Living with Nature

The longing for nature has never been greater than at a time when more and more people live in densely populated urban centres. The country is a place for relaxation and recreation. Living there is a dream for many people.

This book shows over 20 selected houses situated in the middle of nature – structures whose architecture integrates the topographical space of their surroundings in various ways. The examples are located in regions with exceptional landscapes: in the arctic vegetation of Iceland, at the foot of a volcano in the Azores, or in the rock massif of Slovenia’s Kanin Mountains. These holiday homes and summer residences, hotels and emergency alpine shelters react to nature in terms of their construction and design and tie inside and outside space together. All projects are documented with brilliant architectural photos, short descriptions as well as floor plans and sections.

The project documentation is supplemented by introductory essays with thoughts on building in the country and on the tradition of summer and holiday houses.

- Outstanding residential buildings in exceptional landscapes
- Examples of architecture that respond to regional and topographical characteristics
- Local resources and materials as quality of life