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Exquisite glass cladded haven on Omaha Beach
This private haven has a sense of translucency from the interior structure to exterior which blends in with the coastal environment of Omaha, New Zealand. The superb single level four bedroom, three bathroom home has been designed by architect Simon Carnahan. The residence features an extensive internal courtyard featuring stunning louvered sliders which glide back to create outdoor living and dissolve the barrier between inside and outside.
The house plan moves around the courtyard with excellent flow and an incredible sense of light and spaciousness prevails throughout. Set on a level 1226 square meters beach front site in the Cove end of Omaha Beach, access to the sea is only meters across from the beautifully manicured front lawn.
Listed for sale at an undisclosed price from here.
18
Ultra-modern Andalusia beach home
The owners sought out a home for the holidays wishing for a large garden and swimming pool to enjoy with their children in Andalusia. They had a very clear vision of what they wanted something different from the typical beach cottage, which is why they came into contact with architecture studio A-Cero. The single-family home is a contemporary sculpture of cubic and angular forms. Its two heights maintain a fluid dialogue with the outside landscape of Mediterranean vegetation.
The spacious ground floor features two living rooms, kitchen, dining room and home office. The second floor is comprised of a master suite with a private terrace, additional bedrooms with bathrooms and a game room. All the walls are painted white with flooring of polished marble on the inside and hammering on the outside. The majority of the furnishings and upholstery are also white. The reasoning behind this is that white goes with everything and most importantly, does not reflect the natural light, gives sensation of amplitude and creates an excellent basis to introduce pops of color to the furniture such as pillows.
There are few doors in the home, mostly open spaces, which are also open to the outside elements, with environments defined by the distribution of the furniture. In the kitchen, black Silestone countertops contrast from the stark white of the walls providing dynamism to this broad and elongated space. In the master bedroom, the views are superb thanks to the wall of glass that closes the front of the terrace. The children have a room dedicated to games and study, as well as leisure. Most of the furnishings are custom creations of A-Cero, sprinkled with turn of the century design, designer pieces and antiques: a wonderfully balanced cocktail in which every ingredient brings flavor and excitement to the whole. Via
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14
Luxurious Hideaway: La Casa del Mar in Costa Rica
La Casa del Mar offers exquisite beachfront luxury inside the gated community of Hermosa Palms in Playa Hermosa, Jaco, Costa Rica. This spectacular brand new 6 bedroom private home features ocean views through huge two-storey windows that serve as walls in the ample living room and in the suites that overlook the beach. The whole house has been beautifully decorated with new luxury furniture and tropical details.
Four bedrooms in the main house all have private bathrooms with inside and outside showers. A spacious guest house offers 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, living room and kitchen. It has a large infinity edged pool right on the beach. In the second floor you will find a movie theater cinema for 10 people and a game room with pool table and mini bar. It has a fully equipped kitchen with top of the line appliances. The third floor features a nicely furnished solarium with a grill. This house has a garage for 2 cars and laundry room with clothes washer and dryer. It has full AC and music system throughout the house.
This amazing luxury vacation home starts at $1,400/night and can be rented from here.
10
Modern beach house on the Brazilian coast
Two boxes of reinforced concrete, rest fixed connected on the mountainside of the Brazilian coast. The Paraty House is located between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, on one of the islands near Paraty City, where the residence cantilevers 8-meters outward from the mountainside. The 9,041 square foot (840 square meters) house finds balance in the topography of the land where the living space is open to the untouched nature. Designed by architect Marcio Kogan, the residence rests in seclusion where the inhabitants have to arrive by boat. After stepping on the sand the residents make their way inside via a metallic bridge positioned over a crystal-lined reflecting pool. The bridge leads to stairs connecting to the lower volume. This level features huge glass windows that allow for views of the sea, hosting the living room, kitchen and service area, the upper level lodges the bedrooms. In the front part of the house, retractile panels of eucalyptus sticks protect the bedrooms from the sun. The spaces that face the mountain have small internal patios with zenital lighting and the use of exposed reinforced concrete grants a striking texture to the walls. The entire top of the house is covered with terraces, observatories for the inhabitants and gardens for sculptures, medicinal plants and edible herbs.
Visit the website of architect Marcio Kogan here.
Photos: Nelson Kon
5
Whangapoua sled house beach retreat
On the shore of an idyllic white sandy beach on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula rests an elegant hut designed by Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects. The site lies within the coastal erosion zone, where all building must be removable. The 495 square foot (46 square meters) sled house is designed on two thick wooden sleds for movement back up the site or across the beach and onto a barge.
The hut is simply designed, with an aesthetic that is natural and reminiscent of a beach artifact/perhaps a surf-life-saving or observation tower. The fittings and mechanics are industrial and obvious; the structure is gutsy and exposed. The holiday retreat is designed to close up against the elements when not in use. It accommodates a family of five in a kitchen/dining/living area, a bathroom and two sleeping zones, the children’s accommodating a three tiered bunk. When the hut is closed up, the rough macrocarpa cladding blends into the landscape and perches unobtrusively on the dunes. The rear being clad in “flat sheet” a cheap building material found in many traditional New Zealand holiday homes.
These clients sought to explore the real essence of holiday living; small, simple, and functional. The normal rituals of daily life; cooking dining, sleeping and showering all being done while connected to the outside. The two storey shutter on the front facade opens to form an awning, shading the interior from summer sun while allowing winter sun to enter. It reveals a double height steel framed glass doors that open the interior much like the tent flap, connecting the living and the ladder accessed mezzanine bedroom to the extraordinary view. The interior has been designed with complete efficiency; every available space is utilized from cabinetry toe spaces to secret cubby holes within the children’s bunks.
The hut is completely sustainable from its modest size to the use of timber in its cladding, structure, lining and joinery and from its worm tank waste system to the separate potable grey water tanks. This is a new way of looking at holiday living in this sensitive dune environment.
Visit the website of Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects here.
Photos: Jackie Meiring
7
A sleek modern beach house in Peru
Beach House E-3 is a sleek modern property designed by Vartice Arquitectos in Palillos Beach, Lima, Peru. The project develops on an irregular shaped terrain inside a difficult area, but with a privileged view to the sea in the lot E-3 from “Palillos” beach, at the south of Lima. Taking advantage of the lot slope, the 3,186 square foot (296 square meters) project is a volume set working with various materials and textures in three levels that work together as a unit, obtaining several space relations between the interior and the outside. The most important request in the design by the client was to take advantage of the incredible sea views from most of the rooms throughout the home. Additionally, the most important space is the social area and there should be independence and tranquility for the private areas from the rest of the home.
According to the requirements of the beach, the volumes are designed at different levels like platforms on the ground, which emphasizes the principal volume. The central space is closed on either side to avoid direct solar entrance and eye contact with the neighboring properties. However, the sea view in the other direction is practically transparent. The entrance to the master volume is accessible on the third level via a wooden bridge that crosses as a dock and ends in a double height floating hall that is a lookout to the sea and the social area.
At the second level, inside and outside of the double height, is the social area that ends with the swimming pool as a limit to the sea. While in the back of the home, below the middle level is a yard that serves as a social and sand play area for the children. At the first level and completely independent from the top, are 5 bedrooms that revolve around being as a distribution hall, most of them have balconies and the privilege of views of the sea.
Visit the website of Vartice Arquitectos here.
Photos: Juan Solano
5
Spectacular modern villa with infinite views
This awe-inspiring property, discovered on Sotheby’s, is nestled amongst the cliffs of one of the most beautiful parts of the Costa Brava, Spain´s “Wild Coast”. Located in a small and private residential area, this magnificent 15,586 square foot property offers endless and spectacular views over the sea and the picturesque bays of golden sand. A panoramic elevator ascends from the large garage to the various levels of the property. The main house consists of a stunning lounge, a modern kitchen, two bedrooms and a fabulous master suite with its own dressing room. The outbuildings offer a guest apartment with large terraces, an additional en-suite bedroom and a gorgeous chill-out area that opens out onto the beautiful garden with its spectacular heated infinity pool, all within the beautiful setting of the Mediterranean. The property meets the highest standards and offers many exclusive and original features, including two private coves, one of these currently being used as mooring and the other cove is used as a relaxation area / apartment; a beautiful wine cellar; a stunning office suspended over the sea; an additional separate guest house with five bedrooms and its own swimming pool; an outdoor cinema and much more to discover.
This sensational home is listed for sale at $28,901,734 from here.
24
Romantic seaside escape with dramatic ocean views
This gorgeous vacation rental we discovered for today is called “Seaside Escapeâ€, a modern, architecturally designed home nestled on half an acre with quality details throughout. Seaside Escape is situated in in Bodega Bay, off the northern coast of California, ideally laid out for two couples or a small family. The residence offers beautiful bedrooms with dramatic ocean views, gourmet kitchen, stained concrete floors with radiant heat and a fireplace in the living room. Relax under the stars in the hot tub on the ocean-side deck just outside the two bedrooms, or soak in the jacuzzi tub in the slate master bath. Amazing ocean views can be found from every room throughout the house and is easily accessible to Portuguese Beach. This holiday home offers a romantic escape with wonderful sunsets and walks along the beach.
Prices range from $835 for two nights to a weekly rate of $2,245 from here.
8
Carpinteria Foothills Residence with coastal views
Carpinteria Foothills Residence is a contemporary home that blends seamlessly into the hillside designed by Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis Architects in Carpinteria, California. The property features panoramic coastal ridge-top views via expansive operable glazed walls. The glazed transparency is balanced and the home is anchored in place by substantial cut native sandstone walls. The architectural design evolved from the client’s desire for a home that is a tranquil place for living, art and retreat.
According to the architects, “the program asked for a master suite, one guest room, a study for two, a more contained den and an informal open living space they could share with their children and grandchildren. The site strategy was to separate the guesthouse, pool and pool house from the main house, by locating them amongst the oaks on a lower terrace. The smaller structures were easier to place around the mature oak trees without disturbing their root systems. Each structure has its own orientation and privacy.
A courtyard created an inward oriented counterpoint to the distant vistas. A flat roof modernist scheme complemented the couples taste for modern art and furniture. The design was limited to a simple palette of materials and forms. A European window and sliding door system was used to minimize the frames and optimize the glass. These glass walls were framed between large stonewalls constructed of the local Santa Barbara Sandstone, and volumes contained in plaster walls with an integral color (pantry, guest room, master bath and closet, storage area).” Via
Visit the website of Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis Architects here.
Photos: Ciro Coelho
16
Nowhere but Sajima seaside vacation residence
‘Nowhere but Sajima’ by Japanese firm Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects, is a vacation residence located an hour distance from Tokyo in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is a rare site situated adjacent to the ocean and Mount Fuji and Enoshima can be seen on the opposite shore. Constructed with reinforced concrete the three storey, 7,405 square foot (688 square meters) residence features windows of all different shapes and sizes. The side facing towards the ocean is the northern area, and a road with a row of condominiums and heavy traffic run by its side. While the large building aperture enables an open view to the ocean, it also draws all the attention from the road and condominiums. Several tubes are connected to form one room, and conversely, one tube is shared by two rooms. Via
Visit the website of Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects here.
To provide adequate privacy without the use of curtains, narrow tube-shaped spaces were bundled together and angled to provide openings toward the sea.
The building juts out onto the Pacific Ocean, as if suspended over water.
The lounge.
The lounge and kitchen area.
Views looking out onto the ocean.
A sliding bookshelf provides privacy between rooms.
Opening directly onto the ocean, the living quarters on the ground floor flow across four of the tubes.
Sunlight passes through the circular hole on the third floor and seeps in softly between furniture and the ceiling, so there is no need to light any lamps during the daytime.
The bathroom overlooking the water.
Photos:Â Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects