On an island 20 miles off the coast of Maine, a writer, with the help of his daughter, built not only a room, but an entire green getaway of his own.

The Desert House located in Desert Hot Springs is a steel structure designed with large expansive windows, and concrete flooring.

The project’s unique challenges—a tight budget and steep, difficult terrain—led architecture firm _naturehumaine to a creative solution that gave the house its delightfully sculptural appearance. Making the first floor’s envelope slightly narrower than the top one’s saved money while minimizing the amount of excavation required.

In Vancouver’s Strathcona district, two side-by-side lots now hold seven residences—thanks to a thoughtful renovation of a pair Edwardian houses and the addition of a laneway, or alley, building by Shape Architecture. The team salvaged as much 120-year-old siding as they could for use on the street-facing facades.

In Ibiza, a stunning modern-rustic getaway with unique features like rock walls, is the perfect summer retreat.

A side view of the house and of Salmela’s signature architectural feature: the “unchimney.” All windows are from Loewen.

Edgeland House, built on a cliff-top lot in Austin by architect Thomas Bercy for lawyer and writer Chris Brown, is topped by a living roof that helps it blend into the landscape. The concrete, steel, and glass house is divided into two distinct public and private halves.

A black side table rests outside the bedroom hallway.

When Oslo-based architect Marianne Borge was approached in 2004 by a client who wanted an actual cabin rather than a second home, she was instantly inspired by the challenge of working on a smaller scale. The home, called Woody35, has a distinct shape that makes it stand out from its surroundings despite the modest size of the building.

The architect and his team devised an armature on the back of the container that will eventually be covered with vines, concealing the AC and heating unit, the reservoir for graywater and the composting toilet outlet.

The New Project Group renovated a cramped, uninviting space on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The company gave the 400-square-foot apartment a gut renovation, with a new kitchen and bathroom designed for efficiency. A parallelogram-shaped window pane, rescued from an architectural salvage yard, was outfitted with steel edges and casters, and repurposed as a coffee table.

The homeowners, who are avid cooks, worked with a design duo and contractor for the home's renovation. To make the kitchen seem larger than it is, the team decided to place the largest cabinets and appliances near the entryway, making less clutter toward the window.

With a few small changes and regular maintenance, existing buildings are some of the most sustainable around.

Abbes and Davison removed drywall to expose the brick on one wall in the living room. "As we began to expose that brick, we found the old metal framing that they used to use," Daivson says. "They used to stick chicken-mesh wire on it and put plaster on top. When we exposed the brick, we found this metal detail and decided to keep it." Photo by Alan Gastelum.

"In the kitchen, we changed the layout," Davison says. "It was a galley kitchen, extending lengthways into the room. We spun it back along the back wall. The tiles are Moroccan concrete tiles that came from a supplier here in Manhattan. The idea was to inject some color and playfulness into the space with the blue cabinetry." Photo by Alan Gastelum.

A geographic lime-green tile pattern was incorporated into the bathroom to complement the sink, which was found in an architectural salvage yard and retains its original color. Photo by Alan Gastelum.

Constructing a largely timber house in a bush fire-prone landscape wasn’t easy. “We had to negotiate with the council and building surveyor,” Crump explains. To solve the challenge, the architect designed an outer, protective skin for the home that’s clad with metal; it pushes beyond the building envelope to provide covering for outdoor living spaces. The inset walls are lined with local shiplap Celery Top Pine.

A new pantry wall in a teak wood veneer supplies all-but-invisible cabinet space with the help of touch-latch door hardware. Perched atop the existing terrazzo flooring, the underbelly of the kitchen's central island, painted with Benjamin Moore paint in the Midsummer Night shade, is visible beneath the reclaimed American elm countertop.

The kitchen combines varying storage types, from white lacquered cabinets and glass-fronted ones to a floating shelf above the sink. The countertop is Calacatta Caldia marble, and the subway tile that clads the backsplash is from Heath Ceramics.

Another view of the pair, with pup Pip underfoot.

All of the artwork was created by the New Design Project. Photo by Alan Gastelum.

The cantilevered shelving in the bedroom was fashioned from vintage metal panels that were purchased online, Davison says. Photo by Alan Gastelum.

Another view of the master bedroom shows more original artwork by the New Design Project. Photo by Alan Gastelum.

On another floor, this tranquil scene features Charles and Ray's lounge chair as well as the couple's Wire Base Side Tables.

Another view of the kitchen.

For the Minster Adib Pacha (shown), walnut, glass, and enamel were used to create contrast. "My dad goes over the sketches for the furniture design, and sometimes he laughs. He sits on the mockup chairs and says the armrest needs to be one-fourth inch shorter or tilt the back another degree. He’s always right. He’s also the tie-breaker if Grace and I can’t agree on a specific design,” Sevak says.

A detail shot of the Adib Pacha highlights the easily accessible, glass-topped drawer.

A nine-foot solid walnut dining table (shown) was made for a couple that fell in love with Grace’s desk. The table was designed specifically to their preferences and plate sizes. Sevak painted the legs white to visually separate the table from the hardwood floors in the house.

A combination of Alumilex and Marvin windows dot the exterior of a pitched-roof house in North Hatley, Quebec, designed by Lee and Macgillivray Architecture Studio (LAMAS). - North Hatley, Quebec Dwell Magazine : July / August 2017

Cubic bookshelves do double duty as a dividing wall and as a sliding door opening up to a hidden bath.

An updated bathroom features a mix of tiles: Carrara marble tiles on the floor, green subway tiles from Heath Ceramics on the inner shower walls, and white subway tiles from Daltile on the exterior walls. The fixtures are from Grohe.

The Hospital Can Misses in Ibiza, Spain. Photo courtesy of Luis Vidal + Architects.

The apartment's built-in closets are deep and have mirrors on one side. Spotlights set flush overhead provide light and also allow the maximum amount of storage, all the way to the ceiling. For more of Schönning's dark, cozy-meets-modern interiors, visit his website. Photo by Per Magnus Persson.

The flat roof of the Nakhshabs’ energy-efficient home is topped with photo-voltaic panels. It is the first single-family LEED Gold–certified residence in San Diego.

Another stunning design.

Another view of the interior.