Designed by Longhi Architects, this home among the mountainous outskirts of Lima is more than a simple box-and-glass vision of contemporary residential architecture. It is not defined by a single overall container, nor is it a conglomeration of various sizes of the same shape. This house integrated interpretations of nearly every basic shape, from gracefully flowing curves to 90-degree junctions. On the outside, especially, the building’s architecture is fascinatingly complex, with cantilevered rooms on both ends and a different vision of wall space on either side. One edge of the house exhibits segmented white space, while the opposite edge is garnished with compelling visual supplements. An array of whites, greys, silvers, and wood finishes separate each floor, while fractured decks defy design convention.
The inside of the house is reflective of the resourcefulness of its exterior, continuing a number of its motifs and patterns. The majority of the first floor is encased by glass walls, under the floors of the home’s cantilevered upper level. Different rooms introduce new colors to the mix, often by adding them to small, detailed decor elements. Each space inside is just as complex as the outside walls, with intersecting geometric bodies and variable ceiling heights abound. Some rooms are completely different altogether from the norm, with a bathroom split into two floors and a living room devoid of freestanding furniture.
The figure of this architectural achievement is complex, made up of rectangular cutoffs and ever-so-slight wall curves of varying lengths and diameters.
Every element of the home and its landscaping is considered, with stairs that taper off haphazardly into the grass and a driveway finish complementing colors on the building’s forward end.
The slope of the stairway railing above the garage entrance creates a thin front deck area, a front walkway between different sides of the home. Both of these sides has its own staircase leading down to street level, though this one is distinguished as the main entry path.
With singular imagination, the architects chose to adorn one long side of the house with a series of artistic three-dimensional circular and rectangular window cuts and structure extensions, diversifying its architecture.
The cantilevered style of the home is evident on both ends, but is not pronounced as much on the rear of the home. Here, overhanging sections are utilized to create glass-encapsulated pseudo-indoor spaces which make up the bulk of the first floor.
Close to one side of the building is a deck area made in the format of a park, with permanent benches which mimic the style of the ornamentation on the side of the residence.
Every piece of the property is obsessively detailed. This integrated deck bench extends past the glass railing to break up the largely square design of its surrounding section of the home.
Below the backyard sits a submerged (yet open-air) area for storage. This space also contains a passageway to the lower floor of the house.
Continuing with the visual delights seen on the outer walls of the house, this inventive doorway is accented by circular, sculptural carvings in sandy tones.
Around the other sides of the house, all the doors and their artistic side additions match, suggesting a universality to various points of entry.
Each of the doors is made from thick layers of polished metal and wood, evoking an impressively imposing environment for those entering the abode.
There are two prevalent elements on the main floor of the house: open space and colorful geometric features. The living room table and the various changes in shape of the wall and ceiling spaces visually break up the room’s large area, while its circular adornments spice up the overall decor and bring embellishments that adorn the outside of the home to the indoors.
The principal staircase of the residence is rectangular in form and open in structure, with silver, grey, and white finishes creating a brightening effect as one ascends. Vertical metal rods define the boundaries between each flight.
Off the living area is a small washroom, transitioning to more private types of spaces while retaining much of the bright color palette and unifying flooring of communal rooms.
The most intriguing room of the entire dwelling is most definitely its master bathroom, set on two floors in a number of sculptural geometric structure elements. The skylight opening at the top of the room reflects on the lighthearted shapes throughout the home, while a dark color palette definitely separates the space from more public rooms.
The stairway is left unemphasized and free of gilding or roofing, bringing lighting from the top floor of the bathroom downstairs. A small nook directly opposite the bottom landing provides space to store towels and other items.
The bottom floor of the main bathroom is a more uninterrupted circular shape than the level above it, populated by areas for a toilet, shower, and another sink with an attached bench.
Longhi Architects
Photography by Juan Solano
