Perched just above the edge of the Narrows, the house is an ideal place to live surrounded by the wild beauty of Ketchikan.

“A building can have far greater impact than the space it stands in.”—William Carpenter, architect and resident

New zoning allowed for a zero-lot-line structure, but required a public storefront, which Carpenter uses as an art gallery.

Lightroom 1.0, a photography studio, is a freestanding structure on the property. “Together, they represent an autobiography of my career,” Carpenter says.

The two tiny homes were designed by CAST Architecture.

Paul Brown's plotter drawing "BIGDIM / 0 10 10 0 0 0 / 200,120 / 11,969" is an intricate progression and deconstruction of geometric shapes. 1979, from Digital Pioneers.

One of the new cooktop’s highlights is its PowerFlex zone that provides precise and effective heat, while giving you the option to cook with large pans that might need an extra boost of power. You can even combine two cooking zones into one, allowing you to go from handling two pots to working with a single large casserole dish.

The chic contemporary interiors feature concrete floors and plywood paneling, with black accents that echo the cabin’s exterior.

Found in Seis am Schlern, Italy, this ornate, gothic-style staircase is a showstopper. The black metal tread and railing heighten the home’s drama and elegance. Designed by Italy’s Network of Architecture, the idea behind the detailed staircase design is that the further one ascends, the more it heightens intimacy.

The roughly 160-square-foot modules, dubbed Mini House 2.0, were built in collaboration with Swedish manufacturer Sommarnöjen, and are delivered flat-packed. The homes are painted wood, and include a shaded deck space, plus full insulation and electricity, for a price of about $29,000. The modules come in various layouts, and can be configured and combined to include a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and living space.

Casa Narigua - P+0 Arquitectura

Casa Narigua - P+0 Arquitectura

Tucked away on the edge of a small lake surrounded by mountains and topped off with a grass-covered roof, this hunting cabin designed by Snøhetta is made with locally sourced stones. The 376-square-foot prefab mountain hut sleeps up to 21 guests around a central fireplace.

In an effort to create an abundance of light and air flow throughout the space, the home follows an L-shaped floor plan that wraps around outdoor areas. “We designed several open spaces, each with a different feel: the garden and pool, the terrace, and the back patio,” says Cesarman. “The idea was to reduce the area to the most basic and essential [elements].”

In Ho Chi Minh City, only 0.25 percent of the landscape is covered with greenery.

Located in Northeast Portland on a 0.12-acre lot, the well-preserved home is clad in board-and-batten cedar siding.

This living/bedroom space showcases neutral tones and shades of white to contrast the continued use of natural, treated wood surfaces.

One of the building challenges was transportation through the steep and windy roads to the isolated site, which is 0.5km away from Cornwall, one of Connecticut's smallest towns.

With library's Cor-Ten shield open, the home’s facade is seen at night. The L shaped pedestrian pathway forces visitors to travel around the perimeter before entry, gradually experiencing the architectural composition step by step.

Architect William Carpenter, glimpsed in his second-floor design studio, built Lightroom 2.0 to sit unobtrusively among its 1920s neighbors in Decatur.

In the living quarters of Lightroom 2.0, Carpenter’s daughter Esme chats with her boyfriend, who is seated on a Milo Baughman Case Sofa.

The main bathroom, with a prominently placed soaking tub, is a restorative haven within the home. "My favorite part [of the home] is the bathtub, which has a clerestory window of the downtown skyline, and another window that looks out to see the Hollywood sign in the distance," shares Melanie. The luminous space features ceramic floor tile from Ceramic Technics in Ecco Mineral Stone 2.0, Wilsonart quartz counters in Rio Upano, and a white LED sconce by StudioM. The white oak vanity was custom designed by OPEN For Humans.

Carpenter kicks back on an IKEA outdoor sectional on the sealed-pine roof deck of Lightroom 2.0. A collection of vintage Tulip armchairs by Eero Saarinen surround a “Jetsons-inspired” fireplace from the 1970s found online.

Fireplace as it was at time of home purchase

Fireplace after we ripped out many things from the room.