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A blackened-timber pergola extends from the modern barn that architect Greg Scott designed for Jody and Deirdre Aufrichtig in the Elgin Valley, an apple- and grape-growing region near Cape Town. Made of narrow slats stabilized with randomly scattered blocks of wood, it covers roughly half of the outdoor deck.

Lightweight hurricane flaps can be raised and lowered over screened openings to control air flow. “When you’re in the house and the flaps are open, it’s almost like you’re outside,” says Mark. The hammock is from IKEA.

The kitchen includes a 1970s Burke tulip table, vintage chairs by Kai Kristiansen, and a George Nelson Saucer Bubble pendant from Herman Miller.

Peninsula House floor plan

A deck outside the loft offers another view of the archipelago.

Like the rocks, the trees on the property were left untouched.

“When you come in, you immediately get an understanding of the space, and that leads to a feeling of safety,

“The roof overhang extends the living space,” says Boyer, so the deck becomes a spot to entertain visiting friends and family. The couple have been working to restore the surrounding land, as well.

An 800-square-foot deck has a metal privacy screen on one end, and is wrapped in a streamlined metal railing designed by Boyer. “All of the exterior materials had to be fire resistant” to comply with code, says Boyer, so a bamboo product was used for the deck.

The cabin’s exterior is clad in dark-stained western red cedar and fiber cement panels, and its cantilevered deck provides panoramic views.

To turn a home into a permanent residence for a family of four, Rama Estudio attached a prefab glass-and-steel box that extends into the surrounding wilderness.

Built on family land in Blancarena, Uraguay, the London-based client, Conrado was looking for a simple vacation home where he would be able to comfortably spend more time with his family.

The home glows from within at night.