Modern Forest House Retreats That Make The Most Of Their Surroundings

Living in a secluded home in the middle of a forest can be pretty cool if The Walking Dead ever becomes a reality, although having a zombie-proof house is hardly ever on anyone’s list of priorities. On the other hand, we often picture our dream home to be surrounded by nature and away from everything and everyone. With that in mind, let’s check out today some amazing forest houses from around the world.

Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil

This house from Guarujá, Brazil masters the art of hiding in plain sight. It’s the result of a collaboration between Studio MK27 and Samanta Cafardo. The house is surrounded by dense vegetation and looks like it’s been there forever. It takes advantage of an open area in the vegetation and it doesn’t interfere with the trees and the greenery surrounding it but rather tries to communicate with them and to establish a strong relationship between architecture and nature.

Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil

Located in São Sebastião, Brazil, this modern house takes advantage of the lush vegetation which surrounds it by putting emphasis on the views and the seamless transition between the indoor and the outdoor. Although it may look like a very simple solid block, the house actually has floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors seamlessly camouflaged across the facade. It was designed by Eduardo Chalabi and Studio MK27.

Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil

Everywhere you look there’s nature and that gives a wonderful sense of freedom which this house from Guarujá definitely takes advantage of. Designed and built by studios Bernardes and Jacobsen Arquitectura, the house sits in the middle of the Atlantic Forest on a site defined by steep slopes and, as a result, gorgeous views. The architects took full advantage of the topography and turned every challenge into an advantage.

Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil

This forest retreat is reminiscent of a modern A-frame cabin but at the same time doesn’t quite fit the description. Designed and built by architect Jean Verville, this little house sits in the middle of a beautiful hemlock forest out in the Canadian wilderness. It has an unusual and intriguing geometry which plays with open and closed spaces and takes advantage of the topography, the views and the tranquility while maintaining a strong character.

Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil

This concrete house with staggered volumes feels very close to the forest without actually letting nature fully take over its design. It was a project completed by Besonias Almeida Arquitectos and its unusual design comes a response to the site which has a two meter slope. By arranging the volumes this way, the architects managed to deal with the topographical challenges while also creating an organic connection between the house and its immediate surroundings.

Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil

A green roof and a sensible selection of materials help this lovely modern house blend into the landscape and feel at home among the trees. The house is designed by studio Johnsen Schmaling Architects and is situated in a heavily wooded area in Wisconsin. On the outside it features charred cedar cladding while on the inside it’s surprisingly bright.

Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil

This is a summer house situated in protected area within the Atlantic Rainforest in Guarujá, Brazil and was designed and built by studio Nitsche Arquitetos Associados. It occupies a section of land closely frames by tall trees and dense vegetation and an important objective throughout the project was to protect and preserve everything as best as possible. It’s like a hidden gem in the middle of the jungle.

Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil
Jungle House in Brazil

The house that studio Benjamin Garcia Saxe Architecture built in Puntarenas Canton, Costa Rica is pretty amazing, offering a view of the ocean and being surrounded by dense vegetation all around. Of course, the project wasn’t easy, especially since the architects had to deal with a steep slope. However, they chose to turn this into an advantage and to lift the house above the canopies.