Normally our helmsmen property of the month is already built, yet Mirage House designed by Kois Architects on Tinos Island, Greece, is such a spectacular concept ,we felt it a worthy winner of our property of the month. The stand out feature is the stunning infinity pool covering the roof which blends the property into the sea behind.

Kois Architects explains their vision; ‘Our goal was to integrate the building into the landscape like it was part of it.The living space is covered by a rimless pool that produces a visual effect of the water extending to the horizon, vanishing and merging with the seascape. From a distance especially if viewed from the path of approach, on a higher ground, the only visible feature of the house is the sea like surface of the pool.

‘The water during the day reflects the surroundings and during the night, the star filled night sky. The mirroring pool of water carefully positioned on the landscape evokes memories of the optical phenomenon of the mirage from which the project was named; Mirage House’

 Set into the rock with an open air reception to the front looking out over the Mediterranean. With the pool on top acting as a huge mirror, camouflaging the building beautifully.

 “Some of our clients’ major concerns were visibility and privacy,” project architect Nikos Patsiaouras told Dezeen. “At first we were concerned with the concept of invisibility. We asked ourselves ‘How can you make a building disappear?’. Our response was to mimic elements of the landscape.” The most of the visible construction materials were extracted from the vicinity and were used to make the house disappear into the scenery. Local techniques were also borrowed like the characteristic dry wall construction found in abundance in the island. This technique was implemented with minor modifications; on the side embankment walls in each side of the pool volume. The local materials have a low impact on the environment and they are very efficient as insulating materials. The rear walls are made of retained earth and have layers of vegetation that regulates the temperature and cools the environment through evaporation. The pool acting as roof provides thermal insulation and protection from solar radiation and heat transmittance.