20 Stunning Homes Built Into Nature (2024)

Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest legacy is easily his modern homes built into nature. From more obvious examples like Fallingwater in Pennsylvania to the way organic shapes found in nature influenced nearly every design he dreamt up. “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature,” Wright once said. “It will never fail you.” It’s no surprise that finding an integration, balance, and dialogue between the indoors and outdoors was arguably the iconic architect’s greatest gift.

Though Wright felt architects should study nature, John Ruskin took it a bit further. The Victorian-era writer once noted that an architect should be sent "to our hills, and let him study there what nature understands by a buttress, and what by a dome.” Whether influenced by Wright, Ruskin, or another, including nature in the built world is advice many architects have followed throughout the years.

As architects and their clients become more conscious of the impact construction has on the climate, many talents are taking pains to make sure their designs not only enhance but protect the environment. Features such as green roofs and passive architecture help connect the dwellings to their sites and offer sustainable alternatives to traditional heating and cooling systems.

Here, AD looks at some of the best examples of this. From an arachnid-shaped desert home that took nearly two decades to construct to a small home built inside a hill in France, these special houses seem more like livable art. With cliffside terraces, dramatic infinity pools, and living spaces nestled amid the tree canopy, these residences take indoor-outdoor living to a new level. Below, find 20 stunning homes built into nature.

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20 Stunning Homes Built Into Nature (2024)

FAQs

How many homes did Frank Lloyd Wright design? ›

From his early career with the firm of Adler and Sullivan to his final projects, Wright produced a wide range of work numbering almost 1,000 structures, about 400 of which were built. His innovative designs include the prairie house and the Usonian house.

Who was the architect that built around nature? ›

Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest legacy is easily his modern homes built into nature. From more obvious examples like Fallingwater in Pennsylvania to the way organic shapes found in nature influenced nearly every design he dreamt up. “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature,” Wright once said.

What architecture blended with nature? ›

By definition, biophilic design promotes wellbeing by incorporating elements that establish a coherent relationship between nature, human biology, and the building physically, visually, and emotionally.

What is a house built into a hill called? ›

In-hill. The in-hill (also termed "earth covered", or "elevational") construction is where the earth shelter is set into a slope or hillside, and earth covers the roof in addition to the walls.

What is so special about Frank Lloyd Wright's house? ›

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

With an emphasis on nature, craftsmanship and simplicity, the studio is an early example of what eventually became Prairie style architecture. In addition to large windows from which residents can view the outdoors, Wright brought nature physically inside the space.

Who owns Frank Lloyd Wright homes? ›

It is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and has been restored, maintained, and operated as a museum by The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. Every May, the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust hosts a housewalk of the home and studio and various private homes.

What architecture is built around nature? ›

What is Biomimicry Architecture? Biomimicry is derived from the Greek word; Bio means life and mimicry means to imitate. Biomimicry Architecture; is often referred to as a unique and technical approach to mimicking nature in creating various designs in architecture.

What architect integrated his architecture into nature and respected the surrounding environment? ›

Frank Lloyd Wright is often seen as the founder of organic architecture. With a mindset of nature and architecture merging as one, Wright was able to create magnificent organic buildings that incorporated natural design, form, and function.

Who is the best architect to ever exist? ›

Known for his unusually prolific design execution, Lloyd Wright is possibly one of the only famous architects in written history to have designed and erected over 1000 building structures in his 70-year lifetime. He began as a civil engineer, apprenticed with an architect and began his own practice in 1898.

What is nature inspired architecture called? ›

Biomimetic architecture is a branch of the new science of biomimicry defined and popularized by Janine Benyus in her 1997 book (Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature).

What architecture has a correlation to nature? ›

Architectural shapes inspired by nature are one of the three strategies of interaction between nature and architecture; the others include architectural forms that are solidly associated with the context of landscapes, and architectural shapes that are characterized by natural materials.

What are the 5 elements of nature in architecture? ›

A comprehensive technique for real estate design and development is provided by the 5 elements of nature: earth, water, fire, air, and space. These components can help architects and developers design buildings that are aesthetically beautiful and encourage peace and well-being.

Are earth homes cheaper to build? ›

Cost. Initial construction expenses for an earth sheltered home can be costly, sometimes costing about 20 percent more than the cost of building a traditional house. However, living in an earth sheltered home can save money over time.

What is a Shouse house? ›

A shouse (shop house) is an innovative architectural concept that blends the utility of a workspace, such as a workshop, garage, or studio, with the comfort and functionality of a traditional home. With their increasing popularity, more and more people are opting for shouses as their preferred living arrangement.

What happened to Green Magic homes? ›

But the NSW government last week stripped the company, Green Magic Homes, of its contractor licence amid accusations of lies and fraud. It has left the couple almost half a million dollars out of pocket and with work stopped on an unfinished home exposed to the elements.

How many houses did Frank Lloyd Wright design in Oak Park? ›

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright moved to Oak Park in 1889 at age 21. The neighborhood contains 23 buildings that he designed or remodeled, including his own home and studio, before he left the village in 1913.

How many houses did Frank Lloyd Wright build in California? ›

Frank Lloyd Wright had a long and successful career in California, designing over 100 structures in the state. His work ranged from private residences to commercial buildings to churches.

How many buildings did Frank Lloyd Wright build in Japan? ›

Wright in Japan. Frank Lloyd Wright designed some 14 buildings for Japan: an embassy, a school, two hotels and a temporary hotel annex, a commercial-residential complex, a theater, an official residence for the prime minister and six private residences.

How many hotels did Frank Lloyd Wright design? ›

One by one, each of Frank Lloyd Wright's six hotels have disappeared. A fire destroyed Montana's 1909 Bitter Root Inn in 1924, by that time a roadhouse. Tokyo's Imperial Hotel, completed in 1923, survived the Grant Kanto earthquake of the same year, only to be demolished in 1968.

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