Office

Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

The abstract geometry of the exterior allows for unique openings and this sklylight, which provides natural light to the staff throughout the day. "One of my ambitions is to place openings, windows, and roof lights strategically, so you get a sense of the time of day and the weather," says Brooks.

Mike's second-floor office features locally-sourced cabinetry. Photo credit: Dale Christopher Lang PhD AIAP

The second-floor office is housed inside a rounded rectangle of concrete that the architect inserted on top of the old farmhouse.

Concrete is used for the walls and ceiling and stone for the floors to maintain an urban, industrial feeling.

Collaborating with Arauco, the Andes House tested the durability of cholguán by exposing it to liquid. To their surprise, they found the material survived but bent gently, revealing that it could be shaped to divide offices.