Steeply-pitched roofs animate two of the homes in this roundup, which spotlights Dezeen's top five houses of the month for August 2023.
Also on the list is a dwelling decorated with shiny green tiles, a trapezoidal concrete home and a beach house clad in blackened wood.
This is the latest in our Houses of the month series, where we collect the five most popular residences featured on Dezeen every month, from all around the world.
Read on for Dezeen readers' favourite houses from August:
House in Rua São Francisco de Borja, Portugal, by Bak Gordon Arquitectos
Handmade green tiles adorn the exterior of this narrow dwelling, which Bak Gordon Arquitectos has slotted between two buildings in Lisbon.
Its shiny facade draws on the colours of the surrounding buildings and is punctured by a large planter on the top floor encased by three panes of glass.
Find out more about House in Rua São Francisco de Borja ›
Trapezoidal concrete home, Slovakia, by Ksa Studený
Arguably the most unusual home on the list, this trapezoidal residence is dug into a sloping site in the village of Pernek in Slovakia.
The structure is crafted from concrete and fronted by large sheets of glass, which its architect Ksa Studený said is intended to evoke a hunter's lodge.
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Middle Avenue House, UK, by Rural Office
Rural Office referenced the Arts and Crafts movement when designing Middle Avenue House, a home in Surrey defined by its steeply-pitched roof and red clay tiles.
Alongside being one of the most popular houses on Dezeen, this month it also made the 2023 longlist for the coveted RIBA House of the Year prize.
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Lime Wash House, the Netherlands, by Chris Collaris Architects
Another home on the list with a steeply-pitched roof is Lime Wash House, created by Chris Collaris Architects in a verdant garden near Eindhoven.
The black-metal roof is juxtaposed with tactile lime-washed bricks, a combination that the studio's founder Chris Collaris described as looking "familiar yet strangely familiar".
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Amagansett Beach House, USA, by Starling Architecture and Emily Lindberg Design
Sitting in contrast to its coastal surroundings, The Amagansett Beach House is clad almost entirely in blackened wood treated using the Shou Sugi Ban method.
Its living spaces are all angled to face a pool-courtyard area outside and finished with a warm material palette dominated by an exposed Douglas fir structure and white oak floors.
Find out more about Amagansett Beach House ›