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"The most comfortable and pleasant place in the house is the library nook, where you can lie down to read a book, have a coffee, or take a nap with the light and warmth of the sun coming through the window," says MAPA.

The tile backsplash matches the wall color, though it differs in texture, and the countertop is made from local granite. The light-colored wood screen set at the back of the darkly stained cabinetry mirrors the dark outside and light inside of the exterior facade.

Adding 290 square feet to this already small (just 566 square feet) black A-frame in Brecht, Belgium, was all the local building ordinances allowed, but the architects at dmvA found that a single wing extended out to the side gave resident Rini van Beek all the storage and living space that she needs.

At night, the quiet drama of the shed roof's angles glows against the darkened forest.

In the 1980s, the retreat was made up of three tiny pavilions linked by wooden platforms. By 2003, the pavilions had been connected by a unifying roof, creating a single form grounded onto the hillside and projecting out over the landscape.

Cedar platforms close to the ground extend beneath the cabin’s broad eaves to create spaces that frame outdoor space.

Photo by Patrick Barta

Built of sustainable cross-laminated timber, a prefab cabin by the architecture firm MAPA offers a tranquil escape for São Paulo–based Maurício Uhle and Ralph Weigand. “We wanted to be in touch with nature, in a house made of wood and glass,” says Maurício. Adds Ralph, “We’d been searching for a solution that was well designed and cost-efficient and had a minimal impact on the environment.”

Lofted amid eucalyptus and oak trees, Graham Paarman’s house in South Africa is a glassed-in, steel-frame structure with a veil of vertical slats. Excluding outdoor areas, it measures about 720 square feet. Half-round bays project to form a balcony, a pergola, a dining alcove, and a bathroom.

"On most days, from almost all vantage points, the boathouse reflects the forest or lake and is challenging to identify until you are immediately in front of it," says the firm. Pressure-treated SPF timber lines the outdoor deck.

The exterior combines charred cedar siding, cedar beams, and black cement board siding. “Black may seem like an extreme choice sometimes,” says Howe. “It would be hard to imagine any other color though. It sits lovely in the woods. It falls into the shadows in the summer, under the canopy, and it blends with the dark tree trunks in the winter.”

Large overhangs shelter the home from the summer sun, while allowing daylight to warm the interiors in the winter.

Wood from the property’s felled trees was incorporated into every room in the 3,000-square-foot house.

“When I first got down to this site, the boulder that is now along the walkway blew me away, as did the one outside of our bedroom,” Peck says. “I knew immediately that’s where the house should be located.”

A night, the expansive windows and doors allow a warm light to emanate into the isolated forest.

The Bracy Cottage — Bedroom

This side view of the home shows the large patio off the living room and above the master bedroom.

A gate provides access to the home from the street. The timber-clad shutter disappears into the facade along the second-floor volume.