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To accommodate a young family leaving New York City, design firm Stewart-Schafer revamped the kitchen and living areas of an outdated upstate home in just three months.

These projects cleverly address issues ranging from affordable housing to building sustainably in the face of climate change.

A swing hangs from one of the home’s original beams. “It was a gift from friends in New York,” says Onur. “The girls spend hours on it.”

Inspired by the Ice Age rock formations found throughout the region, the Meteorite, so named for obvious reasons, is a faceted dwelling designed by Kivi and Tuuli Sotamaa, the brother-and-sister team behind Ateljé Sotamaa.

Brick and metal sheeting around the sauna stove provide fire protection.

Large windows flood the sauna with natural light and face views of the lake.

Emilie Bédard and Maria Rosa Di Ioia of EM Architecture gave Erik Rydingsvärd’s top-floor apartment in a Montreal triplex a subdued, modern look that evokes his native Denmark. The range hood and satin-finished teak cabinets are by Kastella. The floors are Douglas fir and the walls are spruce, painted white.

In Kulusuk, East Greenland, Haukur Sirgurdsson enjoys the reflections of a large lake speckled with floating ice chunks.