Nestled among the shops, houses and roof terraces in London's vibrant Shepherds Bush, you'll find the award-winning Tin House. Made up of six pods, built on a plot overlooked on all sides, this bright abode really is a sculptural wonder. The stand-out metal property was designed by architect Henning Stummel and is now his private home and office space. 

Surrounded by other buildings, it was important to create a home with plenty of private spaces on the plot, which was once a breaker’s yard. The result is an inward-looking courtyard design that is open to the south. The build’s six interconnected pavilions offer creative living spaces, framing a central outside area that features a tranquil pool of water. Love this? Check out these spectacular homes hidden from the world.

Situated on a stunning archipelago in Vestfold, Norway, this plot was originally home to a wood cabin. Over the years it had become worn out and unlivable, so a new design, clad in salt water resistant aluminium, was devised. The new striking woodland cabin was completed in 2013, consisting of three interconnected spaces, each with a canopy-covered outdoor deck.

Designed by Arktekter Mnal, the cabin is a truly relaxing space to unwind and escape the stresses of everyday life. The exterior is sleek and cutting-edge, but the inside is minimalistic. Its decor is cool, airy and open to the elements with natural light flooding the rooms through the copious amounts of glazing.

Reflecting the undulating waves of the ocean, this spectacular 530-square-metre family home located in Venice Beach, California. Created by esteemed Los Angeles architect Mario Romano, the Wave House is made from over three hundred unique pieces of white-painted aluminium, assembled together to create a rippling formation.

At the back of the property, the protruding courtyard wall features a subtle design difference which stands out from the rest of the house. Here, the aluminium cladding emulates overlapping feathers, rising up from the ground level to the first floor, where five spacious bedrooms are located. Love this? Check out these homes for sale with incredible courtyards.

Built for a Peruvian horse breeder, this incredible home sits on the highest part of a 60-acre farm just north of Piura. South American architects Cheng + Franco designed this elevated mirador-style house, opting for oxidized steel to clad the bold, protruding upper floors of the property.

A dramatic red steel spiral staircase cuts through the centre of the house, descending down through the home's three storeys. The surrounding walls of the stairwell have been utilised as space storage – cleverly lined with box shelves to showcase the homeowner's various equestrian trophies.

Perched on a hillside in Slovenia's Slovenske Konjice region, the spot's uneven terrain is reflected in the home's quirky angular structure. Designed by architects Scapelab for a local doctor, the 174-square-metre house is a multifunctional space, housing informal living zones along with calm professional workspaces where the homeowner sees patients.

Set in an ancient city with a wealth of medieval architecture, this striking black copper home was designed to bridge past and present with its innovative structure. The result, devised by architects Radu Teacă, is a gothic-inspired property with a minimalist feel. Love this? These heavenly homes were once churches.

Conceived by award-winning architect Sebastian Irarrazaval, the design positions angled steel containers as though they're resting on the sloping edge of the hillside. The finished home has been dubbed the Caterpillar House because of the way the four modules appear to lie on the ground. 

The steel facade was primarily chosen for its affordability, but the material is also an extremely low maintenance choice. Left to shine in the sun, the containers will slowly rust and fade in the dry climate, blending further into their brown, mountainous surroundings. Love this? Check out these stunning homes made from shipping containers.

This unique, cliffside home is like nothing we've seen before. Set into a 42-degree incline, the property in Granada was built for a young couple with ambitious ideas and a tight budget. Thanks to GilBartolome Architects, the result is an architectural wonder with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea.

When seen from below, the zinc house looks almost dragon-like, with scaled reflective skin, yet when seen from above it resembles the waves of the sea below. The roof is a double-curved concrete shell, packed with insulation, so amazingly, the house does not require any heating or cooling systems. Love this? Check out these mountain home with majestic views.

Set in six acres of gardens in the heart of Suffolk’s countryside, the spectacular Balancing Barn was commissioned by Living Architecture as part of a series of holiday homes designed by world-class architects. The barn is a striking 30-metre long cantilevered house with a glass floor, large picture windows and skylights. Love this? Check out these breathtaking barn conversions.

This innovative venture was a collaboration between British practice Mole Architects and Dutch firm, MVRDV. “The house wants to be modest initially, it wants to respect the landscape,” says its architect Winy Maas of MVRDV. “When you put a barn on a hill, it’s just a barn on a hill. But the moment you begin to push the barn to the edge of a hill it gets an emotional feeling. It starts to not be completely comfortable. There’s a stable part, and a less stable part. It is not boring.”

At the property’s mid-point, the barn starts to cantilever over the descending slope below, meaning that exactly half of the barn is floating. There's even a swing underneath – the only one known to be suspended from the underside of a house!

Love this? Check out these mind-bending homes that defy logic