11 luxury hotels and homes that blend with nature, from The Lord of the Rings-inspired hobbit holiday houses in Turkey to the Swiss Alps’ mirrored Mirage Gstaad
- The sustainable House of the Big Arch in a South African nature reserve is powered by solar panels, collects rainwater and features a pool and wine cellar
- The architect of Edgeland House in Austin, Texas, commissioned by a science fiction writer, worked with a nature centre to preserve the local ecosystem
Sometimes luxury is about making a splash and getting noticed, but these architects opted to go the opposite route, creating homes and hotels that blend seamlessly into the natural beauty around them. And the effect is stunning.
We tour 11 gorgeous buildings across the globe …
The House of the Big Arch, South Africa
A home called The House of the Big Arch disappears into the canopy of a South African nature reserve. The home, which has a turf roof, blends in to its surroundings.
Johannesburg-based architecture studio Frankie Pappas designed the home around the landscape after the owners requested the company did not disturb the sandstone cliffs or forest. Incredibly, no trees were demolished during the build.
So as not to interfere with the landscape, the home is just three metres (11 feet) wide in some parts, and due to its remote location, it’s off-grid.
But there’s real luxury hidden beneath the canopy: the home has a wine cellar, a pool, multiple courtyards and a study. It uses solar panels to power the home, and rainwater is collected for use.
“This architecture could exist nowhere else in the world,” the studio wrote.
Edgeland House, the US