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Audi Culver and Ivy Siosi had never built a house before, but as the founders of Siosi, a decade-old furniture company known for its use of domestic, sustainably sourced hardwood and simple, Scandinavian-influenced forms, they were up for the challenge. A large parcel a few miles from downtown caught their eye, and when the owner split it into four smaller lots, they snapped one up.

The home is a celebration of simple functionality and honest materiality—from the netting used to enclose the reading snug on the mezzanine level, to the timber cladding. “There is no paint or render on the build as we wanted to express the beauty of the materials themselves wherever possible,” explains architect William Samuels.

becomes this wood cocoon with ambient light coming through the clear wall panel. You don’t need to even turn on a light.”

“There are some great houses in Birmingham,” says Poris. “This one had had been split into two homes during the Depression and there were still remnants of that—two stairs, some of the rooms were chopped up… Many houses like this would be knocked down and replaced, but the client wanted to bring it back to life."

You may think that an existing or historic home—known for its drafty windows, old-fashioned mechanical systems, and obsolete construction materials and techniques—would be one of the least sustainable, green-friendly buildings around, but you'd be oh-so-very wrong!

The floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and windows were the most expensive line item in the renovation. “The house would simply not be the same without them,” says architect Miguel Rivera. “When you are in the living area with the doors open, it creates one large indoor/outdoor space that is simply stunning.” Just beyond the kitchen, a bookcase in the hallway is painted to appear red from one side and gray from the other.

The dining table overlooks the light well at the center of the shelter.

Perkins & Will designs a mountaintop Passive House that takes energy efficiency to the next level.

The architect and owners were in sync on every aspect of the design, including the desire for shou sugi ban siding. “I had been interested in shou sugi ban for a long time,” Herrmann says. “These Japanese cypress boards have been charred, wire-brushed, stained, and oiled. We did a lot of testing to come up with the right dark grey color; it changes in the light.”

Designers Russell Pinch and Oona Bannon kept many of the architectural details of the 300-year-old cow barn they turned into a second home, including its terra-cotta roof tiles. The primary structural change took place on the front facade, which they tore down and rebuilt, opening space for a traditional oeil-de-boeuf window. The door on the left opens to a workshop. In addition to designing furniture, the couple also create interiors for select clients.

A Czech designer partners with local stonemasons and carpenters to convert a tattered structure into a boutique guesthouse in the Carpathian Mountains.

The sectional is from Dellarobbia, and the leather chair is the Toro Lounge Chair from Blu Dot. Annie Wise sourced the rugs and accent pillows.

The expansive windows offer unparalleled views of La Plata peak while also providing lots of natural light to the living room and kitchen.

The cabin’s exterior, originally pastel yellow, was modernized with fresh paint from Benjamin Moore in Blackforest Green – a rich and earthy hue perfect for the wooded context.

Local materials and a restrained, natural palette allow the surroundings to sing at this family getaway.