As populations grow and demand for land increases, it seems only natural that some savvy people would seek out clever alternatives to ordinary building plots. Through the years, houses have sprung up in the most unlikely places, from a cabin built around a giant tree trunk in France to an ancient cave residence carved into a soaring rock face.
Click or scroll to explore these unique homes that have been built where no one thought to build before...
Taking the concept of a treehouse to a whole new level, this quirky cabin finds itself wrapped around a giant tree trunk, 32.8 feet (10m) off the ground.
Nestled in the heart of a dense forest in Château-Bernard, France, the treehouse is as magical as it is unique.
Access to the front door is provided thanks to a wooden staircase and a footbridge that leads directly to a small terrace. As for the interior, it's rustic, cosy and filled with natural light.
Brilliantly integrated with Mother Nature, the property was constructed from wood, which has been left exposed throughout to reflect the surroundings.
Inside, you'll find a sitting area, dining zone, kitchen and bathroom. Upstairs, there are two small bedrooms, slotted under the sloping eaves. The tree's huge trunk pierces the entire building, but is securely protected behind the home's timber walls.
Still, thanks to the many windows, guests can take in awe-inspiring tree canopy views from almost every corner of the home. If you've fallen in love, then you can stay here whenever you like.
Many beach houses come with their own private strip of shoreline, but very few are actually built directly on the sand. Enter this stunning modern lodge, which is nestled (very literally) on a quiet cove in Hunter Bay, New Zealand.
According to the Airbnb listing, Hunter Bay House is the only beachfront home on the southernmost tip of Wellington. The Kiwi bach is both modern and rustic, with exposed timber walls and ceilings, coastal furnishings and large sheets of glass that provide dreamy views of the water.
There's a sitting area, a kitchen, a library and a dining room with its very own telescope.
The cabin also provides a bathroom and two bedrooms – one of which is hidden on a cosy mezzanine – making it perfect for up to four guests.
Lucky holidaymakers need not walk very far to access the stunning coastline of Hunter Bay, since the home features numerous sliding doors that connect the interior with the sand itself. Plus, it's surrounded by walking tracks and seal colonies. How's that for envy-inducing?
Perched on the top of Mont Tourbillon in Quebec, Canada, this high-altitude home is almost too cool to be true.
The unique holiday home is enclosed by a forest and for a significant portion of the year is blanketed in snow.
Taking a closer look, the cabin is actually positioned on a rocky pillar and appears to have grown organically from the ground.
Thanks to its unusual, angular shape and all-timber façade, the cabin perfectly slots into its woodland setting.
Inside, the brilliant tiny home has a snug living area, with a kitchen, dining space, two bedrooms and a bathroom. With a modern yet rustic finish, the interior benefits from exposed wood walls, floors and ceilings, contemporary furnishings and everything you could need to see out a snowstorm.
Of course, any lucky guests can enjoy 360-degree views of the region, thanks to the cabin’s countless windows.
Nestled in the heart of Petra Island, on Lake Mahopac, Massaro House is a 15-minute helicopter ride from civilisation.
Positioned 50 miles (80.5km) north of New York City, the house, which juts out from the edge of the heart-shaped island, is based on a design from 1949, by the legendary mid-century modern architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Conceived by Wright as Chahroudi House, the property was designed to complement a modest 1,100-square-foot (102sqm) cabin on the island, which lies farther from shore. Its name was changed to that of its original owner, Joseph Massaro, who finally built the structure in 2006.
Massaro used the iconic architect's original plans, creating a truly unusual property that boasts the largest cantilever designed by Wright. It measures 75 feet (22.8m) in two directions and every stone used to construct the building was found on the island on which it was built.
Inside, the iconic house spans 5,000 square feet (465sqm), with much of the house carved directly into the rock face. The living area benefits from 18-foot-high (5.5m) ceilings, trimmed with African mahogany, as well as 27 stunning skylights.
Outside, you'll also find a helipad, which makes the luxury house slightly more accessible for those with the means. If you're keen to explore this remote home, then you can join a boat excursion to the residence, with Petra Island Tours.
Nestled in the western Georgian region of Imereti, the Katskhi Pillar is a sacred natural limestone monolith, on top of which stands a church dedicated to Maximus the Confessor.
Precariously placed, the property comes complete with a crypt, wine cellar and cottage – a home that has been described as one of the loneliest on the planet. The property's last brave resident was devout monk, Father Maxime Qavtaradze, who lived in solitude here for two decades.
Before Father Qavtaradze, the 130-foot (39.6m) pillar had been uninhabited since the 1400s, but the monk revived the religious tradition of the stylite – a spiritual person who lives on a remote pillar – enduring the elements to be closer to God.
Amazingly, a steel ladder leads from the ground to the top of the pillar, a harrowing journey that takes 20 minutes. Supplies were winched up to Father Qavtaradze via a special pulley system. To this day, only men from a religious order are permitted to ascend the unusual outcrop.
While the pillar cottage is remote, it's not completely isolated. At the foot of the column lies a beautiful monastery, where lucky clergymen and troubled souls can seek solace.
Father Qavtaradze would travel down once or twice a week to offer guidance, having served time in prison during his youth, before finding God, according to an interview he gave to photographer Amos Chapple in 2013.
Located deep inside a forest near Lillehammer, Norway, Cabin Vindheim was designed to look like it’s buried by snow – and much of the time, it is!
During the cold months, this area can see almost four feet (1m) of snow, partially submerging the beautiful cabin.
Clad in black-stained pinewood, the hidden house was designed by architectural studio, Vardehaugen.
Lillehammer is probably best known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics and the house pays homage to its claim to fame: when snow covers the roof, the structure turns into a man-made slope for ski jumping!
Inside, the property comprises a large living room, a bedroom, a small annexe and, rather handily, a ski preparation room.
The interior spaces are all covered in wax poplar veneer and residents can gaze up at the stars from bed, thanks to a carefully positioned, 13-foot (4m) skylight window.
No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you, this really is a palm tree-shaped island!
Often referred to as the "eighth wonder of the world", Palm Jumeirah (or The Palm) lies on the coastline of Dubai and was man-made in response to the city's booming tourism industry.
To keep up with demand, and create a real focal point for the city, a government-owned development company designed the palm-shaped island. Construction began in 2003 and finished in 2007, with 61 million cubic metres of sand and seven million tonnes of rock being used to create it.
Amazingly, there are said to be over 150 villas on each of the faux tree's fronds, while luxury resorts, apartment buildings, restaurants and even a shopping mall can be found on its crescents, trunk and spine. The Palm also boasts more than 24.8 miles (40km) of shoreline.
Of course, there are plenty of luxurious mansions on the artificial island, too. This stunning, custom-built residence lies on Frond One of The Palm and measures a staggering 16,833 square feet (1,564sqm). It has luxurious living spaces, with high-end fixtures and finishes throughout, as well as six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a private cinema and an outdoor swimming pool.
The property was for sale with Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty in September 2024, for an undisclosed – but no doubt eye-watering – sum. You'd never know that the land on which this mega-mansion sits once didn't exist!
An intrepid family – called the Hjertefølgers, or 'heartfollowers' – built their home within a geodesic dome in Norway’s Arctic Circle.
The beautiful and remote location means they experience some of the most extreme weather conditions in the world.
Luckily the house has been designed to thrive in these rugged conditions.
The glass dome protects the main wooden house from the elements and uses the sun’s heat to warm the interior, while still allowing the residents to enjoy the incredible views and the Northern Lights above them.
Built for sustainability, the house has its own water recycling system, solar power and vegetable gardens.
So, the Hjertefølgers have everything they need if the roads become impassable: it's designed so they can survive and thrive in their incredible life in the Arctic.
Hidden inside the wall of a cave, The Rockhouse Retreat in Worcestershire, UK, was created by hand-sculpting an 800-year-old sandstone escarpment.
Over 70 tonnes of rock was excavated to complete the construction of this incredible cave home, which needed a lot of manpower.
Featured on the British homebuilding TV show, Grand Designs, this quirky dwelling was completed in 2015 and is positioned on three acres (1.2ha) of unspoilt land.
Blending contemporary style and comfort with natural structures, the interior features a number of extra upgrades that you wouldn't expect to find in a cave...
The owner, Angelo Mastropietro, spent £179,000 ($240k) on the renovation but it was well worth it.
The bedroom features a king-size bed and the shower and dressing room has luxurious underfloor heating for the colder months.
Eco-minded architects have come up with some savvy solutions to building more homes without further impacting the environment – and this amazing treehouse is one of the best examples.
Located in a lush forest in Lower Saxony, Germany, the property was devised by architect and carpenter, Andreas Wenning, of the luxury treehouse firm, baumraum. Designed for a family, the contemporary tree-top dwelling lies on the edge of a village that’s home to a few detached houses and, luckily, plenty of trees.
The family wanted an unusual and comfortable treehouse – a “nest for the whole family”, Andreas explains. Situated almost 19 feet (6m) off the ground, the weight of the treehouse is distributed across two oak trees, thanks to steel cables and textile straps.
Four V-shaped steel stilts provide additional support and also limit the impact on the surrounding environment by elevating the mass of the building away from the ground. The treehouse can be accessed thanks to a set of steps, leading to a canopy terrace.
Andreas likens the shape of the property to an egg, cut open lengthways. The home's cream-coloured Perspex elements, egg-shaped windows and curved, built-in sitting and reclining areas add to the look.
Inside, the home has a chic, open-plan layout and plenty of glass that allows the woodland to become part of the interior design. Outside, there are two terraces – perfect for relaxing and unwinding among the trees.
This mysterious house, built on top of a rock in the middle of the River Drina in Serbia, has become somewhat of a local legend.
The property draws huge crowds to the stunning Tara National Park, where keen tourists attempt to capture this weird and wonderful abode.
The story has it that the first incarnation of the house was built by a group of swimmers in the 1960s. The initiative was led by Yugoslav teenager Milija Mandić, who brought wooden planks to the rock to have somewhere to rest.
The swimmers added a shelter from the hot sun and continued to row out materials to add to the house during 1969.
Over the years, the property has needed to be rebuilt several times, thanks to river levels rising and damaging the structure.
Only accessible by boat, the house remains on its precarious rocky plinth to this day and is now the centre of the Drina Regatta, which is held here every year.
Rugged, dramatic, secluded, beautiful – these are all words you could use to describe the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.
Defined by its unmatched coastline, wave-ravaged cliffs and abundant wildlife, this locale is all about Mother Nature, which is why this solo tiny home is so unusual.
Positioned completely alone overlooking Sleaford Bay and Port Lincoln National Park, the ultra-remote property is entirely off-grid and guests can truly disconnect from the real world when staying here.
Known as Yambara, the petite cabin was designed by an architect to perfectly suit its surroundings, standing out thanks to its crisp white façade.
Despite its remote location, the tiny abode is luxurious and inviting. With gorgeous interior design, it offers just two rooms – a bathroom and an open-plan living area complete with a kitchenette, a double bed and a sitting area with dreamy coastal views.
With a colour palette that reflects the landscape outside – think chalky, earthy tones – this magical property highlights that anything can be achieved with a little imagination.
Upon first glance, you might struggle to spot the outline of a home. Built directly into a rugged rock face, this clandestine cave home (or Casas Cueva in the local language), the property is as historic as it is remarkable.
Situated in Purullena, the property isn't far from Guadix, one of the oldest settlements in Spain. The history of Purullena dates back 3,000 years when it was inhabited by prehistoric civilisations.
Some of the oldest caves in this region are believed to have been built by the Moors, who ruled Andalucía from the 8th to the 15th centuries. While some of the cave homes were constructed during the 15th and 16th centuries, others date back as many as 1,000 years. Sadly, we don't know exactly how old this building is, but that doesn't take away from its wow factor.
Originally built to store grain and shelter animals, the Arab families who took refuge in the caves soon realised how comfortable they were. The earth and rock provide fantastic insulation, ensuring the interior of the homes are protected from the sun and retain an ambient temperature of between 18°C (64°F) and 20°C (68°F) all year round.
There are numerous cave homes within the Habitat Troglodita Almagruz complex and all of them are rustic and traditional, with curving ceilings, rugged rock walls, tiled floors and cosy furnishings.
This particular cave home features a sitting area, dining space, kitchen, one bedroom and one bathroom. Several of the properties are available to rent on Airbnb, giving keen visitors a taste of modern caveman living.
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