Backyard

Cast Architecture started a renovation on this property at the start of 2020, and finished a year later.

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.

Project 01, a 262-square-foot micro cabin imagined by Canada-based Instead is clad with black-stained pine that helps it to meld with the natural landscape.

Sitting lightly above the eelgrass, this tiny dwelling serves as a port of entry for a family getaway on the Salish Sea.

Overnight guests will appreciate the privacy and comfort of the two-bedroom guest house, nestled between the pool and the sea.

Located on the outskirts of Morelia, Mexico, the 5,920-square-foot UC House by architectural designer Daniela Bucio Sistos is grounded by a foyer with a raised, circular ceiling, which houses a tree that grows out from a hole in the floor at the center.

Architect Paul Elliott erected a new, cork- and timber-clad house on the adjoining plot to his family home, which his late architect father designed and built in Cape Town, South Africa. The new residence implements sustainable materials such as cork and timber. It also incorporates Japanese architectural styles, including circular windows and doorways.

"In some ways the strongest attributes of the house are probably the outside spaces,” says Court. The original cedar deck was replaced with Kebony decking that wraps around a century-old cherry tree. A pair of Andy rockers from Mamagreen face an ottoman by Kenneth Cobonpue. The accordion doors are a NanaWall SL-60 system that allows the main room of the guesthouse to open completely to the deck.