Expanding House Balances Nature With Space

Current fashion in architecture seems split between designing buildings that stand out in their surroundings and make a statement, and buildings that blend into the environment and whose statement is more about living harmoniously with what was already there.  The problem with the latter, perhaps, is that in preserving the location you sometimes have to compromise the design of your construction.  As technology and building materials advance, however, innovative ways to maximise living space and have a home in-keeping with nature are becoming more accessible and imaginative.

This forest home designed by 24H architecture sits happily within its natural setting, and yet its occupants aren't denied the space or light by compromise.  The end section extends out, revealing a bank of windows and giving more internal room.

It's a beautiful and clever idea, and the choice of materials give it an art-like quality as well as making it renewable.  There's a video of it in action over at their site.

24H architecture [via Neatorama]