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It's a sign of the times that vacation homes are the 'in' thing when prestigious Dwell Magazine dedicates a summer issue (July/August 2004) to "Breathtaking: 10 Vacation Homes." Eagerly anticipating the contents, we rushed from the supermarket with our copy in hand. We looked forward to learning how modern architecture would create a vacation home to match the beauty in breathtaking locations. So often, we track down a vacation home only to discover that the construction or aesthetics don't live up to the potential that the surrounding nature offers.
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As luck would have it, our initial reaction was that the magazine contents didn't quite live up to the potential described on the cover, as we only able to find seven rather than ten vacation homes. However, that aside, the articles do spotlight some of the challenges of finding and buying or building a vacation home, offering exquisite examples of modern architecture in vacation spots.
Three interesting topics the magazine addresses as considerations for a vacation home are: Privacy; Functionality and Space for guests. Whether you are building, or renovating an existing home, what do you do if your desired destination is no longer secluded. Or if the house you found doesn't work for your family. Or you need more space. Here are some case studies from Dwell Magazine.
Selective Views: Water, not Neighbors
When your favorite destination is already discovered, be sure that the architecture compensates (and blocks out, if needed) by creating the illusion of privacy, even if it might be missing in practice. In Valle de Bravo, the water and dramatic views are exquisite. The area's popularity however has attracted lots of vacation homes, with the result that the mountainside is quite congested. An exquisite home featured in Dwell shows the construction that creates views of the water and sky, and cleverly camouflages the nearby neighbors. Built with lots of glass, steel and concrete, the home sits on the mountainside above the lake. Rather than the traditional slanted roof that most of the local homes have, the owner/architect created a roof that slanted up, so that no view of water or sky is inhibited. The water-facing front wall is all glass, letting in the colors of the water. In addition, every other space in the room has full-on lake views, even the master bathroom. They also placed the pool behind the house, protecting it from the common lake winds. The home is a testimony to what you can achieve using a first-class architect in a breathtaking location.
Maximizing Common Space
The vacation home in East Hampton, New York needed to be renovated to make a functional house for a family with two children who used the home as a retreat from their life in Manhattan. The problem was that the house was "upside-down" when the couple bought it, with kitchen and master suite upstairs, and the bedrooms and common area downstairs. As they pointed out, with kids, you want to be downstairs, so you can keep an ear as they go in and out. And summer is about cooking and eating, so a lot of time is spent in the kitchen. The redesign included extending the house on two sides, enclosing the deck, and elevating part of the roof. Then the kitchen overlooking the pool and an open living room were created on the first floor. By using glass sliders, the living room becomes a virtual tree house, open to nature and clean ocean air. The renovations cost about $200,000, and given the prices in the Hamptons, a good long-term investment.
Make space for guests
One of the homes described in Dwell is a holiday house in southwestern Sweden. The space was converted from a former mill house into a relaxing spot for its retired owners, whose primary residence is in a nearby city. The main building is a small, 740-square foot home that opens onto a garden, designed almost like a Japanese tea house. A creek on the property was diverted to create a bathing area. They also renovated five other buildings on the property so that they can sleep up to 35 people on the property, making it easy to throw parties and not worry about driving home. The great tip here is that the owners only needed the smaller space for their living needs, and then made a point to open up the rest of the property for others as well. Now that's a sure way to keep your friends and relatives happy.
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