House in Fontinha by Manuel Aires Mateus
A house with a rooftop infinity pool by Kois Associated Architects - Tinos Island, Greece
Designed for the rocky terrain that makes up the island’s south-west coastline, the Mirage house is conceived by Kois Associated Architects as “an invisible oasis” where residents can enjoy panoramic views over the Aegean Sea without giving up their privacy.
The team decided to bury part of the building in the landscape and then create a large open-air living room in front. These will all be sheltered beneath the rooftop pool, which will act as a huge mirror to help the building camouflage with its surroundings.
Dry stone walls will surround sections of the interior and also frame the building’s entrance. These are designed to reference the traditional walls that can be spotted all over the scenic island landscape.
Patsiaouras explained: “The elements that stirred our imagination most were the linear drywall constructions that articulate the landscape and the scattered shallow concrete water-reservoirs used for agricultural purposes.”
via koisarchitecture.com
Camp Baird by Malcom Davis Architecture. Sonoma County, California
From Architect:
Active growing children and a central urban house on a steep slope led the owners of this compound to think farther afield when considering a weekend escape. They found an idyllic site an hour and a half from home on which to stretch their legs. The couple rehired architect Malcolm Davis, who designed their primary residence, to help them define their project and build a rural counterpoint to their full-time urban dwelling. The idea was to enclose the structure as little as possible to maintain the sense of a camp, a building completely focused on the outdoors. The client’s original inspiration images included tents pitched on a deck and a possible prefabricated structure. The images and informal flexible program struck a chord with Davis’s Northern California Regionalist background. Louis Mumford defined the style as “a native and humane form of modernism… a free yet unobtrusive expression of the terrain, the climate and the way of life” on the coast and in the coastal valleys of Northern California.
Hillside Coastal Home In Spain by Anna Podio Arquitectura
This secluded modern house in Cala Canyet, which is situated between a coastal road linking Sant Feliu de Guíxols and Tossa de Mar near the small town of Santa Cristina d’Aro, Spain was designed by Anna Podio Arquitectura.
The home enjoys 180 degree views of the Mediterranean Sea. Its open plan, large windows and the infinite pool on the main level bring the sea fully into the home.
The façade cladding is made of natural limestone and a large format of porcelain tiles. Energy efficiency was achieved with cross ventilation between different levels, home automation systems and solar energy.
via annapodio.com
Hawkesbury Manager's House by HMA. Central Otago, New Zealand
Herriot + Melhuish Architecture worked in partnership with USA firm Marmol Radziner and Associates to develop a Californian Modernist style house redefined to sit in a Central Otago context.
The challenge was to adapt the traditional layered horizontal planes of the ‘modernist Californian pavilion’ to local planning rules and extreme weather conditions; and of course, take advantage of the spectacular views to the north of the site. Our client requested clever detailing to deliver cost effective solutions to these parameters.
