Orpilla pecks, Apolo pedals.

This modern and space-efficient family home kept the original exposed wooden rafters and grid of windows to open up the living room. Photo by: Daniel Hennessy

Sunlight is plentiful at every level of the house.

A Huari head.

Looking from the open-plan dining area, through the kitchen to to the new living space, one gets views of the tree canopy through a high-level band of frameless glazing.

Photo courtesy Reinhold Andris Office, Walddorfhäslach.

The couple made the house feel even more spacious by flooding a series of levels with natural light.

Leveling the wood framing.

Although the two apartments were stacked vertically, their individual systems and layout were quite different. The limited horizontal overlap meant that the owners and design team had to give careful thought to the connective elements, and how the family would ultimately circulate through the home. One of the key pieces to the puzzle was finding a place for the interior stairs. Says Bangia Agostinho principal Anshu Bangia, “There was a challenge to find an appropriate location to cut a new stair opening between the apartments, and then have the new stair coordinate with the existing one to form a logical sequence of circulation between the three levels.”

Booker McConnell Head Office Completed in 1980, this interior overhaul was one of many Zeev Aram & Associates interior design projects.

Andrew Weinstein stands in the living room of his Long Island abode designed by Bates Masi + Architects. The architects toggled wall panels and panes of custom-cut window glass on the front of the house that let in light while leaving room for large-format artwork like Adam Parker Smith’s American Totem.

A series of levels gives the house a sense of separation between the main rooms.

The kitchen fits neatly on one wall. The architect reads at a black Ligne Roset dining set, beneath a Col pendant lamp by Francisco Luján. The tublar steel mezzanine rails were designed by Mikulionis, who enjoyed being exempt from the safety concerns that a client would force on him.

From her bedroom on the lower level, Schneider can walk out onto her balcony and take in the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. The wall behind the bed is the thermal-mass wall that provides heat throughout the night.

Moxie Showerhead K-9245-0 2.5 by Kohler, $199 This showerhead has a built-in Bluetooth speaker that lasts for seven hours and connects to a phone up to 32 feet away, enough distance to keep devices dry. When it’s out of battery power, remove it and recharge via USB.

Works on so many levels.

Using a straightedge to level the surface.

Zhang Huan's work will be displayed at Storm King Art Center from May 3 to November 9, 2014. Image courtesy of Pace Gallery.

Windows transcend floor levels to discretely frame views of the surrounding neighborhood, offering slices of the vistas beyond.

The Level platform from FluidStance is meant to increase one’s range of healthy motion in the workplace

The relatively simple construction incorporates clever sustainable design: a two-level wood roof structure keeps the sun’s heat away from the interior, and small windows at either end facilitate powerful cross-ventilation. It’s natural air-conditioning, and it works beautifully.

The family that works together stays together: Hachigian and Day at his-and-hers workstations in the shared lower-level study.

The Caroma shower head meets the highest level of Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) at three stars.

The living room structure soars to two stories, with banks of glass louvers at the upper level providing cross ventilation.

Clear glass panes set strategically into the otherwise translucent curtain wall expose the mezzanine to fresh air and rear views.

A porch at the bottom floor level serves as a rest space, play area, and work spot when Hale pulls out his tools. The horizontal window above connects the first floor to the deck so Hale and Edmonds can keep a watchful eye on the girls when they play outside.

The lounge at the back of the entrance level exhibits the wide plank flooring common throughout the house. The view through the windows is made more compelling by the strip of green roofing extending the treetop canopy and the glass curtain wall that climbs just high enough to draw a sightline to the patio.

Venice has always been a community that embraces art, grit and anything that’s a bit rough around the edges. This, Anderson and Woitunski say, has always been the foundation of the local culture and the way people have created their spaces in the area. Photo by Marc Alt

“The access and position of the house provided only one facade, so the distribution [of the rooms] had to be open towards that facade,” the firm says. “By breaking the levels we could drag the light deep in the house.” As for interior lighting, the wall-mounted lamps throughout the house are from Faro, a Barcelona-based lighting company.

From the second level of the house, Griffin climbs the stairs his own way.

Jorge’s office is on the basement level which provides easy access to the outside.

Maple flooring was used on the second level.

Bull Head in White Gold Leaf A new piece that’s exclusive to A&G, these custom-made papier-mache heads provide a handmade touch and dramatic impact on a wall, and are light enough to hang with a single nail.

One of Rose's favorite signs belongs to the Indianhead Motel in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. "The colorful headdress on this one—repainted as recently as 2008—is even more stunning in person," he says. "Thanks to help from the local historical society, I was able to trace its origins back to 1958 when a man named Ernest Cote first opened the motel."

The house’s street-level entrance shows an openness to its surroundings, and a glass door allows curious passersby a glimpse of the interior.

The bottom level houses the bedrooms where Pilar, José Roberto, Patty, and Jimena loll.