Minimalistic House Makes The Most Of A Perfectly Flat Piece Of Land

This cool house from Guatemala occupies a completely flat piece of land surrounded by a mountainous region. This unusual topography was instantly recognized as being very advantageous. It’s the ideal place for a house and in 2019 a team of designers from studio Paz Arquitectura turned that vision into reality. They created the BF House, a contemporary retreat which was specifically designed to take advantage of its surroundings and the garden in particular in the most efficient way possible.

The ground floor spaces seamlessly extend into the garden bringing the outdoors in
The ground floor spaces seamlessly extend into the garden bringing the outdoors in
The design of the house follows the linearity of the site, hence the flat roofs and overall geometry
The design of the house follows the linearity of the site, hence the flat roofs and overall geometry
The palette of materials and finishes used throughout the house is diverse and gives the building a dynamic look
The palette of materials and finishes used throughout the house is diverse and gives the building a dynamic look

The architects together with the owners agreed to have the garage placed underground and to create a basement level in order to leave as much space for the garden as possible and to avoid obstruct the views or the connection between the indoor and the outdoor spaces. On the same note, the house was given an L-shaped floor plan in order to frame the garden and to bring the exterior closer to the living spaces. All of the internal spaces are spread across the ground floor with the exception of the family room. This area was intentionally left out due to the fact that it’s only occasionally being used and would unnecessarily maximize the footprint and reduce the garden in the process.

The beautiful lush garden also manages to actively become a part of the interior design
The beautiful lush garden also manages to actively become a part of the interior design
The overall design of the house focuses on linearity and simplicity and this is also true for the outdoor areas
The overall design of the house focuses on linearity and simplicity and this is also true for the outdoor areas
The social areas are interconnected and form an open space which extends onto a terrace
The social areas are interconnected and form an open space which extends onto a terrace
The upper and lower sections of the exterior walls are made of glass but the middle is opaque in order to offer privacy
The upper and lower sections of the exterior walls are made of glass but the middle is opaque in order to offer privacy
In the context of the L-shaped floor plan, the longer section is occupied by all the private areas
In the context of the L-shaped floor plan, the longer section is occupied by all the private areas