The beauty of architecture is that savvy designers can let their imaginations run wild and curate truly out-of-this-world properties that challenge the limits of home design as we know it.
From a stunning modern house embedded into a giant rock to an underwater villa and a futuristic fortress designed to survive the apocalypse, these rule-breaking designs push building innovation further than ever before.
Click or scroll on to explore these cool conceptual homes that are yet to be built...
Lex Wizhevsky of Modern House has devised an incredible home, for those wanting to survive a zombie apocalypse.
The cool and contemporary home is not only super-secure but was crafted with premium comfort levels. Designed to accommodate up to seven people, this is the only place we'd want to be in the event of a world-ending disaster.
For the survivalist structure, Wizhevsky took inspiration from Elon Musk’s recently launched Cybertrack Tesla model – think a durable exterior, futuristic interior and advanced technology. The designer described Cyber House as “a kind of autonomous, multi-level bunker”, that would protect those inside during a zombie apocalypse or nuclear threat.
With its sharp, spacecraft-like shape, the 3,229-square-foot (300sqm) property would be made from monolithic reinforced concrete, with sheets of heavy-duty metal alloy wrapping its exterior. Armoured airlock doors and glazing, sealed gates and high-strength metal shutters provide additional security.
Inside, the Cyber House consists of several zones; an entrance area and garage, the main living quarters, a plant area for all the home’s technology and an outdoor terrace.
The terrace is equipped with protective metal roller shutters, which, if necessary, cover the entire perimeter of the terrace to seal the home off. As for design, the property has a cool monochrome colour palette, metal accents, custom built-ins and contemporary furnishings.
Entirely self-sufficient, the property also boasts solar panels, wind turbines, a water treatment and purification system, air-conditioning, a local wastewater treatment plant system and a heat pump.
Amazingly, Cyber House would protect residents in the case of strong hurricane-force winds, tornados, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, radioactive contamination, chemical leaks and extremely low temperatures.
Beautifully integrated into its surroundings, this proposed modern home boasts curving, overlapping wings that sit on different levels of the landscape, framing seven tiered lawns and gardens.
Designed by the team at Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, the conceptual property was curated for a plot in Spain's southernmost region of Andalusia.
The nearby Sierra de Grazalema mountain range blocks high-humidity winds blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean and therefore, this part of Spain sees an extremely high level of rainfall. The house mimics the caves and gorges that line the region, which were all carved out by the rain. Meanwhile, the mottled grey stonework on the exterior is a nod to the materiality of the area.
Floor-to-ceiling glazing not only allows the landscape outside to feel like part of the interior but draws plenty of light inside and frames fantastic views of Sierra de Grazalema, Sierra Nevada and the coast.
As for rooms, there's an open-plan living area with a lounge, dining room and kitchen, as well as numerous bedrooms.
The ultra-cool concept home also benefits from a cinema, spa and cellar. Outside, you'll find a pool, as well as those seven private garden spaces that were designed as part of the house.
Devised by London-based designer James Whitaker of Whitaker Studio, this futuristic home is due to be built in the not-so-distant future.
Located in the arid desert of California's Joshua Tree National Park, the realistic renderings of the home are almost otherworldly, depicting a sprawling white structure, formed from numerous carefully positioned shipping containers.
Measuring 2,000 square feet (186sqm), the proposed interior will feature bold geometric shapes, sharp angles and an undulating roofline.
Carefully positioned picture windows will allow natural light to pour into the property, while also framing enchanting views of the desert landscape outside.
The floor plan will come equipped with a living room, dining space, kitchen and three ensuite bedrooms.
A lot of thought was put into the orientation of the shipping containers, to protect the privacy of any occupants and maximise the light flow throughout the home.
A garage with a canopy of solar panels will lie adjacent to the main structure and will generate the home's electricity. Once complete, the unique property will be the home of a film producer – it will no doubt be a very inspiring place/
When finished, we just know Starburst House will be one of the world's most incredible homes. Watch this space!
What could be better than living in a modern cliff-side home, on a gorgeous Greek island? Well, KRAK Architects has highlighted just how amazing that would be, with this stunning conceptual design.
The angular underground house was commissioned by a developer, who asked the team at KRAK to design a home that would perfectly suit the landscape and climate of Crete.
The awesome cliff home, named Casa Katana, was designed to be fully integrated into the coastal landscape, allowing the beauty of the surrounding environment to remain as untouched as possible.
The chief architect of the project, Konstantinos Stathopoulos, took inspiration for the home from the unique morphology of the plot and the particular characteristics of the site, including its rock formations, orientation and view.
Stathopoulos envisages that the home would be constructed from concrete, to achieve a cool, cave-like aesthetic. The concrete would be finished with a coloured pigment and treated with a bush-hammered effect, to mimic the tones and textures of the cliff around it.
Partially sandwiched into the cliff itself, the conceptual house features semi-open living spaces with frameless, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, allowing for stunning coastal scenery from almost every interior room. Continuity in flooring materials would allow for a seamless transition from the inside rooms to the exterior deck, which almost floats above the water below.
Inside, the property has an open-plan living space with a dining area and kitchen, an office and four bedrooms, each with its own ensuite bathroom.
The property would come complete with a dazzling wrap-around infinity pool that would provide unobstructed views of the Libyan Sea. While there are no current plans to build Casa Katana, we would absolutely love to see it come to fruition.
This amazing transparent home is precariously balanced on the edge of a clifftop, with dramatic views of the sea below. Conceived by architect and designer Victoria Yakusha of Yakusha Design, the all-glass cabin was devised to "create a feeling of improbability".
The property would be anchored into the rock using a tall, vertical pillar formed from recycled concrete. The central pillar would be wrapped in straw, enabling it to blend in with its rugged surroundings.
Not only is the pillar the main element of structural engineering, securing the building to the site, it also acts as a room divider, breaking up the interior without taking up too much space.
The central wall harbours the home's essential water and sewage systems, too. Yakusha also designed the home to have opening flaps in the roof, which provide the interior with natural ventilation.
Measuring 517 square feet (48sqm), the see-through cabin was designed with a very minimalist layout, with only essential furnishings and features. Open and free-flowing, the interior comes complete with a lounge, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.
The home's contemporary bathroom might seem a little daunting, with its glass walls allowing anyone to see inside, but Yakusha didn't overlook this aspect of the design. The room features special glass that can be turned transparent or opaque, at the mere touch of a button.
Privacy can also be achieved thanks to an integrated blind system that wraps the entire perimeter of the tiny home. How's that for innovative architecture?
Designed by Iranian architect, Habibeh Madjdabadi, Mutant-Hut is one of 12 houses devised by renowned architects from various countries, for the Voronet Park development in Suceava, Romania.
The initiative invited international architects to create distinctive living spaces on a shared 2.7-acre (1.1ha) site, offering visitors the opportunity to experience an architecturally significant environment, while surrounded by breathtaking mountainous landscapes.
For her design, Madjdabadi started with the archetypal image of a hut. She then began manipulating its familiar form, to create something bold and new, that is both rooted in tradition and also entirely contemporary.
The proposed house features a dark timber exterior that reflects the natural materials of the region, while its unusual shape provides a contemporary twist.
The house retains a minimal footprint, thanks to two elongated wings, allowing the landscape to flow beneath it. This design choice reduces environmental impact and creates a unique tunnel-like void that connects different levels of the sloping site.
The triangular façade emphasises the entrance to the house, drawing visitors inside. As for the interior, the hut is arranged over three interconnected levels.
There’s a central gathering space, inspired by the traditional Iranian Korsi – a low table covered with a heavy blanket, under which a heat source is placed. This design creates a cosy and inviting atmosphere.
There’s a living area and kitchen, numerous bedrooms and a bathroom, as well as various snug spots for reading, relaxing or soaking up those gorgeous rural views.
For this unique house, the team at OYO Architects was given complete creative freedom by the commissioning family.
From the start, they decided to focus on an ecological and compact building that would be perfect for daily life in Maldegem, Belgium.
The house is defined by its dramatic sloping green roof, with two “popping volumes” protruding from the surface. One harbours the entrance and the other brings light deep into the living areas.
The window is huge but carefully positioned, so the inhabitants maintain their privacy and those walking by can’t see inside.
OYO opted for a split-level interior, to ensure all the spaces tied together while also being separate in their uses. Glass screens aid with this separation but allow natural light to continue to flow.
They also decided to place the living rooms upstairs and the bedrooms below, in the darker parts of the house.
The interior has a fresh, Scandinavian-inspired finish, with lots of natural wood and warm materials, like stone, tying the rooms together.
The house was also designed to have fantastic energy performance, with superior insulation packed between the home’s exterior walls – which would be made from timber frame. Solar panels would be hidden on top of the protruding volumes, allowing the residents to generate their own power.
This amazing conceptual design was drawn up by Iranian architect Milad Eshtiyaghi and was curated not only to respect the surrounding environment, but to take up minimal land, as well.
Precariously perched on the edge of a cliff, the home would be held in position using two types of cables, one to bear the weight of gravity and the other to withstand both lateral and upward wind forces, ensuring complete structural stability.
The house also boasts a rear mast, which provides further structural support. The mast slopes slightly, to increase stability and allow the property to brace itself against strong winds, a design detail chosen to work with the climate of the home’s proposed location in Mendocino, California.
Taking to Instagram to share his thoughts on the concept, Eshtiyaghi said he wanted the house to allow any occupant to “experience different sensations”, including “the feeling of fear and excitement” while looking at the view and the feeling of "calm and cosy" while relaxing indoors.
The property certainly does both, thanks to its incredible cantilevered design and wall-to-wall glass, which make the cliff itself feel like part of the interior design.
The bedroom is open to the elements with a glass floor, providing a feeling of weightlessness. Other conceptual ideas include glass 'holes' in the floor, offering amazing views of crashing waves below.
Undeniably unique, Suspended House could never be for those with a fear of heights.
Proposed by Italian architecture and design studio, WAFAI, this bold architectural vision was designed to explore the boundaries of landscapes and interiors.
Named Lake House, the luxury villa was inspired by the beauty of the environment around Lake Tülersee in Switzerland. The architectural studio envisioned the perfect home for the site – one with gentle curves and plenty of windows, to frame dreamy views.
While the home's façade is contemporary and unique in its shape and scale, the interior is welcoming and impressive, with soaring ceilings and walls of glass.
A dramatic, bespoke staircase sits in the middle of the double-height living area and acts as the perfect greeting for visitors. With its sweeping form and curved edge, it is truly daring.
The house also has a kitchen and dining area that look out over the lake, while the living space opens up to a gorgeous outdoor swimming pool that almost touches the lake.
Conceived by the team at US Submarine Structures, this amazing underwater home was designed for five-star luxury living, 59 feet (18m) under the ocean.
Ideal for submersion in lagoons, shallow seas or lakes, the prefabricated pad would be accessed by a private pier and elevator, to take lucky residents down to the depths.
The interior features two spacious floors and benefits from 3,600 square feet (334sqm) of underwater accommodation.
The top storey is home to two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a lounge, while the bottom level houses the master bedroom, complete with an ensuite, as well as a modern kitchen, wine cellar, bar, library and relaxation zone.
The lower floor would be finished with curving, transparent acrylic panels, providing jaw-dropping views of whatever body of water the home is placed in.
Feeding devices will also be installed into the external walls, to attract shoals of colourful tropical fish.
US Submarine Structures can also landscape the underwater area around the H2ome, planting coral beds to entice marine life.
Those wishing to build one of these amazing underwater homes can do so, but they will need around £9.5 million ($12m) in the bank.
This incredible home is truly immersed in mother nature. Designed by architect Amey Kandalgaonkar, the modernist concrete house is built within a giant rock.
Kandalgaonkar had the idea to design a contemporary twist on the traditional architecture of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra. Also known as Mada’in Salih, this ancient archaeological city is located in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.
Hegra dates back to the first century and boasts intricate tombs, carved out of sandstone rock. Kandalgaonkar used this concept to design something truly bold, while also being beautifully integrated with the natural elements of the environment.
Known as House Inside a Rock, the contemporary structure was designed to look like it is one with the rock it sits within, as if it has grown directly from the stone.
Literally wedged into the boulder, the raw concrete home features an imposing ground floor entrance shaft that connects to a huge rectangular living space that’s open to the elements.
An amazing exterior terrace sits at the very top of the rock, where a swimming pool can be found next to a shaded penthouse area. In addition, a second swimming pool features a glass bottom which cantilevers over the edge of the rock.
Although extremely striking, the home is also surprisingly discrete. Kandalgaonkar admits to aiming to keep its visual impact as minimal as possible, so it was designed to mostly be observed from above. Only by looking down on the home can you see its true scale and beauty.
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