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The atrium is a lovely place to sit outside while still being somewhat protected.

In a Cape Town suburb known for its views of Table Mountain, architect Liani Douglas transformed a rundown, 80-year-old cottage into a house for her friend, Derek White, that embodies their shared design sensibilities. In the leafy neighborhood, the house announces itself with a pair of arched doorways at the front gate and the entry.

On the east side of the home, two large bay windows, their wood frames sandwiched between concrete, have hinged side panels that open to let in breezes. “The bay windows are like two eyes,” says Derek. “My favorite aspect of the house is at night when the lights are on, and they act like weird two-way mirrors. You can see it’s night outside, but they reflect the interior in a way that gives it a sense of being a completely different space.”

Designers Caroline and Sabri Farouki’s home in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans is only 12.6 feet wide in the front and even narrower in the back. The skinny, modern box contrasts with the neighborhood’s reigning mix of styles, but it aims to fit in even as it sticks out.

The home's roof height meets that of its neighbors’ second stories, and its big, black-framed Marvin Ultimate tilt/turn windows put a contemporary twist on a centuries-old ventilation strategy. Its Artisan V-Groove siding by James Hardie, with mitered corners and painted Narraganset Green—a deep peacock-emerald with tones of charcoal and slate—strikes a happy medium between subtropical color and chic contemporary minimalism.

In the kids’ room, a pendant from Cedar & Moss hangs above custom gabled beds with integrated lighting. The walls are painted Tranquility by Benjamin Moore.

The dining area is furnished with Indonesian hardwood pieces from Bali Aga and lit by solar lanterns from Goal Zero. The floors are by Trex. “The whole interior can be washed down with a hose,” says James, who made the ladder that leads to the loft.

At James and Sara Davis’s weekend home on O‘ahu, double-height doors open to a lanai-like space at the center of the house. The home’s energy needs are met via solar panels set by the entry.

Sara works in the kitchen, which contains a propane cooktop from Wolf and a propane refrigerator by Dometic. The louvered windows are from the Glass Guru and the porcelain tile is from Daltile.

“The roofline is angled so that the clients can wake up in the morning and see Mount Ka‘ala,” says architect Bundit Kanisthakhon.

Architect Bundit Kanisthakhon set the structure above ground as a precaution against flooding. At the Davises’ request, he ensured that the house can be disassembled for easy relocation.

For the bathroom, local studio Dusty Whipple Designs created a custom concrete sink. It sits within waterproof tadelakt plaster walls that run into the shower and around the room.

Another place where the couple minimized expenses was on the flooring. "The floor was a cost saver,

Conveniently located in their backyard, the office allows the couple to run their practice while staying close to their kids.

Norske Mikrohus’s latest project, Rast, is a 174-square-foot-home that promises to get you closer to nature.