The charred cedar exterior gently basks in the Alaskan sun.

A family of cost-conscious Hamburgers converted a kitschy turn-of-the-century villa into a high-design home with a strict budget in place. To unite the quaint masonry of the original villa with the squat, ugly add-on built flush against it, the architects decided to paint the old-fashioned facade graphite gray and then covered the box next door in plain, light-colored larch. Photo by Mark Seelen.

Pacek and Roynon peeled away wallpaper to reveal layers of old paint that serendipitously complemented the color scheme of their new kitchen, and used a circular frame to preserve a section of it. The matte-chrome handles and pulls are by Mockett.

"A flower that rises from the rock" is how Niemeyer described this organic, saucer-like structure, a home for art and design that boasts beautiful views of Guanabara Bay. An inviting red walkway snakes up towards the entrance towards the main cupola.

The walls of the bathroom are covered in large, white ceramic tiles, with the exception of one side clad in reclaimed wood with an IKEA cabinet.

In the master bath, sandblasted windows let in light while retaining privacy. The tub is from Dado, the vanity and stool are from Ligne Roset, and the Big Bang light is from Foscarini.

Originally designed by locally renowned architect Arthur Dallas Stenger, this 1960s home featured an unusual awning that was maintained during a 21st-century upgrade by architects Rick and Cindy Black. The architects partially reconfigured the interior layout, updated the kitchen, and added new doors to the porch, all the while making sure the adjustments to the house honored its midcentury provenance while still avoiding creating a time capsule.

A family in Hamburg, Germany, turned a kitschy turn-of-the-century villa into a high-design home with a few exterior tricks, including sheathing the exterior in one-dimensional, murdered-out black.

A series of charred modern boxes, the home Petra Sattler-Smith and Klaus Mayer designed for Martin Buser and Kathy Chapoton, is organized around views of the Alaskan landscape.

Named after an Italian-Brazilian industrialist, this series of gently curving walkways serves as the site of an art biennial, the first ever in the southern hemisphere.

One of Niemeyer’s numerous contributions to Brasilia, the custom-built capital created out of thin air in the ‘60s, the National Congress building symbolizes the working of the legislative branch; two semicircles, one for the Congress and one for the Senate, are divided by twin office towers.

At night, the interior lighting casts the geometric window framing in silhouette.

The tent-like shape of this striking cathedral is formed by 16 curved pillars, jutting towards the sky like the fingers of a hand in prayer. Sunlight enters the roof through a wavy mosaic of blue, white and brown tiles.

After starting his career by apprenticing then collaborating with Lucio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer made his mark with this modernization project. The highlight is the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, a revolutionary modernist touchstone with a parabolic roof and polychromatic tiles that was such an unexpected departure from previous chapel designs, one politician suggested demolishing it.

Megan: Modernist Cuisine Every Saturday morning at 11:00 am, my friends and family know where they can find me. I'm watching America's Test Kitchen on PBS and then Cook's Country. I love these shows because I love cooking, but more than just the act, I love the science of food. Modernist Cuisine is a great collection of cook books I just discovered that highlight science-inspired techniques for preparing food. The authors, Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Bilet and their 20 person team at The Cooking Lab got super creative with tools such as water baths, homogenizers, centrifuges, and ingredients such as hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, and enzymes. This is cooking for the modern age!

Four bedrooms occupy the bottom level. The beds are by Modernica and a Womb chair by Eero Saarinen sits in the corner.

This piece of ephemera started it all: Bubeshko's first check to Schindler, which kicked off the design process.

The 1956 all-white La Casa di Ucello Bianca, designed by an unkown architect, was carefully restored by its current owners.

One of the most astounding views from the house extends all the way to Mt. McKinley, the highest point in North America at over 20,000 feet.

The Balancing Barn in Suffolk: On the edge of a nature reserve a few miles from the Suffolk coast, the MVRDV-designed Balancing Barn cantilevers over the surrounding meadow.

New interior finishes, furniture, and a guesthouse were part of the restoration/renovation of John Lautner's Chemosphere, a 1960s house that makes frequent cameos in film and television.

Zirl House

The tomb of President Juscelino Kubitschek, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, provided the late leader with a fitting resting place in the modern city that he helped create. A statue of the founder rests atop a large, question-mark shaped sculpture.

Vilhelm Lundstrom portrait of Juhl’s wife, Hanne Wilhelm Hansen, hangs above Juhl's Poet sofa (1941). The sofa faces one of Juhl's most recognizable designs, the 1949 Chieftain chair. The white brick hearth extends into the room to resemble an area rug.

The Yees live in a nature preserve in Carmel, California, in a home designed by Lake Flato Architects. Here's a glimpse at their idyllic surroundings.

Made after the legendary architect hit the century mark, the Niemeyer center exhibits more playfulness than projects made by designers half his age. Subtle, bold flashes of color, and contrasting shapes create a cultural playground and gathering space.

Talk about a project that could truly be called the soul of a country—this massive structure in Rio hosts the annual parade during Carnival and can hold 70,000 revelers. It includes the aptly titled Apotheosis Square, where bleachers are spaced out to create an open space for performances.

Like a bookshelf filled with volumes of varying width, Niemeyer’s long, horizontal headquarters for this massive publishing concern consists of a series of arches of varying length and size, which sits idyllically on a large lake.

Zirl House

Also in La Casa di Ucello Bianca, sunlight from a clerestory reflects off white ceilings to illuminate richly hued furnishings.

Choosing not to make a big to-do of itself, this cottage blends in with its surroundings. A wall of glass on one end allows a merger of the outdoors with the interiors, while white trim leaves the appearance of a snow-kissed façade year-round. Berlin, Germany. By Atelier st Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

Transformer or beach hut? Positioned in a coastal erosion zone, this holiday retreat for a family of five is completely capable of being relocated. An oversized shutter allows for protection from the elements when not in use and opens to allow sun in during the winter or provide shade on hot summer days. Waikato, New Zealand. By Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects, from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.

The ever-changing, lush wooded surroundings of Minnesota, such as those experienced at this 8,000-square-foot Type Variant House outside of Minneapolis designed by Coen and Partners, are right near the small town of New Richland.

Brand and DeMarie also inherited this early blueprint.

Glass panelling creates light and space within the room.