As more architects get their hands literally dirty with the design-build process, this form of project delivery is resulting in some quite elegant structures.
A house by architect Ben van Berkel rarely could be described as a glass box. Instead the principal of the Amsterdam-based UNStudio avoids the rectilinear modernist approach for a more organic direction.
In the far reaches of a peninsula in Wisconsin, Johnsen Schmaling has designed a textured wood structure with a green roof and expansive views of nature.
In Northern California, William McDonough + Partners designs an energy-neutral residence rooted strongly in its surroundings For sustainability guru William A. McDonough, FAIA, buildings aren't vampires sucking up natural resources, but regenerative systems that should improve the environment. “The idea of 'getting to zero' for water or energy use is ridiculous. Is that the best we can do?” he says. This ethos, the guiding principle of his design career, is clearly embodied by the Meadow Farm House, completed in 2013 for a family whose values align closely with his own. The building site, a secluded three-acre perch in northern California,