Installing and inspecting the store window. Photo courtesy littleBits.

A brave diver dangles a lure in front of the hand painted shark. The shark is made of acrylic and Bristol paper. Two Bits inside the animal control its undulating movements. The lure is made from a vibrating motor Bit. Photo courtesy littleBits.

Ms. Bdeir’s passion is to inspire young people and adults to craft with electronics, and her littleBits have won numerous accolades, like the National Parenting Publications Awards. The structure is made out of laser cut board. In the evenings, the Ferris wheel is aglow with LED lights. Photo courtesy littleBits.

Engineer and artist Ayah Bdeir challenged Labour, a creative office and workshop, to craft kinetic sculptures for the MoMA Design Stores in New York City. Labour could use only her littleBits, tiny circuit boards that snap together with magnets, and no other hardware or robotics. A partner at Labour prepares an installation in the Midtown windows. Photo courtesy littleBits.

littleBits users have crafted talking puppets, flickering lanterns, and robots that draw. An untitled work of Ms. Bdeir’s made of printed circuit board, analog components, and magnets was included in “Talk to Me,” MoMA’s 2011 design exhibition which explored objects that establish an emotional, sensual, or intellectual connection with their users. Here, a shark is readied for the Soho windows. Photo courtesy littleBits.

The sculptures were made without any wiring or soldering. Here, in the Midtown windows, a miniature cyclist furiously pedals a motor Bit, which spins a Ferris wheel that produces a hypnotizing effect. Photo courtesy littleBits.

littleBits is an open-source library of electronics and platform for play. Its community of users upload videos and pictures of their projects. Re-usability is built into the experience: Bits can be used again and again and with simple craft materials. The installations, measuring up to 48 inches tall to the one-inch square littleBits, runs through May 12. Here, a detail of the Soho installation. Photo courtesy littleBits.

“So often you see electronics hidden or covered, but I think electronics are beautiful,” says Ms. Bdeir. In the right window of the Midtown installation, toy-sized art handlers try to balance a wobbly frame. A motor Bit makes the frame move from side to side. Photo courtesy littleBits.

Ayah Bdeir founded littleBits in 2011. The company produces a library of electronic modules that can be used to create all manner of devices, like a remote-controlled fish feeder and weather monitor.

The company collaborated with Labour, a Brooklyn-based design studio, on “Art Handles,” a 2013 installation for MoMA Design Store.

Just off an internal courtyard, a mudroom provides a prime place to keep sneakers. Each family member has their own shelf, backlit by windows that illuminate every pair.

MoMA Design Store joins NYCxDesign with a retail collection comprising designs that began life on Kickstarter, the crowdsourced funding website. You can find the pieces at MoMA Store's bricks-and-mortar shop at 81 Spring Street. (See other Dwell-approved Kickstarter projects here.)

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

The windows of the company's office are covered with sketches.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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 littleBits employee prototypes a new project.

A preassembled kit of parts allows users to build a music synthesizer.

New York firm MCDC designed littleBits’s Chelsea office, which is outfitted with Togo sofas from Ligne Roset and an overhead fixture by Tech Lighting. The shelves hold books and play materials like Legos and K’nex.

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.

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.

Colorful metal tables float on a mobile hanger (which resembles Man Ray's mobile coat hanger piece, "Obstruction") from the store's ceiling. Photo by: Samuel Kirszenbaum

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.

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

Twelve electrically heated windows pierce the facade, framing views of the surrounding forest and fields.

"As one moves between levels, a variety of unexpected vantage points and views are revealed," says the firm.

The aluminium-framed windows throughout are by Australian company Capral. “We wanted as much glass as possible to enjoy the almost 360-degree views,” says resident Sarah Younger. Tasmania, Australia Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017