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The red clay façade, constructed with baked bricks by Don Valley Pressed Brick Works, mirrors many of the city’s factories and landmarks.

A deck steps down from the kitchen to an outdoor dining area in the garden.

Alloi's design solution for the exterior envelope included exterior rigid insulation to reduce solar heat gain, and recycled newspaper blown-in cellulose insulation at interior and exterior walls, creating an energy efficient and peacefully quiet home.

Front entry with reflection pond and pivot-panel fence separating the atrium.

From the rear of the yard, a sauna is tucked behind a wall of hedges.

Media room with an expansive sectional that is a favorite spot for the entire family.

The boathouses cantilever out over a steep slope in the Hollywood Hills.

At the eastern edge of Texas Hill Country, a private retreat known as the Hill Country Wine Cave is embedded into the face of a rocky hillside. Austin- and San Antonio–based firm Clayton Korte carefully designed the 1,405-square-foot subterranean cellar and lounge, utilizing lush vegetation and large boulders collected on-site to further conceal the main entry.

Interior Garden

Aerial View

A wooden staircase with built-in cabinetry connects to

Sitting lightly above the eelgrass, this tiny dwelling serves as a port of entry for a family getaway on the Salish Sea.

Designed for a creative couple from Los Angeles seeking a quiet retreat, this 380-square-foot sanctuary was conceived as something between a tent structure and a viewfinder: Openings draw focus to specific views across Great Oyster Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula while providing immediacy to the vegetated dunes of Dolphin Sands. From burying the utilities to paving access around the undulating terrain, Matt Williams Architects made every effort possible to minimize their encroachment on the site and blend the structure into the landscape.

This kitchen garden cleverly uses Borealis wall in Hazelnut Brandy as a long-lasting, retaining wall for raised garden beds, bringing the cottage-garden charm of timber without the need to worry about maintenance or everyday wear-and-tear. The clearly zoned pathways between the beds allow room for a cafe table and chairs.