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London creative studio Unknown Works has bookended brick infill terrace house with two semi-detached additions to provide “space for a young family’s creative pursuits, ensuring the layout could be adapted for hosting parties and intimate family gatherings.” Designed as a kit of prefabricated structural panels in spruce cross-laminated timber (CLT)—chosen as a flexible, cost-effective, sustainable material technology—the additions were assembled on-site in just four days.

Extra-wide concrete pillars help to support the studio at its core.

The garden-level living area of the ADU faces perpendicular to the existing house, offering a measure of privacy to the detached building.

Warwas offset the rear of the ADU to accommodate the power lines running behind the house, and he designed a window in the office/guest room upstairs that meets the roof in the same way that the window off the dining area/kitchen meets the ground.

In 2020, Isabel and David Yahng bought their Portland house, which was originally designed by architect Saul Zaik in 1963.

View of the kitchen and dinning

A look at the dining area. Note how the wood paneling appears to extend straight out into the fence on the exterior.

The countertop is a custom Concrete Collaborative terrazzo, and the colored flecks nod to the wall tiles.

The exterior walls of the Bercy house are constructed with Thermasteel, panels made from galvanized steel and a unique resin that provide structural framing, insulation, and vapor barrier with an R-29 rating twice the required amount. “We have so much glass that we have to offset it by having very efficient ceiling and wall systems,” says Bercy. “We wanted movable glass walls instead of tiny little sliding glass doors that pop off their tracks all the time,” says Bercy. So he and Chen tracked down the double-glazed, insulated, six-by-nine-foot doors rom a company called Fleetwood. “They’re a little more expensive, but when you slide the heavy doors open, you’re making a profound gesture to leave the house and step outside,” says Bercy. The word “doorknob” isn’t used much around the house for the simple reason that there aren’t any. “We didn’t want to clutter the house up with traditional hardware,” says Bercy. Instead, they used pulls found in boats that lie flush when not in use so that the doors become hinged extensions of the walls—the idea being that the door disappears and the core appears continuous.

From its locally quarried stone foundation to its zinc-coated copper roof, the cottage was inspired by its surroundings. “We talked a lot with our client about what the materiality would be,” says architect Karen Stonely, who, citing the organic style of Bar Harbor architect Robert Patterson, designed the structure with wood rather than drywall.

Throughout the cabin, custom built-ins, like a folding table by Bar Harbor woodworker Rick Bradbury, pack maximum utility into a streamlined package.

Markmus Design peeled away previous renovations and ’70s wallpaper to create this colorful family home that blends work with play.

A bedroom in a renovated townhouse in Harlem, New York, makes the most of a tight space with orange-tinted pink walls. Pink bedding keeps the space monochromatic but adds depth with a range of reddish tones.

Natural light is an important factor in creating biophilic spaces. The primary bathroom of this house in Venice, California, sits deep in the plan but has three sources of natural light—a skylight, small window, and translucent glass wall shared with the kitchen.

In the kids bathroom, Ceramica Vogue tile in multiple colors brings a youthful quality. Countertops are by Concrete Collaborative.

The U-shape of the building now creates an enjoyable outdoor space, where one can soak up the sun while still being sheltered from the wind.