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15 Intriguing Homes Perched Above the Earth

http://www.decor-ideas.org 11/12/2013 23:30 Decor Ideas 

From the earliest times, humans have often opted to live in structures above the ground — whether ihigh above in trees, in cliff-face caves, in stone towers or on stilts above the water. Back then the decisions were made for practical reasons: convenience, economy, isolation and protection from floods, marauding armies or wild animals. As towns developed, it made sense to live in rooms above street-level shops. In rural areas people lived in rooms above the animals' quarters. The 20th century brought the development of vertical stacked high-rise buildings with ubiquitous penthouses and their wraparound outdoor terraces.

Today living above the ground can open up all sorts of possibilities, from simply allowing views over a garden wall to maximizing amazing views, making the most of a small plot and taking advantage of cool breezes. The constraints of a tight plot can be overcome by putting a house on columns. A house on stilts can allow for buildings above water. In a tropical climate, a tree house can provide protection and refreshing breezes.

However, this style of living isn't for everyone. Some of these houses infringe on neighbors' privacy. Others have issues with universal access. Take a look at these stunning homes perched above the ground. Could you live in one of these spaces?

by Dorman Architects
1. Apartments, Paye Basque, Spain

Living units stacked one above the next with a workshop, tavern or shop at street level are typical in older cities. French windows with a simple wood guardrail overlook the narrow streets and provide light and air to the living units here. Often, the apartments opposite each other are within touching reach.

modern exterior Must-Know Moderns
2. Villa Savoye, by Le Corbusier, Poissy, France

This single-family house, raised on pilotis above the ground, embodies the contemporary idea of living above ground. It also exemplifies Corbusier's famous Five Points for a New Architecture, which many architects have followed with varying degrees of success.

modern hall Must-Know Moderns
The interior boasts an early example of universal access: Both spiral stairs and a ramp lead from the ground floor to the upper levels.

More about this house

exterior by Dorman Architects
3. Modern House, Guimares, Portugal

This modernist house perched on pilotis is on the edge of the dense city core of Portugal's medieval capital, Guimares. The living spaces are raised above the recessed ground floor, and the main outdoor spaces are up on the roof.

modern exterior by commons.wikimedia.org
4. Lovell Beach House, by Rudolph Schindler, Newport Beach, California

Rudolph Schindler's Lovell Beach House presents a double-height void at street level; the living areas are high above to maximize views to the ocean.

More about this house

industrial exterior by Randy Brown
5. Laboratory House, by Randy Browne, Omaha, Nebraska

The cube-shaped living space of Randy Browne's Laboratory House projects out into the landscape for a stunning view. Bridges and stairs connect the disparate elements of the house.

by Randy Brown
The children's bedrooms and playspaces are on the ground level, but the main gallery upstairs embraces the landscape.

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contemporary exterior by AR Design Studio Ltd
6. The Boat House, by AR Design Studio, Cotswolds, England

This living room extension, suspended above a lake in the English Cotswolds, is a good distance away from main house. Full-height glazing on three sides creates the sense of being afloat on the lake.

More about this house

contemporary exterior by Elliott + Elliott Architecture
7. Pond House, by Elliot and Elliot, Maine

Elliot and Elliot's Pond House is another example of a house anchored to the land on one side and extending out over the water on stilts. This time the house references wharf-side buildings.

More about this house

modern exterior by Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects
8. Surfside House, by Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects, Bridgehampton, New York

The main living level of the Surfside House is raised above the horizon line, giving the impression that the house is hovering above the dunes. Its lightness and transparency is emphasized by the glimpses of the ocean visible beneath and through the house.

tropical exterior by Jeni Lee
9. Bamboo House, by Simon Evans, Bali

Simon Evans' Bamboo House in Bali is partially closed at the ground level but fully open above to make the most of the beautiful views of the surrounding forest.

tropical living room by Jeni Lee
Upstairs is a lounge, office and sleeping area that overlooks the forest. Obviously, the owner is not prone to sleepwalking.

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contemporary exterior Didden Village, MVRDV
10. Didden Village, by MVRDV, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Dutch architecture firm MVRDV extended the main body of this redbrick house upward to provide additional bedrooms and an outdoor living space.

contemporary deck Didden Village, MVRDV
The extensions sit up top like upscale Monopoly houses. The sense of fantasy is further emphasized by the bright blue exterior finish.

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contemporary exterior by TASCHEN
11. House NA, by Sou Fujimoto, Tokyo

A series of stepped transparent platforms comprises Sou Fujimoto's steel and glass house in Tokyo. The architect has compared living in the open, perched structure to living in a tree.

More about this house

contemporary exterior by Frederick Phillips and Associates
12. Tower House, by Frederick Phillips Architects, Chicago

This architect squeezed his home, a steel-framed glazed infill building, onto a tiny plot in Chicago by stacking the house functions. As with Villa Savoye, the ground is dedicated to the car and entrance, while the roof is dedicated to the garden. The living spaces are raised above the bedrooms.

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by Centrala
13. Keret House, by Centrala Architects, Warsaw, Poland

Vertical living is taken to an extreme in this skinny little space in Warsaw, by architect Jakub Szczęsny of Centrala. At street level a staircase drops down from a hatch to allow access to the house.

by Centrala
A ladder leads to the sleeping platform overhead. The dining table and chairs are cantilevered from the side wall.

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contemporary exterior by KUBE architecture
14. Forest House, by Kube Architecture, Great Falls, Virginia

Kube Architecture's tower in the forest is a four-story extension of an existing house. A playroom and bedrooms are on the lower levels, and an office and media space is on the upper level.

contemporary living room by KUBE architecture
The tower extension is designed so that framed views of the forest are revealed in each direction as one climbs through the house. Here the office and media room appears to reach into the woods through the double-height window.

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contemporary exterior WoZoCo, MVRDV
15. WoZoCo, by MVRDV, Amsterdam

For this extraordinary housing project in the Osdorp neighborhood of Amsterdam, the architects cantilevered 13 additional housing units from what might otherwise have been an ordinary slab housing block.

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by NBC Universal, Inc.
Future Imagined: Skytower in Oblivion

Living above the ground is taken to an extreme in the science fiction movie Oblivion; the Skytower residence is 3,000 feet above the polluted earth below. It has all the classic features of a supercool modern home: wraparound decking, fully glazed walls and, of course, a heliport.

More about the architecture in this movie

More: 6 Amazing Homes Dug Into the Earth

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Category:Interior
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