Most Unique and Beautiful Homes in the World

Location: Naucalpan, Mexico

Designed by: Javier Senosiain

Photos courtesy of World Architecture News

This fascinating house is created in the so-called bio-architecture style and is inspired by the form of Nautilus shells. Bio-architecture means that the building is based on natural principles of organic forms.

The first interesting feature of this huge shell, besides its shape, is the beautiful entry, cut into the wall of colorful stained glass. The entry leads directly into the living room, which is covered with “live plant carpet”. A network of stone paths and spiral stairs leads to various areas of the home.

This eco home is constructed of a special material called Grancrete. Grancrete is a concrete composite that is sprayed over a frame of steel-reinforced chicken wire. This results in a structure that is earthquake-proof and maintenance-free. The material is also stronger than concrete, fire resistant and provides good insulation in both hot and cold climates.

Location: Wales

Designed by: Simon Dale

Photos courtesy of Simon Dale

This cozy hobbit home looks like something taken straight off of the Lord of the Rings set. The man who built it; Simon Dale, calls it a "low-impact" Woodland home. The Hobbit house is embedded in a hillside for low visual impact and is made from stone, mud, wood, straw bales and lime plaster. The roof has a skylight that lets in natural light, and solar panels that power all the appliances and electronic equipment in the house. Clean water is gravity-fed from a nearby spring and rain water is collected and fed into a garden pond. This "green" home also has a "green" fridge that is cooled by air flowing up through the foundation.

Location: Hilversum, The Netherlands

Designed by: Piet Hein Eek

Photos courtesy of Thomas Mayer

Here is a modern spin on a log cabin. The amazing and cozy house is designed to look like a stack of logs standing in a field. It is specially built as an office for Dutch music-entertainer Hans Liberg. To avoid building regulations and council tax, this Log House is fitted with wheels and can be moved when needed (or when Liberg gets tired of the view).

The sliding windows of the house are covered with shutters that are cleverly disguised using log sections. The door is disguised in the same way. Under the log facade there is a plywood and steel frame. The cozy interior is painted in pale blue, which makes it bright and cheery. The unique Log House is built at the edge of a forest, offering a quiet place to work.

Location: Suffolk, England

Designed by: Alex De Rijke

Photos courtesy of dRMM

It may look like a simple timber barn and you probably won’t be impressed by this house if you don’t know its unique feature. This is actually a glass house, covered with timber shell that slides on rails and can open and shut as needed in 6 minutes. The sliding roof is like a sleeve that fits over the static glass structure. This 20-ton outer shell is driven by four electric motors, powered by car batteries, which are charged by solar panels on the roof. The timber skin has an insulating function in the winter and provides shade in the summer.

What better place to live in than a home that alters according to your mood!

Location: Montecito, California, USA

Designed by: Steve Hermann

Photos by: William MacCollum and Jim Bartsch, via The Wall Street Journal

This ultramodern and luxury home is constructed almost entirely of glass. The special glass used for the walls is called Starfire. It is an incredibly clear glass that makes the walls seem to disappear. As clear glass gets thicker, a green cast becomes noticeable. Sometimes this is not important, but in order for the interior to completely blend with the exterior, such clarity is needed. There are also no sliding doors in the glass, as these would have required framing, which would have detracted from the minimalist look. Despite the barely existent walls, the house has some privacy. All glass walls open to a huge lot with plants and oak trees that act as a natural screen or wallpaper.

Location: Oldenburg, Germany

Designed by: Flo Florian and Sascha Ackermann

Photos courtesy of www.schwimmhausboot.de

This modern, floating home is called Silverfish, and is not just a cool looking house, but eco-friendly as well. The Floating HouseBoat is built from a composite material called Resoplan and wood. It is insulated with hemp and wood fibers. The unusual house features a "front porch" and rooftop terrace, completed with small garden. The grass roof is not only a nice addition to the house but is also used to cool the interior. The front facade is made entirely of glass, giving the rooms natural light.