Low-slung volumes stretch along either side of central outdoor spaces at this family home in Northern California, by American firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. More about Bohlin Cywinski Jackson creates Silicon Valley residence with pool and meditation garden
Entirely glazed walls ensure the owners of this residence designed by Penelas Architects are presented with the best possible views of a picturesque forest outside Madrid. More about Penelas Architects embeds glass and rusted-steel retreat in forest glade near Madrid
Staggering a series of parallel spaces, architect and Columbia University professor Lydia Xynogala has created a hillside home on Skiathos where rooms have secluded terraces facing the ocean. More about Greek island home by Lydia Xynogala fans out to maximise sea views
Architects Annie Ritz and Daniel Rabin have altered the layout of a "cramped" home in Los Angeles to maximise space and natural light. More about Annie Ritz and Daniel Rabin reconfigure 1960s house in LA to create bright and open interior
Canadian studio Omar Gandhi Architect has created a remote vacation home in Nova Scotia for an urban couple, with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide sweeping views of the sea. More about Omar Gandhi Architect perches glass-walled cabin on rocky cliff in Nova Scotia
Floor-to-ceiling glazing retracts to open up the interiors of this concrete home in Mexico City, designed by local firm JJRR/Arquitectura. More about Mexico City house by JJRR/Arquitectura features sliding glass walls and verdant terraces
Colourful walls and irregularly placed windows with vibrant yellow frames add individuality to this prefabricated house in Stockholm, which was designed by Swedish studio HelgessonGonzaga Arkitekter. More about Bright yellow window frames puncture pastel grey walls of Stockholm prefab
A set of piste-side residences by US firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson step down a portion of the Northstar mountain resort in California, allowing residents to ski in and out of their homes. More about Bohlin Cywinski Jackson adds ski-in, ski-out homes to California mountain resort
The site for this residence in the Canadian Rocky Mountains was chosen by Cutler Anderson Architects for its craggy topography, which the designers used to frame the house. More about Cutler Anderson Architects tucks Canadian home between rocky outcrops
This solar-powered retreat in Northern California's Sonoma wine region was designed by US firm Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects to include outdoor living areas and framed views of the landscape. More about California country home by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop features an outdoor living room
Architects Tamar Jacobs and Oshri Yaniv have built their own home on the Israeli coast, with its roof lifted up above concrete-block walls to offer glimpses of the sky. More about Israeli architect couple use concrete blocks to build themselves a home among fruit trees
This Dublin mews house – designed by Irish studio DUA for a young bachelor – features a sunken concrete bathtub, custom fittings, and reclaimed-brick and pine-plywood walls. More about DUA completes contemporary Dublin mews house with sunken concrete bathroom
Lance O'Donnell of o2 Architecture has overseen the completion of two dwellings in Palm Springs – a contemporary home he designed, and a never-built residence by famed mid-century modernist architect Al Beadle. More about Modernist desert homes by o2 Architecture and Al Beadle complete in Palm Springs
Architect Jon Danielsen Aarhus designed this pine-clad cabin in rural Norway for his own family, creating a large glazed living area with mountain and lake views. More about Jon Danielsen Aarhus creates pine-clad mountain cabin in Norway for himself
Chilean architects 2DM twisted the upper volume of this blackened timber house away from its stilted base to offer a variety of views to the sea in Chile's Cardenal Caro Province. More about Stacked and rotated blocks ensure multiple sea views from Chilean beach house
Benn + Penna Architecture has renovated and extended a dilapidated terrace in Sydney's eastern suburbs, creating a new kitchen with a long counter that continues into a planted courtyard. More about Worktop extends from kitchen to garden in Sydney residence by Benn + Penna Architecture
An abundance of gridded glazing aims to make the most of the spectacular views over Italy's Adige Valley from this secluded mountain cabin by Modostudio. More about Glass walls frame vineyard views from Modostudio's mountain retreat
Sydney architecture studio CO-AP has renovated and extended a typical suburban home in the Australian city, adding a two-storey concrete structure that opens onto a garden at the rear. More about CO-AP adds contemporary concrete and glass extension to Sydney home
A steep wooden roof covers the staggered levels of this family house in the Japanese city of Fujieda by architect Yoshiyasu Mizuno, concealing its full scale from certain angles. More about Yoshiyasu Mizuno uses sharply angled roof to disguise scale of Terada House
This house in the Norfolk Broads by Platform 5 Architects features steeply pitched gables and shingle cladding intended to reference traditional boat sheds found alongside the surrounding waterways. More about Platform 5 Architects completes shingle-clad home overlooking a private lagoon