California firm Schwartz and Architecture has completed a minimal and self-contained residence that looks out over the Sonoma Valley (+ slideshow). More about Schwartz and Architecture's Box on a Rock house is perched above an expansive California valley
British designer Tom Dixon has teamed up with fashion brand Curve to open a retail space in Los Angeles' Culver City – his latest move to conquer the US. More about Tom Dixon targets America's west coast with first store in LA
Local studio Stephen Phillips Architects has completed a black duplex in San Francisco that aims to challenge the city's standard housing typologies (+ slideshow). More about Stephen Phillips clads modern San Francisco townhouse in black zinc
Los Angeles firm A-Industrial has clad the walls and ceiling of a juice bar in plywood slats, creating a sculptural geometric interior (+ slideshow). More about A-Industrial clads juice store interior with geometric plywood
Daredevils can enjoy sweeping views of Los Angeles while descending a transparent slide almost 1,000 feet above the city (+ movie). More about Glass Skyslide opens at the top of LA's tallest skyscraper
Filmmaker George Lucas has confirmed that he is pulling his MAD-designed museum from Chicago and plans to move the proposal to America's West Coast. More about George Lucas abandons Chicago museum proposal in favour of California
San Francisco firm Terry & Terry Architecture has transformed a century-old brick building into a design agency's headquarters, adding a second level that features a folding glass wall and roof terrace (+ slideshow). More about Terry & Terry converts historic brick building in downtown San Francisco into creative workspace
Students in a design-build program at the Southern California Institute of Architecture have completed a house in a crime-ridden area of Los Angeles, with features included to help occupants feel "safe and secure" (+ slideshow). More about SCI-Arc students build affordable home in low-income Los Angeles neighbourhood
The City of Los Angeles has chosen a design by OMA and landscape architects Mia Lehrer + Associates to transform a site in the Downtown area into a public park (+ slideshow). More about OMA's team wins FAB Park competition for Downtown LA
US firm NBBJ has created the largest office in North America for tech company Samsung, incorporating features intended to show how a "legacy brand can play on par with the most-nimble tech startups" (+ slideshow). More about Samsung's Silicon Valley office by NBBJ features nap pods and music listening rooms
Los Angeles firm Yazdani Studio has completed a curving glass facility for cancer patients in southern California, featuring radiation treatment rooms that overlook Zen gardens (+ slideshow). More about Cancer treatment centre in California designed by Yazdani Studio to feel like a spa
San Francisco studio Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects took cues from traditional barns to create this contemporary dwelling in a northern California farming valley (+ slideshow). More about Turnbull Griffin Haesloop creates white barn-like house on a California ranch
This spiritual refuge by Aidlin Darling Design at California's Stanford University features vertical cedar slats and thick walls made of soil excavated from the building site (+ slideshow). More about Aidlin Darling creates a meditation centre at Stanford University with rammed-earth walls
Apple has rethought its approach to retail and debuted a series of new interior features at its latest store on San Francisco's Union Square, designed with UK architecture firm Foster + Partners (+ slideshow). More about Foster + Partners unveils Apple Union Square store in San Francisco
Kennerly Architecture & Planning has completed a San Francisco residential building with a number of distinctive features, including a perforated metal gate, white plastic cladding and lush landscaping (+ slideshow). More about Kennerly clads San Francisco townhouse in glass and white plastic
Critics have had mixed reactions to the Snøhetta-designed extension of Mario Botta's San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, with descriptions ranging from a "good citizen" to a "baked alaska slumped on the skyline". More about Critics compare Snøhetta's SFMOMA extension to a "gigantic meringue" and a "cruise ship"
Foster + Partners has won planning approval for a pair of glass skyscrapers in San Francisco, which will be among the tallest buildings in the city. More about Foster + Partners gets go ahead for crystalline skyscraper in San Francisco
A light palette of materials influenced by Spanish Colonial Revival architecture is used throughout the interior of Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta's shop in Beverly Hills. More about Bottega Veneta's Maison boutique in Beverly Hills features arched openings and neutral colours
This northern California cabin by Mork-Ulnes Architects is clad in tar-coated timber and sits atop a concrete plinth – measures that both help protect the structure from heavy snowfall. More about Mork-Ulnes completes California ski chalet coated in black tar
Interview: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art reopens this month with a Snøhetta-designed extension to its original Mario Botta building. In this interview, Snøhetta partner Craig Dykers explains how he tried not to step on the toes of Botta's Postmodern structure. More about "We could never recreate Mario Botta's SFMOMA" says extension architect Craig Dykers of Snøhetta