Walkways and breezeways

Listed for the first time since it was built in 1979, the cliffside home of architect Barry Downs is located in a waterfront area that is at risk of redevelopment.

The rock outcropping in the backyard of this house in Victoria, British Columbia influenced the design scheme of the home's addition. To visually integrate the form, architect Bruce Greenway took shorn-off pieces of rock and constructed a curving wall that extends into the house.

A lofted drawing studio features a sawtooth roof with expansive skylights that frame the branches of a jacaranda tree overhead.

Similarly, from the grounds below, the home peeks out below in contrast with the sky.

A glimpse inside the bridge-link hall that connects the period house with the contemporary extension. To mark the threshold between the two structures, artist Nadine Keegan crafted a stained glass window (not pictured) that depicts imagery of the current city, fruit trees from the Greek and Italian immigrant families, and the Yam Daisies that had been grown in the area by the Wurundjeri people.

The "bridge-like link element" that connects the original structure to the new extension also sits between the street-facing garden and a linear pool tucked behind.

Designed by Arba, the retreat’s enclosed garden provides outdoor space out of the wind while the cuts give it a strong connection with the setting.

Le MICA is a strikingly sleek micro-home located in the Maelström recreational forest, just 25 minutes from Old Quebec. The tiny home comprises two simple rectilinear forms stacked atop each other and inserted in an open “box” form that functions as a covered deck area and frames the panoramic views of Laurentian Park. Wood burning heaters in the living area and on the deck keep the home cosy even in the depths of winter.

Not only was extra living space necessary for the growing family of four, but the existing house also failed to take advantage of the striking views that drew the couple to the site. The homeowners tapped architect Malcolm Davis of San Francisco–based Malcolm Davis Architecture to redesign and expand the dwelling without damaging the many established oak trees.

Ludwig Godefroy designed this refuge in Marquesa, Mexico, to feel like both a protect shelter without losing the romance of a secluded cabin.