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Movable slatted-wood panels allow Teresa and Nicolás to control the flow of light as well as the level of privacy from the nearby road. The space between the screen and home acts as a small deck.

The whole project comprised only three months of design, two months of production (some 90 percent of which was completed at a Buenos Aires factory), one day of assembly, and five days of adjustments. The structure consists of just four 9-foot-8-inch-by-19-foot-7-inch modules supported by a foundation plate. “If we want to move it, we can,” says Teresa. “We could get a crane and disassemble it and then reassemble it on the coast.”

As Nicolás Tovo and Teresa Sarmiento of La Base embraced modular design as part of their architectural practice, they noticed that prospective clients were wary of prefabricated construction. So the duo teamed up with Place, an Argentine prefab builder, to make a proof of concept just outside the Patagonian resort town of Bariloche.

The attic has space for a compact sleeping area, which can host adventurous guests.

An oversized fireplace anchors to living spaces and a kitchen, which sit below a pitched pine roof.

The front of the home has a ramp entrance that leads to a wraparound deck.

The home overlooks Rapunco Lake in Southern Chile, about 10 hours from where the owners' primary residence is.

Highly-durable furniture was chosen for the upper deck's sitting area, which routinely hosts sunset parties.

A large cement fireplace can be used in the winter months, and it's surrounded by walls of windows and sliding doors that can be opened in the summer. "We adapted our work and finishes during construction according to the possibilities presented by local labor,

On the entrance deck, a hand-crafted wooden couple welcomes visitors. The U-shaped deck surrounds the entire lower level.

Milla and Nigel thought the kitchen island should anchor the first floor, and they wanted colors that matched the frescoes. Stone specialist Nick Blok found exactly what they were looking for: a monolithic piece of Italian quartzite with muted pinks and umbers in the veining.

Erica and her mom enjoy cooking together, and this kitchen makes that easy to do so, with an expanded footprint, leathered quartzite counters, and custom white oak cabinetry. Shoe storage was built-in by the exterior door, with a slim cupboard for cleaning supplies.

Original details can be found throughout, including the stone-clad walls and exposed beams awaiting on the lower level.

In the kitchen, a central island of White Macaubas Quartzite sits below vaulted skylights. "Marble counters and ledges create a sophisticated atmosphere, complemented by custom oak cabinetry and sourced brass fixtures, and an Ilve stove,

The multi-level home sits perched above the street, surrounded by meticulous landscaping of olive trees, soaring hedges, and lush vegetation.