand.

Using another service, Outback Power, Pendl can see how much energy he's drawing from (or sending to) the grid when his 450 watt wind turbine and 800 watts of solar panels are operating. This all being said, the trailer isn't yet fully integrated with smart technoly: climate control and HVAC are still a separate system. "Another nice addition down the road would be to add smart tires to the trailer so that I can monitor and adjust air pressure from afar," Pendl says. "I take the Airstream on some pretty bumpy forest roads—the high desert of Nevada for Burning Man included—and it'd be great to quickly see an adjust tire pressure for better traction."

When they aren't traveling the world seeking out design to share with their growing readership (and already loyal followers), Jill Singer and Monica Khemsurov are busy writing and editing stories from the comfort of home. Here, they search the web and have a laugh in Singer's apartment.

The architect at home in his kitchen with cabinetry that he also designed.

Architect Tom Kundig. Photos by Michael Burn.

Thanks to passive solar and radiant floors, the metal-clad home is comfortable year-round.

Leroy tools around on his mini turbo tractor while munching on a gigantic cookie; his parents look on with envy.

Bornstein and his daughter Velma sit at a table the architect designed himself; the dining chairs were designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen.

Architect Brian Zulaikha.

To allude to the nearby ocean, the architects designed a seaweed patterned for the interior of the garage door (seen here raised). It successfully reads like a leather padded wall and makes “the cube” feel that much more customized.

Oman and his partner Andrej Gregoric had the cupboards, stairs, and bed all custom-made. The interior casework provides storage and adds warmth to the concrete walls.

Architect William Carpenter, glimpsed in his second-floor design studio, built Lightroom 2.0 to sit unobtrusively among its 1920s neighbors in Decatur.

The home's exposed concrete skeleton, wrapped in oak, creates a warm, layered space for living. Oman split the floors by function, with common areas on the ground level, followed by the kids' rooms and then a third-floor suite for the parents.

The "lost" subway stations of NYC.

Situated within the world’s highest mountain range and just south of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Mustang is one of the last places in the world where traditional Tibetan culture remains intact. However, due to China’s ever-increasing presence in the region, and their building of a road connecting Lower Mustang to the walled city of Lo Manthang, near the Tibetan border, this status is under threat. There appears to be mixed feelings among the inhabitants of Mustang. Some welcome the road, as it allows for the influx of cheaper goods, but many fear the erosion of traditional lifestyles. Those seeking an adventure and a rare cross-cultural experience can pay the hefty permit fee of $500 per person and hire a guide to trek the ancient villages of Mustang, either by horse or on foot. Flying In Like most Mustang trekkers, I started my journey with a 20-minute flight from the town of Pokhara to the Lower Mustang town of Jomsom, which serves as an entry point for visitors. After a delay of a few hours, we were rushed onto the runway and into the plane to take off before the high winds returned. Flights are often cancelled, sometimes for days, due to wind and low visibility. Emerging from the clouds shortly after takeoff to blue skies and the tallest mountains in the world is both humbling and exhilarating.

Khemsurov: "The blue table is a precursor to Trift, developed in 2008 for Milan's Post Design Gallery. The chair, however, is a kind of inside joke — Seng acquired the broken Thonet frame from her grandmother's house eight years ago, and Valder kept begging her to fix it or throw it out. The feud was resolved during the move in May, when someone rested one of Seng's stumps on the chair's seat by happenstance. "Now we love it," says Valder."

In lieu of a checkerboard effect, Kovel kept his carpet squares all vibrantly verdant. With the bamboo cabinets and countertops the whole space has a pastoral feel. “I wanted it to be like the Bradys’ backyard,” he says.

Khemsurov: "One of the living room walls hosts a makeshift art installation consisting of photos the pair took on a recent trip to New York, photos from past projects, gifts from friends, and in the upper right corner, their first art purchase — it's part of an art workshop a friend conducted with children in Africa. The chair halves were part of Seng's diploma project at school."

The Sight Unseen gals' personal approach to coverage is evident in their thoughtfully curated slideshows. Khemsurov spent the summer staying at the Berlin loft shared by designers Judith Seng and Alex Valder, and the following are a few shots from her stay (the entirety of which can be seen here). From Khemsurov : "The apartment's huge kitchen offers seating for 10, on an assortment of found chairs Seng painted gray for a previous project. The pendant lamp was assembled by Valder from dual sockets he collected at American hardware stores."

The company is in the process of training teams around the country on how to install the simple but technologically advanced shades. The just-opened New York showroom is located in the A&D Building in Manhattan, and the Los Angeles showroom is located at 8687 Melrose Avenue.

J|Geiger shades are deceptively simple. Behind their sleek, minimal appearance lies a surprisingly complex technology invented by James Geiger. What sets J|Geiger apart is a patented, "fascia-free" design, which neatly conceals its mechanics. The shades smoothly raise and lower thanks to a wireless system.

Working with his colleagues at Austin Maynard Architects, architect Andrew Maynard added a 184-square-foot, sun-saturated greenhouse extension to his existing 364-square-foot home, and the new space serves as an office for him and his team.

The compact kitchenette is kept to one wall and appears of a piece, thanks to a continuous counter that hosts the sink, cooktop, and fridge.

Architect Thom Faulders inside his Berkeley studio.

Architect Brett Zamore in his office in Houston, Texas

The facade of a house in Belgium consists of "knitted bricks." “In this part of Belgium, 90 percent of the houses are built with brick,” says architect Tom Verschueren. “It’s a classic material that we tried to use in House BVA in a totally different way.”

Bryan Cranston and his wife, Robin Dearden, relax on a Lagune sofa by Roche Bobois. The couple’s home occupies a beachfront site that they’ve owned for several years. The original structure, affectionately dubbed the “love shack” was born as 1940s-era military housing that in subsequent decades became an uneven hodgepodge that defied local permits and was slowly sinking into the sand.

Archeologists Working During Excavation Implementing Studio Milou’s award-winning design was occasionally held up by archeological discoveries on site—worth the wait in an area that was the site of a Knights Templar fortress and a prison that held the royal family during the French Revolution. Photo Credit: Fernando Javier Urquijo/studioMilou architecture.

At the time of completion (workmen rivet panels onto the roof), the 365-foot span (also the height of St. Paul's Cathedral) made it the largest dome on the planet. Photo courtesy CHELSEA Space.

Architect Peter Eisenman reclines at home surrounded by his massive library.

Looking for the lost reindeer, Máze, 2005

Assembly's gridded wall clock, made exclusively for the Sight Unseen shop, is a thin, white PVC disc with a carved grid and reversible hour/minute hands that can be switched between black and white. "And the grid itself," according to the site, "rather than just being for decoration, was chosen for its combination of regularity and infinite possibility."

bioMASON developed a technology that uses bacteria to form a natural cement that binds aggregate into durable bricks.