Ornate patterns have been carved into the wooden screens that surround this lakeside villa in western Austria, designed by Viennese architect Alexander Diem (+ slideshow). More about Intricately patterned fretwork surrounds Alexander Diem's Villa by the Lake
This Sydney house by Farnan Findlay Architects has been clad in materials "that can take a beating" from the salty air and wind of its beachside location, including spotted gum timber that will turn grey over time (+ slideshow). More about Farnan Findlay's beachside Clovelly House designed to "look better in 20 years"
This timber-clad house along Australia's scenic Great Ocean Road has been raised above the ground to capture the best views of the ocean and provide shaded outdoor space beneath (+ slideshow). More about Great Ocean Road House by ITN Architects is raised on stilts to maximise ocean views
This house on a narrow site by German office Philipp Architekten follows the slope of its hilly location with a series of stepped levels (+ slideshow). More about Philipp Architekten's all-white House M frames a sunken pool
Untreated timber and pale bricks have been used to clad six new London homes by Henley Halebrown Rorrison, which were developed as the city's first co-housing project (+ slideshow). More about Henley Halebrown Rorrison uses timber and brick for London's first co-housing development
Eastabrook Architects and Jonathan Tuckey Design have added a contemporary glazed extension to a Grade II-listed Cotswolds house to provide additional space without detracting from the original building (+ slideshow). More about Eastabrook Architects and Jonathan Tuckey Design add glazed extension to Grade II-listed Yew Tree House
Naruse House by MDS has been clad using the traditional Japanese technique of Yakisugi, which involves charring cedar wood to create a blackened, weather-resistant surface that resists decay (+ slideshow). More about MDS designs blackened timber house on a sloping junction in Tokyo
An elevated concrete tunnel provides the entrance to this house in Cuernavaca, Mexico, created by local architecture studio APT in a converted colonial-style annex (+ slideshow). More about Concrete tunnel extends through an old stone wall at Leyva 506 house by APT
A minimal arch frames the entrance to this former farmhouse that architect Manuel Aires Mateus has transformed into a modern retreat in the rural landscape of Portugal's Alentejo region (+ slideshow). More about Manuel Aires Mateus revives a Portuguese farmhouse to create Casa no Tempo
Japanese architect Kazunori Fujimoto used the golden ratio to generate the proportions of this raw concrete house on the seafront of Fukuyama, Japan (+ slideshow). More about House in Tajiri by Kazunori Fujimoto is a raw concrete home facing out to sea
Vo Trong Nghia Architects has revealed its second-phase prototype for an affordable and low-maintenance dwelling for Vietnam, as part of a project aimed at solving the country's housing crisis (+ slideshow). More about Vo Trong Nghia unveils second prototype for low-cost Vietnamese housing
Irish architect John McLaughlin incorporated sliding glass doors into the timber frame of this suburban house in Dublin to improve the relationship between the interior and the garden. More about Sliding doors connect John McLaughlin's timber-framed Open House with its garden
Translucent polycarbonate panels reveal the frame of this renovated house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by Italian architects Alessandro Armando and Manfredo di Robilant, which also features giant shutters on wheels (+ slideshow). More about Polycarbonate House in Massachusetts features translucent plastic walls and wheeled shutters
Stone tiles and horizontal cement boards were used to define the various volumes of this house in South Korea by architecture studio SPLK (+ slideshow). More about Honsinzi House by SPLK contrasts cement panels with local stone
This house in Onomichi, Japan, by Suppose Design Office is framed by five parallel walls, which have been placed at an angle to frame views of an adjacent waterway (+ slideshow). More about Walls run diagonally across the site of Suppose Design Office's House in Onomichi
The upper floor of this Japanese mountain home is twice the size of the base, creating a dramatic overhang that appears to be supported by nothing but a pair of angular stilts (+ slideshow). More about Mountainside home by Kidosaki Architects extends out into the sky
The entire glazed front of this beach house in Hampshire, England, concertinas open to join a waterfront terrace (+ slideshow). More about The Kench is a British seaside chalet designed to "encourage outdoor living"
This house on the Malaysian island of Langkawi was designed by WHBC Architects to be entirely constructed from reclaimed wood, including a framework made from old telegraph poles (+ slideshow). More about Malaysian island home by WHBC built from reclaimed telegraph poles
News: a company that specialises in prefabricated housing has unveiled a concept for a modular residence that would hang off the side of a cliff. More about Vertiginous Cliff House designed to hang off a precipice like "barnacles clinging to a ship's hull"
Japanese architect Shintaro Fukuhara has completed a glass-fronted house with a steeply angled roof in Kobe, as a home for himself and his family (+ slideshow). More about Shintaro Fukuhara's family home has a glass facade like "a showroom"