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The cedar-clad pavilion hovers above a bluestone base. A covered terrace with a fireplace allows the family to enjoy the outdoors even in colder months. “The stone base with the timber pavilion on top is like what you would see in the forest where you've got stones on the ground and then the trees rising up,” says homeowner Jenn.

The open-plan living and dining area frames views of the surrounding woodland through expansive Marvin Ultimate windows with a Douglas fir interior. “Even on dreary days, the house still brings in a lot of natural light,” says Jenn. “It doesn't feel overwhelming and it doesn’t feel like we’ve sacrificed privacy.”

“One of the most important aspects of this house is the timber roof,” says architect Gabe Hodge. “There are no interior partitions that engage with that roof—it’s free from the fireplace all the way to the other end of the house.” The effect is a continuous, unbroken canopy that amplifies the feeling of openness. The kitchen, pantry, and powder room are conceived as a block of smaller spaces within the open floor plan.

In Jenn’s office, tucked beside the stair hall, the walls stop short of the ceiling, allowing the timber roof to remain uninterrupted above. “We talked a lot about how she wanted the space to feel,” says architect Gabe Hodge. “She placed a lot of value on how beautiful this roof was going to be.” The resulting design preserves acoustic and visual connection to the rest of the home, with small interior apertures that keep the space visually tethered to the landscape and the wider home.

The sculptural, floating timber stair connects the home’s two volumes. Framed by exposed steel and lit from above, it creates a moment of weightlessness at the heart of the house.

The stair hall creates a natural flow from the lower level to the airy upper volume. “Especially for the first time, it creates a moment of revelation,” explains Gabe. “You're delivered up to the pavilion and the view of the farm through the trees.”

A view across the planted roof reveals the Marvin windows and doors from the Ultimate collection tucked beneath the extended eaves.

The ground-floor entryway is wrapped in warm, natural materials that echo the palette of the surrounding forest. A mudroom, hidden behind the sliding door, keeps the mess of outdoor activities contained for the active family of five.

In the double-height living space, Marvin windows stretch nearly floor to ceiling, capturing light even on rainy days and offering panoramic views across the forest. The Douglas fir frame remains exposed throughout, adding warmth, continuity, and rhythm.

“We wanted to feel like we were living at our own private retreat,” said Jenn. “That sense of being surrounded by nature was really important to us.”

After more than 15 years spent in construction, high school friends Simon Fyall and Richard Egli started to imagine an architecture that blended in with the landscape of British Columbia better than industry-standard buildings. Soon after, the pair founded Blend Projects to build their vision: crisp gabled homes strung together from eight-foot-long cedar-sided glulam sections.

“I envision people writing their books, music, refuelling their creative flow,” says Castillero. He should know about its energizing power more than anyone, really: it brought him back to his love of architecture, after all. “It’s truly my new happy place.”

The units feature radiant floor heating that can be monitored through included smart home devices.

Each of the bathrooms are fully remodeled and have all new fixtures and hardware.

Settled on a picturesque hillside in Somona, California, the Connect 5 residence features stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, which allow warm natural light to flood through the home.

CACN offers four model types. Pictured here is their MOR.II - a one bedroom unit with 540 square feet plus a 300 square feet wraparound deck.

Light streams into the master suite’s dressing room through glass panes by Western Window Systems. Clothes are stored in cabinets by Molteni&C; a rustic antique bench from Amber Interiors offers a place to suit up. As in the rest of the house, the fir flooring is by Dinesen. “Having worked with Will so much, I know he responds to a very calm and cool palette of beiges and grays,” says Reddy.

In the living room, a new wall of glass connects the house to its landscape, while a family-heirlume Persian rug adds softness to the new ceramic tile floor.