Oman and his partner Andrej Gregoric had the cupboards, stairs, and bed all custom-made. The interior casework provides storage and adds warmth to the concrete walls.

The home's exposed concrete skeleton, wrapped in oak, creates a warm, layered space for living. Oman split the floors by function, with common areas on the ground level, followed by the kids' rooms and then a third-floor suite for the parents.

Ethan Schussler built his first tree house at 12 years old. His tree house in Sandpoint, Idaho, sits 30 feet above the ground and can be accessed by an "elevator" consisting of a bicycle that, when pedaled, ascends a pulley system to the top.

Upon his first visit to Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland, resident David Burns was immediately smitten with its varied, pristine landscape. Working with architecture firm Misho+Associates, he built a self-sustaining, 818-square-foot retreat that would allow him to completely unplug from urban life.

The terrace off a bedroom holds chaise longues from Design Within Reach. “When we laid out the project, the eucalyptus tree was going to go away,” says Walker. “But then we thought, if we move the foundation a little bit, we can probably save the tree.”

The Element House by MOS Architects stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.

The living area opens beautifully into the outdoor area, which is a key design element of Eichler homes. Photo by Mariko Reed.

A small airspace separates the building's aluminum skin from the wall underneath. The aluminum acts like a heat sink during the day: it absorbs heat but remains thermally separated (by the narrow gap) from the Element House walls.

Sunlight permeates the interior thanks to skylights within the thermal chimneys. A single common area, comprising a kitchen, dining, and living area, links all the three bedrooms.

The Element House stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.

The Element House is powered by solar panels, seen right.

"Most of our furniture pieces are influenced by the toys my dad would build for us when we were younger. The only other figures that have left such strong impressions have been past political figures of Lebanon. They were all we’d hear about on the radio during the civil war in Lebanon,” Sevak says. Fox magnet shown.

The simple yet spacious master bedroom opens up to a private terrace.

A garage-style door separates the patio from the street.

Rok Oman of OFIS Architects started the renovation of what would become Villa Criss-Cross by tackling a thorny site issue. Since it is located close to the street and perpendicular to the old Roman wall near Ljubljana's ancient fortress, zoning laws require buildings to be set four meters back from the street. By maintaining the original wall and adding steel panels, Oman grandfathered in the new structure and maintained the original orientation.

In the master bathroom, wrapped in custom oak casework, plenty of natural light permeates the steel panels.

The space is designed for easy indoor-outdoor access.

The view from the living room shows how the exterior allows for plenty of light yet maintains privacy. The structural steel brace outside repeats the cross-hatch motif, and a cantilevered overhang provides a shaded outdoor patio underneath.

Wood, carpet, glass, and concrete: the entryway is a nexus of material and textures.

Perforated steel panels provide a contrasting sense of roughness and lightness, which Oman played with throughout the home's design. The skin adds transparency and graphic energy to the exterior, though Oman did worry about people fixating on the tic-tac-toe element. "It's like calling a rectangular building the Tetris house," he says.

Though the minimal layout maxmizies open space, moments of contrast, such as the wood grain against the perforated metal divider, animate the interior.

Transforming shipping containers into habitable spaces is a growingly popular subset of prefab. Just off the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, Martha Moseley and Bill Mathesius adapted an unused concrete foundation to create a home made from 11 stacked shipping containers. "We were inspired by the site, and our desire to have something cool and different," says Moseley.

The kitchen island, also Douglas fir, showcases the material’s rich striations and color variations. Behind the kitchen are two bedrooms and a single bathroom. A large open air pavilion, built concurrently with the cabin, can be seen from the windows on the right.

Landscape designer Jay Griffith recreated the area between the house and the studio.

The 5,174-seat Detroit Fox Theatre was the largest of the Fox Theatres. With its unique mix of Egyptian, Far Eastern, and Indian styles, it was a movie palace exotique. Its featured two organs made it a favorite destination for thirty-five cent talkies, vaudeville, and organ concerts. The structure has weathered time and been faithfully restored.

A rear view of the garage and the deck off the master bedroom.

German designer Maximilian Schmahl created the DIY beacon while considering the philosophy behind his new fifti-fifti label, making a equal connection between the object and the customer. “I wanted to make a product you can customize, something that gives you joy while using it, a vibrant product,” he said. “I started to experimenting with perforated paper and it was just perfect to design a lamp with it. The owner can decide for him or herself where the light comes through the shade.”

Take-Off Light These flat-packed, laser-stitched lamp shade invites endless customizations.

Rendering of the different pieces of the lamp.

The childrens' bathroom, which is just off the central hallway.

Sparky the wirehaired fox terrier takes a load off in front of one of the cherry-ply cabinets with sanded acrylic doors that Azevedo built for the kitchen.

Even the pool is the result of mixed influences: Andrew wanted a series of shallow, gently sloping hangout zones; his wife, Amy, a former competitive swimmer, needed a full lane deep enough for laps.

The couple connected several of the shipping containers, hollowing out the sides to form large, open living areas. “I’ve always been a loft guy,” says Mathesius.

An L-shaped deck wraps around the house's ground level, creating a place for entertaining and taking in the scenery.

“Often when we talk about sustainability we focus on the gadgetry, what makes things feasible off grid,” Moffitt says. “But to me there are more interesting things in passive design that rely on the available sun and wind.” An eight-panel solar array does chip in significantly, generating all the electricity the house needs.