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An 83-foot-high rock-climbing wall—complete with harnessing—sits between the two volumes.

The front pentagon of the cabin contains the main living space; the rear pentagon has two bedrooms and a drying room. It sleeps 10 people, with space for 16 during the day.

The warm, earth tones in the kitchen complements the home's rich material palette, ranging from the original red brick to breccia antica marble.

Wide curved archways connect the five entertaining lounges located on the ground level.

In fall, the color of this backyard in Charlottesville, Virginia, changes daily with the foliage. Elizabeth Birdsall marvels how new outdoor spaces on her property, like a patio furnished with upholstered seating from Gloster, make enjoying the woods an easy experience: “It’s like comfortable camping, all the time.”

After raising the rear patio to the level of the kitchen, the team reused the original redwood decking and supplemented it with recycled pieces from other projects. Recessed planters punctuate a garden wall. Scott and Regina warm themselves by a Solus fire pit on chilly evenings.

Entry way

First built in 1959 as acclaimed architect Jim Olson's first project, this modest bunkhouse in the woods grew into an extraordinary family retreat.

Eva designed new, curved stairs with a smooth plaster surface that contrasts with the roughness of some of the exposed stones. A few of her ceramics fill the niche under them, and skylights bring in sunshine from above. The table, bought locally for about 20 euros at a garage sale, is made of olive wood.

At Las Rocas, you always have two views: the lake and the rocks, which was the impetus for erasing the corners of the home. “The corner openings were a must for this project, because they really connect you to the outside,” says architect Ignacio Urquiza.

At Las Rocas, architect Ignacio Urquiza and interior designer Ana Paula de Alba sought to integrate nature as much as possible—allowing existing rock formations to define the space complemented by minimalist design elements.

“The houses are built around the rocks,” says Las Rocas Casa B homeowner Santiago Ortiz Monasterio. “We love it. He adjusted to what was there and we tried to preserve it as much as we could.”

There’s a unique lamp in the corner, made from a fallen gumtree branch, that Josh found on Marketplace; the couple added some clay components to make the piece their own.

Timothy’s grandfather built the small wooden wall cabinet (now hanging beside the fireplace) to house his collection of screws. Each box in the cabinet features his sketch of the type of screw inside. “We knew we wanted it as soon as we saw it in Tim's parents’ basement,” says Maureen. The photo leaning against the wall is one of the classic shots Elliott Landy took of The Band.