Four contemporary homes for sale that put nature centre stage
In a year when connecting with nature has become ever more important, we are celebrating contemporary houses around the world that interweave greenery and landscape with architecture, there for their residents to enjoy. And what's more? These architectural marvels are all on the market, ready to be snapped up.
![External view of a house](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vxx2kMAnUVmj8jpTuqzyR6-415-80.jpg)
Kaufmann House, Palm Springs, USA
Few pieces of architecture can claim a more iconic status in terms of representing Palm Springs nature and architecture than this residence. The Kaufmann Desert House – a.k.a. the Kaufmann House – was designed by Richard Neutra in 1946 for businessman Edgar J. Kaufmann (the man also behind Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater). The home has since entered the Desert Modernism hall of fame, widely revered by critics, shot by acclaimed architectural photographer Julius Schulman and more recently restored by Marmol Radziner to award-winning results. The design's low, linear composition is in tune with the desert setting. Wide openings guide the eye out towards the views, visually connecting the residents to the surroundings at every corner. An abundance of outdoors areas, from the landscaped garden to several decked terraces help make the most of the region's year-round warm weather. The house has been designated a Class 1 Historic Site by Palm Springs City Council – a piece of architectural history in the flesh.
Price: $25,000,000
sothebysrealty.com
Wallis Lake House, Pacific Palms, Australia
The Australian nature offers some of the most striking views on earth and this house on Pacific Palm, just on the NSW Mid-North Coast, makes the most of its countryside location. Sat on a hillside overlooking Wallis Lake, the structure is orientated to take in the long vistas towards the water and surrounding greenery from almost all rooms. The brand new property, designed by Sydney-based Matthew Woodward Architecture, is a robust concrete and wood structure with an emphasis on the outdoors. Large openings with elegant lattice shutters can be either fully open towards the striking landscape, or remain closed for extra privacy, while gently filtering in light for the terraces and rooms behind them. Green roofs, decked open air areas and a floor-to-ceiling glass expanse in the living room seamlessly unite indoors and outdoors.
Price: $4,400,000
modernhouse.co
Killion Residence, Los Angeles, USA
Nestled into the iconic Los Angeles landscape of green, rolling hills, in Pasadena, this striking timber home was designed in 1954 by Jean Killion, a project architect for Richard Neutra at the time, for herself. Stretching three floors above the green slope's nature, partly on stilts in order to negotiate the steep angle, the home is generous in size, while bringing in large chunks of the surrounding scenery. The property has recently been lovingly restored by Andreas Larsson. Balconies, openings and fully glazed walls offer views towards the city skyline and the ocean beyond. The timber theme continues inside, with redwood-wrapped spaces and details throughout. This treehouse-style residence balances warmth, modern living and proximity to nature, all while being a stone's throw from the numerous attractions the city of dreams has to offer.
Price: $1,548,000
suprstructur.com
Lost House, London
What does a house in the densely populated London area of Kings Cross have to do with wilderness and nature, I hear you say? Even an introverted piece of architecture, such as Sir David Adjaye's masterpiece, Lost House, can nurture and support a relationship with the outdoors, as the project's interior will attest. The project was converted from an industrial building into a home in 2004 for fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic and her husband Philip de Mesquita. It is defined by bold colours, raw concrete, an atmospheric indoor swimming pool and a dark, expansive living space. At the home's heart sit three internal courtyards – lightwells, cut out of the boxy volume to illuminate naturally the interior. Two of them feature a sculptural planting arrangement and one carries a pond. Lost House ensures residents have the chance to retreat into their private space and are able to rest their eyes upon greenery and water, even in the bustle of central London.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Price: £6,500,000
sothebysrealty.co.uk
themodernhouse.com
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Tour the Natural History Museum’s new gardens, a Jurassic lark in London
The Natural History Museum in London has unveiled two new gardens, with resident dinosaurs, after a transformation led by architects Feilden Fowles
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Tour the Natural History Museum’s new gardens, a Jurassic lark in London
The Natural History Museum in London has unveiled two new gardens, with resident dinosaurs, after a transformation led by architects Feilden Fowles
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Drama Republic moves into a colourful, handcrafted workspace in London
For the new creative HQ of production company Drama Republic, Emil Eve Architects remodels a warehouse into office space in London’s Holborn
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Hideaway House in London features timber panelling inspired by the New York hospitality scene
The elegantly refurbished Hideaway House by Studio McW in London features timber panelling inspired by Philip Johnson’s The Four Seasons Restaurant
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
An Uxbridge annexe by Bureau de Change is a design for effortless intergenerational living
Uxbridge Bower, a residential annexe in west London, is a contemporary addition offering both privacy and connection for the needs of a family
By Tianna Williams Published
-
‘Modern Buildings’ tours south-east London through a guide to post-war Blackheath and Greenwich
‘Modern Buildings: Blackheath and Greenwich’ is a detailed survey of a London borough’s rich trove of new modernist architecture
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Triangle House invites you to its inner world of colourful surprises
Triangle House by Artefact is a private home in Epsom, outside London, combining Caribbean style, colour and functionality
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Tour the refreshed Saint Andrew Holborn: an icon reveals its crisp new interior in London
DaeWha Kang reimagines Saint Andrew Holborn church through a sensitive architectural solution that blends tradition and modernity in London
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Suffolk house by Studio Bark pairs a fresh visual language with low-energy design
Suffolk house Water Farm is off-the-grid but defiantly on the map, a bold new object in the landscape with a strong visual impact and minimal carbon footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published