Favorites

There is a private outdoor shower with an ocean view outside the primary bathroom.

“The Near Cabin has a close but distant relationship to the gathering spaces,” Shaw says. “Trees provide privacy but there is a visual connection, especially at night when you can see the lights on in the guest bedrooms if someone is awake.”

A flat stone dust path that is easily navigable on foot or by wheelchair leads from the kitchen to the Near Cabin. “We used boardwalks only for the most frequently traversed paths since they impact the site more than a simple walkway,” Shaw says.

The kitchen’s concrete countertops complement the handcrafted cabinetry.

Poured polished concrete floors, plaster walls, and the pine ceiling with hemlock beams infuse subtle interest and warmth. The bend in the gathering pavilion follows the site’s topography.

Outside the dining area and kitchen, Cor-Ten steel columns support a deep roof overhang. “The building is open and accessible on multiple sides, recalling a pavilion where you might gather in a park,” Shaw says. “Rather than front doors defining entry or exit points, there’s porosity.”

Best Practice added a new roof but kept the existing siding. A fresh coat of paint helps the casita pop, and a new window opening next to the entrance frames a new kitchenette inside.

Best Practice Architecture transformed a former garage in the Oak Park neighborhood of Dallas into a light-filled casita filled with art by local makers and vintage finds.

Modern larch interior woodwork combines with retro furniture and lighting pieces.

Another ask? The couple wanted separate showers. While the architects thought it would be difficult to pull off, they were able to thanks to a floating wall "which gives a sense of privacy and skylight,