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When Marcos Altgelt discovered a run-down property for rent on a sleepy Buenos Aires backstreet, he came up with a novel idea: to create his dream home without owning it. He negotiated to remodel the property if the landlord would agree to 10 years of affordable rent.

Altgelt, cofounder of design studio Ries (and a Dwell 24 honoree last year), thought the property showed potential, given its generous lot sandwiched between two popular neighborhoods, but the house was in bad shape. Back in mid-2022, skyrocketing inflation crippled Argentina’s economy, creating an unpredictable future for tenants facing rent hikes. Yet materials and construction costs were affordable, so Marcos seized the moment.

The house was a casa chorizo, a kind of home built in the Rio de la Plata region from the 1880s to 1930s to meet the demands of a population that was rapidly expanding because of European emigration, with a row of rooms independently accessible from an outdoor patio. Multiple families often lived together under one roof. These constructions are now highly sought after by those wanting to live in a house with outdoor space in an inner-city location. Plus, their sound construction, large rooms with exposed-brick vaulted ceilings, and decorative floors make them ripe for remodeling.

Marcos says that for his home, he wanted “to respect what was already there.… I didn’t want to impose on the existing architecture.” No limitations whatsoever were imposed by the landlord; Marcos had complete freedom to do as he liked.

From the street, a sober green wall gives little away. A plain white door opens onto a front yard, behind which stands the facade, left stripped down with remnants of old paint. “I opted for a rustic exterior. There are many layers of many people who once lived in this house, and they tell a story,” reflects Marcos.

Inside, he modified the original layout of three separate rooms at the front by demolishing sections of walls to create a walkway connecting the first two. He pulled up musty carpets to reveal deteriorated wooden floors, which he ripped out and replaced with practical concrete. A new study area and record listening room, soundproofed by heavy curtains, give way to a living room with a gray sofa from Helmut and a well-lived coffee table peppered with watermarks and cigarette burns.

The bedroom at the rear is spartan: A simple double mattress on the floor lies in front of a new MDF partial wall with a walk-in closet behind. A sturdy metal pole runs the breadth of the wall, creating a retail store aesthetic with garments displayed on hangers. “It forces me to be very tidy,” Marcos says with a laugh.

The en suite bathroom is crude. The walls and ceilings are rendered with a wavy, textured concrete, a technique usually employed to prep walls and floors before laying tiles. “This is not a polite house,” Marcos says. “It responds to who’s living here.” Without a client to answer to, he has had the luxury to experiment with his space to his heart’s content.

“I’m either on my own, cooking for myself, calmly listening to music, or it transforms into a space for reunions and big social gatherings,” he says. “There’s no middle ground.”

It’s unusual to find a large house with these characteristics in the heart of Buenos Aires that hasn’t already been renovated or demolished to make way for modern apartment blocks. There’s an air of tranquility and privacy, free from high-rise buildings or prying neighbors.

Here, “time passes slower. There is a total disassociation with the city,” Marcos says. “You don’t feel like you’re bothering anyone if you crank up the music really loud or raise your voice. It gives the impression you’re on holiday. You could be somewhere else entirely.” In the last couple of months, he’s been in talks with the owner to buy the property.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record, Builder, and Interior Designer: Ries Estudio / @ries_estudio

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