The charred cedar exterior gently basks in the Alaskan sun.

A series of charred modern boxes, the home Petra Sattler-Smith and Klaus Mayer designed for Martin Buser and Kathy Chapoton, is organized around views of the Alaskan landscape.

In the shadow of Denali mountain, amid Alaska’s meadows and icy streams, a former teacher and a four-time Iditarod winner calls upon Mayer Sattler-Smith to design a modernist cabin as expansive as the Last Frontier.

Perched on top of a hill, the house is accessed by a long staircase that runs up to the exterior courtyard. The dogs, naturally, take their own route.

In the shadow of the newly renamed mountain Denali, amid Alaska’s meadows and icy streams, a former teacher and a four-time Iditarod winner built a modernist cabin as expansive as the Last Frontier.

Alaska. This condominium building brings a modern energy to Anchorage. Each unit, designed by Mayer Sattler-Smith, is oriented to maximize natural light.

The Alaska Chair is made of steel and seine twine.

The Balancing Barn in Suffolk: On the edge of a nature reserve a few miles from the Suffolk coast, the MVRDV-designed Balancing Barn cantilevers over the surrounding meadow.

New interior finishes, furniture, and a guesthouse were part of the restoration/renovation of John Lautner's Chemosphere, a 1960s house that makes frequent cameos in film and television.

The revised final design of the home.

Buser built the house himself, a feat far more common in Alaska than in the Lower 48. Perhaps because in rural areas building codes don't really exist.

Choosing not to make a big to-do of itself, this cottage blends in with its surroundings. A wall of glass on one end allows a merger of the outdoors with the interiors, while white trim leaves the appearance of a snow-kissed façade year-round. Berlin, Germany. By Atelier st Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

Transformer or beach hut? Positioned in a coastal erosion zone, this holiday retreat for a family of five is completely capable of being relocated. An oversized shutter allows for protection from the elements when not in use and opens to allow sun in during the winter or provide shade on hot summer days. Waikato, New Zealand. By Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects, from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

The ever-changing, lush wooded surroundings of Minnesota, such as those experienced at this 8,000-square-foot Type Variant House outside of Minneapolis designed by Coen and Partners, are right near the small town of New Richland.

Machines have streamlined some aspects of circuit board production, but the final soldering happens by hand.

A Chilean home’s dramatic stained-pine exterior references local vernacular architecture.

Final(ly) House by Rothschild Schwartz Architects Honor Award winner for Excellence in Architecture

The Museum for Architectural Drawing in Berlin, designed by Russian firm SPEECH Tchoban & Kuznetsov, has a wooden door that mimics the structure's textured concrete exterior.

Shulman's shot of Pierre Koenig’s Case Study House No. 22 in 1960 became one of the most iconic photographs of modern U.S. architecture and many felt like it encapsulated Los Angeles during at that time. Shulman ultimately photographed 18 of the 26 Case Study Houses commissioned by Arts & Architecture magazine. © J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman Photography Archive, Research Library at the Getty Research Institute

Women in Architecture Survey: According to the results of the Architect’s Journal Women in Architecture survey, the pay in the architecture field is still unequal and discrimination is common.

The Andersen Architectural Collection’s Eagle windows and doors provide the panes and passageways of the home.

In the summer of 2010, photographer Eirik Johnson adventured to the most northern stretch of the United States to capture several hunting cabins in Barrow, Alaska. He returned in winter 2012 during the frigid Arctic Winter Solstice to photograph the same cabins at the precise angle and position, as he did that one summer. With only a brief four hour window of dusk-like light during this recent winter trip, he still managed to succeed in a complete visual contrast, especially when the images are viewed side by side.

Architectural ispiration and exhibition posters fill the walls of Juhl's home office. Two chairs of Juhl's design are placed on the side of his desk, designed in 1945.

Milman Road Renovation The Syte Architecture team referenced the past while assembling the two-story addition, cladding the exterior in zinc and reused brick from the original wall so it blended with the express chimneys and surrounding structures. Photos by Syte Achitecture

The U.S. State Department has just announced the representatives for the American pavilion at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale: New York's Storefront for Art and Architecture, helmed by the inimitable Eva Franch i Gilabert, will be programming the U.S. pavilion alongside Ashley Schafer of PRAXIS Journal and Ana Miljački, from MIT's architecture program. The trio—with input from Natasha Jen of Pentagram, Architizer, CLOG, and Leong Leong, who will design the pavilion's physcial space—will stage an "active, experimental architectural office that researches, studies, and remakes 1,000 projects designed by American architecture firms and exported abroad." To learn more about the players involved, take a trip with us through the Dwell archives.

Milman Road Renovation: Rear window view “What struck us as funny was the corner bay window,” says architect Oliver Barsoum. “It’s almost like you’re surrounded by glass on all sides. That’s where the project began.” The vision involved playing with and pushing that window into three dimensions. Photos by Syte Achitecture

Updating the A-frame of yore, this home’s liberal use of windows makes the most of panoramic views spanning two valleys. Catalonia, Spain. Cadaval & Sola-Morales from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

A wooden home nestled amongst a cluster of Japanese larch trees offers a perfect sanctuary from nearby Tokyo. Chubu, Japan. By Koji Tsutsui & Associates from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

Those seeking isolation and inspiration to tackle their work need look no further. A minimalist cube set against a picturesque background form a studio free of distraction, except maybe that view! Newfoundland, Canada. By Saunders Architecture from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

The stairs are partically hidden behind a slatted ash screen that supports steel bookshelves.

Livable sculpture at its finest. Created for the Zermatt Festival, an annual festival of chamber music, this structure (designed by a team of second-year architecture students!) maximizes the beauty of its surroundings with its 720-degree spiral composition. Valais, Switzerland. By Alice Studio/Atelier de la Conception de l’ Espace from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.