The design evokes a classic Australian miner's cottage with gable roof, veranda, and
When the pandemic drove Janne Tuunanen to return to Jyväskylä, he discovered a newfound appreciation for the legendary architect’s early projects.
Pablo designed his family’s home to disrupt as little of the landscape as possible.
The family home that residents Tyler Lepore, Lisa Giroday, builders Hanson Land & Sea, and September Architecture devised in the Sunshine Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, is wrapped with cedar and brick, tying to its wooded surround, which is only a four-minute walk to the ocean. "The house feels like it's part of the setting,
“The name 'Unfinished House' refers to an aesthetic attitude…. Self-finishing materials were selected to reduce resources and reveal the building’s construction. Tile and plywood are the only added ‘finishes’; They cover areas with wiring and plumbing,” the architects tell us. “The building is an all-timber structure with cellulose and wood fiber board insulation. Many of the materials were locally-produced including the wood framing, plywood, corrugated metal, and wood cladding.”
The greenhouse top as seen from the driveway. The garage and former basement level of the original building has been transformed into new living quarters: a small guesthouse for when family and friends visit.
“The inspiration for Kynttilä was fully derived from its unique setting,” the Helsinki-based firm states. “The place chosen for Kynttilä, in the middle of a pristine forest, on a narrow arm of the peninsula, provides views over the water in both sides of the cottage.”
Surrounded by forest and accessed via a fairy-tale bridge, the resilient forever home showcases the strength of cross-laminated timber.
Architects Gordon Stott and Jared Levy saw modular prefabrication as a chance to make high-quality residences more affordable—so long as the construction method was extremely efficient. In 2012, they launched Connect Homes with fifteen designs as part of its original Design Series. Since, Stott and Levy have made more affordable models as well as shelters and community buildings for unhoused people.
Base models of Dvele homes start at $250 per square foot, and range in size — the company wants its sustainable structures to be flexible to either small or large footprints.
“During summer there is so much greenery, and it grows and changes every day. It’s very different in the autumn and winter—even the acoustics are different,
The organic placement of the windows echoes the knots on the trunks of the surrounding trees.
5. "What are the top 10 most important things I must have in a home?"
"If there are two people buying the home, write your answers down separately, starting with your absolute must-haves," Hoffman explains. “Putting together a list separately can give both parties and the realtor a clear picture of what the perfect home will have for both of you."
Light wood floors, new drywall, and a fresh coat of white paint now gives the house a luminous quality. The front entry is to the right of the fireplace, and there are now better sight lines into the kitchen and dining area to the left.
Illustration by Lohnes + Wright
"Radical sustainability
Floor Plan of Sky Ranch House by Rain City Architecture
Tham and the couple were careful to create a layout that maximized views and didn't require too many building materials.
"Being in The Longhouse is mellow and calming whatever the weather," says the firm. "The experience of the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts."
Stafford Residence floor plan