The best view of the sea comes from the master bedroom on the home's northern edge. Byron Bay is popular for surfing, so the residents can judge the surf conditions from the bedroom before heading out to the beach.
Eager to leave Taipei behind for a quieter life in the mountains, a retired Taiwanese couple took the recommendation of their son-in-law and hired Spanish architect Urdaneta Zeberio to realize their vision of an affordable retirement home in rural Nanzhuang, two hours north of Taichung.
The project recently won a Gold Pin in the 2018 Best Design Awards. The judges were impressed with how “the residence settles completely and utterly into its location with exceptional detail, and a sensitivity that responds to its changing environment through the seasons.”
Saturday's winner, Nate Dy, poses with Dwell judges Kathryn Hansen, Dakota Keck, and Kyle Blue.
Having worked most of her life on a sheep farm, Claire is well educated, intelligent and unfailingly loyal. Now getting on in years and officially retired, she still skips like a pup in the mornings when it's time for a walk. The original Victorian weatherboard facade has been carefully restored and a modern and spacious two-story timber-clad building added at the back. Travertine floors integrate the internal and external areas.
In Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood, architect Tiffany Bowie built an efficient house for her father, Dave, a retired engineer. A prototype system by Kirio monitors the home’s energy use. Shou sugi ban cladding in a herringbone pattern provides a striking backdrop.
This 530-square-foot prefab in East Sussex, England, was designed by Michael Kendrick Architects for a family who wanted to build a woodland retreat/rental on their property. Immersing the lodge into the forest reflects the family’s intent to, as the architects explain, “enhance the ecological biodiversity of the area, protect wildlife, and enable guests … to understand and appreciate the fauna, flora, and unique history and nature of the area, while supporting and promoting the local economy.”
A family chose MyCabin to construct prefab structures in their home country of Latvia. The prefab structures have space for work, sleep, and relaxation.
Removing the exterior white siding and creating a new cantilevered concrete stoop was the first order of business. "Both Julie and Chris being structural engineers, I thought we should show off what they do with this cantilevered concrete slab for the new front stoop,
The garage highlights the Lubkes’ structural engineering expertise with a 13-foot concrete wall built by Dolan Construction.
Designed by Atelier Lina Bellovicova, House LO marks the first residential project in the Czech Republic to use hempcrete, a sustainable and fire-and-mold-resistant material.
The foldout bench top in the kitchen is the only detail from IKEA.
Jonathan checks the surf from the van’s roof.
The home is filled with pieces the couple has collected over the years. "“Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Josh and Matt’s house wasn’t either," laughs Josh.
The former sunroom, now a guest room, has a 1970s armchair by Bruno Rey.
FMT Estudio renovated the pool deck with sanded red bricks manufactured in central Mexico.
Red bricks from central Mexico are used throughout the outdoor areas as a colorful patio material.
Red- and blue-pigmented cement augments the color palette of the courtyard.
After the shell of prefab units is 3D-printed, the interiors are outfitted with wiring, plumbing (if the unit is larger than 120 square feet), and the client's preferred interior finishes.
“They were the lightest possible way to support the roof,” says Anton of the raw steel rafter ties in the newly vaulted living room. It’s a detail they’d first used in their ADU several years before.
What used to be the driveway is now a private side patio where the family regularly eats dinner. Ikea chairs join a table the couple made themselves.