Culled from thousands of projects featured by Dwell this year, the nominees for Best Dwelling in the 2020 Dwell Design Awards span Brazil to Australia, South Africa to Japan—and are ingenious expressions of their locales and homeowners’ needs.

Get to know the residences below, then cast your vote for Best Dwelling by December 16.

A Daring Home Clad in Shining Copper Armor Fends Off Natural Disasters

This Ethereal Glass House in the Brazilian Forest Was Built for $187K

This Beach House in Mexico Frames the Landscape with an Orderly Concrete Grid

A Japanese Retreat With a Glass “Cockpit” Places Forest Wildflowers at Eye Level

Arches, Curves, and a Spiral Staircase Define this Sculptural Australian Home

A Magical, Off-Grid Guesthouse Disappears Into the South African Bushveld

This Minimalist Japanese Home Pivots Around an Indoor Garden

This Peruvian Home Puts a Twist on the Traditional Tudor

This Self-Sufficient Australian Home is a Living, Breathing Ecosystem

Vote for Best Dwelling in the 2020 Dwell Design Awards.

Also Appears In

This Minimalist Japanese Home Pivots Around an Indoor Garden