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Clintons Corners Residence site plan

Propel Studio’s Wedge ADU is a luminous respite, with built-in wood cabinetry and a massive skylight. Over the past decade, Portland, Oregon, has seen a wave of ADUs constructed—from detached backyard structures to dedicated basements dwellings and above-garage apartments that are part of an existing house. Portland isn’t the only city committed to ADUs, but in most places, regulations make them difficult. As of last year, there were only four American cities—Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Austin—that had built more than 1,000 units.

Although synthetic slate roof tiles have been around since the 1970s, the way architect Stephen Bruns used them to completely clad Woven House is unusual. "I love this material," says Bruns. "The way light reflects off the tiles creates a specular effect, almost like a mosaic." That reflective quality is enhanced by the floor-to-ceiling windows by Loewen.

The exposed rafters were carried into the exterior areas, including the covered patio.

After renting in San Francisco for a decade, DIY couple Molly Fiffer and Jeff Waldman bought 10 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the pair and their friends built a cabin compound complete with sheds, tree decks, a pavilion, a wood-fired hot tub, an outhouse, and an outdoor shower. The cabin is made from locally sourced, rough-sawn redwood, which the couple stained with nontoxic Eco Wood Treatment to give the panels an aged appearance and a dark patina.

Conveniently located in their backyard, the office allows the couple to run their practice while staying close to their kids.

Off-Grid Guesthouse by Anacapa Architecture

Melbourne firm Splinter Society’s main goal for the Bungalow 8 renovation and expansion was to create "a more modern, free-flowing series of connected living spaces,

"In some ways the strongest attributes of the house are probably the outside spaces,” says Court. The original cedar deck was replaced with Kebony decking that wraps around a century-old cherry tree. A pair of Andy rockers from Mamagreen face an ottoman by Kenneth Cobonpue. The accordion doors are a NanaWall SL-60 system that allows the main room of the guesthouse to open completely to the deck.

“From anywhere in the house, you have a sense of the outdoors,” says Melonie, “and yet it’s very private.” Ikegami agrees. “The building was really about the landscape—it can dissolve into the background,” he says. In the master bedroom, Japanese Tansu chests from the couple’s previous home flank a Duxiana bed. The full-height windows and swing door are from Western Window Systems.

A 16-foot-wide, multi-slide door leads from the main living area to a covered patio.

“The pitched ceilings and ribbon of clerestory windows make the interior feel more spacious than it is,” notes Gooden.

A peek into the master bath.

Perkins & Will designs a mountaintop Passive House that takes energy efficiency to the next level.

The 2021 Living Vehicle sleeps up to four (an automatic eurolift option increases sleeping capacity to six) and features an aluminum chassis.

Homeowner and general contractor Clint Unander redesigned his dated Santa Barbara ranch to be a bright, airy home that combines classic California style with Scandinavian minimalism.

Built on a tight budget of $120,000, a retirement home in the mountains delivers unexpected contemporary design to a rural township.