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Adamant about floor-to-ceiling windows but reeling from sticker shock, Chau tapped local fabricators Arnold Iron Works and Strong Tempering Glass to create custom glazing, which proved much more affordable. The glass is reflective on the street side, creating a mirror effect.

The entire home is wrapped in pine tongue-and-groove, which matches the original finish on the ceiling.

Floor plan of Five Yard House by Miró Rivera Architects

The floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and windows were the most expensive line item in the renovation. “The house would simply not be the same without them,” says architect Miguel Rivera. “When you are in the living area with the doors open, it creates one large indoor/outdoor space that is simply stunning.” Just beyond the kitchen, a bookcase in the hallway is painted to appear red from one side and gray from the other.

“The bridge is a transitional feature that represents the connection between old and new,” says architect Miguel Rivera. “The design is very intentional—a series of frames compresses the space as you move into the existing house, and expands as you move into the addition that opens out to the main courtyard.” It also provides a seismic joint that separates the two different foundations, and incorporates slots for return air intake from the main living area.

“Stepping through the bridge is like going through a portal in time,” says architect Miguel Rivera. “The space opens up, and you find yourself in a brightly lit living and dining room with gray porcelain tile floors and floor-to-ceiling windows that contrast with the punched openings of the bungalow.”

Duke's Avenue by IBLA

Cover designed this 414-square-foot prefab office/guesthouse specifically for the Hollywood site.

A prefab home is any home that has been built, partly or fully, in a factory. The design may be fully preset, partly modified by the client, or completely made-to-order.

This 1930 building sits one block off the main street of Greenport Village in the North Fork of Long Island—just two hours from New York City. Partially covered in vines, the austere facade contrasts starkly with its bright interiors.

Bruce worried about what to put in the double-height space above the kitchen table—–until he found these Tom Dixon–designed mirror balls. “They were installed at random and when William came over that evening, he said, ‘Fantastic, well done.’ So we left them like that.”

Designed by HGA Architects and Engineers—a firm with offices in eight cities across the country, including Minneapolis—these prefab cabins were designed off-site before being transported to the park and set atop a series of concrete piers.

In the foreground are Float beanbag chairs and poufs from Paola Lenti. Mamagreen sofas nestle near the house on the sun-dappled deck. A 9.5-foot-tall shade cloth curtain seals off the entire length of the house when the couple is away, keeping the heat out of the interior and preventing accidental bird suicides against the floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

Assembled in just two weeks, this cedar-wrapped passive house near Woodstock, New York, designed by BriggsKnowles A+D, realized a couple's dream of rural living.

This Beverly Hills kitHAUS is comprised of modernist prefab modules that can accommodate a variety of uses: from yoga studios to home offices, and from weekend retreats to pop-up kiosks and guest rooms.

The architects removed decorative wood beams and wood paneling, and raised the ceiling to reveal a bright, open space. The existing fireplace mantle was swapped out for Bolection molding, a minimal-yet-traditional profile that allows more space for wall art. Hendricks installed the sconces and Noguchi lantern above the clients' wood table and chairs.

The home spreads out from a courtyard garden in a shape that resembles a hand traced on a sheet of paper. The structure of each “finger” nods to the traditional gable-sided barns that dot the area.

PARLOR FLOOR - LIVING ROOM & KITCHEN Photo © Ashok Sinha