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This cottage was designed as a summer home in Sorrento, Maine. Cohen says of the property, "Their site was a marvelous sloping, wooded property on the shores of Frenchman Bay facing westerly. One view caught a glimpse of Cadillac Mountain, the other of a small island."

The house was not completed to Cohen's specifications though, and later when he ran into his former client, he told him sympathetically, "Peter, your wonderful house how looks like someone left a Hershey bar on a radiator."

The central spine of this 1986 design, also overlooking the ocean in Maine, is more like the one of Maison Amtrak, a boomerang-esque angle. The house was "symmetrical with a bedroom flanking each end, a Japanese farmhouse shaped roof, and my spine, containing entry, kitchen and bathroom long the inland side."

The south elevation in Cohen's illustration looks like an agglomeration of building blocks, and the slated roofs which do so much to counteract the weight of a Maine snowload remind one of Robert Venturi's Vanna Venturi house.

This small cottage in Corea, Maine, was designed in 1991 as a seaside getaway for a couple. Here the central spine is a long corridor, another variant on Cohen's flexible system.

Viewed from above, the 1961 house appears to be three volumes rising up out of the central T. The terrace provides a counterpoint to the larger rectangular rises of the top floor.

This elevation photo of the same house from 1961 shows Cohen's fascination with clean, vertical lines and the influence of Japanese design has had on his work.

The first spine and module house Peter Cohen designed was this one in 1961 meant for a family in Rochester, New York.

In this house the spine is more of a T-shape than a long corridor. Nonetheless the rooms clamp on to each side with a small terrace out of one room.

There is a precipitous drop off the deck at Maison Amtrak, though the sloping site meant that either serious excavation or a bit of caution would be needed. The Cohens opted to play it safe, and have a planter of red geraniums that guard the edge of the deck.

The lower level of Maison Amtrak has two studies, storage space and houses the mechanical equipment for the house. The two bathrooms upstairs are directly over the mechanical services, keeping cost and noise down.

The ceramics studio was formerly a pergola wrapped in chicken wire, used as a dog kennel by the previous owner. Inside the new structure, a vintage Danish chair, found on eBay, provides a modern perch. The windows’ deep mullions double as display shelves.

The rusting steel is an important part of the house’s patina, Campbell says. “We appreciate materials in the raw,” he adds. “The tables aren’t stained; the steel isn’t painted. The materials are what they are.”

Constructed by landscaper Ronald Gramajo for a California family, the outbuilding would make for a great she shed for relaxing, hanging out, writing, or even yoga or art.

Oozing with charm, comfort, and modern amenities, these 10 micro homes are eagerly awaiting to help you experience the tiny house lifestyle. But brace yourself—you might become an aspiring tiny-house dweller after just one stay.

For this 780-square-foot apartment Hong Kong apartment, local practice MNB Design Studio used plywood, smart storage solutions, and tapped into the principles of origami to create a highly structured, minimalist home.

The oak cabinet in the living room was another secondhand find. “It had the exact measurements of the wall,” says Annemie. “We just needed to hang it.” The throw blanket is from La Femme Garniture while the pillows and pendants are custom.