The winner of the 2017 American Architecture Prize in the Small Architecture category has been announced, and it’s a knock-out! This is the Butterfly Studio by Valerie Schweitzer Architects, a beautiful little building tucked away in the a beautifully-manicured garden behind a family home in Westport, Connecticut. Inspired by the closing of a butterfly’s wings, this 350 square-foot art studio and private office is meant to serve as a peaceful retreat as well as a work space.

Lovingly constructed of glass, steel, concrete, and teak, the structure put an emphasis on sustainability, using  natural cross-ventilation and natural light to make it an ideal structure for daytime work at any time of the year. Looking like crystal shards emerging from the earth, it reminds me of a cute version of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. I think I could do some outstanding work in there!

Go check out Valerie Schweitzer Architects’ website for more of their beautiful builds.

All images property of Valerie Schweitzer Architects. Photos by Tom Leighton.