Take a Dip

As the weather inches towards summer, we’ve got pools on the brain. Not just any pools, mind you: a far cry from the basic concrete rectangles, rocky swimming holes, or above-ground pools familiar across America, these five swimming pools are part of a larger architectural vision. We’ve picked a handful of international homes (including three in Spain, where architects apparently take their swimming pools seriously) that have meshed fanciful water features into equally incredible living spaces.

Casa Son Vida (Mallorca, Spain) by tecDesign, Inc.

You’d never guess that this over-the-top Mediterranean home with a space-age pool was sustainably built, but it incorporates passive cooling, geothermal technology, solar energy, and recycled rainwater. Also: deck chairs in the pool. Enough said.