Atrium

Architect Andrew Heid created a home for his parents, Ted and Andrea Heid, in Aurora, Oregon, that is all about easy access and innovative organization: rooms serve as living space during the day and double as private sleeping spaces at night. The three will talk onstage about creating a livable, modern home that will accommodate needs in the years to come. Photo by Michael Weber.

"The central court acts as a glass ‘jewel’ at the heart of the house," say the architects, who styled it in the likeness of a Japanese garden.

Aaron and Yuka Ruell transformed a Portland ranch house into a retro-inspired family home with plenty of spaces—like the trellised porch—for their four children to roam.

The literal and figurative centerpiece of the house is the atrium, through which light filters into the rest of the house year-round.

A covered entrance doubling as a carport leads to the square atrium, where cutouts in the concrete allow greenery to establish a sense of the outdoors. Enclosed in glass on all four sides, the atrium opens to the living room, multipurpose room, office and retreat.