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Welcome to Bridge House - c'mon up the entry bridge and be one with the trees!

The exterior of the extended yoga studio and primary bedroom wing. The deck is constructed of batu, which was chosen over ipe to keep costs down.

The Monocular - Front Perspective

Context and Contrast in the Alps | Austria An Austrian vacation home’s design references its mountainside setting and expansive views across the valley. By Tom Lechner / LP Architektur

The family retreat abuts a rocky cliff in Herfell, Norway. The central cabin provides communal living spaces, while the two cabins that flank it are used as private sleeping quarters.

The house is divided into three sections connected by a series of outdoor galleries. “When I walk from one room to another, I have to go outdoors and feel the weather and nature—rain, cold, and sun,” says Sævik. Instead of emphasizing the expansive panorama of oak, pine, and aspen trees, the house frames select views—a move inspired by Japanese design.

Sævik compares her house to a contemplative hideout. “It’s very quiet,” she says. “You can concentrate and let thoughts fly.” Her favorite summer pastimes include reading, painting, drawing, yoga, and “just sitting and feeling the forest,” she says.

East Lake House, designed by Robert Young Architects, features two structures to capture sunshine and breezes from all angles.

“When you’re doing a second home, a lot of the character of the design is defined by what it isn’t,” says architect Greg Howe, as a way of explaining the minimalistic approach that was taken on this Michigan weekend home. “If you think of it as cold, you have to remember, the setting, and accessing nature, is the point.”

Cor-Ten steel from a ship building yard clads the new structure, which connects via a glass “bridge” to a rebuilt stone farmhouse containing the bedrooms.

Starfall has a very simple asymmetric section that allows the morning light to penetrate deep into the building and flood it with light.

The northern façade of the main house is set at an angle to the barn

The historic site consists of an old farmhouse, stable, and shed, along with bunkers and artillery foundations from the both World War I and World War II. The stable has been converted into a modern 5,683-square-foot bed and breakfast establishment called The Bunkers.

master bedroom addition