Ideias

Large, dramatic openings bring transparency and contrast to the 10-inch-thick concrete facade, framing perspectival views of the landscape.

Architecture and interior photographer Marc Gerritsen went back to basics when he designed this minimalist concrete house that you can rent through Airbnb.

The clients enjoy boating and kayaking and often utilize the site’s direct water access. “There’s a boathouse at the bottom of the site, so we’ve tried to clean the view up,” says architect Fraser Mudge of the framing. “We also controlled the height of it a little bit to frame the beauty of the water and the National Park, rather than the sky.”

Many of owner Ben Kinmont's culinary craft projects are an extension of his work as an artist and dealer of antiquarian books about food and wine. Off the kitchen, Ben stores his inventory—faded spines lined up on long shelves and a tall cabinet where a few select objects are kept. Next to a gaping fireplace in the sitting area is the most prized and frequently used of his antique cooking implements, an 18th-century French tourne-broche à poids—a delightfully analog contraption for turning a spit over a flame. In the master bedroom, more shelves were installed to accommodate the book collection.

The home’s program is split up among several volumes, which are distributed along the garden.

The view of the nearby Parroquia de San Agustín and the dense urban skyline.

A multilevel design means that the outside is never far away in CBC House.

A sparse bedroom on the home’s second floor.

Floor plan of main home and studio cottage of House V by Daffonchio Architects.

Architect Miguel Ángel Aragonés’s Mexico City home covers nearly 11,000 square feet. Rombo III spans three stories and is named after its sharp geometry. The home has a predominately white color palette—it's swathed in stucco, sand, and cement, with Spanish travertine floors. However, it takes on the hues of its surroundings—be it the gray or blue of the sky, or a hint of green from the lush foliage surrounding the house. With a meditation pond inside, the space is a serene getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The couple purchased the living room’s H.W. Klein chairs with the house. Another existing piece was the mezzanine’s daybed, designed by Peter Hvidt and Orlando Mølgaard Nielsen. An original floating staircase leads to the mezzanine and then up to the second floor. The open, straight-forward spaces speak to one of Christian’s guiding principles: “Simplicity is the key,” he says.

Large sliding glass doors open onto a backyard retreat complete with a fire pit and swimming pool.

An iron-and-glass bedroom wall allows natural light to fill the kitchen and entryway.

Kanuka Valley House by WireDog Architecture

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