Cliff House

GilBartolomé Architects says the metal facade looks like "the skin of a dragon set in the ground when seen from below" but "waves of the sea when seen from above."

The undulating roof is reinforced concrete covered with hand-made and hand-installed metal tiles. The home was built when the Spanish economy was especially depressed, so in lieu of factory-made construction components, the architects used local labor for fabrication and installation whenever possible.

Aside from its dramatic appearance, the home's subterranean construction comes with an energy efficiency advantage: the surrounding soil is a constant 67 degrees, thereby helping to keep the interiors comfy year-round.

The reinforced concrete shell requires no columns, leaving the 47.5-foot-wide interior totally open. The living room doubles as a stage and the terraced seating can accommodate 70. A large sliding glass door separates the living room from the pool just outside.

The fiberglass furniture was designed digitally but manufactured on site as well.