A PEACEFUL ISLAND RETREAT

A few years ago, Gary Dublanko and his wife, Dea Zoffman, fell in love with Phang Nga Bay, a less-developed part of Phuket’s eastern shores. They found a piece of land on a secluded hillside bordering Khao Phra Thaeo National Park.
After two years of construction, the finished house—named dama zAmya, which they say mean “a peaceful retreat” in Sanskrit—is a contemporary eco-villa with views of the nearby rain forest, rubber plantations and islands that dot the bay.
Mr. Dublanko says he decided that sustainable living offered a perfect counterpoint to his former career as an oil-industry engineer, and an ideal style for the tropics. “We have lived in the tropics for 10 years,” he says. “We know the limitations of houses built by developers who don’t understand the elements of sustainability.”

A Peaceful Retreat in Phang Nga Bay

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Gary Dublanko and his wife, Dea Zoffman, fell in love with Phang Nga Bay, a less-developed part of Phuket's eastern shores. They found a piece of land on a secluded hillside bordering Khao Phra Thaeo National Park and built an eco-friendly villa. -- Reenita Malhotra Hora. Go back to Scene Asia.

The floors and interior doors are made of wood recycled from a 40-year-old house nearby. The house has a system that collects rainwater during the wet months for use during Phuket’s dry season, which stretches from December to March. The water runs from the roof into an underground storage tank; it’s filtered, treated and then redistributed for use throughout the property.
Mr. Dublanko and Ms. Zoffman chose not to use traditional paint, which releases toxic fumes from ingredients known as volatile organic compounds. Instead, they selected natural earth-tone pigments to enhance the walls.
The 560-square-meter house was designed around the idea of “passive cooling,” which involves integrating the indoors with outdoors. Inner courtyards help keep the house cool, especially in the summer. Many of the rooms have open spaces screened by bamboo. “Although you live inside and you are protected from the elements, walking around the house makes you feel as though you are walking outdoors,” says Mr. Dublanko.
Ms. Zoffman loves to cook, and the couple entertains often. They say the design of the glass bar was inspired by furniture at the Begawan Giri Estate in Bali.
MWH Gartenmöbel, a German outdoor furniture company, used the house as a set for a catalog shoot earlier this year.
The four-bedroom, six-bathroom house is on sale for 89 million Thai baht (US$3 million). It is listed with Hunter Sothebys International Realty.
SOURCE
http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2010/11/04/a-peaceful-retreat-in-phang-nga-bay/