Windowless houses might sound dark and depressing, but the careful control of apertures in a building’s facade can actually be a brilliant technique for enhancing privacy, making views more pleasant and creating the feel of a secluded sanctuary. Fortress-like from the outside, they’re surprisingly bright and airy inside, often thanks to courtyards, terraces and rear glazing hidden from view of the street and neighbors.

House for a Photographer by FORM, Shiga, Japan

The client who commissioned this home from FORM is a photographer who wanted a studio and gallery for his work attached to his living quarters, all on a compact L-shaped lot. From the outside, it looks like an impenetrable box, but take the narrow alleyway into the gallery space and you’ll find a private courtyard that feels like an inner sanctum, echoing the atmosphere of the temple across the street. The building’s only windows look out onto the courtyard instead of the street, resulting in a mood of turning inward.

W House by Cukrowicz Nachbaur, Bezau, Austria

The shape of this residence in Austria by Cukrowicz Nachbaur might be that of an archetypal home, but its street-facing facade covered in timber slats certainly isn’t. Located close to another rural residence, this home gets privacy by arranging a two-story volume next to a one-story volume with a courtyard between them. All the home’s windows and sliding glass doors are arranged to look out onto this courtyard, aside from a few skylights, and first-floor porches are set beneath the overhanging second story to create secluded outdoor areas.

Domus Aurea by Alberto Campo Baeza & Gilberto L. Rodriguez, Monterrey, Mexico

Modeled on the Emperor Nero’s house in Ancient Rome as well as the vivid works of Mexican architect and engineer Luis Barragán, ‘Domus Aurea’ by Alberto Campo Baeza features a gilded interior wall designed to reflect carefully targeted golden light throughout the space. Though the home’s openings amount to no more than some skylights and a narrow line of glazing on the first floor, the light bounces from one surface to the next. The architect placed the most public common areas on the first floor, the private rooms on the second and a swimming pool on the roof.

Mountain House by Hiroki + Tomoko Sekiguchi, Hyogo, Japan

Situated on a tiny lot practically sitting right on top of its neighbors, this home by Hiroki + Tomoko Sekiguchi gains some measure of privacy by opening up to the sky instead. The sloped walls create a little more space between the home and the houses next door, and the living spaces sit atop a parking garage for the owners’ vehicle.

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No Windows No Problem These 12 Houses Are Bright Beautiful Private

Ceilings retract and glazed walls swing open to connect intimate indoor spaces with courtyards, terraces and gardens in these modern residences blurring the lines between indoors and out. Located everywhere from Colorado to Kuala Lumpur, these open-air homes take advantage of mild climates and spectacular views, with alternatives to conventional walls enabling natural ventilation and a sense of being connected to nature.

Kloof House, Johannesburg, South Africa

Every room in the sculptural Kloof House by Nico van der Meulen Architects opens directly to the outdoors via gigantic sliding glass walls. The kitchen, living room, dining room and bedrooms can all be fully connected to various outdoor spaces like courtyards, balconies and gardens. The swimming pool becomes part of the living room area, and one bedroom connects to a cantilevered koi pond.

The Fish House, Singapore

This modern tropical residence in Singapore seamlessly integrates courtyard spaces into the interiors on every level for natural ventilation and nearly uninterrupted views of the ocean. A glass-walled lounge cantilevers out over the swimming pool, and residents can walk up onto the green roof, which is partially shaded with solar panels.

Loft 24-7, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Decks and terraces connect the various freestanding volumes that make up Loft 24-7 by Fernanda Marques Arquitetos Associados, with the effect continued indoors using glazed walls and ceilings. “Being inside feeling like one is outside. I believe that to be a key issue in understanding the interior design being produced today,” says the architect. “In times when environmental awareness is growing, and, of course, also the desire to be close to nature.”

Casa P, Sao Paulo, Brazil

The ground floor of Casa P by Studio MK27 is enclosed with a slatted wooden ‘freijó’ wall, which acts as a privacy screen and offers natural ventilation. These oversized shutters can be opened completely to connect the interiors to the courtyard. Two more concrete volumes are stacked on top of the first, with the topmost one boasting all-glass walls for optimal views.

Willow House, Singapore

Greenery from the planted roof drips down into a living space via an open oculus, living spaces overlook swimming pools and reflecting pools, and trees grow indoors in this boundary-blurring house by Guz Architects. Taking advantage of Singapore’s warm, humid climate, the tropical residence blends traditional Singaporean architectural typologies with modern aesthetics.

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Blurring Boundaries 14 Modern Houses That Open To The Air

Tree houses aren’t just rustic wooden huts slapped together around a living trunk – they also come in the form of elegant modern residences incorporating the forest into their design, whether by building around existing trees or integrating them right into the floor plan. These 14 modern tree house designs blend into their forest environments and make vegetal views top priority.

Casa Vogue by Alessandro Sartore

A tree called ‘Bethany’ is the centerpiece of this home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, passing through a three-meter hole in the floor slab and up through the ceiling of the living room. Casa Vogue by architect Alessandro Sartore also accommodates a second tree in the garage, keeping as much of the original landscape intact as possible and bringing the natural landscape indoors.

The Urban Treehouse by Baumraum

German architecture firm Baumraum is responsible for many of the world’s coolest modern treehouses, including a pair in Berlin that function as a mini-hotel. The Urban Treehouse preserves the trees on a 650-square-meter privately owned wooded property within the city limits, integrating nature and architecture.

Between the Trees by Sebo-Lichy

The design of ‘Between the Trees’ by Sebo-Lichy mimics the look of natural tree trunk supports, elevating a portion of the home to work with the steep terrain. It’s built around three chestnut trees and overlooks a forest, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a rooftop terrace blurring the lines between outdoors and in. The house was inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s famous Tugendhat Villa in Czech Republic.

Modern Austin Treehouse by MF Architecture

This entire Austin home was essentially designed around views of trees in the front yard and on the back terrace. Each of the rooms of the house by MF Architecture look out onto the oak in the backyard, which shelters the entire outdoor area.

Urban Treehouse Apartment Complex by Luciano Pia

The last place you’d expect to find a treehouse is in the middle of an urban Italian city – let alone an entire apartment building planted with dozens of trees on every level. 25 Verde by Luciano Pia has a load-bearing steel structure shaped like tree trunks as its base, with 63 wooden-shingled dwellings staggered around 50 trees. In addition to looking really cool, the trees help reduce air and noise pollution for the residents.

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Arboreal Architecture 14 Houses Built Around Within Trees