All language subtitles for Gao escondido 8

[dramatic music]

[Narrator] Imagine
living in a home

that sits secluded in a forest,

on a 100-kilometer beach,

or on top of a mountain.

In this series, we
travel the globe

to explore some of the
world's most secret homes,

hidden away in truly
inspiring locations

from stunning lakeside escapes
and secluded mountain cabins.

Our favorite activity
is sitting here

and looking at the view.

[Narrator] To coastal
sanctuaries and city treasures.

Spaces like this can
cause the spirit to soar.

[Narrator] We
explore how these

spectacular homes were built.

The whole thing is on the move

all the way along
this coastline.

[Narrator] And meet the
people who live in them.

We fell in love
with the nature.

The scene was a
love at her sight.

[Narrator] As we discover
the world's most secret homes.

[uplifting music]

Lying at the Eastern
most point of Spain,

and nestled on 200 kilometers
of dramatic coastline

is the small town of Javea.

With vast stretches of rugged
cliffs and secluded coves,

this is a spectacular landscape.

It's the perfect place to build

your very own clifftop hideaway.

[gentle music]

Perched on a hillside,
surrounded by

uninterrupted views of
this exclusive coastline,

lies a house which lives up to
the majesty of its location,

Tucked into a corner plot

to feel secluded
from its neighbors.

Taking its name from
the local beach,

this is Sardinera House.

The owners of this home
are Rosa Castell Vibusquets

and her daughter,
also called Rosa.

They built the house
five years ago.

I've spent my entire life
in Javea during the summers.

Before that my mother actually
spent her summers here,

which is why I think
she picked the place.

It was my mother's dream to
actually be next to the sea

and to have a house
next to the sea.

[Narrator] They worked
with architect Ramon Esteve

to hunt down the
plot for their home.

We spent more than one
year looking for this plot.

When I arrived here the first
time, it was very exciting.

360 degree view of
Javea, the sea, of course,

on most sides, but then
the back of the house,

it faces the mountain,
it's beautiful.

[Narrator] The house
covers 1,285 square meters

over three floors.

On the top floor is
the master bedroom

with en suite and dressing area.

There are three further bedrooms

all with their own en suite
bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes.

There is also a laundry room.

On the ground floor
is the living area,

dining room and kitchen.

All of these lead onto
the outdoor terrace,

sitting area and pool.

On the lower level, there are
three further guest bedrooms

along with an indoor pool area.

The approach to the
house gives nothing away,

with the front door
completely hidden from view.

The entrance is at the back.

So when people
arrive at the house,

you start seeing parts of it.

But until you walk to the front,

you don't see the full
extent of the view.

The house doesn't
really give itself away.

You cannot really see the sea
when you're standing here.

I get so excited when I'm back
and when I'm about to enter.

[Narrator] Walking
into the house,

you pass through
a narrow corridor.

This teases you with a
glimpse of what's in store.

They're slowly
entering the area

where they're going
to get the full view.

[Narrator] It's
not until you enter

the living space that the
house really opens out

to the most incredible
panoramic view.

When guests arrive,

it's actually hard
to keep them inside.

They run to the
terrace really quickly.

In a clear day, you can
see also Ibiza from here.

One of the features
is in the corner,

you have the two angles
open to the landscape

and to the sea.

Every time that I come here,
I feel like it's a first time

cause something
about it has changed.

It's mesmerizing.

You appreciate it every time.

[Narrator] And it's
not just the view

that takes your breath away.

A 25 meter infinity pool
floats you straight out to sea.

When you're in the pool
and you're looking out,

it feels like
you're in the ocean

because there's almost no
distinction between you

and what you see in front.

You don't have the perception
that you're on a cliff.

You just feel like you're
right on top of the water

and sort of floating
above the sea.

[Narrator] The house maximizes
the views from every angle

and inside is no different,
with panoramic views

from each of the living
spaces on the ground floor,

through to each
bedroom upstairs.

It doesn't matter where
you are in this property,

there's a view to be
seen from every window.

All rooms point
towards the sea.

I love my room.

The best part is that,
when you wake up,

the sun is rising, you know,

the sky and the
sea merge together.

And you just feel like you're
in this flame of colors.

The perspective of
the rooms is open.

Like the two walls are not
parallel and is open to the sea.

[Rosa] Waking
up in the morning

is an incredible experience.

You'll get to see the best
sunrise that you've ever seen.

[Narrator] Even the
staircase has been considered

as a sculptural element
with the sea visible

through its translucent
glass treads.

This is truly a
one of a kind home.

[Ramon] We have the highest
energy classification,

all the air conditioning
and the heating

work with the geothermal energy,

the house take advantage
of the weather conditions,

the sun in one side and
the wind in the other side,

The reason the shape of the
house is open to the east part,

the main facade you has
the sun in the morning

until the afternoon
and the best wind here

is the east in the summer.

These shutters are motorized
and you can open and close

in order to protect to the sun.

[Narrator] And
there's one feature

that really takes things
to the next level.

[Rosa] We have an elevator
which connects the three floors

and it's actually quite handy.

We use it, maybe not
for ourselves so much,

but definitely for the luggage.

[Narrator] The glass
lift takes you down

to the home's
hidden lower level.

Rosa and her family
wanted somewhere

they could enjoy all year.

So they integrated
this extraordinary

indoor pool into the design.

One of my favorite things
about the indoor pool

is the fact that you can
see the outdoor pool.

You can enjoy side and
inside with the window in both.

As you walk through the house,

you discover new
places, but for me,

it's the most special house.

[Narrator] But this home
holds one more surprise.

[Rosa] Down from the garden,
you have a little path,

it's all surrounded
by pine trees

and that is also
part of our plot.

[Narrator] At the end
of this winding path

is a secret doorway.

Right behind this door,

we have what we consider to be

the cherry on top
of the property.

[Narrator] The doorway
opens onto a secluded cove,

allowing the family
direct access to

the crystal clear waters of
this beautiful coastline.

I feel very, very lucky.

I feel very grateful that
I get to experience this

and I get to be by the beach
every day if I want to,

it's really a joy.

[Narrator] If ever
there was a home

that turned a dream into
reality, it must be this one.

[gentle music]

6,000 kilometers west is
West Virginia in the USA.

The wild landscape here is a
dramatic mix of winding rivers,

stark cliff faces

and deep canyons.

It's a harsh but
beautiful wilderness,

a land to get lost in
and the perfect place

to build a secret retreat.

Perched high on top of
an abandoned quarry,

nestles the appropriately
named Hawks Nest.

This house is built from
steel, concrete glass and ipe,

a tough hardwood that's
been known to bend nails.

It's a house that's been
built for all weathers.

[gentle music]

The owner of this secret
home is artist Lorie Strait.

I became a sculptor
when I went to France,

I lived in France
for almost 30 years.

Then I decided it was time to
come back to the United States

because I didn't think
that I would find the place

I was looking for in France.

And I was able to
find this place,

this quarry is exactly
what I had in my mind.

[Narrator] Searching for
solitude and inspiration,

Lorie has created
her ideal hideaway.

As you come up the drive,
you get a glimpse of the house,

but it's provocative because
it's hard to tell what it is.

And then you come around the
bend and there is the house.

[Narrator] This house clings

to the West Virginia clifftop.

The living spaces
are all on one level.

A cantilevered section
of the building

houses an artist studio, at
the other end of the house

is the master bedroom
suite with bathroom.

The central space contains
the generously glazed

living area, kitchen
and dining area,

which leads out onto
a small terrace.

The house stands on
two concrete pillars

anchored into the bedrock.

One of the pillars contains
the front door and staircase.

[gentle music]

As an artist, it wasn't
only the design of the house

that was important to Lorie,

but also the spectacular
views around it.

[Lorie] Once the house is
in view, then the eye is drawn

to the frame in the
middle of the house

where there's just the horizon

and the rocks on the
edge of the cliff.

They become part of the house

or the house becomes
part of them.

[Narrator] After
buying the land,

Lorie chose Greg
Wiedemann to design

her secret clifftop home.

When I came here with
Lorie for the first time

we came to this very spot
and we said, "This is it."

This is where we can make a
place that is part of this view.

[Narrator] The staggering
views reveal themselves

as you walk up the
open staircase.

And then all of a sudden,
there it is the river,

the trees across the river
and now I see the rocks.

And this is what it's all about.

[Narrator] Lorie
wanted nothing

to get in the way of
this spectacular outlook.

Now we're in the
center of the house,

this is the part that goes

over the big gap
between the two pillars

and so we're really sort
of floating on air here.

The living space it's
meant to allow the beauty

of the surroundings to
come into the house.

So the furniture
I chose is minimal

and designed to be
comfortable, at the same time

not to be the interesting
part of the room.

The interesting part of
the room is the outside.

I was happy to have
the house all white

and one of the architects
kept pushing me,

no, you're not gonna
be happy with that,

you need color, get color.

So finally I saw this
beautiful red and I decided

that that's what this ceiling
would be over the kitchen.

Of course, that architect said,

"Oh no, you're not gonna
be happy with that."

And yet I think it's great.

[Narrator] Lorie wanted the
design of the master bedroom

to become part of
the landscape itself.

The bedroom is on
one of the cantilevers

so it's really
floating in space.

I like being here, I like
having the feeling of floating,

almost like a
balloon being let go

and just existing
without attachment.

It's just a magical place to be.

A really nice part of
this room is this corner,

which is all glass and seems
to be on the edge of the cliff.

It is an exhilarating view.

People who suffer from fear
of heights, don't come here.

[Narrator] It's most
definitely a panorama

one would never get tired of.

Lorie's studio is at the
far end of the house.

It's a real privilege to have
a space to work in my house

because there's no
excuse for not working.

And this is the spot
that inspires me.

What I do may not
look like what I see,

but it's the feeling that
I have here: beauty, peace,

quiet, purity, being in nature.

The greatest challenge for
Greg was to create a structure

that appeared to
float in mid air.

The house was designed
to gently touch the earth.

Where the house doesn't need
to meet the ground, it doesn't.

The cantilever here,
totally separates

the upper part of the
house from the ground.

It's suspended above to
take advantage of views

and to preserve the
natural beauty of the site.

[Narrator] Anchoring the
house into the edge of the cliff

called for innovative engineering.

It was impossible to
excavate foundations

deep into the solid bedrock here

so Greg decided to make use

of the natural cracks
in the rock instead.

He built two molds
around the rock

to create the
supporting pillars.

Workers poured 154 cubic meters
of concrete into the molds

to fill the cracks in the
bedrock and create a solid base

upon which they could
build the house.

Constructing this magnificent
home in a remote area

proved to be demanding
for the team.

It was quite a challenge
actually to build the house

because the steel had to be
brought in along a winding road.

The winds off of the north here,

you're very exposed at
the edge of a cliff.

[Narrator] But the
ingenious engineering

and hard work paid off.

[Lorie] The house
is really all about

what's outside the house.

And I think that's a great
tribute to the architects

that they made a house
that is mostly outside.

[Narrator] But when you have
a house built on a clifftop,

how do you get even
closer to the edge?

The balcony is
really important to me

because this is the way
that we got the house

to be even closer to the cliff.

That's the feeling with the
house and with the balcony

that I'm really just over
the void, just on the edge.

The house is known
as Hawk's Nest

because you're really at
eye level with the hawks.

It was very important to me
to be able to access the river

and then when I'm
down by the river,

looking up at the house is
this one long line of windows.

It's a sculpture in itself.

It's a little gem.

It's just perfect.

[Narrator] This house
is a slice of modernity

sitting atop the ancient
cliffs of West Virginia.

Lorie has created one
final secret space here,

a private place where
she can be at one

with the view she's so
fallen in love with.

[Lorie] The red seat
is embedded in the rock

so it's a permanent fixture.

I wanted to put it of
course, close to the cliff.

So I could be out
here by myself.

It makes me feel like
I'm part of the land.

Like I belong here.

It's my place.

[Narrator] Lorie has taken
her artistic sensibilities

and created a unique home in
this spectacular wilderness,

6,162 kilometers
Northeast is Suffolk

in the east of England,

a land of big skies and
magnificent coastline.

Covering nearly 4,000
square kilometers,

it's an unspoiled
landscape of wild marshes

and winding estuaries.

Hidden amongst the marshes
here, with only a glimpse

of its structure
visible to passers by,

sits something that looks like
it's come from the future.

Jutting out into the
East Anglian coastline

lies an intriguing
wedge shaped building.

A home that is tucked away
yet connects to the landscape

and makes a very big statement.

This is Marsh Hill.

[gentle music]

This contemporary home was built

just three years ago for owners,

Ben Baglio and Richard Wilson
and their at dog Henry.

They fell in love with this area

after visiting regularly
from London for many years

and decided they wanted
a second home here.

We considered looking
at existing properties,

but it soon became
clear that it might be

much more interesting and
fun to build our own house.

[Narrator] This
building is perched

overlooking a river
and marshland.

The house covers 250 meters
squared over two main floors.

On the top floor, at the
tallest part of the wedge,

is the master bedroom,
bathroom and a study area.

Below this, on the ground
floor, is the kitchen

with an adjacent utility space.

In the center of the house is
a large open plan living area.

And beyond this, at the
far end of the wedge,

are the two guest bedrooms,
bathroom and a studio.

In the basement
below the kitchen,

there's a small cellar.

For Ben and Richard, it was
all about having a house

to take in the
breathtaking surroundings

as well as large, spacious
rooms with plenty of light.

When you come into the house,

you enter via a
quite low ceiling

and that's deliberate
to give the reveal

of the enormous double
height living room ceiling.

You do get a sense of the
entire house opening up.

We have two large windows which
look out onto the marshes.

I mean, this is the reason
that the plot appealed to us.

[Narrator] It was
important for Ben and Richard

to have plenty of
space for guests.

So moving through
the long hallway,

the guest accommodation
peels off,

revealing a uniquely
designed room.

One of the things we wanted
to achieve in the bedrooms

was a feeling of coziness.

It, like all the other
rooms, faces to the south

so you get a fantastic view

of the marshes
and the reed beds.

We've got these frame mirrors,

but behind is actually
a large wardrobe.

We actually have one guest who
came and stayed in this room

and thought it was just a mirror

and it never occurred to
him it was a wardrobe.

[Narrator] This is a
house full of surprises,

but building it was a huge
engineering challenge.

After falling in love with
the site seven years ago,

with their heart set on
building their new home here,

Richard discovered a major
problem with the land,

which is right on
the River Alde.

One night Richard was
looking at topographic maps,

as he sometimes does,
and said, "Oh no."

And I said, "Well, what's that?"

And he said, "It's
in a flood plain."

I was like, "Oh good God, no."

You know, we'd really
fallen for this place

and he had found a
pretty major problem.

[Narrator] To limit
the risks of building

their dream home
on a flood plain,

they worked with
architect, Ian Bramwell.

Most of Ben and
Richard's land is very low.

There is one corner, which
is the far west corner,

which is higher ground.

So the only place that we
could really place a building

was on this highest ground.

So this is the far
end of the site.

It's the point where the house
is lowest and most discreet.

And we're gonna look
up and we're gonna see

the twist of this
wonderful big arching roof

just gliding up so you
get this fantastic curve

that raises up almost
like a ski jump.

When you're standing at
the end of the building

and you move south and
you suddenly reveal

the length of the building
with this very long

oblong shaped plan
that you have.

[Narrator] And so the idea

of the wedge shaped
house was born.

[gentle music]

[Narrator] But before
construction could begin,

the builders faced
another obstacle.

As the site was so
close to the coast,

the ground was unstable.

To stop the building from
cracking or subsiding,

the site required a
process called piling

to take place before
construction work could begin.

Piling creates a
strong foundation

for the house to be built on.

Workers drove long steel
tubes into the ground

up to 12 meters deep.

This is done using
a mechanical hammer.

Once they hit solid ground,

they fill the tubes
with concrete.

Then they place a steel
beam between each pile,

thus creating a solid
foundation for the house.

So construction work can take
place in a traditional way.

Ian wanted this house to
blend into its surroundings.

So he took inspiration from the
landscape and wildlife here.

[Ian] We're sitting in the
seaside town of Aldeburgh

and like every seaside
town it's occupied by gulls

and the herring gull
is quite distinctive.

The grayness of
herring gull's wing

is portrayed through the roof

and then you have the white
that sort of underbelly

of the bird with this
very small orange accent.

The only color really on the
external part of the house

is the orange front door,
which invites you in.

[Narrator] Whilst
blending into the landscape,

the house is designed to take in

breathtaking surroundings
from every room.

The beginning of
the design process,

obviously the view was
so important to us.

So we aligned the
house long and thin

so that every room has a view.

[Ben] The views are
fantastic and always changing.

[Narrator] One room
that really connects

Ben and Richard to the outdoors

and takes advantage
of the spectacular views is the kitchen.

They've made the
most of this space

by adding a large
picture window.

In the summer,

you can open it all the
way across like this.

We can eat inside and be
sheltered from the wind,

but still very much enjoy
nature and enjoy the view.

[Narrator] But there's more

to this room than meets the eye.

A secret hiding
behind a hidden door.

What looks like
a cupboard here

is actually the entrance
to the utility room.

[Narrator] Well you definitely
don't expect a whole room

to be hidden away behind
a kitchen cupboard.

Concealed within this secret
room is another hidden feature.

A hydraulic mechanism
opens this trap door

to reveal a hidden
room below this room.

This room not only
houses the pipe work

and controls for
much of the house,

it also makes the perfect
cellar for Ben and Richard

to store their
collection of fine wine.

[Richard] Always enjoy
spending time here.

It's just a very
relaxing place to be.

We love it.

And we anticipate
that we'll be here

for a long time to come.

[Narrator] Ben and
Richard have created

a beautiful house in a
picturesque location.

Its clever design means

you really feel like you have

your very own piece of
the English countryside.

1,300 kilometers
Northeast is Sweden,

a country of outstanding
natural beauty.

Lying on the east coast of
the Scandinavian peninsula,

the stunning lakes and
ancient woodlands here

are the ideal location to build

your very own
wilderness retreat.

Burrowed away into the
side of a mountain,

built to incorporate
the granite and wood

from the rocks and
forest around it

is an intriguing secret home.

This is the Woodland Retreat.

Erika Venestromm is the
owner of this striking home

and had it built
after wanting a place

where she and her
family could be

completely immersed in nature.

Once I started
looking for a plot,

it proved really
difficult actually

to find the perfect combination,

close to infrastructure,
close to city,

but still remote and like
submerged into nature.

The design of this
house is not at all

what it was supposed
to be from start.

My first idea was to
have two like containers,

more or less stacked
on top of each other

to use also the basis
of the mountain,

but in different heights.

But eventually it came
down to mathematics.

It was really difficult
to get the required

square meters out of
that type of form.

It would be look cool,

but it wouldn't necessarily
be so functional.

I completed a brief
of maybe 200 pages,

basically a summary or condensed
summary of all my ideas

and all the, like
the creative process

that's been going on in
my head for quite a while.

The defining factor for
sure was the landscape here.

The attraction of
being completely alone,

a little bit of isolation.

My kids can really
experience nature as it is.

Here, it's totally unspoiled.

[Narrator] The house
covers 601 square meters

and is made up of
two timber cubes,

cleverly linked together
by single story section.

On the top floor
of the smaller cube

is the master suite
and dressing room.

The larger cube has two guest
bedrooms and a bathroom.

Downstairs, there's an open
plan kitchen and dining room

with a mezzanine reading area.

In the central corridor
is a utility room

and further guest bedroom

and this leads to the main
living room and TV room.

[gentle music]

Erika wanted a house that
blended into the landscape

whilst using materials that
honor local building traditions.

[Erika] I went for the
pinewood construction

because it's the
most traditional way

of building houses in Sweden.

It felt very natural to
go with the materials

that you can find in
the wood around you.

[Narrator] But it's
not just the materials

that help to integrate
this house into the forest.

As you approach the entrance,

its position on the rock
helps to hide it from view.

Many people who come here,

they call me just
outside and they say,

"Well, I'm here, but
there's no house."

It's so nested
behind the mountain,

you can't really find it.

And that's for what
I love about it,

it's totally nestled away.

[gentle music]

[Narrator] From the outside,

the house is modest
and unassuming.

Perched on the edge
of a cliff face,

you have no idea what's
in store when you enter.

A vast double
height living space

with floor to ceiling windows

helps take in that
incredible view.

We wanted to maximize
the light coming in

and the outward view
here is fantastic.

This part of the house is
the area where we socialize,

where we hang out.

All the social areas here are
like designed to use together

and we spend a lot more
time altogether as a family.

[Narrator] But when Erika
is after some quiet time,

she has the perfect
spot to relax in.

You have the mezzanine
and the entrance hall

and the defining characteristic
for the house itself.

The perfect way of utilizing
the mountain as a backdrop.

I think this space has a
important place in my heart

because, to everybody else,
it's more of a walkthrough.

This has turned into
my favorite spot,

where I just have
some time on my own.

I always go to this
sofa and sit here

and will view the nature,

or just read a book or
be on my own little bit.

[Narrator] When it came
to designing the house,

Erika had clear ideas
of what she wanted

and called on
architect Max Holst

to help realize her dreams.

We spoke the same
language, basically.

I mean the things she
said about the site,

about the way she
wanted the house

to blend into the
landscape and so on,

that could have
been on my webpage.

[Narrator] Erika
didn't just want

to be surrounded by nature,

she wanted to live within it.

[Erika] You have the nature

very close up
everywhere you look.

I wanted a it to continue
also in through the walls,

This living room's
much more like cozy.

This is where we end
up during the evening.

[Narrator] Upstairs, you feel

even more immersed
in the forest.

The view of this
tree every morning

when I wake up is amazing.

You almost feel like a
squirrel in the tree outside.

This is absolutely the pinnacle
of like harmony for me.

[Narrator] As
well as integrating

this home into its surroundings,

it was important for Erika

to minimize its impact
on the natural terrain.

Instead of carving out

or destroying or
rearranging the area,

thankfully, we found
some really good plateaus

on the mountain for the
foundation of the house.

[Narrator] To minimize the
disruption of the landscape,

the house sits on a
relatively small footprint.

I had to do two or three
attempts with the government

to prove my point on using the
actual form of the mountain

as basis for the foundation.

Our idea was not to
have to blast anything,

but if we placed the
house on top of the rock,

it would've been too high.

So we did have to
blast some rock.

We really liked the
fact that this rock

was coming into the house.

[Narrator] Building a
house into the rock face

was a complex process.

To create a flat
surface, workers used controlled explosives

to blast a small
area of the rock.

They drilled small
holes into the rock

and filled them with dynamite.

They then placed heavy matting
over the top of the holes

to contain the debris.

Once the rock was blasted,
they removed the rubble

and spread a 30
centimeter gravel layer

over the entire site.

They used a machine called a
vibrator to compact the gravel,

and then they placed insulation

and, on top of that,
a layer of concrete.

This created a flat stable
surface to build the house on.

The position of this
house in the cliff face,

allows it to hide
one more secret.

Built right on the
edge of the rock

is a hidden swimming pool that
you'd have no idea was there.

When people come here and
they look over the edge,

it's like, oh, so that's also
a little bit of surprise.

This house has always come
with a pool in my head.

I saw this pool
actually in Portugal,

a black pool hanging
on, on top of an edge.

And I thought, that's
the pool I wanna have.

What I like about this pool
is it just gives exactly

what you need when you are
pretty exposed to the sunlight

as you are here on the mountain.

And it's just
beautiful to look at.

You can see the trees
reflected in the water

and yeah, it's just a
beautiful part of the picture

when you look out.

[gentle music]

[Narrator] This
is a unique home

that immerses you into nature

and the forest
that surrounds it.

Every time I turn up
my car on the driveway

is a complete feel
of like serenity.

So I think this house
really plays well

into our role as a family, it's
drawing us closer together.

We do hikes, small
hikes, almost every day.

[Narrator] Erika has built
the perfect place to retreat to

and created a home engineered
seamlessly into the hillside.

[dramatic music]