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A bird’s-eye view of the 1,900-square-foot house for architect Mary English’s sister and her family reveals the home’s unique form.

After: "This garden buffer area serves as a way to get light inside and also act as an acoustic and privacy barrier from the street," says the firm.

The open-plan public zone, which includes the kitchen, dining area, and living room, looks out onto the back patio, where the dining table is often wheeled in the summer for al fresco meals. Ken and Joan regularly have 10-20 guests over, so she requested enough space in the dining area to put another table if needed.

In the primary bathroom, the skylight aligns perfectly with the floating vanity below, letting in an abundance of natural daylight and creating geometric shadows on the walls.

The energy efficient design relies on a wood-burning stove for chilly days, otherwise sunlight, and operable windows and doors take care of most of the heating and cooling.

Reaching over 20 feet high, the glass paneled solarium

Arquipélago Arquitetos and Mariana Caires designed this timber home hugging the hillside in the Bocaina countryside region of Brazil.

The living area is wrapped in glass and surrounded by built-in seating.

Floor plan of French Creek Workshops by Wittman Estes

A spiral staircase runs through the center of the house, serving as a chimney that pulls cool air up from the ground floor as hot air exits through windows on the top level.

Floor Plan of Beaver Creek Cabin by Outside Architecture

The dining table was designed by MASA Architects. It features a structural glass manufactured by Van Dijken Glas in a color gradient of black to brown.

The home’s expansive terrace and garden tows the line between privacy and connection. “You'll feel more in tune with nature—embracing sunlight, wind, and the sky—and loosely connected to the urban landscape,” shares Nakamura.

Musician Nathaniel Rateliff and his fiancé Taylor McFadden renovated this 4,000-square-foot home, which sprawls across 5 acres in Littleton, Colorado.

The wood inside was harvested from the local forest. Anders’s favorite spot in the home is the sofa situated under an almond tree in the greenhouse.

“The material palette is the same for the entire house,” says architect Daniel Iragüen, pointing out the porcelain tile floors, laminated pine ceilings, and whitewashed pine slats that form the interior walls.