purpose

Exposed concrete in this 1960s Houston condo complements the product code written on the side of the porcelain tub. Photos by Dean Kaufman

Two hours north of New York City, an unusual barn emerges from a hill just off a country road. Its black siding and bright-red window frames hint at the imaginative playground inside. This space, with its rope-railed catwalk and indoor tent, is just one element of the multifaceted getaway architecture and design firm BarlisWedlick Architects designed for fund manager Ian Hague.

Josué Azor’s childhood neighborhood was hard hit by the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. Azor retuned to his family’s plot to build a new home, designed to resist future quakes and decorated with custom artwork and furniture.

In the house that Richard Williams designed for David Frum and Danielle Crittenden Frum on Lake Ontario, floor-to-ceiling windows from Oldcastle offer views through the house to the lake beyond.

This colorful floating home eschews maritime themes in favor of a clean and contemporary aesthetic. The interior pulls in views of Lake Union through floor-to-ceiling windows.