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Early on, the house's simplicity had great appeal to Jan Sasseen, the current owner. From walls to rugs to furniture, "pretty much everything is white," she says. "When I was decorating, I picked the most basic things I could find. Nothing had details or frills."

When this minimalist, L-shaped modern structure was first erected on the Massachusetts coastline, neighbors said it "looked like the ladies’ wing at Alcatraz," according to the original resident, John Hagerty. Decades later, guests are still stopping by to explore this inspired Walter Gropius/Marcel Breuer collaboration.

The exterior of the home is clad in Norway spruce. All of the windows are from Velfac, with the sliders from Schuco.

“The home is a mix of the architecture, the project of Riva, and the life of Maria,” says Martin. “He used this space to experiment,” Maria concurs. “This house is not very perfect.”

Because the site had 360 degrees of beautiful natural views, the duo had some flexibility in where they would orient the building. “When you’re not trying to look at a lake or a volcano, you can play with what is more efficient in receiving sunlight,” says Marambio.

The architects performed sun studies to find the perfect siting for their office — though with amazing views in every direction of the rolling landscape, there really was no wrong way to go.

The Max-A studio is also built with a pine frame, though it has pine panelling on the ceiling, while the main house ceiling is painted a warm white.

They subdivided their three hectares of land to share with friends, and selected for themselves the property that sat lowest. “Everyone wants a view, but we want to be immersed in the landscape,” says Marambio. The plot of land is by a ravine; the sound of trickling water is constant. The lush vegetation is home to foxes, birds and native cats.

The solar panel system provides ample electricity. “We do everything normally,” says Noguera. “Drying hair, using appliances, everything.” The solar panels also power the heating system, and a water pump.

The rule of working with standard material sizes required the architects to be both rigid and flexible. “If you know what’s out there, you can start working with those measurements, but you have to be flexible and adapt your living requirements you think you have in your head,” says Marambio. “At the same time, you have to work within the constraints. You don’t get one more meter.”

The Alerce shingles change color when it rains, moving from red to grey. “It’s alive,” says Marambio.

Floor Plan of Casa Fuki III & Estudio by Max-A Arquitectura

The Max-A studio is another, smaller A-frame building that sits next door to the main house: not a bad commute at all.