Maria McDonagh-Forde

Ten years ago, Cort and Helene Dondero finished building their dream home in Chattanooga, Tenn. — a sprawling, 20,000-square-foot modern-day castle overlooking the Tennessee River. 

Measuring 16,600 square feet in area and about 45 feet high with a vibrant red and gold exterior, the Elephant Barn in the Los Angeles Zoo’s new Elephants of Asia exhibit stands out as a majestic tribute to traditional Thai architecture. 

 Surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains near the north shores of Lake Tahoe in Truckee, Calif., Martis Camp, a new 2,177-acre private custom- home community, pays tribute to the ski resort designs of yesteryear, especially with its social center — the Camp Lodge.