Unique Architectural Designs for Homes

Glass Houses

• Admired for their clean, simple, modern lines, glass houses effectively blend indoor and outdoor spaces. A glass house offers an abundance of light and an airy look as well as a feeling of being in close proximity to nature. On the downside, this architectural design offers limited privacy, as much of the interior is visible from the outside. Because of the lack of privacy, glass houses may best be suited to lots with a significant amount of private acreage.

Log Cabin Homes

• Valued for being sturdy and relatively easy to construct, the log cabin home became popular during the 18th century in America. Because log cabin houses are made from trees, which are naturally durable as well as visually appealing, they require no exterior treatments or additions such as clapboards or shingles. In addition, logs serve as a heavy, dense insulating material, which makes installing interior wallboard, plaster or other insulators unnecessary. Although today's log cabin houses may be larger and grander than those of bygone times, they still retain a spirit of rusticity because of their authentic, natural look.

Stilt Houses

• Stilt houses are built on vertical pilings or stilts and are commonly found in coastal areas and places with a higher-than-average potential for flooding. Elevated from street level, stilt houses can offer amazing views of bodies of water or landscapes. This architectural design frequently features an outdoor space such as a deck, porch or terrace, which provides the homeowner with a place to enjoy the views. Stilt houses can be made from a variety of materials such as wood, metal or vinyl siding.

Other Unique Architectural Designs for Homes

• Throughout the world, unique architectural designs for homes range from beautiful to whimsical to unforgettable. Some of the most unique designs include houses built upside down, so that the peak of the roof points toward the ground; structures made entirely of wooden reeds or stones; houses built into the sides of caves; and round, block or cone-shaped domiciles.