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The Startling Windows of Casa Lucernas in Chile

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This house from 01 Arq has surprising window/skylights that jut upwards at irregular intervals – contrasting with its siting on very flat land.

Casa Lucernas is located south of Santiago at the foothill of Cerro Chena, in Catemito, Chile.

A surprisingly small, clean and simple layout echoes the minimalism of its architecture.

(The eight skylights are marked X)

Its eight vertically extruded windows morph into skylights, creating the illusion of high ceilings.

From inside you see just how the window/skylights create the sense of a much taller space. It is a bold and original idea.

From the outside, these giant skylight window boxes also maintain complete privacy, with most of what is seen simply the interior wall.

Here the intersection between the two ceiling heights interestingly creates the sense that there is a partial floor above.

Glimpsed in the background through the boldly shaped deck are the bedrooms that have fully glassed walls on this side for the warm sunlight.

From the opposite end, you can see the light from the bedrooms, and the master bathroom’s towering skylight over the shower.

A rough grey stucco exterior is contrasted with a satiny finish on the white interior – like the contrast between the rough outside and the smooth inside of a shell.

At dusk, this white interior is lit up.

Throughout – lovely, clean, simple shapes are boldly outlined against the sky.