Inspiring photos of the world's most incredible houses built last year - PHOTO

The finalists in this year's award for large, single-family homes are nothing short of incredible, from a California beach house to a Brazilian mountain hideaway.The public can vote for any of the five finalists in the category from now until March 21.The Cresta, a 5,300 square foot, three-storey family home in La Jolla, California was designed by Jonathan Segel Architects on a small block, but feels spacious and airy.It has one floor below ground and two above and is accented by floor-to-ceiling glass looking out onto outdoor areas and a swimming pool that runs around the property like a canal.The pool has been integrated into the home's design and provides thermal cooling inside the house. Due to the pool, large expanses of glass, sun shading and the concrete the house is built from, a 6.5kw solar panel on the roof provides almost all of the house's power.La Muna is a renovation and expansion of a rustic ski chalet in Red Mountain in Aspen, Colorado by Oppenheim Architecture and Design.The building makes the most of its gorgeous alpine setting, clad in local timber, stone, weathered steel and copper.There's an outdoor hot tub, a cubic sleeping nook in the master bedroom and a stunning moss wall hanging in the living area of the 3,500 sqaure foot house.The home is solar powered and has huge panels of glass that can be operated by the press of a button that look out over mountains, streams and woods.The dramatic Vault House in Oxnard, California is situated on a beach. Instead of the standard beach house with a single view of the ocean from the back of the house, architecture firm Johnston Marklee used a series of vaults within the house to provide a continuous view of the beach from the front of the house all the way through.Expansive views of the ocean are visible from even the most private spaces within the all-white rectangular home and the curve of the vaults fit in perfectly with the rolling ocean.JN House in Itaipava, Brazil, sits in lush green lawns surrounded by the mountains of Petropolis outside Rio de Janeiro.Bernardes + Jacobsen Arquitetura created a topographical approach to integrate the home into its surroundings.They created a single-storey home with other, independent blocks, comprising a children's house, a leisure pavilion and maids quarters to allow for the unevenness of the ground. The main structure has a pool and spa area, a wine cellar and a home theatre.There are also fireplaces and interior gardens, skylights and large glass panels. The Villa Kogelhof is a long, rectangular glass box in Zeeland, the Netherlands.Paul de Ruiter Architects designed the home to be self-sufficient, so it generates its own energy, heats its own water and composts its own garbage. It consists of two levels: one below ground, and one floating above the ground. The underground area has an entrance and parking area, storage, a bathroom and a workspace that looks out over an expanse of water.The floating glass box has an open floor plan with kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas and it is furnished with classic pieces from Le Corbusier and Eileen Grey.Its stark appearance makes it analagous to its uncompromising surroundings Now in its second year, The Architizer A+ Awards are the largest global architectural award program with 60+ categories and over 200 judges.Archtizer was launched in 2009 as a way to publicize the work of emerging and established architects. It's now the largest platform for architects to get their work seen.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az