A little further from home this time, this house has just been awarded House of the Year 2012 by World Architecture News (WAN), the global architecture news web-site.
The location is spectacular – situated on top of a granite rock, overlooking a man-made dam. Rather than being overwhelmed by its elevation, the house appears to float over it, with changing levels to take advantage of the views all around. It is a relatively simple structure, with two granite blocks, excavated from the site, to anchor the building and enclose the bedrooms; an over-sized timber platform and roof to protect from the harsh sun, and two glass boxes spanning between. All materials are locally sourced, except the specialist items – the glass, for example.
The magic lies with the shifting planes, which follow the gradient of the hillside perch. A sunken terrace here, an over-sailing roof there.
Gota Residence, East Africa, by Sforza Seilern Architects. Read what the judges said, here.
More wonderful spaces, here
owl's house london. 
Wow! I’m speechless…
hi doris, it’s a knock-out, isn’t it! when I first saw the images I thought they were computer generated, not real at all. but somebody actually lives here! J
that is spectacular, stunning…!
I think all of those s words, and then some..
Stunning! Would love to spend a week in this house 🙂
oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful! i love how it relates to its environment so beautifully. j