Architecture studio Barclay & Crousse used local stone, and cement with a reddish hue, to make this house on the outskirts of Lima match the colour tones of the Peruvian desert.
Sandra Barclay and Jean Pierre Crousse's firm, which is based in the Peruvian capital, designed Casa C3 for a clifftop site to the north of the city.

The building is heavily influenced by the characteristics of the site and the surrounding landscape, which is defined by the region's unique climate with its high humidity, but almost no precipitation.
The desert terrain features reddish-brown soil strewn with large boulders. Not far from the house, the ground drops steeply down to meet the Pacific Ocean.

The architects chose to embed the house in the topography and used materials found in the landscape to ensure it blends in with its natural context. "Avoiding an objectual relationship with context, the house is conceived as a soil extrusion rather than an object in landscape," said Barclay & Crousse.

"Framing views is not a priority, but the creation of a microcosm that allows understanding its unique features by revealing its hidden qualities," continued the studio.
The property comprises a series of four volumes that step down the hillside. Each structure fulfils a specific function and is connected to the others by stone steps inserted into the landscape.

The first structure at the top of the hill contains a garage and entrance from the street that connects with a set ...