Inside & Outside

City Cabin | Olson Kundig

Reclaimed pine purlins cast shadows onto the interior. “Lighting is a way to experiment with space and design,” Grizzle says. White Sunbrella fabric panels stretching from the floor to the ceiling ridge cover LED strip lighting and a Bose sound system.

The pitched roof reduces the extension's surface area to 12 percent less than that of a flat-roofed extension, creating a more compact building envelope—which translates to less material needed for construction and less space to heat or cool.

The open-plan living, dining and kitchen are located in the largest wing.

The placement of the windows creates sight lines across the 4,770-square-foot structure. Northern Wide Plank sourced the reclaimed hemlock for the facade; Sherma Construction picked the specific boards to create a cohesive look. - North Hatley, Quebec Dwell Magazine : July / August 2017

A combination of Alumilex and Marvin windows dot the exterior of a pitched-roof house in North Hatley, Quebec, designed by Lee and Macgillivray Architecture Studio (LAMAS). - North Hatley, Quebec Dwell Magazine : July / August 2017

Set at the top of the vineyard, the tasting room opens up to the valley with a structural glazing system that provides guests with stunning panoramic views.

Where the New Buffalo Residence now stands on a wooded lot by the shores of Lake Michigan, there used to be a serpentine ranch house with perplexingly small windows, none of which pointed toward the water. The homeowners had used it as a vacation retreat for over 30 years before an expanding family—and guest list—led them to approach architecture firm Booth Hansen for a fresh design.

Nicknamed the Floating Farmhouse, this 200-year-old home inspired one former copywriter to delve into architecture as a living. Inside, renovator and owner Tom Givone mixes vintage and industrial decor. Photo by Mark Mahaney.

Glazed garage doors by Renlita lift up to completely open the home to nature.

“The main volume presents a traditional front and is wrapped on the west and south by a deep porch,” says architect Erin Sterling Lewis. “Living and dining spaces access the porch.” A standing seam metal roof with a Kynar finish and HardiePlank Lap Siding cover the exterior of this 3,000-square-foot home.

A guest basement sits under the master suite toward the back of the home. Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors provided the aluminum-clad wood panes seen on each level.

“It was important to site the house in such a way that it had views to both the field and the forest, but it also wasn’t visible from the main road,” says Lewis. VELUX skylights bring extra light into the home.

The designers explain, “These steel windows played an integral part in making the interior feel larger and more open by blurring the boundaries between the interior and exterior.” A grey Halcyon Lake area rug, an oak chair from MAP, and Hans Wenger Wishbone chairs make for a simple, neutral palette. The painting over the fireplace is by Kate Hendry.

In Kansas City, Missouri, a family sought to construct a new home using prefabricated structural insulated panels (SIPS) instead of traditional frame construction. The entire kit house is composed of 4' x 8' sections, and the shell was constructed in about a week. The project’s relatively low cost, quick build time, and highly insulated envelope were positives, but the panels also have their limitations. “Most SIP projects look pretty stupid,” Jamie says. “They haven’t been manipulated by someone who’s thinking creatively.” In this case, Jamie augmented the simple panel system with a dynamic cantilever.