Black-painted building exteriors certainly aren’t for everyone. But what some onlookers might characterize as harsh, dark, drab or even creepy, others find stylish and soothing, a beautiful contrast against the vivid greens and blues of the forest and sky. The striking black exterior of this modern cabin, with its asymmetrical silhouette and seemingly impenetrable facade, is a bit intimidating from the outside. But check out the interiors, and you might just fall in love.
From the outset, architects Ruca Proyectos had their work cut out for them. The cabin is set within the a forest outside Coyhaique in Chilean Patagonia along the River Simpson, and would have to stand up to year-round harsh conditions, including heavy rainfall, severe cold and lots of snow, even in spring and autumn. They raised ‘La Quimera House’ off the ground to protect it, and painted it black to help it absorb and retain warmth from sunlight.
Inside, the house is made almost entirely of local pine wood, which covers the walls, floors and ceilings and makes up much of the furniture, including a line of built-in bunk beds. You wouldn’t guess from the photos, but every choice the architects made was based on the clients’ low budget, scarce labor availability and a lack of modern building technology in the area. Much of the pine you see in these photos is grooved plywood.
With all that warm pine and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the mountains, this sweet modern cabin in the woods manages to feel pretty luxurious. It’s a beautiful testament to what you can achieve when you think creatively, even if you don’t have a lot of funds to work with.
