A pair of gabled blocks nestle into a snow-covered slope in a Slovenian ski resort to form this holiday home by Ljubljana studio Prima. More about Slovenian holiday home by Prima features glass, larch and aluminium walls
Over 500 houses featured on Dezeen in 2016. Continuing our review of the year, editor Amy Frearson picks out the 10 most exciting properties, including a home-studio with a pyramid garden on its roof and an idyllic rainforest retreat with an infinity pool. More about Dezeen's top 10 houses of 2016
The blackened-timber facades of this house set in a coastal nature reserve near The Hague are interrupted by carefully positioned openings that frame views of the surrounding forest. More about Charred timber and glass villa by VVKH Architecten is embedded in a sand dune
Four interconnected volumes are arranged around a patio at this house in Barcelona province, which also incorporates corridors and voids for displaying art. More about Gallery-like corridors connect blocks at 05 AM Arquitectura's House in Valldoreix
Seattle-based MW Works has overhauled an early-20th-century barn to create a family holiday home that celebrates rustic materials and fittings. More about MW Works transforms century-old Washington barn into rural family retreat
Dutch firm MVRDV has unveiled plans to build a Y-shaped house with a swimming pool cradled into its angular roof. More about MVRDV designs Y-shaped villa with rooftop swimming pool for Taiwan
Cedar boards and slate blocks clad the geometric blocks that make up this house in rural Quebec, designed by Canadian studio Simard Architecture to sit over the remnants of an old farmhouse. More about Canadian country house by Simard Architecture contrasts pale cedar with dark slate
Architects Ran Ankory and Maya Carni of Scenario Architecture have opened up the interior of their Victorian terraced house in north London and added a glazed extension at the rear. More about Scenario Architecture founders add glass-roofed extension to their own London home
This beachside house on Japan's Ikema Island is perched on a concrete base to ensure the living spaces inside enjoy an optimal view of the East China Sea. More about 1100 Architect elevates concrete house above a bluff on a tiny Japanese island
Architect Jeanne Dekkers has renovated and extended a brick farmhouse in the Dutch village of Banholt, adding contemporary additions clad in horizontal spruce battens that enclose a cobbled courtyard. More about Jeanne Dekkers Architectuur converts traditional Dutch farm into contemporary house and studio
Montreal firm Appareil Architecture has combined two dwellings in the city, which involved removing walls to bring in more natural light and creating a new sunken lounge space. More about Appareil Architecture merges two Montreal flats to create house with a sunken living room
Nordic Office of Architecture has completed a concrete and glass house on the outskirts of Trondheim, Norway, that offers its occupants impressive views. More about Nordic's Villa Vatnan is a hilltop house with a view over a Norwegian city
Studio Octopi has overhauled a terraced house in north London, adding an extension that features a three-storey-high window and a two-storey-high pivoting door. More about Extra-tall windows connect Studio Octopi's Slot House with its patio garden
American studio MW Works has knocked down walls and added glazing in a 1960s Seattle home, to create a more open layout and strengthen the connection between inside and out. More about MW Works updates mid-century modern home in Seattle lakeside neighbourhood
American studio Salmela Architect has created a rural Wisconsin home that features a steep roof, square windows and natural cedar cladding meant to age over time. More about Wisconsin country house by Salmela Architect takes cues from weathered barns
Doorways disguised as mirrors, secret corners, moving walls and yurt-shaped rooms feature in these four elaborate London townhouses that architect Peter Salter has been crafting for the last 13 years. More about Peter Salter creates labyrinthine London townhouses to experiment with different ideas
Any cat owner knows their pet is the true ruler of the household. That's particularly so in these six homes with feline-friendly features – including elevated walkways, stepping-stone shelving and discrete doorways. More about Six houses designed as playgrounds for cats
ArchiBlox has given this prefabricated beachfront house near Sydney a verdant plant-covered roof to help it blend into its clifftop setting. More about ArchiBlox creates garden roof for house overlooking a beach in Australia
Inside this wooden, prefabricated house in Amsterdam by Marc Koehler Architects, an angular black staircase crisscrosses between split levels. More about Prefabricated house in Amsterdam features wooden walls, zigzagging stairs and split levels
A cluster of red metal-clad volumes are arranged around a secluded courtyard at Henning Stummel's self-designed home in west London. More about Red pyramidal rooms form Henning Stummel's London home