Home Designs

Prince enjoys the house’s “Easter eggs,” as he calls them—the way the dusky pink grout used throughout matches the home’s rear facade screen.

Architect Erik Churchill of BLDGWORKS and his brother-in-law, contractor Bill Henry of Field Modifications, teamed up to remodel a late ’70s home outside Philadelphia for Bill, his wife, Allegra, and their sons. The house is near family, including Erik and Allegra’s parents, Tasha Stonorov and Michael Churchill. “We knew it would be a challenge,” says Allegra, “but the opportunity to be close to my parents in a place that could display Bill’s skills and Erik’s design made it irresistible.” Cedar planks wrap a new 900-square-foot extension.

Skáli North is a remote retreat situated along the coast of Prince Edward Island. The 1,192-square-foot vacation home belongs to a journalist and his family, who visit throughout each of the area’s four distinct seasons.

"The owner wanted the front door to match the same yellow of Caterpillar, the heavy machinery company,

A see-through entry hall joins the living areas with a bedroom wing.

In the evening, the house looks like a lantern. Originally, the homeowners planned to paint the house a light color. “Bassel encouraged us to go bold,” says Ming. “The contrast at night is more intense.” The exterior is painted in Calico Blue from Benjamin Moore, which is a dark green.

The wood-framed folding glass doors are from Centor. The battens on the board-and-batten siding are wider than usual for a more modern appearance. The exterior sconces are Dioscuri sconces from Artemide.

Large, dramatic openings bring transparency and contrast to the 10-inch-thick concrete facade, framing perspectival views of the landscape.

After an unprecedented year of earthquakes, hurricanes, and fires, a bright light has been shed on the benefits of building with concrete.

The home's interlocking twin volumes—addressing street and nature view, respectively— were inspired by Louis Kahn's Fisher House in Pennsylvania.