Looking back on the home from the concrete patio, its verticality becomes apparent. The zinc, cedar, and glass extension erupts from the base of the old brick envelope—diminutive but disruptive.

Impromptu reading time in the open-plan kitchen is encouraged.

Great Pyramid of Khufu, Hemon vizier to Pharaoh Khufu, 2560 BCE.

Chrysler Building, William van Alen, 1930.

Chateau de Chambord, Domenico de Cortona, 1566.

Palazzo Vecchio, Arnolfo di Cambio and Michelozzo di Bartolomeo, 1540.

Burj al Arab, Tom Wills Wright, 1999.

Ananda Temple, King Kyanzittha, 1105.

Dominus Winery, Herzog And de Meuron, 1998.

Casa Barragan, Luis Barragan, 1948.

Sydney Opera House, Jorn Utzon Peter Hall Lionel Todd and David Littlemore, 1973.

A pressed-steel Parallel shelving system by Terence Woodgate holds books and mementos.

In the living area, Brothers sits on an Artek stool while perusing a selection from his library.

For the Architecture Novice: Plow through these 18 tomes for the equivalent of a semester of architectural history and a really heavy coffee table.

The kitchen, Bulthaup island, and overhanging entrance-level comprise the remainder of the extension. A five-story double-sided, weld-free aluminum bookcase begins in the kitchen and rises through the lounge. A staircase traces every inch of it so that material can be readily accessed.

This cross-section of stairwell and library structure creates a shard of light for rooms on every level. At nighttime, LED bulbs under the handrails emit a glow.

Reaching for the skylight, the five-story staircase is met at the top by the custom bookcase. The skylight opens and closes automatically in response to temperature and weather. This integrated structure is the spine of the house, off of which all other spaces are arranged.

For the Product Design Novice: These five classics will beef up your understanding of design considerably; learn the process behind global design, ordinary objects, and the work of the greats.

Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright, 1939.

Palermo: Works on Paper by Christine Mehring and Christoph Schreier, $50, at davidzwirnerbooks.com This celebration of works on paper by the late German artist Blinky Palermo comes from David Zwirner Books, the publishing imprint of the blue-chip gallery. From December 8 through December 19, 2015, the gallery will host its annual pop-up bookstore, featuring a giftable selection of art-related tomes plus a signing event with artist Lisa Yuskavage.

Book storage is notorious for consuming precious space. Free up some room with Booken by Raw Edges Design Studio, which stores less frequently read novels and doubles as a shelf.

There's plenty of beach reading on hand.

Behind a traditional facade, the house was stripped to the studs and rebuilt with a timber and steel frame and a rear extension. “We were working in a conservation district,” says McLauchlan, “and there was a lot of back-and-forth with the community before the design got off the ground. We accommodated specific concerns about light pollution by adding a one-way film to the glass stair shaft.”

The Dept. of Corrections by Bob Nickas, $25, at karmakarma.org This book from art publisher/gallery Karma features writing from the critic and curator Bob Nickas tracing three decades of New York City art history.

Paul Rudolph, Eero Saarinen, Corbu, and Paul Rand account for a dose of the couple's reading material.

Side Table

The stairs roll out into the kitchen and dining areas. The individual steps are steel trays dipped in orange liquid rubber, to squeaky effect.

The extension is a two-story light box focused on the garden level, sunken below the front entry but at-grade with the backyard. The open dining area features a sliding, glazed curtain wall system framed in black aluminum, a timber framed seating nook, polished concrete flooring, and a custom dining table designed by McLauchlan.

Breaking the boundaries between park and library, Ruetemple’s book-objects invite the quiet crowds in a Moscow park to escape the mundane. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.

The lounge at the back of the entrance level exhibits the wide plank flooring common throughout the house. The view through the windows is made more compelling by the strip of green roofing extending the treetop canopy and the glass curtain wall that climbs just high enough to draw a sightline to the patio.

Proudly display your bike with Thomas Walde's Shoes Books and a Bike, a sturdy shelving unit with plenty of space. The stand is made of fir, coconut fibre and steel, ensuring support for even your heavy-set rides. A large clip holds onto the bike's tire to keep it upright and steady. And below the main shelving space, Walde has created three smaller areas for storing your shoes, helmet, books and bags. This could easily be the centerpiece of your living space. Photo by: Thomas Walde

This outdoor bench-bibliotheque brings new meaning to the phrase ‘surrounded by books.’ Promising to bring intellectuals outdoors, this gazebo features a small table for lunch or tea, and easy-to-clean slatted wooden floors. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.