Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas by E. Fay Jones.

Fay Jones in his office as a young man. Photo courtesy of the Fay Jones Collection, University of Arkansas.

Jones welcomed Frank Lloyd Wright to the Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1958. Photo courtesy of the Fay Jones Collection, University of Arkansas.

The office houses the letter “U" as well as cameras.

This is a sketch of Jone's Richardson House in Photo courtesy of the Fay Jones Collection, University of Arkansas.

E. Fay Jones, Thorncrown Chapel (1980) This is not a still from Game of Thrones, but the story of this unique chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is just as fantastical. Jim Reed hired Frank Lloyd Wright associate E. Fay Jones to build the chapel as a waystation of sorts for visitors on his land, who passed through seeking the magnificent views of the Ozark hills. From the pine cut thin so it could be easily carried inconspicuously through the woods to the constantly shifting shadows created by the grid of cross trusses, Thorncrown is a place, as Jones said, “to think your best thoughts.” Photo courtesy David Holmes, Creative Commons

Cement panels painted a plum hue clad Jason Gordon’s 1,157-square-foot cabin in the Ozark Mountains. Architect German Brun and partner Lizmarie Esparza originally specified wood, but opted for the much less expensive material from James Hardie after contractor Damian Fitzpatrick recommended it. “It was an exercise in cost engineering,” Brun says.

"The overall design is influenced by the use of traditional, locally available, and/or low-maintenance materials such as corrugated metal roofing, cement board lap-siding, heavy timber construction, and indigenous wood species," Brun says.

Jonse's 1966 sketch of the Underwood Building in Fayetteville, Arkansas; his office was located on the top floor. Photo courtesy of the Fay Jones Collection, University of Arkansas.

This home for Sam and Sharon Pallone was one of several Jones designed on the water. It was completed in the late 1970s near Little Rock, Arkansas. Photo courtesy of the Fay Jones Collection, University of Arkansas.

This photo shows Jones and his family lounging on the terrace of their home circa 1956. Photo courtesy of the Fay Jones Collection, University of Arkansas.

This wall shelf, made of powder-coated steel and oak, is available in different sizes and colors, all of which give an almost invisible, shadow-box effect when mounted.

This sketch from 1959 is a perspective of a Fayetteville residence Jones did for William and Marion Orton. Photo courtesy of the Fay Jones Collection, University of Arkansas.

An archival photo shows the interior of the detached studio with drafting tables awash in light through the enormous skylight above.

Built in the early 60s, the separate concrete-and-glass studio echoes the original home.

A stone path leads from the backyard, up the hillside, and arrives at the streetside entryway. The rhythmic pattern of the concrete garage, as well as the pedestrian walkway, are front and center. The privacy of the living and sleeping areas, seen at the left through floor-to-ceiling windows, are shielded from public view by the hill and the stone wall.

The four neutral shades of the tile are also suitable for outdoor applications.

Just as the stairs use movement to change how residents experience the space, the walls also provide a new and subtle awareness: concrete ridges—seen right—cast changing shadows that mark the passage of the sun. Features like these, in the words of Carmona, “manipulate your experience, bring [a] different consciousness,” and elevate your awareness of the space.

The house is built into the hillside but its top floor entrance is level with the street. The stone wall provides privacy while the garage and a pedestrian walkway—seen exact center, by the tree—bridge the gap.

Ample floor-to-ceiling windows mean residents rarely have to turn on lights during the day. The living room flooring, seen here, also features oak but in warmer tones.

Stripping paint to reveal the beautiful riveting and aluminum was one the hardest but most rewarding tasks. To me, revealing the structure and construction honors the original craftsmanship that went into this trailer.

The Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista, Arkansas, is another of Jones' religious buildings. Photo by Russell Cothren.

Vermont slate covers the area around the True North wood stove. Wide-plank Yanachi Carbonized Strand Woven Bamboo covers the floors.

"The shrine room, the temple, is the reason I built the house," Gordon says. "I am not a religious person but hold the views and the practices of the Buddhist tradition in very high regard and have a deep heart connection with my teacher in Arkansas." The room is clad entirely in bamboo and frames a view of the surrounding deciduous forest.

To keep costs down elsewhere (the house was built for just over $118,000), architect Brun and his partner Lizmarie Esparza specified Ikea kitchen cabinets and a black refrigerator, which is less expensive than stainless steel. "It was really important that the kitchen opened up to the outside deck. Its designed in an L-shape with an indoor-outdoor table," Brun says. "The idea is that when you open the door, there's a continuous environment connecting the inside with the outside—it's as open as possible." Gordon purchased the hand-crafted solid teak antique table from Indonesia.

Exterior benches made of local stone establish a relationship between the building and the surrounding landscape, as does the Dark Ironspot Velour Modular Brick from Endicott Clay used on the facade. The design team, led by Deborah Berke, achieved an open, inviting feel through skylights, light monitors, large windows and an interior courtyard.

Designed for an artist and entrepreneur client, this guest house features lots of light, access to the outdoors, and an industrial vibe.

At the base of the first floor landing, black recinto volcanic stones divide the first floor’s informal dining area from the living room. This floor also features a bedroom and kitchen while the floor above holds a master bedroom, master bath, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an entertainment room, and patio. The stairs—which are all-oak—descend to a ground-floor playroom and outdoor deck.

Deborah Berke Partners, in collaboration with executive architect Polk Stanley Wilcox, designed the Bentonville, Arkansas, branch of mini-chain 21c Museum Hotel with a glass facade and 12,000 square feet of public exhibition space. In 2006, Berke was hired by owners Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson to design the first 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky: a series of "five deteriorating 19th century buildings along West Main Street with a design that highlighted the original brick, timber, and cast iron construction."

Since the house is miles away from the electrical grid, it needed to be self sustaining. Solar panels provide power and Brun and Esparza engineered the structure to be green from the get go. "The building is high-performance and energy-efficient because of its insulation," Brun says. "There are operable windows in every single room in the house, which actually reduces electricity use since it cuts down the need for artificial lighting. Once we reduced the electricity need in the house, we then went through the active strategies which are solar panels and the heat exchange system."

104 rooms with six room types are designed by Deborah Berke Partners with a residential feel.

The hotel's arts programming is curated by VP Museum Director Alice Gray Stites in collaboration with the 21c founders, who maintain a permanant collection of over 2,000 works comprising painting, sculpture, installation, photography, film, video, and digital art. Public art is on display at the Bentonville hotel via the in-room Video Art Channel, in elevator lobbies, hallways, and even the restrooms. The area rug in the lobby is from Lepere, Inc.

The Big U is the firm’s ambitious plan to protect Manhattan from a Sandy-like hurricane by ringing the lower half of the island with 10-foot, sculptural berms.