Structure Only: 20 Houses That Showcase Their Structural Systems

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Although some projects conceal it, structure is always a primary concern in architectural design. Defining the structural system is among the first crucial decisions to be made, and it will likely shape a series of other aspects of the building. There are, however, extreme cases where architecture is seen and read simply as structure—projects whose character and image are largely defined by the chosen structural solution.

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Brutalist architecture immediately comes to mind, yet this approach is by no means limited to it. We have gathered below 20 houses from around the world that could be described as pure structure. While architecture clearly goes beyond this, growing in complexity, the lasting image we retain of these projects is simpler, more distilled, consisting fundamentally of their structure. See them below: