12 wonderful houses to dream of living in while surrounded by nature

Open the front door and step onto the beach, or enter a wood. Living surrounded by nature is the dream of many, and the reality of some. And in fact, all around the world, there are homes set in some truly breathtaking natural scenery.

Hidden inside a hill, bordering a patch of desert, perched on a slope or resting gently along the banks of rivers and lakes: take a look at the dream homes we have listed below.

Some of the most exciting projects are those that express the modern concept of biophilic architecture, i.e. one designed to be fully integrated into nature: from design to the choice of materials and, where possible, to minimize the effects of human impact on the territory.

There are many ideas for modern homes, with modules in geometric shapes that project into the landscape, as in the case of the pictured Forest House / Espacio EMA.

And what would you say to a cottage - even a small one - which allows you to open the door and find yourself treading on the sand of a beach?

Along the oceanfronts of near-tropical latitudes, there are breathtaking examples of stunning architecture from around the world. And they usually have huge windows in common - of cours, to better enjoy the panoramic views.

Some residences are owned by famous celebrities, who choose to get away from the crowds to enjoy the sounds and sights of nature in peace.

There are also historic buildings - typically on the edge of urban areas - surrounded by nature and plants, like this home decked out completely in ivy!

And who wouldn't love having an imposing mansion overlooking the shores of a lake? Often, these homes have piers and private boathouses that allow one to use the waterways to come and go in privacy.

Sometimes, some projects seem to defy the laws of physics, such as this house that seems to be dug into a mountain: this is the design of Omar Hakim for his home overlooking the Alta Lake in Whistler, Canada.

There are those who decorate the homes with an artificial pond; and then there are those who prefer to live next to a "real one".

A lover of water features, on the other hand, might prefer the idea of integrating a waterfall into the architecture of their home! This is the case with a project finished in 2019, in Lo Curro - Santiago, Chile (Martin Schmidt Radic Arquitectos Asociados).

More simply, one could avoid cutting down trees to make room for a building by embracing them into the design itself.

Some residences designed for life in desert areas are also spectacular: they spread themselves wide, offer no resistance to the biting winds and are perfectly integrated into the desert landscape.

Which of these dream homes do you like the most?