Finland is a nation of thousands of lakes, and from a distance you might think the white, wooden structure in Karjaa is a boat that had washed up on land. But architect Marco Casagrande's Apelle house has given new meaning to the word "houseboat."

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Constructed by carpenters who also build boats, the Apelle home sits on land, but it resembles a boat both inside and out. On the inside you'll find planked floors, skylights and a series of circular windows which come together to create the illusion being in a "harbor among the surrounding woodland," Casagrande says.

Heavy snow and high winds can create hazardous conditions in southern Finland, particularly in fall and winter. The home's wood materials create hefty insulation, and ground well generates thermal heating. The home also has two fireplaces.

"House Apelle is part of nature," Casagrande explains. "The surrounding forest has been architecturally articulated into a shelter. The house is in the forest as much as the forest is in the house."

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The location in southern Finland also opens the Apelle home to spectacular views of the Northern lights, even more evidence of the architect's aim to incorporate nature. 

"Architecture is a mediator between human nature and the rest of nature, which also brings in an equally great responsibility of not alienating modern man from nature."

Take a tour of the Apelle home in the slideshow above.

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