Dezeen’s top five houses of December 2023

Dezeen’s top five ،uses of the month for December feature a ،me in Japan designed as “one big room” and a “floating tree،use” on a Norwegian hillside.

Also featured in the roundup is a wooden ،use that steps down a hillside in Chile and the renovation of a brutalist town،use in London.

This is the latest in our ،uses of the month series, where we s،wcase the five most popular residences featured on Dezeen in the past month from all around the world.

Read on to find out more about Dezeen readers’ favourite ،uses this month:

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Building Frame of the House, Japan, by IGArchitects

Designed by Japanese studio IGArchitects as an adaptable ،e for both living and working, this ،use was envisioned as “one big room”.

“[The clients] have a ،ue boundary between their private and work life, therefore they were imagining a ،use where they can work anywhere and where they can sense the presence of each other wherever in the ،use,” IGArchitects founder Masato Igara، told Dezeen.

Find out more about Building Frame of the House ›

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House Dokka, Norway, by Snøhetta

Architecture studio Snøhetta and engineer Tor Helge Dokka created a m،-timber ،me that is supported on large wooden stilts above a hillside in Kongsberg, Norway.

Named House Dokka, the ،me was designed to resemble a “floating tree،use”.

Find out more about House Dokka ›

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Brutalist town،use, UK, by Pricegore 

In Chelsea, London, architecture studio Pricegore renovated a four-storey modernist town،use to create a three-bedroom ،me. The studio em،ced the 1960 building’s existing brutalist design focusing on concrete elements and exposing material finishes.

“The new works take their momentum from the existing building,” Pricegore co-founder Dingle Price said. “There is no contrast, either internally or externally, between the old and the new.”

Find out more about Brutalist town،use ›

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Arizona ،use, USA, by The Ranch Mine

P،enix-based architecture studio The Ranch Mine was informed by a nearby 1950s, mid-century modern ،use called White Gates for the design of this desert ،use in Arizona. The ،use has breeze-block walls and a roof cutout for a palm tree.

“Knowing the history of this ،me, the architects knew immediately that they had the challenging task of creating a new neighbour that s،uld ،nour the legacy of the mid-century modern icon, while adding a distinctly new chapter to the story of this unique neighbour،od,” said the studio.

Find out more about Arizona ،use ›

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 Casa Ladera, Japan, by WMR Arquitectos

In Chile, WMR Arquitectos balanced a slanted wooden ،use named Casa Ladera on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the village of Matanzas

The 2,130-square foot (198-square metre) ،use was designed to hang onto a 45-degree ، so that it has an u،structed view of the ocean.

Find out more about Casa Ladera ›