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There are many things the clients, Antonio and Estella, love about the home. “The design, the green everywhere, how comfortable it is,” shares Antonio. “It has exceeded my expectations because, in spite of it standing on a not-so-large plot, the house feels quite large, almost like there are three houses instead of one.”

A covered lounge area at the back of the garden—complete with fire—offers an all-weather space to enjoy being outside.

The connection to nature is found throughout the home, with the architects taking every opportunity to connect to outdoor spaces that feel removed from the urban context. The bathrooms, for example, feature ample skylights and look onto planted courtyards.

Every room has its own terrace, which transforms the feeling of the interior when the doors are opened. By dissolving the boundaries between interior and exterior, a constant connection to nature is created.

The master bedroom living area is separated from the bedroom by a glass-enclosed, plant-filled courtyard that also provides ventilation to the bathroom and wardrobe.

The master suite also features a private living room, giving Antonio and Estela their own completely separate space to relax in.

In contrast to the poetic minimalism of the circulation stair, the service stair has—rather unusually—been designed as a sculptural focus point within the home. It connects the garage, kitchen, and a service zone on the first floor. “Normally a service stair is hidden, but this house is like a sculpture and the stair needed to be a part of this,” explains Eduardo Ugalde from All Arquitectura.

The home has been designed to celebrate the play of natural light and shadow throughout the day. “The beautiful shadows create a cinematographic effect,” says architect Alexander Saved. “The clients often send us surprising pictures of the light and shadow at different times of the day.”

The main circulation staircase is crafted completely from timber. This materiality is echoed in the large bespoke storage wall that runs beside it.

“The first morning we stayed at home, I went downstairs to make my morning coffee,” recalls Antonio. “Only this time, I made it in the coffee maker built into the kitchen countertop overlooking the back garden, while beams of sunlight seeped into the room. It is a place so different from the single room apartment we started our journey from so many years ago—it was definitely better.”

The tree in the central courtyard rises up through the center of the home, with its top branches visible from the first floor to create a vertical connection through the spaces that echoes the dynamic stairs.

The home is built around a small central courtyard with a tree at its center, which is surrounded on the ground floor by the dining room, living room, and kitchen.

The ground floor of the home features wide spaces that open out to greenery. “You don’t need walls everywhere to make the house feel big,” explains Eduardo Ugalde from All Arquitectura. “By creating a large garden on the site that is open to the sky, you create a feeling of spaciousness.”

The ground floor living spaces feature large windows with sheer curtains. “In the afternoon, you get this golden hour,” says architect Alexander Saved. “The light is awesome—you almost feel like you are in California with the warm light filtering through the curtains.”

The living room features a bespoke bar as Antonio and Elena love to entertain. It’s also home to their extensive art collection. “The living room has a mixture of colors and textures that come alive under the light,” says Antonio.

The material palette is kept minimal and natural—think concrete, white oak, and ceramic tiles—with color coming from the green spaces that change with the seasons to create an ever-evolving interior. “The client wanted a simple design, with natural light, ventilation, and color,” says Eduardo Ugalde from All Arquitectura.

“We empathized with the clients as they come from humble beginnings and worked hard to make a better life for themselves and their children,” says architect Alexander Saved. “We started from zero almost 10 years ago and have built our practice up—so we understood the meaning of the project immediately and knew it was a big responsibility to take on.”

The front door opens directly onto the central courtyard and interior tree, setting the tone for the entire interior.

The enormous front door is discreetly located at the top of a landscaped stair that leads through the semi-public garden open to the street. “Unless you are in front of the door, you won’t see it,” explains architect Alexander Saved. “ It is more mysterious and creates an experience of discovering the house.”