Houses

Set on a narrow, 18-foot-wide site, Melt House presents a corrugated exterior.

The narrow home slots easily into its urban context, while making a striking design statement.

Before: The step down into the living room was a tripping hazard. "We had a couple people fall on that occasionally,

Showcased in the Dwell on Design Home Tours, this Atwater Crossing residence is clad in glass and metal and topped with solar panels.

Twenty-eight other homes are members of the Atwater Crossing community, all designed by Kluger.

Families live in micro-units and share common spaces.

Exterior view of the drive through to the interior courtyard, wild flowers beyond

“The black char looks flat from a distance, but up close you see the texture and pattern of the wood,” says Höweler. “The char also catches the light and has a luster that shimmers.”

“I would describe the charred exterior as ‘blacker-than-black,’ as it seems to absorb all light striking it,” says Lucy of the home’s striking siding. “The texture is unique and dramatic while still maintaining a connection to nature and sustainable materials.”

Wall House by Anupama Kundoo

The ground floor of the home features wide spaces that open out to greenery. “You don’t need walls everywhere to make the house feel big,” explains Eduardo Ugalde from All Arquitectura. “By creating a large garden on the site that is open to the sky, you create a feeling of spaciousness.”

“It was just a shell,” Geraldine Vergara says of the apartment, which sat vacant for years before she and her husband gave it a minimalist revamp with mirrored storage and sculptural archways.

The home’s expansive terrace and garden tows the line between privacy and connection. “You'll feel more in tune with nature—embracing sunlight, wind, and the sky—and loosely connected to the urban landscape,” shares Nakamura.

Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP used 87 translucent bricks to reframe a family’s connection to nature and the city.