From minimalist cabins to summer retreats and urban apartments, these projects exhibit the best of Scandinavian architecture. Every one of these examples shows why the Nordic style is so influential in the fields of architecture, interior design and product design. Here you can discover a wide variety of architectural projects that range from compact houses to sprawling villas, boathouses, and even hotels. While vastly different, all of these buildings share the same refined understatement, celebration of natural materials, and an openness to nature.

Some of these houses offer a contemporary take on the traditional gabled silhouette of surrounding rustic dwellings. Others embrace their modern Scandinavian architecture style completely, but also minimize their visual impact on natural landscapes in different ways. For example, structures nestled in woodlands or even partially buried in the slope of a hilly site. One house features an entirely green roof that makes it almost disappear in a verdant setting. Another boasts dark wood cladding that matches the colors of the surrounding trees.

Not all of the projects from this selection are new builds, however. Here you can also read more about thoughtful renovation and redesign projects that give new life to 100-year-old houses. An apartment in a building that dates to the 1890s was beautifully transformed with stylish interiors that celebrate the area’s history and culture as well as traditional craftsmanship and woodworking skills. All of these Scandinavian architecture projects feature stunning exteriors complemented by equally stunning living spaces. Bright, airy, and designed almost exclusively with a minimalist decor, these homes, summer houses, and hotels welcome their residents into warm and elegant spaces that immerse them in gorgeous landscapes.