There's something different, or should be, about a house designed from the ground up as an escape from the routine and complexity of everyday life. Read more
Located on 27 acres in the mountains of Upper Tract, W.V. (about 160 miles from Washington, D.C.), the 196-square-foot retreat is the work of Jeffery Broadhurst, AIA, who wanted a simple weekend retreat for himself, his wife, and their daughter. Read more
A free-flowing bedroom—with floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the Baltic Sea—segues directly into the bathing and living areas. “Bedroom and bath are one,” Helineva says of the open layout. Read more
The clients for this seaside vacation home in Kirkkonummi, Finland, wanted a kitchen that was practical, elegant, and out of the way. But they didn't want the room cut off from the amazing views of the site's rocky headland. Read more
Designing a personal dwelling gives architects the rare opportunity to explore their ideas of what a house should be, to experiment with materials, and to test their vision in everyday life. Read more
Eric Cobb's focus is on structure, simplicity, and surprise. His houses respond to the topology of the land while engaging it lightly. They're often thrust over a steep slope or wetland and rotated toward a chosen view—and not always the predictable one. Materials are abstract, durable, readily available, and exposed for what they are. Cobb routinely urges clients to invest more in the bones of the structure and less on extravagant finishes. Read more
Architect and prefab purveyor Geoffrey Warner, AIA, says most of the requests for his modern, modular weeHouses are for use as vacation homes. Read more
After decades of designing retreats in Washington's Methow Valley, Ray and Mary Johnston, FAIA, decided it was time to do a place of their own. Read more
San Francisco architect Nick Noyes, AIA, creats beauty from humble materials. Plywood-lined interior walls take on an abstract, aquatic quality, with ribbons of darker and lighter shades forming mesmerizing patterns throughout the space. Read more
Kuklinski and Rappe Architects: Nu-Wool claims WALLSEAL—an engineered spray-in cellulose insulation made of recycled newsprint—completely fills cavities to eliminate air infiltration. Read more
Evo's Affinity 30G solid ceramic or nickel-coated steel cooking surface has sleek style and versatile capabilities. Read more
Whirlpool has incorporated steam functions into its Duet washer and dryer for added cleaning power using less water and energy. Read more
SkB Architects loved its old offices in downtown Seattle, but the 22-person firm had outgrown the space. So partners Shannon Rankin, Kyle Gaffney, and Brian Collins-Friedrichs went looking for new digs with extreme makeover potential. Read more