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Architect Johan Sundberg looked to Japanese architects like Kengo Kuma for inspiration for the design of a holiday home in southern Sweden. "We call it the Katsura typology, but that's probably sacrilegious," he says. The eaves of the gently sloped hipped roof extend generously in all directions, turning the deck into a covered retreat that’s part veranda, part engawa, the Japanese version of a porch.

Architect Joaquin Castillo blends inexpensive materials, the odd splurge, and a refined modernist sensibility to create an affordable weekend house for brothers Alfredo and Guillermo Oropeza. The facade is a juxtaposition of rough-hewn local stone, smooth concrete, glass, and steel—the material palette used throughout the structure.

The ground floor follows an L-shaped plan, and is accessed via a tiered concrete terrace.

Californian modernism informs the shape of this Minnesota residence.

The couple’s garden-style townhouse is one of nearly 200 units that Mies van der Rohe designed for Detroit’s middle class after World War II. Zac Cruse Construction assisted with their remodel.

The rear of the house looks onto a lush backyard. The rough, industrial prefabricated concrete panels by the German manufacturer Syspro are the building blocks of the home.

"The building is arranged on a 9.8-foot structural grid, which is expressed both internally and externally to give clarity and order to the composition," says Chapman from OB Architecture.

A glazed staircase placed on the south side of the building next to the hillside leads to the bedrooms on the upper level.

The second floor, which houses Mark’s office, has aluminum-framed windows on three sides and opens to a roof deck.

The wooden shutters can be moved throughout the day to follow the path of the sun.

Covered deck

Set within a corner lot, the home takes advantage of views outward along the length of the site through large expanses of clear glazing.

A 100-foot-long glass wall opens the view up to views of the bay.

Dramatic in its horizontal expression, this private residence appears to extend into the landscape via deep overhangs and visual transparency.

Approach via gravel driveway