exterior material

“Where we let loose was on the window,” Matt says. “It’s an aluminium window frame, which is bushfire compliant and easy to install, but the way that we detailed it was about hiding the frame so that the eye is drawn into the space.”

Clients can customize the cabin's exterior paint color, and this one shows a black shade that blends into the woods.

The wings of this cruciform residence jut out over the landscape on stilts to capture panoramic views.

“I envision people writing their books, music, refuelling their creative flow,” says Castillero. He should know about its energizing power more than anyone, really: it brought him back to his love of architecture, after all. “It’s truly my new happy place.”

This particular cabin may be done, but Castillero and Reed are just getting started. “I like the idea of working on something and tweaking and perfecting it,” says Castillero, who is now envisioning building a network for Hideouts, each iteration improving on the next to provide an even better getaway for creatives to disconnect with the world and reconnect with nature.

Seattle architecture firm Wittman Estes used its new modular prefab system to built a prototype on Whidbey Island in Washington for a family that loves the outdoors.

Snow guards create seasonal insulation, and stormwater runoff is directed to infiltration systems to protect Lake Tahoe.

Minimal hardscaping was done to keep natural ground conditions as is, and fallen trees were left to decompose. The home was built on the slope of the lot to minimize how much land was moved.

This off-grid retreat is quite literally nestled among the treetops in Epworth, Georgia.

Adair has long wished for Togo chairs, but as much as she loves the design, she tries not to be too precious about it. “We let the kids use them how they want, and they’re perfect fort furniture,” she says. “They’re really durable. It’s a design that makes architect parents happy.”

The architects kept the fixture layout to save on budget, swapping in a Duravit tub and toilet with lavatory fixture, tub filler and shower head and controls by DornBracht.

Drawing atmospheric inspiration from the city, Waechter Architecture infuses a hilltop home with panoramic Bay views, utilitarian finishes, and a bathroom that evokes a misty day.

A lime-green bathroom on the lower level has fixtures from Brazilian manufacturer Docol.