Designed by award-winning Sant Architects, this four-bedroom vacation rental near Topanga elevates the concept of a mountain retreat to new heights—from its raw, concrete facade and hillside pool, to the Bauhaus-inspired interiors that feature expansive glass walls that overlook the Pacific Ocean. The clean, architectural lines are expressed using iron beams, concrete slabs, timber-panelled walls, and glass, and the sprawling, open-plan living area features a slide-away fireplace and enormous windows that seamlessly transition the property from cosy winter retreat to breezy summer getaway.
Concrete paths wind throughout the property, past plantings of native species such as rubber rabbitbush, big galleta grass, Mormon tea, Apache plume, and many other varieties.
A view of the front facade shows off the landscaping by Sage Design Studios.
Along one side of the home, a poolside patio and several covered pavilions provide additional space for relaxing or entertaining.
In the opposite wing, the principal suite also faces east toward the center of Las Vegas.
The home reportedly features more than 4,700 square feet of covered and semi-covered patios.
A seating area and informal dining space open to one of many covered outdoor spaces.
In an adjacent space, an open-concept kitchen features stainless-steel countertops and a large, U-shaped cabinetry arrangement.
The home's two wings divide public and private spaces on either side of the living area. Here, a formal dining area looks toward distant views of the Las Vegas Strip.
The 48-foot-wide living area was constructed using four of the steel-frame modules that, like other spaces in the home, arrived with pre-finished floors, walls, doors, and fenestration.
At the center of the home, a nearly double-height living area overlooks a below-grade central courtyard that is enclosed by the structure on all sides.
Inside the Turrell-designed concrete structure, stairs descend into a sequence of subterranean observation rooms, each of which are illuminated by colored lights during sunrise and sunset. Shown here, the first room looks back to framed views through the entryway, while an adjacent space (not pictured) provides skyward views through an opening in the ceiling.
Built in 2009, this prefab home by Marmol Radziner is sited about 12 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, near the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The property also features a pyramidal "skyspace" by American artist and MacArthur Fellow James Turrell, best known for similar installations at public and private sites around the world.
To most eyes, Ezequiel Farca’s 1970s-style concrete home in Mexico City looked like a teardown. Even the lot itself—shallow and crammed against a steep hillside—wasn’t particularly alluring. But Farca saw through all the restraints to create a spa-like refuge in one of the world’s most energetic cities. "It’s is such a hectic place. You’re bombarded by so much information the moment you step into the streets," says Farca, who first gained prominence as a furniture and interior designer. "So we envisioned this house as a retreat, a kind of a temple." The rooftop courtyard is lined with a verdant mix of indigenous plants, including banana trees, palm trees, lion’s claw, Mexican breadfruit, and native vines. The chaise longues were designed for Farca’s EF Collection.
This also made it possible to include a pool that seamlessly joins with the rear terrace, since the rocky terrain prevented excavation work.
On the outskirts of Grândola—a small Alentejan town in the Setúbal district of Portugal—a dramatic architectural form sits in the vast, arid landscape amidst cork trees and herds of cows. The whitewashed guesthouse is known as Casa da Volta, which translates as "Home of the Return,
The choice of materials for their tactile qualities extended to the pool. "The same marble that's outside is inside of the swimming pool," says Loperena. "So, you look into it, and you immediately feel cool looking at it. And you go in and you feel it."
While not connected to the house's irrigation, the saltwater pool has its own solar-powered saline pump and cleansing system.
The firm envisioned the pool as a spot where water floods the stone, "almost in a way of a pond remaining after the turning tides."
Nestled into the hillside, the secluded residence features a large, cement-covered carport.