Looking like the set of a sci-fi film, the ultramodern ‘Elastica’ residence in Bangalore, India is pretty much what we all imagined our houses would look like by the time we became adults. It’s a little bit Jetsons, a little bit rock n’ roll, and a whole lot different from the decidedly unfuturistic houses most of us still occupy in the year 2016. Inside, there are virtually no straight walls, with undulating white surfaces stretching around the space, and what looks like a translucent cylindrical elevator reminiscent of the ‘Orgasmatron’ machine in the 1973 film Sleeper standing at its center.

Cadence Architects conceived the house as a continuous loop rising from the ground, with large open spaces providing sight lines from the upper floors to the living space on the lowest level. Made of acrylic and ferroconcrete, the walls and floors flow like liquid in sculptural curves, occasionally stretching out to become built-in furniture like a cantilevered kitchen island. In the bedroom, a black acrylic base cradles a circular mattress like a gigantic soap dish, matching the marbled floor.

A minimalist black and white palette keeps all the attention on those curves and gives the interiors the air of a spaceship, accented with strips of LED lighting and furniture that appears to have been custom-made to match the scheme. A pod-like children’s bed looks like something you might wake up in after traveling for light years on an intergalactic journey, and a home cinema amplifies the outer space effect with starry lighting and a molded, carpeted floor shaped like a landscape with comfy hills and planes to lay on.

The facade of the home is glazed on every level except the middle one, which is sheltered by a modern interpretation of the traditional brise-soleil, a perforated screen that filters direct sunlight. The ground and top floors feature Astroturfed terraces, the highest of which looks out onto the more conventional architecture of the neighborhood. Some of the design touches throughout are strange in an otherworldly sort of way, and certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a cool example of architects getting creative with residential designs.

German concertgoers are so excited about the stunning new Elbphilharmonie building in Hamburg by architecture firm Herzog & De Meuron, they’re already snapping up tickets for the first events scheduled after its inauguration on January 11th, 2017. The glittering wave-shaped addition is a bold ultramodern example of adaptive reuse, delicately hovering over an existing brick warehouse building to assist with soundproofing its 2,100-seat arena. The project is finally nearing its completion after nearly a decade of construction, with all of its interior fittings set to be in place in time for its handover to its operators on October 31st, 2016.

With anticipation building for such a long time, it’s a good thing the final result is so impressive. Located in Hamburg’s Hafencity quarter on a peninsula jutting out onto the River Elbe, the complex not only mimics the adjacent surface of the water, it literally mirrors it with 1,100 panes of reflective cladding punctuated by convex elements and D-shaped windows reminiscent of fish mouths. Reflective basalt grey dots prevent the structure from overheating and add to the shimmering effect.

The complex also houses a 250-room hotel, 45 private apartments, two additional concert halls and a public viewing area with panoramic vistas of the waterfront. Reusing the old building pays tribute to the neighborhood’s industrial past even as Hafencity – a new urban redevelopment scheme that enlarges the Hamburg City Center by 40 percent – blossoms as a cultural hub. The scheme is seen as a blueprint for Hamburg’s development into the 21st century, reestablishing it as a modern maritime city.

Inside, the careful selection of state-of-the-art materials helps explain the long delay in construction, as an organically textured white ‘skin’ made of dense gypsum-fiberboard panels enhances acoustics and makes the space even more visually expansive. Other details, like a flowing glass wall on the panoramic ‘plaza,’ continue the aquatic theme.

A long, narrow ultramodern residence envisioned as a composition of disassembled aviation components offers an evocative home for a retired pilot. ‘Aviator’s Villa’ by Urban Office Architecture is elevated on a hill between a lake and a swimming pool, and exposed on three sides so it feels like it’s floating on air.

The cantilevered master bedroom juts out from the main volume of the home like the nose of an airplane, hovering over other ‘floating’ volumes conceived as abstracted clouds. You might expect a smoother silhouette from a plane-inspired structure, but the architects deliberately gave it a “twist and torque” to simulate the way a plane steers through air currents.

The house consists of three primary spaces including a thirty-foot-tall living area and kitchen, the 40-foot bedroom, and the library. Between the two separate structures are a series of hidden spaces revealed during the ascent up a circular staircase.

Throughout the villa, little details echo those found within a plane, like the riveted metal frames around the windows, and perforated metal screens  that filter harsh direct sunlight the way clouds do in the sky. The sharp, geometric panes of glass that make up the windows are meant to recall the angles found within a cockpit.

Spanish architecture firm A-cero is known for its striking modernist villas in its home country, as well as a growing body of international work. Influenced by contemporary sculpture, A-cero’s residences are sprawling arrangements of geometric shapes, curves and ramps in stark white, gray and black marble and concrete. Here are 12 of the firm’s most impressive private homes, including a high-end apartment renovation.

Open Box House

(images via: freshome)

Inspired by the modern works of Spanish sculptor Jorge Oteiza, A-cero’s Open Box House on the outskirts of Madrid consists of textured, angular concrete shapes complimented by the simplicity of a Japanese garden. The dramatic entrance includes bright, colorful LED lights set into the floor, and surrounding the home are several reflecting pools with geometric stepping stones.

Concrete House II

(image via: dezeen)

A single-story house doesn’t have to be less visually interesting than larger, multi-story residences. A-cero gave this low-lying home near Madrid concrete ‘fins’ that are occasionally filled with soil and planted with grass, creating slopes that lead up onto the roof.

House in Somosaguas

(images via: archdaily)

A-cero’s ‘Home in Somosaguas’ almost looks like a massive house boat from the side, especially when seen adjacent to a large reflecting pool. Stacked, staggered horizontal shapes create interior living spaces as well as outdoor terraces and a rooftop pool.

1001 Nights House

(images via: adelto)

Perhaps among the most unusual homes of the last decade, A-cero’s 1001 Nights House in Madrid features sloping outdoor surfaces that resemble skate ramps. The architecture firm brings out the colored LED lights to an even more dramatic effect, highlighting the curves and geometric forms as well as pools of water in white stone beds.

Three-Level House in Madrid

(images via: freshome)

Responding to a request by the homeowners to create a multilevel house that makes the most of the plot of land and also takes advantage of beautiful views, it’s safe to say that most architects wouldn’t have put forth a design that looks like this. A-cero says “The formal solution has been the result of an aesthetic look for categorical volume playing with their own heights and shapes and the surrounding environment.”

Memory House

(images via: freshome)

Perhaps one of A-cero’s most conventional-leaning creations, Memory House fits into its suburban surroundings while maintaining the firm’s signature sculptural style. The three-level home features an exterior made of white marble, bamboo and a combination of angular and curving shapes.

Casa de Campo

(images via: archdaily)

Though from most angles, this home looks unlike most other residences in the Dominican Republic, the sloping shapes of the roof greeting the pool in the back yard are suggestive of more traditional beach huts. The home is made of an indigenous stone that pays tribute to the seaside location and also reflects lots of light within both exterior and interior spaces.

Marbella House

(images via: archdaily)

Working with a difficult sloping home site, A-cero crafted a luxury residence with staggered levels that enable sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea. The main level includes a large rectangular pool, and just above it is a first-floor bedroom with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and doors.

Concrete House I

(images via: a-cero)

Completed in 2006, the Concrete House (I) is a contemporary residence in Pozuelo de Alorcón, Spain. The solid-looking home is pierced by a number of unexpected hallways, courtyards and other voids, and decorated along the exterior by architectural projections like a black pergola extending out to the swimming pool.

Vivienda 19

(images via: a-cero)

Straight lines and simple shapes dominate this Madrid house, made of Travertine marble. The combination of all the white, large windows and built-in lighting give it a light feel despite the heaviness of its materials.

A Coruña

(images via: contemporist)

This home stands out among A-cero’s accomplishments simply because it’s not solid white, but rather a beautiful contrast of black and white marble. The L-shape of the house was determined by a triangular, sloped site, with the interior angle opening to a view of the estuary of A Coruña in Spain.

Apartment Renovation

(images via: freshome)

A-cero’s structures are so dazzling, it’s hard not to get caught up in the exteriors and forget about the interiors all together. But this apartment renovation in Galicia, Spain is one example of how the firm can infuse a space with its particular brand of aesthetics. Of course, the apartment is full of high-contrast colors and materials as well as lots of curves and geometric shapes.

There are few design concepts more widely integrated in modern architecture than the idea of openness. When architects work with open designs, they not only allow the residents more flexibility in their living space, they also create homes that feel more spacious and luxurious than their tightly closed-in counterparts.

Minimalist Box Home

This stunningly simple house by Primus Arkitekter of Denmark consists of a few interlocking boxes adorned with weathered wood on the exterior and plain white paint on the interior. The wooden outer walls provide a perfect contrast to the simple, modern interiors -a counterpoint which makes the small home seem far larger than it actually is.

Concrete and Wood Cabin

By combining cool concrete and warm wood, this cozy cabin by BAK Architects is ready to comfort residents all year long. Stairs, cabinets and furniture all seamlessly blend into the greater overall design, seeming to flow gently from the walls themselves. The use of seamed concrete meshes amicably with the grainy wooden slats and hints at stretching expanses of space that may just go on forever.

Open Concrete Box house

Like BAK Architects, designers at Architects Brauning understand that concrete doesn’t have to be a cold, unwelcoming material. Hard steel, brushed concrete and glass walls give this house a distinctively industrial feel, but the open interior, adorned with bright orange flooring and stacks of logs, gives it a warm, welcoming atmosphere –one heavy in contrasts. The sharp lines and inspired contrasts make the house distinctively modern, but still cozy enough to be called home.

Glass on Concrete Underground Home

It’s hard to create a room more open to the outside world than the glass-framed living space sitting atop this concrete home. Perhaps that’s why Alberto Baeza decided to counterbalance this highly visible upper level with the secure, private concrete bunker below. This concrete and glass masterpiece is a perfect setting for anyone who enjoys a great view but still wants to have plenty of privacy as they participate in their normal, day to day activities.

Bridge House

Architect Max Pritchard had quite a challenge ahead of him when presented with this stunning setting for a new home. How could he possibly build something that would allow the owners to enjoy the gently flowing stream, ancient red gum trees and rocky slopes of their property without disturbing any of the natural beauty?

His solution was an industrial-looking house on stilts that somehow manages to look perfectly in place with the serene setting. By gently nestling the home inside the small canyon, Pritchard was able to minimize its visibility from a distance. As you close in on the home, the simple and boxy design, covered in recycled metal, makes the structure almost appear like an abandoned railroad bridge, ensuring it still seems perfectly at ease in its setting.

High Desert Oasis

The slopping, rust-colored roofs of this dramatic desert home bring to mind images of antique barns of the Old West, but upon closer inspection, this design by Rick Joy is one hundred percent modern. Inside the rusted roof and rammed-earth walls are walls made entirely of glass, allowing residents to take in the picturesque views of snow-capped mountains. An edgeless pool is ready to help visitors cool down after a hike across the stunning desert landscape. As much as the home fits in with its surroundings, it also serves as an ideal escape from the area’s harsh realities.

Modular Modern Masterpiece

The pure simplicity of this tiny summer home is exactly what makes the design by Tommie Wilhelmsen so brilliant. By taking advantage of small nooks and crannies, he ensures there is adequate living spaces without isolating and cramping any areas of the small building. While many people would find the house a little too small for year-round enjoyment, it is precisely this quality that makes it such a welcome, comforting summer home –inviting residents to leave their worries, and extra possessions, elsewhere.

Lofted Combination Home and Office

Architects Angelo Bucci and Alvaro Puntoni took advantage of the severe drop off of this piece of property to create a refreshingly unique combination live-work space. Much of the house is hidden away below street level, giving the residents ample privacy. At the same time, the open heart of the design allows in ample light and fresh air, preventing any sense of isolation or stuffiness. One of the most distinct features of the design though is the massive, lofted office space hovering above the rest of the home and accessible only through a metal staircase. This concept is not only attractive, but it also helps keep a distinct separation between the home and office space, helping residents keep a strong distinction between their work and home life.

Modern Hillside Manor

Like the lofted home above, this Hollywood home takes full advantage of challenging natural topography. Designers at Xten Architecture used retaining walls and a massive hillside to create a private inner space that is still provided with natural light and air. On the other side of the building, the house juts out from the mountainside, offering unbelievable views of the city below with its floor-to-ceiling window walls.

Multi-Leveled Bookcase Home

Anyone with an affinity for books will instantly appreciate this architectural marvel devoted to literary extravagance. Architects at grupoSP designed this open-plan library home for some true book lovers who own enough books to fill three floors worth of shelves. Of course, the bookshelves aren’t the only interesting part of this floor plan. Floating metal mesh walkways, two full walls of windows and frequent gaps in the concrete walls allow ample mobility and privacy in the home while still taking full advantage of natural light.