The Wabi House, designed by architect Sebastian Mariscal for the Shino and Ken Mori, is, on its face, not much. In fact, from the perfectly ordinary Southern California suburban street on which it sits, it’s little more than a white cube rising from a black rectangle of a charred cedar Shou Sugi Ban facade. But just as the Zen tradition encourages the home’s residents to find greater meaning within, so too does the Wabi House itself. “From the list of what Shino and Ken wanted and didn’t want, I could sense that they were sub-consciously requesting an introspective house,” says the bicoastal Mariscal, who has offices in Woodstock, New York,…

To embrace indoor/outdoor living, this Victoria-era house in London is outfitted with a handsome new extension wrapped in Shou Sugi Ban cladding. Designed by Neil Dusheiko Architects, the Black Ridge House provides a modern contrast to the original home’s Victorian brickwork. Inspired by biophilic design principles, the new-build was constructed with several energy-saving features — such as a green roof and underfloor heating — and sustainably sourced timbers to connect the home to nature. Inspired by the roof-lines of the area’s early Warner houses, the Black Ridge House features gabled volumes clad in Kebony, a sustainable and durable alternative to tropical hardwood. The engineered wood was charred using the Shou Sugi Ban technique to create a…