Other stories by Bruce D. Snider

• This house in Washington state preserves the best of its island site

  Site-sensitive architecture and construction marry this new island house with its extraordinary place on the earth.

• Mount Curve Modern Kitchen, Minneapolis

  Expanded and updated, this kitchen finally catches up with the rest of a sophisticated mid-century house.

• Mount Curve Modern Bath, Minneapolis

  Combining two small mid-century baths yields a master bath masterpiece.

• The Teddy Bear Principle

  When it comes to small things, including small houses, the cognitive mechanism involved is pretty simple: We like them because they’re cute.

• A Sense of Enclosure: Overnight at Alcatraz

  Buildings can be scary. Ask Brian Turner, an attorney and field officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who recently spent a night at Alcatraz.

• Michael Graves on the Value of Hand Drawing

  Celebrated architect Michael Graves says the computer will never completely supplant pencil and paper--nor should it.

• Agricultural Archetypes Inspire Modern Homesteads

  This collection of projects includes a contemporary renovation that incorporates two historic log cabins and new work that draws inspiration from rural archetypes such as the ranch shed, shotgun house, barn, and farm silo.

• Feeding and Bathing a Family of Seven

  Owners of the Courtyard Residence in Acton, Mass., have five kids at home, so their kitchen and master bath required extra attention—one houses ample supplies and space for the whole gang while the other forms a haven of peace and privacy.

• Bruce Goff and Nostalgia for the Future

  I can’t look at a Bruce Goff building without thinking of LSD.

• Architecture, Planning, and Pleasure

  The concept of walkability got a boost earlier this summer with a Brookings Institution report that pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods perform better economically than those that require more driving.