Other than that, for the first time this year, Architect’26 has started a new project, transforming the space in front of the Sky entrance to become the “Gateway of the exposition” where 40 designers collaborated with exhibitors to create 80 Moodboards, presenting them in the form of an Exhibition called “Palette of Materials Pavilion”.

These dedicated zones reveal the expansive potential of design made possible through collaborative processes that weave together the technical know-how of material manufacturers with the realized imagination of architects.

Before construction begins and installations rise within the exhibition halls of Architect’26, we invite readers to explore and reflect on the conceptual framework behind one of the event’s most anticipated highlights: the Thematic Pavilions and Palette of Materials Pavilion

Watsadu niyom x HAA Studio

Watsadu niyom x HAA Studio take on the challenge of preserving the original condition of every material component that forms their pavilion, specifically APC (Aluminium Plastic Composite) and WPC (Wood Plastic Composite), both recyclable materials. The design ensures that these materials remain intact and can be reclaimed for further use once the event concludes. Their architectural language emerges directly from the realities of the materials themselves, shaped by structural thinking and guided by an ethical approach to material use.

Temporality need not equate to wastefulness. The pavilion thus becomes a point of recognition, both as a spatial presence and as a statement of systemic responsibility toward materials. Its form draws inspiration from the fluid movement of the aurora across the night sky, reflecting the brand, Watsadu Niyom’s ongoing journey of transformation. Familiar materials such as wood-plastic composite louvers are reinterpreted through artistic expression and spatial composition, opening new perspectives on the material itself. The pavilion communicates through an environmental aesthetic shaped by ecological awareness across the material’s entire life cycle.

Vanachai x Studio Tofu

Vanachai x Studio Tofu present ‘Ngon Pavilion,’ a project that features Woodsmith, a wood product brand under the Vanachai Group, positioned as both a companion to homeowners and an environmentally responsible choice. The pavilion transforms these materials into an installation composed in a form deeply familiar to Thai spatial behavior at ground level, whether sitting, reclining, or resting. The floor plane, serving as the primary element of the pavilion, gradually lifts and curves upward, evolving into a curved amphitheater that extends from floor to wall. This gesture allows users to inhabit and engage with the surface freely and in close proximity.

The installation process was executed from the outset with precise calculations to minimize material waste. Should any offcuts remain from production, Vanachai has established a system to channel these remnants to a biomass power plant, where they are converted into energy. The project, therefore, reflects a material-conscious approach throughout the entire process, ensuring that each component is utilized efficiently and to its fullest potential.

TODA x Supermachine Studio

The design concept begins with the statement, ‘Artificiality in the New Reality,’ reflecting a world in which the boundary between nature and the man-made is increasingly blurred. This aligns with TODA’s ongoing work in developing alternative materials for the future, including artificial leather, flooring materials, and interior films; products that have seamlessly integrated into the environments we inhabit daily in the contemporary world.

The design draws upon the atmosphere of science fiction to construct a mechanical life-form vessel enveloped in 860 metal petals. Four natural materials, leather, wood, stone, and sand, serve as representatives of the natural resources from which TODA’s alternative materials originate. These elements act as carriers of a central proposition: that the future demands design and material development oriented toward responsibility, ensuring coexistence with people over the long term.

Panel Plus x ACa Architects

Panel Plus x ACa Architects convey the experience of being immersed in nature, as though surrounded by orderly rows of rubber trees. The design integrates the systematic logic of the architectural grid with the boundless sensation of a forest. The sustainable standard board materials of Panel Plus are transformed into an architectural experience, while simultaneously demonstrating the qualities of Perfect Wood and Perfect Match, whose grain, color, and edges align seamlessly as one continuous surface.

Given the pavilion’s limited footprint, the layout employs diagonal axes and layered spatial configurations to increase both material surface area and functional use. This approach unlocks the potential of wood board products, revealing them as a generative starting point for broader creative possibilities. Wood-grain textures and color variations are juxtaposed with mirrored aluminum panels to create reflections and spatial depth, while lighting design further accentuates the material’s details through the viewer’s own sensory perception.

Häfele x Jenchieh Hung + Kulthida Songkittipakdee / HAS design and research

Häfele x Jenchieh Hung + Kulthida Songkittipakdee / HAS design and research present the ASA Megä Hill pavilion, brought to life through an interpretation of the Architect Expo as a site for professional gathering and exchange within the architectural community. The mountain-like form connects ideas, people, and activities, functioning simultaneously as structure and circulation. It becomes a constructed landscape that visitors can traverse, interact with, and explore, engaging naturally with Häfele’s components and solutions.

The pavilion’s design and installation process prioritize resource efficiency and the reduction of post-exhibition waste. Eco-friendly materials are employed to achieve complex architectural forms while reducing the load on the primary structure. The pavilion is designed for disassembly and future reassembly, enabling reuse beyond the event. In this way, the project aligns creative production with the brand’s broader direction toward sustainable building solutions for the future.

SCG x SaTa Na

SCG x SaTa Na present The Delta Stack Pavilion, developed from an interpretation of the brief, ‘Beyond Materials, Into Life.’ The design begins with the material as the central protagonist. Conceived as a cave-like space, the pavilion invites visitors to inhabit and engage with materials through their own bodily gestures, allowing contact through multiple senses. Understanding of the material is further structured through a layered triangular system formed by the placement of primary materials at a 45-degree angle, combined with DECAAR panels installed at 90 degrees to generate rhythm, structure, and spatial depth.

The pavilion demonstrates that material itself reveals processes of thought, structural strength, and architectural potential, while remaining a tactile surface within close reach of the body. When material is touched, understood, and assembled, the architectural space becomes a space for people; one that can be actively inhabited and animated from within.

SMARTMATT INTO SPEC x Context Studio

SMARTMATT INTO SPEC x Context Studio presents ‘Pransathan,’ a space dedicated to cultivating mindfulness amid the rapid pace of the contemporary world and the surrounding flux of circumstances. The act of meditative breathing is translated into the compression and expansion of interior space, organized into three primary zones: a tunnel for gathering awareness, a space for recognizing one’s present state and surrounding environment, and a central chamber where concentration culminates in heightened mindfulness.

SMARTMATT’s SPC synthetic wood material is composed with careful precision, measured intervals, and voids that form fluid, rounded geometries. These spatial gestures generate atmosphere and shared sensory experience for visitors moving through Pransathan. The material system and structural components are designed for disassembly and reconfiguration, allowing the form to be adapted to varying activities, scales, and sites. In this way, the pavilion conveys its conceptual narrative fully through form and design process.

aluframe x Unknown Surface Studio

aluframe begins its design concept within the aluframe factory itself, drawing from the image of long aluminum profiles stacked in orderly layers on industrial racks. This image prompts a reflection on the intrinsic value of material and the need to cultivate awareness of material through the pavilion as a system of resource circulation. The material stock is thus unfolded into a public space where visitors can directly experience and perceive the potential of aluminum from a new perspective.

A triangular structure unfolds in a fan-like formation, generating multiple overlapping layers reminiscent of materials drawn from storage racks and transformed into architectural space. The voids between layers filter light and create rhythms of light and shadow shaped by the constant movement of people. Surface articulation is achieved by arranging aluminum cross-sections into patterned compositions, animating the industrial material. This strategy is integrated with aluframe’s aluminum sliding system, seamlessly connecting spatial design with engineering systems.

Palette of Materials Pavilion

Another key highlight is the Palette of Materials Pavilion, a collaboration between the organizer and Looklen Architects, created as an inspiring space that showcases the ideas and creative visions of 40 designers through 80 meticulously crafted mood boards composed from 800 different materials. The pavilion allows visitors to experience the emotions, design direction, and material-blending possibilities that shape contemporary architectural expression, offering a fresh and immersive way to engage with the Architect Expo. The Palette of Materials Pavilion serves as a landmark of materials, reorienting visitors and connecting them to the innovation and design at the heart of the expo.

This pavilion features a striking design built on a sustainable concept: reusing the Aluminum structures from S-one Group, which were previously featured in last year’s Architect Expo.

Beyond the main structure, several partners provided materials and equipment to enhance the visitor experience:

● LUMICÈLE™ by CPH: Smart ceiling and lighting systems.
● UNILAMP: ALPHA spotlights.
● TODA: Smart Flex Mirror panels.
● DEFG: A 3 x 2.5 meter LED screen.
● Zonic Vision: Audio and control systems.
● IS DELIGHT: Surrounding landscape design.
● Panel Plus: MDF wood bases for the mood boards.
● Pioneer: Furniture.
● Mahajak: Sound Systems
● Bua: Outdoor Furniture

Together, these elements complete the atmosphere and create a seamless experience for everyone who enters the space.

All eight Thematic Pavilion and Palette of Materials Pavilion can be experienced at Architect’26, taking place from April 28 to May 3, 2026, between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM, at Challenger Hall, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani. Advance registration is now open — click here to register.

For further updates and detailed information, please visit www.ArchitectExpo.com or follow the official channels on Facebook at งานสถาปนิก : ASA Architect Expo and Instagram at ASA Architect Expo 2026.

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Great design only becomes iconic design when it captures the imagination of a historical moment while also pointing beyond it. That might sound lofty, but how else could one describe the Barcelona Chair? Or, for that matter, how else can one describe Flexform’s transformative Groundpiece seating system, which in 2026 is celebrating its 25th birthday?

Groundpiece by Flexform | Photo by Gabriele Basilico

When it was introduced in 2001, Groundpiece redefined what a sofa could be. It didn’t do so in a loud way, but with a modular concept and subtle changes in proportion and scale that anticipated the needs of the 21st century.

“Aware that changes in lifestyle spark new behaviors and needs, Groundpiece introduced a new dimension to the way the sofa is used, investing it with new functions. On today’s sofas, people rest, watch TV, read, and often work and even have dinner,” outlines Saul Galimberti, Design Center Director at Flexform. Groundpiece addresses these needs in three key ways: it uses generous proportions that invite relaxed, informal lounging; it incorporates practical features like shelves, storage and surfaces that support everyday living; and it offers a highly modular system that easily adapts to different spaces and needs.

Today, these features can be found to some extent in a number of different seating systems. But this wasn’t the case when Flexform was introduced. “From the very first glance, the Groundpiece sofa transcended the moment for which it was created,” explains Galimberti. “It has witnessed shifting habits and changing lifestyles. It watched the kitchen transform — from a once-isolated room to the star player in a new blended living space — becoming, like our modernity, an elegant hybrid. It remained still, but never static. It absorbed every evolution, becoming living proof that true design has no fear of time — it moves with it.”

Groundpiece by Flexform

Groundpiece’s silhouette is defined by low, inviting shapes and generous cushions, which can be ordered in either premium goose-down or durable dacron. It manages to be both elegant and comfortable, transforming chic spaces into authentic homes while complementing the surrounding architecture. The informality of the silhouette in no way compromises its aesthetic unity.

Groundpiece can be specified in a number of different arrangements — or in Flexform’s words, “compositions” — to meet the needs of specific spaces. In some formulations that remove the back cushions, it really isn’t a sofa at all, but more of a chaise, daybed or bench. To put it another way, Groundpiece isn’t a sofa, but a modular system. This means that it can be anything you need it to be.

Upholstery is removable in both fabric and leather versions (a must for coffee drinkers). There are five different types of upholstery — linen, cotton, cashmere and leather — and each is available in several colors. While Groundpiece sofas are best known in muted colors, the Ernest fabric can be ordered in bright orange and green. In the right space — say a midcentury California bungalow – these options would really shine.

Groundpiece by Flexform

The most iconic element of the Groundpiece seating system, however, is the armrest. Well, armrest is really not the right word for these low metal storage elements covered in cowhide that can be inserted in different parts of the structures. In 2001, this simple modular element elevated Flexform from a great sofa into something iconic.

Groundpiece was the creation of architect Antonio Citterio. He recalls that, when he first conceived of the piece, he was not sure it would catch on: “When we designed it, in 2001, it felt like an idea rich in substance but with little chance of success. Too simple, too direct, non-traditional. It wasn’t even clear whether it was a sofa or not. And yet we found the experiment compelling — this encounter between art and a cushion — something extraordinary, almost paradoxical. So, we went ahead with it.”

Preliminary sketches for Groundpiece by Antonio Citterio

Preliminary sketches for Groundpiece by Antonio Citterio

Groundpiece’s legendary armrest was conceived as a tribute to Donald Judd, the most influential and austere American designer of the 20th century. Judd, an artist and art critic by training, designed furniture by searching rigorously for the essence of the object. In Judd’s formula, “a work of art exists as itself; a chair exists as a chair itself.”

Like Judd, Citterio took his cues from the materials he was working with: “In the case of Groundpiece, the leather allowed us to translate proportions and asymmetries — borrowed from art — into a domestic object. That’s the essence of creativity: a chain of references, emotions and perceptions filtered through our own sensibilities.”

At 25, Groundpiece has earned its spot in the annals of design history. But it’s no museum object. It belongs in contemporary homes — in your home.

Truly, there is no other sofa on the market that reflects the needs of our time — the way we live and work in our domestic spaces — more effortlessly than Groundpiece. It is, to paraphrase Judd, simply itself.

Designers looking furnish with Flexform’s modular icon can read more about the sectional sofa, Groundpiece, here.

Cover Image: Groundpiece by Flexform, photo by Maria Vittoria Backhaus

The post Flexform Groundpiece at 25: Portrait of an Icon appeared first on Journal.

Split Cabin by Washington-based studio Syndicate Smith offers a definitive answer. Located in the forested foothills of Lake Wenatchee, this 1,289-square-foot getaway rethinks the mountain retreat as a tool for immersion rather than escape. Its rich use of materials and stunning connection with the surrounding landscape captured the imagination of jurors in the 2025 Best of LaCantina competition, netting it the coveted Best in Show Award.

Photo by Will Austin

Split Cabin is split into two compact wings — one for living, one for sleeping — joined not by an interior corridor but by a covered outdoor breezeway that invites occupants to interact with the elements daily. “With its unpretentious charm,” the architects explain, “this cabin stands as a modest starting point, enabling residents to venture into the wilderness and return to a serene, unassuming space for relaxation and gatherings with family and friends.”

This sense of modesty is a guiding principle throughout the design. From the material palette to the massing, every decision supports a quiet clarity. Privacy is maintained through solid wall planes that shield views from neighboring lots, while the dwelling is oriented to capture panoramic vistas of the forest and distant ridgeline.

Photo by Will Austin

Passive strategies are built into the form — roof overhangs mitigate summer sun, while the split plan promotes cross ventilation. Yet the small footprint never feels enclosed, thanks in large part to the use of LaCantina’s aluminum wood sliding door systems, which form the project’s most transformative architectural element.

“We chose LaCantina Doors because their slim profiles maximize panoramic views while maintaining the cabin’s minimalist aesthetic,” said the design team. Installed along the main living volume, the doors open fully to the covered patio, enabling the breezeway to function as a true extension of the home. The gesture expands the living space without adding square footage, allowing natural light, air and movement to define the interior experience.

Photo by Will Austin

Equally important was performance. In a high-altitude, year-round climate, the team needed systems that would support comfort and durability without compromising the visual language of the project.

“They provide the energy efficiency needed for year-round comfort in a mountain climate,” the architects noted, adding that “durable hardware and multi-point locking ensure reliability in a simple, low-maintenance retreat.” The selected systems feature black aluminum exteriors for resilience and vertical grain fir interiors to harmonize with the project’s warm, wood-toned palette.

Photo by Will Austin

What makes Split Cabin exceptional is that, through simple design choices, every element has been calibrated to serve both function and feeling. “LaCantina’s consistent design language across door systems supported the clean, understated character of the project,” the architects emphasized, reinforcing the importance of cohesion in a design that resists architectural showmanship. By prioritizing formal subtlety and material clarity, Syndicate Smith has created a structure that acts less like an object and more like a lens on the landscape.

Photo by Will Austin

For architects working at the intersection of environment, durability, and minimalism, Split Cabin is a valuable case study in how glazing systems can be used not just as a feature, but as the foundation of a design. Its restrained execution and quietly radical spatial logic make it a worthy recipient of the top honor in this year’s Best of LaCantina competition.

To see more award-winning designs and explore the systems that helped bring them to life, visit LaCantinaDoors.com.

The post The World’s Most Beautiful Basecamp: Split Cabin Wins LaCantina’s “Best in Show” Award appeared first on Journal.

“I grew up in Utah, in the mountains,” says architect Michael Upwall. “I’m a mountain boy … it’s a sacred place for me. If we’re going to go in and move into the wilderness, we want to make sure we create something that is worthy of it, that can be a part of it, not just detract from it. So what we do is try to be of the mountains, to be of the land, and make that our priority.”

Architecture That Serves the Landscape

Pinnacle Sky rises from the Utah hillside like a geological formation — faceted, dynamic, and deeply attuned to its alpine surroundings. Rather than dominating the terrain, the house threads through it, folding into the slope with crisp geometries that mirror the surrounding ridge lines. “This home is situated in a development called Promontory, which … sits back and looks up at the ski mountain,” Upwall explains. “So that’s your view. Instead of being part of it and in it, you get … the panoramic experience of the mountain.”

The design began with a simple walk through the trees. “We met [the clients] on the lot and walked the property with them … and we just kind of wandered on the lot until we found a spot that felt magical to them,” he recalls. “What’s your favorite spot here? … What’s your favorite view? … We literally built the home around those ideas.”

The house orients itself around an open-air living space — a protected courtyard that blurs the boundary between interior and exterior. “The home is really designed around the outdoor living room,” Upwall says. “That is a room that’s wrapped by floor-to-ceiling doors that open up and disappear. We are blurring that line between inside and outside space. … Even if you’re inside, you’re connected to [the surrounding landscape].”

“As you view the home from the exterior, it’s very sculptural,” says Upwall. “It was inspired by origami — the act of origami, where that single plane of material, if you treat it the right way, can become an object. I see the home as a bird in flight, connecting with the wilderness. It’s not a static place … It’s living with the place.”

The Art of the Frame

For Upwall, framing the view was both a technical and poetic act. “The whole modern philosophy is to get out of the way of the view, to get out of the way of yourself, and to respond to what the sense of place is,” he says. “What is the landscape, what is the land — to be a part of that, the best way to do that.”

Achieving this demanded a blend of creativity, customization and collaboration — which is where Marvin came in. “We found the Marvin Modern collection to be so accommodating to our design intent,” says Upwall. “For so long, I was working with window companies, and they would tell me what my windows had to look like … and it drove me crazy. I don’t want a window company to design my home for me; I want one that can be flexible enough and to have a product that can respond — to have them always ask:  ‘How do we get to yes?’ instead of starting at no … that collaboration and that connection is key. I found that Marvin Modern really hit those marks for me.”

The result is undeniably breathtaking — huge expanses of glass envelop the living spaces, uninterrupted by heavy structure. “The window panes are extremely large, while the mullions are very small,” says Upwall. “They met that need — I was immediately connected, in my soul, to the mountains.  It’s a consistent language that’s framing the view, and it’s not cluttered … even though they’re beautiful windows, I’m not looking at the windows. I’m looking through the eyes of the house.”

The material composition of the windows was equally integral. “It’s an authentic frame,” says Upwall. “The materials help with the construction of the thermal bridge. The building has to have a skin  where, on one side, it is freezing cold … but on the inside, it’s always comfortable.  To be able to bridge those two extremes [is critical].  The technical qualities of the window meet that mark as well.”

Quiet Modernism

The stairway, enclosed in glass, becomes a spatial centerpiece. “I thought the windows could act as a jewel box to frame these stairs and present them to visitors,” says Upwall. “When you arrive, you see the stairs right away. The mullions of the windows create rhythm like a musical staff, as if you are moving through the music. It gives you context to help celebrate … the act of movement. You’re involved in the dance.”

Upwall’s collaboration with Marvin extended beyond windows to include expansive multi-slide doors that erase boundaries entirely — and can be opened effortlessly. “The doors slide easily,” he says. “Instead of doing all of the gymnastics to get ready to open the door … it’s a single movement and a slide. That elegance was very important to me. I have my cup of coffee and I’m walking, and oh, suddenly I’m outside. I didn’t really have to think about that transition … that’s the idea.”

For Upwall, the design philosophy is as much about restraint as innovation. “I believe that Marvin Modern … adhere[s] to the modern philosophy of design,” he says. “It’s the simplicity of it. It’s not about the busy-ness, the bells and whistles. It’s about the silence. That’s really what we want, so we can hear the music.”

A Beacon of Light

As day turns to dusk, the house seems to glow from within — its glass stair tower transforming into a beacon. “At night,  it’s a beautiful lantern,” says Upwall. “It gives you that ‘welcome home’ experience. … I just love the way that the sculpture evolves and [provides] that sense of arrival as a human.”

In Pinnacle Sky, every gesture — from the folded limestone planes to the thin-framed windows that dissolve into the horizon — is an act of deference to the mountain itself. “We can’t compete with it,” Upwall says simply. “All we can do is acknowledge it and be of the mountains, to be of the land.”

For architects designing homes that embrace the landscape through precision glazing and performance, explore Marvin’s architectural solutions at Marvin.com.

All images courtesy of Marvin.

The post “Pinnacle Sky” Reimagines Mountain Modern Architecture in the Utah Wilderness appeared first on Journal.

This season brought forward a new wave of visionary residential and commercial projects — each demonstrating how well-designed door and window systems can redefine the relationship between architecture and the surrounding environment. From cliffside hideaways to vineyard tasting rooms, the 2025 winners showcase how LaCantina’s systems enhance the livability of every space they frame.

Topping this year’s list is Split Cabin by Syndicate Smith, winner of the prestigious Best in Show award. Tucked in the woods of Lake Wenatchee, Washington, this modest yet masterfully composed retreat uses LaCantina sliding doors to create a fully immersive mountain basecamp — one that’s as refined in its details as it is connected to its surroundings. As part of their prize, Syndicate Smith will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2026 AIA Conference in San Diego and will be featured in a live Architizer panel later this year.

Scroll on to explore the full list of winners from the 2025 Best of LaCantina competition, each offering a compelling case study in how great design can open up entirely new ways of living.

Best in Show: Split Cabin by Syndicate Smith, Lake Wenatchee, Washington Contractor: Carlisle Classic Homes; Structural Engineer: BTL Engineering

Photo by Will Austin

Photo by Will Austin

Photo by Will Austin

Set deep in the woods of Lake Wenatchee, Split Cabin by Syndicate Smith is a minimalist weekend retreat designed for outdoor enthusiasts. Organized into two compact volumes — one for sleeping, one for living — and joined by a covered outdoor patio, the cabin encourages engagement with its surroundings while providing a quiet refuge year-round.

Central to the cabin’s design are LaCantina’s aluminum wood sliding doors, which open the interiors to panoramic forest views and flood the living spaces with natural light. “We chose LaCantina Doors because their slim profiles maximize panoramic views while maintaining the cabin’s minimalist aesthetic,” says the firm. “Their smooth-operating systems create seamless indoor-outdoor flow,” allowing the patio to function as an extension of the home.

LaCantina’s performance also supported the project’s high-altitude context. “They provide the energy efficiency needed for year-round comfort in a mountain climate,” notes the team, while durable hardware ensures low-maintenance use. The consistent design language across LaCantina’s products helped preserve the “clean, understated character” that defines this modest but immersive basecamp.

Most Innovative Project: Bicycle Haüs by Debartolo Architects, Scottsdale, Arizona

Photo by Bill Timmerman

Photo by Bill Timmerman

Set along a prominent Scottsdale corridor, Bicycle Haüs by debartolo architects is a 5,000-square-foot retail hub that merges sleek modernity with rustic heritage. Clad in weathering metal and reclaimed barn wood, the store reflects both the precision of cycling and the personal roots of its owners, creating a sustainable and daylight-filled space that welcomes the local riding community.

To support the shop’s hybrid function, a LaCantina aluminum folding door was integrated into the exterior walk-up window. “We chose LaCantina for its functionality and design,” notes the firm. A custom steel plate sill doubles as a countertop, enabling a clean, trackless detail that supports seamless indoor-outdoor interaction.

The door system enhances the building’s role as both retail space and social anchor. “This new building represents who we are,” says co-owner Kale Keltz, highlighting the blend of performance, identity, and architectural craft that defines the project.

Best Urban Residential Project: Amber by YAMA ARCHITECTURE, San Francisco, California
Collaborator: Ana Arcelus Arrillaga

Photo by Bruce Damonte

Photo by Bruce Damonte

In San Francisco’s Diamond Heights, Amber by YAMA Architecture transforms a classic 1961 U-1 Eichler home into a modern, light-filled residence while honoring its mid-century roots. The renovation updates materials and layout while maintaining original lines, with Azek® siding applied in a contemporary rainscreen detail and interior spaces opened up to enhance flow.

At the heart of the design is a LaCantina aluminum folding door system that connects the kitchen to the adjacent courtyard. “The LaCantina product created a perfect solution for indoor-outdoor seamless flow,” explains the firm, adding that the integrated “daily door” offers everyday convenience. They praised the system’s “smooth action, architectural sight lines,” and standout pleated accordion screen, which “doesn’t snap back like most retractable screens,” blending functionality with a clean, refined aesthetic.

Best Rural Residential Project: Casa Las Tortugas by IM-KM Architecture and Planning, Pedasi, Los Santos
Collaborators: Kristin Morales; Marybeth Burton

Photo by Fernando Alda / Ivan Morales

Photo by Fernando Alda / Ivan Morales

Set atop a forested cliffside overlooking the Panamanian Pacific, Casa Las Tortugas is a breezy coastal retreat shaped by climate and topography. Organized around a central courtyard and vaulted arcade, the home embraces open-air living, with shaded terraces, natural ventilation and elevated suites framing panoramic views across the ocean and mangroves.

To achieve this fluid indoor-outdoor connection, the architects integrated LaCantina folding, sliding and swinging doors throughout the home. Chosen by IM-KM for their minimal design profile and ease of use, these systems helped address the project’s core goals: “to blur the boundary between interior and exterior spaces, offer seamless airflow and provide panoramic views of the ocean around the house.”

Best Suburban Residential Project: Searidge by Laura Brophy Interiors, Laguna Niguel, California
Collaborators: Elevated Building Group; Spectrum Architecture

Photo by Hugo Landa Garcia

Photo by Hugo Landa Garcia

Perched along the Southern California coast, Searidge by Laura Brophy Interiors brings refined materiality and openness together in a modern home that blurs the line between architecture and nature. A material palette of wood, plaster and stone creates a calm, tactile backdrop, while expansive glazed openings draw the landscape into the heart of the home.

To support this vision, the team specified LaCantina’s V2 and Aluminum Thermally Controlled folding doors, which offer expansive glass panels and slim sightlines. “We chose LaCantina doors because they embody the seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living,” says the firm, highlighting the system’s “exceptional functionality” and “clean, modern lines” as key to achieving light and livability in a coastal setting.

Best Commercial Project: Casino Mine Ranch Winery by Don Jacobs Architect, Plymouth, California

Photo by Paul Kozal

Photo by Paul Kozal

Set in California’s Shenandoah Valley, the Casino Mine Ranch Winery by Don Jacobs Architect creates a fluid connection between architecture and landscape. Anchored by a grand oak tree and a four-acre pond, the building uses earth-toned materials and expansive openings to frame views and echo the site’s natural beauty.

A 60-foot-long wall of LaCantina sliding glass doors, paired with clerestory windows, enables natural ventilation and blurs the line between indoors and out. “I wanted a door that could be easily opened and closed by staff but also one that gave maximum views,” explains the architect, who praised LaCantina’s functionality and reliable local service. The result is a welcoming, climate-responsive space that provides a tasting experience that is intimately connected to the surrounding terrain.

Best Renovation Project: Laurel Project by Bianca Ecklund Design, Manhattan Beach, California

Photo Lauren Taylor Photography

Photo Lauren Taylor Photography

Located in Manhattan Beach, California, the Laurel Project by Bianca Ecklund Design is a full-home remodel that reimagines the kitchen and living space for a more open, indoor-outdoor lifestyle. The design emphasizes clarity and continuity, with updated interiors that extend naturally into the backyard for both everyday use and entertaining.

To achieve this connection, the team incorporated a LaCantina pocket door system and a bifold window. “We chose LaCantina for its sleek design and flush sill options,” explains the firm. The doors allow the kitchen and living area to fully open to the exterior, creating a unified space with minimal visual interruption.

Best Compact Project: Ocean Cliff Oasis by CABANA CONCEPTS, Encinitas, California

Photo by Sydney Ellis

Photo by Sydney Ellis

Perched above the Pacific in Encinitas, Ocean Cliff Oasis by CABANA CONCEPTS is a full remodel designed to harness ocean breezes and frame vibrant sunsets. An open-concept layout pairs with panoramic glazing to create a light-filled, coastal sanctuary.

To enhance the home’s connection to its setting, the team installed multiple LaCantina V2 folding and swing doors, including wide openings in the kitchen, living room, and courtyard. The architects praised the system’s “seamless integration and minimal panel profiles,” noting it “makes it even easier to enjoy the gorgeous ocean and sunset views with the doors both closed or opened.”

Best Concept: Kennington Residence by [Design Group Name], California

Nestled into a hillside in Glendale, California, Kennington Residence is envisioned as a modern 3,000-square-foot home that blends contemporary design with its sloped, terraced site. Neutral-toned finishes and a striking vertical stairwell connect the multistory layout, culminating in a roof deck with sweeping views of the San Fernando Valley.

To frame these views and promote indoor-outdoor living, the design incorporates LaCantina contemporary clad sliding and folding doors, including a 12-foot-wide opening from the primary suite. The architecture firm noted that “having a BIM library helps clients visualize the final product,” making LaCantina’s systems instrumental in both the design and communication process.

The 2025 winning projects exemplify how LaCantina’s door and window systems can elevate architecture — enhancing not only aesthetics but also functionality, comfort and connection to place. Each design shows how thoughtful openings can invite nature inside and support a lifestyle rooted in light, air and movement.

To dive deeper into the systems and strategies behind these award-winning projects, visit LaCantinaDoors.com and explore more inspiring case studies.

The post Architecture That Opens Up: Presenting the 2025 Best of LaCantina Winners! appeared first on Journal.

In response, Maglin Site Furniture has introduced the Corolle. Comprised of an elegant planter base that supports a lightweight composite mesh canopy upon which plants can climb to offer shade, Corolle is a vessel of environmental resilience. The product is a modular system that can be adapted and positioned in any context, turning squares and streets not only into cooler places, but also into vibrant social hubs. Like an urban sculpture that makes a strong visual statement to the public, it essentially renders the invisible threat of overheating visible.

The product’s dual mission – uniting function and form – was formally acknowledged in this year’s Architizer A+Product Awards, where Corolle received two awards: one for innovation and one for positive impact. This distinction highlights Maglin’s design ethos: to pair measurable, data-driven interventions with thoughtful design that ultimately generate an immediate, tangible impact on daily city life. In other words, Maglin has managed, through technical rigor as well as a striking vision, to create a climate-responsive invention that not only transforms the experience of the street but is also scientifically validated.

Architizer spoke to the Maglin team to find out more about this incredible, award-winning product.

Congratulations on your success in the A+Product Awards! What does this recognition reveal about your current priorities as a furniture manufacturer?

We design for impact you can feel on the street. Innovation matters when it measurably improves daily life in public spaces. The dual A+Product wins affirm that mission: elevate form, yes, but also deliver performance that cities can count on. For Maglin, that means investing in sustainable solutions, partnering with landscape architects and cities, and backing great ideas with service, data and long‑term performance.

Modularity may be Corolle’s greatest strength. Can you further explain the system’s flexibility, describing what enables it to adapt to different cityscapes?

Corolle is fundamentally a kit of parts: a self-contained system with a planter base, composite ‘mesh’ canopy, and climbing greenery. Its freestanding nature is key; installations avoid underground utility conflicts or heritage surface destruction. Units can stand alone or be arrayed to stitch together large shade fields, allowing for layouts that are tuned to site geometry, wind conditions and future re-deployment.

Fiberglass mesh is an unusual choice for a canopy — what advantages does it bring compared to more conventional materials? 

The composite fiberglass structure is strong, lightweight and corrosion-resistant, making it ideal for challenging environments like coastal climates and winter road-salt. Its controlled flexibility supports plant training and lowers structural demands on the base. Stainless cables and non-corrosive connection nodes complete a system that’s durable, low-maintenance and easier to install than heavy metals.

Adaptability and resilience are core principles behind Corolle’s design. You carried out a thorough thermal comfort study in Pantin, France. How are key insights from that research shaping Corolle’s adaptation for North American cities?  

The thermal comfort study in Pantin confirmed the measurable impact of this type of intervention, underscoring the urgent need for fresh, shaded ‘islands’ across intensifying North American cities. Our adaptation strategy hinges on collaborative expertise. We provide verified structural and technical performance data — including wind and snow-load capacity and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)— and rely on local landscape architects for their horticultural expertise to select a regionally appropriate plant palette that meets their climate, shade coverage targets and aesthetic goals.

With the potential to lower urban temperatures by up to 6°C, do you see Corolle as filling gaps where natural shade is insufficient, or as a complementary system alongside traditional plantings?   

Both. Corolle provides more immediate, living shade where trees can’t be planted today (or while new trees mature), and it complements long‑term urban‑forestry plans. It’s a bridge strategy and a companion: a way to provide more immediate, living shade and comfort while new trees establish. Our Mini Corolle formats add agility, allowing units to be quickly repositioned as site programs and long-term plans evolve.

Unlike traditional trees, Corolle can thrive in places where planting is often considered impossible. What makes those sites so problematic and how does Corolle overcome this challenge (through special plants, soil systems, irrigation, etc…)?   

Many urban sites fail the tree test: shallow or contaminated soils, dense utilities, protected paving or suspended slabs. Corolle sidesteps these challenges through its self-contained planter and lightweight canopy system. Climbing species root entirely within the unit, delivering greenery and shade without any excavation or invasive works. This allows us to deploy meaningful shade and greening in sites previously deemed impossible for traditional planting.

Beyond climate resilience, Corolle doubles as urban furniture — the structure integrates a lighting system as well as circular seating, bar-height tables and even PVC shade panels — creating social hubs within cities. How do you see this multi-functionality reshaping the way people use public squares and streets?  

Cooling draws people in; amenities make them stay. Corolle’s multi-functionality is key to transforming a cool island into a fully-fledged social hub. By integrating circular seating and bar-height tables, we create a ready-made ‘social room’ suitable for gatherings, markets and events. This reshapes the way public squares and streets are utilized, inviting people to linger and establish a local community identity.

Furthermore, the structure is designed to accommodate integrated features such as lighting for safety and nighttime identity, which clients can easily apply after installation. The movable Mini Corolle unit further supports this by enabling agile deployment for temporary street closures, festivals or pilot projects.

Finally, what advice would you give to other furniture brands considering submitting to the A+Product Awards?

Start your submission by defining the real-world problem you solve, not just describing the product. Show the jurors the system and effect of your design. Invest in contextual photography and technical drawings. Ultimately, your entry should tell a clear and compelling story of how your design elevates the public realm and creates a positive impact.

For designers looking to green urban space with outdoor public furniture, explore how Maglin‘s Corolle can support your vision by clicking here.

The post Street Smart, Climate Wise: Maglin’s Modular Sunshade System is Cool by Design appeared first on Journal.

Initially known for manufacturing sugar refinery equipment, the company steadily expanded into panel processing, bioenergy, glass manufacturing and filtration, demonstrating an insatiable drive to evolve.

Today, Putsch® is bringing its expertise to a new frontier: architecture.

This venture was born from a challenge in its own construction projects, sourcing high-performance screening materials that met both technical and budgetary demands. Instead of compromising, Putsch® turned inward, leveraging its legacy in filtration and precision manufacturing to develop tailored solutions for architectural applications.

Using technology originally developed for high-end industrial separation systems, these architectural screens are unlike anything currently on the market.

“Initially developed for demanding industrial environments, these screens are now tailored for architectural applications such as façades, parking structures, rainwater management, enclosures and sun shading systems,” explains Philippe Radinger, Sales Manager and fourth-generation member of the family-owned business.

Highly customizable, the screens are designed to meet the specific requirements of each project. Their versatility makes them just as effective on a modern building façade as they are in functional roles like gutter protection.

Here, the screens’ filtration heritage becomes a key advantage. As the company explains: “The precise perforation and open-area manufacturing used for industrial applications ensure excellent separation results, making Putsch screens ideal for leaf guards and other drainage systems.”

It’s a benefit the company’s CEO personally experienced when using the screens to achieve a functional yet visually appealing upgrade to the leaf guards on his own residence.

Beyond function, the design has been equally considered. The mesh is carefully calibrated to balance light, shade and airflow, providing protection and ventilation with virtually no upkeep.

“Putsch screens are designed to accommodate a wide range of requirements,” says Henning Wedemeyer, Production Manager, “including sun control and glare reduction, ventilation for parking structures and industrial buildings, security and privacy solutions, enhanced façade aesthetics and interior visual applications.”

Importantly, these screens are not purely utilitarian. While rooted in industrial performance, they also offer minimalist, contemporary aesthetics. Available in materials such as stainless steel, copper and brass, the panels bring a refined industrial elegance that works in both interior and exterior settings.

Their subtle perforations add texture and rhythm to surfaces without overpowering the overall design, offering a striking contrast to typical cladding materials, which often appear bulky or heavy. In this way, Putsch screens become more than a construction solution; they’re an asset to an architect’s creative toolkit.

Lightweight and highly adaptable, the screens integrate with ease into nearly any façade system, whether in new builds or retrofit projects. As with its precision components, Putsch® designed these screens with versatility in mind. The company notes: “Multiple mesh sizes, perforation options, panel shapes and mounting configurations are available for seamless integration.”

But these screens aren’t just about aesthetics; they enhance building performance too. By reducing solar heat and glare while allowing natural light to pass, they function as passive sunshades that contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability.

When it comes to protection from the elements — especially moisture — Putsch’s track record in industrial filtration speaks volumes. Earlier generations of these screens were engineered to endure harsh, high-demand factory conditions, environments far more punishing than most outdoor architectural applications.

Often, the most innovative designs are deceptively simple. Think of the Eames chair or the iPhone — both objects that integrate function and beauty so seamlessly that their complexity feels invisible. Putsch’s architectural screens follow the same philosophy. They blend effortlessly into almost any project, delivering shade, ventilation, protection and visual interest with understated confidence.

To learn more about how to harness Putsch® screens for your next project, visit their website.

The post Industrial Tech, Minimalist Design: Meet The Next Generation of Architectural Screens appeared first on Journal.

Crafting intricate spaces, ones that brim with detail and vitality, is the specialty of the architectural hardware experts at Bankston, who regularly collaborate with leading minds in architecture and design to redefine the category. And the Australian brand’s latest partnership does exactly this.

Celebrated interior designer Yasmine Ghoniem, the director of the Sydney-based firm YSG, is known for her uncanny ability to maintain cohesion in spaces that are packed with adventurous decorative detail. Ghoniem’s work shows that, with the right designer, you can have space and light and order — and so much more.

Bankston’s recent collaboration with YSG showcases what both firms do best. A series of sculptural architectural hardware pieces crafted from timber and playfully titled The Streaks, these might be the coolest door handles ever made.

“We like to think of handles (for doors, drawers and cupboards) like the eyes of a face,” explains Ghoniem. “They literally hold the key to what’s inside or beyond and should be celebrated.”

Each piece features a distinctive blend of contrasting timber stripes. This simple banded design concept puts the focus on the materials, which are of a superb quality, their appearance marked by richness and depth. “Tonal timber pairings offer varying levels of contrast,” explains Bankston, “from the subtle stripes of the Light Band (American White Ash with Australian Blackbutt), to the more distinctive Dark Band pairing (American Walnut with Australian Red Cedar), or for bolder designs, the striking Colour Band combination (New Zealand Purpleheart and African Padauk).”

In addition to the timber color pairings, The Streaks also includes a bronze option. These versions are “hand sand cast, the process leaving the pieces with distinctive pitting and pour marks. The Patinated Bronze finish instantly grants it an aged hue, with touch points continuing to alchemize over time to rich golden glows.”

The name, The Streaks, refers to the striped pattern of the hardware. But for the designers, this name carries other meanings — some mischievous. The word “streak,” Bankston and YSG point out, has four separate meanings: “1. A line or mark of a different substance or colour from its background; 2. To move very fast in a specified direction; 3. A specific characteristic in someone’s personality or moment in time; 4. To run naked through a public area seeking attention.” These door handles, then, convey not just movement, but nudity — perhaps a nod to the way the finishes highlight, rather than cover up, the color of the raw materials.

In addition to the variety of finishes, The Streaks fixtures also come in a number of different sizes and shapes. These are given playful names. The Straight Streaker and Kooky Streaker are both flat, banded door handles, with the “kooky” version having an unconventional length and angle on the door. The Sensible Streaker and Closet Streaker don’t turn; they fasten directly onto drawers, closets or pantries.

There is also the Wide Guy and Slim Jim pull handles (my favorites) which are perfectly designed for feature doors. And then the smaller Lunacy and, Flash, which are intended for sliding doors, and the Narcissist, which can be found on cabinets or closets. The Narcissist, with a starlike shape, stands apart from the collection. It is available exclusively in Patinated Bronze.

“There’s a whimsical strength to this collection and an unpredictable timelessness to the designs that are distinctive, a little cheeky, energetic and striking” explains Steve Bradley, Bankston Co-CEO.

Purchasing these hardware items and incorporating them into your project could not be easier, thanks to the Bankston Trade Portal. Available to customers in the Northern Hemisphere, the portal allows customers to buy hardware directly from the supplier with no intermediary. In addition, it includes useful planning features for those working on more complex projects.

“This personalized hardware planning experience combines project management functionality with the convenience of direct purchasing,” explains Bankston in a statement. “Architects and design professionals can also access support from Bankston’s project team to build schedules that reflect their unique vision – directly within the platform.” Key features include real-time stock availability and exclusive trade pricing.

Like Ghoniem’s best designs, the fixtures that comprise The Streaks are subtle yet brimming with life, bringing pattern where one least expects it. In a world where people complain about the ubiquity of monotonous design, The Streaks provides an antidote.

For designers looking to spice up their interiors, explore how Bankston and YSG’s stunning hardware collection can support your vision by clicking here.

The post The World’s Coolest Door Handles Just Dropped appeared first on Journal.

On September 18, 2025, the 10th VELUX Daylight Symposium will bring this principle into sharp focus at Copenhagen’s Mogens Dahl Concert Hall. For one day, over 30 leading voices in research and practice will explore daylight’s role in creating salubrious, sustainable architecture. However, architects and designers need not fly to Denmark to take part. Would-be participants can experience the full program via a free livestream via Architizer’s LinkedIn account:

Pre-Register to Attend Symposium

This year’s theme, “Towards Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Architecture,” reflects a shift in architectural priorities: daylight is no longer a matter of aesthetics alone, but a measurable force for climate performance, occupant health and urban resilience. Sessions will spotlight new tools, scientific insights and built projects that reveal how daylight-conscious design can reduce energy consumption and address the urgent demands of climate change.

The livestream invites architects to access this global exchange of ideas. Whether you’re an architect in Mumbai, a researcher in São Paulo, or a policymaker in Toronto, you can engage with presentations, hear from international experts and bring daylight-forward strategies directly into your practice — all without boarding a plane. The symposium reframes innovation for a global profession: not in chasing the latest software trend, but in mastering one of architecture’s oldest, most powerful resources.

A Decade of Daylight Discourse

From Astrid Achatz, Anne Lacaton and Christoph Reinhart at the Daylight Symposium 2017 | Photo courtesy of VELUX

Launched in 2005, the Daylight Symposium has become one of the world’s most significant forums dedicated to natural light in the built environment. What sets it apart is its multidisciplinary lens: architects, scientists, engineers and policymakers come together to share knowledge that is often siloed in separate professional spheres.

The 10th edition marks a milestone. Over the past two decades, discourse around daylight has shifted dramatically. Once considered primarily in terms of aesthetics or comfort, it is now understood as a driver of sustainable design. Meanwhile, more and more research has highlighted the undeniable link between natural illumination and occupant health. The 2025 program reflects this evolution, weaving together science and architecture to redefine daylight as an essential tool for the future of practice.

Attend Virtual Symposium on Sept. 18th

Global Voices, Global Access

Kevin Van Den Wymlenberg at the Daylight Symposium in 2020 | Photo courtesy of VELUX

The 2025 program is moderated by Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg (US) and Juliëtte van Duijnhoven (NL), and features a diverse roster of experts from across continents. This diversity underscores the universality of daylight: though climate conditions vary, every building in every context must contend with how to harness natural light.

By offering the first two sessions of the symposium as a free livestream, VELUX is breaking down barriers to participation. Architects in São Paulo, researchers in Mumbai or policymakers in Toronto can join the same conversations as those gathered in Copenhagen. The livestream ensures that daylight-forward design strategies are accessible to a truly global community — amplifying impact far beyond the concert hall.

Pre-Register for Livestream Access

Why Daylight, Why Now?

Florence Lam at the Daylight Symposium in 2013 | Photo courtesy of VELUX

For architects, the message is clear: daylight is not a luxury. It is one of the most effective, low-energy and universally available technologies for creating buildings that are healthier, more sustainable and more resilient.

Unlike many emerging digital tools, daylight is timeless. Yet its design implications are anything but static. With new research and standards, architects today can both quantify and optimize daylight’s effects with unprecedented precision. The symposium reframes daylight as both an ancient craft and a contemporary science — a bridge between intuitive design and measurable performance.

In a moment when the industry is captivated by the promises of AI and automation, the Daylight Symposium offers a counterpoint: innovation is not always about adopting the newest software, but about mastering the fundamental elements of architecture.

Attend Virtual Symposium on Sept. 18th

How to Join

The 10th VELUX Daylight Symposium takes place on September 18, 2025 at the Mogens Dahl Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark — but you can attend from anywhere in the world. This year’s theme, “Towards Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Architecture,” opens with a powerful session on Design for Well-being. The session that will be livestreamed on Architizer’s LinkedIn from 09:00 to 13:00 CEST (Central European Time). Sign up now for a reminder about the Livestream on the day of the event.

Speakers and topics will include:

• Celebrating Daylight by Darron Haylock, Foster + Partners (UK)
• 5 Fundamental Shifts Ushering in the Healthy Buildings Era by Joseph Allen, Harvard University (US)
• Don’t Fight Climate, Use It by Florencia Collo, atmos lab (UK)

And many more. Save the date and join us for an event blending education and inspiration — and see daylight in a new light!

A Call to Architects

Daylight has always been architecture’s oldest material. Today, it is also among its most urgent technologies. The 10th VELUX Daylight Symposium invites architects everywhere to reimagine what’s possible when science and design converge around natural light.

By tuning in online, you’ll not only gain access to leading-edge insights — you’ll join a global community committed to advancing healthier, more resilient and more sustainable architecture.

Don’t miss this chance to be part of the conversation. Register now for the free livestream of the 10th VELUX Daylight Symposium via Architizer’s LinkedIn:

Pre-Register to Attend Symposium

The post Daylight as Design Technology: A Global Symposium for Architects appeared first on Journal.

Designed by architect Gabe Hodge of Materia Prima Studio, the project is both grounded and elevated, inwardly quiet and outwardly open — a precise balance between architecture and nature.

Materia Prima Studio’s design sits quietly within its forested surroundings. Photo courtesy of Marvin

For homeowners Jenn and Bill, the vision was clear: a home that felt both timeless and deeply connected to its surroundings. “We wanted to feel like our home had always been here,” said Jenn. That intention informed every aspect of the design — from material selection to the spatial layout—resulting in what Hodge describes as “a willingness to allow the house to be guided into being.”

Architecture Guided by the Landscape

At first glance, the home appears to hover above the slope. A cedar-clad timber volume floats lightly atop a more rooted stone base, echoing the natural order of forest floors and tree canopies. But this visual effect is not simply aesthetic — it’s borne directly from the topography of the site.

Gabe Hodge, Materia Prima Studio. Photo courtesy of Marvin

“When we first arrived on the site, I noticed the railroad bed, this sort of curving hill,” said Hodge. “It was clear that this was a man-made feature.” Rather than designing around it, the team used it as a central organizing device. The lower half of the house, which contains the more intimate spaces such as bedrooms, is tucked discreetly into the base of the slope. The upper half, accommodating more ‘public’ spaces such as the kitchen, living, and dining areas, rises up into the treetops.

Materia Prima Studio’s developmental blueprints and renderings. Photo courtesy of Marvin

Public and private realms are thus flipped — a concept Hodge describes as an “upside-down” house. “The public spaces where you spend most of your day want to be up in the trees, up in the light,” he explained. “The spaces that you use in the evening, we ought to put those downstairs because you won’t appreciate the views.”

A Material Dialogue

The home is defined by a limited and tactile palette that strengthens its connection to the site. Local bluestone forms the heavy base; glulam Douglas fir beams define the upper structure; cedar siding is detailed with subtle rhythms; and a planted roof blurs the line between architecture and terrain. “The material palette of the building was kept quite simple,” said Hodge. “There are only five or six key materials that the building uses… blue stone, Douglas fir glulam timber framing, cedar siding, glass and the planted roof.”

The main living space blends timber, stone and glass to create a cozy yet light-filled environment. Photo courtesy of Marvin

These materials are not just visually harmonious; they work together in section. The planted roof serves both aesthetic and thermal functions, helping to insulate the bedrooms below while minimizing visual impact from the adjacent family farm. “It blends with the top of the railroad bed,” Hodge noted, “which then leads your eyes through the trees of the forest out to the farm.”

Light, Air and Aperture

From the outset, the team knew that the building’s relationship to light would be central to its success. Expansive glazing was used throughout the upper volume to foster a sense of immersion in the landscape. This was achieved using a combination of standard and custom Marvin Ultimate windows and scenic doors, selected for their visual clarity, thermal performance, and ability to integrate with the timber frame.

“With Marvin, the sizes of the openings that are afforded to us by using their Ultimate line, and the flexibility to either use standard shapes and sizes or customize them, meant that we could use a material that directly related to the timber frame,” said Hodge. The result, he explained, was not just windows, but something more elemental: “openings in key places that really became openings in the walls rather than windows.”

Windows are placed strategically to maximize natural daylighting. Photos courtesy of Marvin

These carefully placed apertures support a sense of seasonal awareness and daily rhythm. “The windows really let you experience the weather,” said Jenn. “It truly feels like you’re outside when you’re inside.” Whether snow is falling across the canopy or light filters through the trees on a summer morning, each frame supports what the architect calls “a framework for living.”

Procession and Perception

One of the home’s most theatrical moments is its arrival sequence. Visitors enter on the lower level through the shaded stone base and ascend a sculptural steel-and-timber stair that leads to the upper pavilion.

“You come through the winding driveway through the woods so that you can decompress and then arrive at the house,” said Jenn. “And when you do, you arrive on the lower level.” From there, the stair “delivers you up to the smaller building on top of the landscape building,” Hodge added, describing it as “a moment of revealing.”

The staircase provides a key moment of transition within the house. Photos courtesy of Marvin

This experience is accentuated by a custom Marvin picture window placed at the top of the stair, framing long views through the trees and inviting daylight deep into the home. Its Douglas fir frame matches the structural timber, reinforcing the project’s minimalist ethos while eliminating visual distraction.

Throughout the upper level, a series of smaller apertures — such as casement windows tucked above built-in shelving — offer carefully curated eye-level views into the forest canopy. These moments of compression and expansion, intimacy and openness, define the home’s spatial experience.

A Place to Grow

Though technically ambitious, the house feels effortless in its execution. Its timber roofline floats freely, uninterrupted by partitions. Its lower level is acoustically separated by a concrete slab and steel structure. And its systems — glazing, insulation, ventilation — respond directly to the demands of the Northeastern climate.

The house is enjoyed year-round by multiple family generations. Photo courtesy of Marvin

More than a retreat, the home is a generational anchor. “Our children really love living in this home,” said Bill. “They love the design aesthetic and the warmth and the openness of the home.” The project, in its simplicity and spatial generosity, serves the evolving rhythms of family life while preserving the integrity of the land it rises from.

As Hodge put it: “You’re always connected, in at least three directions, to the view. And at night, the upper pavilion glows through the trees.”

For architects looking to craft light-filled, landscape-driven homes like this one, explore how custom-crafted solutions from Marvin can support your vision at Marvin.com.

Top image: Living room interior; photo courtesy of Marvin.

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