Exterior

Architect William Adams took down walls and lifted the roof of this 1924 residence, which was originally owned by Gustav Mahler’s daughter, Anna.

Elevation of Centered Home by HYCArch & aalso architecture

A Chicago-based firm known for preserving cultural landmarks builds a refined weekend home on Lake Michigan’s southern shore.

Set in the prominent Mexico City neighborhood of San Angel Inn, Casa Campestre 107 by DCPP Arquitectos is a sleek, modern home designed using traditional materials and processes. The massing on the site contrasts between solid and void space, while the materiality of the home juxtaposes the exterior and interior. The exterior is dark with stone-like flooring and hardwood, differentiated from the interior, which is light and bright with minimal textural play. Regardless of all contrasts, the visual continuity between exterior and interior never fails. Landscape and architecture blend harmoniously for indoor/outdoor living.

The black finish on the exterior facades is a modern interpretation of Corey, the artisan stucco used in traditional Mexican Cities.

The architect removed the decorative embellishments, redid the railings, and gave the facade a new coat of gray stucco to simplify and refresh the exterior.

Raw, oiled cedar cladding that will age over time gives the home a warm, textured appearance. The shoestring acacia (at left) provides privacy but still allows for filtered light.

"When we started out, Casey wasn’t married and wasn’t dating anyone," says architect Arthur Furman. "So the original project brief was less about bedrooms and bathrooms, and more about the character of the home. Specifically, the shape. Casey had an image in his mind of a house he had photographed early in his career in a wooded area of Maine. The house was a basic shape—as one would draw as a child—just a box with a gabled roof." The home's simple gabled shape is emphasized by the use of burnished stucco on all sides.

Behind an unassuming 19th-century facade in Singapore's Joo Chiat neighborhood, Ching Ian and Yang Yeo's renovation of a typical shophouse venerates tradition while looking squarely to the future. Photo by Richard Powers

The simple wood deck features innovative cutouts that allow full-grown Yucca trees to peek through.

The house’s street-level entrance shows an openness to its surroundings, and a glass door allows curious passersby a glimpse of the interior.

A view of the home from the east side.

The Ex of In House is surrounded by 28 acres of forest.

The 1000-square-foot ADU is two levels with a footprint that allows the owners to retain plenty of outdoor space for their dogs to play. The façade “is a rain screen system, so the heat gain on the Brazilian hardwood is minimized by being physically separated by an air gap between it and the membrane behind it,” said Knight. “So, the wood heats up when sun hits it and this is not directly translated into the wall on the interior; it is instead buffered by this air gap.” The large doors and second-story skylights then work together to pull a nice breeze through the house.