Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

+Farm is based in upstate New York, where land can be cheap but new housing prohibitively expensive: when a resident breaks ground on a waterfront site, their taxes can dramatically increase. What if new housing didn't need to technically break ground? "Our thought," says +Farm Director William Haskas, was "let's discuss ideas for a new type of dwelling....one that could potential help the people that actually live in the area."

With expansive EcoHaus Internorm windows, the space feels larger than its 1,400 square feet.

Inspiration crowds Alexander’s studio desk.

The Clark family residence in Raleigh, North Carolina, was designed around the Series 600 multi-slide window walls from Western Window Systems, a rarity in the southeast.

The Andersen Architectural Collection’s Eagle windows and doors provide the panes and passageways of the home.

For architect Stephen Chung, the design of his Wayland, Massachusetts, home was all about blending into the natural environment. The first floor is a serene composition of white and wood. The demand for a domestic office space inspired him to build up, adding a second floor for him to "experiment." In a departure from the Cape Cod aesthetic that rules his block, he was able to give the addition a modernist take, while also literally reflecting the existing landscape of the neighborhood. The entire 1,100-square-foot adjunct that encompasses his second story office-studio, master suite, and fort for his two young sons is swathed in mirrored siding and plate-glass windows.

The original home was preserved and renovated. In the front bedroom, a small window was replaced with a large painted-steel window seat, a favorite of the residents' grandchildren.

French doors line one wall that extends from the library to the first-floor sitting room and office.

Vignettes show off what Aumas does best. In this one, he takes advantage of the apartment’s tall windows.

Spencer Greene and his daughter, Anya, go for a dip in their Palo Alto, California, home. The three-inch-thick acrylic pool window allows the parents to monitor their children’s swims from the LC4 chaise longue.

When planning regulations limited what could be built in an English forest, PAD Studio devised a prefab structure that can be moved by crane. “The whole building is based around a steel frame, which provides us with the stability to be able to top-lift it easily,” explains designer Ricky Evans.

Float On Clerestory windows from YKK Commercial give the illusion that the roof hovers above the house—a key factor in keeping the light, modern touch that the homeowners desired. Epstein did not design the clerestories in a single, straight line; the glass drops down where possible to allow the maximum amount of light. It took a bit of convincing to sway his clients. “He said, ‘Listen to me, stay with my concept, and you won’t be sorry,’” Tetreault recalls. “So I stuck with it, and I’m not sorry.”

The master bedroom is shaded by exterior slats in cumaru, a sustainable tropical wood. Alazraki designed the custom bed frame.

Seeking to add a third level to his home in China’s Fujian Province, a sea captain was deterred due to the toll his property had taken from the coastal climate. The ocean and rain had caused erosion and water seepage, dooming the building’s structural integrity. Beijing-based Vector Architects stepped in with a solution—a 4.72 inch-thick layer of concrete wall that would be added to the home’s existing brick masonry. This allowed for a reconfiguration of the interior spaces, so living areas and the master bedroom would be situated on the sea-facing side for an abundance of natural light, the best views, and better ventilation.

In the entryway, a Tati lamp by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell sits on a shelf Christopher made from kitchen cabinetry scraps.

Your child's dollhouse can be modern too with this Kid on Roof's MobileHome. It is easy to assemble, structured with cardboard and customizable with crayons.

Views from the main living area focus on the surrounding vegetation. "Instead of placing the house on the spot with the best view, it is situated in a way that is tailored to the specific terrain, and gives prominence to the views from the outdoor room," write Lung Hagem Arkitekter.

In the house’s front room Monkman relaxes on a stool from local retailer Andrew Richard Designs. A new window system draws in sunlight and views of the front courtyard designed by local landscape architect Terry McGlade, the building’s former owner.

A narrow glass window that cuts through the interiors from floor to ceiling.

The rear of the Villa Bio features an almost 50-foot-wide expanse of glass. The pool (now just a large gravel pit) echoes the panoramic window’s exact shape. The custom kitchen features a Silestone counter.

Dan Pacek and John Roynon of Leonia, New Jersey, expanded and renovated their tiny kitchen, integrating it more sensibly into their 1911 house while borrowing natural light from secondary sources, such as a window on the landing leading to the second floor.

The pair of desks that Paul and Shoko work at in the office space look directly onto the courtyard. The concept for the design was to be able to see the sky from your seat at the desk.

The containers’ sides and ends were removed to make way for large, aluminum-framed clerestory windows that provide sweeping views of the east and west.

Butler Armsden Architects and Leverone Design reimagined this family retreat in Sea Ranch, a 1960s planned community that stretches 10 miles along the Pacific coastline in Sonoma County, California. Clear, vertical grain fir wraps the interior, while ample windows offer stunning glimpses of the sea and surrounding meadows.

To deter all bird collisions, his home’s Ornilux windows use a specialized inner coating to reflect ultraviolet light visible to the birds but invisible to the human eye.

In the kitchen, the couple found barely used appliances instead of new ones to save money. The cabinetry and butcher block counters are from Ikea.

The Lost Cottage vacation rental is nestled in the remote lakeside town of Treangarriv in County Kerry, Ireland. The principal bedroom features a massive picture window that looks out over Caragh Lake and the surrounding farmland. A glass roof was also installed above the sunken tub in the bathroom so that guests can gaze up at the stars in the International Dark Sky Reserve.

In the master bathroom, a matte Ove tub from Wetstyle is one of Maca’s favorite getaways. The angle of the custom window, designed with a minimal frame to maximize the view, mimics the roofline.

A double-height space encompasses the kitchen, dining and living area, and features 36-feet-wide glass doors that pocket into southern and northern walls.

“The bank of full-height windows brings in tons of southern light, but it also gives the stable a strong street presence, and it ties into the stick-built window pattern already established at the entry to the main house,” Schaer says. The locally-sourced Douglas fir windows and doors were provided by Lindal Cedar Homes.

The living room of Wood H by Dualchas Architects has a sweeping view of the surrounding landscape and the Atlantic Ocean.