Design Context
This house is a play between being hidden and exposed. In contrast to the typical division of domestic functions, the private functions (master bedroom, bathroom and wardrobe) remain on the first floor while the more public functions (living room, kitchen and study) are located on the second floor. The juxtaposition of garden, nature, and infrastructure was the starting point of the project. The house overlooks a sea of lush greenery and we wanted that nature to overflow into the living space. At the same time, the central spiral stair that connects the two floors is enclosed by a curved concrete wall, an urban fragment of the city.
A concrete spiral staircase acts as the entrance foyer and immediately leads visitors up to the more public second floor. A garden permeates the whole interior, blurring the boundaries between inside and outside.
Material and Detail
To compliment the indoor garden, a natural palette of materials is
used throughout the house. On the ground floor, the warmth of
the walnut flooring and built-in joinery is paired large travertine
slabs and white pebbles. Blackened steel is used for the spiral stair,
window frame and balustrades, its smoothness a counterpoint to
the tactile quality of the stone and wood.