Magdalena Ferrer has been coming to Argentina’s Calamuchita Valley since she was “just a little baby.” Her grandfather bought land there decades ago, and it’s become a treasured place for Magdalena and the rest of the family…including her architect nephew, Federico Ferrer Deheza, co-principal of Alarcia Ferrer Arquitectos. “It’s part of our roots,” says Madgalena.

So in a way, Magdalena’s hillside home, designed by Alarcia Ferrer Arquitectos and completed in 2019, has been a lifetime in the making.

“It’s always been in my mind as a project to have a place with my family, near the rest of my family,” she says. Though the 4,090-square-foot home looks at a glance as if it’s in the middle of nowhere, overlooking the lush landscape and lake below, her sisters have houses on the property as well. (It’s the ideal mix of privacy and togetherness, and one that’s served them all particularly well during the global pandemic.)

Bringing in a younger generation to help with the design enabled Magdalena to take her vision in a more modernist direction than she might have aimed for on her own. (“We found a fantastic middle ground,” she says.) But ultimately, her wish list was short: she wanted light, and lots of it.

Inside, open-concept volumes are connected by corridors that channel daylight through thoughtfully placed cutouts and windows. Though concrete can be a cold, unwelcoming material, the way it’s streaked with sun via sequenced skylights here both warms and delights.

And then, there are the oversized windows that overlook the lush landscape and lake below. “I wanted glass from wall to wall, and I basically got it,” says Magdalena. “It’s just a huge window to the world.”

The view from each room is more striking than the last: The linear layout of the two-level home provides views on all sides, and a cantilevered structure thrusts the upper floor toward the horizon. The vistas can even be appreciated through a glass wall in the shower—“I have no neighbors,” Magdalena laughs.

The kitchen features an extended island with stools for the family to gather around—although much of the time, the countertop is covered with Magdelna’s drying pottery.

The open-concept layout isn’t traditional for Argentina, but it is more in line with Magdalena’s warm, open way of being. “Being about to cook and prepare something and not be isolated…I like that. You’re a part of it.”

Shop the Look

Though the rocky terrain caused some construction challenges, it also, surprisingly, provided design inspiration. Rather than painting the house, they tinted the concrete a subtle pink hue, tying in with the area’s natural minerals.

“The passage of time has allowed the home to take root in the place, thanks to the advance of the vegetation and the wear of the stained concrete,” reads the architect’s statement.

As the light changes throughout the day or the year, the home’s hue transforms too: deepening during the rainy season, or feeling fresh and springy when it’s sunny out. “I never could have imagined it to be this beautiful,” says Magdalena. “I love every single part of the house. It’s a dream come true.”

More from Alarcia Ferrer Arquitectos:

A Concrete Hillside Home With a Green Roof and Killer Views

Natural Stone Outcrops Pop Up in This Argentinian Retreat

Native Trees Punch Through the Roof of This Concrete Home in Argentina

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Alarcia Ferrer Arquitectos / @alarciaferrer_arquitectos

Builder/General Contractor: Orange Obras Civiles / @orangeobrasciviles

Structural Engineer: German Sarboraria