Architects: Kirsten Murray, Tom Kundig

Two Black Sheds incorporates all the conventional aspects of a weekend retreat in a rather unconventional way.

A Simple Plan A Marmol Radziner–designed prefab house, trucked onto a remote Northern California site, takes the pain out of the construction process.

This 3,200-square-foot structure was assembled with a prefabricated foundation, concrete panel siding, and efficient built-ins, minimizing construction debris and toxins—such as concrete foundation tar—on the site.

This dwelling joins a number of structures—such as a boathouse and guesthouse—owned by one family and used for vacations. They needed a new house to accommodate new generations at the reatreat.

This steel-and-glass house, set amid dense forest south of Ithaca, New York, captivated Maria Cook and Lance Compa when they first toured it in 2004. They bought it not long afterward and turned it into a weekend retreat.

Deep eaves prevent the entrance from being buried in snow. The clients can see directly into the valley and mountains below.

Taking inspiration from Arlberg Valley, Austria to classic Nordic materials, the Troll Hus certainly adds a European touch to the California landscape. “The inspiring concept is that of a treehouse that, as if suspended between treetops, seamlessly and ingeniously blends with its surroundings.” Casper says.

One of the main goals of the construction was to do as little harm as possible to the existing environment, which includes waterways that salmon depend upon. Herrin and his team created a garden roof that covers the full extent of the home to meet this objective. “This helps control storm water runoff and also replaces lost insect habitat—insects being a critical food source for juvenile salmon,” he says.

Wood from the property’s felled trees was incorporated into every room in the 3,000-square-foot house.

Located in California’s Sugar Bowl neighborhood, this shadowy lair by Mork-Ulnes Architects looks like something out of fairy tale. "We call the house Troll Hus, with a reference to the otherworldly beings in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore that are said to dwell in remote mountains," architect Casper Mork-Ulnes says.

Erin Moore of FLOAT Architectural Research and Design, based in Tucson, Arizona, designed a 70-square-foot writer’s retreat in Wren, Oregon, for her mother, Kathleen Dean Moore, a nature writer and professor of philosophy at nearby Oregon State University. The elder Moore wanted a small studio in which to work and observe the delicate wetland ecosystem on the banks of the Marys River. Enlisting her daughter’s design expertise, her professor husband’s carpentry savoir faire, the aid of friends, and a front loader, Kathleen and her crew erected the structure in September 2007. Photo by Gary Tarleton. Totally off the grid—–Kathleen forgoes the computer and writes by hand when there—–the Watershed was designed to tread as lightly on the fragile ecosystem as the wild turkeys and Western pond turtles that live nearby. “

The material was gathered from soil with high sand content on the property as well as a second site in the vicinity. Certain volumes of the home consist of a concrete structure and brick masonry.

The facade consists of exposed concrete, Galvalume roofing, and cedar or torrefied wood coating. The homes are carefully positioned to keep other structures out of sight.

A MODERN RETREAT IN RHODE ISLAND On a secluded plot of land in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, Brooklyn's Lubrano Ciavarra Architects crafts a modern weekend house designed to frame its landscape.

“From the street, it appears as a rectangular building with sloping shed roofs, but this is actually an illusion,” Hutchison notes. “The floor plan is actually U-shaped, wrapping around an entry courtyard that is contained by the continuous west facade.” A standing seam metal roof by Custom Bilt Metals blends in with the cedar siding.

While it was tempting to embed the cabin into the hillside, Balance Associates sought a smarter solution. By elevating the project on two concrete walls, the clients could avoid a costly foundation, improve their view of the landscape, and stay above the thick winter snowfall.

A sofa from Design Within Reach opposes a Hi Turn chair by Bensen in the living room.

“Consistent with the lakefront cabin charm, the owners liked the idea of accessing much of the house from outdoor porches and walkways,” says architect Ted Flato. Supplies from Dynamic Architectural Windows and Doors bring light in to the home’s covered spaces.

Custom-designed furniture outfits the interior of a bunker-turned-vacation retreat in the Netherlands.

Two linked 1,000-square-foot pavilions are greater than a sum of their parts. The simply detailed, taut, flat-roofed home’s two wings form a T-shape. One wing runs north to south, parallel to a pool, and contains the open-plan living spaces. Photo by Matthew Millman.

The home’s metal cladding is Pac-Clad, a material typically used for roofs.

The architect covered the exterior in Pac-Clad, a metal roofing material, because it's "cost-effective, durable, maintenance-free, and comes in various colors," says Church.

Operable windows on the South- and North-facing facades allow cross ventilation The bedroom is spartan, save for an impressive view of the trees.

Designed by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter, this house is located in the outer region of the Stockholm archipelago. To keep expenses low, the architects opted for a simple gabled design and simple materials—the sheet metal facade and OSB walls within, for instance.

Architect Bruno Despierre built a deck for outdoor activities from pine wood.

San Francisco–based Studio PLOW brought its sleek aesthetic from the big city to the redwood forest, transforming this weekend retreat from dark and dated to bright and modern.

Out of respect for the structure's more traditional neighbors, de Leon painted the exterior of the addition Black Forest Green, a Benjamin Moore hue commonly used on plantation shutters in the South.

The project title “Casa 4.1.4” refers to the four main volumes, one central plaza and four patios. This simple configuration creates distinct, private spaces tied together with open-air common areas.

Low-impact materials were also used for the interior design, which is comprised primarily of concrete, glass, stone, wood, and steel. A palette of mostly light and neutral shades puts the attention on the views.

Loredana Dall’ Amico reads in the living room, where all the seating was designed by her husband. The floating stainless steel unit behind her is also his design and contains a state-of-the-art stereo system.

Charred and clear-stained cypress wrap a weekend retreat designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects in Rogers, Arkansas. The home sits in a dense forest 85 feet above Beaver Lake.

The simple design and remote-yet-close location of Elsewhere Retreat's cabins make it perfect for a weekend getaway.