Studio505, an architecture and design firm based in Melbourne, Australia, have recently erected The Lotus Building in Wujin, China. The building and the 3.5 hectare People's Park have been designed as a cultural anchor and civic landmark.  Visitors enter from beneath to rise to a cathedral like a revelation to well laid out living space. It is supposed to look like an inhabitable sculpture rising naturally from the waters.

With the current trend in 'tiny houses' becoming a small phenomenon, Allergutendinge, a German architectural design firm have taken a turn in another direction with Arcadia the Spirit Shelter. A space designed for self-examination, meditation and existential exploration, it fits nicely into the backyard if a tree-house isn't your thing.

Located in the Eden Rock Coastal Forest Estate on the southern coast of Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa is a house the Metropole Architects built. The house boasts clean lines, great vistas and all the amenities of a luxury villa.

Japanese studio; Ma-Style Architects have so perfectly designed the minimalist's ideal home. With tons of natural light, skylights, roof-beams and laminated wooden surfaces, the house seems incredibly sustainable and effortlessly natural. Amazing natural light patterns can be witnessed throughout the house when the sun penetrates the shaded area the home is located in.

Zeroplus Architects have taken the timeless concept of a 'cabin in the woods' to a new level with their Sneeoosh Cabin. Constructed in Puget Sound in Washington State, the property perfectly combines all the aesthetics of lodging in the middle of nature with the amenities of the modern world. Take a look.