Houses

Construction wrapped in summer 2024, and Lawler's parents send him regular texts about how much they love their new home. "Our goal with our clients is always to get invited back, and with my parents, that's thankfully the case,

Clad in cypress and charged with color, the North Fork getaway of author Julie Satow and editor Stuart Elliott is something to write home about.

A generous covered entry porch provides a sheltered connection between the main house and a small garage and workshop. The warm-toned wood soffit creates a striking contrast against the charred Japanese cedar cladding, while the open breezeway beyond frames a view through to the woods.

“These clients really wanted it to be as dead accurate as it could be,” architect Jordan Snittjer says of this Chicago town house’s masonry, which transitions to an overhauled interior and a glassy rear extension.

The home is nestled in a stand of cedar, pine, and Douglas fir trees. The family relocated a smaller cabin to make room for their new retreat, and they plan to convert the original structure into a game room for the kids.

“We wanted to tackle the dream and challenge of designing our own house and create a space that would get us close to nature,” Alessandro says.

An Eilersen Chess sofa anchors the living space.

The clients loved the sound of rainwater splashing onto the rock outcropping and didn't want to lose it, so the design team rigged up a spout that deposits water at the right place to accentuate the sounds the clients love. They then had the idea to collect and recycle the water back on the roof so that the tonal experience can be enjoyed in the dry summers as well.

The rock outcropping in the backyard of this house in Victoria, British Columbia influenced the design scheme of the home's addition. To visually integrate the form, architect Bruce Greenway took shorn-off pieces of rock and constructed a curving wall that extends into the house.

“Where we let loose was on the window,” Matt says. “It’s an aluminium window frame, which is bushfire compliant and easy to install, but the way that we detailed it was about hiding the frame so that the eye is drawn into the space.”

The pilot home on Whidbey Island demonstrates the system’s potential: a 600-square-foot interior paired with nearly equal covered outdoor space, set lightly on a pin foundation that protects tree roots and cuts carbon by 77 percent. "Puzzle Prefab can be modified according to each site,

The south-facing dining wing, designed to accommodate large holiday gatherings, includes a custom black dining table with seating for up to 16. This exposure highlights views to the woods with dense green vegetation.

The cottage is located on a site just over an hour from Gothenburg and two-and-a-half hours from Oslo, Bohuslän was the ideal location. “We immediately fell in love with the slightly hilly site and its location along a narrow dirt road with cows grazing on the other side,” says Helena. “Until then, I had never thought of building a summer house but when we got the chance, we just had to take it. Especially when my old friend Susanna said she could design a house for us.”

“The tent-like shape resembles a mountain. When the snow falls, the triangle becomes embedded in the landscape,” Tham says.