The unashamedly boxy lake front house by British developer Yoo is one of 160 homes to be built overlooking seven lakes in the Cotswolds. The development is marketed at London residents in need of a home in the country. The glass-fronted residences offer sweeping views of the lake and are built in Slovenia of Russian wood. View full image.

"The Cotswolds are definitely changing and their image is being raised," says Yoo's co-founder John Hitchcox, who used to be a co-owner of the Manhattan Loft Corporation. "It is a design-orientated residential project. I wanted to build an environment where urbanites can come to the country." There is a host of celebrity designers working on the project: Phillipe Starck is Yoo's co-founder, while Sophie Conran, daughter of Sir Terence, and Jade Jagger were enlisted to design furnishings and interiors.

• Property in the Cotswolds: Contemporary class
• Photo Gallery
• The Lakes by Yoo