The apartment building is a ten-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower.

Mechanical engineer Jan Moolsintong and industrial designer Peter Russell-Clarke get epic views of San Francisco from their 1,800-square-foot house overlooking the Mission District. On warm nights, they eat dinner perched on Eiffel side chairs by Charles and Ray Eames around a table from Room & Board. The distinctive facade has operable porthole windows and a slatted garage door custom-built by Raimundo Ferreira.

Inspired by the Sydney Opera House, architects Andrew Maynard and Mark Austin paid careful attention to the extension’s “fifth elevation"—the way it’s seen from the sky. Its tiny houses, clustered at the southern end of the property, are clad in white steel panels and western red cedar shingles, contrasting materials that emphasize their geometric forms.

The Eiffel Tower, which raised more than one eyebrow in 1889.

Check out his postcard view of the Eiffel Tower. Pretty sweet.

Achieving such efficiency and maintaining the integrity of the wetlands and woodlands on the property meant more research for both the designers and the resident—just getting approval for the siting of the buildings and the driveway took eight months—but Hague is hardly one to do things half way. “A lot of times couples engage in house-building, like birds. I'm doing this solo, more like a monk,” he says of the deeply personal undertaking.

“It was very important to get the integration between the garden and the house right,” Maynard says. The architects worked with Bush Projects to strike that balance, laying down concrete pavers and planting native flora that add to the home’s relaxed feel. Permanent steel awnings protect windows from glare, while retractable fabric ones by Shadefactor offer residents optional shelter when they sit outside.

From the street, only the main house and one adjoining addition are visible, belying the spacious extension at the back. The architects call this the “Tardis effect,” named for the time machine on Dr. Who that looks much smaller on the outside than it does within.

The architects felt that a strong vertical addition would draw extra attention to the original house’s strong horizontal character. The tower itself is a reinterpretation of an A-frame from another Strenger house five doors down.

Shukhov Tower (Moscow, Russia: 1922) History: A stunning coil of metal that seemingly combines the best of Tesla and Eiffel, the Shukhov Tower stands as a 160-meter-tall triumph of collectivist and modernist design, and would have potentially been taller than the Parisian jewel if Russia wasn’t facing a steel shortage while it was being built. Designer and engineer Vladimir Shukhov was regarded as the Russian Edison for his innovative thinking and designs. Status: Russian authorities announced a controversial plan to disassemble the tower this year, owing to its disuse and disrepair, and potentially reassemble it at a later date. This sparked an outcry among locals, including Shukhov’s grandson (a change.org petition has gathered more than 10,000 signatures), and architects, such as Rem Koolhaas, one of many who signed an open letter to President Vladimir Putin protesting the move. What You Can Do: As resistance to the proposed demolition grows, follow the latest developments from the Shukov Tower Foundation. Image Credit: Creative Commons, Sergey Norin

Rough-sawn plywood and standing-seam metal siding clad the house. “In cabins, we like to use undressed materials, which lend themselves to the simplicity of the structure,” says architect Tom Lenchek.

A moodier view of the towers.

Tower Bridge, London-The Tower Bridge, just one of 214 connectors to be built across the River Thames, is the most photographed landmark in the most photographed city in the world. Photo: Trodel

Despite the controversy over its upcoming name change, the Western Hemisphere’s tallest building remains as impressive as ever. When it was completed in 1973, the 1,450-foot Sears Tower was the world’s tallest building, a title it would hold until the Petronas Towers surpassed it in 1998. With its blocky, glass-and-steel aesthetic, the office building continues to be one of Chicago’s most recognizable symbols. The main attractions for visitors are the 99th- and 103rd-floor skydecks, which look out over Lake Michigan and four different states; visibility tops 50 miles on clear days. Admission is $12.95 for a full-price adult ticket. Photo by: Adam Fagen

To stay within the budget, the designers decided to forgo natural stone in the bathrooms in lieu of simple vitrified tile. The bathroom isn't without its luxuries, however, as evidenced by the heated towel rail from Hydrotherm.

Detroit's Lafayette Park—the first urban-renewal project in the United States—constitutes the world's largest collection of buildings designed by Mies van der Rohe. Completed in 1959, the 78-acre complex is not as well known as some of Mies' other projects. However, it deserves recognition as it still remains a vibrant neighborhood, even being more than 50 years old.

The office includes the Living Tower designed by Verner Panton for Vitra.

The LeVeque Tower in Columbus, Ohio, is a 47-story, 555-foot-tall office tower masterpiece by Crane. It was the tallest building in Columbus from 1927 until 1974; at the time of its completion, it was the tallest building between New York City and Chicago and the fifth tallest building in the world. It is noted for its brightly lit tower, which was designed to emulate a citadel.

Although outdoor recreation company MSR (Mountain Safety Research) brand was founded to meet the challenges of backcountry life, its Flex 4 set will appeal to gourmet chefs whose culinary aspirations exceed their prep space. Nested together, the compact cookware set weighs less than 4 pounds, and includes two pots, two strainer lids, and plates and mugs for four

From cultural hot spots and contemporary museums to sprawling beaches, there is always something to do in the city of Los Angeles. Photo by: Noah Webb

1. Canakkale Antenna The winning design, from a collaboration between IND (Inter.National.Design), Powerhouse Company and the consulting firm ABT, is a unique structure that not only makes a case for local icon status, but also manages to respect the city and site while creating unexpected public space. Architect Felix Madrazo said the challenge was about respecting people’s increased awareness and sensitivity to topology and geography. “We wanted to do something that was recognizable but with restraint,” he says. “As subtle as possible.” Photo from Powerhouse Company

Often likened to corncobs or honeycombs, each Marina City tower has 19 levels of open-air garage parking beneath 40 levels of residences. Their strident pose beside the river, atop a podium of shops, restaurants, services, and a marina, was part of their financer’s effort to build a showstopper that would keep 900 families in the city at the height of urban flight.

Known for its use of bold color combinations, Jansen+co’s tabletop products combine high quality industrial production with a careful hand finish. A part of the My Mug series, this XL mug is just the vessel to deliver an extra-large serving of morning coffee. This My Mug features a classic shape with a contrasting handle for a distinctive look that—along with that coffee—will brighten your morning. This best-selling product is now on sale.

3. Canakkale Antenna The Çanakkale Antenna is on an aggressive construction plane, set to be finished in 2015 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli. Photo from Powerhouse Company

2. Canakkale Antenna The search for a shape with minimum impact led to the winning design, almost like an inverted, knotted tie, that separates the antenna and observation deck from the recreational facilities at ground level. Not only does the final design have minimum impact on the hill, but the curvature at the base actually led to the idea of the walkway and interior gardens, a feature not included in the original brief. Madrazo’s team also discovered that, due to the unique shape, the profile changes as viewers approach the tower. Photo from Powerhouse Company

4. Canakkale Antenna Recreational Facility The design incorporate a large ring that forms an interior garden. Photo from Powerhouse Company

5. Canakkale Antenna Design Sketch The Turkish city of Canakkale announced a contest last year to design a massive observation and broadcast tower for a hillside overlooking the former Ottoman fortress. Photo from Powerhouse Company

The Athens Tower by Ioannis Vikelas is one of the city’s modernist icons.

DeLuca's seafood tower delivered straight from his restaurant Giorgione on Spring Street.

The CCTV tower designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas was meant to be the headquarters for China Central Television when builders broke ground in 2004, but it was only over the past year that CCTV staff started moving into the building in significant numbers.

A custom-designed chairlift system from Versicor allows Matthew access to the tower. “The new house has really liberated Matthew. My goal is that he will have access to everything by one means or another,” says Ed Slattery.

One of the home’s more fanciful features is a meditation tower that offers views to Baltimore’s Loch Raven Reservoir and beyond.

The Hearst Tower in Manhattan, designed by Foster + Partners.

Although the Price Tower is Wright’s only realized skyscraper, the rendering of the Grouped Towers in Chicago portrays similar themes of lightness and balance. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives (The Museum of Modern Art | Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York).

Green Towers Living Furniture It's a clean, controlled circle of life that actually looks good in your living room. A fusion of aquaponics and hydroponics, the Living Table utilizes fish waste to organically fertilize plants, which in turn clean and filter the water. A group of Penn State students working in College Station, Pennsylvania, designed the table, which they plan to launch via Kickstarter on June 30th.