Designing modern homes in forests offers architects an exciting opportunity to imagine innovative spaces in sometimes difficult terrains. These homes also have both incredible views and intimate experiences in unaffected parcels of the world. These homes demonstrate the human desire to be with, honor, and explore nature while often minimizing the impact on the surrounding environment. Below, AD surveys 11 incredible properties that showcase the beauty and diversity of modern homes built in forests.

Tree House Constantia (South Africa) Designed by South African studio Malan Vorster, Tree House Constantia is constructed from four cylindrical towers. The clients hoped to maximize views of a nearby Cape Town forest, which informed both the height of the house and the expansive windows wrapping around each tower.

Circle Wood (Poland) Clad in okume wood, this home designed by Mobius Architekci in Poland doesn’t just blend into the forest, but was inspired by it too. The home’s circular shape is informed by a trunk, with nearby trees “piercing” through it for a dramatic effect.

Planchonella House (Australia) The site ridgeline informed the playful concrete contour of this home, which peeks through the lush terrain of a tropical forest in Far North Queensland. Designed by Jesse Bennett, the minimal walls ensure plenty of views of the surrounding rainforest.

Tower House (New York, US) “This small vacation house is designed as a stairway to the treetops,” Gluck+, the architects of Tower House, write of the home. Designed to keep the home’s footprint as minimal as possible, the house has three bedrooms that make up the first first three floors, constructed as full-floor suites, each with a small bedroom and bathroom. The living spaces spread out “like a tree canopy” across the top floor, located within a horizontal perpendicular volume. The glass-enclosed home offers nearly unobstructed views of the Catskill mountain range.

Forest <> House (Northern California, US) This home designed by firm Envelope was born from the question: What if the forest itself were the house? Rather than one building, the home is made of three separate tent cabins. “The tented roofs and vanishing walls create an immersive connection with the natural setting—its sounds and changing seasons—while large clear and mirrored-bronze glass windows frame views of the landscape and neighboring ‘rooms,’” the architects explain.

Casa Bruma (Mexico) Translating to “Mist House” in English, Casa Bruma was designed by Fernanda Canales and Claudia Rodríguez. The home is made of just four materials—black concrete, wood, stone, and glass—and is constructed as nine separate “blocks” centered around a large patio. Each block leans toward the views and respects the natural vegetation of the area.

Cabin Rones (Norway) Measuring at just over 505 square feet, this small cabin was designed by Norwegian firm Sanden+Hodnekvam Arkitekter for a couple looking for a quiet place to relax and take in the views of Beitstadfjorden. “The cabin is inspired by the natural space that was at the site before the building was constructed,” John Sanden, partner at Sanden+Hodnekvam Arkitekter, told Dezeen in 2019. “A big rock on the site became the back of the building, offering a natural shelter.

House in the Forest (Japan) “The brief is not for a house but for a time in and with the forest,” Florian Busch Architects wrote of their House in the Forest. From above, the home mirrors tree roots, branching out from one central location through the forest floor. “Moving through the house is moving through the forest,” the architects write of the changing views and scenes visible from inside the home.

Kerala River Home (India) On the banks of the Chaliyar River, this home designed by firm Thought Parallels features a facade made nearly completely from glass, offering stunning views of the lush land the home sits on. The butterfly roof adds further dramatic interest to the modern home.

Neo Villa (Germany) Located in Rosengarten, Germany, Neo Villa is a 5,209-square-foot home designed by Querkopf Architekten in 2019. The home, made up of two rectangular cuboid volumes, features full-height windows on the base, V-shaped columns, and a swimming pool that reflects the home and forest around it.