Deep eaves prevent the entrance from being buried in snow. The clients can see directly into the valley and mountains below.

Taking inspiration from Arlberg Valley, Austria to classic Nordic materials, the Troll Hus certainly adds a European touch to the California landscape. “The inspiring concept is that of a treehouse that, as if suspended between treetops, seamlessly and ingeniously blends with its surroundings.” Casper says.

The facade consists of exposed concrete, Galvalume roofing, and cedar or torrefied wood coating. The homes are carefully positioned to keep other structures out of sight.

While it was tempting to embed the cabin into the hillside, Balance Associates sought a smarter solution. By elevating the project on two concrete walls, the clients could avoid a costly foundation, improve their view of the landscape, and stay above the thick winter snowfall.

Operable windows on the South- and North-facing facades allow cross ventilation The bedroom is spartan, save for an impressive view of the trees.

Out of respect for the structure's more traditional neighbors, de Leon painted the exterior of the addition Black Forest Green, a Benjamin Moore hue commonly used on plantation shutters in the South.

The bedroom is to the immediate right of the entrance; the architects selected plywood for interior surfacing for the warm tones it provided. The aluminum spacers allow for easy installation—they have greater tolerances for gaps as compared to other joints—while doubling as a decorative element.

The entrance is immediately flanked on its left by a mudroom for hiking gear and the bathroom.

The morning sky greets the hilltop

Sou Fujimoto's Floating Forest via Spoon & Tamago: Architect Sou Fujimoto transformed Cassina's showroom during Salone Internazionale del Mobile into a floating forest.

While the home is well insulated on all sides, the hearth can provide extra warmth when necessary.

Phoenix Rising-The award-winning Phoenix home received an update from Wendell Burnette with a complete hardscape and landscape renovation incorporating native plants and a pool that “projects toward the canopy of the desert sky.” Photo by: Dean Kaufman

The pine forest around the complex provided the architects with their color scheme.

Though the house sits cozily at the back of a birch forest clearing, Zhidkov says no trees were cut during construction.

A classroom in PS 313.

The house may be large at 5,382 square feet, but its extensive glazing makes it appear weightless.

Logical Extension-A tiny home in the Belgian forest gained some serious square footage with dmvA Architecten's glass walled addition that visually connects the residents with their surroundings. Photo by: Frederik Vercruysse

PS 313 is a school in Sunnyside, Queens for 432 kindergarteners through fifth graders that opened in the fall of 2014. Equipped with a central courtyard and rooftop play area, the brick masonry building has attained a green rating from New York City.

Balance Associates architect Tom Lenchek says the project’s success was enabled by a clear vision from the clients: the couple “identified what they wanted and stuck to that,” resisting escalating the project’s scope and cost. This enabled the architects to craft a consistent and simple design.

Supported by steel strips, the balcony extends outwards to meet the valley below. Fully-glazed sliding doors and a clerestory window provide a view.

This neutral palette of the kitchen and living room allows the balcony’s vista to take center stage.

The cabin is clad in clear-stained exterior-grade plywood that’s economical and blends in with the area’s foliage in summer.

Designed by Nps Tchoban Voss, the house maximizes views of the surrounding forest.

The Fish Camp acts as the couple’s forest getaway, just a quarter mile from their main house.

Macrae-Gibson designed a 45,000-square-foot structure to add to PS 196Q's existing 1952 building in Forest Hills, Queens. The new building houses a new cafeteria and play yard deck and space for 644 additional students.

Designed in 1972 by local architect Edgar Waehrer, this home was renovated by creative director Ben Watson and his partner, painter Claudio Tschopp. As a later example of Northwest modernism, the home combined the clean lines and open plans of mid-century modernism with an emphasis on natural local materials and natural light. However, while the 16-foot ceilings in the home gave a sense of airiness, the plentiful wood paneling on the walls kept it dark and feeling damp, and so the couple bleached the walls to better reflect natural light.

Cute bikini underwear from PACT's Forest Ethics collection.

Existing logging road. Note overgrown forest and lack of light.

Future site view. Overgrown 21+ acre forested site.

Metsanvaki (Forest Folk) "I designed this pattern when my daughter was building her own home and I spent a lot time with my granddaughters," says Kristina Isola of the pattern she created in 2007. "We would wander off to a nearby forest clearing. There we would sit down, eat our lunch, and drink warm berry juice. I looked on as my granddaughters pretended some fallen trees were crocodiles lurking by the river bank…I feel happy in a forest, as if I were visiting a dear friend."

There are two walkways that extend over the sloping hillside. The top-most walkway is the intended entrance.

The view from the driveway highlights the bright-blue entrance doorway.

Go Hasegawa’s minimal intervention gently communicates with the surrounding dense forest.

The freestanding tub provides views of the forested land.

Designed and built by Oakland–based O2 Treehouse, the Pinecone is a five-and-a-half-ton geodesic home that can be installed in the forest or in your own backyard. The treehouse, accessed via a wood ladder and a trap door, is constructed from steel, wood, and glass that integrates into the forest canopy. Inside, 64 diamond-shaped windows provide 360-degree views of the surrounding forest or landscape. Even the floors are composed of transparent panels—enhancing the sensation of floating above the earth.

In the kitchen, a large picture window frames views of the surrounding forested land.