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“Zarzales is a vacation home located in Valle de Bravo, whose architecture, simple and pure, gives the prominence it deserves tothe surrounding nature,” says the firm.

“It feels like a timeless monument or a meeting place for a cult,” says Lindstrom (at right, with Davidson). "That feeling, whether good or bad or creepy, is just so powerful."

Planned Living Architects designed this seaside residence in Blairgowrie for a young couple to accommodate their growing family and future use as a holiday home. The warmth of the extensive timber balances the strength and raw tactile character of the in-situ concrete walls. Glazing along the north end of the home introduces the sun-filled, secluded backyard and encourages engagement with the coastal landscape, where indigenous vegetation is making its return after bushfire.

The lower terrace, which features a hot tub, is farther down the hill to immerse its users in the landscape.

HiFAB hopes to grow their business and, eventually, pass savings onto potential homeowners to make the homes affordable for more people.

“The simple exterior material palette, including hard-troweled smooth stucco and corrugated material, gives a subtle nod to West Texas design,” says Grace Boudewyns, Project Architect at Lake|Flato.

The front patio offers another outdoor space for residents and can be used to develop a sense of community amongst neighbourhoods of Haciendas.

“The uncluttered design allows for a lock and leave lifestyle to travel the world and then return to a lovely home to catch your breath and relax,” says Brent Jackson, founder of HiFAB and Oaxaca Interests.

Multiple glazed French doors open out to the courtyard to create a connection between interior and exterior spaces.

The Haciendas are designed to stand alone, but when placed next to each other they create small private courtyards that enhance the indoor-outdoor living experience.

Oaxaca Interests is a Texas-based real estate operator, developer, and investment firm. The company partnered with award-winning architecture practice Lake|Flato to found HiFAB.

The couple wanted an indoor/outdoor living space that made it easy for their kids and guests to gather for parties and jam sessions.

“The clients’ art collection is so inspiring and engaging that we wanted to make sure that our design decisions enhanced the collection and didn’t overpowered the artwork,” Damonte says. The living room and deck were constructed on-site.

Before moving here, the family lived in a tract home with a “postage stamp yard,” says Jimmy, who heads a commercial construction firm. Now, on weekends, he likes to ride his dad’s 1977 John Deere tractor and mow the fields. “When I come home, I get to shut off from my day job,” he says.

Stafford Residence floor plan

The nine-acre property provides plenty of space for the couple’s two labradoodles, Jack and Leo, to roam

In the dining area, a Guild chandelier hangs above a table and chairs from Carl Hansen.

An exterior shot of the hillside residence offers a glimpse of the property's spectacular vistas.

Niki Bergen and two of her children run up the hill by the guesthouse she and her partner, Andrew Zuckerman, built on their upstate New York property. The structure was designed by Levenbetts, the architecture firm also responsible for the older main house nearby.