Grand Pic Chalet by Appareil Architecture

Clad in sleek black corrugated metal, this pair of cabins in the Quebec wilderness is linked by a cedar walkway. Designed by Appareil Architecture to disappear into the densely forested site, the larger structure features an open-plan living area, with a Russian plywood-wrapped interior, where the owners can host large gatherings of family and friends.

Aframe Rehab by Subtraction by Jean Verville

After the success of his AZ Award-winning Fahouse – a dramatic, asymmetrical take on the classic A-frame, clad in black steel – it’s no surprise that Quebec architect Jean Verville would return to the typology. For this revitalization of a cottage in the Laurentian Mountains, Verville gutted the interior and created an all-white space that starkly contrasts with the black-stained cedar shingle siding. A lower-level living space has been converted to a screened porch, with the living room floating above.

The Chapel of Silence by Studio Associates

Perched above a valley in Brescia, Italy, this tiny sanctuary, designed by Studio Associates, is a place for worship, silence, and prayer, in a community whose members come from a variety of religious backgrounds. The chapel’s black bitumen-coated wood cladding also lines the three-by-six-metre interior, which opens with an iron frame and black curtain that allows for the space to be joined with the elements or closed for privacy. Positioned between a forest and a vineyard, the structure is complemented by a monolithic rainwater collector, sculpted from local pale marble.

 

Mountain Cottage by HOLA Design

For this lakeside cottage in Poland, Warsaw studio HOLA Design chose a unique pattern of black aspen shingles that was inspired by local building traditions. The residence features ample glazing, with sliding floor-to-ceiling windows that not only make the most of a stunning view – which includes direct sight lines to two historic castles – but allow the interior to open up to the outdoors.

Mountaineer’s Refuge by Gonzalo Iturriaga Arquitectos

Hovering over the dusty terrain in the Chilean Andes, this simple haven is a place for hikers to recharge after a day of roaming the ranges. Santiago firm Gonzalo Iturriaga Arquitectos was asked for a structure that incorporated basic comforts, including a kitchen, bath and bedroom. They chose to drape these spaces with a complex arrangement of angles and planes, creating a surprisingly complex roof that gives the cabin a unique character on each side.