A long, horizontal block is hoisted above the ground on a collection of concrete pods, providing views of paddy fields and mountains for the home, gallery and studio of an embroidery artist in Japan's Shiga Prefecture (+ slideshow). More about Satoru Hirota Architects creates a "floating" home and gallery for an embroidery artist
The lower level of this village doctor's surgery in Spain is sunken down below road level and partially embedded in a slope, allowing it to appear the same size as the surrounding buildings (+ slideshow). More about Paüls Doctor Surgery by Vora is a two-storey structure that hides its base below road level
This concrete pavilion built in the centre of a Polish quarry is a paleontological research centre that protects the remains of a small prehistoric reptile discovered in the 1980s (+ slideshow). More about Paleontology centre inside a quarry exhibits the bones of a prehistoric reptile
A pair of twisted concrete fins frame a fireplace at the centre of this pavilion, designed by German architecture office NE-AR as an extension to an holiday home in Argentina (+ slideshow). More about Lakeside concrete pavilion by NE-AR houses a fireplace inside a twisted column
Smooth grey render covers the bumpy concrete walls of Villa Mörtnäs, a family home built into a granite rock face in a Stockholm neighbourhood (+ slideshow). More about Fourfoursixsix uses aerated concrete for family residence on the Stockholm archipelago
This cast-concrete library sits on a stretch of deserted beach facing the East China Sea and features a tiered reading hall topped by a curving ceiling (+ movie). More about Vector Architects completes a seaside library with board-marked concrete walls
Graux & Baeyens Architecten has divided an old Flemish-style house in Belgium into a psychotherapy centre and apartment, installing a concrete canopy to give each space its own outdoor area (+ slideshow). More about Concrete canopy creates two-storey terrace for home and clinic by Graux & Baeyens
Tokyo architecture studio Suppose Design Office has repurposed old scaffold boards to create flooring and furniture for the concrete interior of its own atelier space (+ slideshow). More about Suppose Design Office's Tokyo studio mixes concrete, steel and reclaimed wood
A plot left unused for decades because of its awkward triangular shape is now the home of this concrete cafe designed by South Korean office Studio GAON (+ slideshow). More about Studio GAON completes a concrete cafe beside a dual carriageway in South Korea
Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati added concrete fins to the walls of this house in rural Portugal, which splay outwards and inwards like the flaps of an open box to provide shade for a garden within (+ slideshow). More about Splayed concrete walls give Valerio Olgiati's Villa Além the appearance of an open box
Multi-levelled surfaces of polished concrete, wood and white gravel mark out the different areas within this open-plan Tokyo office designed by Torafu Architects (+ slideshow). More about Torafu Architects uses concrete, wood and gravel to define spaces inside AKQA's Tokyo offices
Sydney office Aileen Sage Architects designed this house for one of its partners around a "secret garden" containing a circular patio for outdoor dining (+ slideshow). More about Textured brick and concrete house in Sydney encloses a garden courtyard
Milan Expo 2015: a pair of sinuous rippled concrete walls frame the entrance to UAE's Milan Expo pavilion, designed by Foster + Partners to suit the climate conditions in both Milan and Abu Dhabi. More about Foster + Partners presents rippled concrete Expo pavilion for the United Arab Emirates
An insect provided the inspiration for this office building in Leiria, Portugal, which comprises a concrete block raised off the ground on 16 triangular feet (+ slideshow). More about Concrete office block designed by Regino Cruz Arquitectos to resemble a centipede
A driveway cuts through one wing of this three-pronged house in New York state, which is topped by a roof terrace with amphitheatre-style seating (+ slideshow). More about Three-winged 36SML House by Levenbetts has a driveway carved through its middle
This concrete pod with faceted sides and a glass facade is perched up over a courtyard, creating an extension to a house in Mexico that doesn't compromise its existing outdoor spaces (+ slideshow). More about Faceted concrete capsule by Noborders Collective extends a Mexican residence
Concrete forms influenced by 1950s architecture were combined with contemporary details for this house that architect Pitsou Kedem designed for himself and his family in Ramat HaSharon, near Tel Aviv (+ slideshow). More about Pitsou Kedem's house in Israel is influenced by its "humble and timeless" Modernist neighbours
Four concrete boxes make up this holiday home by Paris architect Pascal Grasso, which nestles into a verdant hillside on the southern coast of France (+ slideshow). More about Concrete Maison Le Cap house features mirrored glazing to reflect the seaside scenery
This family home in Surrey, England, is fronted by an asymmetric wall of blue bricks, described by designer Groves Natcheva Architects as a "lighthouse in a sea of green" (+ slideshow). More about Esher House by Groves Natcheva Architects pairs blue brickwork with red wood
Milan 2015: a concrete cartoon monkey holding a tray forms this table by Spanish designer Jaime Hayón for manufacturer BD Barcelona Design. More about Jaime Hayón designs monkey-shaped table