A couple takes a minimalist approach to their Brooklyn apartment, focusing on supple materials, subtle gradations of color, and custom finishes by local craftsmen. The Mandayam–Vohra family gathers under one of Workstead’s signature three-arm chandeliers, shown here in its horizontal configuration. Bartenschlager designed the white cabinets and is responsible for the walnut counters both on the kitchen island and near the stove.

At a design-focused mansion in Belgium, the soaring atrium is home to a jacaranda high board from the 1960s, a chrome and glass lamp from Italy, a black leather chair and footstool by Sergio Rodrigues, a Berber rug, and a pair of photographs by the Brazilian artist Luiz Braga.

Often a designer or client may start their search in an inspirational place like a showroom or a project they love and admire. Showrooms are spaces (and sometimes entire stores) that are used to display goods for sale by specific companies.

Looking from the open-plan dining area, through the kitchen to to the new living space, one gets views of the tree canopy through a high-level band of frameless glazing.

Power House High This structural reboot of a former power plant now has a much different purpose. Another post-industrial, LEED Platinum-certified showpiece, this century-old structure, which once housed rows of massive coal burners that provided all the power for Sears, Roebuck & Company's 55-acre corporate headquarters (as well as the air pressure for the pnuematic mail tubes), now boasts a pair of charter schools.

Riga High-Rises Z-Towers (NRJA, 2004-2015); Preses nams (Jānis Vilciņš, Ābrams Misulovins, 1978); Saules akmens (ZENICO PROJEKTS, TECTUM, 2002-2004). Photo by: Uldis Lukševics, NRJA

The open plan, high ceilings, and white walls all amplify the light that streams into the living room, accented with a Barcelona Couch by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll and two Blythe Pony Cube ottomans by Gus Design.

High windows on the east and west façades catch the sunrise and sunset, increasing light within the home. “They’re very simple and lo-fi,” Larsen says.

Using i.design EFFIX, a high performance material conceived by Italcementi, Luca Galbusera designed a table centerpiece for outdoor use. Luca Galbusera, winner of the Concrete Design International Competition, will show work as part of Alessi's Design Lab exhibit at WantedDesign.

Dacor products suit tech-savvy home cooks. The Discovery Dual Range oven wirelessly connects to a tablet via the brand's iQ app for a customizable kitchen experience.

Tangent Vase by High Gloss, $90 Handmade to order in Brooklyn, this asymmetrical vase features a raw speckle and a luscious, almond-dipped glaze.

Plans for the QueensWay call for turning an inaccessible area at its northern end into a small park featuring a playground and rain gardens to reduce flooding in heavy rain.

At Elevation After hiking nearly 20km through steep terrain, Syangboche was a very welcome sight. I’ve experienced high-altitude hiking before when I summited Kilimanjaro, but in Mustang, with elevations reaching 15,000 feet, it was definitely a new and challenging experience. I often had to stop to catch my breath along the path.

An inaccessible, overgrown space on Yellowstone Boulevard could become an access point to the QueensWay, with seating, landscaped plantings, and a small play area and garden.

High Tide Shelving System.

Jeffrey Shumaker, chief urban designer for the New York City Department of City Planning, calls out the High Line, the wildly popular public park built on an elevated abandoned railway, as an example of cities seeing potential in underutilized spaces. "As delegations from other cities and countries visit the High Line, they always ask, 'How can we create our own High Line?' The answer I always give is the same: Think of something that's unique to your place, some place that's embedded in the fabric of your city that can have a similarly transformative effect," he says.

The viaduct between Atlantic and Liberty avenues in Ozone Park will feature new walkways, seating areas, and a bike bath.

A rendering of the QueensWay as it would appear near Metropolitan Avenue. Supporters say the QueensWay would provide safe walkways and bike paths for easier access to shopping areas and Forest Park, in addition to creating outdoor learning areas for three nearby schools.

Recreation areas would be added atop the QueensWay's elevated section, while pathways would connect commuters to the A subway line.

The QueensWay would run below grade for nearly a mile through Forest Park. Currently overgrown and unused, this section, called the ravine, would provide opportunities for year-round recreation.

Here, the high ceiling, a style borrowed from industrial lofts, serves a utilitarian purpose. Gymnast rings hung overhead allow athletes to suspend themselves 25 feet in the air.

Iconic and modern furnishings mingle at Luminaire, which has showrooms in Chicago and Coral Gables, Florida.

A perfect stocking stuffer, the Minim Playing Cards are a minimalist take on traditional playing cards. This refined deck will help traveling friends pass the time, and is a great set for home use as well.

Macrae-Gibson designed this competition swimming pool for Truman High School in the Bronx. The space features glazed acoustic concrete block walls and a ceramic mosaic pool and deck.

Over the years, it has hosted now-famous designers like Jasper Morrison, Philippe Starck, and the Bouroullec brothers early in their careers.

Manitoba Hydro Place (Winnipeg, Manitoba: 2009) How refreshing is it to see a power company be so respectful of power? Manitoba Hydro didn’t merely create a new headquarters when it unveiled this towering 23-story building, it created a case study in intelligent high-rise construction. A center chimney between three six-story atria cools, warms, and recycles air before its distributed to the rest of the structure, part of an almost organic system that utilizes geothermal systems to provide energy for 100% of the cooling and 75% of the heating. Along with a system of radiant slabs embedded in the concrete and automated lighting systems, the LEED Platinum-certified design by KPMB Architects showcases the power of passive energy. Photo by Maris Mezulis

“When I was getting my master’s in industrial design, color was what I always had the strongest response to. Color affects light, and therefore it affects how we perceive space and form. It’s integral to design.”

By creating an outdoor pavilion for swimmers to change, the designers relieved an interior gym space that was dedicated to swimming in summer months. Photo by Michael Moran.

Truro High School is a secondary school for girls in Cornwall. Tyler designed the lobby area, including bespoke furniture for registers and student sign-ins, to maximize functionality while highlighting the school's progressive ethos. Photo by Sam Morgan-Moore.

The Jet moves 650 cubic-feet per minute of air, which comes out at up to 130 miles per hour. Though other, more expensive models claim faster air speeds, the cubic-feet performance of the Troy-Bilt puts it at the top of the product sector for debris-clearing products.

This sculptural hummingbird feeder from upstate New York designer Jim Schatz makes an elegant addition to a backyard, front porch, or garden. Made from glossy stoneware in a richly saturated red—designed to attract hummingbirds and other small birds—the feeder is inspired by flowers. It features an open mouth like a bloomed flower and a yellow stamen-like center that provides food to birds.

Q6: Location is a key factor. How important is it to consider your immediate surroundings and neighbors’ opinions? A6: It’s vital to understand your neighboring community and Piano’s design relates to its location in the Meatpacking District. Some examples: We achieved LEED gold status and also are working with the community on public art installations.

Sou Fujimoto collaborated with Honda on this high-tech home that integrates energy generation systems with the living space and family car. Solar roof panels charge the batteries on this electric vehicle parked in the light-filled living room.

Architect Barry Svigals was on hand to help supervise the project.

Waste Cabinet in scrapwood, high-gloss lacquer

While Kahn's tetrahedron tower was never realized, his inventive suggestion of stacking pieces of precast concrete, a new typology of high-rise design, influenced future modular projects.