Reimagining suburban architecture to commune with nature

Is it possible to feel like you are genuinely rooted in nature while living in the middle of suburbia? That was the hypothesis architects Matthew and Maria Salenger of coLAB studio set out to test––and they used their 1950s Cedar Street suburban tract home as the test ground.

In fact, they embarked on a study of sorts. A study that would span several years and evolve into something much larger than either likely imagined. As they began to rethink the way one could live in suburbia, they unearthed learnings in passive and biophilic design, planet-positive design, modularity and flexibility, and even building with reuse in mind.

See what resulted from that multi-year study and how this dwelling, despite being in the middle of a bustling city, feels like an escape to a secluded desert garden.