Cantilevers, which can be technically described as beams anchored at only one end, are widely used in construction and most often found in balconies or roofs. Modern buildings, however, take the concept even further and they feature entire rooms and sections sticking out of the main volume and hovering in mid air. Their designs are often impressive and eye-catching.

1. The Trojan House.

Located in Melbourne, Australia, the Trojan House was a project by Jackson Clemens Burrows Pty. Ltd.The sculptural architecture you see here is an extension built for the existing house.

 

The architects wished to maintain as much back yard as possible so they designed the cantilever. This volume contains the kids’ bedrooms and a bathroom and they’re suspended above the garden. Underneath a beautiful deck/terrace was incorporated into the building’s design.

2. The Hill House.

The Hill House is also an addition to an existing house located in Melbourne, Australia. The project was conducted by Melbourne-based Andrew Maynard Architects. They decided to design the extension as a cantilevered box hovering above the back yard. This annex faces the sun and the original house, making the back yard the central area. The architects wanted to cantilever the new structure off a cliff but, since the landscape was flat, they had to manufacture a synthetic, undulating landscape. The artificial hill they created supports the cantilevered volume and houses a series of spaces on the ground floor. It also serves as a slide.

3. The Waccabuc House.

The Waccabuc House was designed by architect Chan-li Lin from Rafael Viñoly Architects. It’s located in Westchester County, New York and it was completed in 2011. Unlike most cantilevered houses we’ve seen so far, this one cantilevers on both ends. It’s a two-storey building with a design that takes advantage of the landscape. The architect was forced to come up with such a design because of the fact that the existing house had a small footprint and no room to be expanded on the ground level. The cantilevered ends extend 20 feet beyond the supports and form a porch and a carport.

4. The Balancing Barn.

From New York we go to Suffolk, UK where we found this interesting-looking residence. It’s called the Balancing Barn and it was designed by MVRDV and Mole Architects. It has a 15 meter cantilever and it’s 30 meters long in total. The house sits on a slope and provides unique views of the beautiful surrounding nature. Designed to respond to the site conditions and natural setting, the building is clad in reflective panels. It serves as a holiday home and it can be rented. The residence also has a fun feature: a swing suspended from the edge of the cantilevered volume.

5. The Beaumaris House

Melbourne is home to many architecturally-interesting projects and we just found another one for you to take a look at. The Beaumaris House was built here by Maddison Architects. It’s a 5-bedroom, 4 bathroom home with a cantilevered space hovering over the outdoor areas and offering views of the bay. The house is composed of two box-lie structures and the one we’ve just described is one of them. It houses the living areas, the kitchen and balconies and it has floor-to-ceiling glass walls and black exterior walls.

6. The Open Space Cafe-Bar.

Completed in 2006, the Open Space Cafe-Bar is a very interesting project. Situated in Murau, along the Mur river in Austria, the project consisted of a hybrid structure, a traditional tavern with elements from a 13th century building. Vienna-based studio Architektur Steinbacher Thierrichter was responsible for the project. The team used a combination of wood and steel for the project and they also designed an extension: the Open Space Bar which is a cantilevered volume. The levitating structure gives the building a modern look.

7. Casa CH.

Casa CH is a residenc located in Garza Garcia, Mexico. Designed by GLR Arquitectos. The original house found on the site was demolished to make room for a more modern one. The residence. Features a compact and sculptural structure, with a cantilevered volume featuring Floor-to-ceiling glass walls facing the interior courtyard and the adjacent volume. This transparency gives the sensation of being on a floating bridge hovering over the terrace.

8. The Lift residence.

This mysterious black structure can be found in Sendai, Japan. It’s a single-family home designed by Architectural studio Apollo Archtiects and Associates. The house features an impressive cantilevered structure which stands out because of its black and compact exterior which contrasts with the surroundings. What makes this particular design unusual is the shape of the cantilevered volume which features a steep angle as well as the fact that, apparently, the house doesn’t have any windows.

9. The Utriai Residence.

We now go to western Lithuania where we find this interesting residence. Situated in a small town in Klaipėda County, the residence was a project by local studio G.Natkevicius & Partners. It was completed in 2006 and it has a very interesting shape. The house was built on a slope and it features a huge cantilevered volume sitting on an angle. Underneath it is a covered parking space. Without any other houses in its vicinity, the Utriai residence dominates the landscape and offers uninterrupted views of the surroundings.

10. The Yatsugatake house.

This contemporary residence was designed by Kidosaki Architects and it’s located in Nagano, Japan. Completed in 2012, the house covers an area of 303 square meters on a sloping mountain ridge. It offers spectacular views of the mountains thanks to its carefully chosen design and positioning. To maximize the views the architects decided to extend the house into the air and to build it on steel cylinders designed to support the cantilevered volume. The strong indoor-outdoor connection was the key to this design.

11. Casa Casuarinas.

Covering an area of 3,552 square feet, Casa Casuarinas is a private residence designed by Metropolis and located in Lima, Peru. The modern design of the house was envisioned with an upper floor enclosed in glass, with panoramic views of the surroundings and a futuristic look. The cantilevered volume contains the living room, the master bedroom, 2 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a terrace. The simplicity of the design allows the architecture of the building to impress even more.

12. The Aggrenad Hotel.

This small concrete hotel contains only 5 suites and a cafe. It’s located on Geoje Island and it was designed by AND architects. The main goal was to capture beautiful views in all directions. It;s why the hotel was designed with rooms and balconies pointing out in different directions. These cantilevered volumes are each oriented towards a different area and this means that each room and each balcony offers unique views, unlike any others. The units are independent yet they form a single structure.

13. The +node house.

Named +node, this cantilevered wooden house was designed by UID Architects and it’s surrounded by forest. The house hovers 10 meters above the forest floor and, at one end, it has a hole specifically designed there so trees can grow through and become a part of the house’s design. The main volume is a rectangular box-like structure anchored to the ground and with another volume sticking out into the air. Strategically-positioned glass walls and windows capture the beautiful views and allow the inhabitants to feel close to the nature.

14. The View Hill house.

The View Hill house is located in Australia and it features a unique design. The main body of the building is a long and compact structure and a similar but smaller volume cantilevers over it. The house was designed by Denton Corker Marshall architects. The dramatic architecture of the residence defines the region. The lower volume is clad in steel and the upper floor has black aluminum walls. They both have glass walls at each end. The living, dining and kitchen areas are situated on the ground floor while the upper level contains two offices and a guest bedroom.

15. The House in Senri.

Located in Osaka, Japan, this minimalistic contemporary house was designed by architect Shogo Iwata. It was completed in 2012 and it features a large cantilevered volume which houses a total of 8 tiered floors. The uppermost floor is a roof terrace and the lowest is the basement. The floors are connected to one another by sets of 4 to 5 stairs. The residence features a steel frame and it covers an area of 83 square meters with a total floor area of 156 square meters.

16. Minamikarasuyama house.

Completed in 2013, this residence covers an area of 78 square meters and is located in Minamikarasuyama, Tokyo, Japan. The house was designed and built by atelier HAKO architects. It sits on a long and narrow site of small dimensions. It’s why the architects chose to build the house with a cantilevered space. There are two separate entrances, both on the ground floor. The cantilevered volume has two floors and they both have terraces that let in natural light into the living areas. Given the circumstances, this design allowed the architects to take full advantage of the little space that was available.

17. Casa Playa Las Lomas.

This unusually-shaped house is situated in Cerro Azul, Peru. It was a project by Vertice Arquitectos on a rocky and sandy hill which, at its highest point, is 48 meters above sea level and drops 8 meters in its lowest part. In order to take advantage of the magnificent ocean views and the beautiful surrounding landscape, the architects envisioned the space as two parallel volumes joined by a main circulation axis. Cantilevers were designed in order to make the most of the views and the plot. The house was built of concrete, steel tempered glass and granite stone.

18. The Torreaguera Atresados residence.

This eye-catching residence is located in Murcia, Spain and it was designed by XPIRAL Architecture. It’s composed of a series of separate volumes, each featuring unique facades and exteriors. The site features a steep angle so, in order to take advantage of the views and to also create a comfortable interior, the architects had to be creative. They designed the residence with a big cantilevered structure which hovers over the main volume. It has a big glass-enclosed terrace and it offers beautiful views of the surroundings.

19. The Holladay residence.

Tasteful yet casual, this residence was a project by Imbue Design and is located in Holladay, Utah. It has an interesting design and it also features an eye-catching combination of materials, finishes and colors. The lower volume is covered in cementious plaster while the upper volume which cantilevers over the patio is wrapped in burnt cedar. The upper level houses all the private spaces and all the bedrooms face east and offer views of the distant mountains.

20. Dwelling Etura.

Dwelling Etura is a contemporary residence located in Barrundia in northern Spain. It was designed by Roberto Arcilla Arquitectura and it has a unique silhouette. The residence cantilevers over the vast and beautiful landscape and it sits on a slope. It has a roof garden and it uses renewable energy. The house is oriented south and this allows it to capture the magnificent views and to also avoid the cold winds in the winter. The futuristic shape of the residence makes it stand out but it also brings it closer to nature.