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We could get used to working here. Designed by FLOAT architecture, 'Watershed' is a 100 square foot writer's studio that reveals the complex ecology around it. Little tunnels under the structure bring reptiles and amphibians into view through the floor-level window. A water collection basin, doubling as the front step, attracts birds and deer. All of the structure's parts are......read more
When the owner of a Silicon Valley property decided to renovate his family home, he also decided to make good on an idea he and his daughter shared: building treehouses in an oak grove on the edge of the property. While not exactly treehouses per se, these three tea houses nestled among the stands of oak should do the trick. Designed by Swatt Miers Architects, the glass-paneled tea houses......read more
Um, can you say "naptime"? This airy prefab garden shed from Finnish designers Ville Hara and Linda Bergroth of Hel Yes! studio blows away any preconceived notions of what a shed looks like. The combined greenhouse and shed kit, a modular design manufactured by Kekkila Garden, has been customized by Bergroth as her own lakefront summer retreat,......read more
Photographer Christopher Baker traveled to Cordova, Alaska to provide this glimpse of the salmon fishery that drives the local economy. The Copper River ecosystem, "one of the last pure watersheds in North America," is threatened by overfishing, so the state of Alaska and various agencies are working to ensure a sustainable fishery for future generations....read more
Over the last twenty-odd years, a new American food economy has emerged, and if you're reading this, there is a pretty good chance you are a part of it. The food shift is exemplified by the resurgence of farmers' markets and the rise of community-supported agriculture and sustainable farming. To date, however, the so-called "food movement" has yet to enter the fray of politics. That will change......read more
As we've mentioned previously, Seattle firm Olson Kundig Architects does modern retreats as well as anyone. The Pierre, a concrete bungalow in the San Juan Islands, is yet another fine example. Created for a client who expressed her affection for the rocky outcrops on her property, the structure is nestled cozily into said rocks, and in fact takes its name from the French word for......read more
For the best in blazing fall colors and cozy sweater weather, the northern latitudes are where you want to be. Like Chetek, Wisconsin, where photographer Steve Niedorf traveled recently to capture Canoe Bay luxury resort in all its autumnal glory. The shoot covered everything from food (local-centric, with veggies and herbs grown on site) to interiors (Prairie Style). “As you make your way......read more
In the burgeoning field of sustainable architecture, green roofs and living walls are commonplace. But Italian architects Act Romegialli take planted exteriors to a whole new level of awesome by covering an entire building in plantlife. Situated in the Italian Alps, Green Box is a disused garage that the architects repurposed into a gorgeous garden retreat. By building a lightweight steel frame......read more
The IT House is a pre-fab design system developed by LA-based architects Taalman Koch. Delivering optimum control of construction waste, labor, and quality of finished product, the firm has several of its IT Homes built. This particular one is located off-the-grid in Pioneertown, California, near Joshua Tree National Park. Conceived as a small house with glass walls and an open floor plan, the......read more
Off the northwest coast of Scotland sits the Isle of Skye, a craggy, treeless island with a history of habitation stretching to the Stone Age. When local architecture firm Rural Design was approached to build a site-sensitive home on the island, they hesitated to take the contract for fear that the project would disrupt the ancient landscape. Eventually, however, they did, and the result is the......read more
