The landscape design, by Anna Boeschenstein of Grounded, followed a 2,200-square-foot extension by Formwork architects Robert and Cecilia H. Nichols. The front door is painted in Chinese Red by Sherwin-Williams.

“We did our best to tuck the buildings into the site—the goal was to get up high on a perch. It was a matter of setting that elevation and working back down with the topography.”—Riley Pratt, architectural designer

Ethan Schussler built his first tree house at 12 years old. His tree house in Sandpoint, Idaho, sits 30 feet above the ground and can be accessed by an "elevator" consisting of a bicycle that, when pedaled, ascends a pulley system to the top.

The architects created the illusion of more space by opening up the floor plan, repositioning the staircase and introducing sight lines to the large windows on the south side. Recurring black accents—from the dining room’s Serge Mouille light fixture to its tall bookcases—contrast the brightness of the crisp white walls. Walnut floors and lighter wood furniture like the Klaus Willhelm table and Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs cozy up the home, while colorful objects animate it. “We strongly believe that people do not need more space, they just need better-designed space,” Dubbeldam says.

The entire living and dining space features tough polished concrete floors. The architects intentionally contrasted the darker concrete and veneered pantry against the neutral white walls and marble. This color play runs through the renovated areas.

In the ground-floor gallery, 40-foot-long library shelving is punctuated by floor-to-ceiling columns made from white acrylic panels that conceal low-cost fluorescent-tube lighting.

Bill Thompson sits on his deck.

Melbourne Cricket Ground One of the world’s most famous cricket venues, the MCG in inner Melbourne is also Australia’s largest stadium and is referred to within Victoria as the “spiritual home of Australian sport.”Opened in 1854, the MCG hosted Australia’s first bicycle race, served as the centerpiece stadium for the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games and fills to the rafters for the Australian Football League Grand Final every year in September.The MCG is known for its atmosphere, and if you’re feeling especially loutish head to Bay 13, the notorious section of tiered seats that occupies part of the Great Southern Stand. This is where the uber-rowdy and enthusiastic regularly congregate. Photo by: Matthew 70

The front, middle, and rear yards are conceived as outdoor rooms. Pierre Kozely relaxes in the middle yard in a prototype of an outdoor furniture line by Pietrarte. A bronze Ganesh is on a raised pedestal in the middle of a small water feature.

Situated between the main living space and the other bedroom, the middle cabin is furnished with a Calder side table by Konstantin Grcic, a vintage Dalu lamp by Vico Magistretti, and handwoven blankets from Swans Island Company.

The home also extends into outdoor panoramas, even—and especially—from the ground floor, where a westward-facing deck cantilevers out into the lush landscape.

“In a way, we’ve grounded the house, incorporating topography as a main component of the composition from a more abstract box initial concept,” Carle explains.

Spiekermann and Dulkinys agree that their house—the first they’ve built from the ground up—is definitely different.

If Dayton is in the middle of a project, a large sliding door closes off the space entirely.

Envisioned as a live-work home, the architects allocated the groundfloor for work functions and placed most living spaces upstairs.

Looking back down, a view toward the ground where picnics and welcome events are often held.

The newly-renovated master bath features white brass fixtures. A small enclosed garden brings natural light into the bath while maintaining privacy.

Here also hardy materials—the dark oak stairs—contrast with clean white walls.

T-Boutique (Prague, Czech Republic: 2014) A passageway from the '30s on Na Příkopech, a ritzy street in the center of Prague, was transformed into a temple for tea from the Dilmah company earlier this year. Local design firm Studio Pha created the curved wooden structure out of birch veneer chipboard, which took advantage of existing skylights to provide an atmosphere where customers could sit and savor their drinks. Photo by Filip Slapal

Lawrence and Alice confer in the ground-floor kitchen. Traces of color are visible everywhere, including the orange-and-yellow curtains and pink coathooks.

Louvers, jalousies, frits, awnings, and exterior shutters—learn about some of the best-looking and effective ways to achieve a passive solar design in your home.

The ground floor is a music room with a kind of blue vibe, thanks to the Richard Woods flooring.

The square fountain at the courtyard's center is a modern rendition of a very traditional feature in many Middle Eastern homes.

Poured concrete floors on the first floor pay tribute to the building’s predecessor.

Jeffrey Kipnis and Stephen Turk's Figure Ground Game exhibition was featured at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles in early 2014.

The large sliding doors are a telescoping design, which means they fit into one another and can therefore maximize the opening to the yard.

An installation crew from ANEW nationwide network assembling donated workstations at Samuel Gompers Middle School in Watts. The surplus came from partner DIRECTV.

“When you enter the courtyard, you realize that you have left the forest and entered the house,” Hutchison says. “We spoke often with [the clients] about the quality of this courtyard. [The client] likes to call it his own Zen garden, although I think that he also likes that the courtyard facade serves to keep the numerous elk in the area at bay.” Concrete pavers, gravel, and ipe decking cover the ground.

The ground floor has a visitor’s bedroom for when Velma has friends over to stay.

This double-height stairwell, just adjacent the kitchen, marks the transition from the historic building to the new renovation. A skylight pulls sunlight from above into the home office below.

The feature lighting consists of incandescent bulbs encased in clear glass. Its brightness is complemented by spot lighting located along the room’s perimeter.

Ground Zero Master Plan (New York City) Studio Daniel Libeskind designed the master plan for Ground Zero, a complete redevelopment that features three new towers, a transporation hub, and a museum. Libeskind has been working with firms including Snøhetta, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Santiago Calatrava, to reimagine the Lower Manhattan site.

There are eight units altogether, with commercial space on the ground floor.

The ground-floor studio is fully equipped with IKEA everything.

South: Mark Word Design Mulch and living ground covers—like Big Blue liriope, marsilea, and Palisades zoysia turf—keep moisture within the soil and lowers the soil’s temperature, protecting the live oak trees’ roots.

The ground-floor office is flooded with light from two sides.