OMG I Want This House: Valparaiso, Chile
The Daily Beast presents a look at one of the most insane houses in the world.
On a little patch of paradise on the edge of a mountain in the middle of a protected natural reserve is a home unlike any other. Built by local architects, this Chilean retreat known as Casa El Maqui is a masterpiece of sustainability and style. Sure it may cost a pretty penny—$1.2 mil—but that is a small price to pay for living in a chateau in Quilpué, Chile, that makes you feel like you’re in a cloud hovering over nature.
The home is made of reinforced concrete and steel with the added warmth of a lovely wood overlay. Naturally, a skybridge in the middle of nowhere (but not to nowhere) connects the two sides of the structure.
A modern masterpiece like this laughs in the face of sliding glass doors. Here, the entire glass wall opens to the great outdoors. Welcome to the party, you lovely breeze, you.
According to Sotheby’s Chile, “The owners sought out a site that was ravaged by erosion and contained no vegetation to avoid destroying any pristine landscape in the construction of the project.” Not only was no foliage harmed in the making of this property, it also was constructed in a way that encourages the absent flora and fauna to flourish once again.
At only an hour and a half away from Santiago, expect lots of guests at your next soiree. The living and entertaining spaces fill the first-floor interiors and are dressed to the nines in golden wood.
The bedrooms—of which there are four—are spread along the second floor and each boasts not only an incredible view, but also access to a massive balcony. Get ready for some first-class lazing about.
The architects didn’t just help to preserve the land, they also put the pieces in place to preserve the wallet of the future buyer. The resident orchard includes over 700 avocado trees that were planted with the idea that the green fruits of gold would be sufficient to cover the property’s maintenance costs.
Not that it’s even possible to get tired of this view, but in the rare chance that the anomaly does happen, you are less than 30 minutes away from the ocean and all of the adventures the Pacific Coast has to offer.
Don’t be fooled by this gorgeous expanse of water, the pool is just the start of the backyard fun. There is a sauna, a hot tub, and a pool house for all your wardrobe changes.
It’s tough to compete with the majesty of the mountains but, hey, somebody’s gotta do it. What a hero!
From this angle, and with the sunken ponds and verdant gardens that surround it, the home looks like it could be the chicest fort that was ever built. Calling all Swiss Family Robinsons…
There is a long tradition of repairing to the woods for a little rest and relaxation. At Casa El Maqui, you can join the Thoreaus of the world, but in a style that is more sustainably luxe than roughing it. We call that $1.2 mil well spent.
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