Top 5 Homes of the Week With Pools That Beat the Heat

Featured homes were submitted by members of the Dwell community through our Add a Home feature. Add your home to Dwell.com/homes today.

1. Sea Front Villa

Architect: ARQ Tailors, Location: Cascais, Portugal

From the architect: "Sea Front Villa is a unique luxury property overlooking the sea. It’s located in Quinta da Marinha, a well-known resort in the Estoril–Cascais area. This twelve-room family house was intended to be a showcase for elegant, contemporary architecture and design. In order to fulfill this expectation, the project respects the amazing beauty of the sea and its natural surroundings by using pure, well-framed lines...and glass as special feature."

2. Whitefish Poolhouse & Gallery

Architect: CTA | Cushing Terrell, Location: Whitefish, Montana

From the architect: "The Whitefish Poolhouse is perched on a steep slope high above Whitefish Lake. Through the process of design, CTA's client chose a more contemporary feel, with the focus being on the 75-foot-long single-lane lap pool, a Japanese soaking tub, a changing/shower area, an exercise room, and a fine art gallery. The structure appears as a small collection of buildings situated along the hillside and nested into the contours where appropriate, but boldly contrasting the grades by extending portions of the building out over the steep slope."

3. House in Afife

Architect: Guilherme Machado Vaz, Location: Afife, Portugal

From the architect: "The house is built in the north of Portugal, in a rural settlement that was established at the foot of the hill and expanded towards the plain—which is used as arable land—and towards the sea. The land is separated from a chapel by a walkway, and it's located at a lower level. The volume was established away from the street so as to create an outside area of arrival and to keep the building in the background towards the chapel and its relation with the public thoroughfare. The regular volume, compact and vertical, evokes the essence of a traditional type of construction in the region of Minho."

4. Long Island Sound House

Architect: Sellars Lathrop Architects, Location: Westport, Connecticut

From the architect: "Set on a deep cove off [of] Long Island Sound, this 8,500-square-foot new residence is located right at the water's edge. The final design concept is open plan and modern, but emphasizes resiliency and sustainability. At the end of a point with water on two sides, the site’s southern exposure creates glistening water- and cove-side panoramas, with kayaks, canoes, and boats always in full view. The owners requested a house open to these full views, with further requirements for a minimalist modern aesthetic, a no-maintenance exterior, protection from storms, efficient heating and cooling, a textured palette of natural, resilient materials, and last but not least, bright sunny rooms for everyday family activities."

5. Via Media Residence

Architect: Matt Fajkus Architecture, Location: West Lake Hills, Texas

From the architect: "When the eventual owners first visited the existing Alan Taniguchi house in Austin’s Westlake Hills, they knew right away this was the home they wanted to live in. Sited high in the hills, the original house was designed with balcony/deck access in every single room, opening up to the nature and tranquility just minutes away from downtown Austin. The ’90s home, however, desperately needed an update as well as an addition to accommodate their needs.The remodel and addition by Matt Fajkus Architecture respects the strong qualities of the existing structure and site, while enhancing it and supplementing it with additional development. The renovation portion includes a complete update of interior and exterior finishes to achieve a fresh aesthetic with clean lines."

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