As the tides erode the northern coast of New Zealand, this house on a sled by architects Crosson Clarke Carnachan can be towed off the beach and out of harm's way (+ slideshow). More about Hut on Sleds by Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects
![Casa DJ by [i]da Arquitectos](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/07/JM_CasaDJ_006_feature.jpg)
Indoor and outdoor staircases lead from a roof terrace to a sunken courtyard at this house in Portugal by Lisbon studio [i]da Arquitectos. More about Casa DJ by [i]da Arquitectos
This concrete house in Portugal by architect Paula Santos features an indoor swimming pool and a painter's studio (+ slideshow). More about House in Ovar by Paula Santos
A dozen layers of concrete planters create a vertical garden on the facade of this house in Ho Chi Minh City by Vietnamese architects Vo Trong Nghia. More about Stacking Green by Vo Trong Nghia
An enormous frame surrounds a little window in the reconstructed stone wall that flanks this holiday home in northern Italy by architects bergmeisterwolf (+ slideshow). More about Farmstead Next to the Chapel by bergmeisterwolf
Wooden shutters fold, tilt and slide open to let in the sun and keep out the burglars at this weekend cabin in New Zealand by architects Crosson Clarke Carnachan (+ slideshow). More about Tutukaka House by Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects
Architect John Lin has adapted the traditional style of a rural Chinese courtyard residence to create a village house that is entirely self-sufficient (+ slideshow). More about House For All Seasons by John Lin
These London townhouses by architects Piercy & Company have chunky banisters formed from thickly layered birch plywood. More about Wakefield Street Townhouses by Piercy & Company
Wooden stairs climb up through a narrow lightwell inside this house by Japanese studio Tato Architects. More about House in Futako-Shinchi by Tato Architects
The timber-framed rooms of this house in Osaka prefacture by Japanese architects Suga Atelier are on show to the street though a transparent facade. More about House of Cedar by Suga Atelier
Hoxton architects Edgley Design have tucked a rubber-clad residence and aluminium artist's studio behind a row of semi-detached houses in Hackney. More about Amhurst Road by Edgley Design
Steps connecting the gradually rising floors of this Paris house by Moussafir Architectes can be glimpsed through the cut-out shutters on its glazed facade (+ slideshow). More about Maison Escalier by Moussafir Architectes
This hillside house by Japanese studio Tato Architects comprises a metal barn on top of a glass box (+ slideshow). More about House in Rokko by Tato Architects
This house by Japanese firm Naya Architects is so closely surrounded by apartment blocks that its walls have to lean away from them. More about House in Motoyawata by Naya Architects
The walls of this house in Sydney by Australian studio Chris Elliott Architects feature curved openings that look like gills. More about Seacliff House by Chris Elliott Architects
Rectilinear blocks of glass and concrete overlap one another at this house in Mexico City by architect Fernanda Canales (+ slideshow). More about Maruma House by Fernanda Canales
The floors of this house by Tokyo studio HUG are connected by the steps of a courtyard that climbs over a roof (+ slideshow). More about Terrace Step House by HUG
Japanese architect Takato Tamagami has completed two homes in Tokyo that are tangled around each other. More about N-House by Takato Tamagami
Dutch architecture studio GAAGA designed an asymmetrical facade to make these two houses in Leiden look like only one. More about Two-In-One House by GAAGA
The facade of this Melbourne house for an architect and a street artist has built-in graffiti. More about The Hive Apartment by ITN Architects