If you don’t have access to your own private rooftop paradise, you can at least dream about it during the hottest months of the year with the help of this collection of dreamy swimming pools and lush gardens. Rooftop bathtubs, infinity pools overlooking some of the world’s most glamorous cities and elevated lawns offer respite from the heat and access to fresh air, even in densely populated urban areas.

Beach House Extension in Peru

This stepped home on a hillside overlooking the bay of Ancón in Lima, Peru features a rooftop infinity pool that seems to extend right out into the sea. Architect Adriá Noboa added to and renovated the existing home, built in 1958 by Swiss architect Theodor Cron, whose work in Peru is considered historically valuable.

Tel Aviv Townhouse Pool, Israel

Another apartment terrace swimming pool in an urban area sits atop a six-level townhouse in Tel Aviv. Architect Pitsou Kedem placed the lap pool at the edge of the rooftop terrace alongside a lounge area. The pool feels open to the city when you’re enjoying it, yet remains private from ground level.

Rooftop Bathtub and Shower, Portugal

Enjoying a relaxing bath while staring up at the sky from your own private rooftop in Lisbon definitely isn’t too shabby. José Adrião Architects added this unusual feature to the all-white rooftop terrace of a home with a view of the historical city.

The Wall House, Singapore

There’s no house in the world quite like this one, designed for a client in Singapore who wanted two distinct yet connected homes for various generations of his family while maintaining lots of privacy and outdoor recreation space. FARM architects created a multi-level plan with a lower-level courtyard connecting both residences while the lushly planted rooftop levels are private, each with their own swimming pool.

Apartment Pool Overlooking Madrid, Spain

A terrace sticks out of the side of this top floor apartment in the heart of Madrid, its kidney-shaped swimming pool nearly at roof level on one of the city’s tallest buildings. I! Arquitectura wanted to bring the ‘countryside’ to a city setting, with all the perks of living in the suburbs. That deck could only be better if the pool went right up to the edge, allowing you to take in the views while swimming.

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Residential Rooftop Dreams 13 Top Level Terraces Pools

One odd slightly off-kilter story after another was added to this once-modest house in Alaska as the trees decimated by a wildfire grew taller and taller, the owner insistent upon maintaining his view of Mount McKinley. Located in the woods of Willow overlooking the Denali National Park, the tower house began as a one-story that wouldn’t look out of place in any Alaskan neighborhood.

The forest recovered and the trees got taller and taller, obscuring the mountain. So, the story goes, the owner tacked on a second story. And then a third. After a while, it apparently just became a fun challenge to see how many tiny rooms could be stacked on top of each other until locals began calling the structure the Dr. Seuss House.

Alaska Aerial Footage swung by the house to capture a dizzying video that really gives you an idea of just how tall and whimsical the house really is. From the footage, it looks as though the upper levels are unfinished, their windows covered in ripped plastic sheeting. The snow-topped roofs and balconies on each level just add to the slightly surreal effect.

A white box seems to hover in mid-air in the middle of the forest, with no visible supports suspending it from adjacent trees. This structure isn’t a treehouse at all, and it’s actually at least twice the size it appears. It virtually disappears into its natural environment thanks to the mirrors covering most of its bottom story, reflecting nearby trees and the forest floor.

Izabelin House by Reform Architekt is a woodland retreat outside Warsaw, Poland, designed as a tranquil getaway that blends into the forest, becoming a part of it. Approaching the two-story dwelling from the street side, it doesn’t appear out of the ordinary. It’s when you step to the side or the back that the illusion comes into play.

The white upper story is the only thing that gives the home away from certain angles – otherwise, it might be near-invisible. Other mirrored structures employ reflective panels on the entire exterior surface, or alternate them with wood for an effect that’s extra-surreal. Another approach covers the entire outside of a forest home with images of trees as camouflage.

Rooms rotate, roofs open to the sky, facades slide away to reveal glass walls and interiors literally turn inside out in these 13 transforming, highly customizable home designs. Some close up into impenetrable fortresses for maximum security while others unfold to blur the boundaries between indoors and out.

The Sliding House by DRMM

The outer walls and roof of this house in Suffolk, England by DRMM slide back and forth on rails to reveal a glassed-in static structure, opening the house to the outside world to a highly customizable degree. Deceptively simple-looking when it’s all closed up, the house practically transforms into a greenhouse when the 50-ton mobile roof and wall enclosure is pulled back via electric motors charged by solar panels.

Bedrooms That Can Be Wheeled Outside

Ever wish you could move your bed outside on a particularly nice day? The lucky residents of this house in Sazeau, France by Raum can go one step further, wheeling their entire bedrooms out of the house and onto a wooden terrace to interact with the surrounding landscape. A large doorway makes it easy to move the lightweight wooden cubes outside.

Push a Button, Change Your House Layout

Three wooden boxes within a fixed volume rotate and extend outward with the push of a button at the Sharifi-Ha house in Tehran by nextoffice. The volumes contain a guest room, home office and dining room that can either be aligned flush against the static parts of the home or rotated so the glassed-in ends face a variety of angles.

M-Velope Transformer House

A 230-square-foot mobile living space expands in surprising ways with slatted wood panels that bend and angle in surprising ways. Extending out from a steel frame, the walls fold to reveal interior benches, sleeping platforms, work surfaces and small shaded rooms.

Shed-to-Beach-House

What looks like no more than a wooden shed at first glance is actually a mobile beach house that can be towed off the sand before severe storms. Located on the northern coast of New Zealand, the ‘hut on a sled’ by Crosson Clarke Carnachan features a large wooden shutter facade that opens to reveal a two-story glazed wall facing the sea. The glass is operable, as well, opening the entire interior up to the ocean breezes.

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13 Transforming Houses Slide Unfold Spin And Expand

Sometimes, beautiful views of your surroundings simply trump the need for privacy. Living in a bubble isn’t so bad when you’re in a remote location gazing at the sea or the forest, but some people take it one step further, living in almost entirely transparent spaces even in busy urban locations.

Cylindrical Glass House Containing a Tree

If you’re living in a secluded forest, does it matter whether the walls of your home are entirely transparent? Perhaps you wouldn’t mind if you lived inside ‘Tree in the House,’ a four-story modern treehouse encapsulating a beautiful tree. A white spiral staircase winds around the tree, taking you from one room to the next.

Transparent Floating Vacation Home

The term ‘floating house’ would typically indicate a house boat or other structure on the water, but in this case, it’s all about the visuals. Designed by Jarmund/Vigsnaes Arkitekter, this home features a gabled black upper floor on top of an entirely transparent lower floor so that from a distance, the home appears to be levitating.

Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe

The classic Farnsworth House is one of the most well-known works by architect Mies van der Rohe. Built for Dr. Edith Farnsworth between 1945 and 1951 in Plano, Illinois, the glass home is located on a secluded 10-acre site. The design seeks to unite the occupants with the natural world just outside, using the adjacent trees for shading and privacy.

Glass Cube House by Carlo Santambrogio

These two entirely see-through houses redefine what it means to put your life on display. Italian architecture firm Santambrogio sought the clearest glass to maintain transparency even through a series of walls, built-in shelves and staircases. ‘Snow House,’ the three-story structure pictured, is one of a series of glass houses created by the firm, and this one has glass thick enough to withstand heavy loads of snow. Special glass panels instantly turn matte for privacy at the touch of a button. The single-story version, ‘Cliff House,’ uses thinner, lighter glass elements.

House NA by Sou Fujimoto Architects

Rather than trying to cut individual inhabitants off from their neighbors, as is typical in densely populated settings, Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto decided to create a home that would unite them. House NA has an almost entirely transparent street-front facade, and instead of enclosed rooms, the interior is filled with small platforms at various heights for free movement and clear lines of sight.

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Living In A Bubble 15 Privacy Free Transparent Houses