Erin Moore of FLOAT Architectural Research and Design, based in Tucson, Arizona, designed a 70-square-foot writer’s retreat in Wren, Oregon, for her mother, Kathleen Dean Moore, a nature writer and professor of philosophy at nearby Oregon State University. The elder Moore wanted a small studio in which to work and observe the delicate wetland ecosystem on the banks of the Marys River. Enlisting her daughter’s design expertise, her professor husband’s carpentry savoir faire, the aid of friends, and a front loader, Kathleen and her crew erected the structure in September 2007. Photo by Gary Tarleton. Totally off the grid—–Kathleen forgoes the computer and writes by hand when there—–the Watershed was designed to tread as lightly on the fragile ecosystem as the wild turkeys and Western pond turtles that live nearby. “

Architects: Kirsten Murray, Tom Kundig

The kitchen island, also Douglas fir, showcases the material’s rich striations and color variations. Behind the kitchen are two bedrooms and a single bathroom. A large open air pavilion, built concurrently with the cabin, can be seen from the windows on the right.

Though the retreat is clearly meant to afford the solitude writing so often requires, Kathleen reports that "it's very lively. Deer approach, birds bathe. The sun warms my desk and you can hear the rain."

This 3,200-square-foot structure was assembled with a prefabricated foundation, concrete panel siding, and efficient built-ins, minimizing construction debris and toxins—such as concrete foundation tar—on the site.

Rahman did her own landscaping in the garden outside her house. The cedar fence was made with planks that were charred and sealed following the ancient Japanese shou sugi ban technique, which is supposed to make the wood resistant to fire, rot, and insects.

While a lengthy building lifespan minimizes environmental impact—for example, the charred cedar will last 80 years—an array of solar panels 50 yards from the house also allows it to operate independently from the electrical grid. A cistern collects fresh water from a nearby natural spring.

Inexpensive but sturdy James Hardie lap siding was used on the exterior.

The couple lounges in their great room. The 16-foot-high windows are from Milgard.

“Often when we talk about sustainability we focus on the gadgetry, what makes things feasible off grid,” Moffitt says. “But to me there are more interesting things in passive design that rely on the available sun and wind.” An eight-panel solar array does chip in significantly, generating all the electricity the house needs.

This dwelling joins a number of structures—such as a boathouse and guesthouse—owned by one family and used for vacations. They needed a new house to accommodate new generations at the reatreat.

In Eugene, Oregon, the designer Ben Waechter transformed a small single-family house into a sales space for J-Tea International, adding an eye-catching canopy and a cedar porch to entice shoppers.

The bright ochres of the Douglas Fir beams and window framing accent the gray and white hues of the furniture, floors, and walls.

Lilyvilla Gardens built custom wood and concrete steps connecting the street to the house, which flow into an exposed patio under the refurbished carport. In addition to collecting midcentury furniture, Ty Milford is a vintage car aficionado and owner of two cherry red Porsches.

A great way to get started is by doing some research. Have you seen their portfolio of past projects? Do you feel that your aesthetic matches the type of work they do? Can you ask friends for referrals?

Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.

In 1962, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architect Arthur Witthoefft won the AIA's highest honor for a home he built in the lush woods of Westchester County. Having fended off a developer's wrecking ball, Todd Goddard and Andrew Mandolene went above and beyond to make this manse mint again.

Sustainable features like green roofs, rainwater collection, and stormwater retention are integrated throughout the design. The project as a whole achieved a LEED Platinum rating. Photo by Bruce Forster.

In the project narrative published on asla.org, Mayer/Reed States: "For most homeless people coming off the street, it's hard to take the first step. We asked ourselves, how would we draw people in from sidewalks, vacant lots, doorways and undersides of bridges? We came to understand the symbolic and physical importance of passing through a gateway to enter the courtyard and seek help." Photo by Bruce Forster.

Artist Masayuki Nagase created these stone pieces in the courtyard.

The ASLA jury lauded the Commons's landscape design and stated the following on their website: "This is an SRO that is humane and treats people with dignity. The space is open and inviting and there is a nice use of material. The gate ornamentation signifies the decision of the residents not to be homeless. The space is laid out like a home and is very well-resolved." Photo by Bruce Forster.

Large windows allow the Commons' staff to surpervise activity outside.

The studio divided the outdoor spaces into a series of rooms, mimicking the circulation of a family home. The courtyard is adjacent to the men's shelter. Photo by Bruce Forster.

Here's the site plan.

One of the main goals of the construction was to do as little harm as possible to the existing environment, which includes waterways that salmon depend upon. Herrin and his team created a garden roof that covers the full extent of the home to meet this objective. “This helps control storm water runoff and also replaces lost insect habitat—insects being a critical food source for juvenile salmon,” he says.

In the DoghousePaul and Shoko's dog, Mei, has lucked into a small prefab home of her own. Making use of a water jet cutter at his office, and using Adobe Illustrator as his design tool, Paul fashioned a series of panels that slot together without any nails or screws.

Glass Farmhouse | Olson Kundig

Wood from the property’s felled trees was incorporated into every room in the 3,000-square-foot house.

Located in California’s Sugar Bowl neighborhood, this shadowy lair by Mork-Ulnes Architects looks like something out of fairy tale. "We call the house Troll Hus, with a reference to the otherworldly beings in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore that are said to dwell in remote mountains," architect Casper Mork-Ulnes says.

Upon his first visit to Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland, resident David Burns was immediately smitten with its varied, pristine landscape. Working with architecture firm Misho+Associates, he built a self-sustaining, 818-square-foot retreat that would allow him to completely unplug from urban life.

The Element House by MOS Architects stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.

The material was gathered from soil with high sand content on the property as well as a second site in the vicinity. Certain volumes of the home consist of a concrete structure and brick masonry.

House in Matosinhos is a minimal home located in Matosinhos, Portugal, created by nu.ma. The lot, where the house is inserted, has a non-regular shape, longitudinal, and perpendicular to the street Nossa Senhora da Conceição. It was important to keep the alignment of the house with the existing buildings in order to avoid formal irregularities within the street development. The interior spatial distribution is separated by function and by floors. Due to the longitudinal nature of the lot, the architects proposed an internal yard at the center of the home to allow for natural light to enter the dining/living room and kitchen.

Douglas fir columns frame views from the porch, located just adjacent to the living, dining, and kitchen space. A sandstone fireplace bookends this space, creating a sheltering and warming effect.

The architect wanted the stunning views to take center stage, selecting a neutral color palette. The polished concrete, in addition to storing the sun’s warmth and passively heating the space, reflects sunlight upwards to illuminate the living room.

A small airspace separates the building's aluminum skin from the wall underneath. The aluminum acts like a heat sink during the day: it absorbs heat but remains thermally separated (by the narrow gap) from the Element House walls.