Chilean studio Apio Arquitectos has used wooden barns as a reference for this nature retreat, with pitched roofs and facades wrapped in grey metal and pine.

The House in Lake Calafquen is located in southern Chile's Los Ríos Region. Dotted with lakes, the rural area features low ridges, where "elements appear like isolated modules in a continuous ground". The dwelling serves as a year-round family retreat.

While conceiving the home, the design team looked to the region?s vernacular architecture.
"We cite as an inspiration one old local typology: the wood country barn that is part of the south of Chile scenic identity," said Apio Arquitectos, a studio based in Santiago. "A simple and neutral module that doesn't modify the landscape."
The 480-square-metre dwelling consists of two adjoined volumes ? one small, one large ? with gabled roofs. The team used standing-seam grey metal for the roofs and long sides of the home, while the other facades are clad in pine boards.
"For issues of maintenance and efficiency, the metal cover was chosen, which contrasts with the laminated pine beams and the interior panelling," the studio said.

Inside, pine was used for exposed beams, columns, flooring and walls. Window and door frames rendered in black contrast with the light-toned wood.
The ground level contains the public functions, along with two bedrooms, studio space and a garage. The partial second floor encompasses four additional bedrooms...