Our Focus series shines the spotlight on the details: the extraordinary materials, spaces, and ideas that take great projects to the next level.

If you’ve read enough Dwell stories, you probably know that architects tend to obsess over daylighting. “One of our most important things is to try to always have as much natural light as we can inside the house,” says Max Noguera, principal of the firm Max-A in Santiago, Chile.

So, when faced with siting a lakeside project with its back to the sun, Noguera had to think outside the box…or rather, think on top of it. “This is where the skylight comes in,” he says with a laugh.

Atop this 1,820-square-foot house in Southern Chilean lake country, Noguera installed a jutting, jewel-like skylight. It’s like a flat-topped pyramid that reaches out of the black box and toward the sun.

Instead of placing the apex in the center of the square plan, Noguera skewed it to the northeast, where the sun would be most readily captured. “With that little move, we were able to bring natural light not just to the second-floor loft, but to the whole house,” says Noguera.

Now, sunlight streams all the way down and through the open-concept home, past the loft bedroom to the shared living spaces and kitchen. “It’s pretty much like being outside in nature,” says Noguera.

For homeowners Daniela Marbach and Francisco Cubillos and their three lucky kids, this one-of-a-kind skylight offers plenty of charm at night, too.

“In the night, it’s amazing—we can see the stars,” says Francisco. Adds Daniela: “We tuck them in and stay up looking at the moon.”

More Focus stories:

This Forest Home in Chile Is Elevated to Float Among the Trees

An Eccentric Pop of Blue Accents an Introspective Home in Los Angeles

Arcs of Concrete Swoop Down Like Curtains in This Crisp Belgian Home

Project Credits:

Architecture, Lighting, and Landscape Design : Max-A / @max_a_arquitectos

Builder/General Contractor: Guayo Gonzalez

Structural Engineer: Clann Ingenieros Civiles / @clann_ingenieros

Interior Design: Alfonso Lacámara L. Decoración de Interiores / @alfonsolacamara 

Cabinetry Design/Installation: Muebles Macavi / @mueblesmacavi

Thermal Insulation: Thermikhaus / @thermikhaus 

Wood Cladding: Topwood / @topwood.cl  

Also Appears In

Thanks to a Massive, Jewel-Like Skylight, This Chilean Cabin Glows From Top to Bottom