Living Unit sets out from Ljubljana, Slovenia, as a compact yet ambitious cabin concept by OFIS architects. The project explores how a self-contained wooden shell can adapt to shifting terrains, climates, and uses, from tourism to emergency shelter. Conceived in 2017, the modular unit turns a small footprint into a surprisingly complete retreat with kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping arrangements ready to multiply across different sites.

Palisades Redux ADU gathers a house, new accessory dwelling unit, and garage around a reshaped yard in Santa Monica, CA, United States, by Vertebrae. The project turns a typical residential lot into a communal court where angled volumes and laser cut aluminum screens choreograph views, privacy, and daylight. What reads as sculptural forms from the main home becomes intimate living quarters and support rooms tucked behind a responsive facade.

Muxarabi House unfolds in Granja Viana, Brazil, as a warm yet refined house by Paula Aveiro Arquitetos. The interiors lean on wood, travertine navona and sandy tones to shape a generous setting for a family that enjoys gathering. Across two floors, the project uses muxarabi panels, planted walls and expansive glazing to stitch rooms together while keeping each daily ritual distinct and quietly expressive.

Casa do Engenho sits within an agricultural estate in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, where architect Jorge Prata reworks an ancillary building into the family’s primary house. Once a rigid, compartmentalized volume used mainly for gatherings, the former pool house is now recast as a fluid, light-steered home with contemporary character. Across two levels, everyday life unfolds between preserved stone, new wood, and a renewed connection to the surrounding landscape.

Wooden house next to Konin stands within a young pine forest outside Konin, Poland, where Studio GAB shapes a timber house as a companion to the trees. The single-family house leans on wood for both structure and finish, drawing the surrounding trunks into every room while maintaining a highly energy-efficient envelope. Broad glazing, soft furnishings, and simple forms keep the daily routine closely tuned to the shifting forest light across seasons.

Barão Sabrosa Apartment sits within the semi-basement of a traditional gaioleiro building in Lisbon, Portugal, reworked by Aurora Arquitectos as a calm, luminous retreat. The compact 64 m² apartment unfolds as a single open room where existing arches, new freestanding elements, and a pale, minimal palette organize daily life. Light from the rear courtyard washes across vaulted ceilings and pale flooring, softening the sense of being below street level.

Pine Island Cottage sets a quiet rhythm on a small Canadian island, where Bureau Tempo and Thom Fougere Studio craft a house tuned to weather and rock. The retreat unfolds as a sequence of communal and private rooms, each grounded by stone, wood, and metal surfaces that invite touch and slow movement. Family life gathers around a central hearth while light, texture, and modest changes in level mark the day.

House in Čakovice anchors a young family in Prague, Czech Rep., with a clear, minimalist house shaped by Edit! Architects. The compact volume holds a two-level layout that separates quiet work from shared daily life while drawing long views to the hedge-wrapped garden. Inside, a central gallery ties rooms together with light and sightlines.