If given the choice, it seems that most people would prefer to live in a beautiful home surrounded by the peace of nature than in a cramped, noisy city. The only problem is finding a balance between that home and the natural setting in which it sits. Design Workshop achieved this delicate balance in the Over Water house in Pune, India.

The building site is located between the mountains and a lake. Building any structure in such a lovely location detracts from the natural beauty of the place, which is why the designers tried to make as little impact as possible on the surroundings.

The house sits perched like a bird on two columns, with the back facing the mountains for privacy. The glass, wood and steel home includes a large balcony on the water-facing side to allow for stunning, unobstructed views of the lake.

Enclosed on all sides by glass walls, the home offers privacy in the form of wooden shutter-like slats outside of the glass. Natural light is allowed to flow naturally and to touch every surface of the home’s interior.

The designers seem to have succeeded in their quest to create a home that is livable and inviting, but which only causes minimal interference with the natural beauty around it.

Here’s what Design Workshop has to say about their design:

“To build on the lake surrounded by mountains is always a challenge, cause whatever one builds and however beautiful it may be it still takes away that much from nature. The strategy then is to build a glass house perched on the land and providing privacy for the inhabitants, at the same time to make sure the lake view gets highlighted from inside for the inhabitants.”

“The structure is wood steel and glass, supported on 2 RCC columns, perched like a bird on land.”