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First light

The office has been cladded in yellow cedar to comply with the city requirement that all shipping containers be clad.

Though a series of manufacturing mishaps meant cycling through three orders of brick, the final product seems worth the wait: sandy and agated, it nods to the beach along the river. The custom, elongated shape of the brick stretches out the elevations.

The architecture perfectly frames the spectacular surroundings.

The Monocular - Back Perspective

The Hijau stone swimming pool finish from Palimanan.

While the owners really liked the idea of shou sugi ban, they opted for a more cost-effective black stain. The random-width, reverse board-and-batten siding reflects the wabi-sabi concept. “The builder said the math for the random siding was torturous,” the wife said. “We didn’t know how hard it was to make things look simple.” DeNiord planted hay-scented fern and lowbush blueberry sod around the house. “We didn't want any side of the house to feel unconsidered,” he says. As for the local boulders he placed around the house and terrace, he says, “They give the feeling that the house grew up around the outcroppings.”

"We did our best to tuck the buildings into the site—the goal was to get up high on a perch. It was a matter of setting that elevation and working back down with the topography," says architectural designer Riley Pratt.

Before: The couple exchanged all the brown-toned finishes for a white and mint palette.

Copper and timber will weather beautifully over the years to come.

Dwellings Winner: Casa Ter by Mesura Mesura designed a retreat for a family of five in the Catalonian countryside, utilizing regional and artisanal building techniques and local materials for a sustainable home that blends with the landscape.

Photo by Tom Bies

Drawing of Estúdio Lapinha by Plano Livre

Located on a clearing in the woods, the Cabin in La Juanita offers a quiet escape away from the bustling downtown of José Ignacio.