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The multi-level home sits far off the road on a lush green lawn, surrounded by soaring trees.

Set on a sprawling 30,000-square-foot lot, the Lake Vista home has been lightly updated, and it comes with a pool and a cabana.

In this Hudson Valley midcentury, you can take in the afternoon sun from the reading nook or explore the surrounding valley in hiking boots.

To meet the project’s sustainability goals and minimize impact to the site, the prefab was built off-site, has an impermanent foundation, smart-home controls, and a 4.1 kW solar array.

Seattle architecture firm Wittman Estes used its new modular prefab system to built a prototype on Whidbey Island in Washington for a family that loves the outdoors.

The roof structure of William F. Cody’s 1963 Shamel Residence protects the interior from direct sun and provides shade over the patio, pocket gardens, and part of the pool. Courtesy Julius Shulman photography archive © J. Paul Getty Trust, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10)

Skylab Architecture cantilevered the living volumes in order to minimize the building’s footprint and to create a tree house-like experience for the residents.

The matte-black exterior and floor-to-ceiling glass of Villa Överby sit flush on limestone slabs.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Film: A Clockwork Orange (1972)

Built with redwood, glass, red brick, and concrete, the house was originally designed by John Lautner for the Schaffer family, who used to spend time enjoying picnics under the resident oak trees. Lautner built the house horizontally around the oaks.

The Stahl House has been featured in numerous movies and photoshoots and was immortalized by photographer Julius Shulman.

When the house architect Lorcan O’Herlihy originally built for his parents burnt down in a Malibu wildfire, he was given the opportunity to rebuild it as a structure that will stand the test of time. The concrete shell of the house was the biggest fireproofing decision, particularly the roof. The house also features additional passive fire protection elements to prevent ember intrusions, such as spark-arresting screens to protect any vulnerable spots and drought-tolerant landscaping. A sprinkler system wraps the perimeter to saturate the building in an emergency, plus there’s a pool that could provide additional water for firefighting purposes.

The ceilings of the interior are all clad in wood