Exterior

"They are a sculptural interpretation of the small buildings that you see across Europe, from Bothys to Alpine huts and Norwegian Hytte. These small pitched-roof buildings are an integral part of the landscape and provide warmth, shelter, and an opportunity to fully immerse in nature. That is the heart of the ethos at Koto," explain the designers.

A new dining area off the garden,

Up close, the frit reveals a dense composition of layered, swooping curves, evocative of the motions of chefs’ hands at work.

The familiarity and warmth of the burned finish juxtapose the more contemporary fritted glass that wraps around the corner of the building.

Flush at the corners where the eaves of the roof meet the siding, the kitchen’s streamlined body is partly clad in charred wood.

Perched atop a mountain on over six acres of woods, this young couple's weekend getaway incorporates the old with the new.

A combination of Alumilex and Marvin windows dot the exterior of a pitched-roof house in North Hatley, Quebec, designed by Lee and Macgillivray Architecture Studio (LAMAS). - North Hatley, Quebec Dwell Magazine : July / August 2017

The cabin’s exterior walls and roof are clad in overlapping stone plates that mimic the look of traditional wood paneling found in Western Norway. “It provides an affinity with the cabins nearby,” partner and architect Nils Ole Bae Brandtzæg explains. Solar panels cover the chimney pipe, lighting LED lamps inside.

The architects designed the rooms as a linear sequence wrapping around a central courtyard. As one would have traversed the preexisting rock face, residents are constantly negotiating small elevation changes throughout the house. The plan also protects a central courtyard from the harsh Yucca Valley climate.

A palette of stone, concrete, and greenery greets guests at the home’s front entrance.

Large, dramatic openings bring transparency and contrast to the 10-inch-thick concrete facade, framing perspectival views of the landscape.

Indoor and outdoor entertaining is made simple by the dining room’s sliding glass doors, but the two spaces also share a literal common ground. Lapicida’s tumbled black limestone with white Carrara marble inserts sprawl from the kitchen, past the dining room, and onto the patio.

White pine from the Roths’ own property was used for trim. Some of the wood was left unfinished, as were other elements. “Under the porch roof there’s no cladding,” notes Freiesleben. “If you had more money, you’d hide it, but it’s not necessary or even desirable.

Architects Antje Freiesleben and Johannes Modersohn combined two barn-like wings and a large connecting hall/breezeway for a retreat in New Brunswick. A space between the concrete foundation and the house’s raised wood platform allows the snowmelt to pass through in spring. The 21-foot-wide accordion doors are by HFBB Holzfensterbau Bernau and were shipped from Germany.