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Duncan Nielsen is Dwell’s design news editor. His coverage includes everything from Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired sneakers to ADU legislation. Share tips or ideas at duncan at dwell dot com.

Take 10 Minutes to Help People in Texas After the Winter Storms
In the wake of devastating storms, many people are in need of food, water, shelter, and other resources—here’s how you can help.
7 Groundbreaking Designs From Around the World That Can Help Us Build the Perfect City
Presented in “The Ideal City,” a new book by IKEA’s design lab, these ideas by leading architects give us the blueprint for...
A Log Cabin Kit Home Pops Up at the Edge of a Lake in Southern Finland
Prefab builder Pluspuu erects a rustic yet refined retreat an hour’s drive from Helsinki.
For $1,000 a Month, You Can Own a Tiny Home at This Village in Florida
To keep up with demand, ESCAPE is expanding their recently completed tiny home village in Tampa Bay.
Demar Matthews Wants to Bring Distinctly Black Architecture to American Neighborhoods
The designer is out to establish a new vernacular—one that “elevates, not denigrates,” Black identity within the built...
A New Children’s Book by MOS Architects Chronicles a Family’s Quest for the Perfect Home
In the whimsical hardcover “Houses for Sale,” a family visits the greatest homes in architectural history to find the right fit.
These 7 Timber Homes Remind Us That Wood Knows No Bounds
Wood is one of the world’s oldest building materials—but as these contemporary homes show, there’s still room to grow.
You Need to See This Gingerbread Replica of the Midcentury House on “Ozark”
After binging the Netflix series on lockdown, Bay Area chef Anthony Strong crafted this sweet retreat—complete with a cookie...
These 10 Tiny Homes Make a Huge Case for the Small Space
In her new book “Living Little,” writer and editor Hannah Jenkins counts the ways—and the reasons why—we’re drawn to small spaces.
Prefab Startup Jupe Unveils a $17.5K Flat-Pack Shelter Inspired by “2001: A Space Odyssey”
Available to preorder for $99, the futuristic pod features on-board Wi-Fi and solar power for a plush, off-grid experience.
This Off-Grid Cabin on Finland’s Archipelago Is an Irresistible Call to Low-Impact Living
With a leave-no-trace design, the prefabricated Majamaja Cabin by Littow Architectes draws visitors to a new eco-retreat at the...
A Designer’s $210K Prefab ADU Captures the Allure of California Living
Oni Lazarus of AO Studio commissions Cover to add a svelte prefab rental unit to the backyard of her Los Angeles home.
Virgil Abloh Just Dropped Another Dazzling Homage to Jean Prouvé
With a new colorway, Abloh updates two of French designer Jean Prouvé’s designs to striking effect.
Here’s What They Don’t Tell You About Living in a Tiny House
The micro home movement paints a rosy picture of financial freedom, simplicity, and self-determination—but going small comes with...
Going Circular Is the New Green—Here’s How Home Goods Companies Are Closing the Loop
From IKEA to Emeco, a growing number of businesses are slashing waste by putting it straight back into production.
We’re Swimming in Benjamin Moore’s 2021 Color of the Year
In a year robbed of serenity, the paint company gives us Aegean Teal—a Mediterranean hue meant to soothe.
Hood Century Founder Jerald Cooper Is Harnessing Instagram Clout for a New Preservation Movement
Leveraging hip-hop and hype culture, the talent booker turned preservationist angles to get more Black people engaged with, and...
These New $49K Prefabs Can Snap Together Like LEGO Bricks
Boxabl’s flat-pack Casita ADUs are designed to combine for (virtually) infinite square footage.
This Designer Is Changing Architecture Education With a Solar-Powered Mobile Classroom
Maya Bird-Murphy, founder of Chicago Mobile Makers, converted a Postal Service truck into a pop-up design classroom for...
Project Room’s Winning Streetlight Design Beckons a Brighter Future for Los Angeles
The L.A.-based collective brings the city its first new streetlight design in more than 60 years.
These New Prefab ADUs Promise Affordable Housing for Years to Come
If you provide OBY Cooperative with a 99-year backyard lease, they’ll build an ADU—at no cost to you—that will pay out dividends...
A 120-Year-Old Victorian Cottage in Cape Town Gets a Glow Up
Following shabby patch jobs and more than a century of neglect, a cottage is renovated with an abundance of South African pine.
The Legacy of the First Licensed Black Architect in Texas Lives Here
A compelling book details how John S. Chase impacted modernism through the low-slung Houston home he designed for his family with...
Yves Béhar Just Floated Plans for an Underwater Space Station, and It’s Wild
Designed for Fabien Cousteau, the submarine habitat and research center is powered by renewable energy, has a greenhouse to grow...
Three Interwoven L.A. Homes Imagine a More Neighborly Future
A trio of homes in the Hollywood Hills promote communal living with shared outdoor spaces.
Koto Just Unveiled a Tiny Work Cabin That’s Cut Like a Diamond
In an artful expression of wabi-sabi design, this charred-timber workspace promotes a deeper connection to the natural world.
A 1958 Airstream Is Recast as a Recording Studio for an NYC Girls Club
Perched on the second floor of the Lower Eastside Girls Club, the Airstream turned studio hosts broadcasting and music production...
A $185K Prefab Guesthouse Pops Up on a Tricky Hollywood Hillside
L.A.-based prefab company Cover rises above steep terrain to deliver a custom office/guesthouse without breaking the bank.
A Delivery Van–Turned–Mobile Classroom for Kids Hits the Streets of Chicago
Chicago Mobile Makers converts a USPS van into a roving “makerspace” for young people to learn new design skills.
16 Amazing Adaptive Reuse Projects That Will Make You Look Twice
You won’t believe what they’re doing now.
Here’s What You Need to Know About the Juneteenth Flag
The red, white, and blue Juneteenth flag commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., which came over two years after the...
A Growing List of More Than 100 BIPOC Designers and Architects Just Started Circulating
A cast of design creatives—among them fashion mogul Virgil Abloh—have created a living spreadsheet to promote more diverse...
A Revamped Terrace House in Sydney Is an Audiophile’s Dream
A new addition at the rear of this slender, 1800s-built home is finely tuned for hi-fi listening.
This New Egg-Shaped Prefab Can Pop Up Almost Anywhere for $56K
Bratislava-based Ecocapsule just unveiled their second highly flexible off-grid structure.
Pockets of Color Turn a Ho-Hum Madrid Flat Into a Funky Bachelor Pad
Gon Architects updates a typical apartment by imbuing it with bold character.
A Crumbling Cottage Gives Way to a Brisbane Home Brimming With Greenery
A vine-covered terrarium acts as a portal, hiding this home’s entrance from street view.
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