Unusual

In Goseong, Architect Wook Choi and artist Jinnie Seo build a different kind of beach house with geometric volumes tied together by terraces.

Tucked behind a massive stone facade and surrounded by private gardens and five rolling acres, this island residence is designed for uninterrupted relaxation.

Brooklyn-based architecture firm Estudio Esmero worked within the foundation and steel structure of an existing carriage house in upstate New York for this new build, which features concrete floors with bright gold kintsugi details.

Seattle architecture firm Wittman Estes used its new modular prefab system to built a prototype on Whidbey Island in Washington for a family that loves the outdoors.

The house is clad with shou sugi ban-treated cedar siding.

Floor plan of Casa Rupanco by Mas Fernández Arquitectura

Spiekermann and Dulkinys agree that their house—the first they’ve built from the ground up—is definitely different.

Mitsui stands in the guest room, which opens to a small balcony.

The metalwork in this Melbourne home was a splurge at $29K, but the owners say the way it brings the house to life was worth the investment.

The use of consistent and contrasting flooring minimizes disorientation, and decks are accessed via zero-step thresholds. “More and more, I’m having talks with clients about flexible homes,” Wylie says. “They want homes that will work now and for future needs.”

Double-glazed windows are an important feature that help control the building’s interior climate.

The concrete foundation was poured on top of a rock outcropping, so that the house would feel like part of the natural features of the site.