Marble countertops of black and white with kitchen cabinets finished in sparkling white are offset by a unique glass backsplash, which offers a hint of the surrounding rainforest.

The Tinbeerwah house and studio keep a low profile among the site’s eucalyptus trees.

Guided by a sustainable design ethos, Koto created the Ilo playhouse using low-impact natural materials—from the timber envelope to the recycled rubber flooring.

Site work in progress.

Article 27 Camilia Nicoara's concept shop specializes in natural beauty products, alongside women's clothing and accessories. The heart of the store's philosophy lies in its name itself—Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads "to enjoy the arts and to share scientific advancement and its benefits."

Future site view. Overgrown 21+ acre forested site.

The W.W. Stool by Philippe Starck.

Collage of site photos overlaid on top of previous owner's site plan. Site was unoccupied when purchased.

OPA wanted to free themselves from logic imposed by a grid and considered various inefficient configurations of shipping containers. They settled on a combination of options, seen in the trikselion shape here. The Presidio, San Francisco, California. Mobile exhibition pavilion for the For-Site Foundation. © Tim Griffith.

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.

For more informartion on the project, visit gracefarms.org.

The site of much permit-wrangling.

A wider look at the building's siting.

This open steel staircase design helps to preserve the stunning views, letting in plenty of light for a bright, continuous look. This simple aesthetic offsets the textured black-stone wall that bisects the contemporary home designed by Safdie Rabines Architects of San Diego, California.

Original fireplaces have been retained throughout

A collage of images showing the site and scenes from the design and site preparation process.

The courtyard is a secure space with a double-height window that offers seamless interior-exterior connection. “It gives a nice sense of containment and peace, while still engaging interior spaces,” says Cashman.

Steel strips form a security screen on the street side of the scullery. One can also hang pots and pans from them. A skylight filters illumination through glass block flooring to the basement below.

The kitchen is accessible from a raised courtyard across from the main living space. “The double exhaust hood looks like an old industrial gantry,” remarks Cashman. Sandblasted brick and sandstone from the original warehouse dialogue with floating white and grey cabinetry.

Menlo Residence Site Plan A Ipe Deck (rear) B Gravel C Concrete Pavers D House E Driveway F Ipe Deck (front) G Ipe Fence and Gate

Kultuurikatel — Pohja Road 27 A & B

“The biggest design challenge was the facade,” says architect Mark Cashman. “It had to step back from the street and recede to give prominence to the heritage status warehouse facade.” Above the translucent bedroom level, a balcony with a herb garden steps back further. From the rooftop garden, downtown Sydney comes into full view.

Simultaneously sculptural and pragmatic, the undulating form of the W Magazine Stand’s molded plywood is both pleasing and useful. It’s compact enough for small spaces, though you may be loath to cover up the figurative grain pattern of the walnut with your magazines.

The master bedroom features wallpaper by Erika Wakerly. The glass tables next to the Croft House bed were gifts.

"The idea behind the building is for a grounded, timber element extending along the Western side of the block, which creates a screen for the rest of the site," Blue says. He specified farmed timber, engineered wood for framing, high levels of insulation, and an evacuated tube solar hot water system to help the house become more green. A layout that facilitates cross ventilation helps reduce the need for air conditioning in the summer.

Ginn will also place an acoustic, light, and fiber installation in the center of the gallery floor. Both works are site-specific.

Bricks are made of rock, gravel, clay, and silt from an old quarry near the building site.

The house's stained-cedar cladding makes a stark but pleasing contrast to the natural foliage of the site.

In Southern Norway, the Summer House by Jarmund/Vigsnæs AS Arkitekter MNAL is designed to blend in with its rocky site. Existing stone walls and a new wood exterior help achieve visual uniformity.

Inspired by medieval monasteries, Kahn's masterful example of symmetry reinforces Jonas Salk's initial instinct; he famously met with the architect for consultative purposes but their conversation so impressed Salk that he knew he had found the right architect. The two rows of buildings are like curtains framing the ocean, and a simple dividing line offers as much serenity and contemplation as the horizon rising above the sea.

A secondary bedroom meant for a child has a partially translucent, curved glass wall.