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The weeHouse exteriors are clad in corrugated Cor-Ten, but with a custom pattern of folds to create an organic randomness. The foundations were designed with a shallow recess around the top to make the modules look like they’re hovering. After they bought the property in early 2014, the Siegels camped there for two summers while they saved up money and planned a permanent structure. In his research, BJ came across this design, a customizable prefab house by Alchemy Architects. "Of all the things that I found, I was drawn to that one because it was absolutely the simplest and cleanest," he says.

A 12-foot-wide sliding pocket wall opens the living/dining area to a spacious terrace.

Villa Hohenlohe by Philipp Architekten won the prestigious Hugo Häring Award in 2014.

Another water-saving project in Menlo Park includes a rock bed with succulents.

Stepstone's narrow concrete pavers add a graphic touch to the garden.

Since spending time in the great outdoors may not be accessible, cultivate your own green spaces at home—whether that be a balcony or your backyard. Check out our guides for propagating houseplants, starting vegetable seeds indoors, or tackling your own victory garden.

Water recirculates from a bench-level channel into a shallow pool bordered by succulents. Montalvo’s longtime landscape contractor Santiago Vasquez worked with her on the hardscaping.

The organic placement of the windows echoes the knots on the trunks of the surrounding trees.

Mature oak trees provide welcome shade in the warmer months.

Artwork by Scott Szegeski extends the surfing theme.

The Hansen Residence—also known as Modern Surf Shack or Casa Los Arboles—is a simple concrete construction, providing a robust envelope to withstand storms (the walls are double the thickness required by code). From the beach, stairs lead up to the main bedroom.

AbleNook is a Florida-based prefabricated, flat-pack home kit made from aircraft-grade aluminum framing and structural insulated panels (SIPs). Although it started out as an architecture school project, it was later patented through the University of South Florida and makes for an affordable ADU starting at $75,000. Use it as a main residence, eco-friendly second home, or Airbnb. They’re also designed to be potential disaster relief, as they’re ready for just about any terrain or weather conditions, including Florida’s hurricane winds. It’s also expandable to accommodate a range of sizes.

Two of chef André Chiang’s restaurants have appeared on the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. So it makes sense that at his new home in Taiwan, which he largely designed himself, the kitchen takes center stage. To outfit it, André worked with Vipp, the maker of everything from the black steel island and stainless-steel countertops to the faucets, cabinets, shelves, pendant light fixtures—even the tea kettle and trash bin.

To combat the site’s steep, uneven grade, Boeschenstein staggered a series of ipe decks around the two main volumes of the house. Atticus joins his brother, Bodhi, on the zigzag decks.

Surrounded by glass panels, the deck has an infinity-edge effect.

“I wanted something bold and fresh,” Augustin says of the unit’s citrus-inspired front door, painted Tangerine Dream by Dunn Edwards. The door is flanked by horizontal Redwood slats and gray acrylic stucco.