From towering tree houses to smart homes with moving walls, we take a look at some of the most brilliantly designed residential properties that 2017 has to offer. Prepare to be inspired...

The Blue Lake Retreat stands tall and lean, like a modernist watchtower overlooking the rural idyll of Marble Falls. The clever design uses a steel bridge to anchor the house into the steep hillside and an exterior staircase blurs the line boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, allowing inhabitants to experience the beauty of the wild from the comfort of their home.

Designed as an upside down house, the property’s open-plan kitchen/dining and living room space is located on the third floor, offering 180 degree views of the nearby lake with floor-to-ceiling wrap around windows.

The property’s most stunning feature is its cantilevered terrace, which extends out towards the lake. An exterior fireplace, dining table and lounge area create the perfect environment for outdoor entertainment on a warm summer’s night.

Unlike traditional house designs, the property’s four bedrooms are situated on the first and second floors, which allows for more secluded sleeping quarters. Each bedroom features its own balcony for private views of the lake and surrounding landscape. The property recently won the AIA National House Award 2017.

A thatched roof appears to be morphing into a greenhouse in this groundbreaking house design from Dutch architectural firm Maas Architecten. Combining regional building traditions with contemporary design, the H-shaped villa consists of two gabled structures connected by a glazed central corridor.

The floor-to-ceiling windows create flood the spacious interior with light while a grove of trees provides the glazed structure with privacy from the nearby road.

On the ground floor the property has a living room, kitchen, dining area, bedrooms and bathrooms. A rectangular box that projects from the left side of the right wing creates a space to enjoy the views of the Dutch countryside. A set of stairs gives access to an additional mezzanine level that functions as a stylish office space.

MF+ Arquitectos designed Casa MCNY with the Brazilian heat and tropical environment in mind. Consisting of a cool concrete frame, steel supports and protruding wooden decking, the property is made up of a series of interconnected adjustable spaces that can be configured in a number of different ways.

The property is completely wrapped in moveable wooden shutters which can be opened to allow natural light to enter the property. When closed an opaque surface is created, blocking out the heat of the sun but allowing air flow to naturally ventilate the home.

Multipurpose rooms blur the boundaries between spaces. Here, an ensuite bathroom and living wall is separated from the master bedroom by transparent glass dividers.

Whether it’s a garage or dining room that’s required on any given day, the property can be customised by moving the interior and exterior shutters. Multipurpose surfaces, such as the concrete flooring, allow the space to be truly multi functional.

Dot Architects have revamped a dilapidated hutong house in Beijing by turning it into a multipurpose smart home. Set with the challenge of creating a spacious and modern interior in an otherwise restricted environment, designers set to work on transforming a cramped space into a modern home.

A decaying roof and partitions were removed to reveal the original timber frame, opening up the space in this 320 square-foot property. Flexible furniture modules allow for the interior to be reconfigured according to its inhabitants' needs.

Cleverly concealed fold out partitions and furniture have transformed the open-plan living and dining room into a master bedroom. The house can sleep up to three people in fold out beds that disappear back into the walls during the day.

All the mobile units are set on tracks operated through a smart TV system, which also controls the lighting, temperature, small appliances and the property’s security system. Has the Baitasi House finally bridged the gap between futuristic fantasy and reality?

There’s something incredibly peaceful and zen-like about Hikokonishi Design’s most recent architectural project. Nestled into the snowy mountain peaks of Hokkaido, Japan, its reinforced concrete walls blend harmoniously with the frozen landscape.

Inserting a structure into a hillside can impact the amount of natural light so the architects have made the most of the above-ground level by placing two-storey floor-to-ceiling windows in each of the property’s four exterior walls.

At the heart of the house there's an open-plan living area centred around a stunning modern fireplace that looks out through double height windows into the deep snow. Shelves, benches and worktops have been precast in raw concrete to echo the exterior of the house and continue the minimalist design through the whole property.

Hidden among the trees of the Kawartha Lake Forest, this split level cottage was designed as a modern reinterpretation of traditional tree houses. A minimalist interior and fourteen windows, skylights and doors make the natural surroundings the main focal point of every room.

Optical illusion and ecology are combined to create a magnificent home that is perfectly integrated into its natural surroundings. External surface mirrors blur the lines between architecture and forest, creating the impression of a building with a forest within.

Large windows and skylights allow natural light to filter through the cottage during the day. Interior openings connect each of the cottage’s ground floor rooms, creating a series of unified spaces that bring its inhabitants closer together.

Designed as part of a ‘House of Trees’ series, this modern home in Vietnam features tropical gardens planted in and around the property.

In a bid to reinforce Vietnam’s traditional relationship between buildings and nature, stacked level and interconnecting bridges are interspersed with these luscious plants to create a pockets of calm greenery in unexpected places.

Private gardens are incorporated into each of the property’s rooms, including its bedrooms and bathroom, separated by sliding glass doors. The green space softens and invigorates the concrete interior.

Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Peter Salter, these eclectic homes in London’s Notting Hill bring a touch of the unexpected to city living. Doors concealed by mirrors, moving walls and yurt-shaped spaces are some of the experimental design features that have been incorporated into its striking appearance.

A play on material, movement, light and texture are evident in its exterior, with acoustically adjusted oak block tiles, bulbous structures and heavy copper exterior sheathing marking it out amongst the pastel townhouses of these west London streets.

Taking inspiration from a number of historic architectural movements, including Brutalism and Elizabethan architecture, the property presents a number of eclectic design features. Here the architect has taken influence from Elizabethan town house design and the Arts and Crafts movement in creating a ‘yurt’ dining room that would fit right into a Brother’s Grimm fairytale.

Winner of the American Architecture Prize for residential buildings, the Mariposa 1038 was designed with Los Angeles’ overcrowded Koreatown in mind. The structure has been cleverly designed with concave exterior walls and protruding balconies, which allow its inhabitants sweeping views of the city while retaining an element of privacy.

The structure’s centralised atrium allows natural light to filter into the courtyard, while also acting as a rainwater collection and cross-ventilation system. A curvilinear staircase provides external access to each apartment.

Inside, each one and two-bedroom apartment features minimalist white interiors that are easy for the residents to put their own mark on. Master bedrooms boast floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies, while all bathrooms are built with ceramic tile walk-in showers.

Above the apartment block residents have access to a rooftop terrace, with its own entertainment area perfect for watching the sunset with 360 degree views of the Los Angeles skyline.