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In the midst of the pandemic, a family leverages industry connections and modular construction to quickly rebuild a cliffside getaway on a fire-ravaged site in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.

“I envision people writing their books, music, refuelling their creative flow,” says Castillero. He should know about its energizing power more than anyone, really: it brought him back to his love of architecture, after all. “It’s truly my new happy place.”

The house was designed to minimally interfere with the hilltop vegetation, which is what attracted the family to the site.

Warm wood detailing ensures that the concrete flooring has a natural contrast.

The couple took advantage of numerous municipal programs when landscaping the backyard. Mandy recently completed a free course through LADWP, who also promotes resources for the SoCal Turf Replacement Program, to become a certified California Native Plant Landscape: “There is an amazing amount of knowledge and resources for transitioning yards with more native/drought-tolerant plants through LADWP and the Theodore Payne Foundation,” says Mandy.

The overall home is constructed with larch timber, a British wood, and features a central ridge beam that gives it a butterfly-shaped roof. Shou sugi ban was done on the wood to give it a charred finish.

Architect Fredrik Nilsson and author Keshni Kashyap blend Scandinavian modernism with a measure of Indian style to create a thoroughly L.A. home.

672 Mormon Springs Road in Crestline, California, is currently listed for $520,000 by Rob Kallick of Compass.

Floor plan of Garden Pavilion by Byro Architects

Mary Ellen House—named for the street it sits on—is defined by its characterful material palette and double A-frame form. “The double-arch windows give the sharp A-frame lines a soft touch,” explains architect Rob Diaz. The oak shutters and stucco finishes on the exterior hint at the interior palette, which celebrates Madera heart oak flooring throughout.

The concrete foundation was poured on top of a rock outcropping, so that the house would feel like part of the natural features of the site.

The three-bedroom Iniö model from Pluspuu features floor-to-ceiling windows, a loft-like interior, a wraparound deck, and a gable outline reminiscent of a traditional log cabin.

The concrete-and-steel home by Faulkner Architects gives one family a refined escape in the mountains of Northern California.

A centuries-old blue oak stands near the intersection of the two wings of the house, which is clad in Alaskan yellow cedar. “We decided to split the house into two volumes to let in light and allow us to be more nimble with where we placed the structures.” Jess Field, the architect.

This 530-square-foot prefab in East Sussex, England, was designed by Michael Kendrick Architects for a family who wanted to build a woodland retreat/rental on their property. Immersing the lodge into the forest reflects the family’s intent to, as the architects explain, “enhance the ecological biodiversity of the area, protect wildlife, and enable guests … to understand and appreciate the fauna, flora, and unique history and nature of the area, while supporting and promoting the local economy.”