On the outskirts of Austin, Texas, author Chris Brown and his dog Katsu head to the river; the path was once a dumping ground on top of a long-defunct underground oil pipeline. The green roof was conceptualized by John Hart Asher of the Ecosystem Design Group at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.

Master Bedroom, opens to screened pool deck, includes walk in safe room/closet.

The Manhattan headquarters of the Barbarian Group, designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects, will be the Archtober Building of the Day on Friday, October 10. Its signature feature is an "Endless Desk" that seats all of the firm's 125 employees while defining distinct spaces within the workplace.

Master Bath with shower room; dual, custom, polished concrete sinks with faucet designed for hair washing; Niagara Stealth toilets

Detail for Kitchen showing granite backsplash

Kitchen with polished concrete floors and counters, built in ovens, granite backsplash, IKEA cabinetry

Guest Bedroom that opens to jack and jill bath and Shaded East and South Facing Light

Jack and Jill Bath with step in shower room, polished concrete floors, natural light

site design group, ltd. The award-winning landscape firm behind sites such as Mary Bartelme Park took over the penthouse of the historic Crane Company Building, designed by Holabird & Roche in 1912, and turned it into a playful, open workspace.

The 'Sparks' group design exhibition curated by Adriana Andreeva Dimitrova highlighted regional makers who employ novel approaches to natural materials, sustainable methods, and the re-interpretation of traditional forms. Don't DIY's Plywood Table demonstrated the modern functionality of hand-crafted dining furniture that was striking in its simplicity. Photo courtesy of Don't DIY.

Mass Design Group employed open-air passages and clerestory windows to promote the circulation of fresh air and elimination of airborne contamination. Photo provided by MASS Design Group.

The firm's design for Zootopia, a zoo in Givskud, Denmark, seeks to "integrate and hide" buildings in the landscape.

No Grass to Mow, No Plants to Water, Deep Mulch

Kitchen with large, walk-in pantry, polished concrete counter tops, two level bar, plant shelf, built in ovens.

The Barbarian Group's Superdesk undulates throughout the office environment and morphs into casual meeting areas.

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).

The Barbarian Group office by Clive Wilkinson

@cplusstudio: Really cool lights at dwell on design from @cerno_group.

The Barbarian Group (Clive Wilkinson Architects) The big draw in this internet advertising firm's downtown office is the "endless desk," a 1,100-foot-long, laser-cut table that unfurls across and around the office, providing space for all 125 employees (included underneath it, in the grotto-like space pictured here).

This 20,000-square-foot space in New York for digital marketing firm The Barbarian Group is anchored by an endless table (dubbed the "Superdesk") that connects all employees at a single surface and undulates throughout the office to create a variety meeting areas and pathways through the space.

Totem Group Light by Robert Lewis ($850 from totokaelo.com).

Murphy revealed that the masons had become so adept at their handiwork upon completing the fourth wall of the hospital’s façade, they wanted to redo their earlier work. Photo provided by MASS Design Group.

Local labor seen at work on the Bhutaro Hospital. Photo provided by MASS Design Group.

The firm created the model for the Lego House in Billund, Denmark, with—what else?—Lego blocks. The building, conceived as a "hands-on, minds-on experience center," is scheduled to be completed in 2016.

The Big U is the firm’s ambitious plan to protect Manhattan from a Sandy-like hurricane by ringing the lower half of the island with 10-foot, sculptural berms.

West 57th, a pyramid-shaped residential tower now taking place on the far west side of Midtown Manhattan, is the firm's first major project in New York City.

The twisting shape of the Vancouver House building, expected to be built in that city by 2018, was dictated by setback requirements.

The open dining space accommodates groups such as Fashandi’s book club with ease.

The Mountain Dwellings in Copenhagen consists of apartments arranged in the shape of an artificial mountainside atop a parking garage.

Anonymous, plastic and cheap, the monobloc can be found on many front porches, beachside cabanas and cookouts around the world. A modernist's dream, the chair makes up for its lack of personality with its ability to be mass produced using a minimal amount of materials.

"[The kitchen] quite literally supplies the energy that powers our daily activities," Eliasson writes. The hardcover of Studio Olafur Eliasson: The Kitchen is available to preorder now through Phaidon. It will ship on April 25, 2016.

How do you view diversity at The Switzer Group? I look at, not just as gender or race, but as: let's open the doors up. Let's open 'em up and allow people to perform. I really don't look at [diversity] as a way to sell. From the start, when I started this firm, it was all about performance, service, quality. (Above: Vice Media Headquarters, designed by The Switzer Group)

Nonna (Portland, Oregon) Opting for muted tones and dark-wood furnishings, Portland-based firm Case Study Group designed a casual wine bar with a tavern-like aesthetic. A horseshoe-shaped bar wraps around Nonna's interior. In back, a petite patio offers additional seating during summer.

Any advice for those, especially those in an ethnic minority, looking to enter design? You don't just break into it. You have to have some talent for it. It's hard to just walk in and say, "This is what I'm gonna do." You have to have some knowledge of what you're getting into: basic [design] knowledge, ACE Mentor-taught knowledge. Kids progress...then when they graduate from high school, they [go] on to college for architecture or engineering. You've got to keep the goal posts moving. If you keep the goal posts moving and never give up, you're gonna reach that goal every time. (Above: Vice Media Headquarters by The Switzer Group)