Laminated-MDF cabinetry helps to hide clutter in the kitchen.

Banks of windows and translucent panels help keep Casa Tuscania nice and airy.

The central courtyard helps cool the house.

Wall of Progress Homeowners soliciting help from the design desk were greeted with a neighborhood map as well as retrofitting and rebuilding options. Photo by Gail Gambarini, Architecture for Humanity

Volunteer Training Architects who wanted to help out with Sandy reconstruction got up to date on the latest code and zoning information. Photo by Rachel Minnery

The gradually inclined entrance ramp and open plan help make the house accessible to a range of users.

Sandy Design Help Desk in Brooklyn The Sandy Help Desk program pairs owners of devastated homes with architects who provide rebuilding advice. "Frankly, everyone is learning by doing in this situation, and they’re getting this great, rich volunteer experience working with the 90% of the population who can’t afford an architect but really need it in this particular situation," Minnery say. "Architects rarely get to engage with the public, so I get really exited about that, because we all know more about each other and become more sensitive about the social issues we’re trying to tackle." Photo by Archtecture for Humanity

The sliding wood partitions on the upper floor help shield the master bedroom from the strong tropical sun.

Available to rent on Airbnb, the two-bedroom prefab house as a prototype for their pre-engineered IT House series and made an appearance in Dwell Magazine’s November 2008 issue.

For an escape from bustling San Francisco, architect Craig Steely and his wife Cathy have created a modernist getaway on a lava field next to a black sand beach on Hawaii’s Big Island. Fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the ocean, the steel-framed home is one of several homes that Steely built on the recently active lava field.

Shawn Moseley helped design his new home in central Atlanta.

The 510 Cabin is one of Leggitt's designs, executed with the help of student apprentices.

In the foreground is a vibrator which helps to remove air bubbles and settle the concrete.

"Maps to Help you Navigate Milan Design Week" by Craighton Berman.

As Public Art Saint Paul’s artist-in-residence, Amanda Lovelee helmed a team of collaborators to create Urban Flower Field, which draws attention to ecology in the city’s Pedro Park. Along with Lovelee, the project’s creative team included Adam Kay, Director of Environmental Science, University of St. Thomas; muralists Ed Charbonneau and Jeremy Szopinski; Don Ganje and Bianca Paz of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation; and agroecologist Paula Westmoreland of Ecological Design.

A large map to help guest plan their daily adventures. Photo by Simon Bouisson.

A dramatically angled front windshield helps defy the car’s small stature.

Good design touches, such as the rear-passenger windows, help the car stand out.

Furnishings from Vitra, including Jean Prouvé and Verner Panton chairs and a Jasper Morrison side table help make the ShowHouse as stylish as it is sustainable.

The outside steps of the Zulaikha–Laurence house in Sydney’s suburb of Balmain Point present an effective transition from the solid rock underfoot to the delicate structure of the house beyond. This approach helps to define the singular space of the residence.

The family shares an alfresco lunch with Ikimau Ikimau, a friendly neighbor who helped build the house. The aluminum weatherboard cladding was custom-designed by O’Sullivan.

The study is narrow but illuminated by a window, louvered like others in the house to help regulate heat.

Triangular panels, progressing from stainless steel to glass, help to underscore the illusion of motion.

A view out from the entrance lobby shows Koch leaving the house. He made the stairs' steel risers himself, with the help of his cousin, Chris Wilson.

Moreland House

After the armature is installed, the copper flashing receives a custom patina to help it blend in with the surrounding materials.

In the kitchen, custom cabinetry with transparent doors helps keep the space light and airy, as does a lower open shelf for tea, sugar and other everyday essentials.

FSC-certified exposed framing and plywood was a resource-efficient step which helped to create modern ceilings.

Extra-wide concrete pillars help to support the studio at its core.

A cover for OASE, the architectural journal Martens has designed (with the help of various students) since 1990.

The balcony off the upstairs sitting and family room helps capture natural light as well as cooling breezes.

The kitchen, complete with an Aga stove, is framed by modular shelves and helps heat the sleeping nook directly above it.

The rollable wood-clad walls help the retreat further blend into the surrounding nature.

His Gaggenau oven and range, set into an oiled-steel counter, help heat things up in his kitchen.

Rama makes friends with Hanuman, Sugriva, and Jambavan, animals that would help marshal his forces against Ravana.