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Buoyant Las Arenas House for 3 Kids Breaks All the Rules

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A literally buoyant beach house on the coast of Peru aptly suggests the joy of getting away from it all with a structure that seems to be so unburdened with the cares of the daily grind – that it actually levitates off the ground.

Designed by Javier Artadi for a couple with three children, the Las Arenas house is 2,300 square feet, but much of this “house” is actually outdoor space.

The cut outs are designed just to frame a view. This bare minimum of architecture creates a wonderful feeling that there really is nothing that needs to be accomplished: making this the perfect seaside getaway embracing the vast peaceful skies near the beach.

The generous sky is cut out of the seemingly contained volume to frame multiple views as if from indoors.

Bedrooms are toward the back of the house. Here you see how the elevated house is emphasized by lights directed underneath the house.

The architect had to battle local zoning officials who had resisted a concrete house at the beach, thinking it would be too ugly.

He overcame their objections to produce a really gorgeous house that perfectly expresses a lighthearted seaside experience with a childlike sense of wonder and joy.