Inui

An architect and construction engineer couple build a sustainable, 624-square-foot abode for $221,580 in their Southeast Portland backyard.

Leaving the ceiling unfinished adds to the material contrasts and saved money. Says Knight, "One example of a cost-effective strategy that also balanced the aesthetic qualities of the house is how we chose to forgo drywall on the ceilings. We paid more for the insulation to go above the rafters at the roof, but we gained this back in not using drywall and venting in the second-floor ceilings."

Clustered around a sunny courtyard, Three Piece House’s three volumes—a main house, comprising two volumes (one for living and the other for sleeping) connected via a sun-soaked reading corridor, and a free-standing guest studio—are oriented for optimal passive solar conditions, including access to cooling ocean breezes. Recycled brick paving ties the volumes together. Located in the garden, the studio accommodates visiting friends, family, and guests.

ANACAPA Architecture designed Minimalist Urban Residence with California's temperate climate in mind. Radiant heat cement floors that extend into the study keep the home warm on cooler days.

Built as a live/work space for a sculptor, Indigo by Dutch practice Woonpioniers is an eco-friendly, prefabricated cabin with bent wooden walls.

A compact closet blends in with the plywood walls.

It is uncommon to build homes without wet cement in Brazil, so constructing Chalet M was quite an achievement for those involved in the project.

Cementitious sheets were used for the wet areas in the bathroom.

Full-height sliding glass doors bring a sense of the outdoors into the home.

The unit can be configured to allow room for meal preparation around a built-in kitchen.

From a different perspective, the home appears more transparent and open to the water.

Planning regulations required a gable roof, which the architects split into four shed roofs carefully designed to respond to heavy snow and meet spatial and aesthetic wishes.

A slender wooden decked porch that looks out to the lake.

The Lai family—Mayuko, baby Shota on her lap, David, Maya, and Yumi sitting on a cushion on the deck—relaxes in their indoor-outdoor living space, made by opening the glass sliding doors to connect the living room and engawa deck.

In Texas, where everything is bigger, Ryan McLaughlin is placing his bets on something small. Specifically, a simple 160-square-foot cabin that he hopes city-dwellers will book to get away, find some focus, and reconnect with nature. The result is a laidback, pitched-roof cabin in which every inch of space is thoughtfully allotted so that guests can spend the maximum amount of time outdoors.

The family retreat abuts a rocky cliff in Herfell, Norway. The central cabin provides communal living spaces, while the two cabins that flank it are used as private sleeping quarters.

Hinoki tub with floor drain