PICTURE WINDOW HOUSE, Shigeru Ban Architects, Shizuoka, Japan, 2002
Architect Shigeru Ban captures panoramic ocean views by turning the building itself into a frame. The bottom floor is a wide rectangular box open to the elements, while the living quarters upstairs are contained by floor-to-ceiling glass. "It's bold. There's a hole in the house that is functioning as a window, and then there's this vast window within the house itself," says New York architect Deborah Berke. "It's a little richer for me than his other work because it has multiple takes on the picture window.