The 2021 edition of Record Houses features six impressive residences, each of which respond to diverse contexts and reframe the typology’s otherwise conventional notions.

On Great Barrier Island, Herbst Architects reimagines the classic New Zealand beach shack with movable layers that can be deployed to let in the breeze or protect against harsh weather.

Architect Ignacio Urquiza responds to a rugged site in Oaxaca by designing a residence as three open pavilions.

On a blustery Oregon beachfront, architect James Cutler creates a dwelling that offers both a sheltered courtyard and dramatic views.

Partners in design and life, Takaaki and Yuko Fuji tailor their own home for living on a tight Tokyo site. Read the article and watch a video tour.

Barclay & Crousse juxtaposes plein air living spaces with cell-like sleeping quarters in Peru.

Bates Masi + Architects’ Long Island house astutely combines the modern and the traditional, incorporating unexpected materials, from weathering steel to terra-cotta to thatch.

In Helsinki’s former docklands, Lahdelma & Mahlamäki builds loftlike government offices.

Patano Studio Architecture reimagines a run-down observatory in Washington to reflect its celestial purpose.

Marble Fairbanks’ Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center in Brooklyn aims to engage a community stung by industrial neglect.