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The crude, industrial nature of concrete is countered by the extensive use of glass, which provides expansive views of the foothills and humanizes the house with a large dose of nature. The glass motif is repeated throughout the house with glass tables and shower cubicles. Repetition of the deceptive wood doors also provides a softening element.

The roof is flat and covered with water-eroded stones arranged in rectangular bays that mirror the rectangles that divide the lawn. The roof gives one the sensation of sitting in a dry riverbed or mountain scree slope, particularly because it lacks containing barriers.

As seen from the garden, the bedrooms are to the left on two levels; to the right, on a single level, are high-ceilinged family rooms that are light and airy. The roof extends asymmetrically toward the garden over the family rooms creating a covered patio with access through a French window.

Although from the outside the house is stern and unforgiving, the mountain view provided by the bank of windows is edifying and seductive. The open interior design allows the eye to wander and revel in a light-filled spaciousness that leaves behind all thought of the brutal concrete structure.

Paul Harris is a freelance journalist and author who has written for magazines and journals including Dazed & Confused, ID Magazine, Interiors, and Sources, and is coauthor of the BASICS Design series of graphic design books published by AVA Publishing.

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"El Mirador" in Santiago, Chile, by architect Cristián Undurraga. Photo: Guy Wenborne Ramped corridors provide interior circulation. Photo: Guy Wenborne Gaps in the angled ramp above brings daylight to spaces below. Photo: Guy Wenborne Roof surface of river rock. Photo: Guy Wenborne   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.