Beton Brut

The console in the living room is designed as a fun and useful element.

Studio Okami tore down the walls of this five-bedroom apartment and stripped all the layers of finishing from the walls and ceilings revealing the beautifully textured concrete.

A steel-and-glass stairway keeps things open. Structural steel contractor Russ Jones was a key player. “Wood is easily manipulated on site; you can push and shove it,” Hector says. “Steel is different. It requires a steel erection team.”

The kitchen has only the essentials. “It’s not a house in which you’re supposed to live 365 days a year—it’s set up as a place to get away and relax,” says Claudio.

The interior also features a layering of space that can be seen here in the living room.

The design exhibits a masterful use of that most modern of materials, concrete.

Lakehouse in Zell

Imagine waking up in a room with a stunning view, eating your breakfast on a terrace, walking to a secluded beach for a short dip in the ocean, then drinking wine near a private pool while watching the sunset. That is exactly what Casa Tiny offers to its guests, who can now rent it through Boutique Homes. The cozy house is located on the Oaxaca Coast in Mexico near Casa Wabi, an artists’ retreat founded by Mexican artist Bosco Sodi.