Favorites

The main sustainability feature of the home is is its small size, which has a fraction of the embodied energy and utilises far less energy for heating and cooling than the average home. "When it comes to sustainability, size is often overlooked in favour of increased insulation, efficient appliances or solar panels,

The interior is lined with Rimu, a native timber from New Zealand. This cladding follows the same gentle arch of the barrel vault and imbues the interior with warmth and the beauty of natural timber. “The curved rimu-lined barrel vaults are one of my favorite moments,” reveals architect William Samuels. “I love the way they draw the eye to the arched windows at either end and provide warmth and delight to the interiors.”

The blackened timber cladding helps the prefab to blend into the forest. The interior of the home was conceived as two blocks that house less flexible spaces like the bathroom, kitchen, and storage. This approach helped to avoid the use of interior walls, “freeing up the rest of the spaces to connect with the setting,” explains iHouse. “The forest is framed at all times.”

Inside the sauna, cedar planks line the walls, along with the floors and ceiling surfaces.

ESCAPE's new line of all-electric tiny homes are finished with white birch flooring, walls, and ceilings. The pale wood tone offers a fresh aesthetic that ties to nature.

Floor plan of Skylark Cabin by Barry Connor Architectural Design

Mounted on a portable trailer, the prefab Bivvi Cabin promises maximum off-grid adventure with a minimal footprint.

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 give every client a questionnaire," Kevin says. "The first question asks what they need in their home. No compromise. The second question asks what they want in their home. And the third question asks what would blow their mind. At the end of the day, I’m looking to fit all of those things into their tiny home."

Artist Cori Creed stands in the kitchen of the vacation home in rural British Columbia that she and her husband, Craig Cameron, built with their friend and architect, Kevin Vallely. Cori made the ceramic dinnerware and pendants, while Craig built the kitchen island and installed the plywood ceiling with the help of his stepfather.

The two bathrooms are sited on either end of the rectangular plan. Each have been fitted with discrete skylights for additional illumination.

An outdoor bathing area adjoining the master bedroom was a unique request from the clients. Stone tub and terrazzo pavers

The master bath also received a new materials palette, including tile from Mosaic House, lights from Apparatus and Workstead, and tadelakt plaster walls and ceiling, which the designers say "feel simultaneously consistent with other home elements, yet fresh and forward."