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The white-painted roofs form part of a enclosure system that "reflects up to 90% of incident heat,

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Floor plan of Schreiber Residence by Graff Guild

“Being perched on the hilltop at Spyon Cop is like nothing else,” says client Siobhan Turner. “My favourite experience of the house is sitting in my Ercol chair or, in nice weather, out on the deck, coffee in hand, watching the sun rise over the valley.”

The home is divided into different zones that are clearly represented in the built form. The ground floor is open, public and noisy; the first floor houses more private rooms for guests and children; and the new mansard roof extension has a

"A lot of people thought we were crazy to put in a fireplace in a Florida home, but the biggest surprise for my wife and me has been how much we use it,

After the home was assembled, a local contractor built the outdoor concrete patio and barbecue on site.

While the owners really liked the idea of shou sugi ban, they opted for a more cost-effective black stain. The random-width, reverse board-and-batten siding reflects the wabi-sabi concept. “The builder said the math for the random siding was torturous,” the wife said. “We didn’t know how hard it was to make things look simple.” DeNiord planted hay-scented fern and lowbush blueberry sod around the house. “We didn't want any side of the house to feel unconsidered,” he says. As for the local boulders he placed around the house and terrace, he says, “They give the feeling that the house grew up around the outcroppings.”

Before: The team took out a wall in this hallway to create a sight line from the front door to the mountains beyond.

The two new buildings create a courtyard-like feel in the small urban backyard.

Assembled in just two weeks, this cedar-wrapped passive house near Woodstock, New York, designed by BriggsKnowles A+D, realized a couple's dream of rural living.