A look at the small reading nook located on the level between the bedroom and ground floor.

Sleeping nooks that look like the grooves in a block of cheese.

A passage between the walls for hide and seek.

Coffee and Tea Set, 1995-1996. Zaha Hadid (Iraqi, b. 1950). Sterling silver. Overall: 18 1/2 x 22 1/16 x 14 3/16 in, Tea Pot: 3 1/8 x 5 7/8 x 11 in, Coffee Pot: 3 15/16 x 3 9/16 x 11 in, Milk Jug: 2 3/4 x 7 7/8 x 3 9/16 in, Sugar Bowl: 2 3/4 x 3 9/16 x 3 15/16 in. Silver. Made by Sawaya & Moroni, Milan, Italy. Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!

The finished print measures approximately 5 x 5 feet.

The second-floor plan: 1. Rooftop garden, 2. Media room, 3. Guest bedroom, 4. Bathroom, 5. Deck.

The exterior of Connect 4L 1,600 sf 3 bed 3 bath 2 story modern prefab.

The unit is 3.5 meters long and 2.4 meters tall, and is a chic focal point in the room.

The extensive use of natural wood on nearly every surface makes the inside of The Barn feel like an extension of the landscape outside.

A mosaic tile wall softens the laboratory-like effect of the glossy kitchen cabinets.

In this glass-enclosed master bedroom, a LC4 armchair faces the master bed. The moveable frame adjusts along the base, allowing the sitter to switch from upright to full recline, or lounge at a number of other sitting angles.

"It was rundown, dark, and divided," recalls Masaaki of his first impression of the warehouse, the ground floor of a multistory apartment building. But after some thought, Masaaki, a Japanese-born architect, and Esther, an artist from Minorca, realized that owning the combined 2,700 square feet would allow them to headquarter Mas-aqui, the architecture and design firm they were planning to start, on-site. They bought the property and within months transformed it into a bright, modern live/work space.

The dining area features a PH5 pendant by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen, a T12 table by Hay, and Møller Model 77 side chairs. A 1960s rocking chair by Vladimir Kagan sets off the living area.

NOEM, a Barcelona–based architecture firm, created a metal-clad house for a young client just outside Madrid. It’s raised 12 feet off the ground to offer better views of the landscape, lending it "the futuristic feeling that it just landed," says Pol Guiu, one of NOEM’s cofounders.

Sited on a cramped corner lot in Manhattan Beach, California, this midcentury bungalow was renovated and enlarged with a 1,000-square-foot addition to create a total of 1,986 square feet of functional space for owners Alison and Jeff Goad and their three children. Culver City–based practice Edward Ogosta Architecture demolished and remodeled parts of the existing house to include a larger master bedroom and a new bedroom, bathroom, and powder room. The project also included updates to the two existing bedrooms, the laundry room, and garage.

The living room Ortal fireplace is clad in cold-rolled steel with a waxed finish. The side chairs, vintage reproductions from Room and Board, feature shapely walnut arms.

Set of four stacking tables. Ca. 1927. Ash veneer, black lacquer and painted glass. Gift of John and Andrea Weil in memory of Fritz and Anna Moellenhoff: 1) 15 5/8 x 16 1/2 x 15 3/4 in. 2) 18 5/8 x 18 7/8 x 15 3/4 in. 3) 21 3/4 x 21 x 15 3/4 in. 4) 24 5/8 x 23 5/8 x 15 7/8 in. Photo: Tim Nighswander. Image licenced to Eleonore Hugendubel The Museum of Modern Art by Eleonore Hugendubel Usage : - 3000 X 3000 pixels (Letter Size, A4) � Photo: Albers Foundation/Art Resource, NY / Art Resource

The home is made of 42 unique cross-laminated timber panels. The smallest panel is 450 millimeters x 1500 millimeters, and the largest panel is the entire southern wall—14.4 meters x 2.3 meters. The cantilevered ground floor at the rear of the home was made possible by the strength of these panels.

5.0.2

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

The Jorgensen's Menlo Park home is a model of green design with features that are smart for everyone to consider. "Every project is different, but there are some universal things that will apply from project to project," says Feldman about designing a green home. "The first—and most obvious thing—is to always try to build less, to have a smaller house and be smart about how the rooms are designed and oriented so that you can get by with less space. Smart design will lead to a smaller building, but it won't feel smaller."

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

One family in Seattle, Washington, looked past a sloping landscape and saw the opportunity to build their dream home. Resembling a modern-day metal treehouse, the Hale and Edmonds residence is nestled within the edges of a wooded park. The house’s exterior of paneled grey is perfectly balanced against the accent of the orange frame, proving that there’s a chance for subtlety with the bright color.

The sunken living room is just one of many grade changes inside the structure. “We were adamant that we didn’t want something domestic,” says Andrew. “We wanted something surprising, that was hyper-animated, and that, when you moved through it, changed all the time.” The sofa, designed by the couple and Levenbetts, is upholstered in cotton velvet. The Habibi side tables are by Philipp Mainzer for e15, the fireplace tools by Fort Standard, and the doors by Fleetwood.

"Shane enjoys both cooking and entertaining so we maximized the counter space to make meal prep and hosting easy," Priftaj says. "It was also very important that the kitchen include a gas grill so he could quickly and conveniently grill without having to climb up five flights of stairs to use the bbq on the patio." Priftaj selected high-gloss acrylic white cabinets from bulthaup's b3 line with an aluminum backsplash and b3 prism drawer system to keep things tidy. A Wolf hood and gas cooktop with chargrill give Carslake the flexibility he desired for indoor grilling. The counters are polished white quartz.

The 260-square-foot Hytte module features tall ceilings of up to nearly 12 feet. Multiple windows fill the interior with natural light and frame views of the outdoors.

A custom table surrounded by NET’s Museo chairs and poplar stools provides a space for the Sarmiento Tovo boys, Manuel, 5, and Julián, 3, to play with the toys their mother makes.

Though the ceiling looks spectacular, it’s really crafted from standard 2’x2’ boards from Home Depot. LED light strips enhance the impact. “When you explain the method to someone, they’re like, ‘that’s it?!’” Laughs Losada-Amor.

Stepstone's narrow concrete pavers add a graphic touch to the garden.