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A minimalist holiday home and separate guest house built on a Greek island. Built on an elevated point of Vasiliki, on the island of Lefkas, Greece, Villa Apollon opens to spectacular views of the coastal landscape and the Ionian Sea. Athens-based architecture studio Block722 designed the holiday home and a separate str...

Four concrete houses that invite guests to lose themselves in a spectacular coastal landscape. Located in Serra de Grândola, near Melides, Portugal, Pa.te.os is a gorgeous coastal retreat surrounded by cork and olive trees, a vineyard and Mediterranean flora. Owners Sofia and Miguel Charters tasked architecture firm

A concrete house nestled in the countryside alongside an old farmhouse. Built in the countryside in a protected area close to the Oslo Fjord, Norway, Villa Aa is a contemporary concrete house that minimizes its visual impact on the landscape while maximizing access to views....

Surrounded by mountain ridges, plateaus and dunes, the Amangiri resort and spa is an oasis of calm and provides a peaceful hideaway in the middle of the canyons of the American Southwest. Located in a protected valley in Canyon Point, Utah, the contemporary resort is designed to pay homage to nature an...

A 200-year-old house restored with hemp-based materials. Located in Mallorca, Spain, this house has a venerable age of 200 years. The owners hired local architecture firm Ideo Arquitectura to solve the issue of rising damp that affected the building and to also restore and redesign it to create serene and

A minimalist sandstone house inspired by coastal villas. Located in the town of Carovigno, on the coast of Apulia, Italy, Casa Maiora is a seaside retreat designed for year-round use. Barcelona-based Studio Andrew...

A house with a terrace that opens to nature can do wonders for one’s well-being. For cities, even a balcony or a small corner of greenery inside an apartment will suffice. We want to talk about houses designed with one or more patios and courtyards that connect living spaces to glorious natural landscapes, gardens, and even urban jungles. Homes and summer retreats where

Reimagining Mediterranean Living: AC House Defines a New Standard for Sustainable Comfort in Málaga's Limonar Neighborhood Situated in the northern region of Málaga’s esteemed Limonar neighborhood, Spain, the AC House is as an architectural gem deeply anchored in Mediterranean principles. Completed by Marina Uno Arquitec...

A low profile house built from rammed earth to blend into a desert landscape in west Texas. Built at the edge of Marfa, a small ranching and art community in the grasslands of west Texas, this house nestles in the desert landscape perfectly with a low profile design and a rammed earth build. Lake Flato Architects took inspiration from the area’s earliest architecture for the design, r...

A contemporary weekend home that reinterprets traditional Mexican architecture. Located in the charming town of Tepoztlán, only an hour away from the center of Mexico City, La Hacienda Jardín is a weekend home that provides a tranquil escape from city living. Monterrey-based architecture firm Práctica Arquitectura designed the dwelling for a family with children. While it is now used ...

A 1970s house, thoughtfully redesigned to accentuate the original design's modernist character. Located in the village of St. Minas on the island of Euboea, Greece, this house was designed in the 1970s by Greek architect Nikos Hadjimichalis. London and Athens-based architecture firm

A concrete house built on a beach in Oaxaca, Mexico. Contemporary Mexican architecture merges traditional and modern elements seamlessly while also celebrating nature. Casa del Sapo is a great example. Designed by Espacio 18 Arquitectura, this concrete house is ...

A rammed earth extension that creates a closer link between interiors and nature. Developed in the late 20th century by architect Michael Reynolds, earthships are built with upcycled, recycled, or sustainable materials and designed as adaptive-reuse, eco-friendly shelters. Sydney-based Luigi Rosselli Architects used t...

A dilapidated house transformed into a contemporary family home with flexible living spaces and a tranquil garden. Located in the city of Matosinhos, Portugal, Casa Fonte Velha is a formerly dilapidated house that has been completely transformed by Martins Pimenta – Arquitetura e Construção. Left in ruins, the buildin...

A resort-style residence with minimalist interiors. Located in Mount Claremont, a suburb of Perth, Australia, this house strikes an impressive figure with its expansive light walls and simple rectangular forms that stand out among more traditional houses. The client wanted to design and build her ideal home with a ga...

A minimalist holiday home and separate guest house built on a Greek island. Built on an elevated point of Vasiliki, on the island of Lefkas, Greece, Villa Apollon opens to spectacular views of the coastal landscape and the Ionian Sea. Athens-based architecture studio Block722 designed the holiday home and a separate str...

A modern hotel that immerses guests into a lush landscape. Nestled among palm trees in Ahangama, southern Sri Lanka, this new hotel offers a laid-back but refined retreat experience in a jungle landscape. The recently opened Palm Hotel welcomes guests into a serene space where contemporary design meets rustic influences. Ma...

A tranquil resort in Bali with private beach. Built on the south-western coast of Bali, the Soori Bali resort occupies a secluded area between the ocean on one side and Mount Batukaru, lush vegetation, and terraced rice fields on the other. Renowned architect Soo K. Chan, who owns and operates Soori Bali, designed the complex as a relaxing refu...

A former winery converted into a modern retreat for wine tourism. Located in Alenquer, Portugal, among hills covered with vineyards, Casal da Vinha Grande is a former winery that has been left for years in a state of near ruin. The area is picturesque, with green fie...

A sprawling house in Ibiza designed with a sequence of five volumes. Built in Sant Mateu d’Albarca, in the charming landscape of Ibiza's countryside, the Ca l'Amo house rises from a forested area between two dry stone walls. Pines and juniper surround the contemporary dwelling, both shielding the living spaces and welcoming them into nature. Architect

A vacation house built in a tranquil natural landscape in Hawaii. Located on Hawaii’s Big Island, this 2.9-acre site captures both mountain and ocean views while enjoying privacy from the nearby houses. The clients tasked Walker Warner Architects with the design of their ideal vacation home. Named Hale Mau'u, or...

Unfurling 450 Square Meters of Raw Elegance Amidst Guardenha’s Natural Splendor Picture a setting where modern architectural creativity converges with the unspoiled landscapes of the village of Guardenha in Terras de Bouro, Portugal. Welcome to Casa de Bouro, a remarkable space that sprawls across 450 square meters. M...

A charming house that celebrates a rural setting via thoughtful design. Built in a beautiful area near the Adage river at the borders of the city of Verona, Italy, this gorgeous dwelling marries rustic details and contemporary features in a thoughtful way.

A traditional brick house, redesigned with tranquil and minimalist interiors. Named Aristo House, this stone building that dates back to 1914 is located in a charming setting, on the slope of the Trigno Valley, Italy. The site, beautiful on its own, also offers access to gorgeous views of rolling hills, forests, and the ...

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]essato had the great pleasure of talking to Italian photographer Marcello Mariana about his work and photography in general. It was a candid and inspiring conversation that we enjoyed immensely. Mariana's recognizable talent for composition and capturing elusive, atmospheric, and even melancholic qualities in s...

Three volumes arranged around a courtyard in Palo Alto, California. When the owners of a 1920s house in Palo Alto, California, learned that two adjacent parcels came on the market, they tasked Buttrick Projects Architecture+Design with designing an extension that would expand their living spaces. Na...

A refurbished and thoughtfully redesigned residential property in Portugal. Located in Cartaxo, Portugal, this residential building required remodeling to become a secluded and comfortable living space. The clients, a couple with connections to the art world, ta...

A concrete house built on a beach on Australia's Gold Coast. An exploration of the innate human need to put down roots, Mermaid Beach Residence in Australia anchors itself in a coastal setting with minimalist concrete volumes. Melbourne-based archite...

A contemporary house that complements the rugged beauty of an olive grove with clean white limestone volumes arranged around a courtyard. Built among old olive trees in the small town of Carovigno, in Puglia, southern Italy, Villa Uliveto has a contemporary design that is informed by the existing features of the landscap...

A contemporary house nestled into a natural landscape. Located on the shores of Lac St-François in the Canadian Adstock area, L’Accostée House occupies a beautiful plot of land surrounded by cedars. The house sits on the footprint of the clients’ former home, which required upgrades and a space expansion to accommodate the couple’s growing family.

A contemporary house with four linked volumes that give a nod to traditional Mallorcan architecture. Completed in a collaboration between Isla Architects and architect Fidalgo Magro, Casa en La Garriga (House in La Garriga) is a project that began in an unusual way. The client decided to hire another architect once the c...

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]erched in the low rolling hills beyond the historic village of Barwon Heads on Australia's coast, the striking roofline of a retired couple's daily dwelling unexpectedly peeks above the surrounding Moonah trees and native scrub. Barwon Heads, situated on the Bellarine Peninsula, near Geelong and Melbourne, has become a popular seaside destination for those escaping the city...

A colonial-style villa from 1910 and a contemporary volume transformed into a refined lifestyle hotel. Named Baja Club Hotel, this refined retreat welcomes guests into the historic center of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Designed by Mexico City...

A gabled roof house that celebrates the vernacular architecture of a rural area in Slovakia. [dropcap]B[/dropcap]uilt in the rural outskirts of Bratislava, Slovakia, House V references vernacular architecture to blend into the setting. Architect Martin Skoček designed the house with a layout that references traditional Slovak dwellings, where a central space becomes a front hall with ...

A contemporary concrete, stone, and ceramic house nestled in an idyllic setting in Spain. Built in an idyllic landscape in the Baix Empordà county of Catalonia, Spain, Casa Ter celebrates both local traditions and the setting with a contemporary design. Barcelona-based firm

A brutalist concrete house that draws inspiration from Mayan and Yucatán traditions. [dropcap]L[/dropcap]ocated in Mérida, in the Mexican state of Yucatán, this contemporary concrete house pays homage to and takes inspiration from Mayan architecture and traditions.

Traditional trulli and a contemporary volume create a memorable architectural landscape in the countryside of Puglia, Italy. Nestled in Italy's Itria Valley, in the countryside of Puglia, Casa Aco merges two architectural styles. Architect

An elongated one-story volume built in the countryside in the Cezch Republic. Located in the countryside, on the outskirts of the town of Kostelec nad Ohří, Czech Republic, the Kostelec Residence is a large residential complex that balances its size and impressive scope with a minimalist design. Architecture fir...

A stone and concrete house that embraces a natural landscape. Built on a sloped terrain on the southern coast of Crete, in the Agia Galini village, just 165 nautical miles from the Sahara desert, Ring House makes this dry hilly landscape its home in a creative way. The clients hired decaACHITECTURE to design a contemporary dwelling that embraces nature. The structure departs from the ...

An old farm and tobacco barn, transformed into a modern-rustic residence. Located in Aillas, France, this property comprised two old buildings: a traditional farm and a timber barn used in the past to dry tobacco. Architecture practice Atelier Boteko renovated and redesig...

Creating imaginary spaces that linger on the border between dreaming and wakefulness. Soft light that caresses the surface water. A faint scent of chlorine and freshly cleaned surfaces. The sound of plunging into a pool. The feeling of cool water on your skin. The experience of swimming in a pool is not only familiar, but also evokes all of these sensory experiences. Perhaps that’s wh...

A house designed with single-story modules that create three courtyards. Built on a gently sloping site between Toowoomba and Crows Nest in Queensland, Australia, this house offers access to views to the Lockyer National Park. Brisbane-based architecture studio Nielsen Jenkins designed the building as a quiet presenc...

A sophisticated and minimalist home that celebrates a desert landscape. Located on a rocky plateau in the Palm Desert, California, this desert home immerses its inhabitants into a gorgeous arid landscape with views of the Coachella Valley and the San Jacinto Mountain Range in the distance. San Francisco-based...

An ancient architectural element from the Veneto area, translated into a contemporary but timeless design. With the fast growth of wine tourism in Italy, vineyard owners and those who are fortunate enough to run historic wineries, have started to expand their estates' w...

A reflection of the genuine Mallorca [dropcap]E[/dropcap]s Racó d´Arta in Mallorca is more than a rural luxury hotel or a wellness retreat on Spain’s island of endless sun and outstanding natural beauty. It is a long-cherished dream and ...

Bright yellow accents charmingly connect this weekend home with surrounding sunflower fields in the Spanish countryside. Built on a farm in La Mancha Alta Cuenca, in the municipality of Zafra de Záncara, Spain, this weekend home looks like it has always been here, among agricultural fields and sunflowers. That’s because ...

An architectural project that explores the essence of a Mediterranean Levantine house. Located among the hills of Sierra de las Moreras, in Mazarrón, the province of Murcia, Spain, Pastrana I House aims to bring the Mediterranean Levantine dwelling back to life. Architect Pepa Díaz completed the restoration of an existin...

A brutalist house built on a cliff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Located in a national park in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, the Gansou Residence immerses its inhabitants into a stunning coastal landscape. Osaka-based architecture firm Ninkipen! designed the

A 19th century residential building transformed into a hotel with Shaker-inspired furniture. Located in the center of Mexico City, Circulo Mexicano is a new boutique hotel that welcomes travelers with minimalist but warm interiors. Architecture firm Ambrosi | Etchegaray completed the redesign project of a 19th centu...

When you imagine the home of your dreams, a large backyard swimming pool is probably also included in the picture. Considering the large pool of talent in the world, it’s easy to see how contemporary swimming pool designs can be as breathtaking as the houses they accompany. On this page, we have gathered some of the most impressive projects that showcase the creativity of international architec...

A 19th-century home transformed into an elegant hotel. Located on the gorgeous island of Santorini, this small hotel in Oia Greece celebrates the past via modern design. The building dates back to the 19th-century. An old residence left almost in ruins, the structure featured a stable and a wood-burning oven on the ground floor and living spaces on the upper level.

A stylish and minimalist home designed with flexible spaces and natural materials. [dropcap]L[/dropcap]ocated in the Italian countryside, Fluid Home is a stylish residence designed with multifunctional spaces and creative, refined details. London-based multidisciplinary design studio

Both spectacular and understated, this house features serene living spaces that have a special connection to nature. Belgian architect Dirk Heveraet creates modernist spaces that are as refined in their simplicity as they expressive in their tranquility. This villa, built on the outskirts of the city of Ghent, Belgium, is no exception. While close to the bustling urban setting, the ho...

A high-end, modern hotel inspired by traditional architecture from Mykonos, Greece. Located on Mykonos, in the Cyclades, Kalesma is a new 5-star Greek hotel that welcomes guests with stylish suites that offer panoramic views of the Aegean Sea. The high-end retreat draws inspiration from Cycladic aesthetics and the vernacula...

A pre-1911 cottage transformed with contemporary volumes that shelter a large garden. Completed by architecture and interior design practice Myers Ellyett, this project involved the refurbishment of a pre-1911 cottage in Paddington, Australia and the design of new, ...

A striking house that creates a bridge between modern design and nature. Located in Spokane, Washington, the T-shaped Rimrock house responds to the topography of a gorgeous site. The word “rimrock” refers to a sheer cliff formed at the edge of a canyon or plateau. Here, the structure sises above a wash on a bedrock of volcanic basalt, overlooking the Riverside State Park below, the va...

A concrete house built between the sea and agave fields in Oaxaca, Mexico. Located in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico, Casa Zicatela is a weekend home designed as a retreat where the client can relax away from his urban life in Mexico City. Architects Ludwig Godefroy and Emmanuel Picault designed the house as a

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]essato had the great pleasure of talking to Italian photographer Marcello Mariana about his work and photography in general. It was a candid and inspiring conversation that we enjoyed immensely. Mariana's recognizable talent for composition and capturing elusive, atmospheric, and even melancholic qualities in s...

A minimalist holiday home and separate guest house built on a Greek island. Built on an elevated point of Vasiliki, on the island of Lefkas, Greece, Villa Apollon opens to spectacular views of the coastal landscape and the Ionian Sea. Athens-based architecture studio Block722 designed the holiday home and a separate str...

A modern-rustic house designed with Mediterranean-style stone walls. Located in the small town of Biniagual, a few minutes away from Binissalem on the island of Mallorca, Spain, Mormaiquel House has a modern-rustic design that celebrates vernacular design. Architec...

Two rammed earth villas inspired by nature and yin and yang energies. Designed as a duo of boutique villas for holiday rentals, the Achioté (Annatto) complex is located near the town of Uvita, Costa Rica. Architect Dagmar Štěpánová of Czech architecture and interior design firm Formafatal has designed the two st...

An elegant home designed with angular spaces arranged around a circular patio. Located in the historic center of the Ansião village, Portugal, this subtly sloping plot of land is surrounded by houses with a blend of architectural styles. Two old houses left in ruins but without any architectural value occupied the spa...

A tranquil retreat in upstate New York. After founding their own homeware brand, Piaule, in 2016, Nolan McHugh and Trevor Briggs started thinking about a larger scale project: a hotel. Fast forward to 2021, and Piaule Catskills has become a reality. Designed in a collaboration with prefab specialists Garrison Architects, the retreat celebrates the idea of reconnecting to nature. Locat...

A contemporary beach house inspired by Mallorca’s vernacular architecture. [dropcap]B[/dropcap]uilt on a gently sloping street on the island of Mallorca, Spain, Casa Fly nestles naturally in the quiet neighborhood with a design that celebrates local architecture. Bratislava-based studio beef architekti took inspiration f...

A sprawling property in Northern Italy, redesigned and expanded with a contemporary extension. Located in Northern Italy, Villa K is a refuge immersed in a stunning landscape. Hills, vineyards, quaint villages and ancient castles surround the site, while mature trees and lush vegetation encircle the borders of the 910-sq...

Clean geometry, pristine nature, brutalist accents, sand dunes and pines. These elements are unlikely to be found in the same place, but in Barrio Marítimo II, they coexist in complete harmony and complement each other perfectly. Casa L4 is a four hour drive from Buenos Aires, Argentina and is located just over 200 meters from the beach. The owners hired the

A house with a terrace that opens to nature can do wonders for one’s well-being. For cities, even a balcony or a small corner of greenery inside an apartment will suffice. We want to talk about houses designed with one or more patios and courtyards that connect living spaces to glorious natural landscapes, gardens, and even urban jungles. Homes and summer retreats where