Inspirations

Take the Plunge!

What could be more tempting on a hot day than a jump into cool water? Whether a former irrigation tank or a perfectly crafted design statement: these pools and water basins are every bit as varied as the holiday homes themselves.

in June 2026

Casa Afife

With its doors and shutters closed, the white-rendered Casa Afife resembles a sculpture. Equally refined is the pool, whose layout subtly reappears in the house itself. The circle within the square – according to architect Guilherme Machado Vaz – emerged entirely intuitively. Only later, while leafing through his sketchbooks, did he realise that this motif had appeared repeatedly in his drawings.

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Quinta da Lila

A 150-year-old farmstead in the tranquil hinterland of the Algarve has been transformed into Quinta da Lila, comprising three holiday houses of varying sizes. Former irrigation tanks have been converted into plunge pools, giving each house its own distinctive pool character — enclosed by massive natural stone walls, integrated into a light timber deck, or fed by fresh mountain water. Together, they lend a relaxed summer atmosphere to the surrounding vineyards.

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Casa 1923

When architect Vânia Brito Fernandes discovered the townhouse, it was an overgrown ruin. Today, Casa 1923 – again clad in colourful azulejos – ranks among Faro’s most distinctive Art Nouveau buildings. As part of the restoration, an additional storey was added, housing one of the minimalist holiday apartments. From the bedrooms, guests step directly onto the roof terrace, where a pale blue plunge pool appears unexpectedly behind high walls.

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Alpine Contrapposto

Set amid the untouched nature of the Slovenian Alps, Alpine Contrapposto is a south-facing ensemble of three buildings once inhabited by farmers and shepherds. While the main house remains the heart of the property, the former granary has been transformed into a place of rest and relaxation, featuring an indoor and outdoor pool supplied with Alpine water, a larch wood sauna and sweeping mountain views.

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Casa Via Santa Croce

Casa Via Santa Croce is an unassuming townhouse dating from 1900. The roof terrace, complete with loungers and a canvas awning, is the perfect place to spend balmy summer evenings – right in the historic centre of Taviano, yet pleasantly removed from the bustle below. Those seeking a slower pace during the day will find it in the sheltered courtyard, where a pergola and the expansive branches of a tree provide natural shade. An outdoor shower and a small monolithic water basin offer welcome refreshment.

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Pension Briol

White sheets flutter across the mountain meadows and a bell calls guests to dinner. At Briol, time seems to stand still. In 1928, the young artist Hubert Lanzinger transformed a farmhouse in the Eisack Valley in an unusually modern manner, introducing large windows and a striking flat roof. The circular outdoor pool, fed by spring water, also dates from this period – South Tyrol’s first public swimming pool, set within a spectacular natural landscape. Anyone taking a dip here feels like a new person.

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Casa Navegna

Just a few metres from the shores of Lake Maggiore stands an extraordinary modernist holiday home: Casa Navegna. Built in 1929 to designs by Swiss architect Ernst Bechstein, it combines different strands of modernism with Mediterranean joie de vivre – from its restrained flat-roofed architecture to the seamless opening of the living spaces towards the garden and lake. The rectangular pool fits naturally into the generous grounds, framed by a stone terrace, palm trees and lush greenery. The interplay of villa, garden and water lends the entire property a relaxed sense of lightness.

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Kaynakli Ev

Nestled within the former consular quarter in the historic centre of Ayvalik on Turkey’s Aegean coast, Kaynakli Ev – the “House with a Fountain” – takes its name from an old cistern that still reflects the property’s close relationship with water. In the sheltered garden, an outdoor shower and a cold-water plunge pool framed by natural stone walls provide welcome relief from the heat. With its crisp concrete forms and small access steps, the basin blends effortlessly into the surrounding olive, lemon and pomegranate trees.

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More HOLIDAYARCHITECTURE Houses with a pool

Hotel Hotel Gracanica

The hotel was a project between three friends. For several years they had been looking for an appropriate property situated in the quiet countryside close to Pristina – and with a lovely view. The result is a modern building with many wooden elements.

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Holiday home Villa FO

Born from the landscape: Villa FO, nestled in the hills of the Val di Noto, is a radical yet deeply contextual piece of architecture – featuring an experimental design language and a strong connection to nature and the terrain.

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Bed & Breakfast Das Wanda

In South Tyrol’s wine village Caldaro, Verena Huf has transformed a 1970s guesthouse into a stylish B&B. ‘Das Wanda’ bears the name of a former inn on the island of Elba that belonged to the grandfather. Her B&B radiates the same Mediterranean mood.

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Holiday home Alpine Contrapposto

Three houses, two locations, a different world: the former farmstead in the middle of the Steiner Alps was redesigned as a ‘scattered house’ and brought into the present day. A gentle interplay of contrasts.

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Holiday home Cozzo Tre Venti

Villa Cozzo Tre Venti is situated on the edge of the little port town of Portopalo di Capo Passero in the far south-east of Sicily.

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Apartment La Ferme de Brouage

Simplicity, peace, space and light: La Ferme de Brouage hides like an enchanted garden in the green hinterland of the Atlantic coast and merges old walls with sophisticated architecture, French charm and farm-fresh vegetables.

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Holiday home U Mulinu Casanelli

From ruin to icon: U Mulinu Casanelli in south-west Corsica is an architectural hybrid that preserves the spirit of the rugged island in every stone, whilst incorporating modern perspectives.

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Holiday home Villa Jones

Villa Jones is situated in the hilly landscape of olive groves and forests in the Haut Var, the hinterland of the Cote d’Azur. Edward Jones, partner of the renowned London architecture firm Dixon Jones, and his architect wife Margot designed this holiday home for themselves and their family.

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Holiday home Casa Balate

Staged reduction: Situated in the heart of the Val di Noto on a spur of the Monti Iblei, Casa Balate artfully directs the eye and highlights the minimalist architecture and the Mediterranean backdrop of olive, almond and carrubo trees with atmosphere and striking effect.

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Hotel Gasthof Bad Dreikirchen

At last, some loneliness! Bad Dreikirchen in South Tyrol once enchanted Sigmund Freud. The inn, which cannot be reached by road, has been a place of accommodation since the Middle Ages and has retained its mysterious charm.

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Holiday home Baix de S‘Era

BAIX DE S’ERA is a stylish place for a holiday in Mallorca away from mass tourism. The owners actually wanted to build a bungalow, but due to the building regulations this was not possible.

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Bed & Breakfast Passa Tempo

Reinterpretation in steps: The B&B Passa Tempo in the Italian Marche region breaks with the tradition of the typical farmhouse and provides a generous space for socialising under a sculptural staircase.

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Holiday home Maremma House

The Maremma region on the southern coast of Tuscany is characterized by wide plains, gentle hills and the nearby sea. The architecture of the Maremma House refers directly to this landscape.

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ApartmentHotel Fuchsegg Eco Lodge

Natural diversity. The Fuchsegg Eco Lodge is surrounded by meadows, forests and mountains. A multifaceted place that blends the advantages of a hotel with the immediate proximity to nature.

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Holiday home Casale Villa Maria

In this holiday home the landscape plays the starring role. This former farmhouse, dating back to 1892, is a typical stone house on a hilltop near the town of Filottrano, Italy.

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Hotel Adler Historic Guesthouse

Located right by the River Isarco and the Eagle Bridge, the hotel in Bressanone has become an architectural statement. bergmeisterwolf has restored the 500-year-old building with the cadastral number 1 in close collaboration with the monument protection authorities and placed it in the present with timeless elegance.

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Holiday home Ca’ dei Mongi

The property of Ca’ dei Mongi, nestled in the olive groves below Monte Baldo, celebrates the perfection of imperfection with two old “rustici” and a spectacular view over Lake Garda.

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Holiday home Casa da Lila

Casa da Lila in the historic old town of Silves in southern Portugal is full of surprises. Hidden behind its modest traditional façade, you will find contemporary architecture and an exquisite interior.

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Holiday home The Banana House

The Banana House on the colourful island of Madeira is an atmospheric retreat. Lushly surrounded by banana, mango and fig trees and with a view of the spectacular mountains dipping into the wild Atlantic. A holiday home at play with nature and warm light.

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Hotel Pergola Residence & Spazio 46

The Pergola Residence near Merano was designed by Matteo Thun, the new Spazio 46 by Hannes Peer. The terraced complex nestles harmoniously into its surroundings between vineyards and apple orchards.

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