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One of the benefits of building into the hillside is that Catherine and her dog, Lydia, are able to access the home's rooftop deck.

Floor plan for Refugio Bariloche by Nicolás Tovo and Teresa Sarmiento

Before: The low-slung home was nondescript, with the low roof line making it difficult for the interior to enjoy any expansive views.

Copper Harbor is well equipped for weather conditions in an area known for intense winds and heavy snowfall during the winter months.

Liz and Matt had to drill a well to provide water for the property. Wastewater is captured and treated with a gravity-fed septic system that will also serve the main dwelling, when it’s completed.

The home's roof height meets that of its neighbors’ second stories, and its big, black-framed Marvin Ultimate tilt/turn windows put a contemporary twist on a centuries-old ventilation strategy. Its Artisan V-Groove siding by James Hardie, with mitered corners and painted Narraganset Green—a deep peacock-emerald with tones of charcoal and slate—strikes a happy medium between subtropical color and chic contemporary minimalism.

Blue Sky Building Systems worked with CB Architecture to create a modern home for a family of four in Orinda, California.

The floor and the wall merge into one as concrete, wood, and subtle, warm tones create an integrated look. Customized furniture and built-in pieces throughout add to the minimalist vibe.

Project architects Studio Marshall Blecher and Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter opened up the center of the house, previously comprising a maze of fourteen small rooms, creating one large and airy kitchen and dining space with a high, chapel like ceiling. A six-meter-long concrete plinth standing at the center of the room which doubles as an island bench and dining table, had to be lowered into the house by a crane while the roof was being reconstructed.

The two structures' gabled roofs can be prominently seen from the street, alongside its all-over black siding.

Architects Camilo Fuentealba and Eduardo Díaz created a split-level layout for their vertically aligned home near the Chilean resort town of Puerto Varas. Rooms branch off from a central atrium as you climb up stairs and ladders. “The idea was to replicate the way trees grow to look for light,” says Camilo.

Four photovoltaic panels on the roof generate a considerable amount of energy throughout the year.

The rebuilt “Idea House,” designed by Holly Freres and David Horning of JHL design. The driveway is permeable to encourage good drainage: crushed granite gravel is installed over a stabilization mat. James Hardie exterior siding is painted in Benjamin Moore ‘White Dove,’ with reclaimed wood used for the entry and garage.