Efficient Building

Looking back to the rear of the sauna and guest bedroom from the field. The large windows not only invite the view inside, but also reflect the landscape and allow the built forms to dissolve.

The landscaping is an important part of the project—and is constantly evolving. Jussi-Pekka is currently building an outdoor shower surrounded by wildflowers, and has plans for a greenhouse to grow herbs and vegetables. He is also planning a series of paths winding through the forest.

Marie and Kurtis Saldivar designed a 1,200-square-foot guest suite using a modified takes on a traditional Quonset Hut in Sisters, Oregon.

Architect Matt Wittman’s upbringing in rural Washington nurtured a respect for functional buildings that worked with their surroundings: a utilitarian perspective that would inform his Seattle-based studio’s modular home system. “While prefab houses are sometimes divorced from their context, Puzzle Prefab can be modified according to each site,” Wittmann says. “This system has the ability to create spaces that can expand or contract for a variety of environments, whether remote, suburban, or urban.”Architect Matt Wittman’s upbringing in rural Washington nurtured a respect for functional buildings that worked with their surroundings: a utilitarian perspective that would inform his Seattle-based studio’s modular home system. “While prefab houses are sometimes divorced from their context, Puzzle Prefab can be modified according to each site,” Wittmann says. “This system has the ability to create spaces that can expand or contract for a variety of environments, whether remote, suburban, or urban.”Architect and Majamaja cofounder Pekka Littow designed a seaside retreat in Finland to showcase the potential of self-sustaining homes. The first cabin was built in 2020, and there are now four along the archipelago outside Helsinki. Prefabricated elements like vertical wood cladding and crisp gables allow the cabins to be dismounted with minimal impact on the landscape.

“Everything is in the core,” Farley says. “It’s an efficient way to organize space and functions.

Malak layered green peel-and-stick tiles on top of the existing white tiling, then installed sliding hooks attached to a command strip for more hanging storage.

Floor Plan of Meadowbrook Midcentury by Cast Architecture

Floor plan of Starter Home by Lehrer Architects

White oak slats and cork cladding give texture to the facade of a house that architect Jack Becker designed for himself and his wife, landscape architect Maddie Hoagland-Hanson, in an alley in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, D.C. High awning windows let daylight in while preserving privacy.

Two projects in Berkeley, completed within 100 feet of each other behind home on intersecting streets, signify the growing popularity of ADUs.

“Economy was always at the forefront of all of our decision making due to the high cost of building in California,” explains Kille. But that did not stop her and the design team from selecting strong color choices, like green kitchen cabinets and a bold orange-red front door.

A skylight was added to bring in more light, and the existing ceilings painted Benjamin Moore ‘Black Tar’ for contrast. The island pendant is the Schoolhouse Ray 17” Pendant and the stools are the Artek Aalto High Chair K65.

The custom banquette has a slatted back so as to allow the window behind it to open and let in light. The table is a vintage piece from John and Kelly, made with reclaimed wood from a bowling alley. The overhead pendant is by Brendan Ravenhill.

The Orchard Street Residence was renovated from a humble 1946 cottage in a neighborhood of mostly pre-World War II houses.

A reading nook in front of the "cabin" workspace at the top of the stairs.

Whether it’s cross-country skiing in the winter or trail running in the summer, the 330-foot home’s minimalist design encourages Catherine to be outside in the surrounding landscape throughout the year.