Next Space

This home by Bensonwood in New Hampshire’s White Mountains was designed for a high level of comfort with triple-glazed European windows and OB Plus walls, which ensure a tight thermal envelope.

SemiSemi as it fits into its Toronto neighborhood.

Structural engineering firm Robert Silman Associates was key in helping the couple execute their design, particularly the cantilevered standing-seam aluminum roof.

Jason lounges in one of two armchairs by midcentury designer Milo Baughman in the parlor-floor living room. The wood block coffee table is by Eric Slayton, a friend of the couple, and the modular Carmo sofa is from BoConcept. A 1952 piece by French industrial designer Serge Mouille, the Three-Arm Floor Lamp—widely referred to as the "Praying Mantis," for its looming trio of arms—is a nod to the couple’s love of Parisian interiors; a branch-like chandelier by Los Angeles–based artist Gary Chapman hangs overhead.

Modern On The Marsh

Situated on a natural promontory in Coupeaux, France, the home’s plan and expansive windows open it to the beautiful surroundings outside.

From the front, Greg Hoffman and Kirsten Brady’s home in Portland, Oregon, bears little resemblance to the daylight ranch house that once stood in its place. Yet upon closer inspection, it is clear that the enlarged structure is actually an updated version of the same dwelling that has occupied the site since the early 1950s. More windows, a trellised roofline, a basalt privacy wall, and a flat-roofed, top-floor addition are among the most striking changes. Plantings were also added to enhance the yard. “There was zero landscaping,” says Greg, “If you look at the original photos, the house was just sitting on the ground.” All of the new features are carefully oriented so that the sightline from the street through the house to the vista beyond remains open. “The original house had a gap in the hedge so people could see the view,” Greg recalls. “We said, ‘Let’s keep that.’”

Slot windows in the children’s bedrooms are aligned with desks to frame views of the surrounding trees.

The home has a strong connection with the outdoors. The pool is aligned with the office space on the upper floor, and the doors open to provide access. The master bedroom hovers over the edge of the concrete podium.

Camp O House and Studio floor plan

The master bedroom offers a bird’s-eye view of Wildcat Mountain to the west.

Natural light pours into the stairwell.

“We did a lot of things for us that some clients are hesitant to do, like shou sugi ban. Our idea is that the house and materials will weather over time. They will change, but that’s part of the beauty of it,” says Maria. Here, the double wall lamps are by DCW Editions. Real Good Chairs in copper line by Blu Dot surround the wooden table by Ethnicraft.

The second-story studio overlooks oak, maple, and birch trees to the east. The Ypperlig table lamps are by Hay for IKEA, and the desk and floors are made of Viroc, a composite material formed from cement and wood fiber.

The home’s charred-cedar rain screen facade blends in with the forested 15-acre site.