Finishing Touch: Innovative Uses of Wood

Janna Stark House - Charred Studs

For architect Stephen Chung, the design of his Wayland, Massachusetts, home was all about blending into the natural environment. The first floor is a serene composition of white and wood. The demand for a domestic office space inspired him to build up, adding a second floor for him to "experiment." In a departure from the Cape Cod aesthetic that rules his block, he was able to give the addition a modernist take, while also literally reflecting the existing landscape of the neighborhood. The entire 1,100-square-foot adjunct that encompasses his second story office-studio, master suite, and fort for his two young sons is swathed in mirrored siding and plate-glass windows.

Merge Architects wrapped the peg wall around three sides of a bathroom to hide a door and provide a storage for books and knick knacks.

In 2008, students Drew Coshow, Robert Douge, Abigail Grubb, and Steven Ward designed the Pattern Book House. The name was inspired by pattern books that were popular in the 1800s and outlined how to build design details, from columns to cornices. With such a book in hand, any construction worker equipped with basic building skills could construct facades straight out of ancient Rome or Greece, which were the styles most often offered in these publications. Similarly, the eventual goal of the $20K House program is that a small team of builders with printouts of one of the $20K House plans will be able to build a home in a few days without any additional assistance or instruction. Photo by Ty Cole

Budget supplies become modern design gold in this Omaha home. Architect Randy Brown turned to a local hardware store to purchase a collection of standard two-by-four and one-by-two wood slats; he transformed the inexpensive supplies into an installation that separates his youngest son’s room from the communal living area.

Photo by Osamu Abe