Pool

The house, seen from above, is meant to tread lightly on the land, acting as an immersive yet quiet reatreat.

Minimal landscaping surrounds a new pool, with privacy walls painted the same green found throughout.

Just outside the studio, Ground Studio Landscape Architecture created a natural courtyard with a meadow and an edgeless pool that mimics a pond.

To the south, a small soaking pool sits outside Austin’s studio, where he’ll often lie and meditate: “I’m a great floater, and can look at the clouds for an hour everyday,” he says. The adjacent wall was coated with smooth sand plaster finish to accommodate video and film projections by night.

The deck features local wood, and the pool is made of concrete.

Favoring natural and low-maintenance materials, the dwelling’s exterior is clad in Corten steel, Shou Sugi Ban charred siding from Nakamoto Forestry in Portland, and stucco. A natural-edge wood garden bench draws attention to the angled glass windows of the facade.

Wedged with precision between the existing garage and pool, the narrow new structure is only 13 feet wide.

The home's core consists of defined areas for living - all of which can be easily compressed or expanded, if the owners should decide to add additions to their space.

We pushed the pool as close to the valley edge as possible to let it focus on the down-valley views

Lush greenery wraps around the lap pool to create a private backyard oasis.

An old cistern found on the original site is now a black concrete plunge pool.

Steps lead down the sloped site from the patio to the pool, allowing the home to “drape” over the topography.

Giola Giola is a naturally occurring giant rock pool perched on the coast of Thasos Island, Greece, and referred to by locals as Afrodite's Tear. Legend has it that Zeus created the pool for his mistress Afrodite and shaped it like an eye so he could watch over her. Insider tip: The Giola rock pool is very secluded and requires off-road driving. Hire a vehicle that can handle the bumpy dirt tracks, and pack enough water to last you the day. Photo courtesy of When on Earth #greece #swimming #travel #naturalpools

After months spent researching solutions to make her home’s fabric roof functional, Lisa Sette can finally relax.

Sophia supervises her sister Helena as she cleans the surface of the small pool, whose rich emerald tiles echo the luxuriant greens of the garden’s tropical plantings.

An expanse of floor-to-ceiling glass sliders opens to the garden and a lap pool.