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Tanya Wexler and Amy Zimmerman linger in the breezeway designed to draw eyes, and footsteps, from the driveway through the house to the gently sloping backyard and swimming pool beyond.

Honed granite was selected for the kitchen surfaces because its matte-like finish is easy to maintain and hard to damage. Eight-foot sliding glass doors bathe the kitchen and adjoining living room in ample sunlight.

McMinn, an architect, helps Soren construct a TinkerToy tower. The cowhide rug is from Perfect Leather Goods, and the Wassily Chair is by Marcel Breuer for Knoll.

Brothers Nima and Soheil relax in the family room on an Eames lounge chair and a custom sofa they designed. “Mid-century architecture draws the outdoor environment indoors,” says Soheil. “There’s a lot of natural light, a lot of ventilation.”

Garcetti and Wakeland enjoy a quiet afternoon, sitting in what used to be two separate bedrooms. By removing a wall, the space now serves as an office and den, divided only by sliding doors.

Surrounded on all sides by a sweeping Canadian hayfield, the 23.2 House is an angular ode to rural life.

Floor-to-ceiling windows by Sunshine Glass feature a five-and-a-half-inch profile aluminum frame. The LC4 chaise in the master bedroom on the first floor is by Cassina.

Seen from a distance, the farmhouse has a time-honored quality, though it’s still clearly a product of the 21st century.

PROD Architecture + Design created a farmhouse in Penafiel, Portugal to fuse the aesthetic of traditional homes in the region with contemporary, floor-to-ceiling windows that respond to the environment. Made up of four distinct structures, the home takes on the shape of an existing gabled-roof structure on the site. To complement the stone building, the home incorporates a series of muted materials including granite for the base, zinc for the roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding.

The main entrance is on the house’s south side. It leads to a central hall from which all sections of the home are accessible.

The architect chose granite for the house’s base, zinc for its roof, and Scandinavian pinewood for cladding—all materials that complement the nearby gray stone building.

Four distinct structures make up the house. Their design echoes the shape of an older, gabled-roof building already on site. “We considered the neighboring construction quite interesting in terms of scale and layout,” de Carvalho says. “Due to the proximity, we felt the necessity to integrate it in the design.”

The connecting area between the four houses has an open joisted pine ceiling that offers a masterful transition between the coarse, weathered exterior and the polished rooms—all lined with smooth Sucupira wood and white plaster board. “We wanted to make a clear contrast between the interior surfaces of the house and the corresponding exterior surfaces,” de Carvalho says.

The structure is surrounded by a large deck for play.

A view of the kitchen.

The ground level contains the living and dining spaces. Upstairs there are two bedrooms, plus the master suite.

The interiors feature neutral, muted tones in order to highlight the views of the property.

Architect Allan Shulman tackled one of Miami’s biggest architectural challenges when he designed a two-story home on a leafy lot dominated by a "solution hole," a depression in the limestone terrain caused by erosion. Inspired by the jungle scenery of painter Henri Rousseau, Shulman strove to leave the delicate habitat undisturbed. An elegant pool and outdoor kitchen extend from the living areas.