Architect Filippo Caprioglio punched oversized, single-pane windows into the facade of an old farmhouse in Tuscany to open up the interiors to the rolling scenery outside.

This "local prefab" home on the Isle of Skye is made mostly from materials sourced in northern Scotland. The timber-framed model, meant to evoke the simple agrarian barns of the area, can be constructed on-site in as little as a day and is designed for affordability.

In the Dolomite mountains, an angular copper-clad apartment building echoes the topography of its site. Photos by Hertha Hurnaus

Black and white kitchen cabinets painted with a triangular pattern add a whimsical touch to this funky kitchen.

Architect Alfredo Vanotti sourced the home's stone exterior from the woods behind the property. “I believe that mountain architecture is an emblematic example of sustainable architecture,” he says.

This serene retreat by acclaimed Italian designers Ludovica+Roberto Palomba, carved out of a 17th-century oil mill in Salento, demonstrates the charm of historic Italy.

In the living area of Daniel Rozensztroch’s Paris apartment, an Eames La Chaise and a butterfly chair complement a Moroccan Berber rug.

Dwell Outdoor held several full-size prefabs, including one from LivingHomes.

At the Miele booth, view the new 48" range with three main components: an M Touch convection oven with a deep cavity for cooking large dishes, a smaller M Touch speed oven that can be used as a microwave or oven, and a warming drawer.

Located right across from the Duomo, the Design Supermarket inside La Rinascente is always teeming with visitors taking in aisle after aisle of innovative design pieces alongside an ever-changing collection of temporary exhibitions. It also holds a special designation, in that it was conceived by the same company that launched the prestigious Golden Compass award in 1954. It's always one of the first stops Dwell editors make upon reaching Milan each year.

All weekend, Dwell editors hosted celebrated architects and designers on three stages in conversations on our built environment.

Locally sourced Italian slate covers the ground floor rooms; the coat rack near the entrance is from Zanotta.

“The inside is, for the most part, concentrated on the local craftsmanship, because I believe it is very important,” Vanotti says. “It represents our history.” Artisan Vanotti Mauro built many parts of the building, including its most prominent feature: the larch wood accents. A custom fireplace warms the living room.

Rialto Bridge, Italy-The oldest and most famous bridge across the Grand Canal in Venice. Photo by: llamnudds

Use this as a guide to finding the right architect for your new home or renovation—and what to expect during the process.

See La Carmina's house tour in full at www.lacarmina.com/blo...

Gunnar Knechtel Photography, Italy, Sicily, Town: Syracuse, Island of Ortigia. The house of Francesco Moncada. Francesco reading the newspaper in a street Cafe called Caffe Aretusa. photographed on the 27+28,12.2010 for Dwell Magazine

1986 Bolidismo movement is founded.

For a client in Fano, Italy, Decq clad the deck of the Wally Esense yacht in teak and added built-in furnishings.

Studiopietropoli created two houses on one site, each with fluid connections to the surrounding garden. A green roof creates a portico between them.

When Abbie and Bill Burton hired Marmol Radziner to design their prefab weekend home, their two requests were “simple-simple, replaceable materials,” says Abbie—such as concrete floors (poured offsite in Marmol Radziner's factory) and metal panel siding—and “the ability to be indoors or outdoors with ease.” Deep overhangs provide shade and protection from rain, so the Burtons can leave their doors open year-round and hang out on their 70-foot-long deck even in inclement weather. They visit the house once a month, usually for a week at a time, with Vinnie and Stella, their rescue Bernese Mountain dogs. Their two adult children occasionally join them. The couple hopes to one day retire here.

"The Monogram Modern Home has just enough room for entertaining and functionality, which is what cooking is all about," Christopher says. "The open layout allows for guests to feel comfortable and at ease walking into my so-called 'workspace.'"

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) set up a lounge with its signature red hue electrifying the show floor.

The positioning of the home’s roof allowed for a double-height, north-facing wall with four matching windows and an accompanying skylight. “The house refers to rural houses: a sloping roof, completely coated by stone and with no eaves,” Vanotti says.

The ground floor is comprised of a living room, kitchen, and bathroom that are all detailed with larch wood. In the kitchen, a retro Bompani refrigerator and freezer blend in with the minimal aesthetic.

Norms debuted in 1949 at the famed corner of Sunset and Vine in Hollywood. The 24-hour coffee shop chain, founded by Los Angeles-native Norm Roybark, opened its La Cienega flagship location in 1957. Architects Louis Armet and Eldon Davis, who were known for their post-war Googie architecture, designed the building with a large, neon, saw tooth pennant sign to attract the attention of passersby and to echo the futuristic diamond-shaped roofline and geometric elements throughout the diner.

Architect and historian Alan Hess specializes in Googie design and has authored 19 books on modern architecture, including Googie: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture and Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture. Hess will join L.A. Conservancy’s director of advocacy, Adrian Scott Fine, at Dwell on Design Los Angeles to discuss the demise of many post-war Googie-style buildings in L.A. and the necessary preservation of the iconic, midcentury modern design.

As per the owner's request, the second floor’s open landing receives ample sunlight. The space is used as a study and the home's two bedrooms are situated to the right, their doors just outside the frame.

Gino Sarfatti: Selected Works 1938-1973: "Incredible survey of Sarfatti's work. Each lamp gets its own page, plus there's an encyclopedic reference at the end for quick IDs."

"La vouivre" is a wood hut enclosed by a magical, anaconda-sized green snake concieved and built by Zebra3.

Visitors pass by a sentry wall of lamps from Design House Stockholm on their way to the airy living-dining room with its 52 windows. Photo by Wichmann + Bendtsen

Gunnar Knechtel Photography, Italy, Sicily, Town: Syracuse, Island of Ortigia. The house of Francesco Moncada.The market of Syracuse, photographed on the 27+28,12.2010 for Dwell Magazine

The concrete wall mimics the slope of the hill outside as a reference to early Maori structures that were dug into the land. The simple kitchen has strandboard cabinetry and an MDF island that conceals a fireplace at one end. The ceramic works on the built-in seat at right are by Raewyn Atkinson and Robyn Lewis.

After living on and studying a woodsy acre of land in North Zealand, Denmark, architect Jesper Brask cleared a stand of pine trees and, from the timber, built a getaway open to its surroundings. The house, which Brask shares with his wife, Lene, and sons, Kristian, Jens, and Niels, is used mainly in summer, when the weather is optimal for throwing open the glass doors.