The blackened timber home of Bergen-based architect Todd Saunders is lifted above the ground on two podiums, sheltering a patch of garden and a swing set beneath the living room (+ slideshow). More about Todd Saunders' self-designed home is raised on stilts to cover outdoor areas
A canyon at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in rural Washington is the setting for this timber and concrete house designed by Seattle firm Balance Associates (+ slideshow). More about Nahahum Cabin is a canyon retreat built into the landscape
This timber-clad beach cabin by Amsterdam-based studio Marc Koehler Architects is embedded into the sand dunes of a Dutch island, overlooking the North Sea (+ slideshow). More about Beach house by Marc Koehler Architects is half submerged into a grassy dune
House-shaped windows of different sizes protrude from the facade of this mixed-use building in South Korea, offering clues about the "three-dimensional puzzle-like composition" of rooms inside (+ slideshow). More about Gablepack by AND features a facade of house-shaped windows
This Japanese family home by FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects is arranged as a series of framed spaces, with the ground floor dominated by an art gallery and workspace (+ slideshow). More about Kouichi Kimura's Framing House combines a home and a gallery
A cluster of glass pavilions positioned around the base of this existing Melbourne house open onto terraces that are sheltered by a copper-edged canopy (+ slideshow). More about B.E. Architecture adds gridded glass rooms to a Melbourne residence
This three-sided house in a Dutch village has two blackened timber sides that flank a neighbouring property, while its only glazed facade is orientated towards an adjacent field (+ slideshow). More about Barend Koolhaas completes a blackened timber house with a triangular floor plan
White aluminium panels give a ridged texture to the walls and rooftops of these residential properties completed by BURO II & ARCHI+I in a Belgian coastal town (+ slideshow). More about Homes near Belgium's coastline feature ridged skins of white aluminium
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
Pre-rusted steel clads this L-shaped extension to a farmhouse in rural Canada, giving the block a burnt orange colouring that complements the red brickwork of its neighbour (+ slideshow). More about Superkül extends Canadian farmhouse with rusty Corten-clad block
Strips of dark-stained timber give a charred appearance to the three stacked blocks that form this house in the Netherlands, which replaces another property that was destroyed by fire (+ slideshows). More about Huize Looveld is a blackened timber house built on the site of a razed farmstead
Architects Deborah Saunt and David Hills used underground rooms and mirrors to help disguise the volume of their house, which is located in a conservation area in leafy south London (+ slideshow). More about DSDHA's Covert House is designed to camouflage with its surroundings
The American Institute of Architects has selected its top 10 housing projects of the last 12 months, including a rusting steel residence in rural Washington, a series of musicians' cottages in Vermont and a student housing tower in Boston (+ slideshow). More about AIA names top 10 American housing projects of the year
Strips of recycled hardwood enclose the narrow balcony that runs around the edge of this family residence on the outskirts of a fishing village in Thailand (+ slideshow). More about Slatted timber screens shade poolside residence in Thailand by Architectkidd
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
Melbourne studio Make Architecture has renovated a red brick bungalow outside the city, adding an extension featuring a decorative timber facade that references brickwork patterns (+ slideshow). More about Make Architecture adds perforated wooden facade to renovated and extended Melbourne house
A skin of corrugated and perforated metal clads this villa in the Beskid Mountains, which sits on a wedge-shaped podium with stone-filled gabion walls (+ slideshow). More about Villa in the Czech mountains combines perforated metal with stone gabions
Narrow strips of wood screen both walls and windows at this house in Bavaria by Kühnlein Architektur, which comprises a pair of connected sheds (+ slideshow). More about House in rural Germany features a slatted wooden facade and copper fittings
The top floor of this hillside house in Argentina extends out over the treetops to offer residents a vantage point over the surrounding town (+ slideshow). More about Casa 367 sits above the treetops of a hillside in Argentina