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A skylight floods the central stair with natural light. Partly perforated treads let daylight filter through multiple floors.

Like the pavilion holding the public spaces, the structure containing the bedrooms is clad in glass on the interior sides facing the courtyard, allowing a constant connection to the outside. Rodriguez (with dog Lupe) designed the steel stairs leading from the mezzanine-level home office to the master bedroom below. The stairs were fabricated by Austin-based Steel House MFG.

The secluded location of the house at the edge of a retired shale bank allows the luxury of an open outdoor shower. Corrugated steel siding provides a durable, zero-maintenance exterior finish and captures the changing sun and woodland shadows.

A large open skylight floods the heart of the home with natural light, even in winter months, and creates an interesting play between interior and exterior space in the main living area.

A square skylight is positioned directly above the bed for stargazing.

A built-in corner desk complements the new window seat.

The casitas feature large corner windows that offer impressive views of the landscape.

Replacing a door, the new bookshelf window provides storage while still allowing daylight to enter the office.

The family dog, Bruno, "loves to nap by the fireplace,

The simple wood deck features innovative cutouts that allow full-grown Yucca trees to peek through.

The cabinets and floating shelf are raw steel, and the handmade table is lime plaster, joined with Zara Home stools.

The kitchen is composed of stainless steel, from the cabinetry fabricated by Barcelona company Timblau, to the counters and backsplash, the latter given a mirror polish for contrast to the former’s patina on the surfaces. The boxes were brought in on a crane and then the group put them together in place. “The kitchen shouldn't be a closed dirty area of the house,” says Jon. “But [rather] the heart.” Fitting, as social life in the Basque culture revolves around eating together.