All language subtitles for Mas gaos 7

[tranquil music]

[Narrator] Imagine,
living in a home

that sits secluded in a forest,

on a 100 kilometer beach,

or on top of a mountain.

[helicopter whirring]

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 sea.

It was love at her sight.

[Narrator] As we discover the
"World's Most Secret Homes."

[inspirational music]

Lying in the Southeastern
corner of Austria

is the province of Carinthia.

This area has more
than 200 lakes,

and is known as
Austria's Riviera.

It's an oasis in the Alps,
filled with turquoise waters

and stunning scenery.

It's the perfect place
for a lakeside hideaway.

Many houses line the
lakes of this region,

but there's one that's at odds

with its more
traditional neighbors.

Hidden amongst the
trees is a house

that's full of intrigue.

Rising from the ground
to overlook the water,

this is the
panoramic lake house.

[inspirational music]

The owner of this one of a
kind home is Maria Planegger.

We were thinking about
building a family house

for several years.

It's not easy to
get the ground here,

'cause there is a quite high
demand, but we had luck.

Maria is also the architect
which gave her the freedom

to take its design
one step further.

This building is an
extraordinary building

because you dare
a little bit more

if you are your own client.

It was a special property
because it was very narrow.

We had to do a lot
of landscaping.

Every tile, even
if it's the base

or it's the roof has a number.

Every tile and every
stone is made by measure.

The roof with this complex
form, like a white wing

where it folds over the
sleeping rooms is very special.

I would say inside it's a
little bit conservative,

and outside it has
the wow effect.

I tried to realize
all my dreams.

It's a once in a lifetime
chance to build my own house.

[inspirational music]

[Narrator] The house
covers 650 square meters,

and is spread across
two buildings.

In the main house, the first
floor contains the master suite

with bathroom and dressing room.

There are also four further
bedrooms on this level,

each with their own bathroom.

On the ground floor there's
an open plan living space,

separate kitchen, utility
area and bathroom.

Behind the main house
is the guest house,

containing a double
bedroom, living area,

kitchen and separate bathroom.

The long narrow plot gave
Maria the opportunity

to hide the house
as much as possible

as you approach it
from the street.

You arrive here, we planned
that you come over a bend

and then you pass the garden.

It's a part of the landscape.

The form is following
the landscape.

[Narrator] Maria
carefully designed the house

so that its location right on
the lake comes as a surprise.

Here we are in
our main open space.

You have already
the holiday feeling.

That's the wow effect,

because now you have the
full view to the lake.

[inspirational music]

[birds chirping]

[Narrator] And it's
not just the view

that gives this
house the wow factor.

This home is full of
the latest technology.

[Maria] It's a little
bit like James Bond.

[Narrator] Key
to Maria's vision

was high tech gadgets
like glass doors

that open at the
touch of a button,

effortlessly blurring the
line between inside and out.

[Maria] You feel
the connection

between inside and outside.

It's one big space.

The nature comes into the room.

It feels that you are
sitting suddenly outside,

but not it's inside.

[Narrator] Maria has
made the most of the view

from every room in this house.

A challenge when it
came to the kitchen,

which sits right at
the back of the space.

The position of the
kitchen was a big discussion.

The kitchen is the
center of the family.

If it's closed, it's
a separate room,

but I love it if it's open.

[Narrator] Maria came up
with an ingenious concept

to have the best of both worlds.

The wall that
divides the kitchen

from the living space retracts,

dropping to give Maria
that amazing view.

When we have guests or
if the kitchen is messy,

we close the wall.

But when I cook,

I love to have the view
and to see the scenery

and the lovely mountains and
the children running around.

[inspirational music]

[Narrator]
Upstairs each bedroom

has access to a wraparound deck.

The whole house
gives the feeling

of sailing across the lake.

As the property
is very narrow,

the first idea was the
shape of a speed boat.

There's definitely
the feeling of a ship.

Even the materials like
the wood and the glass

and the angle of the railing.

It has definitely nautical
feeling I would say.

[Narrator] The roof of the
house sweeps towards the water

and helps create
that ship like feel.

Maria wanted the
roof to be sleek,

and for the roof tiles to blend

with the rest of the building.

Each tile or panel was
individually fabricated,

and made from lightweight
fiberglass and concrete,

and is just 13
millimeters thick.

She also wanted the building
to appear minimal and sleek,

so didn't want any guttering.

To achieve this, a gap of
eight millimeters is left

between each of the panels
to allow the water to drain

to hidden gutters below,

and also to allow the
panels to span and contract

as the weather changes.

The result is a seamless roof

that flows out
towards the water.

There is one more
surprise hidden

within this panoramic house.

Maria wanted a sociable space

for the family to enjoy
together by the lake,

but she didn't want it to
impose on the main house.

We thought it would be a good
idea to have a beach house.

We didn't want it so dominant,

so we hide it in the slope.

[Narrator] Maria designed
a separate beach house,

which sits hidden
beneath the main garden.

From the house you would
never know it was there.

[inspirational music]

With a large living
space and a sauna,

it's a place the whole
family can enjoy.

In the summertime,
most of the day

the whole family is next to
the lake and in this room.

It's a great relaxing area.

And in wintertime, we
love it when there comes

the fog over the water,

and you enjoy this
mystic scenery.

The friends of our kids,

they're really amazed
and they always say,

"That's a cool house."

We are open house,
everybody's welcome,

and we enjoy this to
share with friends.

[Narrator] 6,700
Kilometers west

is the American
state of Washington.

Here at just an hour and
a half inland from Seattle

lies the beautiful
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

[birds tweeting]

Extending for more
than 225 kilometers,

this spectacular wildwood is
home to snow covered peaks

and deep mountain meadows.

[majestic music]

This remote setting
is the perfect place

to build a secret home.

With the faint sound of the
River Tye in the background,

a quiet gravel track leads
deep into the forest.

Hidden in amongst the trees,

and invisible until
the last moment

is the Tye River cabin.

[upbeat music]

The owner of this woodland
retreat is Jim Dow.

He runs a construction company

and built this hideaway
himself five years ago.

This cabin was always
about a place to be quiet.

It's a place to come
and read a book.

There's no TV, make
fire, cook some food,

and about hiding out in
the woods and recharge

so that I can head back
to work Monday morning,

just ready to go.

[Narrator] Jim's cabin
covers just 58 square meters

over two floors.

The living accommodation
is on the upper level,

with two bedrooms, a bathroom

and a small kitchen and lounge.

Downstairs there's a
garage and storage area

housing the utility appliances
and wood for the fire.

The home sits nestled
into the forest,

immersed in its surroundings.

[majestic music]

The structure is built
from a combination

of reclaimed wood
and steel panels.

These exterior steps
lead to the living space.

Okay, so this is the
entry to the cabin.

Then bam!

Holy moly, look at that.

I just feel like the
whole world is gone.

Work is gone.

Problems are gone.

You have no clue what you're
gonna see when you get here.

It's just so beautiful.

[Narrator] The cabin looks out

onto a spectacular
natural landscape,

and the inside of the
home reflects this

with a simple
understated design.

So in those two tiny bedrooms,

there are sort of
like ship bedrooms.

So it's just big enough for a
bed and then a tiny bathroom

with a tub and a shower.

It's a Japanese bathtub, so
it's not even five feet long.

And you'd come out
and there's the couch.

There's the kitchen
with about eight feet

of kitchen cabinets, and
there's a four burner cooktop.,

so it's pretty small.

And then a massive
fireplace in the middle.

[Narrator] Jim discovered
this idyllic plot

completely by chance.

I was at a coffee
shop in Seattle,

and I was looking
at a bulletin board

and there was a little
card with a description

of this pristine piece
of property on the river.

And I just thought
I'll go take a look.

So I saw the river and
this cove and this beach,

it's like, wow!

I can just sit here for hours
and just watch the water.

Listen to it and watch it.

There's something about the
sound that just is hypnotizing.

I knew instantly
when I saw the river,

I wanted this property.

[Narrator] And
Jim built the cabin

just a few meters from
the edge of the river.

[inspirational music]

[Jim] The cabin is
hidden by these trees

that grow right up to the river.

People have come down the
driveway and turned around

and gone away because they
couldn't find the cabin.

So sometimes it's
too well hidden.

[Narrator] When he
was designing the cabin,

Jim knew he wanted
a simple space

that made them most of the
spectacular surroundings.

[Jim] At the very beginning,

I had some ideas of
how I wanted the cabin,

and I wanted it really small.

[Narrator] Fitting
everything he wanted

into such a small space
proved to be a challenge

for the architect of
this house, Tom Kundig.

He actually brought
me a floor plan.

I kind of fixed it a
little bit for him.

[Jim] It was just
a pencil drawing

on a single piece of paper,

and I said something
like this is what I want.

But the only thing that I'm
really stuck on is the size.

I want it to be small.

[Tom] Jim, wanted
to feel cozy,

wanted to feel intimate.

Tom came back
with the exact size,

but nothing else that
was in my sketch.

So now there's two
bedrooms and a bathroom,

and then there's this massive,

amazing fireplace
right in the middle.

[Narrator] The fireplace plays

a hugely important
role in this home,

and something Tom always knew

he wanted to make a feature of.

Historically
fireplaces were always

in the center of a house.

It's the campfire.

Basically everybody
comes around the campfire

and the campfire radiates heat.

The fireplace in
the center of rooms

generates heat in
all directions.

It's the heart of the situation.

[ax chopping]

I'm personally
really drawn to fire.

I love to build a fire.

I build a fire in
the summertime.

It's just magical.

I find it to be really restful,
to just look at a fire.

It's just something about it
is really pleasant for me.

[Narrator] And there's
more to this fireplace

than meets the eye.

It's not just the
main heat source

and central feature of the home,

it plays another crucial role.

It is fundamental to
structural integrity

of the whole cabin.

The chimney sits right at
the center of the house,

and fundamentally it's
a large concrete column.

This column supports the
roof from the center,

just like an umbrella.

By hanging the roof
off the chimney,

no supporting
walls are required,

and the large pivot
doors can swing outwards,

opening up the whole
house to the forest,

enabling Jim to achieve his
dream of living within nature.

I would rather be
outside than inside.

So how do I just make the inside

feel like it just
flows to the outside.

If you do have a
corner in a room,

you've basically
blanked your view.

If that corner opens up,

you've essentially opened
the interior to the exterior.

And that's the idea
here with these doors.

Being able to sort of open
the inside to the outside.

[inspirational music]

[Narrator] The doors
are designed to merge

the inside of the cabin
with the forest it sits in

by completely opening up
the corners of the space.

It's not like opening
a window in a house

because the whole wall opens,

so it's almost like
there's no wall now.

When you do open the doors,

it's just like
you're outside now.

[Narrator] And
there's another reason

why this cabin appears to
fuse with that surroundings.

[Tom] As the natural
forces work on the building,

it actually gets better.

It just really grows
old gracefully.

It really grows old
in a way that feels

even more and more
authentic to its place.

[Jim] The windows are all wood

and there's no finish on 'em.

[Narrator] The structure
blends with the trees

that encroach on the house
as they grow around it,

and a hint of rust now
covers the steel panels.

And it actually
just starts to look

like the bark of the trees.

[Narrator] These features
allow the entire building

to meld with the forest.

Over time the structure
of this cabin is evolving

to become part of
the wider landscape.

What a magical place
to escape daily life.

[Jim] It's a place,
when I'm driving up here,

I can already feel the
pressure going away.

And when I walk in here,
I just start to rest.

This cabin is way better
than I ever imagined.

[inspirational music]

[tranquil music]

[Narrator] 8,900
Kilometers east,

just off the Spanish
mainland lies a tiny island

that few people know about.

Known as the Last Paradise
of the Mediterranean,

this is the idyllic
island of Formentera.

Just 20 kilometers wide,

it's a place of white powdery
beaches and turquoise waters.

With no airport and
only a few proper roads,

it's a place to truly escape to.

[upbeat music]

Hidden by pines and
camouflaged by sand dunes,

lies a remarkable secret home.

Overlooking the Mediterranean,

and with little more than an
old lookout tower for company,

is the island escape house.

For owners, Elena Casteo
and her husband Maria,

there was a deep root of
connection to this island

that made building a home
here even more special.

This land has been in
our family for 130 years.

I was always standing here
and looking to the landscape.

It was a place which
was connected to me

since I was very young.

[Narrator] Maria was also
the architect of this house.

[tranquil music]

Our main aim was to fit
very well on the landscape,

and to re-interpret the
traditional architecture

from the island.

It's about finding the
roots and the elements

which were already here,

and then use it in
a different way.

We had always in
mind two elements,

which are located in Formentera,

and which are very
important for us.

One is the both houses
from the fishermen

all around the
shore of the island,

and the other is the
quarries of stone,

a local stone called
mares, it's a sandstone.

When they made the
geological test,

they found it was a
hard rock on the side,

very good for foundation.

Both were two elements

that defined the
concept of the house.

[Narrator] The house
covers 315 square meters,

and is made up of three
interconnecting cabins.

On the upper level
of the first cabin

is the master bedroom
with en suite.

This leads onto the open
plan living accommodation,

dining area, and kitchen.

In the third cabin,
are two double bedrooms

with en suite bathrooms.

On the lower level is another
guest bedroom with en suite,

which also has its own
private entrance and patio.

In the center of the house
is the main entrance area,

which leads onto a
carport and storage area.

The cabins were
constructed from concrete,

pine and deroco, a hardwood.

The result is a modern
house with a twist,

and one which is camouflaged
into its surroundings.

[Maria] I would say
that when your approach

is to the house,

it's hidden behind the trees

and you just see the silhouette,
but only parts of it,

so you never see completely.

When we were choosing the
materials of the outside,

we took as a reference
to the boathouse

on the shore of Formentera.

When you look at the
house from the outside,

you see it like it melts
with the landscape.

You don't find
almost any difference

between the trunk of the
trees and the facade.

[Narrator] Maria took
this camouflage design

one step further.

Rather than build
one big structure

that would dominate
the landscape,

he divided the house into
three separate cabins.

[Maria] When we
designed the house,

we always had in mind to leave

less footprint in the landscape.

That's why we divided
the volume into three.

I would say that the
building finds itself

in balance with the landscape.

[Narrator] A glass corridor
connects the cabins together.

[Maria] On the northern side,

you can see through
the building the views.

[Narrator] In the central
cabin is the main living area.

[relaxed music]

This is my favorite
part of the house

because it's full of light.

The first thing that people say

when they come
upstairs is just wow,

because they're amazed
by the view of the sea.

We used wood as a principle

of the main material
in the house.

It's created an
effect of balance

between all the
elements and this place.

It's very difficult to wake
up in a place like this

and not to have a good day.

Trees, the sea, and
the sounds of nature.

[Narrator] Wanting more
than a single story house,

Maria had to get
clever with his design.

Rather than impose on the land,

he had to find a way to
hide some of the house.

He created an
ingenious secret level

you wouldn't even
know was there.

When we were
designing the house,

we knew that we could
not make a second story.

And also we didn't want to.

Because of that, we decided
to build underground.

[Narrator] Maria
designed a hidden basement,

and it's a far cry from what
you expect a basement to be.

We made a basement
of 45 meters long,

and this was possible
only with information

that the geological
test gave to us.

[Narrator] In an
effort to be sustainable,

he used around 15% of
the excavated stone

to make the concrete
that constructed

the courtyards and patios.

Excavation in Formentera
is a very expensive part

of the building process.

[Narrator] The bedrock that
was left flooded with light

creates a unique feature.

The pattern left by
the drilling process

during the excavation, you
can see all over the basement.

[Narrator] To
excavate the basement,

precision machinery
was brought in

to create a shape in the rock.

Engineers measured and cut out

the footprint of the
basement in the rock.

using a road header.

This machine creates
very little vibration.

It allows workers to
cut an accurate line

without damaging the
surrounding rock.

With an outline cut, workers
used more traditional machinery

to remove the remaining
stone in the center.

The result is a precise
incision into the land

for the basement.

It's not just the basement that
is hidden underground here.

[tranquil music]

This house hides
one more secret.

When we started drilling
the perimeter of the house

after one week and a half, we
got a call and they told me,

"Hey, we have found a big
hole, it looks like a cave."

I can't hide it, I was very
worried of how this could affect

to the whole structure.

We can see the roots
of a small tree

that was going inside the cave.

[Narrator] They
reimagined the cave

to form a unique feature that
offers the ideal conditions

for Elena to indulge
in one of her passions.

I think this cave was waiting

for me to put my wine there.

[both laughing]

It was actually a
present of nature for me.

[Narrator] An incredible
discovery incorporated perfectly

into their home.

[Maria] We both
feel very calm.

We both feel very in
harmony with nature,

and this is something
that makes us

start every day very well.

Also provides me inspiration.

I feel very lucky every
day, every single day.

[wine pouring]

[Elena] This house was
built with so much passion,

so much love, that we just
enjoy every single day here.

[bright music]

[Narrator] 1,550
Kilometers north,

set amongst the rolling
Hills and lush green valleys

of the sleepy
Gloucester countryside,

lies the picturesque hamlet
of Compton, Greenfield.

This ancient little village
dates back over 800 years,

and is even mentioned
in the "Domesday Book."

It's an idyllic setting

in which to build a
countryside retreat.

[inspirational music]

Hidden along this
quiet country lane

lies something quite different
and rather spectacular.

This is Green Orchard,
an extraordinary house

clad in mirrored steel panels

that blend seamlessly
into its surroundings.

The owners of this special
home are Edna and Fred Walden,

who have lived in
this contemporary home for nine years.

The reason we decided
to build a modern house

was because we were building
in the 21st century,

so we wanted a
21st century house.

[Narrator] The house is set

in over two and a half
thousand square meters

of landscaped garden,

and covers 200 square
meters across two floors.

On the ground floor
are the living area,

kitchen, dining room,
and master bedroom.

On the lower level the house
has three further bedrooms,

two bathrooms, and
a utility area.

Edna had a very clear idea
for the layout of their home.

I'd always had a dream of
having a single story house,

but I wanted for
straight five bedrooms.

[Narrator] To achieve this,

Fred and Edna chose to dig down,

to create a secret
subterranean lair

to give them the
space they needed

for this large family home.

[Edna] This is the secret bit

that nobody actually knows about

until they actually
come to the house.

You've no idea that
there are bedrooms

and a bathroom
hidden downstairs.

And that's really nice.

With a living space,
kitchen and master bedroom,

all on the upper level,

it gives the feeling
of a single story home.

We actually live
on this level,

so we don't need to
go downstairs at all once we're up here.

[Narrator] There's
another reason

why this house is so
special to Edna and Fred.

The architect and mastermind
behind this project

is their son, Paul.

I think one of the
things that I knew

was going to be good
about working with them

is that they brought to the
process very open minds.

There was no point
in having an architect

and telling him
exactly what we wanted

because we wanted his
ideas in it as well.

[Narrator] Green
Orchard was Paul's first

new build project
in the countryside.

I knew from early on
that whatever we did

was going to be
visually pushing it.

And the idea of the mirror
power came from realizing

that we could do something
which was seemingly modern

yet at the same time quite
sensitive to its environment.

[Narrator] The mirrored panels

reflect the landscape
around the house

and blend it in with
the countryside.

[Paul] One of the things I
really enjoy about the house

is that if you go for a walk
around the local fields,

the house actually comes
in and out to focus.

So when you get the
reflections of it,

different parts of it
disappear into the landscape.

[inspirational music]

This plot doesn't have any
particular orientation.

Essentially, there's
something interesting

to look at in every direction.

This is my coffee spot,

because I can see
out of that window,

I can see all the garden.

And then we have a
sun downer, [laughing]

having worked hard in
the garden in between.

I actually sit over there,

and then I can see
out of that window,

and out that window too

I can see the reflections
in the mirrored panels.

[Narrator] This house is
packed with ingenious features

that help it retain
heat and keep it warm

during the cold winter months.

One of the ideas
that I was looking at

was maybe you could
actually design a building

that could change its
thermal performance,

in the same way
that in the winter

you put a jumper on.

[Narrator] Yes, this house
has the incredible ability

to put its jumper on
when it gets chilly.

[inspirational music]

The mirror panels on
the house are motorized

to slide open and closed
to help hold the heat in.

[inspirational music]

The shutters at
Green Orchard work

using a very simple
engineering mechanism.

A rubber belt with special teeth

runs across the top
of the window frames.

This is connected
to an inbuilt motor

with a wheel at each end.

Teeth at the top of the
panels engage with belt.

When the motor is switched
on, the belt moves,

the teeth connect and
pull the panel along

to open and close the shutter.

A simple press of a
button controls the system

from inside the house.

Green Orchard, isn't just
a visual masterpiece,

it also earns its keep.

It's been built as a
super low energy home,

massively reducing the
carbon dioxide produced

by living in the house
over the course of a year.

We wanted to be as
sustainable as possible,

which eventually would mean

that it wasn't very
expensive to live in.

[Narrator] There are two types
of solar panel on the roof,

one for heating water, the other
for generating electricity.

A wood burning
stove in the kitchen

provides the central heating.

The stove can also heat water

when solar energy
is not available.

The structure and
design of the house

uses a combination of
materials working together

to make this house
exceptionally well insulated.

You've basically
got a lower floor

which is made of mass concrete,

and then an upper floor, which
is lightweight and timber.

The idea is that the
lightweight timber structure

gives you really great
super installation.

Whereas the heavy
mass of the concrete

means that it takes an awful
lot of heat to warm it up,

and therefore it tends to stay

at a much more or
comfortable temperature

throughout the year.

We were definitely
pushing the boundaries

of what you can actually do.

[bright music]

[Narrator] It took two years
to complete at the house,

but was worth the wait as
it's given Edna and Fred

the perfect secret home
to treasure forever.

It feels very special because

it's not like
anybody else's house.

So whenever we bring people
who've not been here before,

they say, "Wow, this is lovely."

It surprises everybody.

You know I've just stopped work

and kind of wondered what to do,

and it's given something
to do together.

[Fred] I think it's
a beautiful house

and wouldn't want to
live anywhere else.

[Edna laughing]

[tranquil music]

[majestic music]