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Nigel Chouri and Crick King bought a tattered ’50s beach house for $911K and introduced water-resistant features, a Spanish-style plaza, and a dreamy garden ADU.

Floor Plan of Hills Beach by Woodhull

Owner and architect Logan Mahaffey refreshed this compact, three-story home’s kitchen, bathrooms, and wall finishes while preserving its charming staircase and brickwork.

This pristine 1966 home opens to its wooded site with a series of patios, balconies, and outdoor entertaining areas.

Rebuilding the rear addition gave Aleksandra a chance to play with its form, and make it contrast with the historic body of the Edwardian. Large glass doors lighten up the kitchen and connect it to the deck and backyard.

Glass folding doors from Panoramic Doors reach nine-and-a-half feet high to open the kitchen to the courtyard. “It's such a unique feature, especially in Brooklyn,” says Slocum. “You rarely ever see that type of thing.”

Floor Plan of Jennings Residence by Cover Architecture and EEK Studio

A partially covered, double-height courtyard offers an idyllic setting for al fresco dining.

The eco-friendly escape is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine—and it even includes a full bath.

After renting in San Francisco for a decade, DIY couple Molly Fiffer and Jeff Waldman bought 10 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the pair and their friends built a cabin compound complete with sheds, tree decks, a pavilion, a wood-fired hot tub, an outhouse, and an outdoor shower. The cabin is made from locally sourced, rough-sawn redwood, which the couple stained with nontoxic Eco Wood Treatment to give the panels an aged appearance and a dark patina.

“We are in a nature sanctuary, and we are all responsible for its protection,” Gabriel says. “In this sense, we promote sustainable tourism, which has the least possible impact on the environment and encourages respect and conservation of each species.” Reused larch shingles clad the exteriors of the cabins.

New pine and spruce wood from the Pyrenees (both recyclable and PEFC certified) were selected for the façade of the 1,000-square-foot prefab. Smart blinds cover the windows, rigged to open and close depending on the weather forecast.