The Viipuri Library's suspended, undulating, acoustic wood ceiling and roof landscape of skylights not only reappeared in Aalto's own work over the next 40 years, they encouraged a concern for form and light in its purest aspects.

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Standard green features in each home include LED lighting, recycled glass countertops, a high-efficiency water heater, water-conserving fixtures including dual-flush toilets, FSC-certified bamboo flooring, EnergyStar appliances, zero-VOC paints, finishes, and adhesives, a whole-house ventilation system, low-E windows, high levels of insulation, a fully recyclable, heat-deflecting cool roof, exterior wood siding and decking made from FSC-certified cedar, and much more.

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Originally from Milan, she and her husband bought a plot of land near La Playita beach and in 2006 built Chalet Tropical: three two-storey thatched-roof bungalows, handcrafted by locals with wood interiors and stone bathrooms.

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It is being aided by local people who have helped gather hazel wood from its woodland to use for the walls and roof.

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Improvements will include the creation of a wood and bike storage area, double glazing, a new roof and the installation of solar panels.

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Meanwhile, the curved ceiling of the main house captures the interplay of light refracted from the L-shaped pool, and the roof's louvered panels float above a wall of windows, perching on delicate wood columns as they shelter an outdoor patio.

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