Exotic houses hidden from plain sight

There are moments in life where we feel like moving away from the real world to take a step back. But not everyone has the resources to create there own hideouts.

So lets take a moment and look at the houses who have owners fortunate enough to build their dreams.

1. Dugout house in Texas, USA

Embedded 6.5 feet (2 m) in the ground, this house looks like a simple dugout from the outside. Inside, however, it has everything for a comfortable life, even a small pool in the backyard.

1. Bungalow under pine trees in British Columbia, Canada

Unusual planning and green moss on the roof help this house completely merge into the landscape

1. Houses on top of a shopping mall in Hunan, China

This shopping mall with houses on its roof is located in a city of 4 million people with little free space. That’s why architectural solutions here are sometimes a bit nonstandard.

1. Canyon mansion in Utah, USA

This house was built in 1986 by a married couple whose dream was to live in a quiet place.

1. Villa Vals in Vals, Switzerland

The reason behind the idea of an underground villa was a local law: the authorities forbade erecting a high building since that would spoil the landscape.

1. Cliff house in Coquimbo, Chile

This submarine-looking house has two levels, one of which is underground.

1. Lake chalet in Hordaland, Norway

The main goal of this project was a full integration with the landscape, and the architects did their best to achieve it.

1. Desert oasis in California, USA

This weird house resembling a heap of dead leaves from afar is located in a Californian desert.

1. The Mirrorcube hotel in Lapland, Sweden

The outer walls of this building are faced with glass and coated with a layer of infrared film so that birds can recognize it as an obstacle.

1. Penthouse in a rock in Beirut, Lebanon

Initially, no one believed in the idea of a house built into a rock, but the project attracted lots of potential investors after a photo of it was put on the Web. It was ultimately taken by a Lebanese real-estate agency.

Bonus: Cliff Retreat project

Despite what your imagination might have told you, this is but a Photoshopped image by VisualizingArchitecture.com’s Alex Hogrefe. In 9 steps, he explains how he crafted the design, paying special attention to the crashing waves and fog.