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The rear of the garage and studio is fitted with a slatted screen, which creates unique shadows on the stairwell and inside the unit. The outdoor room also benefits from views of the lake and is anchored by a two-sided, white brick fireplace.

The interiors are lined with OSB Poplar wood, and insulated with 12cm of recycled cotton.

The cabins and sauna that architect Zane Tetere-Sulce designed for the Ziedlejas Wellness Resort are clad with Cor-Ten steel and glass.

Requirements for licensed contractors depend on the scope of work and the location of the project.

Questions from your contractor mean that they have taken the time to review the construction documents or drawings and scope of work.

Architect Christine Djerrahian turns an industrial space into an unconventional family dwelling that celebrates open-concept living.

In the kitchen, the couple found barely used appliances instead of new ones to save money. The cabinetry and butcher block counters are from Ikea.

Nestled into a grassy hillside, the cabins overlook ponds and oak, birch, and linden trees that grow on the property.

"The home noses out of the forest just a little bit, like it’s peeking out of the trees,” says architect Ray Calabro.

DeNiord designed a simple concrete bench with a honed top to run parallel to the randomly sized concrete pads that lead to the covered entry. He planted blueberry bushes behind the bench and a river birch tree behind the boulder. To conjure a wabi-sabi feel outdoors, diNiord poured concrete around a boulder. “It represents the interruption of perfect geometry,” he says.

The living area is oriented around a floating window seat crafted from oak. "We wanted a place for guests to comfortably sit, read, and reflect in the beautiful Colorado surroundings," says Tarah. "We sourced the perfect slab of white oak from a local mill. We kept the edges raw and used a light, matte finish that highlighted the natural beauty without it being over saturated. I wanted it to feel as unfinished and natural as possible."

“There’s something about it that feels very contextual to where it is—on a little teeny hill, looking out over the Dry Creek Valley, and there’s nothing else artful around,” says Louis.

"It only cost about $48,000 to build, which was incredibly cheap," says Turner of the Stealth Barn. "We got the Timber Frame Company to supply the shell, then we clad it and fitted out the interior and windows ourselves. The idea was to take the archetypal black tar-painted agricultural building and make an almost childlike icon of that."

Project architects Studio Marshall Blecher and Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter opened up the center of the house, previously comprising a maze of fourteen small rooms, creating one large and airy kitchen and dining space with a high, chapel like ceiling. A six-meter-long concrete plinth standing at the center of the room which doubles as an island bench and dining table, had to be lowered into the house by a crane while the roof was being reconstructed.

Brutalist materials like concrete and steel are balanced by the gentleness of the wooden carpentry. Ash wood is used for the cabinetry throughout, from kitchen cabinets to storage units.

The rough-hewn stone stairs that lead to the cottage were made by a local stone worker.

"We contrasted the linearity of the etched granite by curving the island edges and introducing fridge panels with hand-carved pulls,