House Styles Around the World
To help develop this article click 'Edit this article' above.
Here is a survey of some of the more interesting and unique home styles from around the globe:
Europe:
- The wooden chalet has been a popular style in Europe’s alpine regions for centuries. Ski resorts around the world mimic the chalet style for their slopeside condos.
Asia:
- The Hanok is a signature Korean home often featuring a curved roof. Hanoks are typically built with raw materials – like timber, soil, and rock – that are all-natural, recyclable, and don’t cause pollution.
USA and Canada:
- A building style that has become more popular in areas of the Southwest and Midwest U.S. in recent years is the barndominium. Traditionally, barndominiums were wooden barns that had been converted into living space, but modern barndominiums are now being built with steel frames, roofing, and siding in custom designs for more versatile and adaptable residential space.
- Bay-and-gable is a distinct architectural style common in Toronto and other areas of Ontario. The most prominent feature is a large bay window in the front, surmounted by a gable roof. These were often built as semi-detached rows of homes, and suited the layout of Toronto’s long and narrow lots.
See also:
- The Hong Kong shophouse.
- Singapore shophouses.
- A-frame house.
- Bungalow.
- Condominium.
- Cottage.
- Double fronted house.
- Maisonette.
- British post-war mass housing.
- Types of dwelling.
- Types of building.
- Architectural styles.
- Manse.
- Penthouse.
- English architectural stylistic periods.
- Earth building.
- Identifying non-traditional houses in the UK 1918-75.
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
World's first mass timber data centre.
The overlooked environmental aspect of data centre development.
Introduction to radon awareness
New technical information sheet published by CIOB.
Updated supplier guide can help electrical contractors engage with NHP.
CIAT confirm the winners of the 2026 architectural technology awards.
Government launches a one stop shop for flood preparedness.
Sir Edwin Lutyens: Britain's greatest architect? Book review.
CIOB publishes free template to help assess and manage risks.
ECA's reflections on Party Conference season
Burnham wants to be confident of winning before asking for a fresh mandate.
New Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser
Sergio Cavalaro, Professor of Infrastructure Systems at Loughborough University.
Building safety levy for England
CIAT publish estimator tool for members.
Water sector faces a growing crisis that could slow the delivery of vital infrastructure.
Undervaluing our industrial past
Heritage value changes as taste for building styles changes.
















