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A view of the sauna building before the patio and seating were constructed on the other side. The log cabins were constructed by a specialist company, and another builder helped with the interior walls. Jussi-Pekka and his father did all the other building and landscaping work, apart from the electrical and plumbing—often working 12-hour days.

The designers painted the walls of the living room bright white and outfitted the space with custom millwork beneath the fireplace and modernist light fixtures and furniture.

The roof is made from 100% recycled, post-consumer steel.

Architects Bertil Harström and Johan Kauppi conceived of the idea for the Arctic Bath hotel in Swedish Lapland.

The circular main building has an open-air plunge pool at its center.

The hotel comprises six floating bungalows and six larger land cabins elevated on stilts.

"The forest outside our windows brings us joy from the moment we wake up in the morning," says Jonah, "while we watch the hawks and birds and drink our coffee to the period of dusk when the deer pass through on their evening foraging and the fox come out of hiding."

Even the water in the courtyard pool comes from the on-property cistern, which collects rainwater throughout the year. "Last summer, I think the kids were in the pool twice a day at least," says Jonah. "We lived in that courtyard."

"Designed by award-winning architect William Reue to the exacting specifications of the current owner, every aspect of this home has been meticulously crafted,

Madison points out that the pod concept would make it easy to add an extension if necessary. “We see it as a house that can grow with us—and that we can pay for as we go along.”

The courtyard offers an idyllic setting for outdoor entertaining or a quiet night by the pond.

The home's perched positioning creates ample covered outdoor space, including room for parking. Tall trees surround the property, presenting a private, peaceful oasis.

“This is a creative space—with the connection to the land and air, I actually don’t feel like I’m inside at all.”—Austin Lowrey

“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.