Custom-designed back-painted glass in the kitchen backsplash brings the blue-gray tones of the water inside, while Caesarstone Black Raven countertops provide a stark contrast. Bulthaup appliances update the kitchen's functionality.

In the kitchen, the same materials and shapes are echoed, including the custom barstools that surround the kitchen island—which bare resemblance to the seating options he designed for the living room.

The original kitchen was designed by the Booths, and Robert renovated it in 2000, making it ergonomic for his wife Sirkka's shorter frame.

An open floor plan with uninterrupted views from the front to the back of the home provides a stark transformation from the original “boxy” floor plan. Designed to cater to university events as well as day-to-day routines of the home’s residents, Meade notes that the first floor was designed so that “only one room can close itself off in order to create visual and physical openess. If you are hosting events, you can have everyone in a single space, but still have them in different “spaces.”

Kitchen

Picture window looks onto a porch with a nice view of the yard. Sun sets directly into the window view.

Casual meals are eaten at the kitchen’s glacier white Corian countertop, which features Aalto K65 stools. The island’s Blanco sinks offer a direct, uninterrupted sightline to the garden.

Now, looking towards the front of the bus, two couches face each other. The couches can seat the whole family and also be converted into a full-sized bed, if needed. There is storage in the couch bases and a shoe shelf by the front door. The Mayes Team writes on their blog: "This has been such a blessing and has helped us to keep the bus organized."

For the L-shaped kitchen, the Mayes' chose an under-counter fridge/freezer unit so as to have more counter space. The 23-inch Vigo sink is deep enough to bathe a baby or hide dirty dishes.

Whether they downsized for financial freedom, more mobility, or a simpler lifestyle, all tiny home dwellers reduced their ecological footprint, the study showed.

A couple enlist Butler Armsden Architects and Leverone Design to reimagine their home as a multigenerational meeting point. In 1963, landscape designer Lawrence Halprin devised a master plan for a community that would live in harmony with the natural environment. The resulting Sea Ranch, which stretches 10 miles along the Pacific coastline in Sonoma County, California, is characterized by timber-frame, wood-clad structures that are in dialogue with the local climate and terrain. Sited on a bluff within this pioneering community is the vacation home of a lawyer couple. After purchasing the residence in 2007, they lived in the home as it was for four years, even keeping the previous owners’ furniture. Envisioning a retreat that would accommodate their extended family and guests, they then recruited Butler Armsden Architects and Leverone Design to help guide the project.

Installation view from Take Note, on display as part of Take Note at the Canadian Center for Architecture through May 30, 2010.

Installation view from Take Note, on display as part of Take Note at the Canadian Center for Architecture through May 30, 2010.

Installation view from Take Note, on display as part of Take Note at the Canadian Center for Architecture through May 30, 2010.

Installation view from Take Note, on display as part of Take Note at the Canadian Center for Architecture through May 30, 2010.