This Floating Home in Chilean Patagonia Boasts Breathtaking Views

A robust Cor-Ten steel home rises from the rugged landscape.

A robust Cor-Ten steel home rises from the rugged landscape.

In the remote expanse of Chilean Patagonia, the weather’s temperament is everything. Its impact is so significant that the majority of the architectural decisions for this rural retreat revolved around the unpredictable climate.

A robust Cor-Ten steel home rises from the rugged landscape.

A robust Cor-Ten steel home rises from the rugged landscape.

Photo: Marcos Zegers

Photo: Marcos Zegers

Aguilo + Pedraza Arquitectos constructed Apus Kankay out of Cor-Ten steel to withstand the challenging site conditions. Residents can use the enclosed stairway to travel between the home’s two rectangular volumes while being protected from southern winds during the summer months. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame uninterrupted views of the lush landscape, and a cozy hearth warms the interior when inclement weather strikes. 

Photo: Marcos Zegers

See the full story on Dwell.com: This Floating Home in Chilean Patagonia Boasts Breathtaking Views

Similar Posts

  • Spring Road Residence

    This 7,000 sf house is nestled on a heavily wooded hilltop site in Ross, CA with breathtaking views of Mt. Tam and the San Francisco Bay over native California Oaks in one direction and the town of Ross through majestic old-growth redwoods in the other. The parti is a composition of simple volumes that maximizes a sense of openness to these views while maintaining privacy from neighbors and creating distinct zones within the property. Materials were carefully selected to strike a balance between a precise modernist language and the woodsy pastoral sensibility of this Northern California site. The volumes are clad in a terracotta rainscreen with rheinzink fascias. Custom aluminum doors and windows have extremely minimal sightlines. The landscape design was carefully considered to create different outdoor experiences to enhance the house. The floating master suite volume pushes out over the main living volume towards the canyon and views. The main dining kitchen area opens up to a lush lawn while the main living space steps down from a concrete plinth onto a wood floor that extends outdoors to a wood deck and anchored by a linear fire element. Guest rooms face the concrete terrace and look out over the mirror surface of an infinity edge lap pool hovering two inches above deck level. A fountain conceived as an 18″-high monolithic volume of water is visible from the entry and doubles as a spa. A home theater is located in the basement and a separate volume houses a gym area with a spa and an office for the owner’s business and his employees complete with its own private deck.

  • Renovated Home from Early 1900s in San Francisco Finds New Space

    Giving an old home a brand new makeover is often an effort that involves both smart planning and the just the right space-savvy features. Nestled in a busy neighborhood of San Francisco, this family home was originally built in 1903 and has seen several smaller renovations alter it over the years. But its latest revamp […]

    You’re reading Renovated Home from Early 1900s in San Francisco Finds New Space, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • Home Indulgence: Luxury Bathroom Features to Turn Your Home into a Spa

    Staying home for prolonged periods of time can be difficult for every one of us. Of course, you can make it a whole lot easier with a house that exactly meet your needs and also wraps you in a bit of luxury! When it comes to productivity and functionality, it is smart home workstations and […]

    You’re reading Home Indulgence: Luxury Bathroom Features to Turn Your Home into a Spa, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • The Invisible Order of Daily Life

    This is an old apartment with 40 years of history. The designer rotated the original axis and redesigned the structure in order to integrate the confusing flow line. There was only a single side of light in this space, after the rearrangement, the three sides of light, air and natural were introduced into the space giving the old house a new look. The designer tried to expose the original beams in the open space and colored the lowest beams with grey, which goes with the façade, so as to weaken the protruding beams. Also showing the natural beauty of the original structure within the space. On the other hand, there is no over-decorated design in the bedroom and the other rooms, only using the simple point-line-plan structure and non-chromatic to create a balanced picture. On the flow line planning, the designer integrated the main entrances of five rooms into one hallway. Using spray painting, wallpaper, secret doors, and sliding doors on the aisle space, which used to be confusing at the first place, to hide the appearance but also maintain its function. The design enlarged the space and made it return to the original strength and essence.