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When the residents of Sinfonía Verde bought their property in 2002, they had expected to spend most of their time on the beach. But the land changed in the twenty years since the initial purchase, and—drawn to the sounds of the regenerating rainforest—they found themselves spending more and more time inland. They asked Ben Saxe to design a house immersed in the canopy because of the studio’s “beautiful designs that work with the environment rather than against it,” the clients say.

Designed for a couple, the one-bedroom, one-bathroom home totals 1,722 square feet with a square plan and flat roof.

Every unit features large operable windows.

The whole project comprised only three months of design, two months of production (some 90 percent of which was completed at a Buenos Aires factory), one day of assembly, and five days of adjustments. The structure consists of just four 9-foot-8-inch-by-19-foot-7-inch modules supported by a foundation plate. “If we want to move it, we can,” says Teresa. “We could get a crane and disassemble it and then reassemble it on the coast.”

The design evokes a classic Australian miner's cottage with gable roof, veranda, and

“Unfinished House is a two bedroom, two bathroom 1,400 square foot home in Canada that is a prototype for panelized prefabricated construction with a high-performance envelope,” says Workshop Architecture. “Panelized prefab means that instead of being framed on site, the house comes flat-packed on a truck, a jigsaw puzzle of 8-to-16 foot-wide pieces that have the structure, insulation, and vapor barrier all pre-assembled.”

Inside, timber panels treated with light oil give a clean, warm, and contemporary look. “Although the unit was intended solely as my office, it is now also frequently used as a hang-out and sleepover spot for my daughter and her friends when I’m not using it,” says owner Glen Vriesema.

The outdoor sofa is from Room and Board, and the loungers and dining set are vintage.

Floor Plan of Offset ADU by Byben

The primary bathroom continues the white oak casework from elsewhere in the home, with walls in the same white Dekton material as the kitchen counters. The dual sinks are separated from the wet chamber by a swinging glass door.

Nate Kantor and Garrett Foster Green stand in front of Anza, the 1968 Airstream camper they renovated.

Garden views can be enjoyed throughout the home—including in the bathroom.

Despite facing the street, the master bathroom contains a delightful surprise: a private outdoor shower with a green wall.

The bathroom has been entirely clad in large Fior di Bosco marble panels, creating a simple backdrop for the arrangement of plants overlooked by the tub.