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A shiny mirror-clad shed greets guests as they approach the house.

Californian modernism informs the shape of this Minnesota residence.

South side of house, with 6-ft roof overhangs and large sliding glass panels

The home is clad in sustainably sourced spotted gum. A natural material palette is used throughout.

Aranzazu House - Besonías Almeida arquitectos

View of courtyard

The ever-changing, lush wooded surroundings of Minnesota, such as those experienced at this 8,000-square-foot Type Variant House outside of Minneapolis designed by Coen and Partners, are right near the small town of New Richland.

Exterior

The three buildings are strategically organized around a central courtyard, creating an outdoor room that is protected from sun, precipitation, and wind. The openings between the buildings frame the predominant views.

“Courtyards are a fantastic way of controlling the sun here,” says architect Cavin Costello. “We live outdoors primarily in the late fall/winter, when the sun angle is very low, and tall walls are often more effective than roofs in providing shade for the outdoor spaces.”

“By using a hybrid model that includes both prefab and site-built construction, we were able to push the architectural vocabulary of prefab construction beyond the expected, with a bold, new visual vocabulary,” Denton says.

Pine and gravel sleepers follow the site’s natural slope, weaving through the existing pine trees until reaching the home’s entrance.

Perched below the Griffith Observatory and overlooking Hollywood is a lush lot crowned with four towering olive trees and a 1965 home designed by modernist architect Craig Ellwood. When a young couple purchased the home in 2018, it needed substantial work. For a historic restoration, they called on Woods + Dangaran, a local firm fluent in modernist history. The team completed a meticulous restoration of the home while keeping original components like the linear shape, open plan, and expansive windows. One of the most striking features is the original koi pond (a feature deemed so essential that its preservation was a condition of escrow) that is now crossed via a bridge that leads to a new lap pool—perhaps the biggest intervention on the property.

Blaine Architects capped the front addition to this Eichler home with a shed roof that mimics the slope of traditional Eichlers, but slants in the opposite direction to make it distinct. The wood screen is made from Accoya.

Roble House's elevation allows the structure to be immersed in the dense forest setting.