The olive wood collection is made by hand from sustainably certified olive trees. “Give Me Some Sugar” bowl and spoons, shown here.

New York Times tech writer Nick Bilton and artist Simon Denny took a light-hearted approach to Big Data, creating DrawTheNewsFor.Me, a website that allows you to source out individuals via TaskRabbit and hire them to translate today's headlines into drawings. Responses ranged from pie charts, to napkin sketches, to this emojicon translation. Photo courtesy Rhizome.

In the sitting room, more pieces from the couple’s collection—a red George Nelson Coconut lounge chair and a blue Adrian Pearsall chaise rocker, to name just two—share space with a pair of Alex Katz screen prints.

The rise of the front lawn and the height of the trees give the house a subtle presence amid magnificent surroundings.

An expansive skylight gives a feeling of spaciousness to the kitchen/dining area.

Martin and Katz plastered over the stucco finish of the fireplace wall with soft gray Venetian plaster.

With the purchase of a Bogobrush, the company will send one to someone in need. They have also partnered with three Give One members (Detroit, Minnesota, and Atlanta) to ensure that no one lacks adequate access to dental care in the USA.

Gregory Katz proves that three times is a charm with his trio of concrete homes, which challenge the status quo in this quiet Johannesburg suburb. The kitchen shines in a bright yellow. Photo by: Elsa Young

The Watch Me Wall Clock is an unmistakably vibrant addition to any room. Designed by Rasmus Gottliebsen for Normann Copenhagen, its powder-coated aluminum pieces feature rich saturated colors in bold rectangles along with black and white hands.

Sir Norman Foster goes high-tech at the ME by Melia, which debuted in early 2013 with 157 sound-proofed rooms, some stocked with play stations, personalized iPads, and terrace fire pits, and others swaddled in luxurious Egyptian linens and marquina marble. Rooms from $390.

Now, the home reveals itself in layers. "Those who know me are aware of my love of strange and creepy portraits," says Alex of the artwork.

Chillout USB and AC desk fan by Kaz, $15 At six inches in diameter, the petite desktop fan won’t take up much space but will deliver an effective cooling breeze for when temperatures rise. For added versatility, it plugs into a USB port or a wall outlet.

The materials palette that I chose is light in color with a few splashes of color. This lightness holds the space open and gives it a contemporary feel.

Mrs. Fritz Burns in her dream kitchen, using her built-in hydraulic dishwasher, in a Los Angeles house designed and built in 1946 in by her contractor husband, Bob Landry.

In the bedroom, a custom tie-dyed wool blanket by Project Room lies on top of linens by Coyuchi. The large painting is by John Finneran, and the Eames chair is an heirloom from Lizz’s family. The space also features a Componibili Bio nightstand by Anna Castelli Ferrieri from Kartell, along with a “Katz Ramona, Katz Ramona, Katz Ramona” painting by John Finneran and an “Untitled” painting by Jennifer Boysen.

Lagos (NLE & Zoohaus) When Spanish architects from Madrid's Zoohaus started researching conditions in Lagos, they found that maps weren't helpful; the city was growing so quickly, the guides were almost outdated as soon as they were printed. To address the unique challenges of this African metropolis, where electricity is available for a few hours a day, waterways are under-utilized and zoning and regulations are non-existent, the team developed a system that was built for Lagos, according to Juanito Jones. "How do we address the informal markets with intelligent strategy?" says team member Lys Villalba. "Let's propose new ways to use local materials . . . the locals are the experts with the real design vision." The result was a sprawling map of the city dotted with small stations and sheds to encourage a new informal economy, a layer of speculative infrastructure set to sync with instead of fight the sprawl. Bamboo bike repairs centers, upcycling centers, and canal stations all would give a leg up to entreprenuers.

A built-in waffle iron.

Gregory and Caryn Katz are dwarfed beneath the cantilevered concrete overhang, which houses the bedroom on the upper level. The stackable glass doors that run beneath allow the house to open completely to the yard and swimming pool, soften the severity of the concrete, and blur the boundary between indoors and out.

A built-in utensil rack in a kitchen-of-tomorrow exhibit.

Herem's Draw Me a House published by Cicada Books is an interactive coloring book that features architecture such as New York skyscrapers and Malian houses.

A Woodchuck-made loft bed anchors Sam's room. The dark green playmat is by Alex Playmats.

Islesboro Ferry Slip, 1975, 198 x 213.4 cm, Art © Alex Katz/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

Alex enjoys a sun-filled breakfast at the built-in dining table and bench, one of many space-saving designs.

Although the loft is relatively small, high ceilings and an open floor plan give it room to spare.

“For me, architecture is pragmatic yet joyful,” Andrew says. “The entrance cut away allows for a deep cantilevering overhang that gives shelter when it's raining, and the 1400mm-wide pivot door is pure theatrics.”

A view of built-in foot pedals to run the faucets.

Lawrence Weiner sits at his daylit desk. The bare walls are perfect for tacking up new projects, and the steel ductwork gives the space an industrious feel.

The runs give the hens plenty of room to zoom and peck.

Old T-shirts become new tents in Endo’s Ka Me Ki Chi project.

At ICFF, Duravit will present ME by Starck, a collection of sleek ceramic sinks, toilets, and accessories designed by Philippe Starck. (Javits Center, Booth 1724)

The black tile in the entryway mirrors that used in the bathroom, giving the small palette of materials a kind of interior coherence.

Georgia. ME Speak Design produce raw furniture and objects inspired by Japanese minimalism. Replacing rice paper with steel, wood, and brass, this table tamp from their Oleole Collection is a distinctly Southern take on Japanese design.

Eleuthera, 1984, Oil on linen, 305 x 670.5 cm, Private Collection, Courtesy Galería Javier López, Madrid, © Alex Katz/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

Fully enclosed by glass, Hiller’s kitchen and living room give the feeling of being in a tree house.

The knot-flecked staircase leading down to Bornstein's office gives serves as a solid core to the home's circulation.

Opening Keynote presentation by Joao Segurado, Challenge winner at Design Like You Give A Damn: LIVE! 2012. Photo via Architecture for Humanity. Photo by: Betsy Kershner