A new generation of architects are putting greenery at the heart of their projects, building homes around trees and embedding them in the landscape.

Whether you live in the city or deep in the countryside, in temperate climates or searing desert heat, here are five dwellings to inspire your future ‘jungalow’.

Home by Alessandro Sartore in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Bethany – a huge mango tree – inspired the design of this Rio de Janeiro retreat, which was engineered with a three-metre hole to allow room for her trunk. As well as introducing greenery into the home, she does double duty during the summer heat – helping to keep the air conditioning-free house cool under her shade.

Jungalow, by Neogenesis+Studi0261 in Surat, India

The jungle seems halfway to reclaiming this Surat house, which contrasts its suburban surroundings with a proliferation of trailing creepers and vines. Nature muscles its way inside the house too, with the living area looking onto a plant-filled internal courtyard. Local studio Neogenesis+Studi0261 designed the home for an agriculturalist.

Outhouse, by Loyn & Co in Forest of Dean, England

This grass-topped Gloucestershire ‘earth shelter’ was designed to blend into the surrounding hills – offering the ultimate communion with nature. Welsh architects Loyn & Co blurred the lines between architecture and landscape to create the Stirling Prize-shortlisted home, which offers expansive views across the rolling countryside.

Three Gardens House, by AGi Architects, in Al-Funaitees, Kuwait

AGi Architects brought the outside in for this Kuwaiti home, which features no less than three separate indoor gardens. Owners can retreat to below street-level greenery and enjoy a wet garden including a pool and fountain – perfect for the country’s 40° summers – or head to the building’s roof, and enjoy sea views from its covered terrace.

Binh House, by Vo Trong Nghia Architects in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Nature connects the multi-generational inhabitants of Binh House, while providing shade from the searing temperatures of Ho Chi Minh City. Designed as a prototype for Vo Trong Nghia Architects’ ‘House for Trees’ series, it comprises a series of stacked, open and naturally ventilated volumes topped by gardens. These offer daily bounty for the kitchen.

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