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The home’s namesake is a 26-foot-tall shade structure called a ramada. The name derives from the Spanish word for ‘branches,’ and it’s a regional construction technique mastered by the Tohono O'odha tribe. A total of 20 Douglas fir telephone poles support the 2 x 4 lattice canopy, which provides shade and casts dramatic shadows across the white, mortar-washed slump blocks.

There’s also a powder room tucked behind a discreet door.

While the previous addition was a stand-alone structure, the new addition is connected to the main house via a covered walkway.

After: The U-shaped kitchen has MDF cabinetry and shelving, and two sinks allow the homeowners to undergo multiple tasks at once (washing vegetables, thawing frozen items, filling pots). A light well over the open shelving helps brighten the room.

The house still fits with the eclectic style of the neighborhood, but details such as Japanese-inspired siding on the second level and simpler lines on the porch elements make it feel modern.

The prefab compact cabins that Summary designed for Syntony Hotels in Paradinha, Alvarenga, Arouca, Portugal, are made from concrete, pine, and glass.

The sweeping lines of the stairs creates a sculptural focus point within the home. The bar cart beneath is accessories with a Louis Poulsen PH Glass Table Lamp.

In the living room, the furnishings—including a white Flexform sofa and coffee table and stool designed by Poul Kjærholm for Kold Christensen—have been kept to a monochrome palette, which complements the dark timber paneling and white-painted walls of the interior.

A view of the connecting vestibule for which the house is named. The exterior is clad entirely in tiles made from recycled rubber and plastic—technically a roofing material—giving the eaveless home a tightly wrapped skin. “Although we used a traditional gabled form, we wanted to clean it up quite a bit,” says Bruns.

The mirrored wall bounches light around the room and makes it seem larger. Unlacquered brass plumbing fixtures feel appropriate for the house.

Crawford taught himself how to reface the brick fireplace façade, using a creamy-colored, thin set brick. “It was his first time using a tile saw or laying brick, but his meticulous precision paid off,” says Devlin.

A floor lamp nearly eight feet tall anchors the seating area in the living area. Ceilings that are 12 feet tall at the highest point help the room feel expansive. “We needed to find a way to define different areas in a relatively tight space,” Lachapelle says. It’s the clients’ first experience with an open floor plan. “We raised our kids in an old Victorian, and the farmhouse we live in now is chopped up into tiny rooms save for the studio we just added,” the husband says.

Top 10 Black Gable Homes of 2020: A dramatic take on an archetypal shape, these pitch-roofed residences cut a striking figure.