Located in the mountainside suburbs of Lima, this vast and impressive home by Oscar Gonzalez Moix combines a number of well-practiced contemporary architecture traits. Chief among its overall concepts is that of “complex minimalism”, resulting in a design that is thorough and elaborate while appearing soothingly clean. Also integral to its nature is openness and spaciousness, achieved with massive public rooms and dominant glass areas. Additionally, a connection to the outdoors is important: a small grassy courtyard sits at the center of the home, and many main rooms open up directly onto the large front and rear lawns. Because of this, the building appears to take on a bridged form, with access straight through a number of ground-floor rooms from front to back without ever truly walking indoors. The entire package is a luxurious, stylishly manageable home for both entertaining and private life.
Even from the street, you can get a sense of the scope of the house. Its overall shape (as well as the shape of many of its details) is wide and set close to the ground, minimal but not simplistic in form.
The dwelling has three major grass areas, starting with this front yard. Entire large indoor social spaces can be brought outdoors by simply sliding their glass wall panels away.
Broad, low steps lead to the front entrance. The thin glass panels next to the main door are the only principally vertical glass areas present in the entire design.
The center of the home is, surprisingly, its outdoor focal point. An impressive courtyard complete with a contemporary bench made to mimic interior design elements rises up around a tree, with living spaces on either side of the grass area.
An in-ground pool with just-right water levels extends from a ground-hugging patio which springs from the house.
An outdoor kitchen with plenty of room lets residents keep an eye on family members or entertain guests while cooking, keeping meal preparation integrated into social events.
Much of the lower floor is encased in concrete, but the monotony of its tone is broken up by floor-level wall cutouts and long, thin block tiling. All of these short and wide elements help to minimize the vertical scale of the two-story entry room.
A deep living room is set just off the entry hall, with both of its longer sides constructed of grass to provide a lookout into the yard. A striking yet minimal fireplace on the far end of the room provides a focal point to the otherwise diffused space.
Like the home as a whole, the main staircase is sleek and low, connecting two levels without over-accenting the height of the connection.
The halls and many of the rooms of the upper floor offer views down into the central courtyard, allowing residents to see what’s happening all over the house and visually opening up their living spaces.
Even the bathroom fixtures follow the overall design theme of wide and low pieces, with a long sink structure and unconventionally rectangular tiling.
Oscar Gonzalez Moix
