Another day, another tiny house for us to enjoy. This one is built as a true retreat away from the world, with no running water or electricity. It’s in the middle of a clump of large redwoods, and designed to look as if it was built into the trees (it’s not).

“No water and no lights?” you might think. “Did the owner spend all the money on land and run out?” Rest assured, the owner is a former airline executive, and could probably well afford any number of luxuries. Sometimes a tiny house is beautiful for its on sake.

Images courtesy of Treehugger.

Sometimes a staircase may be necessary to get from floor to floor. And sometimes it can be an architectural marvel. We found a round-up on MSN Real Estate that caught our fancy. Here are two of our favorites. Check out the rest here.

If you have an abundance of books and limited space to store them, why not include them in your stairs?

It can’t be denied that these stairs, seemingly supported by nothing, are chic and modern. Our concern would be safety–how do you prevent falls not only down the stairs but off the stairs?

What are the most interesting stairs you’ve ever seen? Let us know in the comments!

Images courtesy of MSN Real Estate.

A recipient of an “Award of Merit” for Adaptive Reuse in the 2010 AIA New York State Design Awards, this project from James McKinney of Sacco + McKinney Architects was selected as a winner for showcasing adaptive reuse, historic preservation and high performance.

The Mayo Smith, Seelye and Hitchcock Houses at Amherst College are viewed as local historical landmarks overlooking the town common. This project assures their preservation while looking to the future through the use of high performance building envelopes, solar energy for hot water and high efficiency mechanical and electrical systems.

These restored buildings provide attractive living environments with many of the same amenities as the new dorms on campus, including compliance with safety and accessibility standards.

Floor plans include a mix of room types preferred by upper class students, including singles, two-room doubles and suites. Also, common social and study space, music practice rooms, laundries and bathrooms. Existing floor plans were revised to improve space utilization, reclaim under-utilized space and accommodate new egress stairs.

Amherst’s “High-Performance Buildings Guidelines” called for technologically advanced systems and materials. While architecturally preserved on the outside, thermal and air barrier technology was applied at the inner face of the walls and integrated with window replacement to achieve a high performing envelope. Both open- and closed-cell foam products were used in response to differing wall construction in the various buildings. Existing windows were replaced with custom high-efficiency clad units matching existing profiles and sight lines. Marvin’s custom profiles and products, combined with their super energy performance, made them the perfect fit for meeting preservation requirements while addressing future needs.

New mechanical and electrical systems include high efficiency boilers, low flow plumbing fixtures, DDC controls to allow facilities to monitor performance of systems, energy recovery from ventilation air and high efficiency LED lighting. Roof top solar panels provide most of the hot water for showers and laundries and serve as a visible component of the school’s commitment to reducing carbon emission.

Modifications to accomplish modern accessibility were done with minimal impact on the historic nature of the buildings. New accessible walks flow with the site contours and porch decks were raised to eliminate the one-step barriers found at entry doors. Existing doors and entrances were selectively altered to meet width requirements in an architecturally sensitive manner. And historic main stairs were modified to meet current requirements, while maintaining their historic character.

Mayo-Smith, Seelye and Hitchcock Houses are proof that historic buildings can be fully effective in responding to the energy and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Marvin products used in this project included double hung windows, custom configurations and historical replications.

Photography courtesy of James McKinney.

Real People, Real Kitchens: 15 Small Cool Kitchens You Won’t Want to Miss
The Kitchn
Check out The Kitchn’s roundup of little kitchens with big style.

Boulder Tiny House: Colo. Couple Build Simple, Sustainable 125 Square Foot Home
Huffington Post
“Could you live in only 125 square feet? That’s exactly what a Boulder, Colo. couple are doing now that they have completed building their brand new, tiny home from scratch.”

Death to the McMansion
Slate
“Add it all up, and the National Association of Realtors estimates that—today—56 percent of Americans want the attributes of this new American dream in their next housing purchase. Yet only 2 percent of new units being built today fit these attributes. That’s a massive pool of pent-up demand, locked away by federal policy still supporting suburban growth at the expense of all other types of communities. Change the policy—without having to spend a dime—and we’re off to the races with new jobs in construction and infrastructure, plus homes and communities that reflect the way we want to live today. And they happen to be good for the planet, reducing energy, water, and waste by at least one-third.”

How To Live Well in 1oo Square Feet
Apartment Therapy
“Recently, at SXSW 2012, we had the pleasure of hearing Jay Shafer of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company extol the virtues of living in a small space. While he admits that living in 100 square feet might not be for everyone, his talk contained plenty of tips that apply to anyone looking to live efficiently.”

If you enjoy the outdoors and communing with nature, and if you’ve ever desired to expand your outside bathroom repotoire beyond camping trips, this might be just the toilet for you!

Architect Sou Fujimoto created this glass toilet stall to take advantage of the beautiful rural landscape in Ichihara City. For use only by women, the toilet stall is, well, interesting to say the least.

What do you think: Interesting architecture or wacky use of space?

Image courtesy of CNet

The Manor Garden, a newly constructed, multi-family residential building designed by Anthony Vandermark Jr. and Frank Minervini of Minervini Vandermark Architecture, successfully blends modern building methods and materials into its neighborhood’s historical context. For many years, the standard for new buildings in and around Hoboken, with few exceptions, had been very poor.

The Manor Garden helped demonstrate new thinking with its honest, straightforward design and construction. Many solid elements (brick, cast stone and metal) were largely predetermined, but the plan called for maximum glazing in an effort to help nature penetrate further into the deep narrow floor plan. Finding the right balance was necessary, adhering to strict city ordinances regarding clear ratios of glass to masonry, etc.

Marvin Windows and Doors were key in maximizing the amount of glazing with consideration for noise minimization on a busy, urban street. And since heat gain and loss were also concerns, Marvin’s range of products proved to be the clear winner. Marvin products used included casement windows.

Since completion, The Manor Garden has become a neighborhood standout and set a shining example for nearby infill projects to come.

Photography courtesy of Frank Minervini.

Sometimes everything seems to be upside down — including houses! This kooky house is the brainchild of Alexander Yee, who designed this Malaysian house (called Rumah Terbalik) to mimic the neihborhood it is in. The only difference is that everyhting is upside down. The sofa is on the celing. The car in the carport is bolted to the roof.

It might be dizziness-inducing, but this house literally turns everything on its head!

Excellence in design and energy efficiency has long been the M.O. for architects based in the Pacific Northwest. Year after year, the region produces some of the  most innovative homes which feature sustainable materials and generous use of natural elements.

For that very reason, we sent some questions along to Eric Drivdahl, a Seattle-based architect who specializes in custom residential design, historic buildings and religious facilities. Drivdahl is a senior project manager for Gelotte Hommas Architecture.

What’s your favorite design trend right now? 
While the work in our office has historically been very diverse in style, I am seeing a larger trend in both the production and semi-custom markets towards a greater diversity in style. Here in the Pacific Northwest, craftsman style spec homes have been extremely popular. However, that seems to be changing.

I’ve seen several projects in the last 24 months locally that have branched out and have included other traditional and contemporary styles such as traditional farm house, Santa Barbara/Mediterranean, English Tudor and other historical reinterpretations as well as what we affectionately refer to here in Seattle as Northwest Contemporary. Consumers are seeking out great design in the things they buy, and I’ve observed this trend is impacting housing as well.

The floor plan for modern homes continues to open up each year and designated rooms are going the way of the dinosaur. As an architect, how do you feel about creating more livable homes with multifunctional spaces? Do you miss designated rooms? 
I think designing in flexibility to a home is essential. A home generally far outlasts the initial family it is built for. Some homes live on long beyond the third, fourth or fifth family that occupies the brick and mortar structure. It’s interesting that, historically, designated rooms were really the result of the common person trying to imitate the elite. Drawing rooms, libraries, studies…all were initially developed for the well-to-do aristocracy in Europe. When we started building homes for the middle class in America, we somehow thought adding these rooms would elevate the status of the common man…and perhaps it did in the eyes of the world. Winston Churchill even said, “We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.” However, the reality of the family today is that we rarely have the leisure time to ‘draw away’ to the drawing room for a good long sit or to spend our time studying linguistics in the study.

Modern families live busy lives of activity and generally want the most out of their time. Therefore, it makes sense that the ‘great room’ with the kitchen/living/dining/study all combined has caught on as a most popular design feature. All of these activities can happen at once and there is a sense of togetherness a family can share as well, even if the individual members of the family are engaged in the separate activities of cooking, resting or working on projects from work or school.

When budget and space allow, there are still good reasons to have designated spaces to keep either messy or intrusive activities from impinging on a family’s ability to enjoy the shared space. Exercise rooms, laundry rooms, and the like come to mind. However, when designing a new project, architects and builders should view even those spaces with an eye toward flexibility. Could the exercise room function as a guest room? Could the laundry be used as an art studio? While a client may not explicitly ask for this level of future flexibility, the one thing we ought to remember is what we design and build will eventually outlast the initial use for which it was designed.

A section of the Gelotte Hommas website explains the six components of quality design, including beauty, form, light, materials and rhythm. Perhaps this is like picking favorite child, but what do you see as the single most important component? Why? 
Truly magnificent design and architecture indeed incorporates all of these components. Can you imagine the Pantheon without its oculus casting radiant light into its perfectly proportioned floor plan? Or Fallingwater without its dramatic cantilevered materials cascading down the slope in delightful rhythm? If a client held a gun to my head and demanded to know which was most important, I suppose my architectural career would necessarily come to a speedy end. “Go ahead and shoot me…I just can’t decide…”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview originally appeared on the Builder Blog from Integrity Windows and Doors.

Jeff Murphy of Murphy & Co. Design meticulously restored a Minnesota barn for comfortable functionality. Inspired by an enthusiasm for historic outbuildings and barns found in mountain regions in the U.S. and Europe, converting this rustic barn into a masculine enclave seemed like the perfect fit. The design called for a classic study and hunting shop that appealed to the homeowner’s love for history as well as the outdoors.

A rusted steel roof over a reclaimed and battered stone exterior gives way to an inviting interior comprised of reclaimed barn boards and timbers with large pieces of Loon Lake flagstone for flooring. A desk alcove in the study is surrounded by large double hung windows and warmed by a large stone fireplace.

The hunting shop includes a track-mounted ceiling hoist for raising deer out of the back of a pickup, an ammo loading workbench, washer and dryer for hunting clothes and a modern-day outhouse.

Marvin wood windows (including double hungs and awning windows) were an easy choice because of the availability of fir to help maintain the authenticity of the exterior. This, along with the sash detailing and the ability to customize without complications, made Marvin the perfect fit for the project.

Images courtesy of Susan Gilmore.

Jim & Theresa’s House on the Venice Canal
Apartment Therapy
“The moment I spotted Jim and Theresa’s home on CA Home + Design online I knew it was unique. To my happy surprise their interior designer Erinn Valencich of Erinn V. Design Group happened to be a recent acquaintance of mine. Welcome to a lovely family home that sits right on the water of the Venice canals.”

Homes with Incredible Backyards
Forbes
Check out this roundup beautiful luxurious yards that Forbes put together.

Designers’ Homes on the Market
Architectural Digest
“To coincide with the April designers’ own homes issue, AD presents a portfolio of seven extraordinary estates for sale, all of which were conceived–and inhabited by–prominent architects and decorators.”

Builders’ Special
Dwell
“A resourceful sound mixer sources some local design talent, rolls up his sleeves, and builds small, green, and affordable in Bozeman, Montana.”