Casa Serra Azul, a wooden structure and prefabricated panel house designed by Apiacás Arquitetos in 2022, occupies a plot in São Paulo, Brazil. The layout embraces a horizontal form, maximising interaction with the land and providing excellent cross-ventilation. Its cohesive design, featuring a large wooden roof, aims to minimise material waste and introduce new construction possibilities, prioritising environmental concerns.

Grupo Arquitectura designed Four Houses Pinares, a set of four independent residences amidst a wooded landscape in Mexico. The architects adapted the homes to the site’s natural topography, ensuring minimal disruption to existing trees. Each structure features a metallic frame with visible wooden beams and panels.

EC Architecture Design revamped a Parisian apartment along the Canal Saint Martin, combining two separate spaces. Designed in 2022, the 70-square-meter apartment now boasts an open-plan living area with custom furniture. The project emphasized materials, incorporating stone walls, wooden beams, terrazzo, quartz, and marble. A striking feature is the bathroom, designed as a “suspended black box” between the bedroom and living area, adding a graphic touch to the interior.

House with Garden by Frasquet Arquitectos is located in Valencia, Spain. Designed in 2024, this modern home prioritizes natural light and its surrounding environment.

HGA Studio designed the Brahminy House, a contemporary house in Byron Bay, Australia, completed in 2022. Nestled above Wategos Beach, the house serves as a portal for the ocean and native heath.

The Hua Xu Boutique Hotel by Z+H Renhai Design is situated in Suzhou, China. Completed by designer Zhang Haihua, this 2024 project involved transforming three existing residential buildings into a courtyard hotel. The design draws inspiration from the region’s Jiangnan-style houses, incorporating contemporary elements that harmonize with the area’s historical context.

The Lake Hayes Home by Ben Hudson Architects is situated in the rocky, sloping terrain above the shore of Lake Hayes in Arrowtown, New Zealand. Designed with a low-lying form and natural materials, this 2023 project gracefully integrates with its surroundings.

Argentinian studio Estudio Palacios balanced their recently completed Casa en Piedras in Córdoba with two levels set into the hilly terrain. Clad in corten steel and black Portoro stone-plastic, the structure blends with the natural landscape. The interiors are marked by spacious, rustic furnishings to create a direct connection to the outdoors, while a split-level layout anchors the structure into the hillside, revealing a rustic design aesthetic.