From the street, the house presents itself as an austere, compact, and almost impenetrable structure. The fencing and vegetation create a sharp boundary with the public realm, obscuring the true layout of the interior spaces and the depth of the plot. The building does not immediately reveal what happens inside; its true nature is only disclosed upon crossing the threshold.

The project takes shape precisely in the space between appearance and the reality the house creates. Indeed, the dwelling is organized around a system of dualities. Oriented along a north-south axis, it divides the plot into two vastly different gardens: one facing the street—more public and controlled—and one at the rear, private and open. Yet, the separation between these two conditions is not achieved through a completely closed barrier. On the contrary, the heart of the house serves as a device for visual connection.

The living area, fully glazed, introduces a sense of permeability, allowing the eye to pass through the house and look out at the greenery from one garden to the other. Contrasting with this openness is the volume of the sleeping area, positioned transversely and defined by the tactile quality of exposed-aggregate concrete. Transparency and mass, openness and protection, thus become the defining characteristics of the house’s relationship with the landscape. Materiality further reinforces this contrast.

Exposed-aggregate concrete forms the lower section of the building, while the roof and fencing are defined by standing-seam metal surfaces—lighter, almost suspended elements that stand in opposition to the heavy solidity of the base. The house thus embodies an apparently contradictory state: outwardly, it presents itself as a severe, introverted structure, while internally, it establishes a continuous relationship with the landscape. Shielded from the street, the greenery takes center stage in the domestic experience through a sequence of transparencies, sightlines, and pathways.
Rather than proclaiming its openness, the house chooses to cherish it.
It is precisely this contrast between the austere exterior and the permeable interior that defines its character.