Courting Corten

In addition to an expansive rooftop terrace, the home also includes a sparkling plunge pool.

With its concrete curves, charred timber and steel fence, the exterior is impressive while maintaining Lachie's privacy.

Soaring trees and rocks surround the property, which is accessed via a gated entrance.

Mithun, the firm behind the landscape architecture, integrated edible plants in the courtyard’s terraced benches that can be harvested and used for meals prepared by volunteers.

Biophilic design prefers natural over synthetic materials, as human beings innately feel more at ease with the former. In this house in Israel, the limestone walls are recycled from dismantled houses in the region. The stone staircase is original.

This steel door opens onto a mudroom, accessed via a cantilevered concrete patio. Steel panels clad the building; they have been left to oxidize naturally, resulting in the "rusty" appearance of the house. Photo by J.C. Schmeil.

entry

Double-height cedar cladding enhances the verticality of the structure.

Building with Cor-Ten steel—weathering steel's nom de plume—is a bit like watching a painting slowly come to life over time. Exposure to the elements adds textured hues of red and orange to the material until it steps into a character completely its own. From the Dwell archive, we bring you nine Cor-Ten steel homes with facades that will continue to shift through shades of ochre, amber, rust, and sienna.

Located at The Proxy in Hayes Valley, San Francisco, AETHERsf is a concept space constructed from three 40-foot shipping containers stacked on top of each other. In addition to a curated selection of design-focused outerwear, the space features a custom, glass-encased cantilevered lounge with reclaimed oak floors and a belt-driven "dry cleaner-style" conveyor system.

Diane Douglas’s family has owned five acres of land by the lake since 1933, and her grandfather had dragged an old boxcar to the side of the lake by tractor. “When we came as kids, we’d turn off the paved road and drive on a dirt track through a ponderosa forest to the lakeshore,” she says. “I couldn’t wait for that first scent of pine.”

Walkway from south terrace to front entry

Kitchen, dining, and living area with exposed corten steel main beam.

To accommodate the height of one of the homeowners, all of the kitchen and bathroom counters were raised up two inches higher than usual. A black band runs along the bottom of the cabinetry to prop up the standard-sized appliances to the proper height. A custom copper kitchen backsplash and vent hood, courtesy of metalwork artist Thomas Studio and Foundry, is a response to the rammed earth, nodding to the fiery oranges while infusing the space with a very different satiny-metal texture. “It’s really a sculptural element,” says Corral.

In between the guest suites, there are structures for storage, maintenance and a transit waiting suite, all connected with terraced landscape pockets and courtyards.