Appetite for Construction

The Becerril family embraces stark modernism with a mute facade clad in Hardie board and acrylic panels. Access to the heart of the house is through the bamboo garden.

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Marco Becerril, at the left end of the table, presides over his extended family in the double-height dining area.

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Angelica Becerril prepares food at the kitchen island; the Carrara marble countertop is one of the few luxury materials used in the house.

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An exterior stairway meeting the main entrance leads to the guesthouse.

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Marco Becerril embraces indoor-outdoor living. "In a place like this, you have to ask a client to have faith, and faith to me has always been the belief in something you can't see," says architect Jorge Gracia who designed the residence.

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The dining table doubles as a homework spot.

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The bedroom in the guesthouse features cheery colors.

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Unlike its neighbors, Casa Becerril is set back from the street and fits a yard onto its tight site.

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The bamboo garden, home to Oscar the tortoise, abuts the walkway leading to the central courtyard.

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The small pool at the top of the landing provides the family with a place to cool off.

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Despite a tight site, light floods into every room, including the restroom in the guesthouse.

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The architect Jorge Gracia sits on his handiwork, an unusual custom-made Cor-Ten stair leading from the courtyard to the guesthouse.

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The inner courtyard is the core of the home.

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