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The couple spent $27, 250 on the interior windows, including the floor-to-ceiling glass panels that frame the courtyard.

The prefab design utilizes a pin foundation system that reduces the project’s carbon footprint by 77 percent, says Wittman.

The roof is made from 100% recycled, post-consumer steel.

Levenbetts designed the guesthouse as a porous block. Every side opens to the outdoors, allowing the landscape to continue through the building. “The idea was to create this total openness and informality and almost undomesticated domestic space,” says architect David Leven. The concrete is textured by its forms on the outside but smooth where it cuts into the building—“almost as though you sliced into it with a knife,” Leven adds.

Floor plan of Square House by Levenbetts

The living space has a Hästens bed that can fold away during parties, a dining table and chairs by Alvar Aalto, and track lighting in the apartment’s signature orange.

The single-volume home has been designed to appear to float over the lot on its deck. Ryan upgraded the existing foundation to support its passive design. "Originally, I wanted to make the whole house powered with wood pellets," he says. "But I decided against shoveling pellets in the snow. I'll get weird in a little bit less of a cold climate."

"Because the site is almost completely under tree cover, there was initial concern about the interiors being too dark,

"It's not close to highways,

“Barbecue season never ends,” says Liz, explaining how they live with such a small kitchenette. “We even made a cake out there.”

To maximize functionality, Bolden custom built the interior structure, offering a mix of concealed storage and open shelving.

Custom-built L-Shaped sofas are upholstered in Pindler exclusive fabrics. Throw blankets add an extra layer of warmth and coziness.

After: The family displayed a vibrant collection of carnival glass found at a flea market on the wall to the left of the dining table. “There’s more,” Geoffrey explains, noting their luck. “That’s not all of it.” The grand dining table is actually Powell’s family table from childhood, Geoffrey says, with his childhood kitchen table placed in the middle. Vintage steelcase chairs surround, found on eBay. The chandelier is Gino Sarfatti for FLOS. “We believe it's vintage to the 1990’s,” Geoffrey says. All exterior walls are painted Benjamin Moore’s Bohemian Lace.

After: The kitchen’s countertops and backsplash are “all those 1950s-30s enamel card tables,” Geoffrey explains. “That was a decision I made early on; it took me a year and a half to collect them all.” The beams were a great surprise; they were hidden away in the ceiling. The appliances are former Consumer Reports test appliances bought at auction, and the ceiling lights are a custom design, intended to look mid-century.