Visitors learn about energy and water conservation as they climb outdoor staircases that lead from the forest floor to the 125-foot-high rooftop rising above the leaf canopy.

Ziger/Snead Architects constructed this ode to rowing in rural Virginia for a Baltimore couple who share a love of sculling. “Everywhere in the house you can see the moment where land meets water,” says Douglas Bothner, an associate at the firm.

The Wilson’s living and dining rooms are outfitted with furniture from B&B Italia, Fritz Hansen, Modernica, and Knoll.

Virginia State Capitol, Richmond, Virginia (1788) Designed by Thomas Jefferson, and constructed while he was Minister to France, the Virginia State Capitol underscored Jefferson's permanent repudiation of the monarchy (as well as the prevailing Colonial architecture he loathed). Its form ignited the American tradition of modeling government buildings on Roman and Greek temples.

Located on a sloped wooded site, the 7,500-square-foot Bridge House encompasses two stories and a finished basement. The multigenerational abode by Höweler + Yoon Architecture embraces its sylvan setting through floor-to-ceiling glass walls and generously sized terraces on the first and second stories.

Furnishings inside the home reflect a minimalist sensibility. A Chiva Functional coffee table by BoConcept, a Monti sofa by Dellarobbia, and Hans Wegner Shell chairs by Carl Hansen & Søn outfit the living room.

Equipped with an LG refrigerator and Thermador wall oven, the eat-in kitchen also boasts custom cabinets faced with an oak veneer and a natural stone island.

The kids’ bedrooms are located on the second story. Karis’s room is furnished with a Fatboy beanbag chair.

Large family gatherings are common so the dining table by Moon Custom Millwork comfortably seats 12; it’s made from wood that resident Sam Chung salvaged himself.

Tombolo Bath Caddy: Every bath caddy should be designed to hold two glasses of wine and a small towel to help keep your favorite novel dry. Price upon request.

Overton's installation has an interactive aspect to it, as the visitors can talk back and forth through the pipe. Image courtesy of Storm King Art Center.

An aluminum water-jet cut fence divides separates the house from its neighbors."My favorite part of the courtyard," says Höweler. He and Meejin took one sheet of metal and cut it down the middle in a zig-zag pattern. "It produces a 'screen' look and creates beautiful shadows. I like that it is materially efficient—there is zero waste of material since both sides of the sheet are used."

The fireplace surround and staircase are fabricated from steel with a clear coat. Enclosed with glass on two sides, the space allows nature to flow inside.

The Lost Whiskey Cabin stands on a rocky bluff overlooking Virginia's countryside.

Organized east to west, the steel screen varies in density and supports an angled roof, providing shade without blocking the breeze. Students crafted the furniture out of white oak from a local sawmill, and utilized prefab construction methods to cut costs and speed up the project to meet their tight deadline. “It’s a great site on the side of a mountain in Appalachia looking out into this valley,” says Myers. "There’s all this context, but at the same time, it’s an open field, so there’s no context. We got to respond to how the site is being used.”

Myers says the community had a positive reaction to the project and provided feedback during the entire process, from critiquing the 15 original proposals to opening day.

Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia (1962)Eero Saarinen's expressive and theatrical structure was the first airport in the world designed exclusively for jets. Topped by a seemingly impossible swooping concrete roof, the structure is described in the documentary as a combination of "curvy Jet Age with the classical architecture of Washington DC." Sadly Saarinen never got to see the finished project, as he died of a brain tumor while it was still in construction.

During game day, the varying width and spacing for the steel frames creates a spectrum of shadows that fan out across the lawn.

The current class at Virginia Tech will further develop the master plan for the site, which includes adding a press box and dugouts and continuing to turn the complex into a community resource. “It’s not just a matter of meeting budget, it’s about creative problem solving,” says Keith Zawistowski about the class. “They get a sense that architecture can solve everyday problems.”

The student-designed Sharon Fieldhouse opened last June after a year of concepting, community planning, and construction by 15 third-year architecture students. Building this structure was the first time the class tackled a project outside of an urban area. “It was in a pristine landscape, and the students tried to find a unifying, organizing element to fit into the environment,” says instructor Keith Zawistowski. “They made a linear incision, and aligned buildings along an axis, like a white line on the hillside.”

At one point, the student architects considered including a translucent glass façade, but budget realities and foul balls changed their minds. “The kids were playing games while we were constructing the fieldhouse,” says Myers. “We were a little worried about where a foul ball might go.”

"As a student, to see how much effort goes into taking a project from drawings on a piece of paper to something made of steel, wood, and nails, you find out architecture has weight,” says Myers. “It makes you think about things in a different way.”

The students worked within an $118,000 budget to construct the 2,000-square-foot fieldhouse. One of the students, Ryan Myers, recalls their first impression of the field—an old trailer with flat tires selling concessions and a porta-potty—and thought they could do better. “There’s a whole section of the county where people have limited means, and kids would have to drive 30 minutes away to play in the neighboring town,” says teacher Marie Zawistowski. “This structure helps 400 kids in the local Little League.”

Floor-to-ceiling windows by Sunshine Glass feature a five-and-a-half-inch profile aluminum frame. The LC4 chaise in the master bedroom on the first floor is by Cassina.

An angled 26-foot by 64-foot roof dominates the guest house, situated between a 1930s farmhouse and the Rappahannock River in King George, Virginia, approximately 60 miles from Washington, DC.

A Vine Romance One of Bernier’s earliest and ongoing projects is covering the exterior with vines, including Virginia creeper, which grows thickly and can survive cold winters. It not only helps keep the home cool in summer, he says, but also muffles the sounds of the city outside. For urban-friendly gardens, Bernier recommends the landscape company Jardinzurbains. jardinzurbains.com

The flooring in the house alternates between seven-inch-wide oak planks and slate tile, the latter extending to the first-floor terrace.

Located in Long Beach's Los Cerritos/Virginia Country Club neighborhood, the duplex occupies a 7,306-square-foot lot.

Architect Eugene Stoltzfus designed this house in Keezletown, Virginia, which features a two-story atrium that connects two wings.

“Mr. and Mrs. Chung were very conscious of having a house that their kids would want to live in, not just be willing to live in.” —Meejin Yoon, architect.

Like Kari's room, Jaron’s bedroom is furnished with pieces from Ikea.

Katie and Danny MacNelly met as University of Virginia architecture students and started their own practice, ARCHITECTUREFIRM, along with another former UVA classmate. Together, the couple designed and built their family’s country retreat, a three-volume residence near Virginia’s James River.

In fall, the color of this backyard in Charlottesville, Virginia, changes daily with the foliage. Elizabeth Birdsall marvels how new outdoor spaces on her property, like a patio furnished with upholstered seating from Gloster, make enjoying the woods an easy experience: “It’s like comfortable camping, all the time.”

In a similar scenario, architect Eric Höweler and Meejin Yoon devised a layout for Yoon’s parents, Hannah and Jason, in Arlington, Virginia. The pair incorporated a gently sloping ramp and an open kitchen for the single-level house.

The floor tile is from Virginia Tile, while the wall tile is from Daltile.