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Ancient and Modern Kitma House on the Greek Island of Antiparos

The island of Antiparos in the Cyclades hosts a collection of new architect-designed luxury housing launched by OLIAROS as the Antiparos Design Properties.

One of the designs by featured young architects is Kitma House, half-buried in the hillside, by Camilo Rebelo and Susana Martins.

Like all of the dwellings designed for the island in the center of the Cycladic complex of Islands in the Aegean Sea, the luxury clientele is able to access it by private helicopter from Athens, just 80 miles away.

The white outcroppings above the zigzag facade are actually a series of skylights bringing daylight down into the earth-cooled rooms beneath them.

From below, the house suggests the traditional vernacular of a Greek fishing village on the Cycladic Islands.

Cooled top and bottom by the earth surrounding the spaces, the pair’s design needs no fans or air conditioning.

An all-marble bathroom similarly cools its deep earthburied interiors.

While from below, the facade suggests an ancient fishing village, from above, the building is a modern abstract zigzag white line that follows the topography of the hillside.

Vegetation on these originally volcanic islands is limited and surrounding fisheries provided nearly all the income from the most ancient time.

With the advent of the architecture design competition, now Antiparos is becoming a mecca of another sort, as a luxury tourism destination.

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Quiet Napa Idyll of Four Structures and a Lap Pool

The Napa Valley House designed by Eliot Lee and his wife Eun Lee comprises four separate structures: a living/dining “house”, a master bedroom suite, a guest house and a sauna.

An indoor/outdoor fireplace and a white steel dining table set on stones crushed on site feature in the living/dining “house”.

In the second ‘house’, the master bedroom opens to the sweet scents of the warm and dry herbs of the Napa Valley.

The site was atop a very rocky ridge and stone excavated onsite was used to build the walls of the four structures.

Even pathways between the four structures are constructed of the stone onsite.

In the guest house, only the quiet buzzing of pollinating bees pierces the silence of the Napa countryside.

The sauna, like all four buildings, is surrounded by utter peace and quiet.

A refreshing pool extends out into the Napa Valley.

The lap pool is as shallow as a wading pool at one end.

At the far end, the pool leads to a sunken outdoor seating area where the owners can enjoy the utter peace with their guests.

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Cincopatasalgato Creates Child-Friendly Casa in El Salvador

Architect José Roberto Paredes and his family live in this open and airy jungle dwelling in the dense rainforest outside of San Salvador.

Cincopatasalgato designed Casa Tuscania using steel, wood and concrete.

Sliding translucent panels allow the sunlight to be modulated.

The child-friendly family home has easy-care cool concrete floors.

An industrial chic range of chairs brings a casual air of informality.

A simple bathroom imaginatively uses a tin bucket to form the sink.

A seating area seems as if it’s set within the canopies of the tall trees.

An enormous blackboard offers a creative outlet for the young family.

Lightweight ceiling-height wooden doors can be easily operated by children.

While concrete shelters the back wall, the front is glazed to allow the jungle in.

The jungle outside is present at every opening in the airy and simple space.

Quite a magical place to grow up.