The back of the house has sliding doors that open far enough to expose the entire livingroom to the families' back yard.

The building's shape and materials are the sort you find in a modernist residence in the UK, but it's the unfussy Japanese interior that reveals a design tailored to this multicultural family.

Gaffney's cousin lives in the house just in front. To give a bit of perspective, this photo was likely taken just feet in front of the waist-high wall that runs between the two houses's yards.

A beloved Japanese tradition is to char exterior cladding to make it fire resistant. Here, the effect on the front door is likely more aesthetic than preventative—though you can never be too careful.

Though the lane on which the Japanese House sits is off the main street, a rock wall affords the small yard quite a bit of privacy. It also nicely frames the second floor of the house from street level. Have a look at the traditional architecture nearby in the reflection in the corner window.

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.

The front door of this house in Scotland is built from charred cedar boards—a traditional way of fireproofing wood developed in Japan. In this case, the effect on the front door is likely more aesthetic than preventative, though you can never be too careful.

The house is sited in rural Scotland.

Gaffney and Kiku take in the air from the large sliding door bought from Timber Tech Scotland.

The framed aluminum of the corner window by Natralight breaks up the roof of recycled slate tiles, which is entirely of a piece with the roofs around it. The Scottish oak cladding comes from Abbey Timber and the black aluminum cladding from MSP Scotland.

The bottom floor contains the kitchen and the dining area; the lounge is upstairs. The cabinets are from Ikea, as are the table and chairs, and the child’s Tripp Trapp chair is from Stokke.

Designer Sue Macintosh chose the Farrow & Ball Off-Black paint for the master bedroom.

Forth Railway Bridge, Scotland-Dating to 1890, the first British bridge to be constructed of steel, and still the second-longest cantilever bridge in the world. Photo by: Brian Forbes

Cor-Ten steel from a ship building yard clads the new structure, which connects via a glass “bridge” to a rebuilt stone farmhouse containing the bedrooms.

McAvoy worked with builder Stephen Campbell on structural elements such as the glass floor and walls.

Architect Andrew McAvoy created an earth-sheltered house in Scotland for Gavin and Angelique Robb and children Scarlett and Gus.

The glass balustrade and floor were sourced in Germany and installed by James Aiken. Angelique, the founder of Papillon Designs and Landscaping, clustered plantings around the exterior glass addition.

Here you can see down the lane back toward the main street. The Portobello neighborhood in Edinburgh used to be something of a pleasure center with lots of amusement and activity along the Firth of Forth, a waterway just blocks from the house. It's near enough that Gaffney and his kayak wander over and get into it as often as they can.

“It’s a beautiful part of the world,” says architect Alan Dickson about Scotland's Isle of Skye. “The downside of that beauty is that land is expensive and very difficult for young people to afford, so they’re leaving the island.” In 2010, Dickson, of the Skye-based firm Rural Design, and local builder James MacQueen came up with a solution: a small timber-frame prefab design called the R.House, which can be constructed quickly and tucked onto less expensive lots that don’t appeal to well-heeled holiday homeowners. Photo by Marcus McAdam.

Surprisingly, this cozy and partially earth-sheltered family home—which is, according to Gavin, "one step away from Passive House standards"—started life as a series of derelict and semi- derelict farmstead buildings in raw and rural Aberdeenshire, in the hinterland of Scotland’s northeast coast. For the new structure, Grace & Webb fabricated a laser-cut steel balcony.

The lounge, with maple flooring from an old school in nearby Aberdeen, has a Togo sofa by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset.

Reclaimed oak beams dominate the upstairs lounge, which leads to the guest bedroom.

A Woolly Pocket planter hangs on the steel beam above a polished-concrete floor warmed by radiant heat.

Though not made of stone or brick like the other holiday homes, this two-person escape on Scotland’s picturesque Isle of Skye, designed by Rural Design Architects was made with corrugated metal, a material that is commonly used for agricultural sheds or

On the northwestern tip of Scotland’s Isle of Skye is a vacation rental that's inspired by the region’s traditional “crofter style” cottages, but covered with a skin of tin. Designed and built by Gill Smith and Alan Dickson of Scottish practice Rural Design Architects, this house sits along the rugged Isle of Skye coast and has a rudimentary form that recalls children’s drawings of pitched-roof homes. Smith and Dickson constructed the house using corrugated metal sheeting, which is commonly used for agricultural sheds or

Here's the Scottish Poetry Library, also by Malcolm Fraser.

The Scotland Street School, built in 1903, utilized warm pink sandstone and decorative elements geared specifically towards children to create a dignified space for students. This gave the structure context and relatability for its primary users. In this building, Mackintosh relies once again on the Scottish schema of the stairtower, but modernizes it through large glass windows that filter light and bold, modern interior staircases. Photo courtesy Mackintosh Architecture, University of Glasgow.

Mackintosh’s 1903 design for the Hill House perfectly juxtaposes the Scottish baronial tradition with a modern visual vocabulary. He combined a massive chimney and staircase tower with a plain, practical plan, incorporating local sandstone to give the family home a familiar, cottage-like feel. Photo courtesy Mackintosh Architecture, University of Glasgow.

A Kitchen B Dining Room C Lounge D Master Bedroom E Bedroom F Bathroom G Bridge

Donna Wilson’s Field Day collection is a celebration of traditional Welsh weaving. Made from a strong single-ply wool that softens over time, the Field Day Throw features a plaid-inspired pattern with a modern slant—unexpected colors and details complete the textile. The wool is spun and dyed in England and is then woven in Wales using the traditional double-cloth weaving technique. The result is a throw blanket that has an undeniable heirloom-quality that will complement a modern living room or bedroom.

A series of Thinkpods on the back of the Scottish Parliament building by Eric Miralles.

A cabernet Franc with venison and an issue of the Scottish arts tabloid the Skinny.

This previously abandoned granite 18th century farmhouse in the Scottish Highlands was restored and extended by Moxon. The larch and red metal clad addition references the gabled roofline of the original structure and is connected via a glass passageway.

Interior of Midden Studio in Scotland.

Eden Locke in Edinburgh, Scotland

The master bath features a wooden bathtub imported from Scotland.