This stunning home on Seattle’s Lake Union from Vandeventer + Carlander Architects is an unconventional take on the well-loved Seattle floating home. Offering spectacular views on all sides – downtown to the south, Gas Works Park to the north, Queen Anne Hill to the west and the lovely Lake Union all around – the home is in an indisputably desirable location.

But what really makes the home stand out is its upside-down floor plan. The private spaces – that is, those usually reserved only for the residents – are on the first floor and encased in huge, glittering windows.

The public spaces – those normally shared with guests – are located on the second floor. This unusual layout offers incredible views from the living room, dining room and open kitchen.

Outdoor living spaces are incorporated into the home’s design to further strengthen its connection to the beautiful location. Dual terraces and a rooftop deck let residents and visitors enjoy the spectacular views at any time.

The modern architecture of this floating home is perfectly offset by its luxurious setting and a few elaborate appointments, such as the spiral staircase leading to the rooftop deck. It is a home that is uniquely Seattle, through and through.

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Finland requires permits for any building over 96 square feet – one might think that means anything short (or long) of a shed would fail to fit the bill, but this little beauty manages to work with those incredible restrictions.

Built for just over $10,000 by Robin Falck, the structure is affectionately dubbed ‘Bird’s Nest’ and features a simple first floor and a 50-square-foot sleeping and storage loft.

Made mainly of recycled materials, it was built quickly and effectively with a little architectural help and some creative thinking, inspired in part by impending military service and the desire to have something neat to return to.

What the cute little cabin lacks in indoor space it makes up for with an outdoor patio for lounging or sleeping under the stars as well as a lofted wooden footpath further extending its footprint without breaking the building-code rules.

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Colonizing our orbiting neighbor has long been a fantasy for humankind, but what kind of form would a likely dwelling take? This proposal is partly whimsical, but also factors site conditions not every would-be lunar architect considers.

Perhaps neatest of all is the split-level, stair-less configuration of the space – a nod to the lower-than-Earth gravity conditions that would allow residents to leap and bound from one floor to the next.

The shape of this sphere by Royal Haskoning Architecten is a nod to our home world, but also a practical way of providing maximum exterior views from a house without a readily-available front porch or back yard.

A series of rotating shades help regulate light and heat, reducing temperature extremes while gathering the sun’s energy. For more serious solar storms, an underground bunker provides safer emergency shelter.

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The time-worn adage about necessity and invention is one that may induce some eye-rolling, but it is undeniably true. This is particularly the case in arctic zones which are often extremely inhospitable to humans – yet we as a species continue to venture there in order to learn about our world.

To support the mission of these intrepid Arctic explorers, 2-B-2 Architecture designed the Arctic Mobile Unit. The small pre-fab unit provides life support for three people for up to 15 days.

Researchers would share the tiny living quarters for short-term treks; any longer and they are likely to get a bit annoyed with each other. Each AMU is 6.5 feet X 5.25 feet X 7.5 feet, making it just big enough to eat, sleep and shower in.

Like any well-designed tiny living space, the AMU is designed to use space efficiently. One of the sleeping bunks turns into a table and chairs for two while the toilet sits inside of the shower enclosure.

For ease of moving, the AMU is partially collapsible. When on the move, the unit is compact and unhindered by protuberances. After arriving at its destination, certain parts of the pod pull out to offer a slightly expanded (though still remarkably tiny) interior space.

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It starts with a fluid central volume with operable circular windows and skylights for seasonal weather-based temperature flexibility, then spawns a series of additional indoor and outdoor spaces.

Scheduled to be constructed on the coast of South Korea by 2015, Planning Korea let each sub-structure reflect its function with respect to the whole, including party rooms, work spaces, bedrooms and lounges that jut out at angles in each direction.

A green roof also varies in height, rising toward one end of the site and sinking into a swimming pool with a view toward the ocean, reinforcing a sense of motion and creating additional views at various points along the way.

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