Are these the best homes in the world?

Casa Alcornoque

Flow 81 Architecture Lab built this house within a clearing of a cork oak forest on a hillside in Benahavís, Malaga. To protect the natural environment, Casa Alcornoque is elevated above the steep terrain; the structure rests on just two points so that it disturbs little of the local flora and fauna. It's designed for a young family, and the ground floor opens out to the forest where the children can play and grow up in nature. Above it is a flying platform supporting a structure of living spaces within the treetops that opens onto a huge outdoor terrace. The house is constructed around the trees and will not impede their growth.

Copper Bottom

Adrian James Architects' “habitable power station” in Oxford, generates more renewable energy than it needs. The architects claim this annual 30% surplus will, over time, compensate for the carbon footprint of its construction.
The copper-clad house is 100% recycled and recyclable: it has a single, south-facing roof plane supporting photo-voltaic panels that generate energy, while consumption is minimised by the property's two-storey cuboid design, built to passive house rules and framed almost entirely in carbon-capturing timber. Inside, the living spaces face south towards the sun and the interior is open plan with airy double-height volumes.

Ridge House

Toronto-based Superkül concealed this house within the Ontario landscape. It straddles a grassy slope, and the only evidence of its existence is the sculptural roof peeking above wild flower meadows and forest. The architects used the unforgiving downslope to their advantage, and have surmounted other obstacles presented by the terrain in the same way. There's no basement due to the high water table, and to preserve a mature tree, the living spaces are angled towards the rear of the house, where they benefit from verdant views of the pines. Inside, a cold-climate heat pump transfers warm air into the home, minimising carbon consumption for heating and cooling.

Twin Lakes House

Located next to Suan Luang Rama IX Park, one of Bangkok’s largest public green spaces, this home by Ekar Architects nestles on a 12-rai plot: a rare city-centre space immersed in nature.
Unconventionally, there is no single residence, but rather nine modest pavilions dotted around a large pond. This arrangement gives the owners access to "sociable spaces" that include a family pavilion, a Thai kitchen, and a lakeside sala [living room] where they gather day-to-day. But each member of the family, including three sons, has their own living space, and privacy.
The timber buildings subtly reference traditional Thai architecture with rooflines that start low to provide shade and intimacy, and rise gradually to bring in air and light. Sustainability guides the design: the pond brings in birds, insects and aquatic life, while the soil removed during its excavation has been reused to shape small hills that help to manage rainwater drainage and segregate spaces. There is also a vegetable garden and chicken coop supporting self-sufficiency.

K House

A reimagining of a traditional family farmhouse set in a village on the outskirts of Bombay, India. ADND  retained the bones of the building but designed a new façade incorporating a wooden brise soleil, which envelopes the original structure filtering natural light, ventilation and nature into the house, which in turn, becomes part of the living spaces.

The heart of the home is the veranda that opens onto the tropical landscape and a pool, creating a transition from indoor to semi-outdoor to outdoor spaces. Inside, the owners are shaded from the tropical sun, while natural breezes are funnelled through the space. 

El Risco

Flow 81 Architecture Lab’s second award-nominated house stands on a complex plot on the side of a 37-degree cliff in Málaga, Spain that was once presumed uninhabitable. As it was only possible to build on a narrow sliver of land on one corner of the plot, the house is divided into two volumes: one for access with a workshop and the other for living with a single bedroom, kitchen and living-dining room. A covered corridor built on the side of the cliff connects the two halves. The “essence of the plot” was preserved as much as possible – even graffiti has been left in-situ as the architects felt it formed part of the history of the area. They have however, reused rock from the site at different points in the project to enhance the aesthetic of spaces, and it was also crushed down to use in the terrace walls, and for gravel and the finish on the roof under the photovoltaic panels.
Exposed concrete lends the house a contemporary sensibility, softened by materials that were sourced locally: the floor is natural stone from Almeria and the wood is thermo-treated pine from Seville. Sustainable elements also figure: recycled aluminium was used for joinery and the porcelain tiles are made from 65% recycled materials.