Three Homes in the Canary Islands Pay Homage to a Local Legend

"This is not Ibiza," says architect Alexander Bernjus, pointing to the desert landscape that fringes Playa de Famara on Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. Bernjus was born and raised in Germany, where he’s still a partner at the Frankfurt studio Bernjus Gisbertz Szajak, but he’s lived part-time on the volcanic island since 2009. "What attracts me to Lanzarote is the way it has shaped its own identity," he says. "You won’t find showy architecture, loft-style interiors, or a neutral color palette here. Black lava stones, craters, dusty roads—Lanzarote is rough, and the island influences the architecture."