Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Modern Forest Houses That Make The Most Of Their Beautiful Natural Surroundings

Modern Forest Houses That Make The Most Of Their Beautiful Natural Surroundings

A house in the forest, surrounded only by nature and its beauty sounds like a dream come true for many. We often imagine how something like would look like and projects such as the ones we’re about to look at make everything seem more real and attainable every time.

Let’s see how others envisioned their dream forest house looking like and how architects and designers managed to make that vision become reality.

A collection of modern houses in the forest


Modern House Zilvar and its angular design





A house in the forest is almost always made out of wood in most people’s imaginations. It makes perfect sense to use the materials around the house to build it even if a modern wood house wouldn’t necessarily make us of the actual logs and trees in its vicinity. House Zilvar is a lovely example. It’s a project by studio ASGK Design and it occupies a piece of land on the outskirts of a small village in the Czech Republic. It’s not very big but it enjoys a beautiful relationship with its surroundings and it also has a rather unique shape.

Charred cedar house with a green roof




Located in a particularly dense forest region near Lake Michigan, this lovely modern house uses a rather unusual set of materials in its design. The exterior of the house is built using materials such as charred cedar and dark-anodized aluminum. This gives the house a particularly modern appearance but also helps it to more easily and naturally blend in with the landscape that surrounds it. Also, it has a green roof which reinforces this connection even more. This was a project done by Johnsen Schmaling Architects.

Lakeside retreat surrounded by forest



This house was a project done by Thellend Fortin Architects and is located near Montreal, Canada. It occupies a plateau close to a lake, with lots of trees and vegetation all around it. The geometry of the house is quite simple, featuring a modern aesthetic with clean and simple lines and large glazed areas that seamlessly connect the interior to the gorgeous views and the outdoor areas. The design is heavily inspired by this location, specifically the choice of materials and finishes throughout the house.

Simple forest house with cedar siding




The KL House is located in a small village from Quebec, Canada. It was designed by studio Bourgeois / Lechasseur Architects who found inspiration in the beautiful forest surroundings and the tranquility which surrounds the house. There’s also a stream going through the site which makes this location even more magnificent.

The exterior of the house is clad in natural cedar which gives it a simple and attractive look, with a slightly retro vibe reminiscent of traditional forest cabins. It does however also include a variety of modern design elements such as the large windows and glass doors which let in lots of natural light and open up the interior to the beautiful landscape around it.

A modern forest cabin with a black exterior





It’s sitting on a small site surrounded by a dense forest and it pierces through the canopies with its pointy, A-frame design. This modern forest house has a ton of character even though it looks quite simple from the outside. Its black exterior and clean and simple geometry allow it to go almost unnoticed among all the trees and vegetation.

It was designed by architect Jean Verville and it takes full advantage of its location. In particular, it’s designed to seamlessly mold around the sloping terrain and to welcome the light and the magnificent views inside without having a very open design.

A woodland cottage on the edge of a cliff




This unusual forest house is located in Val-des-Monts, Quebec and as you can see it’s partially hanging over the edge of a cliff. This gives it a really beautiful view towards the valley but it also meant that this was a very challenging project.

The house was designed by studio Christopher Simmonds Architect and it features a solid stone base that grounds it into the land and helps it to stand proudly among the trees, overlooking the lake at the bottom of the cliff. It’s sleek, modern, inviting and it has a very sunny and tranquil interior which makes the most of the views.

A summer house made out of concrete



This forest house was built by Besonías Almeida Arquitectos on a lovely piece of land in Argentina, with tall trees growing all around it and a gentle slope beneath. It’s situated in a coastal area with pine and acacia trees which the architects had to take into consideration in order to preserve the land as best as possible.

They built the house out of concrete and with big flat roofs that form large overhangs. That allows the interior areas to be extended outside onto big patios and terraces that expose them to the beautiful surroundings and help to bring the outdoors closer to the indoor spaces.

A modern chalet among the tree canopies




This is Chalet L, a small forest house hidden among the treetops and the lush vegetation of Brazil. It was designed by studio Silvia Acar Arquitetura and what immediately stands out is the fact that it’s not actually built on the ground. Instead, it was raised above the soil, among the trees and with a better view of the wonderful surroundings. That also allows it to make the most of all the natural light and to be surrounded by greenery rather than tree trunks. In addition, this also creates a space underneath which can be used for various activities.

A contemporary retreat in a lovely rural setting




There’s something very peaceful and charming about a rural setting with trees and vegetation growing all around it and houses that are far apart and tell their own unique stories. One of those houses is located in La Malbaie, Canada and designed by studio Architecture49.

Its design is inspired by the beautiful natural surroundings but maintains a contemporary and simplistic aesthetic. It features a wood-clad exterior for a cozy touch, Large windows and sliding glass doors which lead to open patios and magnificent views that can be enjoyed from all the different parts of the house.

Wooden cabin on a remote site in the woods





The Impluvium Cabin is a small retreat found in the southern regions of Chile. It had to be small in order to fit among the tall trees that have grown on the site. These were preserved and they now form a natural shield around the cabin, giving it privacy and creating a mystical atmosphere around it.

The cabin was designed by studio SAA Arquitectura + Territorio and has a minimalist aesthetic, with an angled roof that continues straight down and transitions into walls giving the structure a uniform look.

Off-the-grid retreat perched over a valley




This forest is intriguing for a variety of reasons. One of them has to do with the location. This is a place in the middle of a beautiful forest with a steep slope and no road access, no water or electricity. It was up to studio Jacobschang Architecture to come up with a plan to create a house that turns these elements into advantages, all done on a small budget. The result is this splendid house with huge pivot glass doors, a black exterior that helps it camouflage among the trees and a perfect view over the valley.

A cozy wood house with an eclectic design





When seen from a distance, this house has a low profile in relation to the tall trees sprinkled all around it. What also stands out is its eclectic design which blends together modern and traditional elements.

The wood used on the outside helps the house to blend in with the landscape around it and goes really well with the other materials used including all the glass. This was a design by RAVSTUDIO in the Tapalta region of Mexico. The floor plan is linear and organized on a single floor. It was important to include both large and open areas for social activities as well as a series of more private spaces and this design is perfect for that.

The Monkey House




The Monkey House occupies a piece of land of only 5m x 6m. It’s located in Brazil and the small footprint was dictated by the placement of the trees present on the site. No trees were removed as part of this project and the house was designed to match their height and proportions.

In other words, it has a small footprint but it’s tall, enough so that its pointy roof is visible among the canopies, Big windows connect the cozy interior to the lovely surroundings and create a synergistic relationship between nature and the building. It’s almost as if the house has grown among the trees and went in search of sunlight until it finally found it. This wonderful project was done by Atelier Marko Brajovic.

A treehouse with a unique design



The Woodnest Cabin is located in Odda, Norway. It was designed by studio Helen & Hard and it’s small but, more importantly, it has a really cool and unique look. It’s a treehouse supported only by a single tree with a pretty narrow trunk.

There are no additional support columns which really makes this cabin stand out, as if it’s not supposed to be standing there and yet it is. In case you’re wondering how that is possible, the whole cabin is built around a steel pipe and attached around the tree using 4 bolts. Another really cool detail about its design is the layer of wooden shingles around the outside which weather over time and blend in with the trees.

Waterfront cabin with a forest backdrop





This beautiful contemporary retreat is situated on the shore of Bowen Island in Canada. It has a beautiful and dense forest on one side and the sea on the other, a perfect setting for a peaceful and tranquil retreat. It was designed by studio Office of Mcfarlane Biggar Architects + Designers Inc. who made sure to maximize the gorgeous views and to take full advantage of the unique topography of the site. The minimalist and modern design allow the focus to be on the magnificent surroundings rather than the building itself.

A mountain house on a steep slope




Located in Vorarlberg, a mountainous region in Austria, this house was designed to resemble local farmhouses but ultimately to be unique and different. In that sense, studio Bernardo Bader Architects gave it a solid concrete foundation and built a barn-inspired structure on top of that. From certain angles it appears as if the house is suspended on stilts and floats above the ground. However, it’s embedded into the steep slope and this look is deceptive which makes it even more interesting.

Small cabin in the woods with a rooftop extension



This cute little forest house was originally built in the 1950s and a few years ago it got an update. It was studio Bloot Architecture who revisited this lovely summer retreat and built a rooftop extension for it. They managed to make the new section blend in with the original structure in a remarkably natural way.

The angled roof is partially made of glass and the large skylight brings lots of light inside and acts as a huge screen which frames the gorgeous views and the sky. The effect is even more dramatic and extraordinary at night.

Lakeside cottage with a fresh design perspective




You can come across this beautiful lakeside house near Lake Noriji in Japan. It was designed by studio Sugawaradaisuke and the idea behind its unconventional design was to create multiple levels which can interlock and interconnect in a way that maximizes the relationship between the house and
the surrounding landscape and views.

There are five levels in total set at different heights, with floors that are multifunctional and can double as shelves, beds or benches. It’s a very interesting design approach with a new and fresh way of looking at the basic elements of a house we often take for granted.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Australia Orders X to Block Murder Videos, Citing Online Safety and Public Exposure
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
×