“BLK_LAB uses a series of thoughtfully placed windows to achieve a combination of passive solar design and an advanced thermal envelope,” says architect Christopher Patano, founder of Seattle firm Patano Studio Architecture. The home is insulated with cellulose, a material made from 85 percent post-consumer recycled content, which is densely packed into each stud cavity.

In the foyer, Deam left one surprise: The neon-pink guest bathroom is hidden behind heavy, dark-gray walls.

The solar panels on the roof often get covered in a heavy layer of snow, but with periodic clearing, they are as effective during the sunny days of winter as they are during fairer weather.

Heavy-duty sewing machines in the often entropic studio.

In contrast to its heavily glazed north facade, the home's other three sides are closed off from view for privacy.

Another light category sample, at 4'6" by 7'3", with purposefully heavy lines intersecting the pastel colorway.

The Mono structure's single-engineered truss frame makes it capable of withstanding harsh weather—from heavy snow, to downpours, to heat. It also comes in three variations.

It was important, says Kaplan, to define the kitchen area with the “heavy horizontal lid” that runs along the top of the windows. The custom stove hood echoes the lines of the original wainscot.

Planning regulations required a gable roof, which the architects split into four shed roofs carefully designed to respond to heavy snow and meet spatial and aesthetic wishes.

Planning regulations required a gable roof, which the architects split into four shed roofs carefully designed to respond to heavy snow shed and meet spatial and aesthetic wishes.

The small cabin's cross-laminated timber (CLT) shell, composed of 72 unique wooden panels, is designed to withstand severe arctic storms and heavy wind conditions.

Wisnu and Sundari have a chat at the gate, which just barely keeps Jakarta's heavy vegetation at bay.

In the open living/kitchen/dining area, the containers’ original apitong wood flooring, heavily sanded and sealed multiple times, complements the industrial austerity of the painted corrugated steel ceilings. The rug is vintage.

The Majamaja Cabin by Littow Architectes was constructed on-site from prefab wood panels and without the use of heavy machinery. The self-contained unit makes for a perfect eco-retreat, especially when positioned at water’s edge in Finland.

The couple’s cat, Pinot, keeps watch on Craig’s desk, which faces the sleeping alcove. A heavy custom curtain from Rose Brand curves around the bed to give sleepers more quiet and privacy.

There are two entrances to the underground cave. Each has this circular portal with heavy-bottomed wine bottles surrounding the door.

To complement the sleek, clean aesthetic of the kitchen, Joel and Meelena heavily relied on Dacor for appliances. “One of the great things about working with Dacor is how they transform really high-quality kitchen equipment into casework, and as an architect, that’s really exciting,” Joel adds.

Lights Arrows by Apparatus in aged brass and black python, table and benches are custom made from a very rare and heavy reclaimed oak. Vintage brass candlesticks sourced from an auction and black candles by Cire Trudon. Benches are lined with Icelandic sheepskin throws.

The heavy ropes and mesh railing on the stairs give the interior a kind of nautical feel, a nod to the nearby San Francisco Bay.

Fashion designer Josie and her husband Ken Natori are big fans of traditional Japanese architecture, so when Brooklyn-based practice Tsao & McKown Architects designed their home in Pound Ridge, New York, they used a heavy, exposed-timber structure, and included Japanese-style gardens and landscaping.

Public squares and parks loom large in the lives of Peruvians, and the heavily mosaiced Parque del Amor in the Miraflores neighborhood is no exception.

The facade achieves a notable sense of verticality for such a stout structure, with its stained-timber cladding aimed straight up toward the sky. The heavy, horizontal brick-work of the neighboring Georgian houses seems to imply aesthetic controversy, but in fact, during its short planning review, Reeve's house received letters of support from no fewer than five neighbors. The front gate opens onto a driveway, which in turn leads to a private patio around back.

Conceived as a glass wall or window that could swing open rather than a typical door, the resulting glass-and-metal piece is so heavy that it required its own foundation! Thanks to clever engineering by Sand Studios, even seven-year-old Macy can operate the 2,000-pound door.

The concrete-heavy entrance is softened by the green landscaping.

“The addition is oriented towards the sun and faces the original Californian bungalow, allowing you to look at the heritage house from the new part and vice versa,” said Welsch. “It combines two unlikely architectural expressions—the casualness and generosity of a lightweight timber-clad building with the heaviness of earth construction.”

“We took away a very thick, heavy staircase that led to the loft, and designed one that had a much lighter look,” Wåhlin says. “The new one, made of steel, looks simple and indeed light—but is in fact super heavy and was a real challenge to construct.”

The home sits lightly upon its heavily wooded site.

The living room, with vintage furnishings by Harry Bertoia, Paul McCobb, and others, overlooks the heavily wooded site, which adjoins a protected watershed. Goddard and Mandolene replaced the original tile floor with a glossy coat of resin and restored the original ceiling.

The office, accessible through a set of heavy walnut doors,

A steel roof holds up against the weight of British Columbia’s heavy snowfall.

Rectangular skylights help bring natural light into the home, offsetting the heaviness of the concrete volume.

The design team avoided using carbon-heavy materials (like concrete and steel) wherever possible.

"The owner wanted the front door to match the same yellow of Caterpillar, the heavy machinery company,