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A worm filter system treats all of the home’s black water, producing fertilizer to regenerate the soil.

The designer furniture—much of which is by local South African makers and brands—elevates the cozy retreat, and offers an element of surprising contrast to the rugged landscape and remote site. It was also essential that anything transported to site was of high enough quality to stand the test of time, as transporting replacements would be logistically challenging.

The four containers are also the same brand, which was an important consideration as each brand has slightly different dimensions, and the highly detailed design of the hide-out necessitated precision.

As Nicolás Tovo and Teresa Sarmiento of La Base embraced modular design as part of their architectural practice, they noticed that prospective clients were wary of prefabricated construction. So the duo teamed up with Place, an Argentine prefab builder, to make a proof of concept just outside the Patagonian resort town of Bariloche.

In addition to saving on construction costs, upcycling an old container can be an eco-friendly alternative to building from the ground up.

Wall House by Anupama Kundoo

Gando Teachers’ Housing by Kéré Architecture

A-Z West by Andrea Zittel

Thought it occupies a separate structure, the ADU/studio at left reads like an extension of the house, right. A new deck unifies the two, as does the paint color: Dunn-Edwards’ Biscotti. The selection delighted Warwas. “It’s one of my favorite colors, and Antonio chose it. We didn’t even have a discussion about it. It’s like we were psychically linked.”

Warwas expanded the existing attic to create a small sleeping loft.