When Abbie and Bill Burton hired Marmol Radziner to design their prefab weekend home, their two requests were “simple-simple, replaceable materials,” says Abbie—such as concrete floors (poured offsite in Marmol Radziner's factory) and metal panel siding—and “the ability to be indoors or outdoors with ease.” Deep overhangs provide shade and protection from rain, so the Burtons can leave their doors open year-round and hang out on their 70-foot-long deck even in inclement weather. They visit the house once a month, usually for a week at a time, with Vinnie and Stella, their rescue Bernese Mountain dogs. Their two adult children occasionally join them. The couple hopes to one day retire here.
This "local prefab" home on the Isle of Skye is made mostly from materials sourced in northern Scotland. The timber-framed model, meant to evoke the simple agrarian barns of the area, can be constructed on-site in as little as a day and is designed for affordability.
After living on and studying a woodsy acre of land in North Zealand, Denmark, architect Jesper Brask cleared a stand of pine trees and, from the timber, built a getaway open to its surroundings. The house, which Brask shares with his wife, Lene, and sons, Kristian, Jens, and Niels, is used mainly in summer, when the weather is optimal for throwing open the glass doors.
In the photos that follow, we take a look at the product offerings inspired by the house, which Yeon designed when he was only 27 years old.
Cassidy used the pool as an anchor for an overarching backyard master plan that pulled the parts together.
On San Juan island, Pole Pass is an intimate waterfront retreat built to serve as a gathering space that takes advantage of the temperate Pacific Northwest summers.
Mami and Goo the Kishu dog return from a frolic in the forest, which the couple, along with Hideaki, has thinned and trimmed back over many weekends. It’s an idyllic escape and a world away from the concrete expanse of Tokyo.
Krisel was also known for his boldly modern approach to landscape. The Menrad residence, shown here, features a distinct geometric design. The architect, working in the harsh Palm Springs climate, relied on hardscape elements—setting a precedent for drought-tolerant landscape design.
Windows and terraces were designed to frame specific vistas ranging from rural pastures to vineyards, olive groves, and the Hanging Rock outcrop. “The views are very controlled,“ Titania says.
The master bath contains all functions in the white fiberglass panel that runs the length of the wall. Lazor designed the vanity; the tub is by Duravit.
The master bedroom features a low-level picture window that opens out to the green space behind the house.
252 Bedford Street SE, Minneapolis, was the first house Lisl and Win designed. Built in 1938—the same year the Closes started their practice and the year they were married—for Ray Faulkner, E. Ziegfeld and G. Hill for $7,643, the Faulkner house is also known as the Lippincott house. Just across the street is a famous neighbor: the 1934 Willey House by Frank Lloyd Wright. Photo by Tom Trow.
One of the finalists from our LEGO contest.
The Spencertown House (2002). “The beginning of a project is like the start of a romance. There are so many ways. Your mind just begins to work. You’re almost a little bit disappointed when you’ve got to start narrowing it down and actually make something.” — Thomas Phifer