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“I consider light to actually be one of the materials here,” says Losada-Amor. Skylights (including one in the shower) offer ventilation as well as light.

Upon relocating to the Methow Valley, a family finds their compact cabin to be a little too cozy—so they roll up their sleeves and break ground.

The house retained its same basic form in front, part of a lush West Seattle neighborhood.

The addition of the antiqued mirrored panels amplifies natural light that the living room receives from the adjacent sunroom.

The ornate 12,847-square-foot Victorian manse in St. Louis is anything but cookie-cutter.

A light-filled extension by Tom Turner Architects nods to the history and craft of a 17th-century home.

You may think that an existing or historic home—known for its drafty windows, old-fashioned mechanical systems, and obsolete construction materials and techniques—would be one of the least sustainable, green-friendly buildings around, but you'd be oh-so-very wrong!

“My intention was to create a simple and inexpensive way to build a home with a high design concept that could also be built relatively quickly,” says Karcher. “It made sense to create a system for the build concept, employing a panelized structural design with prefabricated pieces and parts for rapid assembly.” Design aspects, like Inception Shades, are customizable yet modular enough to expedite installation.

A creative couple combine their talents to give a camper a retro-inspired revamp.

Serge’s office, featuring the same Siberian larch paneling used throughout the interior, is at the opposite—and quietest—end of the home.

“The home unfolds to look at itself,” says Câpâ architect Juan Pablo Ramos.

Luisa sits at an inflection point in the plan, which connects four modules—one for each family member plus one for the common areas—in zigzag fashion down a sloping site.

This prefabricated kit house by Adam Kalkin is designed from recycled shipping containers. Its 2,000-square-foot plan includes three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. The shell of the Quik House can be assembled in one day, and the entire home can be built in three months or less.

Floor Plan of Two-Tone Tudor by Bestor Architecture

The three arms of the Apfel House stretch out to catch the best views of Ranco Lake and the Andes Mountains.

Camper vans by Cabana are outfitted with at least one queen-size bed, a bathroom, a shower, and a kitchen.

RIC Design Build paid homage to the midcentury era and architect Alan McCullough’s legacy while making the house work for today.